The Journey

As the plane took off, the buildings below grew smaller and smaller. Clouds swept swiftly past the airplane window.

Sitting in a window seat, Ning Yifan closed his eyes and looked forward to the journey ahead.

How should he put it? Because of history, Ning Yifan still felt a strong dislike for Japan. But that didn't stop him from loving its anime.

Ever since he was a child, Ning Yifan had watched countless Japanese anime series.

One Piece: Luffy's bonds with his crewmates and the incredible adventures they shared.

Pokémon: one adorable or cool Pokémon after another.

Bleach: the other side of the city, the Soul Reapers, the Quincies, and Lord Aizen Sousuke!

Naruto: a world that had dazzled him from the very first episode, Naruto's gradual growth, and his Talk no Jutsu against one powerful foe after another.

Doraemon: the warm, funny everyday life of Doraemon and Nobita, and all kinds of advanced technology.

Slam Dunk: "Coach, I want to play basketball."

Dragon Ball: the Kamehameha, and collecting all seven Dragon Balls to make a wish.

Crayon Shin-chan: "Elephant, elephant, why is your nose so long?"

Cardcaptor Sakura: "Key that hides the power of darkness, release your seal!"

Conan: "There is only one truth!"

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: "One slash to settle it—Ruyi Divine Sword!"

Digimon: the sound of evolution, and WarGreymon.

Ultraman Tiga: "Just like sunlight piercing the night..." Toriko.

Let's & Go!!, Sword Art Online, Fairy Tail, Akame ga Kill!, Gintama, Hunter x Hunter, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Heaven's Lost Property, Fullmetal Alchemist, Kamen Rider, Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, Gintama, Mob Psycho 100, Steins;Gate, Noragami, A Certain Scientific Railgun, Himouto! Umaru-chan, Lelouch, Fate/stay night, Inuyasha, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mobile Suit, Death Note, Rurouni Kenshin, The Prince of Tennis, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Yowamushi Pedal, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, One-Punch Man, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kuroko's Basketball...

All kinds of anime had made up an important part of Ning Yifan's childhood, and they had continued to influence him to this day.

Of course, besides Japanese anime, Great Xia had plenty of shows that had left a deep impression on Ning Yifan, like Adventures of Little Carp, The Legend of Nezha, The Little Bee's Journey, Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit Seven Heroes, Calabash Brothers, Shuke and Beita, The Tale of Three-Faced God, The Adventures of Sanmao the Orphan, The Sloppy King, Blue-P Skin Rat and Big-Face Cat, Big Head Son and Small Head Dad, Lotus Lantern, Little Tiger's Adventures, Journey to the West...

Many of the Chinese animated series released in recent years had also become favorites of Ning Yifan's: Genshin Impact, Fog Hill of Five Elements, The Legend of Hei, The BlDemon, Hitori no Shita: The Outcast, Scissor Seven, The Legend of Qin, Rakshasa Street, Painting Jianghu...

He still remembered how, as a child, he would race home after school and turn on the TV, then lose himself among the various anime channels. He could still clearly recall the opening themes from Animation City, Big Windmill, and other shows.

He also remembered a pay-per-view channel. Every weekend, Ning Yifan would wait in front of it, hoping someone would order an anime. On that channel, he had watched the first few dozen episodes of Naruto, Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Ultraman Tiga, and other shows over and over.

Besides that, whenever one of his favorite anime came on a local station, Ning Yifan would race home to catch the beginning. If he really couldn't make it in time, even catching the ending was enough.

A rough count put the number of beloved series in the dozens. In all, Ning Yifan had watched hundreds of anime!

Long ago, Ning Yifan had wanted to seek out the origins of Japanese anime and see the environments in which these works were created, along with the real-life locations that so often appeared in them. This trip was also a journey in search of the roots of Japanese anime.

The plane landed at Narita Airport. Ning Yifan carried a small backpack containing the Japanese currency he had exchanged, his identification, and a few basic necessities.

A phone and a small backpack were all Ning Yifan had brought for the trip.

By the time he left the airport, it was already past two in the afternoon.

On his own, with his backpack on, Ning Yifan didn't take a car. Instead, he went to a nearby bicycle shop and spent over thirty thousand yen—about two thousand Daxia yuan—to rent a bike he liked.

He turned on his phone's navigation and pedaled off in the direction shown on the map.

There were plenty of travel guides for Japan online. Ning Yifan had read a few and adapted them to suit his interest in anime before setting off on this journey.

