A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

After enduring a class, Aki Tomoya approached Li Wei with a mix of trepidation and excitement.

“Aki-kun, I must admit you’ve made some progress these past few days. At least what you’ve written is starting to look decent. However, it only meets the minimum standard for production. There’s no guarantee how many copies will be sold. This proposal can now be given to Utaha and Eriri for review. This time, you don’t have to worry about your proposal being torn to shreds again,” Li Wei said.

"Um... Li Weijun, aren't your terms of address for senpai and Eriri a little too intimate?" Aki Tomoya said, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"Really?" Li Wei asked with a surprised expression.

Aki Tomoya swallowed back what he wanted to say. The person in front of him was a major financial backer who supported his game development, and he couldn't afford to offend him.

"We'll have club activities after school this afternoon, and then we can all discuss this project together. If there are no problems, we can start production," Li Wei said.

Although Li Wei hadn't played many dating games, dating games had actually been declining for a long time, both in the real world and in this world. In Japan, the number of game companies that specialize in making dating games had shrunk from more than 800 at its peak, as well as countless individual creators, to less than 80 officially registered companies now, with the vast majority of authors being individual creators who create games out of passion.

The dating sim boom over the past decade has filled the market with all sorts of themes, from pure love games to eroge games to NTR games. The variety of labels and styles of these games has led the industry into an era of homogenization and infighting.

In Li Wei's opinion, Aki Tomoya's proposal lacked plot twists and was rather bland compared to other pure love stories. If it were more than ten years ago, when players weren't as discerning as they are now, they might have been able to accept such a work.

But times have changed. Players whose aesthetic standards have been greatly raised by various masterpieces are now finding it difficult to buy into such works.

Without the help of Li Wei and his harem, Aki Tomoya's bland business plan was practically a guaranteed flop. Any other investor seeing a plan of this caliber would likely have withdrawn their funding immediately.

Of course, as Li Wei's handpicked score-boosting tool, Li Wei wouldn't let Aki Tomoya go easily until he had squeezed out all his value. So no matter how rubbish the plan was, Li Wei would still find a way to make the game, since the score-boosting depended on Aki Tomoya.

Chapter 75. Disgust After Seeing Through Their True Colors

After school, Li Wei and Kato Megumi left the classroom and went to the activity room.

When the two arrived at the activity club room, Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri had not yet arrived. After unlocking the door with his key, Li Wei casually found a place to sit down, while Kato Megumi sat next to him, flipping through the light novels that Li Wei had chosen for her. Every now and then, she would write or draw in her notebook as if she had something in mind.

"Huh? You're here even earlier than me today, even though the activity room is closer to my classroom." Eriri sat down next to Li Wei and watched him open his laptop.

"Aki-kun brought the project proposal over today. Eriri, you and Shiho can take a look at it in a bit. This time, Aki-kun has made quite a bit of progress." Li Wei opened his drawing software, ready to work hard on his drawing. After all, he had slacked off during his vacation, and now he was making up for it.

However, this is different from my previous work. Before, I drew to satisfy clients, but now I draw to promote my own light novel. The motivation is completely different. Naturally, I am very motivated to work for myself.

Eriri really wanted to snuggle up to Li Wei right now, but she knew when to stop. Li Wei was doing important things, and she wouldn't bother him at this time.

However, Li Wei had already explained to her that he had the ability to multitask, so talking to him while he was painting would not affect his work. Because of this, Eriri would also talk to Li Wei while he was working.

"Even if that guy has improved, it's still nothing special. I really don't understand why you care so much about his game, darling. Even if you really want to make a game, wouldn't it be better to use the novel you're currently writing as the background and create your own game?" Eriri said somewhat unhappily.

"I actually intended to turn the light novel I'm currently writing into a game, but the conditions aren't right yet. Aki-kun's game is a practice project for me to hone my skills, so it's a win-win situation." Li Wei's hands moved incredibly fast, wielding the electronic pen while his other hand rapidly pressed various shortcut keys on the keyboard. His drawing speed was as if he had turned it on four times faster.

