A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

Chapter 1. PRO Agency

Ryu Kawatani said, "After the merger is completed, we'll all be comrades in arms, so there's no need to be so polite. Besides, it's also the young master's idea to make sure the voice actors below have a better life. The young master wants PRO to be able to focus on their main job, instead of worrying about business like they do now."

Kamokawa Kasakoma sighed, "In recent years, due to economic reasons, the number of new anime and games produced has been decreasing, so the competitive pressure in the industry has become extremely high. Although PRO has many talented voice actors, the competitors are also very strong. With the current business volume of the agency, it is simply not enough to support all the voice actors."

Ryu Kawatani said, "My master and I have both carefully studied the situation in the industry. To put it bluntly, this industry relies on electricity. Even when the economy is good, it can barely break even. Now that the economy is declining, PRO will definitely not be the last agency to encounter this situation. Perhaps in the future, you will take over some talented voice actors from other bankrupt agencies."

Kamokawa Kasakoma said, "But that costs money. It's an investment with no return. Even the person behind you wouldn't agree to such a thing."

Ryu Kawatani laughed and said, "You've got it all wrong. Young Master is a complete otaku. He wouldn't refuse to make his voice actor agency even stronger. And you don't need to worry about the money at all. We bring in at least three hundred million US dollars every year. That's enough to support not only a voice actor agency, but the entire voice actor industry."

Kamokawa Kasakura swallowed hard. He hadn't expected that the person behind Kawatani Ryu would have such power. Three hundred million US dollars, which is equivalent to 4 million Japanese yen, is a huge amount of money. It's no joke that such a huge amount of money could support the entire voice acting industry. Not to mention supporting the entire voice acting industry, it wouldn't be a problem to support half of the animation industry as well.

Kawaimura Ryu said, "I know that what I'm saying may sound exaggerated to others, but Mr. Kamogawa, you will see the extent of my financial resources later."

Kamokawa Kasakoma said, "With such financial resources, saving an agency would indeed be an easy task for you. But what exactly is that project?"

Kawai Taniguchi said, "I'm currently developing a strategy mobile game with a sci-fi theme, focusing on the vast universe. Players can take on the role of a base commander, building various starships in space, forming alliances and creating their own massive coalitions, or becoming an elusive interstellar pirate or an interstellar merchant. The game's concept is extremely ambitious, and it's one of my flagship products in recent years. This project involves character voice acting, as well as special voice acting for the bases, which can be handled by the voice actors under our agency. This will also help them gain experience."

Kamokawa Kasakoma said, "This is indeed an opportunity for them, and they don't have the luxury of being picky about their work these days. In fact, most voice actors don't have the luxury of being picky about their work."

Kawai Tani Ryu smiled and extended his hand, saying, "Let's settle on the cooperation agreement like this. I'll have my lawyer bring the documents over tomorrow. Once the contract is signed, we'll be comrades in arms. The first installment of 100 million Japanese yen will be deposited into the firm's account, and I'll send an accountant over."

Kamokawa Kasakoma shook hands with the other party. It would be foolish to refuse such generous terms. As for the other party sending an accountant, he could understand it. After all, the other party also had to worry about him spending the money recklessly.

However, Kamokawa Kasakoma was surprised. He did not expect that the first aid payment after the acquisition would be 100 million Japanese yen. This was a huge sum of money. With this money, PRO could be fully revived instantly.

Moreover, it is said that it is good to have a big tree to lean on. With such a powerful financial backer, the firm will have an easier time in the future. And just as Kawaimura Ryu said, everyone is a comrade in the same trench. With internal sharing, the firm will be able to have a lot more internal business, which is also a new source of income for the firm.

Kawaimura Ryu said, "Young Master will be coming with me tomorrow. He wants to inspect the office and wants everyone to be careful not to leave a bad impression on him."

Kamokawa Kasakoma said, "I'll call them in a bit. This is their chance to change their fate. Those guys won't do anything stupid."

Kawaimura Ryu nodded, smiled, and raised his glass.

........................

As Li Wei's vanguard, Ryu Kawatani had already arranged most of the things before the two sides officially signed a contract, and PRO was not willing to let go of such an opportunity.

