A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

In Kabukicho, Japan, there is a group of people who specialize in soliciting customers.

These people are usually called "pimps" in China, but in Japan they are called "guides".

Their job is to guide customers who come to Kabukicho, learn about their needs, and lead them to various places. If the customers make purchases, they receive a commission.

But this line of work is actually not easy.

Tokyo is an international metropolis, and as one of the city's "jewels," Kabukicho represents the unspoken curiosity and longing of tourists from all over the world, and even locals.

This is also the main reason why Liang Juan said that these streets receive two to three hundred thousand people every day.

With so many people, accurately identifying customers becomes a skill in itself.

This is a very profound field of knowledge. From judging clothing to assessing temperament and even speech, there is a set of meticulous techniques that, while not particularly sophisticated, delve into every detail.

Li Xiaomu asked himself, as someone who has been working here for more than 10 years and can be said to be the first Chinese person to be able to establish himself in Kabukicho, he has an observational ability that is second to none among his peers.

Yes, the most important thing in this line of work is observation skills.

Through continuous observation, we can understand the spending power of these customers who enter Kabukicho.

Beneath this keen observation lies a vast and endless accumulation of knowledge and experience.

At this moment, through his keen observation, he could clearly tell that those guests were definitely Chinese.

The reason is simple: only Chinese people, when standing still, like to put their hands behind their backs, and at the same time, they like to support themselves on one leg while taking a small step forward diagonally with the other leg.

Japanese people generally don't use this posture because it easily makes people think that the person is "arrogant and difficult to get along with."

Koreans don't know how to use it either.

Only Chinese people like it the most and use it the most naturally.

This is one of them.

Secondly, there's height.

That gentleman... was he over 1.8 meters tall?

Furthermore, he has a very good body proportion, coupled with that arrogant standing posture, you can tell at a glance that he is Chinese and also in a good economic situation.

Even disregarding the woman who looked like a tour guide, the other three should all be in good financial condition.

The woman wearing a mask is wearing a Max Mara coat, while the woman next to her is carrying a Valextra backpack.

Neither of these brands is what most Chinese people would generally associate with "LV" or "Chanel," but they are both in the same category. Valextra, in particular, is even more high-end than Hermès in Italy, but those who can afford it are definitely not short of money.

Aside from people like myself who enjoy browsing fashion magazines and accumulating knowledge about clothing, many people may never have heard of this brand in their entire lives.

The man's jacket was even more interesting.

Wooyoungmi, a French brand founded last year, is most famous for the denim jacket he wore.

That jacket alone cost nearly two thousand pounds.

Judging from the style, it seems to be a new model.

The brand wooyoungmi currently has only two stores in Asia, one in Tokyo and one in Hong Kong.

Regardless of where you buy it, based on the domestic exchange rate, someone who can afford a piece of clothing costing ten or twenty thousand yuan is definitely not an ordinary person.

How much are wages in China?

Therefore, after seeing these details, Li Xiaomu knew that these people might be a big client.

But... they won't spend much.

The reason is simple: Kabukicho is a place where men seek pleasure.

Although there are male escorts, they are more concentrated on the side streets.

This is a group of three women and one man. It seems they've heard of Kabukicho's reputation and are here to broaden their horizons.

With a lady nearby, from the somewhat conservative perspective of Chinese people, even if they were to make a purchase, they would at most go into the store, have a drink, broaden their horizons, and then leave.

Unless the person comes on their own, there won't be any major spending.

However, it can be developed into a long-term customer base.

Li Xiaomu was quite certain that anyone who witnessed the prosperity of Tokyo would linger there and never want to leave.

So, when the other person approached, he straightened up, clasped his hands together, and bowed politely to the four people.

"Welcome to Kabukicho, everyone. I am your guide, Li Xiaomu. It's an honor to meet you all."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Not to mention Li Mu, even Li Li and Fan Bingbing were stunned.

Looking at the well-dressed, middle-aged man in a suit and tie... Fan Bingbing subconsciously looked up, wanting to see what he was up to.

Am I in the country?

Wait a minute, this is Tokyo.

You should speak Japanese.

How...how can he speak Chinese? And...how does he know that these people are Chinese?

Have I been exposed?

She subconsciously adjusted and touched her mask.

It's on my face, so it's not exposed...

She looked puzzled, while Li Mu asked curiously:

Are you Chinese?

"Yes, my name is Li Xiaomu, and this is my business card."

Li Xiaomu took out several business cards from a very elegant business card holder, held them in both hands, and handed them to everyone.

After Li Mu accepted the card, he noticed that it was also in Chinese.

"What does 'guide' mean?"

