A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

Li Wei smiled as he looked at the text on the screen. He could feel Kasumigaoka Utaha's kindness. The editor she mentioned should be her editor, the single, mature woman named Machida Sonoko.

After exchanging goodnight wishes, Li Wei closed the LINE client. However, he wasn't going to sleep so early, and he wasn't in the mood for playing games right now. He decided to take this time to thoroughly check the first volume of his debut work, so that he could correct any mistakes or inappropriate parts in time.

On the other side, after ending her chat with Li Wei, Kasumigaoka Utaha took out her phone, opened her phone book, and her finger stopped at the name "Thirty-year-old single older sister".

Kasumigaoka Utaha made a phone call, then went out onto the balcony to admire the distant night view. She didn't live with her family, but rather in a small apartment on her own for work convenience. The view from the balcony, of the distant nightscape, had always been a great source of inspiration for her.

The call connected, and a slightly lazy, mature voice came from the other end.

"Oh, it's Xiao Shiyu. Why are you calling your sister so late? Is something important? Like, has the new series been finalized?"

Machida Sonoko's voice is quite magnetic, mature and intellectual. Just by listening to her voice, one can conjure up the image of an intellectual and mature woman in their mind. However, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who knows her true nature, knows that one cannot judge a book by its cover. Machida Sonoko has been single for thirty years, and there is a reason for that.

"Ms. Sonoko, I have good news and bad news to tell you. Which do you want to hear first?" Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned against the railing, her tone light and cheerful.

"Let's hear the bad news first." Machida Sonoko, who was drinking in the izakaya, put down her beer glass with a smile on her face.

"My new series is going to be delayed for about two months," Kasumigaoka Utaha said.

"Why? Didn't we already agree that the concept for the new series was complete?" Machida Sonoko said with some surprise, taking a skewer of chicken from the plate in front of her and quickly putting it into her mouth.

"Because I have a new idea. If I can successfully implement this new idea, then this new series will definitely not have the same problems as my debut work. This time, I'm aiming for a million copies sold." Kasumigaoka Utaha's tone became serious. The knowledge she had learned from Li Wei alone was enough to elevate her writing skills to a higher level. Moreover, there was still a lot of knowledge from Li Wei that she didn't know, and she needed to continue learning.

"Oh? It's good to be confident, but are you sure you can reach a million copies sold this time? Now that you've said the bad news, what's the good news?" Machida Sonoko said. Although it was already after get off work hours, she and Kasumigaoka Utaha were good friends, so she didn't mind talking about work with Kasumigaoka Utaha during her break.

"I've found a very strong light novel author. Although he's still a newcomer, his works have great potential. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they could sell millions of copies," Kasumigaoka Utaha said earnestly.

"Oh? There are people like that?" Machida Sonoko was a little surprised. She knew that Kasumigaoka Utaha was a very proud person. Even those senior authors with excellent achievements would not easily bow down to her. The fact that she had taken notice of this author meant that this author was definitely talented.

Kasumigaoka Utaha continued, "Unlike the niche romance and slice-of-life novels I'm into, he writes fantasy adventure works. Our library doesn't have a suitable hit novel, right? I think we can give his work a try."

Machida Sonoko fell silent. Fantasy adventure light novels are a very mainstream genre, but also the most competitive. Shinazugawa Bunko is struggling to breathe in the traditional fantasy adventure genre because of other paperback publishers.

If they can truly unearth a flagship fantasy adventure light novel, it would be nothing short of a call to action for Shinazugawa Bunko.

Shinazugawa Bunko once enjoyed great success, but due to a high-level decision-making error more than a decade ago, it gradually slipped from its former position in the top tier to its current status as a late second-tier company. The executive in charge has since resigned, but the detrimental impact of that decision has taken Shinazugawa Bunko ten years to recover from.

Shinazugawa Bunko is currently in a very awkward position. Excellent light novel authors prioritize submitting their work to the largest publishers, making it difficult for a second-tier publisher like Shinazugawa to receive high-quality submissions. This creates a vicious cycle; even when Shinazugawa holds contests with prizes, it struggles to attract excellent submissions. Therefore, in the mainstream fantasy adventure genre, Shinazugawa Bunko is consistently outclassed by the other major publishers.

