A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

The two arrived at the main road and, from the sparsely populated alley, entered a very lively environment.

Yuehai said, "As for ramen, I know there are a few around here, but I don't know if they're open for business yet."

Generally speaking, most ramen stalls on the street set up after 4 p.m. and stay open until 2 or 3 a.m. the next day. If you go early, you might not be able to catch one.

Li Wei said, "It would be best if we could find one, but if that doesn't work out, there are always regular ramen shops, right? If you want to eat ramen, there's always somewhere you can find it, isn't there?"

Li Wei recalled his junior high school days when there was a Lanzhou ramen shop near the school gate. The first time he tried ramen, Li Wei instantly felt the charm of noodles. It was a completely new feeling, different from the local beef noodles. In particular, the ramen noodles were very chewy and had a great texture, leaving a lasting impression.

After studying in Japan, Li Wei would occasionally patronize various ramen shops. He had tasted all kinds of ramen, including udon, a variation of ramen.

However, Li Wei is a picky eater. He'll never go back to a noodle shop that's all talk and no action, because these shops claim to sell ramen, but the noodles are actually made by a pasta machine, and the texture and taste are completely wrong. Therefore, Li Wei only likes to go to shops where the owners are honest. If they say they sell ramen, the noodles are definitely hand-pulled. These noodles, made by repeatedly pounding the dough and then pulling it by hand, are incomparable to the inferior noodles produced by a pasta machine.

Just thinking about the taste of ramen made Li Wei's mouth water, and he quickened his pace.

Chapter 1. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

“Looks like we’re pretty lucky. This ramen stall opened early today. I heard there are a lot of ramen stalls like this in Yokohama, but I can only move around within the Tokyo metropolitan area, so I’m not really familiar with the situation there,” Tsukimi said.

Yuehai and Li Wei stopped in front of the ramen stall that was being set up at home. The core of this mobile ramen stall was a small, house-style cart that could hold various items.

The owner, who looked to be in his forties, was deftly setting up the wooden roof of the stall. The basic structure of the stall was already in place, and the two could clearly see various cooking utensils used for preparing food, as well as stacked, folded wooden stools.

Yuehai said, "It looks like it will take a while to set this up. Shall we move to another location?"

Li Wei shook his head and said, "No need. The deliciousness will be even better after waiting. Besides, this is the first time I've seen how a ramen stall is set up. It satisfies my curiosity. The culture and sense of ritual are also part of the food."

Compared to modern molecular gastronomy, Levi prefers traditional cuisine.

Li Wei dislikes molecular gastronomy because it pursues the ultimate flavor but fails to achieve it, while also losing its humanistic and cultural connotations. It's like salt and MSG—it can add flavor, but that's all.

Just like eating Peking duck, Li Wei likes to brush the duck meat with sweet sauce, wrap it with scallions in dough, and when he finishes this step, he can picture the duck being roasted in the oven until it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It is a kind of imagination associated with food.

Li Wei had tried molecular gastronomy a few times, but each experience was not very good. Molecular gastronomy made him feel like a lowly person in a cyberpunk world, huddled in his dilapidated and dark shack, eating only sweet nutrient paste.

While the flavors of these pastes are indeed very creative, their indescribable texture makes one feel like they're eating toothpaste, only without the taste.

It was precisely because he failed to find anything to boast about in molecular gastronomy after several attempts that Li Wei gave up on this so-called culinary art. Moreover, according to his understanding, some traditional chefs in China who originally practiced molecular gastronomy returned to traditional culinary arts after working in the field for a few years. Li Wei hadn't thoroughly researched the industry's inner workings and couldn't offer any definitive opinions, but the fact that those high-end chefs abandoned molecular gastronomy and returned to traditional culinary arts showed that molecular gastronomy must have some fatal flaw that led them to abandon this path.

Of course, not all molecular gastronomy is garbage, at least in Li Wei's opinion. For example, tofu, which people in East Asia often eat, is actually the culmination of molecular gastronomy, and it appeared very early. Because people can come into contact with tofu every day, most people don't realize that tofu is actually the ancestor of modern molecular gastronomy.

Therefore, molecular gastronomy isn't anything high-end; it's simply altering the form of ingredients to deceive diners' senses of sight and taste, creating a feeling of "surprise." The first time you try it, it might feel novel, but after a few times, this kind of flashy but ultimately empty cuisine becomes bland and lacks the substantial richness of traditional dishes.

Li Wei said, "Food is so comforting to the weary hearts of ordinary people because it has this down-to-earth, everyday charm. In my opinion, the ordinary dishes that can be found on the streets are the most humane."

