pertwk Chapter 248 Fighting for Survival, "After the Rain" Foundation!
Chapter 248 Fighting for Survival, "After the Rain" Foundation!
(The previous chapter is under review, please wait.)
An unsettling, somber atmosphere continued to build.
In the research room of Miyagawa Hospital, the light from the incandescent bulbs appeared somewhat dim.
When Dr. Ishibuchi learned that the disgusting monsters that writhed in the darkness and devoured humans were actually clones of his own, which he was so proud of, combined with alien microorganisms, his psychological defenses completely collapsed.
He collapsed into the swivel chair in despair, clutching his head tightly with both hands.
His voice trembled with pain and self-reproach: "It's because of my research... that this monster was created..."
"As the person in charge, if I had paid more attention to waste disposal and if I had more strictly supervised that unscrupulous company, this wouldn't have happened!"
Dr. Ishibuchi choked up, his eyes filled with regret.
Seeing the doctor deeply remorseful, I dreamt of supporting him.
"Doctor, this isn't your fault," I said, trying to comfort him.
"These are microorganisms from outer space; the mutations are caused by them attaching to illegally discarded organ cells. The most important thing now is not to blame yourself."
Jingling also asked, "Don't worry too much, isn't Meizi's surgery today?"
Upon hearing the name "Miko," Dr. Ishibuchi abruptly raised his head, a faint glimmer of hope rekindling in his previously dim eyes.
Yes, that strong girl who grew up on the operating table is still waiting for him to start a brand new life.
At this point, criticism is pointless; the right thing to do is to get people back on track.
The doctors are truly pitiful. Their initial intention was to treat terminally ill patients, but they were ruined by a heartless company that carelessly dumped medical waste.
[It's these kinds of storylines about technological backlash that can truly enlighten us about real-world issues and make us pay closer attention to them!]
Meanwhile, outside a dilapidated, abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city.
The night remained as dark as ink.
XIG's ground forces have completely surrounded the area, and the fully armed team members are on high alert.
Director Di Cheng calmly held up his night-vision binoculars and observed the interior of the factory.
In the green vision of the night vision goggles, countless swarms of glowing slimy monsters slowly wriggled among the ruins, sending chills down one's spine.
"This monster's code name is Deenz."
Director Di Cheng issued clear instructions to all team members via the tactical communication channel: "Based on current observations, they are nocturnal creatures. Their visibility is impaired at night, which is disadvantageous to us. Our current role is only to monitor the monsters' movements. Everyone, remain in place and stand by. At daybreak, launch the attack immediately!"
[Surprisingly, Director Di Cheng didn't act rashly and rush in just because the monster appeared.]
[I'm not really used to this realistic style of humans fighting back against monsters!]
[This scene is so depressing; the warehouse is full of glowing, slimy monsters. It gave me trypophobia.]
The calm before the storm; a fierce battle is sure to follow at dawn.
The long and oppressive night finally passed, and the first rays of dawn pierced through the thick clouds, shining on the streets of Sukyu City.
At the very moment the sun rose, XIG launched a fierce attack!
"attack!"
"shooting!"
"Fire again!"
Following Director Di Cheng's decisive order, the ground troops' heavy weapons began to unleash a barrage of fire on the abandoned factory.
Here, unlike in the original Gaia, Gu Nan didn't depict a group of people firing pistols, making the large ground force seem petty.
Heavy troops were deployed here, with countless heavily armed soldiers carrying flamethrowers, rocket launchers, and other weapons to carry out a complete, carpet-bombing "disinfection" of the factory!
Flames shot into the sky, and the explosions were deafening.
Those small Deinzes that feared the sunlight were quickly cleared away by the intense artillery fire, turning into puddles of green scorched water.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" After confirming that the first wave of attacks had been effective, Di Cheng quickly ordered his troops to create distance.
However, just when everyone thought the battle was going well, the earth tremors abruptly interrupted the rhythm.
With a strange roar that seemed to tear eardrums apart, the factory roof was instantly ripped off by a terrifying force.
A colossal monster, covered in nauseating slime and chunks of flesh—the Mother Deenz—rose violently from the ruins!
Its size is like a moving mountain of flesh; with each step it takes, the asphalt road crumbles fragilely.