After parting ways with Ryu Kawaimura, Kazukoma Kamokawa urgently contacted a dispatch company in the middle of the night and found a group of temporary workers to clean up the office. He himself would not be able to finish the work even if he worked until dawn. The temporary workers spent more than an hour cleaning the entire office until it looked brand new, and left satisfied with their work.

Kamokawa Kasakoma also called each of his agents, informing them that whether they were mainstays or newcomers, they should all gather at the agency if they were unavailable on any given day.

The next day, around 10 a.m., Li Wei, his business accomplice Ryu Kawaimura, and the accountant and lawyer from the conference company all arrived at the firm.

Upon arriving at the agency, Li Wei looked around curiously. This was his first time visiting a voice actor agency. In the past, he had only met voice actors through their works, but this time, he could directly see the voice actors behind the works, which he found quite interesting.

Despite having stayed up all night, Kamokawa Kasakura still mustered his energy and greeted Li Weixingren with a smile, saying, "Welcome to PRO Voice Actor Agency."

Kamokawa Kasakura looked at Li Wei, who was walking at the front, and sighed inwardly. He hadn't expected that the big financial backer behind Kawagami Ryu would be so young.

Chapter 1. Small Survey

Li Wei approached Kamokawa Kazukoma and said with a smile, "Hello, Kamokawa-sensei. Thank you for your hard work in adding unforgettable sounds to anime. You've worked very hard."

Kamokawa Kazuma was flattered and laughed, "Not at all, you flatter us. We're just trying to make a living, but we really love this line of work."

In the voice acting industry, everyone is passionate about their craft. It's fair to say that without a certain idealism, it's truly impossible to endure the arduous life of a voice actor. The monotonous training doesn't translate into high salaries; instead, it results in an extremely competitive industry and limited job opportunities. In short, voice acting is an incredibly tough profession.

Li Wei smiled and said, "But no matter what, you all gave a very good performance. I know the current situation you are facing, and I think it is a great pity. I want to change the current situation of the industry."

Kamokawa Kasakura was inwardly worried. The industry had been this bad for decades. Even if a big spender like Li Wei had enough money, it wouldn't be easy to fight against the entire industry that was so conservative. After all, the Japanese were notoriously conservative, and rules that had been in place for decades couldn't be changed in a short time with just money.

Li Wei said, "Mr. Kamogawa, Mura Ryu will talk to you about the collaboration. As for me, can I talk to the voice actors? I want to know about their current living conditions. As far as I know, many voice actors' lives are not so satisfactory."

Kamokawa Kasakoma nodded and said, "Young master, please go ahead."

Kamokawa Kasugano's way of addressing Li Wei has become the same as Kawatani Ryu's. He's no longer the spirited young man he once was; now, he's learned to compromise with reality and reconcile with himself. Ten years ago, he would never have sold his agency, but now, he only wants to protect everything in front of him.

Li Wei arrived at the area where the voice actors were gathered. Looking at the crowd, he sighed inwardly. The idolization of voice actors was an inevitable trend. After all, the industry was changing, and voice actors had no choice but to change with the times.

The biggest change in voice actors today compared to their predecessors is that, regardless of gender, their overall appearance is improving.

In the past, voice actors were truly behind the scenes. Everyone would only remember the charm of a certain character and no one would pay attention to the voice actors. But at some point, the otaku community started to pay attention to the voice actors behind the scenes, and as a result, a few top voice actors became popular outside the mainstream.

What started as a professional reputation began to spread and become a reputation throughout the otaku community. As a result, many otaku started to pay attention to voice actors, and even formed a "fandom" to a certain extent.

However, only a minority of voice actors truly enjoy these benefits; the vast majority remain unknown. These days, the fastest way to gain popularity in the otaku community is to have a good-looking face, a catchy phrase, or a good figure.

Nowadays, the competition among voice actors is no longer limited to their dubbing skills, but rather, like idols, it involves a comprehensive evaluation of their looks, physique, and even talents.

Looking at the voice actors in front of him, Li Wei felt that these voice actors were actually in an awkward position, to some extent, neither good enough for high-level jobs nor good enough for low-level ones.

