A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

When facing his sugar daddy, Aki Tomoya dared not talk as casually as he had when he was fooling people before. He really had nothing to offer now. His previous idea, which was similar to mine, had been rejected by Kasumigaoka Utaha and Sawamura Eriri. He really had no confidence that he could pass Li Wei's test.

Li Wei laughed and said, "Even if the concept isn't fully developed, it's still something to look at. After all, making a game isn't a simple matter; it's all about brainstorming ideas from the entire production team."

Aki Tomoya returned to his seat, took out a notebook, and, steeling himself, came over to Li Wei and said, "All the ideas so far are in this notebook."

Li Wei took the notebook, opened the cover, and saw slightly messy handwriting. He continued to flip through the pages and found that only the first page had any content, and the rest were blank.

Li Wei didn't say anything, still smiling. He already knew what level Aki Tomoya's creative ability was, and now he was just asking the other party to bring out the story to satisfy his own curiosity.

"It really is just like Eriri said, Aki-kun, you still have a long way to go in your creative work." Li Wei said it very tactfully, but Aki Tomoya, who wasn't stupid, could understand what he meant.

Aki Tomoya's idea was very rudimentary, so rudimentary that it could not even be called an idea. It was just a fleeting inspiration. Even on the first page, Aki Tomoya only wrote a few lines, and they were all seemingly nonsensical.

From a producer's perspective, this so-called concept is nothing short of a disaster.

Li Wei took a deep breath, frowned slightly, and said, "An Yi-kun, I believe in your talent. After all, you are a big blogger with millions of followers, but this idea is a bit unworthy of your millions of followers."

"I'm very sorry, it's not finished yet, this is the most basic version. But, give me time, and I will complete the final design soon, please rest assured!" Aki Tomoya bowed slightly. It is said that one who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding, and one who takes another's money is bound to do his bidding. After accepting Li Wei's ten million investment, he had to learn to act like a grandson. After all, Li Wei was the client, and he was just the contractor. The two parties had already signed a contract. If Li Wei was dissatisfied with him and wanted to withdraw his investment, then his game dream would be completely over.

"Aki-kun, I hope your talent can match your passion. Keep up the good work." Li Wei didn't show any anger, but his disappointed tone made Aki Tomoya feel a pang of resentment and bitterness.

Li Wei received feedback from the system that Aki Tomoya's enthusiasm for making games had decreased, and he had fallen into a state of self-doubt. This would cause a change in the world line, and the system received 200 points.

Li Wei now has 700 points, but 700 points can't buy anything good, so Li Wei plans to continue "saving money" and exchange them for useful items or abilities once he has accumulated a certain number of points.

Seeing Aki Tomoya's dejected appearance, Li Wei knew that a good reward was necessary after a bad beating. If Aki Tomoya was so discouraged that he didn't want to play the game anymore, then this attempt to earn points would be a one-off deal, and he didn't want that worst-case scenario to happen.

Therefore, appropriate reassurance is also necessary for sustainable development. Although, to some extent, this resembles PUA (Pick-Up Artist) tactics.

Chapter 29. A slap followed by a sweet treat

Li Wei knew he had to appease the other party. Although Aki Tomoya had a strong appreciation ability, he was, after all, just an ordinary high school student. It was fine for him to talk back from the perspective of an audience member, but it would be a difficult task to get him to stand in the position of a creator and create a work that would satisfy the players.

Li Wei closed his notebook, a smile he considered his gentlest, and said, "An Yi-kun, I hope you can organize your inspirations properly. Everyone's first step is clumsy, and I'm no exception. I still remember my first drawing when I was a child; it was as bad as a pile of dog poop. But it was this simple line drawing that led me into the wonderful world of painting."

Aki Tomoya looked at Li Wei, and the dissatisfaction and resentment he had felt earlier had mostly dissipated. He had thought that Li Wei would give him a good scolding, but to his surprise, Li Wei was still encouraging him.

This made Aki Tomoya feel ashamed. He lost his composure over just a few words that weren't even criticism, which is unacceptable.

Looking into Li Weina's encouraging eyes, Aki Tomoya felt a mix of emotion and excitement. It was the feeling of meeting a kindred spirit. The embarrassment he had felt because of the ten million investment had finally subsided.

Li Wei wasn't some clueless client; he was a partner genuinely willing to work with him to create a dating sim. The thought of how he had just harbored resentment made Aki Tomo feel utterly unforgivable.

"Li Weijun, I will try my best!" An Yilun's eyes were firm, and his tone was even more resolute.