Of course, such cuisine also has its limitations. As for how delicious it will be, that's debatable. Rare delicacies naturally have their advantages; the quality of the ingredients speaks for itself. As long as the chef isn't a mere show-off who's incompetent, the result won't be too bad. If someone can still mess up even with top-notch ingredients, then they've reached a new level of incompetence and deserve a disgrace to the chef.

Yuehai said, "I didn't expect you to be such a humane person. Now I can understand why so many wagtails are willing to follow you."

In Yuehai's heart, she felt that Li Wei was very special; just standing among people, he stood out like a crane among chickens. However, Li Wei did not have an air of superiority. On the contrary, he was considerate of others. The words he had just spoken were something that those high-ranking nobles could never truly say. Jiling's perception was very keen; she could tell who was lying and who was telling the truth.

Yuehai was unaware that she had fallen into a strange cycle of loving everything associated with Li Wei. Because she had a strong liking for Li Wei, he was viewed through a filter in her mind, and anything related to him was considered good.

Unaware of this, she had already become addicted, and now Li Wei's words and actions had a bewitching effect on her.

Li Wei's charm was exceptionally high. Without suppressing his charm, he only needed a glance to make nuns who had already renounced worldly life yearn for him and be willing to return to secular life for him. With just a smile, he could make married women who had already married others have extramarital affairs for him and even be willing to elope with him.

This extraordinary charm has become a source of some trouble for Li Wei. After all, such charm is universally appealing, affecting everyone from young children to ten-year-old grandmothers. If this charm is not suppressed, it could cause considerable chaos.

Fortunately, after reaching a certain level of cultivation, Li Wei had mastered the knack of controlling his charm. Now, he could ensure that he was exceptionally charming only to certain individuals, while receiving only mediocre reviews from others. This one-to-one display of charm provided considerable convenience for him in winning over the female characters he targeted in the anime world.

Li Wei said, "Perhaps it's because I'm willing to treat them as people. We're all the same, lonely individuals, searching for our own place in the sea of ​​people, and I'm willing to be their place. Well, some girls might hate my central approach, but to be honest, I can't abandon any of them as individuals. The 'Wagtail Game' is problematic; abandoning them would be like throwing them into a fire pit."

Yuehai noticed the details in Li Wei's words and asked in surprise, "There's a problem with the Wagtail game? What problem?"

Tsukimi had already noticed this, including Sahashi Takami's unusual behavior; she had observed it all. However, her intelligence network had its limitations, so she only knew that there was something wrong with this Sekirei game, but she couldn't say exactly what the problem was. That's why she immediately perked up when Li Wei brought it up.

Chapter 1. Intelligence Exchange

Yuehai's curiosity had been piqued. She hadn't expected that Li Wei would know the inside story of the Sekirei game. After all, up to now, apart from a few extremely well-informed individuals, most of the Sekirei and Ashimei who participated in the game didn't know what they were doing and were completely led by the nose by MBI.

Intelligence is invaluable; in certain special circumstances, it can even determine life or death. Yuehai is someone who values ​​intelligence highly. Unfortunately, she lacks Song's special abilities and technical skills, making it impossible for her to obtain information by hacking into servers. Therefore, she mostly relies on summarizing information available through various public channels to gather the necessary details from these fragmented pieces of information. To be honest, this is a disadvantage due to her lack of technical expertise, but she has no choice but to use this rudimentary method. After all, she has no other option.

Li Wei said, "This Sekirei game is different from any game in history. The rules are much more complex. Mihiro, who calls himself the game administrator, has indeed done a good job, keeping the intensity and consequences of the battles within an acceptable range. From this point of view alone, this game is more lenient than any game in history. For example, in the current first stage, you only need to defeat your opponent and erase their Sekirei pattern. According to my research, in the past, the battles in ancient games were all-out wars, with the winner taking all and the loser losing everything. Life, freedom, dignity, and even one's own body would become the stakes in the battle. With MBI's management, the possibility of serious incidents has been minimized. However, Mihiro also has his own reasons for doing this."

Yuehai said, "What's his purpose? Since he organized this foolish game, why is he controlling the casualties of the wagtails?"

Li Wei said, "What I'm about to tell you is something I hope you will keep secret, especially from anyone in MBI, no matter who they are, otherwise it could get you killed."

Yuehai nodded, her expression turning serious. After all, she was an adult and knew that some things could be said and some things couldn't be said. Knowing too much about certain things could cause her trouble.

