Progress (2-in-1)

In this episode, the audience saw many things that can be seen in real life.

There were so-called monster experts who only talk big and know nothing in practice.

There were also ordinary people who, as long as the monster didn't appear in their city, would not care and even take the opportunity to criticize the TPC.

There were conscientious journalists who pursued freedom of speech and tried their best to report the truth.

And there was Deputy Captain Munakata, who shouldered responsibility and personally commanded operations on the front line.

This episode caused a flood of discussions in the "Ultraman Tiga" fan forums.

"Finally, a show that criticizes those so-called experts."

"Yeah, many so-called experts these days are just keyboard warriors. They talk without understanding the full situation and lead public opinion astray. Recently, an expert even said low housing prices are bad because they discourage young people from working hard!"

"Seriously, where do these so-called experts get the nerve to spout such nonsense?"

"This is what good TV shows should be like! Reflecting real life. Unlike some shows that are all about love and affairs, like a woman cheating and then the man forgiving her and getting back together, or some unrealistic war dramas."

Moreover, the sixth episode also sparked deep discussions—**Second Encounter**.

This episode, when Ren first watched it, had a profound impact on him.

It tells the story of creatures originally living in the Earth's ionosphere that mutated into monsters due to the electromagnetic waves generated by human activities.

This episode once again made people reflect on the impact of human development on living creatures.

"I heard recently there was a nine-legged octopus found off the coast of Sakura Nation?"

"Yeah, and it was caught in the waters near Fukushima. Some people online even claim nuclear waste doesn't affect humans."

"Do you think there really could be something like the Lightning People?"

"Probably not in the sky. We've sent satellites up there; if they existed, we should have seen them. But the ocean is different."

"I agree. We haven't explored much of the deep sea. Forget the deep sea, there might be unknown creatures living in the Earth's core, surviving in magma, and having their own civilizations."

Overnight, the name "Ultraman Tiga" once again trended on social media.

The next day, Ultraman ranked fifth in the same time slot with an average national viewership rating of 1.13.

It can be said that "Ultraman Tiga" was becoming a huge success, and achieving greater heights was not a dream.

...

As an entertainment industry insider, Zach deeply understood the art of hype.

Seeing the current popularity of Ultraman, he couldn't help but smile and mutter, "It's time."

Yes, the timing was perfect for his live-stream product sale!

Even if many viewers were there to mock him, they were still viewers.

Having already contacted some friendly reporters to cover the event, he set a live-stream time that coincided perfectly after the broadcast of Ultraman.

In the evening.

"Hi, my fans! I, Zach, am a man who keeps his promises!" In the video, Zach sat with an innocent kitten in his arms.

The kitten, unaware of the madness about to unfold, blinked its eyes and occasionally batted at the camera.

The number of viewers quickly surged to over 100,000.

"Who's your fan, you desert rat!"

"The Ultraman fan club is here to see this. I thought you'd use a cake-shaped cat prop, but you actually have a real cat. 666!"

"Beast! Let go of that innocent kitten!"

"High Priest of the Cult of Sadness here to support."

Ignoring the barrage of comments, Zach continued, "I once said that 'Ultraman Tiga' would fail."

"Stop talking, gkd!"

"Hurry up!"

Seeing the viewer count, Zach figured it was time. He lifted the kitten to make sure everyone could see it clearly. "See, no tricks."

"Meow?"

The kitten looked at its owner in confusion, wondering why it was being held up again, feeling that something bad was about to happen.

"Hurry up!"

"Get on with it."

Zach looked at his kitten, took a deep breath, and leaned in. As he did, the kitten made a strange noise.

"This cat seems off!"

Viewers quickly took screenshots, and the comment section was flooded.

Many pet owners noticed that sometimes this sound means the cat wants attention or isn't feeling well.

Whatever the case with Zach's cat, Zach didn't care.

Instead, he picked up a tube of toothpaste next to him. "You see, this toothpaste can completely remove any odor. After using it, the taste in my mouth will be gone. Not only that..."

Before he could finish, Zach's livestream was abruptly cut off, showing a message that it was banned for inappropriate content.

This time, Zach not only failed to sell his products but also became a laughing stock.

Ren, watching this, couldn't help but laugh.

Just then, there was a knock on his door.

Jada walked in. "There's new progress on the online streaming rights."

Hearing this, Ren quickly put down his phone.

After all, there were many places where they needed money.

For instance, the development of the Pokémon game. Due to the unexpected popularity of "Pokémon: Kill," Ren also planned to create versions like "Pokémon Hearthstone" and "Pokémon Auto Chess."

--------

The progress on the online platform broadcast rights indeed advanced.

First, let's forget about sharing the broadcast rights. Who would want to share the pie when they could have it all to themselves? Given the current surge in popularity of "Ultraman Tiga," none of the companies are willing to back down.

