I became the emperor in the comic book series.

Hiratsuka Shizuka seemed startled, turning sharply to look at Higashino Akira, her eyes widening instantly: "You! You can see me?!"

What nonsense! I'm not blind, why can't I see you?

Higashino Akira rolled his eyes at the guy, somewhat speechless. "If you're still drunk, go find a place to lie down. Once you're sober, hurry up and wash up and get ready for breakfast later."

"Huh? Wait a minute!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at Higashino Akira, then suddenly turned to look at Yotsuya Miko, whose body trembled at those words, and who finally slowly turned around, her dark golden eyes gradually filled with mist.

Now that things have come to this point, even if Jianzi is slow to react, she should have realized that the person who suddenly appeared in her house and kept following her was not an evil spirit, but a drunkard who had been brought back by her 'brother'.

Hiratsuka Shizuka pointed to herself, then to Miko, her mouth opening and closing several times before she stammered out a complete sentence: "Th-then just now... I... she... eh?! This, this...!"

A huge, intense heat, a mixture of embarrassment, shame, and absurdity, suddenly rushed to my cheeks and ears.

Miko Yotsuya's condition wasn't much better either.

Looking at the two people who had almost simultaneously turned into two red-faced tomatoes, their eyes trembling and unable to meet each other's gaze, Higashino Akira raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing!" the two said in unison, their voices abruptly changing. Hiratsuka Shizuka grabbed her messy hair and chuckled dryly, "Ha-haha, good morning! I-I'm going to wash my face!" She then practically rushed to the bathroom.

Seeing that Zi also lowered her head deeply, she said quickly in a low voice, "I'll go prepare breakfast..." and then quickly went into the kitchen.

Higashino Akira sat on the sofa, picked up his water glass again, and watched as one figure fled into the bathroom and the other hid in the kitchen. He took a sip of water.

Weird.

Chapter Five: Sell Your Life to Me

On the way to Sobu High School, Hiratsuka Shizuka would occasionally glance at Higashino Akira in the driver's seat, her expression repeatedly showing a hesitant and unsure manner.

"Just say what you have to say." Higashino Akira couldn't stand Hiratsuka Shizuka's usual straightforward attitude.

Upon hearing this, Hiratsuka Shizuka breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Higashino, your sister is really strange."

"Is there an explanation?"

"Uh, it's not that... it's just... um... never mind, anyway, Higashino, you'd better keep an eye on her more often."

Hiratsuka Shizuka stammered, somewhat embarrassed to explain in detail. After all, what happened this morning was quite embarrassing. She never expected that someone who was a teacher would be so delusional as to mistakenly believe that she had awakened some kind of superpower.

But what's wrong with that child? She's perfectly healthy, she can see and hear, yet she can pretend she doesn't know anything without giving herself away. Even though she's in her own home, no matter how you try to test her, she remains unmoved and doesn't say a word, and she acts so natural.

And her final reaction clearly showed that she was quite startled by Higashino Akira talking to her.

Even after thinking about it for a long time, Hiratsuka Shizuka still couldn't figure it out. It couldn't be that the little girl thought of herself as something dirty from the beginning, could it?

Something wrong.

Higashino Akira glanced at this guy speechlessly, wondering why he always kept people in suspense by only saying what he wanted to say.

"By the way, what brings you here to see me off?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka awkwardly tried to change the subject.

Akira Higashino sighed, "I'm afraid you'll drive the car into the ditch and come back to scold me."

"Bullshit!" Hiratsuka Shizuka's fist hardened!

"Okay, actually, I've recently developed feelings for someone and want to have a pure and materialistic romance with a high school girl."

Hiratsuka Shizuka gave a forced, insincere laugh. "Well, your puberty came pretty late!"

"I don't have connections at home, so they can't arrange a good internship that matches my major. I can only work hard on my own, go out to investigate the market, and prepare for starting my own business."

"Starting a business? That's not easy. Be careful not to lose money."

Hiratsuka Shizuka was somewhat worried for Higashino Akira. Starting a business is never easy, but their teacher-student relationship was already over, and she couldn't easily stop him. She could only remind him to be aware of the risks.

Sometimes, telling the truth makes people disbelieve you.

Honestly, with the system as a safety net, Akira Higashino isn't worried about things going wrong. Even if they do go wrong, the system will allow him to start over quickly.

As for what they will do, nothing is certain yet.

Originally, Higashino Akira planned to mortgage his house to get a loan, then use the loan to buy houses and land on installment, and continue to repeat the process of mortgaging new houses to get money, using loans to pay off loans. As long as the real estate ownership nominally belonged to him, he could meet the conditions for the mission of expanding his territory, and the system's daily rewards could continue to cover the monthly repayments.

