A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

(Oh, World of Warships is too expensive to spend real money on, it's not worth it, I guess I'll pass. _(:3⌒?)_)

(It's okay, it won't cost much. Money can't buy me happiness. Give me half an hour, and I'll get the account sorted out.)

Li Wei had downloaded World of Warships from this world on his computer, and he also had a European server account. However, his highest-tier ships were the American Tier VI cruiser Dallas and the British Tier VI cruiser Surrey.

Unlike Kasumigaoka Utaha, who focuses on aircraft carriers, Levi prefers cruisers, which offer excellent overall performance and are capable of both offense and defense. Although Levi can also play aircraft carriers, he's not as skilled as he is with cruisers and destroyers. If he's a first-rate expert with aircraft carriers, then with cruisers and destroyers, he's a master at outmaneuvering his opponents.

When it comes to spending money on in-game purchases, there's only the option of doing it zero times or countless times. Li Wei isn't short of money now, so he doesn't feel the pinch when he spends money on in-game purchases. Even though his online game account can't be taken out of this world, he's still willing to spend money.

He bought gold coins and then exchanged them for global experience. The large amount of experience allowed Li Wei to unlock the American Tier 9 cruiser Baltimore. However, the remaining experience was not enough to unlock more equipment, so Li Wei could only take to the field with this semi-base ship. But for Li Wei now, if the performance is not enough, he can make up for it with skill. He could even play in professional matches now, and in casual matches, he would be a complete 1v1.

Li Wei sent the message directly to Kasumigaoka Utaha.

(I've got everything sorted out on my end. I've selected a Tier IX cruiser, Baltimore, and am now in the chat room, ready to get started.)

(Okay! ξ(?＞??))

Both of them logged into the messaging app and turned off LINE.

"Li Weijun, is my voice clear?"

"Okay, no response yet. I've already added you to the team, please check your messages."

"I see, it's all set up. Li Weijun, if you're going to Baltimore, then I'll just head straight to Midway."

"Let's go straight for the White Dragon. As for Midway, it's not easy for me to coordinate. My ship is a basic one, so the margin for error is too low. One wrong move and I can easily be killed on the spot."

"That's fine."

Kasumigaoka Utaha is a reclusive, hardcore internet addict. Although she is always seen reading a book, she is actually thinking about games and TV series most of the time, or conceiving her own works. Because her mental world is too rich, she almost rejects all social interactions in the real world. Apart from her editor and Li Wei, she has no real friends.

Kasumigaoka Utaha and Doma Umaru, the protagonist of "Himouto! Umaru-chan!", would definitely have a lot in common, since both of them can be considered super "himouto" girls.

When Kasumigaoka Utaha, a hardcore otaku, meets Li Wei, who is also a gamer, their relationship develops rapidly. It's not a romantic relationship; rather, they're more like close friends who play games together and banter endlessly.

"Whoosh! This map shows the advantages of aircraft carriers. Li Weijun, watch me take you flying!"

"Don't be reckless. Have you forgotten who got killed by Montana's burst damage before? You dare to act recklessly right under his nose, senior. You really know how to play. You took a whole round of attacks head-on. It's true that taking a good hit is worse than attacking well."

"Nonsense! What do spectators know? In that situation, if I hadn't gone out to draw fire, where would our destroyers have found a place to drop mines? My planes were almost all blown up. If there hadn't been a necessary sacrifice, the game would have been lost. Didn't Montana end up getting killed by a grenade?"

"Alright, alright, let's start, let's have a match." Li Wei quickly stopped her. In the game World of Warships, Kasumigaoka Utaha was particularly proud and often stubborn.

Chapter 42. Game Concept

As the game began, Li Wei and Kasumigaoka Utaha took control of their respective ships and started the most basic task of capturing points.

Unlike the low-level rooms where players frequently make disastrous mistakes, resembling a battle between a brain-dead warrior and a vegetative patient in the ICU, players in the high-level rooms generally demonstrate basic skill. This prevents bizarre occurrences such as a destroyer with its head down sliding into an enemy cruiser and instantly dying in five seconds, or a battleship blindly engaging in a bombardment and taking a hit from an enemy carrier.

