Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

As he spoke, he picked up a pile of cotton and cloth, then took the bamboo basket containing the battle line and threw them all next to the silk.

Ayako looked down at the pile of things in front of her, and stared blankly for a long while, as if she had lost her soul.

Regardless of her feelings or thoughts, Xiuming continued, "It's seven o'clock now. Before dawn tomorrow, you need to make ten best-selling plush toys. I'll get you a wheelchair, and you can carry them to the entrance of the scenic area to sell them."

"Are you crazy?" Ayako sprang to the side as if her tail had been stepped on, grabbing a wad of cotton and throwing it at Hideaki. "I'm injured! I need to recover!"

"If you're alive, you have to work, or you won't have anything to eat! I'll stay in your room tonight and stay up all night watching you sew the doll for me!"

"You only sew dolls?" Ayako blinked, gathered her two fair arms in front of her chest, leaned forward, and lifted a corner of her white bodice. "You only sew dolls? Do you make anything else?"

“I’ve seen the whole thing, what’s the point of showing this little bit?” Xiuming said, turning his hand away and walking out of the room.

"Pervert..." Ayako opened her mouth, quickly grabbed the fabric and sewing basket, and muttered through gritted teeth, "Heartless, scumbag... How could he be so inhuman... I must make this beast fall completely in love with me, then kneel before me and propose, and I'll refuse no matter what... I'll laugh at him mercilessly."

It was already past seven o'clock, and they hadn't eaten dinner yet. Xiuming was about to go into the kitchen when he passed by the bathroom. The white wooden door of the bathroom was open, and Riko was squatting on the white ceramic tile floor, hugging the toilet and crying softly.

She also threw the slippers she was wearing, Ayako, into the toilet. Luckily, they were soaking in clean water and didn't get dirty.

"Riko-chan, what's wrong?" Hideaki asked, raising his eyebrows in a carefree tone.

Riko flinched, slammed the toilet lid shut, turned around and leaned against the toilet, sitting cross-legged with her legs curled up, her hands behind her back hugging the toilet, and looked up as she said, "N-nothing..."

Her eyelids were once again swollen with dark purple panda eyes from crying. No wonder she cries so easily; her skin is really delicate.

"Since you're alright, why are you crying?" Xiuming put his hands on his hips and bent down. "Hold it back and stand up."

Chapter 41 Riko-chan, how much retirement savings does Dad have?

Riko stood up with her head down, her fingers nervously fidgeting inside her sleeve.

Perhaps it was because Xiuming tied her up in that shape with rope when they first met that she was under immense psychological pressure.

Or perhaps he had never given her a kind look from beginning to end, so that when she stood next to him, her heart trembled instinctively, yet she couldn't help but want him to treat her better.

She desperately wanted to shout at Xiuming: "I'm your wife! She's a vixen! It's one thing for me to pour that kind of stuff for her, but she mocks me, and you're helping her!"

But because Xiuming had never told her his real name, she always felt that he disliked her.

I dare not say anything.

"Is there anything you want to say?"

As Xiuming spoke, he walked past Riko, lifted the toilet lid, reached out and scooped out the red cotton slippers, then threw them on the ground. "Say whatever you want. I didn't even try to hide my affair, so what are you worried about? Is there anything more heinous than infidelity in our marriage?"

Riko was stunned by Xiuming's words for a long time, then bit her lower lip and shook her head.

It was because of Xiuming's undisguised manner that she felt he might abandon her at any moment.

"You're not going to tell me? Then I'll ask you: why did you throw your slippers into the toilet?"

"I...I...I'm sorry..." Riko's face was a little pale. "I'll never throw them away again...I'm sorry."

Her bare feet and toes were trembling nervously, and blood was seeping from her blistered heels.

Xiuming frowned; she was starting to feel mentally drained again.

He immediately bent down, picked her up, carried her to the living room, and sat her on the light green leather sofa. He let her sit on his lap, massaged her calves, and then continued...

"You can throw it away if you want, just tell me why you're throwing it away. Is it so hard to give a simple answer? We are the closest people to each other."

Riko was like a rag doll casually placed on Hideaki's lap, not daring to make any move to resist.

However, Xiuming's hands were very warm, and her calves, which were originally a little sore, became relaxed and no longer sore after he massaged them one by one.

"I...I..." Riko lowered her head, conflicted, unsure whether she should say it or not. But if she did, would Hideaki hate her?

"You don't like her?" Xiuming asked softly.

So her husband knew all along... Riko froze, instinctively wanting to shake her head, but her neck seemed to be stuck, and she just bit her lower lip tightly, remaining silent.

"I know you definitely don't like her. Haven't we talked about this so many times before? Just bear with it! You'll get used to it eventually, you promised me!"

This blow was more severe than the one she suffered when she flirted with Ayako last time, but her reaction was even weaker, since she didn't dare to argue back.

This indirectly proves that she is getting used to it.

Overall, the result was better than last time. I didn't need to waste much breath; I just needed to help her release her pent-up negative emotions at the right time.

For example, a bungee jump where she faced death... or being reborn when she thought she was about to die...

Riko's stiff neck went limp, and her head drooped.

How could you do this? You know perfectly well I didn't want to...

“Come on, say it out loud,” Xiuming said, holding her shoulders and turning her to face him. “Say that you can accept it, say it three times, make sure you can hear your own voice. You need to combine your mind and spirit and unify your thoughts. Come on, try it.”

This behavior of controlling others by repeatedly instilling distorted ideas is essentially an infringement on personal dignity. True intimacy should be built on respect and honesty.

