A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

Li Wei, who was in his room, heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Li Wei said.

The door to the room opened, and Haruhara Nana walked in, rubbing her eyes.

Haruhara Nana said, "Brother Li Wei, I heard that Shiina Aki ran away. Should we still go buy tutoring materials this afternoon?"

Li Wei said, "The original plan was not to go, but since you're awake, let's go. As for Shiina Aki, I've already instructed my men to search for her, but whether we can find her is beyond our control."

Haruhara Nana said, "That guy actually ran away from home to avoid training. That's so lame! There are only two or three days of training left. Why run away? He could have just gotten through those few days."

Li Wei realized that the training intensity arranged by his puppet clone Alex, while much stronger than typical student military training, was all pushed to the limits of Shiina Aki's physical capabilities, avoiding any issue of overtraining. In other words, Shiina Aki's willpower was sufficient, and completing the training wasn't too difficult. This kind of training was mainly tiring, but there was no risk of injury. True overtraining would deplete the body's functions, causing the trainee to lose their appetite due to exhaustion. Shiina Aki, however, could eat two large bowls of rice and drink soup and vegetables every day at lunchtime, demonstrating that her physical condition was well-maintained. If someone else had been trained like that, Shiina Aki would have collapsed long ago.

Shiina Aki chose to run away simply because she lacked the willpower and was afraid of getting tired. However, this will probably be the most regrettable choice of Shiina Aki's life, but there is no going back in this world, and everyone must be responsible for the consequences of their choices.

Li Wei said, "Everyone has different ideas, and we can't impose our standards on others. However, I am quite disappointed that he would run away because of something like this. After all, he told me just two days ago that he wanted to change himself, but I didn't expect him to forget what he said."

·Requesting flowers·· ······

Haruhara Nana said, "That kind of person has no shame. What they say is like farting; it's all over and done with. It's only because you, Brother Li Wei, are kind-hearted that you would believe what that kind of person said."

At that moment, Yuzu Yukimoto and the others entered the room.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be up already, Sister Cai Cai. I thought we would get here first. Brother Li Wei, are we going out again this afternoon?" Yuzuko Yukimoto asked.

Li Wei said, "Since everyone is already here, let's go. I promised you all that I would help each of you get into a good public university, preferably Tokyo University. Tell Ayaka we'll go now, the sun is a bit lower now."

.......

"Yay!" Yuzu Yukimoto exclaimed.

The girls didn't care where Shiina Aki had gone. To them, Shiina Aki was just a nasty neighbor with a dirty hand. In their opinion, it was a good thing that someone like him left Sunohara-sou. At least that way, they wouldn't have to worry about Shiina Aki taking their underwear and doing dirty things when they weren't looking.

After greeting Ayaka Sunohara and Hojin, Li Wei, along with several girls, drove them away from Sunohara-sou and headed to a large bookstore in Chiyoda Ward.

After a drive of several tens of minutes, Li Wei parked the car in the underground parking lot of the large bookstore, then took the elevator with several girls to the lobby of the bookstore located on the upper floor.

The girls looked around curiously.

Kazami Yuri laughed: "This is my first time here. I only know that the teaching materials here are very complete, but the prices of the teaching materials are very expensive, so I never thought of coming here before."

Li Wei said, "Anyway, I'll cover it all. I'll cover all the expenses related to your studies. The educational materials here in Japan aren't as ridiculously expensive as in the US. Both countries promote 'happy education,' but at least Japan has left a narrow path for ordinary people. In the US, everything related to learning is prohibitively expensive, making it unaffordable for ordinary families. Therefore, the gap in ability between ordinary people and the wealthy is even greater than in Japan."

Chapter 1. The Promise with the Girls

Land in Tokyo is incredibly valuable, so the fact that a private bookstore of this size could be built in such a prime location speaks volumes about the owner's wealth. However, in Japan, aside from a few extremely special cases, the vast majority of public spaces have been contracted out to private individuals. Even those areas that would be considered economic lifelines in other countries are controlled by conglomerates and powerful figures in Japan.

In the education sector, in Japan, private schools completely dominate public schools. The monopoly on educational materials and other educational resources is related to powerful figures and conglomerates. It's best not to delve too deeply into this matter, because if you really want to dig deeper, you'll end up pulling out a whole bunch of cronies and implicated individuals.

