A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

"I almost forgot about that. Cai Cai and the others are still thinking about going to university, which is great. My biggest regret in life is that I only studied up to high school before I had to drop out," Sui Jin said with a sigh.

"Take a leave of absence? Didn't you graduate?" Li Wei asked.

“When I was in higher grades, something happened at home, and both my parents passed away. I had to take over the family liquor store to prevent it from going out of business due to lack of management,” Sui Jin said.

“I’m sorry, I brought up something that upset you,” Li Wei said.

“I’ve moved on from the past. Life is never perfect. I’m very satisfied with my life now. Not being able to finish high school or even go to university is just a regret for me. It won’t affect my quality of life. It doesn’t matter anymore,” Sui Jin said with a smile.

Japan's job market has always been terrible. After the real estate bubble burst in the last century, Japan's economy stagnated. Since then, every generation of young people has faced a difficult job market upon graduation, and this situation remains unchanged. Even if you graduate from a university, what difference does it make? Unless it's a degree from one of the top universities, it's practically the same as not having studied at all, since there's no opportunity to climb the social ladder.

The threshold for becoming a corporate slave is very low. A high school diploma, normal labor capacity and intelligence, and no major health problems are all that's needed to do most relatively simple jobs, whether it's carrying bricks on a construction site, tightening screws in a factory, various other jobs, or certain special high-income industries, such as collecting corpses, clearing sewers, or transporting hazardous chemicals. These are all jobs that can be done with just a high level of education.

So, for Sui Jin, not being able to attend university had no negative impact other than causing her some regret.

"It's good that you've gotten through this. I'm not very good at comforting people, so I'm really sorry," Li Wei said.

"There's nothing to apologize for. I'm very satisfied with my life right now," Sui Jin said with a smile.

"Let's go home." Li Wei smiled and took Sui Jin's hand.

"Yes!" Sui Jin nodded emphatically.

Chapter 1. The Refuge Proposal

"We're back." Suijin opened the door and peeked into the entryway. She was a little surprised not to hear a response from Sunohara Ayaka.

"Maybe they're busy in the kitchen, since we got back right at mealtime," Li Wei said.

The two changed their shoes and walked barefoot on the wooden floor through the entryway into the living room. There, they saw a figure in a police uniform with his back to them over the coffee table.

Ayaka Sunohara and Mari Shiina were sitting directly opposite this person, while the other girls were sitting nearby. Ayaka Sunohara saw the two of them and waved.

Ayaka Haruhara's expression was relatively calm, but Mari Shiina's expression was not so pleasant. Looking at the uniforms worn by the newcomers, Li Wei roughly understood what was going on: these were police officers who had come to deliver bad news.

The location-finding spell continued its work. Although Shiina Aki had suffered much torment, which allowed him to gain a considerable amount of points, Shiina Aki himself was not in mortal danger. The old man was very fond of him, not only enjoying using his back door daily but also allowing him to move around the family mansion like a maid, only cut off from the outside world and with his personal freedom restricted. Compared to those cattle and horses confined to the basement, Shiina Aki's current treatment was already quite good.

The middle-aged man in police uniform said, "Ms. Shiina, we have done our best to find your brother, but apart from knowing that he was kidnapped, we don't know any more information. I'm sorry we were unable to bring him back."

Shiina Mari nodded. She already knew this would be the outcome, so she was able to control her emotions and not get agitated.

The man was somewhat surprised. He had originally thought that he would be scolded by Shiina Mari, or even called a piece of trash. He had already prepared himself for the scolding, but Shiina Mari chose to remain silent, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.

He was the station's professional case-closing officer, specifically there to take the beatings. All sorts of unsolved, headless cases were handled by professionals like him who would bear the brunt of the victims' families' anger. It was precisely because this position required him to endure so much abuse that he received a special salary, which also forged his resilient nerves, allowing him to remain calm no matter what kind of insults he received.

The police officer said, "I thought you would get agitated and yell at me, Miss Jasmine."