"There's no need to be so serious, Aki-kun. There's an old saying in China: 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and a great river is formed from countless small streams.' Everyone starts as a novice, and I was no exception. So don't be discouraged by temporary setbacks. I believe that with your talent, you will become an excellent game producer."

Li Wei, having studied psychology seriously, knew very well how to maximize the effect of motivational speeches.

Now, by giving a stick and then a sweet treat, not only have they gained points from Aki Tomoya, but they've also made him incredibly grateful. Naturally, the more of this happens, the better.

Unfortunately, this kind of thing can't be done too frequently, otherwise it will give him away. Haste makes waste. Li Wei currently has plenty of patience to wear down Aki Tomoya; he won't leave this world until he's racked up several thousand points on Aki Tomoya.

After all, the correct way to play this kind of everyday world where you can rack up points without having to fight is to constantly mentally torture the male protagonist while making him grateful to him.

Why did Li Wei have to study those dry psychology books? Wasn't it all for this method? If the method was too simple and crude, and the onlookers noticed something was wrong, then the score-farming would naturally not be able to continue. He would have to kill the male protagonist in one fell swoop, make a quick buck, and leave after he had his fill.

Li Wei made his decision to choose this world, rather than other everyday anime worlds, after careful consideration.

Just like in the world of "School Days," although Li Wei wished he could twist Makoto Ito's head off, to be honest, there aren't many places in "School Days" where you can farm points. You can't make much money without having to do a one-off deal, which doesn't fit his strategy of maximizing profits.

Compared to Makoto Ito, Tomoya Aki is an even easier treasure trove to fleece. Li Wei narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Tomoya Aki as if he were looking at a lucky cat.

Seeing Aki Tomoya's excited expression, as if he were ready to die for a friend, Li Wei knew that his encouragement had worked.

Li Wei said, "Alright, An Yi-kun, don't get so excited. Making games isn't something you can do overnight. You still need to learn more. Class is about to start, so go back to your seat. Your job is to be a high school student, and studying is very important. Don't let making games interfere with your grades."

Li Wei's performance was quite convincing, appearing genuinely concerned for Aki Tomoya. Aki Tomoya, however, failed to see through his true intentions, nodded, said a few words, and then returned to his seat with his notebook. There, he began scribbling and revising his ideas.

"Heh." Li Wei rested his chin on one hand, looking at Aki Tomoya's serious expression, feeling a surge of pleasure. He felt no sympathy for Aki Tomoya whatsoever. Although Aki Tomoya wasn't as despicable as Ito Makoto, he was still someone many otaku disliked. If this guy could be properly dealt with, many otaku would applaud.

After school, Li Wei had to meet with the editor he had arranged to meet. Kasumigaoka Utaha was quite efficient; as soon as he finished the first volume, Kasumigaoka Utaha had already contacted the editor at the paperback station. Although Shinazugawa Bunko wasn't a big paperback station, Li Wei didn't care about that. For him, it didn't matter where he submitted his work.

After school in the afternoon, Li Wei went to the school gate to wait for Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Li Wei, carrying his laptop bag, leaned against a large tree not far from the school gate. He didn't have to wait long before he saw Kasumigaoka Utaha running over.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stopped in front of Li Wei, leaned on her knees, and after catching her breath, said, "Sorry, the teacher went overtime."

"This is really a rare thing. Senior, take a break, I'll go buy you a drink." Li Wei put his laptop bag on the ground, walked to the vending machine not far away, bought two drinks, and gave one of them to Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Li Wei said, "Toyonosaki Private Academy is not a high school that focuses on college entrance exams. The teachers here are somewhat perfunctory in their lectures, and it is quite rare for them to go over time."

Kasumigaoka Utaha unscrewed the cap of her drink, took a few small sips, and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead. She wasn't a particularly athletic person, and running from the classroom was already quite a challenge for her.

Chapter 30. Non-Mainstream Works

After Kasumigaoka Utaha had rested, Li Wei caught up with her and walked for about ten minutes before stopping in front of an affordable chain coffee shop.

Following Kasumigaoka Utaha into the café, she looked around before leading Li Wei to a booth by the window. The booth was already occupied; it was occupied by a woman in a business suit with neat, medium-length hair. The woman was beautiful, naturally gorgeous, and wore only light makeup. Her mature figure, combined with her business attire, was incredibly alluring to the average young man.

However, Li Wei is a college student in the guise of a high school student. He has seen a lot of messy situations. Although the other party is in his good zone, he will not compromise his interests because of this.

Kasumigaoka Utaha led Li Wei to sit down and said to him, "This is Ms. Machida Sonoko, an editor at Shinazugawa Bunko, and also my full-time editor. She has given me a lot of advice on writing and can be considered my mentor and friend."