The entire education system is in disarray, which has led to a booming private education industry in Japan.

Pedestrians entered the bookstore, where the air conditioning was on full blast. After taking the escalator to the third floor, they asked a staff member and discovered that the entire floor was filled with various educational materials, covering everything from elementary school to university, and even postgraduate entrance exams and various adult education and career advancement materials.

After answering everyone's questions, the staff returned to their posts.

Haruhara Nana exclaimed in astonishment, "This entire floor is filled with teaching materials and supplementary resources. That's really terrifying. And there are quite a lot of people here. It seems like there are many others who have the same plans as us."

Li Wei said, "Although many young people in Japan have already given up, there are always those who are determined to succeed. Coupled with their own abilities, it's normal for them to take a chance while they're young."

Most of the guests on this floor are young people. They are holding heavy professional books and really reading them. After confirming that the books are the type they want, they decisively take the books down the elevator and go upstairs. These people are all people who want to become better.

Of course, in Japan, becoming excellent also means spending money; all kinds of educational materials here are very expensive.

Li Wei recalled his junior high school days. Back then, the school did offer extra classes, but to reduce the students' stress, the school reached an agreement with an off-campus copy shop to print large quantities of photocopied versions of teaching materials at a cheap price. The teaching materials that originally cost tens of yuan were reduced to just a few yuan per set by the school.

However, that era has passed. Both schools and teachers have become money-oriented. Previously, they forced students to buy supplementary teaching materials, which started at least at thirty yuan. The cost of in-school tutoring has also been gradually increased.

However, tutoring is now banned in China to level the playing field and achieve educational equity as much as possible. But rules are rules, people are flexible, and private tutoring can never be completely eradicated. The truly wealthy can simply hire private tutors for their children; it's just ordinary people who are affected.

Li Wei said, "I've already seen the national and high-level regions. I didn't expect these two regions to account for such a large proportion."

Li Wei led the group to select the necessary teaching materials. Meanwhile, his puppet clone had found a suitable tutor to read his memories. Through remote medium casting, he read the tutor's professional memories. Now, using the memories he received, he quickly determined the various materials needed.

In just ten minutes, Li Wei had gathered all the materials that the girls needed.

Li Wei said, "There's no rush to go back now. We drove all this way anyway. You can find any books you want, any kind of books are fine. I'll settle the bill when we pay later."

The girls' eyes lit up. Aside from the oddball country of Chongguo, books are considered a luxury in any country, especially advanced professional books, which are extremely expensive. Even ordinary reading materials aren't cheap, so Li Wei's treat was incredibly appealing to them.

Tsukimi Risuke said excitedly, "Really? Any type of book is fine?"

Li Wei laughed and said, "Of course, any type of book is fine, even novels and comics are fine. There are no restrictions on the number of books. After all, reading is a good habit. Reading is always better than browsing forums on your phone or playing pay-to-win games."

The girls high-fived each other. They couldn't refuse such a good deal as being able to buy the books they wanted. In Japan, the price difference between books is huge. The cheapest are light novels and manga magazines, with a single book usually costing no more than 1,000 yen, which is about the price of a large bowl of ramen. That's why light novels and manga magazines are so popular—they're cheap.

Novels of slightly higher quality, as well as various popular books, are mostly priced between two thousand and one thousand yuan, a range that can be considered both cheap and expensive. Above this are various professional books, the cheapest of which start at one thousand yuan, which is not cheap for the average person.

Even more expensive than textbooks and thick volumes are supplementary teaching materials for students. These are practically robbery; the best supplementary materials can easily sell for over 20,000 yen. The exorbitant price of supplementary teaching materials is one of the negative consequences of the commercialization of education. Furthermore, Japan has very strong copyright protection; illegally printing and selling supplementary teaching materials is a criminal offense. While there's no death penalty, spending decades in prison is something few can endure.

When it comes to protecting their own interests, the powerful and wealthy are incredibly proactive.

The girls split up, each taking a small cart from the counter, and began their shopping. Li Wei himself was a book lover, and he thought it was a good thing that the people around him could develop a love of reading. In this increasingly restless era, fewer and fewer people could calmly finish a book, and he didn't want the girls around him to become so restless. It was better for them to accumulate knowledge than to become superficial.