In terms of voice alone, none of the voice actors have an unpleasant voice. However, as for how good-looking these voice actors are, that's about it.

Voice actors' primary profession is still their voice. If it comes down to appearance alone, there is still a considerable gap between voice actors and professional idols. It can only be said that these voice actors are better looking than ordinary people. Only a small minority of them can truly reach the level of idol-level appearance.

Li Wei noticed a slightly shy young girl and said, "Excuse me, could we talk alone?"

The shy girl looked around, pointed to herself, and said somewhat bashfully, "Sir, are you talking about me?"

Li Wei nodded and smiled, "It's you. Don't worry, it's not a strange question. I just want to know about your lives now. I'll have someone make a special form and do an internal survey to see how everyone's living conditions are. If there's anything I can do to help, I'm willing to."

The shy girl followed Li Wei to the nearby rest area, and the two sat down.

Li Wei said, "What's your name? Where are you from? I can hear a very strong Kansai accent in your accent."

The Kansai dialect is to Japanese people what the Tokyo dialect is to Japanese people—it's inherently funny. However, Li Wei, being from Japan, simply doesn't understand the humor in the Kansai dialect.

“My name is Feilin Wagatsuma, and I’m from Kyoto,” the shy girl said.

My wife, Felin, may seem shy, but she doesn't give off an overly reserved vibe when she speaks.

Li Wei said, "Are you from Kyoto? Judging from your age, you should have just graduated from high school."

My wife, Feilin, said, "After graduating from high school, I didn't continue my studies. I was originally admitted to university, but my family didn't have the money to support me, so I came to Tokyo to work hard."

Li Wei nodded. Education in Japan is quite expensive. While the primary, middle, and high school levels are covered by the government and the overall cost is manageable for ordinary people, university costs are a significant amount. In Japan, less than half of all young people can go to university; most of them go straight to work after graduating from high school.

Li Wei said, "I have some understanding of the voice acting industry. I've heard that many voice actors do part-time jobs. Do you have any part-time jobs?"

My wife, Felin, counted on her fingers and said, "I have three part-time jobs. In the morning, I deliver newspapers to people near my home by bicycle. From afternoon to evening, I work as a waitress at an izakaya (Japanese pub). Around 10 PM, I help out at a convenience store. Because they are all short-term jobs, the income isn't very good."

Chapter 1. Internal Benefits

Hearing my wife Felin's words, Li Wei was still somewhat surprised. After all, it was no easy task to hold three part-time jobs while also taking care of his main job.

Li Wei sighed and said, "Your situation here is really tough. This kind of life must be very tiring."

My wife, Felin, scratched the back of her head a little embarrassedly and laughed, "After getting used to this kind of life, I don't feel tired at all. There's a senior living with me who does all the work herself. Compared to her, what am I doing?"

"Senior? Is she also a voice actress from this agency?" Li Wei asked.

My wife, Felin, said, "She's a newcomer at White Dove Agency. She entered the industry a few years earlier than me. We met because we lived in the same place, and she slept in the bunk above me."

Li Wei asked, "What's it like where you're living now? Can you tell me about it?"

Li Wei wanted to change the status quo of the industry, but he knew it wouldn't be easy, so he planned to take it one step at a time, first solving the survival problems of the voice actors in his agency, and then considering changing the entire industry.

My wife, Felin, said, "The place I live now is a detached house, but it has been renovated and houses more than ten people. It only accepts female tenants, and the rent is only 100,000 yen a month, which is one of the cheapest places to rent in the area. However, the rental properties there are not protected by law, and if any problems arise, the tenants have to find their own solutions."

Li Wei nodded. Although there are many glamorous and successful people in Tokyo, there are still many poor working people like Fei Lin. These rental apartments, with their low rents, provide a place for these migrant workers to stay in a foreign land.

Li Wei said, "I know about renting a place, but the safety of renting is a tricky issue. I will find new accommodations for all the voice actors in the agency, at least to ensure your safety."

Although renting a house is cheap, it also has all sorts of problems. Some time ago, Li Wei saw a news report about a rental house in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, that caught fire late at night. Of the three tenants in the house, only three escaped, while the others were all engulfed in flames and died without a trace.