He asked curiously.

Li Xiaomu wasn't surprised by the question, and replied with a smile he'd given a thousand times before:

"You can think of me as a professional tour guide in Kabukicho. No one knows more about everything here—the best food, drinks, and entertainment—than me. I'm even more professional than this tour guide lady."

Liang Juan herself works as a tour guide for high-end private groups and has been to Kabukicho many times. She has even heard of the name "Li Xiaomu".

The first person in Japan to be able to establish a foothold in the complex Kabukicho district would naturally know how to answer that question.

So I added from the side:

"Yes, Mr. Li, as I just mentioned, Kabukicho is bustling with over 200,000 people every night. It's not just one street; the entire area belongs to Kabukicho, containing thousands of shops of all sizes. It's quite a headache for customers to find entertainment on their own. Therefore, most people choose to be guided by someone like Mr. Li. Tourists can tell the guide where they want to go and what they want to do, and the guide will lead them there. But… Mr. Li, how did you know we're Chinese?"

The last sentence was spoken by Liang Juan to deliberately distance herself from this person involved in the case.

The subtext is: We don't know each other, and I didn't arrange this.

Li Xiaomu smiled slightly:

"Judging from their demeanor, people from our country generally possess a unique air of refinement born from knowledge and learning, which is quite different from that of the Japanese. The demeanor of these individuals stands out in the crowd, making them easily recognizable."

His words were perfectly watertight.

Although it was a compliment, it sounded very pleasant.

Through their conversation, Li Mu realized that this guy... was a real estate agent.

Of course, you could also call it pimping.

But... after all, they are compatriots, Japanese, so he might think of them as pimps.

But Chinese people are definitely just intermediaries for making a living.

So he smiled and nodded:

"This is our first time here, and we'd like to take a look around. Mr. Li, do you have any recommendations? Also, how much would it cost to be your guide?"

"Haha, I'm free."

Li Xiaomu laughed heartily:

"My income is actually linked to the shops in Kabukicho. For example, if a few people go out for drinks and other purchases, I get a commission. But if a few people don't make any purchases, that's fine too. Kabukicho is indeed very famous in Tokyo. Many people come here as tourists, not necessarily to have fun, but just to take a look, join in the fun, and see what it's like. Why don't I take you all in for a tour? I know this place very well."

"Oh, this..."

Fan Bingbing subconsciously looked at her boyfriend.

Li Mu then looked at Liang Juan:

"Sister Juan, shall we go together?"

"OK."

Liang Juan agreed readily.

Li Xiaomu smiled slightly and led the group:

"Let's go then. Did you all just arrive today?"

"right."

As a man, Li Mu took over the responsibility of communication:

"Just got off the plane, here to take care of some business. I've been curious about these places in Tokyo, so I thought I'd take a look around... Are these people also part of the guide?"

As he walked, he noticed a man in a suit exchanging business cards with three other men and asked a question.

"Yes, he's also a guide, but he's Japanese."

"Well……"

Li Mu became interested:

"Mr. Li, can I understand that... being a guide is also a profession, and when tourists come, you can independently distinguish what kind of customers they are—Chinese, Southeast Asians, Japanese, or even Europeans and Americans—and then develop your business accordingly?"

"Mr. Li is absolutely right; our division of labor is indeed as described. There are many guides in Kabukicho, and each person must use their own eyes to discern the origins of the guests."

"So... the guides who can serve domestic tourists are usually Chinese too?"

"Yes, the vast majority are, and some understand Mandarin. But most of the time they are domestic guides who deal with domestic clients."

"And what about your numbers and percentages? How many people work as guides in Kabukicho, and what percentage of them are Japanese?"

"Well……"

Li Xiaomu was stunned.

For some inexplicable reason, I felt something was off.

These are questions... not the kind of questions an ordinary tourist would ask.

Once inside, normal tourists are quickly drawn to the sex shops on the street and start talking about them.

But why is this Mr. Li asking questions about himself?

This isn't a question a normal tourist would ask.

So, after thinking for a moment, he didn't choose to answer directly, but instead asked:

"What does Mr. Li do? I have a feeling... you seem more interested in us guides than Kabukicho."

"I'm a reporter."

Li Mu didn't hide anything, and shrugged with a smile:

"Although I came here as a tourist, but... perhaps it's professional instinct? I'm really interested in your profession, Mr. Li. It sounds like a lot of fun, but upon closer analysis, it seems... there are many stories behind it. Sorry, if it's inconvenient for me to answer, you can pretend I didn't ask."

reporter?

Li Xiaomu thought to himself, no wonder the angle of this interview felt so familiar...