Chapter 26. The Meeting on the Rooftop

Machida Sonoko thought a lot. If the other party really had the ability to turn the tide, as Kasumigaoka Utaha said, then the paperback company could make some concessions. After all, Shinazugawa was only a second-tier paperback company, and a bottom-of-the-line one at that, and could fall to the third tier at any time.

"Ms. Kasumi Shiko, are you sure the other party has such abilities? And there's another important thing: if the other party is really that powerful, why would they choose our Shinazugawa? Whether it's throwing a speech or using lightning, aren't they much better than us Shinazugawa?" Machida Sonoko asked seriously, voicing her inner doubts.

However, it's understandable that she has such doubts. After all, top light novel authors prefer to submit their works to first-tier or top-tier paperback publishers to enjoy the most comprehensive promotional channels. Second-tier, struggling paperback publishers like Shinazugawa rely on relatively niche slice-of-life romance and mystery/supernatural works—the "leftovers" that major paperback publishers don't consider. For them to receive top-tier fantasy adventure works like this, if true, would be a huge surprise.

"I'm quite confident in my judgment, and seeing is believing. I'll arrange for you to meet him in the next couple of days. He's a high school student, just like me. Unlike me, a mediocre person who's just a genius in disguise, he's a true genius," Kasumigaoka Utaha said proudly. She herself found it a little strange; Li Wei clearly had such abilities, so why was she so proud?

Machida Sonoko put down her chopsticks and listened intently to Kasumigaoka Utaha's words, forgetting even to eat.

Machida Sonoko was willing to believe in Kasumigaoka Utaha's ability to appreciate talent. Since Kasumigaoka Utaha said that the other party had real talent and skills, she would believe her this time and meet the other party.

Since the situation at the library was already this bad, it couldn't get any worse, so she didn't put on any airs.

Machida Sonoko said, "Since the other person is a high school student, their time is definitely not as flexible as that of an adult. You and he can arrange the time to meet. I can make time for you anytime."

Machida Sonoko has already made her decision. Since the paperback office is in such a state, morale is already low, and she's just trying anything. If it weren't for her parents having a stake in Shinazugawa Paperback and receiving annual dividends, she would have already left given the paperback office's current half-dead state.

Currently, besides Kasumigaoka Utaha, she has another author under her supervision. However, an editor usually has three to four authors under them, and her team is not yet full. Having an additional strong author would be a good thing for her in the competition for the editor-in-chief position.

At this time, Li Wei was unaware that he had already caught the eye of a certain editor at Shinazugawa Bunko who had connections. As an editor with both ability and connections, being under Machida Sonoko's name would save him a lot of trouble.

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

At the private Toyonosaki Academy, during the lunch break, Li Wei saw a petite blonde girl with twin ponytails on the rooftop.

Eriri Sawamura looked at Li Wei with a hint of wariness in her eyes. After all, if it weren't for Aki Tomoya's guarantee, she wouldn't have bothered with Li Wei's invitation if a stranger like him had suddenly asked her to come out and talk about something.

"Aki-kun has already told you why I'm here, Eriri-san, right?" Li Wei sat down on a bench near the iron railing at the edge of the building, keeping a certain distance from Sawamura Eriri—not too close, not too far, so that his voice wouldn't be too hard to hear.

Eriri was holding a bento box. She had started eating lunch before Levi arrived, but now that Levi was here, it would be impolite to continue eating.

Eriri put the lunchbox aside, looked at Li Wei who was some distance away from her, and said, "I didn't expect that someone would actually be willing to go along with his nonsense. You're willing to invest ten million in such a messy idea. I really don't know what you're thinking."

Eriri's words were quite blunt, because she had no intention of participating in the game's production at all. In her opinion, Aki Tomoya was indeed qualified as a "critic," but he was still too far from being a creator and was simply not qualified to take on the responsibilities of a producer. It was precisely for this reason that she had previously rejected Aki Tomoya's invitation.

If Aki Tomoya hadn't told her that he had secured investment, she wouldn't have planned to come and meet Li Wei at all. She was only here to satisfy her curiosity and see what kind of fool was willing to hand over ten million yen.

"They were probably inspired by An Yi's enthusiasm. Isn't it interesting that a group of amateurs worked hard to create a decent game?" Li Wei laughed.

"So you're just going to let Aki mess around like this? Your ten million is most likely going to go down the drain." Eriri said mercilessly.

"It's not a complete waste of time; it's just a matter of how fast or slow the game will be developed. Our game development team has some talented people too," Li Wei said.