Even the offer from iQiYi has now matched the prices of the other two companies.

All three have raised their prices to 11 million yuan per episode.

If Ren and his team hold out any longer, the price might continue to rise.

But regardless, just selling the online exclusive rights and adding the television station's initial purchase price, they have already covered the production costs and the cost of acquiring Gensui Company. Not only did they break even, but they even made a bit of profit.

Jada is now contemplating whether to open a toy factory or start an animation production company.

However, Jada knows better than to bite off more than she can chew.

The neighboring Jia Rong Company, due to its large size, has established numerous factories all at once and is now encircled by the Big Five. If it weren't for its substantial foundation, it might not have been able to hold out.

If her company continues this momentum, the Big Five might turn their attention and take out Picca first.

So, the foundation needs to be solidified to withstand any potential assaults from the Big Five.

Although the prices from the three online video companies are the same, their promotional resources differ.

The largest one, Tencent Video, and the slightly smaller iQiYi, both see potential in "Ultraman Tiga." However, these companies have many exclusive rights acquisitions and even numerous self-produced dramas awaiting promotion.

This means they won't abandon their own projects to specifically support "Ultraman Tiga," an outsider.

Some of these self-produced dramas have higher investments and more star-studded casts than "Ultraman Tiga," and they certainly won't be neglected.

Their reason for acquiring "Ultraman Tiga" is likely because it's trending now, ensuring they won't lose money, and they don't want other companies to snatch the viewership.

But Bilibili (known here as "Closed Station") is different.

Bilibili's CEO personally called Jada to express their commitment.

This made Jada favor Bilibili, and they finally agreed on the exclusive online broadcast rights, successfully outbidding Tencent and iQiYi.

Once the contract with Bilibili is signed tomorrow, "Ultraman Tiga" will soon be available online.

This news was quickly posted on Weibo, causing fans of tokusatsu (special effects) series to rejoice.

Why? Because it's Bilibili!

Many people hate watching shows with advertisements.

Although platforms offer VIP memberships to reduce ads, do you think they really eliminate them? They earn a lot from ad revenue.

Regular members still see ads and might need a premium membership to avoid them. Even then, you might get mid-episode ads.

It's extremely annoying.

But Bilibili is different. While a membership might be required, there are no ads, which is a huge relief.

Thus, Bilibili's official account was flooded with supportive comments—"Bilibili rules!" "Little Pepper.jpg."

To draw traffic to Bilibili, they even organized a stage play and had the actors attend the launch event.

...

Ren's progress didn't slow down because of the success of a tokusatsu series.

As the tokusatsu series' popularity soared, Ren's new manga was released.

In major bookstores, piles of new issues of "Yuragi Shrine" awaited readers.

Today, the Porter's new work would debut in this magazine, and based on what the Porter said after finishing Cooking Master Boy, it's apparently another culinary series!

This excited many readers because many had become fans of the Porter through Cooking Master Boy. They anticipated another great culinary series.

Thus, long lines formed at many locations as people waited to purchase the new issue.

They then saw the cover featuring a boy in a suit holding a tray and wearing an eyepatch.

This time, it's not just Chinese cuisine? It seems there's Western cuisine too?

Seeing the outfit, many grew excited.

Would it be a showdown between Chinese and Western dishes? Showing Chinese cuisine easily beating Western dishes?

This thought made them thrilled.

Eunseo, a reader captivated by Ren's works and hooked on Cooking Master Boy, dragged her best friend Claire to the bookstore to buy the new issue.

Before reaching the bookstore, Eunseo couldn't help but ask Claire.

After all, her best friend is one of Ren's assistants! She must know about the new series: "Is this culinary manga good?"

"How should I put it..." Claire's face showed a complex expression, "It's not about whether it's good or bad... This 'culinary series' is very unique... Let me tell you, it's about..."

Claire knew the plot of this so-called culinary series.

Calling it a culinary series wasn't wrong since the manga did involve eating. But the food in it might not be so friendly for humans.

So, Claire wanted to give her best friend a heads-up about the plot.

Eunseo didn't notice Claire's subtle expression and waved her hand before Claire could reveal the truth: "Just tell me if it's good. No spoilers! I hate spoilers!"

"It's pretty good!" Claire nodded.

Though she wasn't fond of this genre, she believed it would be a hit among fans of action series.

"Really? That's great!" Eunseo nodded, satisfied.

Even though her best friend is an assistant, she never asks about the plot in advance, as knowing it would spoil the surprise.

Then she changed the topic: "You know, Ren is amazing. Many boys in our class talk about Ultraman all day, and kids downstairs keep striking Ultraman poses and playing Ultraman games..."

"Ah, that must be genius," Claire said subtly.

Yes, geniuses often have quirks, like trolling their fans.