Shiina Mari said, "I know you've tried your best. I'm not the kind of person who makes trouble unreasonably. I'm also aware of your difficulties."

Because she had obtained a lot of information from Li Wei, Shiina Mari knew the predicament of the Tokyo police. With a severe shortage of manpower, it was impossible to conduct a detailed investigation into a missing person case like this. It was already considered good if the police could find surveillance footage and some evidence.

Compared to missing persons cases, the police focus on cases that could cause serious damage, such as the destruction caused by the battle for the Qin Secret Manual and the conflicts between powerful figures in the inner world. These are the cases that the police need to pay special attention to.

Moreover, Li Wei mobilized a large number of private investigators and yakuza members. These people active in the gray areas are much more efficient at finding people than the police. But if even these professionals couldn't find the person, it's normal that the police couldn't find the person either.

So why was she angry? Having lost all expectation, she naturally felt no disappointment. Therefore, when she heard the police announce the final search results, she felt little emotional reaction.

The young policeman paused for a moment, then said, "Thank you very much for your understanding. In that case, I'll take my leave."

After packing his belongings and politely saying goodbye to everyone in the house, the policeman, accompanied by Li Wei, went to the entrance and was escorted out of Chunyuan Manor by Li Wei.

Ayaka Haruhara appeared behind Li Wei.

"That Jasmine is such a worry. It's really not easy for her to control her emotions at such a young age," Ayaka Haruhara sighed.

Li Wei turned around and gently kissed Ayaka Haruhara's forehead.

“That’s life. Everyone has their own troubles. I’ll try to comfort Jasmine. But speaking of which, the police closed the case way too quickly. It’s only been a few days since Aya disappeared, and they’re already in such a hurry to close it,” Li Wei said.

·Requesting flowers·· ······

“I understand the difficulties faced by the police officers, not only Jasmine, but also I. After all, Tokyo has become so dangerous, and they have more important things to do,” Ayaka Haruhara said softly.

“Indeed, they have important things to do, and so do I. My information is that the competition will become increasingly fierce in the coming period, but I will hold this place,” Li Wei said with a serious expression.

“If it really doesn’t work out, we should just move out of Tokyo. There’s no need to stay here knowing it’s dangerous,” Ayaka Sunohara said.

...

Ayaka Haruhara wasn't naive. If the danger in Tokyo continued to escalate, there was no point in staying. At the very least, she needed to weather the current storm. Let those who wanted to seize the Qin Secret Manual; she just wanted to live her peaceful life. She had finally achieved her current happiness, and she didn't want it all to vanish.

A house is indeed very important, but a house can be rebuilt if it's gone. But if a person is gone, then they're truly gone. She wouldn't hesitate on the question of whether a house or a person is more important.

“Let’s discuss it tonight. We’ll leave Tokyo and seek refuge in the next few days. I’m not short of money anyway, so let’s treat it as a short trip. We can go anywhere in the world, as long as it’s not in Tokyo,” Li Wei said.

Ayaka Haruhara was also somewhat looking forward to it. Because of her job as a dormitory manager, she was essentially tied to this place. It was only during her student days that she was able to go on school trips. Since inheriting the family's dormitory, she had never been able to travel again.

That's why Ayaka Haruhara was tempted by Li Wei's suggestion.

When the two returned indoors, Li Wei could sense that the atmosphere was a bit awkward. Shiina Mari was radiating a low-pressure aura that kept strangers at bay, and the other girls didn't dare to talk to her when they saw her like this.

Chapter 1. At the Dinner Table

After seeing off the police, the two returned to the house. It was already lunchtime, so Ayaka Sunohara cleared the table in the dining room and brought out the food that had been prepared in the kitchen.

In Japan, due to the dense concentration of residential land, most ordinary people's houses are not very large, so there is no dedicated dining room. They usually eat at the coffee table or a small low table in the living room, which forces people to sit cross-legged or upright for long periods of time. Because of these details, O-shaped legs are quite common in Japan, regardless of age or gender.