Eriri rested her chin on her hands, watching the rapidly forming image on the computer screen, feeling a little envious of such speed.

Kato Megumi, who was standing nearby, picked up the light novel she was reading and said to Levi, "(cgch) Darling, I've finished reading this light novel series. What should I do next?"

Li Wei stared at the computer screen and said, "After we get back tonight, I'll help you get a laptop. Tomorrow, you'll start practicing writing and submit your work directly to the 'Become a Light Novelist' website. Real-world experience is the best way to test someone's abilities. Besides, there are no barriers to submitting to the website, which is perfect for you right now."

Kato Megumi nodded: "I understand, I will try my best."

Kato Megumi, who has already established a relationship with Li Wei, considers herself Li Wei's wife. Therefore, she doesn't refuse when Li Wei spends money to buy her things. Moreover, the laptop is an important production tool for her, not something for entertainment, so she doesn't feel any guilt.

Li Wei felt that although he was a bit of a womanizer, he was far from being a real scumbag. Having established relationships with three girls and taken their bodies, he naturally had to take responsibility.

As a husband, providing for the family is the most basic thing, but Li Wei is a different person now and doesn't have such a headache.

With over 100 million yen in his bank account, Li Wei wouldn't be short of money anytime soon, as long as he didn't spend it recklessly. He had already prepared for the daily expenses of the three girls.

Kasumigaoka Utaha entered the activity club room, sat down next to Kato Megumi, took out her computer and keyboard, and prepared to start her writing work for the day.

As a light novel author, typing is her daily routine. Everyone else is used to the clattering of her keyboard. Even when she's typing at such close range, Kato Megumi and Eriri don't say anything; they just treat it like listening to music.

"Shiyu-nee, Aki Tomoya will be releasing his proposal today. Darling, we'll review it, and you can make the decision then," Eriri said.

Eriri isn't particularly skilled at storytelling; her doujinshi are more about the art style, and a deep dive into the plot reveals a multitude of problems. However, her strength in visuals far surpasses that of other creators, allowing readers to overlook minor plot flaws and directly enjoy the intense visual impact of her erotic art. Just as the real world has Suiryuukei Paradise, this world has Kashiwagi Eri Paradise, demonstrating her immense popularity within the doujinshi community.

Eriri is aware of her own shortcomings, so she simply leaves things like the review process to Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Eriri has considered making up for her shortcomings, but this is not something that can be done overnight, so she is not in a hurry.

She plans to collaborate with Kasumigaoka Utaha; she will provide the artwork, and Kasumigaoka Utaha will provide the storyline. The two will collaborate on a mainstream male-oriented work, but for now, this is just an idea, and neither of them knows exactly when it will begin.

"Should I make the decision? Let me make this clear first, I'm quite strict. If you judge it by my standards, Aki Tomoya's work might not even pass." Kasumigaoka Utaha put on her headphones, opened the "Black Room" software, set the interface to black background and white text, found the chapter she hadn't finished writing, and prepared to start working.

“I think so too,” Eriri said, who had never been optimistic about Aki Tomoya’s creative abilities.

It wasn't that Eriri was being mean, but rather that she knew Aki Tomoya quite well. Aki Tomoya was only suited to be an observer and commentator; his storytelling ability was merely at a middle school level. Moreover, Eriri had now seen through Aki Tomoya's true colors. Lacking ability and without sufficient reward, he wanted to trick her and Kasumigaoka Utaha into working for him for free—this despicable behavior disgusted her.

Such behavior is tantamount to stealing the creator's work and then claiming it as their own, posing as a "producer." After seeing through this, Eriri became increasingly disgusted with Aki Tomoya's sweet talk.

Speak of the devil, and he appears. Aki Tomoya walked into the activities room carrying a large notebook.

Chapter 76. Detonation!