The indiscriminate disposal of medical waste ultimately allowed this terrifying monster to fully develop and descend upon the city.
"Team Lightning, move out!"
Inside the air base, Commander Ishimura, his face grim, issued the order.
Three fighter jets tore through the clouds and headed straight for Deans.
"Focus your attack on its tentacles!"
Captain Wei Weike astutely seized upon the monster's weakness and was the first to press the launch button.
The missile accurately struck Deenz's head organ, exploding in a dazzling burst of sparks.
The monster let out a painful scream, and its advance was effectively halted.
Just as the battle raged outside, the editing cleverly cut back to Miyagawa Hospital.
The atmosphere inside the operating room was extremely tense.
Under the operating lights, Miko's heart transplant surgery has entered the most crucial removal stage.
Various sophisticated medical instruments emitted regular ticking sounds.
"The artificial heart-lung machine is activated, and blood is being pumped into the heart."
The surgeon was completely focused on the procedure, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
For Miko, this surgery was a life-or-death battle.
But fate always seems to like playing tricks at the most crucial moments.
Deenz, who had been repelled by Team Lightning, struggled frantically and suddenly swung his huge claws, tearing apart the high-voltage power grid on the city's main road!
"Sizzle—!"
Blinding sparks exploded in the air, instantly paralyzing the power supply to the entire block.
The operating room at Miyagawa Hospital was suddenly plunged into darkness!
"What's going on?!"
The doctor exclaimed in surprise.
"Backup power has now been activated!"
The nurse's anxious voice rang out in the darkness.
A few seconds later, the backup power indicator light came on, and the instrument resumed normal operation.
[Holy crap! This parallel editing is amazing! The monsters causing destruction outside are directly impacting the life-or-death rescue efforts inside!]
[Pulling out the power cord! This monster is too creepy! The person is undergoing heart surgery!]
[Ohkawara crashed another plane, hahaha. I'm so nervous, but I still want to laugh.]
[My dream, please transform quickly! The hospital's backup power won't last any longer!]
As the monster relentlessly advanced towards the hospital, I, who had been anxiously watching the battle unfold, could no longer contain myself.
He decisively pulled out the Blue Sapphire Cone, and a dazzling red light shot into the sky!
"Gaia—!!!"
The guardian of the earth descended with overwhelming force, its massive body crashing heavily in front of Deenz, kicking up clouds of dust.
Deans was completely stunned.
Why is there a huge red and silver wall blocking my way?
As soon as I lifted my sensory eyes, I saw a huge fist...
Bang! ! !
Deans was sent flying by a single elbow strike!
Without hesitation, Gaia charged forward and engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat with Deans.
However, Deenz's tankiness was absurd. Its enormous body, formed from countless mutated organic matter, was thick-skinned and tough. Gaia's heavy punches and kicks hit it as if they were hitting cotton, and could not cause any fatal damage.
Even more disgusting, Deans suddenly and insidiously sprayed out a large glob of green slime, which directly covered Gaia's legs!
In a chilling close-up shot, Gaia is shown to be strangely turning into a viscous liquid under the corrosive effects of the slime!
Gaia knelt painfully on one knee, the color timer on her chest flashing red rapidly.
[This monster is too tanky! Gaia can't even scratch it!]
[Holy crap! Gaia's legs melted too?! This assimilation ability is insane!]
How can this monster even corrode light?
Gaia is in a tough fight! How can they break this deadlock?!
Meanwhile, in a safe area not far from the battlefield.
Jingling listened in despair to the pitiful cries for help emanating from the humans around her who had turned into slime.
Those voices, filled with an extreme desire to survive, deeply pierced her nerves.
"Help me... turn me back to my original form..."
A pool of slime was wriggling on the ground, emitting a faint wail.
Jing Ling covered her ears, tears streaming down her face: "How am I supposed to report this..."
Just as she was about to break down, a cold voice rang out behind her.
"Perhaps none of us can save him."
Fujimiya appeared on the ruins at some point. He looked indifferently at the agonizing, viscous liquid on the ground, a mocking sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Anyway, everyone has to face death eventually. Instead of struggling bitterly at that time, isn't it more straightforward to do it this way now?"