Unfortunately, after learning more about it, I realized that this kind of thing is very difficult to pull off. Modern banks have a strict and complete review process for loan business. Moreover, these people are known for their ability to borrow an umbrella on a sunny day and take it back on a rainy day. To be able to play this game, you need to have some really strong connections in the banking system.

In any case, Akira Higashino doesn't have the same abilities as Boss Xu. Given the limited funds, how to maximize profits remains to be seen.

Chatting all the way, Higashino Akira drove to a parking lot near Sobu High School. After finishing, he returned the key to Hiratsuka Shizuka, and the two parted ways on the spot. Hiratsuka Shizuka went into the school to prepare her lessons, while Higashino Akira stayed outside the school, found a window seat at a nearby restaurant, ordered a drink, and waited quietly.

Currently, it is known that the characters who have appeared in the anime are generally eccentric and have a strong sense of humor. With less than two days left, Higashino clearly no longer wants to randomly meet people and is unwilling to have a serious relationship.

Not long after, just as class was about to start, a weary-looking figure slowly approached from afar.

dong dong——

As she passed by the window, Higashino Akira gently tapped on the glass to draw her attention. Then he took out his phone and pointed it at her. On the phone was a photo of her working part-time at a high-end bar late at night.

Higashino Akira beckoned to her to come in.

With someone holding a weakness against her, Kawasaki Saki dared not simply walk away and could only enter the chain restaurant with a sullen, cat-like face.

"What's the meaning?"

Her tone was harsh. She remembered this man; he had accompanied Hiratsuka-sensei to her workplace last night to drown her sorrows. She had tried her best to avoid the two of them, but she hadn't expected to be discovered in the end.

"Have you had breakfast?" Higashino Akira didn't rush to get to the point.

"It's none of your business. Just say what you have to say. Don't expect me to agree to anything unreasonable."

Saki Kawasaki didn't buy into this at all.

Upon hearing this, Akira Higashino nodded. "So, it's okay even if the school asks you to expel?"

Kawasaki Saki turned her face away, "Yes!"

“Working at a place that is prohibited by the school late at night, and still going to school to attend classes despite being this tired during the day, you obviously still care about your studies. Your behavior is not as indifferent as you say. You are working overtime, fabricating your age, and may even have lied about your identity. You really need money.”

With each additional word from Higashino Akira, Kawasaki Saki's expression grew increasingly unpleasant.

"Did you come here just to show me your superior intelligence or your keen observation skills?"

"On the contrary, I admire you." Higashino Akira gazed calmly at Kawasaki Saki. "A beautiful face, strong efforts, plus a bit of overconfidence and foolishness, make you seem both clumsy and cute, sensitive and tender."

"You, you, you...you! Who's being clumsy?! What nonsense are you spouting?!"

With Higashino Akira's direct affirmation, Kawasaki Saki's face flushed red, and she instantly shed her aloof facade, becoming soft and sweet. She looked at the man in disbelief and stammered out a rebuttal with words that were neither aggressive nor logical.

So cute!

"Without a doubt, I have feelings for you, Saki Kawasaki."

“If you continue like this, even if I keep it a secret, the reversed day and night will only lead to one result: not only will you lose your studies, but your health may also be ruined, making your already difficult family financial situation even worse.”

"So, shall we make a deal?"

Kawasaki Saki was clearly still a bit taken aback by this turn of events. "What?"

Akira Higashino looked at her and said seriously, "Sell your life to me."

"Become mine, and you can still go to school, make friends, and no longer worry your family. You won't be tired and sleepy every day. You can afford to contribute to your household expenses and go out to sing, shop, and enjoy delicious food with your friends."

Chapter Six: Imperial Conferment of the Title of Talented Lady

"what!"

Upon hearing this, the blue-haired girl with a ponytail instantly bristled, her ponytail almost sticking up.

"How much determination did you have to say that! You're just an ordinary student, not much older than me, and you're dressed very plainly. Can you really bear the burden of someone else's life?!"

"Don't ask for things you can't do!"

"This is outrageous! You're always thinking only of yourself!"

Higashino Akira waited quietly for Kawasaki Saki to speak before nodding and affirming, "I can do it."

Saki Kawasaki was taken aback upon hearing this.

Akira Higashino got up, took the girl's hand, and led her out of the store. They found the nearest ATM and withdrew 300,000 yen in cash, which he then placed in Saki Kawasaki's hand.

"Obviously, I can do it."

His tone was calm, without any pride or joy at having outshone the girl; he was simply stating a fact.

