Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

"I need to go to the Cultural Affairs Bureau to register the copyright." Xiuming showed off her Pikachu.

"There's no need for registration at all! As long as you create it, the copyright is automatically yours!"

"I feel more at ease with the registration process, but there will be authorization issues in the future, so registration will have to be done sooner or later."

Hideaki, carrying the package containing the doll and his cane, swiped his train pass and then, with Ayako by his side, boarded the train bound for Chiyoda Ward.

Around 10 a.m., the blue seats on the tram were full of people, and four or five salesmen in suits carrying briefcases were standing in the carriage.

As Ayako helped Hideaki hop into the carriage on one leg, almost everyone in every seat adopted a "don't come near me" attitude, with many turning their heads to the window or closing their eyes and pretending to sleep.

If Ayako were to board the train alone, her curvaceous figure and beautiful face might attract the attention of some "gentlemen" who would eagerly offer her their seats in an attempt to win her favor.

But because of Xiuming, who was clearly already taken, they all chose to turn a blind eye.

After all, giving up your seat only earns you a "thank you," but the rest of the journey involves the strain on your legs, and you might even be ridiculed as a "fool" or a "show-off."

Ayako's face stiffened, which reminded her of the feelings she had when she was disliked and rejected.

She instinctively grabbed Xiuming's arm.

Hideaki, supporting Ayako, walked past faces that pretended not to see them, and reached the back door where it was convenient to get off the train.

It's only three stops away, I'll be there in no time.

As for the issue of no one offering seats to the injured, it's understandable; that's just how the public's civility is.

However, after Hideaki helped the stiff-faced Ayako to her feet, a young girl who was pretending to sleep with her eyes closed on the seat next to her squinted her eyes, frowned her neatly trimmed eyebrows, and muttered disdainfully, "I hate it when disabled people get on the train," "They're just annoyance to others." She then turned half of her body towards the window and covered half of her face with her bag.

"Bastard!" Xiuming said fiercely, kicking her chair leg.

With a loud "bang," the girl jumped up, her eyes snapping open, her round face filled with angry grievance.

What are you doing?

"Stand up!" Xiuming looked down at him, lifted the large bundle containing the dolls, and placed it on his shoulder as if he was about to smash it down.

The girl flinched again, grabbing the back of the seat in front of her and screaming hysterically, "This is my seat! I bought a ticket! Why should I give up my seat? There are so many people on the bus, why, why are you looking for me?"

Chapter 49 Akihabara Electronics Store (Seeking Cone Measurements)

Ayako wanted to say to Hideaki, "It's really nothing, it's better to have you supporting me... We'll get to our stop soon, so if they won't give up their seats, so be it."

However, when Xiuming scolded her with a dark face, she suddenly felt a sense of being specially cared for and protected, and swallowed back the words she was about to say.

My wild speculations: Has Riko always been protected by him like this? I envy her so much... Am I receiving the same treatment as Riko now?

"Did I ever ask you to give up your seat? I just don't like you."

Xiuming chuckled, tossed the package at his feet, opened his large hand, and tapped her basketball-sized head, pulling her over 140-pound body out of the seat. He then gently supported Lingzi with his left hand, helping her sit down.

He continued to tap the screaming girl's head with his right hand, pushed her to the middle of the aisle, and stretched out his arm. No matter how much she yelled, cursed, and kicked, she could not touch even a corner of Xiuming.

The passengers in their seats, feeling relieved, also watched the spectacle with great interest.

A hint of condemnation even flickered in their eyes for the girl's "refusal to give up her seat."

Hideaki didn't stop beside Ayako, who had twisted her ankle, because if he had, he would have definitely offered her his seat, wouldn't he? That's what they thought, and they even felt a sense of satisfaction at the girl's ordeal.

Fight! Fight! Let's fight! It's better if someone dies... We'll have something to talk about and laugh about again today...

The increasingly sluggish economy and quality of life have brought the long-suppressed emotions and spirits of the people to a near breaking point. Due to the body's physiological and subconscious self-preservation mechanism, people will involuntarily seek outlets for their emotions, otherwise they will suffer a mental breakdown.

Three stops later, Hideaki helped Ayako off the tram.

The girl who "gave up her seat" was supposed to get off at the previous stop, but she didn't. Instead, she got off the train with Hideaki and Ayako, and then screamed as she ran towards the nearest police station.

“There are always fearless warriors in this world. I’ve already acted very fiercely, and she still shouted ‘Go ahead and kill her!’” Xiuming said helplessly, half-squatting on the ground and turning around to pat his shoulder, “Quickly climb onto my back. We can’t afford to mess with that woman. We have to get out of here quickly.”