Yuehai said, "Don't worry, I don't want to cause trouble for myself. But even knowing that this kind of thing will cause trouble, I still want to know. The feeling of being kept in the dark is really terrible."

Li Wei said, "This Sekirei game is the foundation for becoming a god. Mihiro wants to use this method to utilize the enormous emotional power generated by the Sekirei game, ignite his own divine fire, and become a god who transcends humans and Sekirei."

With a shocked expression that seemed to say, "Are you kidding me?" Yuehai paused for a moment, then said, "This is too absurd! Becoming a god is like an April Fool's joke."

Li Wei said, "Because I had seen similar things before, when I learned about the rules of this game, I felt something was wrong. Later, I secretly sneaked into the MBI headquarters building and checked some top-secret paper documents that had not been uploaded to the internal server, which confirmed the matter. Mihiroto did indeed want to use this opportunity to become a god."

Yuehai said, "The power of the wagtail has its limits. How can it become a god?"

Tsukimi herself is a Sekirei, and a single-digit individual in the sequence. She knows that a "limiter" has been installed in her body, but even without the limiter, the power of a Sekirei still has its limits. There is no situation where humans can suppress the whole world, especially since humans have mastered the power of nuclear weapons. Sekirei is not an absolutely invincible existence.

Li Wei said, "The power of the wagtail is indeed somewhat insufficient, but what if we also take into account the power of Shenzuo Island and Haotian?"

Yuehai said, "I do know about Shenzuo Island. As for Haotian, isn't that where the final battle of the Wagyu took place?"

Li Wei said, "That's right. After all the previous stages of the game are completed, the final winner, Reed Sprout, will take the chosen Sekirei to the Sky of the Wild Goose and fight against the Queen of the Wild Goose. The victor will gain control of the Sky of the Wild Goose and become the new Queen of the Wild Goose, gaining power that is almost divine."

Yuehai said, "But she is only close to a god, not a true god. Moreover, the Wagyu Queen must be extremely powerful, so powerful that challengers cannot shake her position."

Li Wei said, "Yu Guangren only needs someone to ascend to the heavens. He needs someone to complete the established procedures for him to become a god. What he needs to do is to usurp the throne in the final step and ascend to the divine position himself."

·Requesting flowers·· ······

Yuehai clenched his fist and said, "Sure enough, that weirdo was plotting this. I felt something was off about him before, but I never expected it to be like this! We absolutely cannot let him succeed. But speaking of which, Li Weijun, you've already entered the MBI headquarters building, why don't you just kill him?"

Li Wei pointed to his heart and said, "That guy took precautions. When all the wagtails are being adjusted, a poison sac is inserted below their hearts. This poison sac has a special linkage mechanism inside Yu Guang's body. If he dies, none of the wagtails whose poison sacs have not been removed will survive."

Yuehai shivered; she hadn't expected that there would be something so dangerous inside her body.

. .........

Li Wei said, "This kind of surgery is performed when the wagtail is two to three years old, because the memory of a wagtail at this age is similar to that of a human child of the same age. It will not know that it has had surgery and that there is such a dangerous thing buried below its heart."

Yuehai thought for a moment. She entered the research institute managed by her grandmother when she was four years old. This meant that only a very few people probably knew about this, and even Sahashi Takami and her grandmother were kept in the dark.

Tsukimi didn't want to speculate about such things, whether Takami Sahashi and her grandmother were involved; she was afraid to know the truth.

Li Wei said, "No more than ten people in the entire MBI know about this kind of surgery. Sahashi Takami probably doesn't know about it, otherwise, given her personality, she would have fallen out with Mihiro long ago."

Yuehai breathed a sigh of relief. If Sahashi Takami didn't know, then her grandmother, as the manager of an independent research institute with less authority than Sahashi Takami, would certainly know even less.

Yuehai asked, "Li Weijun, have you removed the venom sac from your wagtail's body?"

Li Wei said, "Of course, I won't allow any danger to threaten the girl beside me. This kind of surgery is very simple for me. The reason I haven't killed Yu Guangren yet is because I don't know how many more tricks he has up his sleeve against Sekirei. I'm hesitant to act rashly. Once I figure things out, I will be the one to crush his ambitions."

Chapter 1. Ramen and Happiness

Yuehai secretly envied the wagtails around Liwei, who had such a reliable bud. While others were still being played by Mihiro, Liwei had already seen through Mihiro's scheme and was prepared to deal with it.

This level of reliability is something that others can hardly match.