Those old detached houses already had various safety issues, and after being illegally renovated into rental housing, they absolutely cannot meet fire safety standards. Once exposed to an open flame, they can easily cause a fire. Most of the detached houses in Japan are wooden buildings, which have excellent earthquake resistance, but their fire resistance is extremely poor, or even non-existent.

Upon hearing Li Wei's words, my wife Felin's eyes lit up, and her voice unconsciously rose as she exclaimed, "Really?!"

Li Wei nodded and said, "As your boss, isn't it normal for me to consider your safety? Those rented rooms with serious problems can't even guarantee the most basic safety. How could I let you live in such a dangerous place?"

Li Wei and my wife Fei Lin's voices aren't quiet either, and the other voice actors can hear them too. They got excited when they heard that Li Wei was going to solve their housing problem.

Apart from a few top voice actors with considerable financial resources, most ordinary voice actors in the agency need this kind of help.

Li Wei said, "Miss Felin, you should go back first. I have something to say to all of you. It's about the welfare of everyone in the firm, and it's very important."

Li Wei approached the voice actors and said, "This agency is facing the crisis of closing down due to the external economic environment. However, because of my intervention, the agency will be able to continue operating, and you don't need to worry about relocation or unemployment. The agency will do its best to find jobs for you, so please rest assured."

Hearing Li Wei's words, all the voice actors breathed a sigh of relief. Li Wei's personality had been quite kind so far, and coupled with his gentle and approachable temperament, his words had a very obvious effect on boosting morale.

Li Wei said, "I just had a brief chat with Ms. Fei Lin. I have some understanding of the difficulties faced by the voice acting industry, so I will try to improve your current situation. Whether it's living allowances or housing subsidies, I will find a way to solve them for you so that you can practice with peace of mind and no longer have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet like before."

Li Wei glanced at the group and saw that most of the agency's thirty-odd voice actors were already there. Only a few top voice actors from the agency were unable to attend due to work commitments; the other voice actors were currently free.

This also shows the predicament the agency is currently facing. Apart from a few top voice actors, other ordinary voice actors are finding it difficult to get work, which is why they are able to temporarily gather people and call most of them over.

This situation is not a problem for Li Wei, since voice actors' work is not limited to dubbing anime characters. They also work in areas such as documentary dubbing, dubbing foreign films, and dubbing game characters.

Regarding anime, the agency can't secure much for its voice actors for the time being, but Li Wei has internal resources; just one game is enough to bring a lot of work to the agency's voice actors.

Originally, the game development department's interstellar strategy mobile game's monetization point was drawing ship blueprints. Blueprints for powerful ships could only be obtained by drawing boxes with real money, and that was the game's profit point. But now, Li Wei has come up with a new profit point.

Chapter 1. Routine Pills in the Industry

Li Wei felt that the original monetization points in the game were a bit too simple, but now, some new monetization points can be added.

The game's framework is quite simple: players take on the role of a commander of an interstellar pioneer base, continuously upgrading various facilities to increase port capacity, building various starships, and expanding their own power.

However, unlike the real world, where you can build as many ships as you want as you want, the game development team has considered many restrictions to ensure game balance and prevent a large power gap between paying and regular players, thus avoiding a game dominated by paying players.

First, the port capacity limit should be the same for both paying and regular players. The fleet population capacity of a single fleet should also be the same. This must be fair. If even this most basic fairness cannot be achieved, then paying players can easily crush regular players, and the game's lifespan will be as short as a month.

After ensuring the most basic fairness, what determines a player's combat power are the blueprints in their hands and the technology points used to upgrade their ships. Apart from the blueprints given away in events, good blueprints require spending money to open boxes. Each box you open will give you a pity point. Once you have accumulated a certain number of pity points, you will get a pity blueprint box. Opening the box will always give you a blueprint, and there will never be an "empty box".

Each blueprint has a production limit. There is a maximum number of ships that can be built for each new type of ship. This is to prevent players who draw good blueprints from building a large number of good ships and dominating ordinary players. Therefore, there is a limit to the number of ships that can be built for a single type of ship. The better the ship, the lower the limit.