However, the wealthier a person is, the less likely they are to have bowlegs. This is because wealthy people pay close attention to their posture and have access to specialized teachers and courses, as well as various assistive devices, to correct their posture. In addition, wealthy people in Japan are gradually becoming more Westernized, and fewer and fewer of them are sitting at low tables to eat. More and more people are choosing higher tables and chairs, which also solves the problem of bowlegs from the head.

In Japan, many families, limited by the size of their homes, do not have a dedicated dining room and eat at low tables. Because of the long hours spent sitting upright and cross-legged, these people are much more likely to have bowlegs than wealthy people.

Even when Chunyuan Manor was somewhat dilapidated, it still had a dedicated dining room.

The atmosphere at dinner was somewhat quiet. Although Shiina Mari tried her best to control her emotions and not affect others, everyone around her knew about her situation and could understand her feelings. So, apart from Li Wei and Sunohara Ayaka chatting casually and trying to liven up the atmosphere, none of the other girls spoke.

"I'm full, thank you for the meal." Shiina Mari knew that she was not in a good mood and was spreading a negative aura that was affecting the people around her, so she quickly finished her dinner and got up to leave the table.

The girls exchanged glances, all feeling helpless. After all, at this moment, any words of comfort would be useless. Putting themselves in their shoes, if it happened to them, they would probably be in the same state, finding it difficult to recover in a short time.

"Phew, Jasmine-san is so intimidating. She's about my age, but she seems so much more mature than me," Haruhara Nana remarked.

Shiina Mari ate very quickly; while the others were still halfway through, she had already finished her meal. Only when Shiina Mari wasn't there did the others dare to speak.

“Everyone is different, that’s normal. But I think that an optimist like you, Cai Cai, will have a more vibrant life,” Sui Jin said.

"Jin-jie, you don't need to comfort me. I know the gap between me and Moli-san. She's a genius girl with excellent grades in all subjects. She's achieved what she has through self-study. I'm a slacker who still needs tutoring. There's no way I can compare to her," said Haruhara Nana.

Suijin rested her chin on her hand, gently crushing the saury meat off the skeleton with her chopsticks on her plate.

“Don’t forget, you have your own advantages. In terms of intelligence and talent, Jasmine is probably the strongest among us, but have you forgotten your athletic advantage? In a 1000-meter race, you can leave Jasmine far behind,” Sui Jin said.

“That’s true, I do have my strengths too.” Haruhara Nana said contentedly. Her grades were only slightly above average, but she was very good at sports. During her time in Japan, a professional sports coach came to her school to ask if she wanted to practice long-distance running and high jump, saying that she was very talented and might even be able to represent Japan in the Olympics in the future.

However, Haruhara Nana felt that the sports industry, which relies on youth, could easily leave her with injuries within just a few years, and her income would plummet after retirement. Rather than torturing herself like that, she thought it would be better to try to get into a good university.

For the sake of her future and health, Haruhara Nana rejected the offers from those sports coaches. She didn't regret her choice; after all, industries that rely on youth were not within her consideration. No matter how glorious and dazzling her peak period was, what she cared about was whether she could have a relatively decent life during the downturn. What's the point if she can't guarantee a decent life during her low points?

Ayaka Haruhara gently tapped the table, drawing the attention of all the girls.

“Li Weijun just told me that the battle for the Qin Secret Manual has entered its final stage, and soon Tokyo will become a chaotic battlefield. Li Weijun and I have discussed it and feel that our safety cannot be guaranteed if we stay here. You two, Cai Cai and Yuzu, haven’t started school yet, and as for Jin, the reconstruction of the liquor store will take quite some time to complete. Therefore, I plan to take everyone and leave Tokyo to seek refuge,” said Haruhara Ayaka.

Ayaka Haruhara's serious expression made the girls realize that she wasn't joking; the situation was indeed that serious.

“I have no objection. After all, many wealthy people have already fled Tokyo during this period. Before the fire, some of my shop’s wealthy old customers had already moved out of Tokyo. Most of them went to Kyoto. Wealthy people own properties everywhere and have a place to stay wherever they go. Even those who don’t own property can easily afford to stay in five-star hotels every day,” Sui Jin said.