"For you, being cornered and struggling desperately to find a way out is nothing more than a desperate measure to quench your thirst. It's not a heavy burden or a real challenge."

"Just like no one would think that encountering a cute little stray cat on the street and spending a little money to buy it some food would bankrupt them."

"Please think of this as a buyout job that you can't quit. I can give you a monthly salary of 300,000 yen, which will increase with seniority. You don't need to feel ashamed of this. I'm just exchanging my surplus for your time and even your health. But at least I will care about your health, and you don't need to worry about being laid off one day after you lose your value."

"And the job is to learn to do things that lovers do, like a girlfriend, and not to think about getting promoted or moving forward."

"In public, you can also claim that we are lovers. When conditions allow and there is enough time, I will help you cover it up so that you won't feel embarrassed."

Kawasaki Saki opened her mouth, her voice hesitant, "How is this any different from being lovers?"

“After graduating from school and entering the workforce, you think you can have a pleasant 9-to-5 job with weekends off. But in reality, you have to work overtime and compete fiercely to keep your job. You use your meager salary to buy cigarettes, alcohol, and coffee to keep yourself awake and alive. In the end, you burn out your health and get laid off. How is that any different from being a slave?” Akira Higashino asked rhetorically.

Reality isn't that wonderful. The phrase "enjoying life" usually doesn't apply to the general public. What's really determined is whether one actively works like a beast of burden or passively works like a beast of burden.

Is 300,000 yen a lot? Not much.

The monthly salary of an average working-class person was enough for Saki Kawasaki's family to maintain a decent standard of living for a month. It was the money she could save by working day and night for more than two months without eating or drinking at several part-time jobs. This was enough to afford a good cram school and tutor a subject under the guidance of a senior tutor.

She could have obtained all of this with ease, but the price was herself.

The naive pride of a young girl and her yearning for the beauty of love made Kawasaki Saki want to directly refuse him, but the cold reality made the words of refusal well up in her heart, but she couldn't bring herself to say them.

For a moment, Kawasaki Saki was somewhat lost in thought as she stared at the banknotes in her hand.

Higashino Akira noticed her hesitation, but he did not despise her silence, because he was not a noble person, nor was he worthy of despising a girl who was not selling her life out of vanity or promiscuity.

He was just a despicable realist, seeking profit and avoiding harm, and liking efficiency and control.

Therefore, when he discovered that even the average person in the comic book world was quite good-looking, but their aura reached the system's blue-level standard, he quickly narrowed down his hunting range to the characters in the anime he had watched, selected suitable prey, took the initiative, and captured her in the most time-saving and effortless way.

He took her hand again and led her away. Kawasaki Saki did not resist, but her tired face was filled with heaviness and uncertainty about the future.

The hotel, a moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold, several times the fish and dragon dance, the sudden rain has just stopped.

Looking at the girl lying in his arms, her pretty face wrinkled with fatigue as she slept soundly, Higashino Akira gently tucked her in.

"I confer Saki Kawasaki as a talented person."

[Consumes 1000 Qi]

"Observing the Qi (vital energy)."

[Consumes 100 Qi]

[Name: Saki Kawasaki]

[Official Rank: Talented Person without a formal rank]

[Qi Lu He Dou hope]

After the imperial decree was completed, the concentration of the originally pale purple aura changed, but unfortunately it did not reach the golden level.

[As emperor, please appoint a concubine within three days to appease the people. A bonus reward for completing this task is a chance to draw a prize.]

[Current progress: Completed]

After unlocking the purple aura, the rewards obtained from the main quest "Branching Out" are +3000 aura and +30000 gold per day.

That's 900,000 yen a month. Even after giving 300,000 yen to Kawasaki Saki, there's still 600,000 yen left.

This sum of money is not insignificant, but compared to the snowballing expansion that can be achieved by buying land, branching out is still too troublesome. After all, this isn't a doujinshi or adult fiction world. Anime production needs to consider conveying truth, goodness, and beauty, especially in school-themed anime. Most characters, while not extremely wealthy, are also relatively few in dire need of money. Ultimately, those who might go astray due to financial problems are still a minority.

It's unrealistic to think you can build a harem and date high-quality anime girls by spending money, and it's even less worthwhile to spend a lot of time and energy trying to win them over emotionally.

Why talk about feelings when money can solve everything? Once feelings are involved, look at how much money Wang Duoyu spent to win over Xia Zhu.

[Emperor: Akira Higashino]

[Spirit: 9]

[Constitution: 6]

[300 units of air-cooled lipstick]

[Authorities: Astrological observation, imperial decree]

[Land area: 100.3 square meters]

[Harem: 1]