Li Wei's calm attitude aroused Eriri Sawamura's curiosity. Someone who could take out ten million in cash was not necessarily rich or noble, but he was definitely not an ordinary person. In any case, she found it hard to understand the quirks of other rich people, even though she herself was rich.

Ten million yen in cash is equivalent to two years' worth of her allowance. Eriri Sawamura is not someone who likes to spend money recklessly. The allowance she has saved up since childhood is also a considerable amount. She can come up with ten million yen in cash, but she would never invest the money in Tomoya Aki because she is very clear about the limits of Tomoya Aki's abilities.

Li Wei said, "In our production team, the script is handled by me and Kasumigaoka Utaha, and I'm quite confident in my illustration skills. Just like Eriri-san, you've already been accepted into Tokyo Metropolitan University of the Arts, so am I. Besides having a certain level of skill in oil painting, I also have professional-level skills in illustration. Moreover, I also know programming and music. In terms of music, I've passed professional-level exams for both piano and violin, and I also have some composition abilities."

Eriri Sawamura was stunned. She had seen many outstanding people, but she had never seen a monster as capable as Levi before.

Chapter 27. Is this still the same loyal golden retriever?

Eriri didn't doubt that Levi was lying, because such lies are very easy to expose, so Levi's confident tone showed that he really had such ability.

Eriri said, "With this ability, you can complete a dating sim all by yourself, so why do you need to bring Aki along?"

Li Wei laughed and said, "I was probably moved by his enthusiasm. An Yi-kun's passion for anime is almost like that of a martyr. So, I gave him a chance to show himself. However, whether he can seize this opportunity depends on his abilities."

Eriri turned her head to look into the distance and said in a low voice, "Then you're going to be disappointed. That guy's creative ability is practically zero. He's just a giant baby who needs help to move forward. Soon, you'll get tired of him."

Li Wei raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected the loyal golden retriever to say such a thing. In the story, Sawamura Eriri was the tsundere type, and she would do her best to fulfill even the most absurd requests from Aki Tomoya. But why was Sawamura Eriri acting this way towards Aki Tomoya here? Was this still the same loyal golden retriever?

What Li Wei didn't know was that Sawamura Eriri, who had received an elite education, possessed a maturity far beyond her peers in some aspects. It was precisely because of this that Sawamura Eriri was able to evaluate Aki Tomoya in such a relatively objective way, without bringing in her own subjective feelings.

Li Wei said, "I am willing to believe in him. He has a strong ability to act that far exceeds that of ordinary people, and no one is born with knowledge. He still has room to grow."

Eriri Sawamura looked at Li Wei and said, "Since you, Li Wei, are already part of the game development team's artwork, why are you still insisting on bringing me into the team as well? Wouldn't that create an overlap in responsibilities?"

Li Wei laughed and said, "Because I have some obsessive-compulsive tendencies. If I'm going to do something, I either don't do it at all, or I do it to the best of my ability. Although every member of this production team is an amateur, each of them has their own shining qualities. What kind of sparks of inspiration will a group of talented people create when they come together? Isn't that interesting?"

"It's interesting, but I don't want to work with him. That guy Aki still owes me a debt." Eriri Sawamura gritted her teeth, then quickly composed herself.

Li Wei also had some understanding of the complicated relationship between Aki Tomoya and Sawamura Eriri. To put it simply, both of them had personality problems. After disagreements arose, neither was willing to give in, and they eventually drifted apart. The two hadn't had a direct conversation for several years.

Since elementary school, Aki Tomoya and Sawamura Eriri have been involved in the otaku community, but they disagree on their attitudes towards otaku. Aki Tomoya believes that one must express their love for something openly and honestly, so he never hides his passion for anime and manga. Because of this, he is practically socially dead at school, with no close friends or acquaintances besides a few fellow otaku.

Eriri Sawamura's upbringing made her relatively reserved, allowing her to conceal her true self at school and maintain her image as a blonde heiress, never revealing the truth that she was a homebody. However, this also caused her and Tomoya Aki to drift further apart until this time, when Tomoya Aki approached her to work on a game, and they finally had a proper conversation.

To be honest, Li Wei wasn't particularly fond of girls with a tsundere personality. This kind of personality can be really a headache sometimes. It might seem okay in anime, but you only realize how troublesome a tsundere personality is when you actually get to know a girl like that.