Suijin's liquor store used to have some high-end clients, but as Tokyo became chaotic, these clients stopped sending people to buy liquor. After she made some phone calls, she found that most of these clients were no longer in Tokyo.

At the time, she didn't know what was going on. Later, after meeting Li Wei and moving into Chunyuanzhuang, she learned what the situation in Tokyo was like and why her high-end clients were leaving Tokyo en masse.

People are naturally inclined to seek advantage and avoid harm. The richer a person is, the more afraid they are of death. So, at the slightest sign of trouble, those people run away much faster than ordinary people.

The rich can run away, but ordinary people can't for various reasons. After all, everyone needs to survive. Even if the sky is about to fall, as long as it hasn't actually collapsed, ordinary people will still do what they need to do, and nothing will change.

Chapter 4. Expressing Opinions

Suijin's words made everyone nod in agreement. After all, no one would joke at a time like this. If Tokyo really became a battlefield, even though Chunyuan Manor's current status was very special and those powerful figures from the underworld wouldn't actively gravitate towards it, such things were purely based on luck, and such matters were often unreliable.

It's quite possible that the enemy has no intention of advancing this way, but the battle could still affect this area. That's how accidents happen; they can launch a surprise attack when you're not prepared.

"When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer. If it were just me, staying in Tokyo wouldn't be a problem; I could see for myself if the legendary Qin Secret Manual was really that miraculous. But I have to guarantee your safety. Such a risky undertaking is best left as a thought," Li Wei said.

“Although I’m very unwilling, I know my own situation. I am indeed stronger than the average person now, and I can fight back even if I encounter armed thugs. But compared with those real strong people, we are still very weak and will only be a burden to Li Weijun,” said Haruhara Ayaka.

Sunohara Ayaka is well aware of the current situation, which is why she made this decision.

“Yes, that’s true. I’m not even as good as you, Ayaka-nee. At least you have the strength to fight against armed thugs now, while we can only barely defeat normal adults who don’t use weapons. With that kind of strength, we can’t guarantee our safety in the chaos that follows.” Yuzuko Yuki crossed her arms and said earnestly.

The girls were all very rational and didn't become arrogant just because they had practiced breathing techniques with Li Wei for a while. They were clearly aware of their own meager abilities. Against ordinary people, they could indeed quickly win battles despite being at a significant disadvantage in height, reach, or even weight. However, ordinary people were no match for the powerful figures in the inner world, and they were well aware of that.

"What we haven't decided yet is where we'll go after leaving Tokyo. Ayaka and I haven't decided on a destination. Right now, everyone can share their preferred places and we can discuss it together," Li Wei said.

"Huh? We have the right to make suggestions too?" Haruhara Nana pointed at herself and said in surprise.

“Of course, I don’t advocate arbitrary decisions. We can brainstorm and choose a place that satisfies everyone. Isn’t that better than me making the decision myself?” Li Wei said with a smile.

Li Wei thought to himself that the results would come out soon anyway, and then everyone would go to the floating island.

After Shiina Mari left, the atmosphere at the dinner table finally livened up. Before, they had to consider Shiina Mari's feelings when they spoke, as she was going through a difficult time, and saying the wrong thing could have been like rubbing salt into her wounds. Now that Shiina Mari wasn't there, they could talk about lighter things.

“Everyone can offer suggestions, talk about the places they want to go, and why they want to go. Let’s combine everyone’s opinions and choose a place that will satisfy everyone as much as possible,” Li Wei said with a smile.

The girls all had eager expressions on their faces. Leaving Tokyo now would not only be a refuge trip, but also a kind of travel.

"How about Hawaii?" Haruhara Nana asked, raising her hand.

"Is it because you want to experience the sun and sand? But there are beaches in China too, and the weather is just right now, so there's no need to go all the way here," Sui Jin said.

Suijin's words were supported by others, who said that Japan itself also has many beaches suitable for vacations.