Li Wei said, "The stall is finally set up. Our wait has finally come to a good end. I'm hungry. What a wonderful coincidence."

Yuehai sighed inwardly, Li Wei's mental fortitude was truly remarkable. Even knowing about such a terrible conspiracy, he remained calm and actively sought ways to solve the problem at its root. Such a reliable man was hard to find even with a lantern.

Looking at Li Wei's profile, Yuehai felt that he was getting more and more handsome. His confident smile was like poison, captivating her.

The ramen stall owner had already seen the two people waiting nearby. After finishing all the preparations, he wiped the sweat from his face with the towel draped around his neck, and with a slightly naive smile on his face, he said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen. I didn't expect you to be willing to wait so long. I'm really sorry."

Li Wei laughed and said, "It's okay. Waiting for the food is part of the enjoyment of the food. In fact, this kind of waiting makes the ramen more down-to-earth and authentic."

The two sat down. Yuehai looked up at the wooden signs hanging above her head, which listed various kinds of ramen. They were all very affordable. Even the so-called "deluxe enhanced version" did not exceed a thousand or a hundred yen. The average price was only around seven to a hundred yen. Considering the average price in Tokyo, it was very affordable.

In the real world, Li Wei also frequently visits various ramen stalls in Yokohama. In the real world, ramen stalls run by elderly people are even cheaper; if the ramen tastes good, the price can even be reduced to around 100 yen a bowl. You could say they're really just earning a meager living. The working class, toiling from dawn till dusk, is always struggling, no matter the country. Japan may appear glamorous on the surface, but behind the scenes, there are many ordinary people struggling to make ends meet.

Looking at the wooden sign, Li Wei felt the same inner turmoil as Inoguchi. However, the biggest difference between Li Wei and Inoguchi was that Li Wei did not mind eating with other people. Although eating alone was extremely free, having two more people to chat and eat with was also a kind of enjoyment.

Yuehai said, "I didn't pay attention before, I didn't expect there to be so many kinds, I'm almost having trouble choosing."

Li Wei crossed his arms and said, "Yes, I really want to try them all."

Li Wei had spent a considerable amount of time in Japan, and although he rarely ate out, he would often go out to find a ramen stall to have a meal. Although he wasn't from the north, his love for noodles was no less than that of northerners. Most importantly, ramen was affordable.

Li Wei said, "Tonkotsu ramen... no, no, this is not the best time to choose tonkotsu ramen. If you don't come out to eat tonkotsu ramen when you're starving in the middle of the night, then it's soulless."

Tsukimi asked, "Why do we have to come out to eat tonkotsu ramen in the middle of the night?"

Li Wei held up a finger and said, "Because tonkotsu ramen is the easiest ramen to warm you up. Imagine, on a cold, windy night, a tired office worker is walking home, having just finished overtime. He's exhausted and hungry, almost fainting. Just then, he sees a ramen stall ahead, and the aroma of the tonkotsu ramen broth wafts over from afar. In that instant, he feels like a thirsty person in the desert seeing an oasis, like a shipwrecked person seeing a lighthouse. It's a hope in despair, a divine gift that saves his stomach. He goes to the ramen stall, orders a large bowl of tonkotsu ramen, drinks the broth with gusto, and bites into the noodles. The rich, savory flavor explodes in his mouth. He feels resurrected, regaining the courage to face the monotonous daily work, the courage to face his boss's unpleasant expression tomorrow. That's healing!"

Yuehai swallowed hard; she hadn't been hungry before, but now her stomach was rumbling. The owner lifted the lid of the tall pot, and a rich aroma of pork bone broth wafted out, a whirlwind of fragrance washing over the two of them; the thick, oily scent was invigorating.

Tsukimi raised her hand and said seriously, "Boss, I want an extra-large tonkotsu ramen!"

The shop owner looked at Yuehai with some surprise and said, "Sir, the 'extra large' portion is a very large portion. Are you sure you can finish it?"

Yuehai gave a thumbs up and said, "Absolutely no problem. I feel like I could eat a whole cow right now."

The boss was embarrassed, but seeing Yuehai's determined expression, he said nothing more, took out the prepared dough, and began to pull noodles on the spot.

Yuehai nudged Li Wei with her elbow and asked, "Li Wei, have you decided what you want to eat?"

Li Wei said, "Give me a super-sized bowl of miso ramen, with extra tofu."

The owner readily agreed and uncovered another tall pot, preparing to make the miso ramen that Li Wei had ordered.

Yuehai said, "You just specifically recommended tonkotsu ramen, so why did you order miso ramen now?"