Li Wei and Kasumigaoka Utaha are both people who like to chat while playing games. As they chatted, the topic turned to the current game development department.

Li Wei, controlling the cruiser, maneuvered nimbly and used his brain's computing power, which far surpassed that of ordinary people, to calculate the enemy destroyer's route and the speed and impact point of the shells. With a single salvo, he took the enemy away.

The destroyer player on the other side is probably looking completely bewildered right now, and some of the more irritable ones might have even thrown their mouse away.

"Wow, Li Weijun, that destroyer was coming this way. If we take it down, I'll be safe for at least the next two minutes."

"It was just luck. The opponent's movement was too straightforward, and I just happened to figure out the pattern. I didn't expect to actually hit them."

"Pay attention to the upper left of the map, at the ten o'clock position. There's a destroyer casting smoke. Be careful of mines."

"I see it. I'll go around it. The battleships on the other side are probably behind the mountain."

Although Li Wei doesn't play World of Warships very often, this game, which requires thinking, isn't too complicated for him. In the end, it's just about scheming and intrigue between people, which doesn't exceed his comprehension.

Maneuvering the cruiser to change direction, Li Wei, in coordination with his destroyer teammates, began to bypass the smoke. At the same time, his destroyer teammates also launched their torpedoes to block the enemy's movement. As soon as the enemy revealed themselves, they would be surrounded and observed by more than four warships on Li Wei's side.

Moreover, both Li Wei and Kasumigaoka Utaha had already secured kills. Li Wei took down an enemy destroyer, eliminating one of the enemy team's key targets, while Kasumigaoka Utaha seized an opportunity to torpedo and destroy an enemy cruiser. The balance of victory had already shifted towards Li Wei's team. With such an advantage at the start, as long as their teammates didn't falter at crucial moments, winning this game would be a very simple matter.

"Li Weijun, speaking of which, do you regret investing ten million in the game development department?"

Li Wei hadn't expected Kasumigaoka Utaha to ask such a question, but since it was just the two of them now, they could make things clearer.

Li Wei was multitasking, controlling his own warship while replying to Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"In the past, I would have stubbornly insisted that I didn't regret it, but given Aki's performance so far, I'm wondering if he can actually make the game."

"If the game can't be made, Li Weijun, will you leave this game development department?"

"I don't have that idea for now. If Aki can't make his own game, then I'll make my own game."

"Li Weijun, are you planning to make your own game? What kind?"

"Didn't I write 'Even the Demon King is Speaking Rakugo Today'? I'm planning to make a game based on that book. As for the genre, I don't know how to categorize it, because the game's style is a patchwork. The patchwork materials include several games such as 'Taiko Risshiden,' 'Nobunaga's Ambition,' 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' and 'Heroes of Might and Magic.' Only after the game is made and I experience it myself can I know the charm of this game."

"It feels a bit complicated. You control a character to recruit soldiers and conquer territories on a large map, but there are also detailed controls on a small map, as well as various story events. It's somewhat similar to an RPG + SLG?"

"Senior, your summary is quite accurate. The initial character is the protagonist of the novel, who develops their own town, recruits refugees, raises an army, establishes a foothold in the chaotic world, and then conquers other cities, either by attacking and occupying more or by building new ones. All the towns and terrain locations on the map are accessible, and each town contains various functional buildings, as well as recruitment points for special characters and mercenaries. There are also romantic interactions between the characters, but I'm not very good at depicting emotions, so I'll need your help in that area. That's the general outline for now; I'll add more as new ideas emerge."

"I feel that the main focus is on 'Taiko Risshiden' and 'Heroes of Might and Magic,' with other games as supplementary elements, integrating the strengths of each game. Although Li Weijun said that he was just stitching things together, if he can really extract the essence of these games and combine them together, it will be a really great game that could sell millions, or even tens of millions of copies."

At this moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha was also a little excited. After all, Li Wei needed her to create the character romance storylines in the game, which meant that she could also join the production team of this "big production". This was a very interesting thing. In her opinion, it was much more interesting than a dating game that could be found everywhere.