Fujimiya's eyes were icy, as if he were looking at a group of insignificant ants: "What's the point of struggling? It's all the same. Whether you're harmed by the Root of Destruction or hit by a falling flowerpot, everyone will eventually face death."
Hearing these words that disregarded human life, Jingling completely erupted. She glared angrily at Fujimiya and retorted loudly:
"But! People don't live just to wait for death!"
"Everyone wants to live happily; isn't the struggle for survival the only constant human endeavor?"
"Human beings were born for this reason!"
Jing Ling shouted these three sentences with great force, her voice echoing across the chaotic battlefield, carrying a powerful and awe-inspiring force.
Fujimiya stood frozen on the ruins.
He looked at the female reporter in front of him, who usually only cared about ratings and makeup, and for the first time, a hint of surprise and hesitation flashed in his eyes.
[Jing Ling is making her move!]
Humans were born to survive! This is the correct view of life!
[Fujimiya, that arrogant guy, is making sarcastic remarks again, but Reiko shut him up completely, hahaha.]
[It seems only a pure mindset like Reiko's can gradually change Fujimiya's extreme thinking.]
Just at this moment of despair, the communicator in Jingling's hand suddenly rang.
"Hey! It's me, Ishibuchi!"
On the other end of the phone, Dr. Ishibuchi, who had been working through the night on his research, spoke with a hoarse voice, but couldn't suppress his overwhelming excitement: "In a certain bloodstream within Deans' body, there's a substance that can restore infected people to their original state! Removing it from Deans' body can save those humans!"
Upon hearing this crucial news, Jing Ling did not hesitate at all.
She decisively snatched the megaphone from a nearby policeman, rushed to the edge of the dangerous battlefield, and shouted loudly at Gaia, who was fighting fiercely:
"Gaia! There's a substance in the monster's circulatory system that can restore humans to their original state!"
"Use that to save everyone!"
Gaia, kneeling on the ground, clearly heard Jing Ling's shout. The giant nodded almost imperceptibly.
[Use a megaphone to communicate directly with Ultraman!]
[Gaia: Understood, will arrange it immediately!]
Having found a solution, Gaia instantly unleashed tremendous power.
Then, Gaia delivered a swift and decisive punch, stunning Deans, before powerfully lifting him up and sending him soaring high into the air.
Then, in mid-air, Gaia used a beam of light to strike Deenz.
With a muffled explosion, countless special light particles fell from the sky like a gentle spring rain.
Bathed in this magical "rain of light," the disgusting slime on the ground began to rapidly reform.
In the blink of an eye, all the infected who had been struggling in pain miraculously returned to normal human form!
"I'm alive……"
"I'm saved..."
People hugged each other excitedly, breathing in the fresh air.
Meanwhile, exciting news also came from the hospital.
"The pulse has returned!"
The surgery was a complete success!
A few days later, bright sunshine filled the ward.
Jingling happily held the microphone, looking at the girl leaning against the headboard.
"Miko, congratulations! That's fantastic! You're the first person in the world to successfully receive an artificial heart transplant. How does it feel?"
Miko smiled brightly, the melancholy in her eyes gone: "I feel much better, my body feels so light. And... my heart is beating so fast here."
"Wh...what?" Dr. Ishibuchi leaned closer anxiously. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Miko playfully stuck out her tongue: "No, doctor, it's just that I'm happy and excited because I have so many things I want to do!"
Amidst joyful and harmonious laughter, the scene freezes, marking the perfect end to this episode.
……
Jinghai City, the headquarters building of Chasing Light Pictures.
On the table are various data reports following the broadcast of episode 15 of "Ultraman Gaia".
The ratings, viewership, and discussion volume remain ridiculously high.
A few minutes later, the office door was pushed open, and Chen Bo strode in.
"Old Gu, the data for episode 15 is consistently good. I heard from the PR guys that there's a lot of discussion about this episode's discussion on medical waste on all the major platforms."
Chen Bo pulled out a chair and sat down, reporting the new information to Gu Nan.
Gu Nan nodded slightly: "The dramatic tension in this episode is very strong, and the subtle, pervasive sense of suspense will make the audience feel very immersed."
"but,"
Gu Nan changed the subject, his gaze falling on the documents in Chen Bo's hand, "I called you here today not to celebrate the ratings."
Chen Bo was taken aback, and his smile faded: "What is that?"