Machida Sonoko generously extended her hand and shook hands with Li Wei. She then said with a smile, "You must be the amazingly talented writer Li Wei that Ms. Kasumi Shiko mentioned. I am an editor at Shinazugawa Bunko. It is a great honor to meet you here."

With such politeness from the other party, Li Wei naturally wouldn't put on a cold face. After some compliments, the two sides gradually got down to business.

In front of Machida Sonoko was Li Wei's computer. Li Wei did not have the habit of writing manuscripts by hand. Having written online novels for several years, he had become accustomed to typing on a computer. For him, writing by hand was too inefficient and did not fit the high-intensity update rhythm of online novels. It was only those traditional writers who did not pursue quantity who retained the habit of handwriting.

Furthermore, handwriting also has a problem: revising the manuscript later is very troublesome, unlike computer documents where you can directly modify the problematic parts.

"As expected, a work that can earn the praise of Ms. Kasumi Shiko is indeed incredibly wonderful," Machida Sonoko exclaimed, feeling a surge of excitement and thinking to herself that she had truly struck gold this time.

Li Wei's light novel was so captivating that Machida Sonoko was completely engrossed in it, reading 50,000 to 60,000 words in one go before forcing herself to stop, because she couldn't keep Li Wei and Kasumigaoka Utaha waiting too long, as that would be very impolite.

"This work is simply... beyond my imagination. I never thought that fantasy adventure works could be written like this. It's incredible." Machida Sonoko exclaimed. This work was truly beyond her knowledge. Generally speaking, as the editor, she has the responsibility to supervise the author's creation and prevent the author from going astray. However, she really didn't know how to offer suggestions for this work because the level of completion was too high, leaving her no room to give opinions.

Unlike traditional fantasy adventure works that follow classic elements like action, friendship, and adventure, Li Wei's work is a completely unorthodox and unconventional work, even the most unorthodox of unorthodox works. There has never been a work like this on the market before.

The male protagonist in Li Wei's novels is quite different from other light novel protagonists. Although he has a goofy side, he also has an exceptionally ruthless side, which often makes her wonder whether he is the protagonist or a villain.

However, as the story unfolds, Machida Sonoko grows to like this unique character more and more. Unlike the indecisiveness of traditional light novel male protagonists, Li Wei's male protagonist, when he's being silly, makes him seem like a comedic character, but when he gets serious, his decisiveness is at least a whole level higher than other light novel protagonists.

But even a male protagonist who seems like a villain can be likable, thanks to the contrast with other characters, because the other world he travels to is a world much darker than the Dark Ages.

The inhabitants there are ignorant and apathetic, yet exceptionally bloodthirsty and cruel when faced with those weaker than themselves. The protagonist, who has just arrived in this other world, almost gets burned at the stake because he trusted the inhabitants.

The nobles there were hypocritical and cunning, eager to exploit everyone in their territory, their desire for control bordering on the twisted.

The religion there is even more ignorant and terrifying. In the name of holiness, they do sordid things, such as pedophilia, sheep killing, indulgences, etc. They list seven virtues and seven deadly sins, but none of the seven virtues can be seen in them. However, all seven deadly sins are present.

This is a world so dark it's despairing, and the protagonist has to start in this environment where the whole world is full of malice. If it were an ordinary light novel protagonist, being thrown into such a hell on earth would have already broken down.

But the male protagonist in Li Wei's story, using his not-so-powerful cheat ability, makes a deal with a cunning devil and uses wordplay to outsmart the devil, forcibly seizing the devil's power. A series of exaggerated yet reasonable maneuvers show Machida Sonoko just how terrifying a character with a sharp mind can be.

Although she hasn't finished reading the first volume yet, Machida Sonoko is certain that this is a masterpiece, and a groundbreaking work.

The fantasy adventure light novels currently on the market are all based on the classic formula, telling stories of passion and friendship, justice and evil. While such works are also exciting, they still lack the charm of the twisted yet realistic world depicted by Li Wei.

If other fantasy adventure light novel authors are depicting romantic stories in another world, then Li Wei's works tear off the romantic veneer and reveal the bloody, raw flesh of the core, showing what a truly backward other world looks like.

What surprised Machida Sonoko the most was that the world Li Wei created was an absurd and dark world, but Li Wei always managed to insert jokes between the lines, allowing readers to follow the protagonist's perspective and complain about this excessively realistic other world.