“I…I can accept it, I…I can accept it, I can accept it.”

Riko stumbled over her first sentence, sounded aggrieved in her second, and spoke more fluently in her third.

"Riko-chan, you're amazing! Practice three more times."

"I can accept it, I can accept it, I can accept it!"

By the end, Riko's voice had exceeded her usual maximum volume.

"Very good. Whenever you feel wronged, repeat this to yourself three times. You'll feel much better then. After all, it can't just be Ayako; there will be other women too."

"How...how could you do this..." Riko's face, which was just beginning to return to normal, crumbled instantly. "Honey~ please, can you please stop seeing other women?"

"It's just a hypothetical situation. After all, men don't learn from their mistakes; they always make the same mistakes multiple times! I have experience with this kind of thing. Once I've learned my lesson, you'll be the first person I think of. You're the best."

Hideaki Yamanaka knew perfectly well that his actions were wrong and that he would inevitably suffer a setback.

But Riko's weakness and submissiveness became his greatest source of confidence; he felt that no matter how much he played around outside, Riko would always be the wife he was most satisfied with. Of course, one must be safety conscious and not bring diseases home.

Riko lowered her head again and whispered, "I can accept it... I can accept it... I can accept it..."

"Do you feel much better now?" Xiuming opened his bright, large eyes, which were like those of a "pyramid scheme leader," and his eyes were full of encouragement and expectation.

"Um……"

Silently repeating it made me feel a little better, but the grievances wouldn't go away, and I couldn't help but feel sorrowful: Ayako was right, he really is a jerk, but how can I hold onto him...?

"Go back to your room and keep chanting! I need to cook."

As Xiuming spoke, he patted Riko's slender waist, gesturing for her to leave.

Riko slowly got off the sofa, but didn't move. She lowered her head and said, "Honey, can I...can I cook?"

Although Xiuming is a great cook, she wanted to show off her skills, so she learned to make udon noodles and soba noodles.

Xiuming agreed readily.

Riko's obedient behavior almost made him feel guilty. He always hated being manipulated by others, and now he was doing just that to Riko.

I guess I won't have a good ending...

Xiuming thought to himself, and quickly went upstairs: "Call me when you've finished cooking."

Riko looked up as Hideaki headed straight for Ayako's room, and finally couldn't help but stomp her foot.

She only became timid and cautious when she was alone with Xiuming. After all, she could tell from the way she greeted the old lady watching the children when the two of them went downstairs to throw out the trash that she was poised and graceful in public.

"Yo~ you cult leader!" Ayako glanced at Hideaki while sewing the doll, a smile playing on her lips. "Can I assume that you're almost captured by me? Can't wait to brainwash that soft, fluffy thing?"

"Please correct your flawed thinking! How can the word 'capture' be used to describe a person?"

"Are you even human? You're a beast from a cult, and brainwashing others is a crime."

"I'm just trying to make my wife better. Someone like you, thinking I'd wash her, you're not even qualified. Remember this: Riko is number one, you're number two, otherwise I won't play with you." Xiuming lied through his teeth without batting an eye.

"Childish...you wicked fellow, aren't you afraid of going to hell...?"

Ayako paused, muttered something under her breath, and continued sewing the doll.

She's incredibly fast; she finished one in just over ten minutes. If she were to do ten, she could finish them before going to bed.

Hideaki, holding the various newspapers he had bought while shopping during the morning, sat down next to Ayako and began to browse through them.

"I have something important to tell you. How much money can you lend me?" Xiuming looked at the Nikkei 225 futures plummeting in the Financial Daily and his index finger twitched.

Although the J economy is sluggish and experiencing various collapses, there are also countless opportunities to make money, which is practically a once-in-a-century opportunity.

Buying up properties at rock-bottom prices, recycling secondhand luxury goods, expanding convenience stores, investing in pachinko equipment manufacturing plants, the animation industry, the adult video industry…

Especially since the second half of this year, the divorce rate has skyrocketed, leaving husbands in debt and homeless.

Middle-aged women struggling to make ends meet due to bankruptcy, and female graduates caught in bad times, all chose a lucrative industry—rampant indoor filming with simple scenes.

Of course, the fastest way to make money is still by aggressively shorting the stock market.

It's impossible to catch them all, absolutely impossible.

Tonight I'm going to Tokyo's financial district to check out the main board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. I'll focus on the entire exchange first and familiarize myself with how to use intelligence.

"Didn't I already say? I have no money, but if you want people, you can have them."

Ayako glanced at him sideways and then quickly began to work the needle and thread in her hands.

Want to buy stocks? In this market, even a dog wouldn't buy them.

Her brother is obsessed with stocks; if it weren't for his sister-in-law managing the finances, he would have gone bankrupt long ago.

"Based on current market prices, your villa should still be worth at least one billion yen, right?"

Xiuming ignored her foolish attempt to evade the question and continued to inquire.

"Don't even think about it. This is my own residence, and I will never sell it."

"Whatever!" Xiuming tossed the Financial Daily onto the white mattress, got up, and walked out of the room.

It's quite difficult to get any money out of her now; she's full of thorns.

But there's no rush now; let's prepare her mentally first.

Riko was standing in front of the gas stove, holding a bowl of udon noodles and staring blankly at the boiling water in the pot.

Xiuming walked over directly, took the noodles from her hand, and put them into the pot.

"Riko-chan, how much pension does Dad have?"

"Huh?" Riko was stunned. "I...I don't know."