He had even spent several days studying some Japanese for the trip.

With his photographic memory to help him, and having watched so much anime over the years, he was already very familiar with the grammar.

Other people had to memorize the fifty sounds and vocabulary one piece at a time, but Ning Yifan only needed to see or hear something once to remember it. In just a few days, he had gained a basic grasp of the language, enough to get by and communicate during his travels.

As he rode through the streets of an unfamiliar city, he took in the culture around him, so different from Great Xia. With his exceptional stamina, he kept up a good speed on his bike.

Whenever he passed a snack shop, Ning Yifan would sometimes stop and try the local food.

At night, he would find a hotel or inn at random and stay there. The next day, he would set off again, stopping along the way to explore. Sometimes, if he didn't feel like cycling or his next destination was far away, he could hitch a ride. As long as he paid enough, the drivers didn't mind taking him part of the way.

At the Naruto Theme Park, there were tons of large Naruto statues and related buildings.

Tokyo Tower was a landmark that often appeared in anime. With a little thought, Ning Yifan could name shows that had featured it, like Cardcaptor Sakura, Digimon, and Tokyo Ghoul. There was also a One Piece Theme Park here, packed with anime-related attractions.

There were major theme parks, as well as smaller locations that had appeared in anime. He explored as he went, sometimes buying a bunch of figurines and dolls and shipping them straight to the Shenma Technology factory in Great Xia.

During his travels, thanks to his incredible looks, impressive physique, and generous spending, Ning Yifan received phone numbers and contact information from plenty of young Japanese women. Some even offered to accompany him on his trip, but he paid none of them any attention.

A woman was the last thing on his mind!

Ning Yifan spent more than ten days leisurely exploring Japan before finally bringing the trip to a deeply satisfying end.

His last stop was the headquarters of the Konami Games Company in Tokyo.

After changing into a formal suit, Ning Yifan arrived at the company's headquarters.

KONAMI was one of Japan's most influential video game developers. Founded in 1969, it had a history of fifty years and had created many classic games: Silent Hill, Contra, Metal Gear, Castlevania, Pro Evolution Soccer, Tokimeki Memorial, Gradius, Suikoden, Dance Dance Revolution, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and many more.

Inside the company, Ning Yifan went to the front desk and said to the young receptionist, "Hello, I'm Ning Yifan, from Great Xia. I have an appointment with Mr. Matsushita."

"Ah, o-okay!" The receptionist blushed when she saw Ning Yifan's face, then hurriedly replied, "Mr. Matsushita is in his office. He told me earlier that you could go straight in when you arrived, Mr. Ning. Would you like me to show you the way?"

"Sorry for the trouble."

"Not at all."

Following the receptionist, who kept sneaking glances at him, Ning Yifan arrived at the office of Manager Matsushita, a manager at the Konami Games Company.

Knock, knock, knock—

The receptionist tapped on the door.

"Come in," came the reply from inside.

Ning Yifan opened the door and walked in.

The receptionist left reluctantly and returned to her post.

Once inside, Ning Yifan greeted Manager Matsushita, who was sitting behind his desk. "Hello, I'm Ning Yifan from Great Xia. We spoke on the phone earlier."

Matsushita, who was over fifty, looked at Ning Yifan's youthful face and said with a sigh, "Mr. Ning, you look so young—and very handsome!"

"Thank you."

"Haha, no need to be modest. I understand why you're here, Mr. Ning. We still need to discuss some details about the licensed Yu-Gi-Oh! video game rights for the Great Xia market."

Obtaining the official license for a Yu-Gi-Oh! game was Ning Yifan's final goal for this trip.

Ning Yifan planned to equip the second-generation Phantom Projector with a TV system he had developed himself. It would use a Snapdragon 855-series processor from the previous generation. The older chips weren't difficult to buy these days, and after Ning Yifan optimized them, their performance would improve once more. The memory would be standardized at 8+128 GB, and the projector would include AI image enhancement technology and licensed TV apps from various providers.

With a licensed Yu-Gi-Oh! game and Ning Yifan's naked-eye 3D technology, along with its upgraded specifications, sales of the second-generation Phantom Projector would surely rise sharply once again.

In addition to the second-generation Phantom Projector, they would also release a Youth Edition of the projector, with lower specifications and a much lower price. Production of the first-generation Phantom Projector would continue as well.

This round of product upgrades would bring Shenma Technology Company even more sales and draw the world's attention.