“Li Wei-kun, this novel is practically a biography you wrote after you traveled to another world for an adventure. The realism of this novel is just too high, and the impact on ordinary readers is too huge. I need to consult with the editor-in-chief about this work.” Although Machida Sonoko liked Li Wei’s work very much, it was a bit too extreme. If something went wrong, she couldn’t bear the blame. So she planned to consult with the editor-in-chief privately.

Chapter 31. The Excited Editor-in-Chief

"Should we reschedule? Let's talk another day?" Li Wei hadn't expected his work to have such an impact on Machida Sonoko. This work was actually a "Frankenstein's monster," but because his writing skills had greatly improved, and he had stitched together the essence of dozens of online novels, the stitching was not noticeable. After all, it was a complete re-creation.

Machida Sonoko quickly said, "No need, I'll call the editor-in-chief right now. Please wait a moment. It's less than an hour's drive from here to the library."

Li Wei nodded. Since Shinazugawa Bunko wanted a quick resolution, he would grant their request. Moreover, Machida Sonoko seemed afraid he would run away, which showed that she really valued this work.

Machida Inoko left her seat to make a phone call, then returned to her seat to continue reading the novel she hadn't finished.

Li Wei was very patient now, showing no impatience whatsoever with this waiting situation. After all, it was already quite good that he wasn't asked to come back another day. No one would believe it if a new author's work had caught the attention of the editor-in-chief of a literary library.

Li Wei and Kasumigaoka Utaha exchanged various writing-related questions, and Machida Sonoko would occasionally offer her own opinions, making for a very pleasant exchange.

Li Wei's opinion of Machida Sonoko has also changed. He hadn't finished reading the original novel, only watching the two seasons of the anime, so his understanding of Machida Sonoko wasn't very deep. In the anime, Machida Sonoko was just a tool, or even a decorative vase.

However, after they actually started communicating, Li Wei realized that the other person's ability to become a light novel editor was not simply due to having some skills, but rather because she possessed a wealth of talent. As an editor, her creative ability was only average, but her appreciation ability was terrifyingly strong. She analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of various light novels on the market very comprehensively, which gave Li Wei another perspective to understand the industry.

He had previously heard that some outstanding light novel authors were mentored by their editors, and that once an editor retired, the light novel authors under their wing would simply stop writing. He originally thought such things were just an exaggeration.

However, the existence of Machida Sonoko does prove one thing: a good editor can enable a light novel author to unleash 120% of their potential.

What Li Wei didn't know was that Kasumigaoka Utaha had repeatedly fallen into her "artsy" phase, and it was Machida Sonoko who pulled her back from the brink. Without Machida Sonoko's efforts, the first volume of "Love Metronome" wouldn't have achieved such great success.

However, the second volume was reworked due to Machida Sonoko's car accident and illness, and was handed over to another editor. As a result, the second volume was a complete failure. The fourth and fifth volumes were handled by Machida Sonoko, who had returned to her post, but Kasumigaoka Utaha had already squandered a good hand. Even if Machida Sonoko had extraordinary abilities, she could not salvage the situation.

However, having learned from her mistakes, Kasumigaoka Utaha has now curbed her artistic sensibilities after her disappointing debut performance and will no longer gamble with her career.

Just as the three were having a lively conversation, a tall, stout middle-aged man walked into the coffee shop. Machida Sonoko waved, and the middle-aged man walked towards them.

Machida Sonoko moved to a seat on the inside of the window, and the middle-aged man sat down in her original spot.

"Hello, hello, you must be Professor Li Wei, a true hero among young men. Let me introduce myself, I am Yuichiro Kawada, the editor-in-chief of Shinazugawa Bunko." The middle-aged man was as fat as Totoro from Miyazaki Hayao's animation, and with his憨憨 (simple and honest) smile, he gave people a kind and honest feeling.

Kawada Yuichiro only introduced his position, but did not tell Li Wei and Kasumigaoka Utaha that he was actually an old friend of Machida Sonoko's father, and also one of Machida Sonoko's protectors in the paperback.

"Hello, Editor Kawada." After shaking hands with the other party, Li Wei called over a waiter and ordered a dessert. Judging by Kawada Yuichiro's physique, he was clearly the type who could eat a lot.

Kawada Yuichiro began browsing Li Wei's new work. He was so engrossed in reading it that he didn't even notice when the snacks he had ordered were delivered to him.

As a light novel editor, Yuichiro Kawada also climbed up from the position of editor-in-chief, so his understanding of light novels was more profound than that of Sonoko Machida. After spending two hours reading the manuscript, he took out his cigarette case with trembling hands, but after finding a "No Smoking" sign on the wall of the coffee shop, he timidly put the cigarette case back.