Li Wei placed magical marks on each girl. Although he was currently in the bookstore, he didn't want the girls to encounter any danger. After completing his precautions, Li Wei began to stroll around the bookstore. Like the girls, he selected some books he liked to take home. For him, who loved reading, expanding his library and acquiring more knowledge was a pleasure in itself.

Chapter 1. Books

Li Wei wandered around the bookstore aimlessly, just browsing through books that caught his eye, though not many of them were to his liking.

In Li Wei's view, neon lights are an interesting place. It should be said that the more distorted and oppressive the environment, the more sparks of thought can be ignited. Therefore, many literary talents can emerge in such an environment.

Putting myself in their shoes, the period of greatest literary flourishing in China was also the late Qing and early Republican era, and the time before things stabilized. In Li Wei's mind, each of Lu Xun, Lao She, Wen Duo, and Liang Qichao was someone worthy of being called "Master." Adversity strengthens a nation; these hardships also bring forth the most outstanding writers, making them a part of history.

On the Japanese side, the oppressive social environment and the control of the powerful force ordinary people to bow their heads. However, some thoughts can never be suppressed. Some literary works, which subtly criticize current events and the powerful, are a manifestation of the rebellious spirit of ordinary people.

Interestingly, while the powerful and wealthy control the lifeline of every sector of society, they've opened a floodgate for literature, allowing writers who freely criticize to breathe some space. Li Wei believes this demonstrates the wisdom of the powerful; sometimes, guidance is worse than suppression. Because the internet is so prevalent, the powerful are compelled to consider the impact of public opinion, thus avoiding a complete crackdown on the internet and literature.

It was precisely because of this that Li Wei discovered many interesting literary works in the bookstore that satirized the powerful and wealthy, as well as society. These works felt to Li Wei like modern versions of "Rickshaw Boy" and "Teahouse," clearly slapping the powerful in the face. However, the Japanese elites are incredibly thick-skinned; when faced with those more powerful than themselves, they often swallow their pride and endure insults without complaint. Being criticized by ordinary people is no problem for them at all.

Li Wei added these interesting books to his shopping basket, along with some illustration books, poetry collections, and landscape photography collections. Soon, his shopping basket was full of books.

When everyone reunited, each person carried a basket of spoils.

Looking at this scene, Li Wei laughed and said, "The bookstore must be hoping to have customers like us every day. Every time we come, we bring them a considerable amount of business."

Haruhara Nana laughed and said, "It's because they set the prices of the books so high. Although I know that the price has nothing to do with the bookstore, I feel like I'd be missing out if I didn't buy more of the books I like this time."

Li Wei asked the girls to take all the books they had chosen. The pedestrian went to the checkout counter at the exit, completed the payment under the surprised gaze of the clerk, and had all the books packed up by the staff.

Li Wei hoisted the packed books onto his shoulder, retraced his steps back to the garage, and drove back to Chunyuan Manor.

After entering Chunyuan Manor, Li Wei brought the large bag of books to the living room, then took out scissors and began to unpack the outermost packaging, taking out the contents without damaging the individual inner packaging.

Seeing this, Sui Jin exclaimed in surprise, "How many books did you buy? Even small bookstores don't buy as many books in their first order!"

In Japan, besides the large bookstores that are almost like "book supermarkets," there are also many small bookstores that focus on the reading experience and have a lot of loyal customers. Moreover, due to copyright protection, traditional book rental shops in Japan are still able to survive and do quite well.

Small bookstores like these don't have large or unstable order volumes, which is why Sui Jin said that.

Li Wei smiled and said, "Consider it a small gift from me to everyone. I think giving books is more meaningful than giving other things. At least this is much more valuable than simple bags and cosmetics."

Sui Jin thought about it and realized Li Wei was right. For a person with a sound mind, books are indeed more valuable than consumer goods like handbags and cosmetics. After reading books on a particular subject and learning the relevant skills, the reader can create various intricate handicrafts, making handbags a natural next step. Similarly, after learning various chemical concepts through reading, one can make cosmetics at home. Books are truly a treasure of humanity and a medium for knowledge transmission. Mastering knowledge is far more meaningful and valuable than acquiring non-essential material possessions.

As a wine shop owner and winemaker, Sui Jin's thinking differs somewhat from that of ordinary girls. She leans more towards practicality and STEM thinking; to put it bluntly, she's a pure "straight woman," which explains her thoughts. Another girl would likely scoff at Li Wei's words.