Even if Aki Tomoya is able to put game production on the agenda, she is prepared to suggest that Li Wei start the game and begin production first, and then gradually improve it later.

Kasumigaoka Utaha has finished reading the first volume of Li Wei's new work. It can be said that the world view that Li Wei has laid out is exceptionally vast, with countless areas that can be expanded upon. The first volume has left many plot holes, and these parts will be filled in in the subsequent content.

This vast world-building is not suitable for a linear, traditional Japanese RPG, while a semi-open world like a strategy game (SLG) is more suitable for the development of a novel's content.

Because Levi created a vivid fantasy medieval world, with characters and plots that constantly change over time, it was more suitable for the games Levi wanted to make.

This concept is incredibly ambitious. Just imagining what the game would look like after it was created gave Kasumigaoka Utaha a chill down her spine; it would be a godsend for gamers. And for novel readers, it would be pure ecstasy.

Chapter 43. The Predicament of a Tool

Li Wei and Kasumigaoka Utaha played games until late at night. Kasumigaoka Utaha is a night owl. She often catches up on sleep in class during the day and then goes home to write and play games after school. Her daily routine is completely the opposite of that of ordinary people.

Li Wei, on the other hand, has already surpassed the limits of ordinary people. He only needs to sleep two or three hours a day to maintain his energy throughout the day, which is why he dares to play with Kasumigaoka Utaha until late at night.

The next day, Li Wei got up on time as usual and took the train to school. To be honest, being a high school student isn't always convenient. If the story were set in a university, Li Wei could just buy a car. Driving is much more comfortable than squeezing onto the train. Besides, for him now, Tokyo's complicated traffic doesn't make him feel tired. With that kind of ability, driving is naturally more comfortable than taking the train.

Arriving at school early, Li Wei sat down in his window seat, turning his head to admire the scenery at the school gate. Mornings are the busiest time at the school gate, with large numbers of students rushing to school; this is the perfect time to "appreciate the flowers."

In the world of anime and manga, where everyone is incredibly good-looking, you get to see a group of attractive young women every day—a privilege that boys in the real world never get.

The academic atmosphere at Toyonosaki Private Academy is only so-so. Students don't put too much effort into getting into higher education, so both boys and girls pay extra attention to their appearance, hoping to attract the attention of their crushes.

Li Wei squinted slightly. Among the crowds at the school gate, there were quite a few beautiful young girls. If these girls were in the real world, they could debut on the spot. After all, the looks of anime characters are really impressive. He even saw a few girls who were as delicate as dolls. Although they couldn't compare to Kasumigaoka Utaha and Sawamura Eriri, and even compared to Kato Megumi, they were still far behind those idol stars in the real world.

Just as Li Wei was admiring the scenery outside the window, Aki Tomoya, who had dark circles under his eyes, walked over. Li Wei heard the other's footsteps, turned around, and looked at Aki Tomoya's "ethereal" appearance, and said, "Aki-kun, don't tell me you stayed up all night working on a plan. Staying up late is bad for your health."

Aki Tomoya was swaying slightly, it seemed that excessive cultivation had put a strain on his body.

"Last night I sorted out the ideas in my head and came up with a rough plan. After all, it's not right to keep Li Weijun and the others waiting." An Yilun also felt a little dizzy. He needed to catch up on his sleep in a bit. Right now, he was just pushing himself. He was indignant and wanted to prove himself. He wasn't the one dragging the team down.

Li Wei opened his notebook. Although the content still didn't fill a page, it was at least much more detailed than before. He also highlighted several key elements in red notes. Although it was still an incomplete, half-finished product, it was enough for the team to get started.

The opening plot is also very simple: the male protagonist encounters a mysterious and beautiful girl on a long downhill slope. The girl's hat is blown by the wind and rolls down the slope. The male protagonist chases after her on his bicycle, picks up the hat at the end of the slope, and then the two look at each other.