After Aki Tomoya entered the activities room, he saw Li Wei and the others lined up in a row. His smile was a little forced as he said, "This is a bit too formal, isn't it? It's like judges critiquing a contestant's performance." "Even if it's a talent show, Aki-kun, you at least have to pass the auditions first. I heard you've already finished your proposal; I really appreciate your effort," Kasumigaoka Utaha said calmly, resting her chin on her hands.

Although it wasn't the first time Kasumigaoka Utaha had been sarcastic, Aki Tomoya had a bad feeling. The scene before him seemed like something big was about to happen, which made him a little flustered.

Aki Tomoya looked at Li Wei, who was surrounded by three girls, and felt a pang of sadness. He forced himself to concentrate and not focus on the trivial details. He was here today to review his project proposal. Aki Tomoya placed the notebook in front of Kasumigaoka Utaha, took two steps back, and said, "Please take a look, senpai."

"I wouldn't call it an appraisal; I just have a little more experience than you." Kasumigaoka Utaha closed her laptop, opened Aki Tomoya's notes, placed them on top of the screen, and began browsing.

After carefully reading the plan, Kasumigaoka Utaha felt that her life had been wasted. On the surface, Aki Tomoya had refined the plan, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that the core of it was still the same old thing, with only some insignificant and trivial details added.

After discarding all the unimportant details, this plan is no different from the previous one.

Kasumigaoka Utaha sighed and said, "I don't know what you're thinking. This proposal isn't much different from the previous version. Do you really want to make a game?"

"Why would you say that, senior?! I really want to create a romance game that will move players!" Hearing his proposal rejected, Aki Tomoya's voice unconsciously rose.

Kasumigaoka Utaha remained calm in the face of Aki Tomoya's excitement: "You're just moving yourself. Besides, those newly added settings are completely copied from other people's works. They're not your own at all. This kind of Frankenstein's monster won't move the players."

"Senior, why are you so sure my game design won't move the players! I admit that this plan uses a lot of classic scenes and content, but I'm confident that I can perfectly combine these elements to create a masterpiece that will move all the players!" Aki Tomoya said excitedly, his hands already on Kasumigaoka Utaha's table, his whole person like an enraged lion, full of aggression.

Kasumigaoka Utaha crossed her arms and said calmly, "Did someone hit a sore spot, so you got agitated?"

Aki Tomoya realized that his emotions were getting out of control, so he took two steps back and tried his best not to look at Kasumigaoka Utaha. He had a feeling that Kasumigaoka Utaha had developed a dislike for him at some point.

This baffled him. If it weren't for his help in recommending "Love Metronome," Kasumigaoka Utaha would still be a third-rate, struggling light novel author. Why would she treat her benefactor like this? Thinking of this, Aki Tomoya was furious.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, seemingly oblivious to Aki Tomoya's change, continued, "Aki-kun, you came to me before saying you had a great idea and wanted to turn it into a game. I explicitly refused your request because your idea was completely impractical. And even what you just said was disgusting to me."

"Why does my senior say that to me?! Is it so funny to trample on my hard work?!" Aki Tomoya's expression was somewhat ferocious.

Kasumigaoka Utaha remained calm and composed: "No one would enjoy trampling on your hard work, but is this really 'your' hard work? You've just copied other people's work everywhere, creating a hodgepodge that's a Frankenstein's monster. Can it fulfill the responsibilities of this position?"

Aki Tomoya trembled slightly with anger; he felt his dignity had been trampled upon, but Kasumigaoka Utaha's words left him speechless. (Please give flowers.)

As Kasumigaoka Utaha said, he lacks creative talent, and his so-called project plan is nothing more than an imitation of other creators' ideas; it is not his own work at all.

Just as Kasumigaoka Utaha said, his plan was an ugly Frankenstein's monster. He wanted to take advantage of the talents of the two people from the beginning and use their talents to lay the foundation for his dream. From the beginning, his motives were impure.

That's why Aki Tomoya felt like his sore spot had been hit, and that's why he was so angry.