Sui Jin said, "Reading is so good. I never had any free time to read before. Now, while waiting for the wine shop to be rebuilt, I can read more professional books related to winemaking and wine tasting. I think I should supplement my professional knowledge so that I don't fall behind in the newly reopened shop. Especially since you gave me a new winemaking recipe, Li Weijun. Without sufficient ability, it is impossible to handle this new wine."

Li Wei laughed and said, "It's good that you have such an idea. Knowing more is never a bad thing. But have you named the new wine yet? When I received this brewing recipe, I didn't know its name, so I need you, Jin, to come up with a new name for it."

Sui Jin tapped her chin with her index finger, looking troubled, and said, "I'm not good at naming things either, and this wine is so special and unique that I don't know how to name it."

Haruhara Nana said, "I really envy you, Brother Li Wei, and Sister Jin. You've reached the age where you can drink alcohol. After hearing you talk about it, I also want to try the kind of alcohol you mentioned."

Sui Jin smiled and said, "Just bear with it. You can drink when you turn 18."

Haruhara Nana said, "Oh right, didn't I do a cameo role as a 'gyaru' (a type of female adult film actress) for a while? I saw those gyaru starting to drink before they were old enough to drink. If I just put on gyaru clothes, I can drink, right?"

At this moment, Haruhara Ayaka, who came out of the kitchen carrying a pot and pan, said, "You're bad at learning good things, but you're quick to learn bad things. With me around, you can forget about drinking alcohol, not even beer, without me."

"Huh?!" Haruhara Nana's face immediately fell.

Haruhara Ayaka placed the fruit platter on the low table and said, "It's so hot outside, I prepared some fruit to help you cool down."

Everyone sat down. The girls picked up fruit from the fruit platter and watched the soap opera playing on TV, while Li Wei took out his phone and started typing on the virtual keyboard.

Haruhara Nana leaned against Li Wei and whispered, "Brother Li Wei, aren't you thirsty?"

Li Wei said, "You guys eat, I'm currently communicating with the people searching for Shiina Aki down here."

Haruhara Nana asked, "Have you found them?"

Li Wei said, "Not yet. In Japan, the coverage of surveillance cameras in public areas is very low. I had someone retrieve the surveillance footage from the public areas of Chun Yuan Zhuang. We know he left by bus, and the staff will search along the bus route, but whether we can find him depends on luck."

Chapter 1. Alex's Departure

Haruhara Nana said, "People in Japan place great importance on privacy. On this point, whether they are rich or ordinary, they all agree. Even the government's so-called Skynet project has been met with resistance from most people. If there were comprehensive video surveillance recordings, it would be much easier to deal with any problems that might arise."

Li Wei said, "Yes, that's why the private detective industry is so developed in Japan. If the surveillance camera system were perfect, there wouldn't be much room for the private detective industry to thrive."

The private investigation industry is a product of a "small government" environment. If a country has a "large government," the government has strong control over the entire social order, such as in China. In this case, the scope of practice for private investigators is much narrower. In other countries, the work done by private investigators would be considered the domain of police and lawyers in China. However, the "small government" system lacks the capacity and effectiveness of official enforcement, which is why private agencies take on these tasks.

Haruhara Nana said, "Private detective? I almost forgot there are such people. I've also watched Detective Conan. Uncle Mori in it, although he usually seems unreliable, when it comes to the crucial moment, especially when it involves his wife, his fighting power increases a thousandfold, and he transforms into a Kamen Rider without a suit, capable of doing anything."

Li Wei laughed and said, "Real private detectives are not what you imagine. They're not as amazing as people think. Besides, private detectives all know how to disguise themselves. They're not as high-profile as the characters in anime, who always announce their identity as private detectives wherever they go. Real professional private detectives even have to learn how to disguise themselves and change their appearance to ensure they can change their image. Being as conspicuous as Conan or Koro is, for a real private detective, not to say, failing, but certainly extremely unconventional."

Haruhara Nana said, "I see. It seems that anime is a kind of filtered beautification of an industry. But speaking of which, Brother Li Wei, have you made any connections with private detectives?"

Li Wei said, "We've already mobilized. There are now over a hundred private detectives active in Tokyo. Their mission is to find Shiina Aki. I've offered them a reward of ten million yen for any individual or team that can find Shiina Aki."