Then there are a few ellipses. This level of content is only enough for a few pages of CG at most. Moreover, due to the lack of content, Li Wei thinks this part can serve as a preface.

Li Wei stated the problem directly: "The content is still insufficient. Don't show this notebook to Shiyu-senpai and Eriri-san for now. I'm worried they'll criticize you again. This amount of content is only enough for a preface, or you can add content to fill in the opening, but it still won't be enough. Also, have you thought about the female lead's image?"

Aki Tomoya was a little embarrassed. He had originally wanted to hear Li Wei's praise, but Li Wei's words made him even more irritable. In addition, due to staying up late, a few red veins had appeared in his eyes.

"I will continue to expand the content, please give me some time. As for the female lead's image, I already have a plan in mind, and I will bring out the design elements as soon as possible." Aki Tomoya's tone was firm. Now he felt that he had no way out. This game had to be done well, otherwise, the people around him would look down on him. At least, that's how he felt.

However, what Aki Tomo didn't know was that no one in the entire team truly cared whether his dating game could be completed. Li Wei was simply using him as a tool, seizing every opportunity to rack up points.

Kasumigaoka Utaha had no faith in his plan, while Kato Megumi was indifferent. She was just there to make up the numbers and would at most help out. She didn't care whether the game could be made or not.

Even Aki Tomoya's childhood friend, Sawamura Eriri, was just going along with his "fooling around," otherwise, she wouldn't have made those hurtful remarks before.

After receiving the feedback he needed, Aki Tomoya returned to his seat, lay down, and soon began to snore softly.

At that moment, Kato Megumi walked over, holding a box-shaped object wrapped in a delicate square cloth. She gently placed the object on Li Wei's table.

"What is this?" Li Wei was unsure what this thing in front of him was.

"These are chocolate cookies that I made myself. I hope you can give me your feedback on the taste, Li Weijun."

Kato Megumi's voice was soft and gentle, and Li Wei felt as if someone was gently scraping his heart with a goose feather. Kato Megumi truly deserves to be the most suitable person to be a wife in "Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend".

"Can we open it now?" Li Wei asked the smiling girl, his tone somewhat cautious.

Chapter 44. Kato Megumi's Path

"Of course." Kato Megumi's smile was gentle and not too dazzling. It was neither as alluring as Kasumigaoka Utaha's nor as energetic as Sawamura Eriri's. It was like a flowing mountain stream, just right.

Li Wei nodded and opened the package. Inside was an exquisite transparent plastic box, through which one could see the neatly stacked cookies. Half of the cookies were coated in hot chocolate, while the rest remained untouched, making them look beautiful and delicate. It was clear that they had been made with great care.

Li Wei opened the lid, took out one, and put it in his mouth. The sweet but not cloying flavor exploded on his taste buds.

It must be said that Megumi Kato is quite skilled in desserts. Perhaps she can't compare to top pastry chefs, but with this skill, she could easily open a small dessert shop.

"It's pretty good. If I don't control myself, I can finish it in a little while." Li Wei closed the box. This box of pastries would be quite suitable as an after-dinner dessert.

In Japan, most schools don't have restaurants nearby, only convenience stores. However, many junior high and higher schools have small shops on campus. Although you can't buy bento boxes like in a convenience store, you can get plenty of bread, snacks, and drinks.

Li Wei had bought a bento box at a nearby convenience store before coming to school. At noon, he only needed to take it out and heat it up in the microwave at the back of the classroom.

Although this wasn't the first time Li Wei had received gifts from girls, this time it was the most surprising and delightful one for him.

He also recalled his own immaturity when he was a child. When a girl gave him a gift, he thought it was too much trouble to play with her and ignored her completely. Back then, he was a total straight man and never realized that this behavior was a girl expressing her affection for him.

However, Li Wei would not make that mistake again. Kato Megumi giving him cookies might not necessarily mean she liked him; it could be as a way of thanking him for what happened last time. Li Wei wasn't so narcissistic as to be self-satisfied, so he quickly understood what she was thinking.

“There’s no need to restrain myself. I made some more. If it’s not enough, I’ll just get more,” Kato Megumi said slowly.