"My hero's scared~" Ayako chuckled, her eyes sparkling, and hooked her arm around Hideaki's neck, giggling. "Let me tell you, our little group is pretty powerful. We have professional lawyer sisters. You'll be paying a huge sum in damages for emotional distress! Do you know how much emotional harm you've caused that child? Hehe~"

“Call those lawyer sisters over here,” Hideaki said, placing his knuckles on Ayako’s knees, carrying a package in his left hand and a briefcase in his right. He got up and ran lightly, then continued, “Let’s see if I can’t scumbag them.”

"I'll smash you to death, you big scumbag!" Ayako hugged her clothes to her chest and hit him on the back, then leaned close to his ear and asked, "Hey, I see that kind of insurance is pretty good. The investment return is higher than the inheritance tax, and it might even leave more money for the kids in the future! Why won't you let me buy it?"

"Didn't you read the contract? [Financing-type variable insurance] What does 'financing' mean? It means you use the money you borrowed by mortgaging your house to invest in stocks. The Nikkei index peaked two years ago, but this year is getting worse and worse, and it will fall further. When it's time for dividends next year, you won't receive a single penny, and you'll have to pay the bank 6 million yen in loan interest. When you can't pay the interest, you'll try to terminate the contract with the insurance company and get your loan back, but that's impossible. They'll be doing you a favor by not putting you in jail. The house you leave to your children will only be taken by the bank."

Even ordinary investors can see this kind of stock market trend, let alone banks and insurance companies with investment advisory groups.

Banks are guaranteed to make a profit; the money lost can be used to pay off debts with people's houses. Insurance companies are also guaranteed to make a profit; as long as stop-loss orders are set properly, they can earn up to 80%. In any case, the money paid in cannot be refunded, since it is written in black and white that the contract is "non-cancellable".

The two companies joined forces, transferring money from one hand to the other, with the bargaining chip being real estate swindled from the public – a classic case of 'fundraising fraud disguised as law'.

"Oh...whose child?"

Ayako's cheeks flushed as she gently stroked Hideaki's Adam's apple with the soft pads of her slender fingers, then slowly moved down to pinch his pectoral muscles. "I can't have a baby by myself, you know~"

"..."

Xiuming was speechless. He had been seriously explaining financial fraud to her, and she suddenly wanted to have a child. He guessed she hadn't intended to buy anything, and he felt like he'd been manipulated…

Chiyoda Ward has many famous attractions, some less important than others.

For example, the Kamahomachi used book district boasts numerous secondhand bookstores, a paradise for book lovers. The Nippon Budokan frequently hosts various martial arts competitions and large-scale concerts. And then there's Kitanomaru Park, which houses a modern art museum, the National Archives of Japan, and other institutions.

Hideaki, carrying Ayako on his back, first arrived at the Akihabara electronics store.

At this moment, Akihabara Electronics City is in a period of struggle, with the old giving way to the new and the new undergoing a transformation.

The overall atmosphere is similar to that of major home appliance and technology markets in China around 2000.

There were no large, eye-catching LCD screens, nor were there any exhibitions featuring a wide variety of game and anime merchandise.

The buildings are mostly square and boring "box buildings" with dirty advertising posters covering the exterior walls. There is little greenery on both sides of the street, and many vendors have spread cloths on the roadside, piled with various cassette tapes, tapes, and computer and appliance assembly parts.

The loudspeakers in the shop were playing the latest popular music, along with the sound effects from arcade games.

Xiuming carried Ayako on his back as they walked down the chaotic street.

The three traditional household appliances—washing machine, refrigerator, and TV—are still placed in the most prominent positions, but VCRs and CD players are becoming increasingly popular and are showing a trend of replacing them.

Secondly, there are the things most sought after by young people today: Nintendo SFC game consoles, Sega Mega Drive and other consoles and cartridges, and arcade stores are expanding.

Even faster than the expansion of arcade stores are the numerous shops specializing in computer hardware, software, and components. The rapid rise of personal computers will make VCRs and CD players a fleeting phenomenon and become the saviors of Akihabara.

Xiuming glanced at the prices of personal computers and thought that perhaps because of the special aura of emerging products, they had set the prices several times higher.

Besides vendors and workers pulling carts, 70% of its customers are young game enthusiasts who crowd into the game console store.

The shop owner is quite shrewd; to attract customers, he specially set up a game display area.

Niche doujinshi (fan-made comics) that have not yet reached a large scale, along with peripheral model shops, have begun to appear sporadically. Tea houses and restaurants that imitate game scenes are also in trial operation. Maid cafes have not yet formed a landmark industry.