Gu Nan sat up straight, crossed his hands on the table, and his expression became serious: "Old Chen, we filmed the issue of medical waste and the desire for survival of terminally ill children in the drama. Since we've brought this topic to the forefront of society, we can't just stop at the level of 'making it entertaining for everyone'."
Chen Bo seemed to realize something, raising an eyebrow slightly: "You mean...?"
"I want to establish a special medical charity fund."
Gu Nan's voice was soft, but firm: "Let's call it 'After the Rain'."
Chen Bo gasped.
In the film and television industry, there are many people who do charity, but most of them donate some money to create a gimmick or to do a superficial job in conjunction with the film's promotion.
It is extremely rare for someone like Gu Nan to directly establish a special fund in the name of the company.
"What are the specific directions?"
Chen Bo opened the blank notebook in his hand and picked up a pen.
"Special assistance for children from impoverished families suffering from congenital heart disease and those in need of organ transplants."
Gu Nan's thinking was very clear; this was clearly not a decision he made on a whim. "Just like Xu Meizi in the drama. There are many children who are full of curiosity about the world, who want to play and run, but are trapped in hospital beds by illness. And their families simply cannot afford the high cost of surgery."
Gu Nan looked at Chen Bo, his tone becoming more serious: "As a socially influential cultural and entertainment company, Light Chaser Animation should shoulder corresponding social responsibilities after we make money. In the first phase, the company will contribute 20 million yuan as seed capital. Subsequently, we can continue to inject a portion of the sales profits from peripheral products into this fund in a proportional manner."
After listening, Chen Bo remained silent for a moment.
Twenty million in real money is no small sum.
But looking into Gu Nan's determined eyes, he knew there was no room for discussion, and he genuinely admired Gu Nan's vision.
"Okay, I understand."
Chen Bo closed his notebook, stood up, and said, "I'll contact the Jinghai City Red Cross Society and relevant medical institutions immediately to try to set up the fund's structure and complete all the necessary procedures as quickly as possible."
Gu Nan instructed, "While the popularity of episode 15 is still there, we need to let the audience see that Light Chaser Animation Studios is not just about making empty slogans."
In the following days, the legal and public relations departments of Light Chaser Animation Studios were running at full speed.
Chen Bo personally led a team and held multiple rounds of consultations with relevant departments.
Finally, at 10 a.m. on the third day after the airing of episode 15 of "Ultraman Gaia", Light Chaser Animation's official Weibo, official website and major social media accounts simultaneously released an official announcement.
The background image of the announcement is Seo Mi-ja's radiant smile from her hospital bed at the end of the series, with a powerful line of text written above it:
"Life is precious, and the will to fight for survival should not be hindered by illness. Chasing Light Pictures, in partnership with the Jinghai City Red Cross Society, has jointly established the 'After the Rain' Special Medical Assistance Fund for Children with Serious Illnesses. Chasing Light Pictures will initially invest 20 million RMB, specifically for assisting children from impoverished families suffering from congenital heart disease and requiring organ transplants. We firmly believe that after every storm, we will see a brilliant rainbow. Humanity was born to live happily."
The announcement immediately caused a huge uproar online.
This is completely beyond the scope of normal operations for a tokusatsu (special effects) production crew.
Without any hype or buying trending topics, this official document and donation certificate are the best form of publicity.
Countless netizens flooded the official account of Light Chaser Animation Studios with messages.
"I was just watching the show for fun, but then the official team pulled a huge stunt. Donating 20 million yuan of real money to charity—who else in the domestic film and television industry has that kind of generosity?!"
"I was deeply moved when I saw Miko's new life in the drama, and now seeing that Light Chaser Animation Studios is going to help more children like Miko in real life, that's truly bringing light into reality!"
"What is social responsibility? This is it! You make money and don't forget to give back to society. You deserve to make so much money, Light Chaser Animation! I'll buy whatever merchandise you release from now on!"
"That line, 'Humans were born to survive,' isn't just a line from Jing Ling's dialogue; it's a philosophy that Light Chaser Animation Studios puts into practice. I'll be a fan of this company forever!"
On this day, netizens offered their heartfelt praise to the company, Light Chaser Animation.
They proved with their actions that the positive value that cultural products can bring is far more heartwarming than cold, hard data.