It felt like being thrown into a crowd after making a mistake, and everyone knew what he had done.

Eriri, resting her chin on her hand, said, "Just like Utaha-nee said, Aki-kun, this isn't 'your' work at all. You're just a parasite living off other creators. As the producer in charge of the whole process, you lack professional skills and always insist on your own inexplicable ideas, and you like to treat others like fools. Nobody's really stupid, okay? And nobody will tolerate you again and again."

Aki Tomoya clenched his fists. He didn't know what had happened; in just one weekend, their attitude towards him had changed so drastically. Originally, they had only been lukewarm about his ideas for his work, but now their clear dislike was hard for him to accept.

Li Wei received a system notification. Aki Tomoya was severely affected by the words of Sawamura Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha, and his enthusiasm for creating games was greatly damaged. He gained 1800 points and now has 3300 points remaining.

Li Wei inwardly exclaimed, "Wow, Kasumigaoka Utaha's sharp tongue is really something! She directly broke Aki Tomoya's defenses and earned him 1800 points in one go, more than all the points he had earned before combined. That's really amazing."

Li Wei's gaze towards Aki Tomoya changed. This young man was simply the perfect tool; the grand scheme of racking up points depended on him.

Chapter 77. A Huge Blow

Li Wei watched as Aki Tomoya's chest heaved. He was a little afraid that Aki Tomoya would get sick from anger. Such a useful score-boosting tool couldn't be left to languish like this.

So, after Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri finished their "bad cop" act, it was his turn to take the "bad cop" role. If he didn't straighten out the situation here, Aki Tomoya would completely give up, and he would be the one who suffered the biggest loss, even though he had various ways to make up for it.

Li Wei said, "Alright, everyone calm down. Admittedly, An Yi-kun does lack talent in creation, but people can learn. I believe that after systematic learning, An Yi-kun can become a qualified producer."

Hearing Li Wei speak up for him, Aki Tomoya was deeply moved, realizing that there were still people in this world willing to discover his talents.

Li Wei hugged Li Wei's arm, pressing his entire body against Li Wei's, and said, "Darling, you always speak up for him, but he can't repay you. This guy is a creative thief who wants to get something for nothing. He can't do anything without the other creators. I really don't know why you invested ten million in him."

Hearing Eriri address Li Wei as "Li Wei," Aki Tomoya felt a crack appear somewhere in his heart, a feeling so painful that he could hardly breathe.

Aki Tomoya took two steps back, grabbed a chair, and barely managed to sit down, almost slipping to the ground. Right now, all he could think about was Eriri's "darling" to Levi.

Immediately, Aki Tomoya's expression became even more ferocious. Eriri was his childhood friend with whom he had made a promise. He and Eriri had promised that when they grew up, he would become the president of a game development company, and Eriri would become the illustrator of his company.

Now, Eriri has betrayed him!

Kasumigaoka Utaha, leaning back in her chair, said, "Darling, instead of wasting time making works that will never be created, you should focus on doing what you have right now."

Upon hearing the word "dear" once again, Aki Tomoya's eyes were bloodshot. The beautiful senior he admired, the senior who had once lent him a helping hand, the senior who had once sought his guidance with her artwork.

Just like Eriri, she betrayed him!

Aki Tomoya slumped in his seat, looking like a spineless eel, utterly listless.

Meanwhile, Li Wei received another notification from the system. Due to a huge emotional blow, Aki Tomoya was also in a state of existential doubt, gaining 3000 points and having 6300 points remaining.

Li Wei inwardly exclaimed, "Wow, this is truly the best tool of the year! He racked up 3000 points in one go!" Li Wei hadn't expected that Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri choosing him would be such a blow to Aki Tomoya, even making him question the meaning of life.

Aki Tomoya struggled to sit up and looked at Kato Megumi with expectant eyes. Aki Tomoya had already recognized her; Kato Megumi was the beautiful girl with the drooping hat he had met on Detective Slope.