All entrepreneurs are tentatively exploring business models in order to attract customers.

If you touch the right door, you live; if you touch the wrong door, you die.

The successful model that survived was studied and replicated by another group, requiring no brainpower and posing no risk—it was practically a sure-fire way to make money.

Chapter 50 Reverse Bundling Sales (Please continue reading)

Hideaki placed Ayako on a lounge chair at the entrance of the SEGA arcade, then opened the package and placed twenty plush toys on either side of her.

"You sit here for a while, I'll go inside and take a look around."

Without waiting for Ayako's response, Hideaki turned and walked into the shop next door.

Next door is a small comic book shop, where popular comics such as "Crayon Shin-chan," "Chibi Maruko-chan," and "Dragon Ball" are displayed in a prominent position.

There are also some adult-oriented erotic comics placed out of children's reach, such as "Tokyo Homeless Woman" and "Space Detective Idiot".

Inside the cabinet, there are also figurines of popular characters. Because an anime and game peripheral industry chain has not yet been formed, these figurines are mainly female characters from adult comics with very little clothing and very hot figures.

Such figurines, lacking a compelling storyline and requiring buyers to do so discreetly, are unlikely to gain widespread popularity.

This reminded Hideaki of the gender-swapped ecchi manga "Ikki Tousen" that appeared a few years later. Although the anime was not very good, the merchandise figures of all the characters were extremely popular. Buyers could shamelessly tell the world: "I bought this figure because I love the Chinese classic 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' so much." Please don't use your filthy thoughts to speculate about someone who deeply loves a classic literary work!

Hideaki spent 9000 yen to buy ten hot female character figures. Since the business was not yet large-scale and the workmanship was quite rough, and the shop owner was also testing the waters, it was easy to bargain.

He then walked over to the chair that Ayako was occupying and tied the figurines to the plush toys with thin strings.

Two puppets are tied to one character.

"What are you doing? I don't sell such shameful things, you filthy bastard."

Although the workmanship of the figure is rough, some parts are very clever. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, the various dents and protrusions make people think of all sorts of things.

If you dye your clothes flesh-colored, it's like you're not wearing anything at all, but it's precisely the dyed areas that have a more alluring, hazy appeal.

Ayako only showed enthusiasm when she was alone with Hideaki. She couldn't bring herself to sell such vulgar things on this bustling street with so many people around.

"This is called reverse bundling. The plush toys have no appeal at all. You tell them that if they want to buy the plush toys, they must buy the figurines. They can't do without them."

Xiuming saw several young men attracted by the sexy figurines, but because there were too many people around and because they were new models, they dared not buy them.

With such great conditions, wouldn't it be a waste not to make use of them immediately?

“Ignore your labor costs. The cost price is 9000 yen. You can set the price as you like, but make me at least 10 yen profit. If you don’t sell them all today, you can just sit here.”

He then snatched Ayako's metal cane, grabbed "Pikachu" and ran away in two steps, then turned around and came back.

Ayako stood there like a wooden stake, her face cold and motionless. Many young men who passed by hesitated and left.

Xiuming walked over casually, feigning surprise, picked up the plush toy tied to the figure, and loudly asked, "What a beautiful plush toy! Boss, how much is this plush toy?"

“Ten thousand yen!” Ayako said with a dark face.

"Huh?! Ten thousand yen? Was your ankle broken because you were robbing someone?"

"Buy it or don't, it's up to you!"

"I don't like such vulgar figurines. Can you just sell me a plush toy?" Xiuming shouted, holding up the figurine to examine it, attracting a crowd of onlookers.

"Buy it or don't, it's up to you!" Ayako continued to exude aloofness.

"Oh dear! I really love this plush toy so much! That cunning shopkeeper actually tried to sell me such a lewd figure bundled up like this. Looks like I have no choice but to accept it..." Hideaki exclaimed in anguish, handing the money to Ayako. He took the plush toy and the sexy figure a couple of steps away, then turned back and roared, "I bought it because I like the plush toy! When I get home, I'm going to throw this lewd figure in the trash right away! How awful!"

After walking away and looking back, several young men picked up the dolls and seemed to be talking to Ayako, all of them looking indignant.

All it takes is providing them with a "seemingly reasonable fig leaf" to create a buying frenzy.

Many business activities can also be derived from this format.

While Ayako was selling borderline products with a dark expression, Hideaki, carrying "Pikachu" and documents from his briefcase, rushed to the Cultural Hall in the political center. He only had to queue for a number, sit for more than ten minutes, submit his materials at the window, and take a few photos of "Pikachu." He would receive the copyright certificate in at most half a month.