Many otaku are all talk and no action; they say they like tsundere girls, but when they actually encounter one, they run away faster than anyone else. They might even think that games are better than tsundere girls, because at least games give players direct feedback. With tsundere girls, you can never guess what they're thinking. If you say the wrong thing, they'll start throwing a tantrum. Except for simps, who in their right mind can stand such a tsundere temper?

That's why Li Wei had no intention of having much interaction with Eriri Sawamura. Girls with such a proud and arrogant personality are very troublesome to communicate with even in daily life, and he didn't have the energy to indulge her.

Therefore, if Eriri is willing to join the game development team, it would be a win-win situation for Li Wei. If she is not willing, Li Wei will not force her.

"I'm not interested in your personal feud with Aki-kun. I don't like forcing others to make choices. Eriri-kun, I regret that I couldn't bring an art talent like you into the production team since you don't want to work with Aki-kun," Li Wei said with a calm smile.

After studying a large amount of psychology material, Li Wei, while still lacking in experience, has gradually matured in his theoretical understanding of how to get along with women.

Now, he exudes elegance in every word and action. Eriri's unwillingness to join the production team is not a big deal to him. In any case, with Kasumigaoka Utaha and Kato Megumi in place, the most basic requirements are already met. Sawamura Eriri's presence is merely icing on the cake, not a necessary role for the team.

Li Wei stood up and said with a smile, "I'm so sorry to have disturbed your lunch time. I've been rambling on and on. Eriri-san, please forget about our conversation."

Li Wei turned around and walked towards the entrance to the rooftop. Just then, Eriri suddenly called out to Li Wei as he was leaving.

"Wait!"

Li Wei turned around and looked at Eriri, who had already stood up, with a puzzled expression on her face. She said, "Is there anything else, Eriri-kun?"

Chapter 28. Shortcomings in Creative Ability

Eriri looked hesitant. She raised her head and said, "I will join this production team."

Now it was Li Wei's turn to be puzzled. Just a moment ago she seemed unwilling to join, but now she changed her mind. Although fickleness is a girl's prerogative, someone like Eriri Sawamura, who says one thing but means another, can easily lead those who listen to her to misunderstand.

Eriri Sawamura seemed a little shy and said quickly, "If we don't keep an eye on that guy, Li Weijun, your investment will go down the drain. In order to prevent this worst-case scenario from happening, I've decided to join the production team."

Li Wei narrowed his eyes slightly. He wasn't interested in what Eriri Sawamura's purpose was; it was a matter between her and Tomoya Aki. As an outsider, he didn't want to get involved in this awkward relationship.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward, but Li Wei finally broke the silence by saying, "Let's exchange contact information first. I'll look for an empty classroom on campus to serve as a temporary place for the production team."

“Okay, I’ll follow your arrangements, Li Weijun.” Eriri Sawamura nodded.

Having achieved his goal, Li Wei didn't want to stay on the rooftop in the wind, so he decisively left and returned to the classroom.

Only Eriri Sawamura remained on the rooftop.

"What a strange guy, willing to invest ten million in Aki. Does he have some other purpose? But then again, he's quite capable of getting that monster Kasumigaoka Utaha into the production team." Sawamura Eriri muttered to herself.

Eriri Sawamura had an uneasy feeling. She felt that Li Wei was plotting something, but she had no evidence and could not see through Li Wei's motives. So she decided to observe him closely to see what Li Wei was up to.

After Li Wei returned to the classroom, he ran into Aki Tomoya.

"Li Weijun, did Eriri agree?" Aki Tomoya asked.

Looking at Aki Tomoya's anxious expression, Li Wei said, "It went relatively smoothly; she agreed to join the production team. Now at least I don't have to handle the illustrations alone anymore. With the illustrations less rushed, I can have time to work on some background music."

Aki Tomoya breathed a sigh of relief. The investment of ten million yen was both an encouragement and a pressure. He wanted to finish the game before the winter exhibition, but the production team only had a few people and could not compare with professional production companies. It would be difficult to finish it in half a year.

Li Wei returned to his seat and said to Aki Tomoya, "Aki-kun, can I take a look at your specific game ideas now?"

Upon hearing Li Wei's words, Aki Tomoya froze, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Um... could we have a couple more days? The design isn't finished yet, I need a little more time," Aki Tomoya said guiltily.