A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

Furthermore, this year's competition prohibits solo participation because there have been instances where solo participants were beaten to death in gauntlet matches. Adding this rule is therefore quite reasonable.

Before going to find the Bogard brothers, Li Wei made a trip to the Kyokugenryu Dojo.

As the largest martial arts school in Nanzhen, bar none, the area around the Kyokugenryu Dojo has good public security. Li Wei discovered that among all the old towns, only the area where the Kyokugenryu Dojo is located has the most stable public security. Other old towns are places where crime is rampant. Not to mention the exaggerated occurrence of robberies on the street, as long as outsiders dare to venture into the alleys, they will be greeted by "warm and friendly people" who will let him experience the unique characteristics of Nanzhen.

He knocked on the door, and this time, it was Ryo Sakazaki who opened it once again.

Chapter 256. Casual Lies

Ryo Sakazaki discovered that the guest who had come to visit was Li Wei, and politely invited him in. Earlier, after Li Wei left, he had already spoken with his father, Takuma Itagaki, on the phone. His father's instructions to him were to treat Li Wei as well as possible and not to neglect this distinguished guest.

Ryo Sakazaki led Li Wei to the reception room inside the dojo. Although the Kyokugenryu dojo was located in South Town, the entire dojo still maintained the original, rustic style of Japan. After entering the dojo, Li Wei had the illusion that he was in Japan.

Ryo Sakazaki served Li Wei a steaming cup of tea and said, "Mr. Li, I have already informed my father of your visit, but he will not be able to return to Nanzhen for another three days. I'm sorry to have troubled you again." Li Wei smiled and said, "I have important matters to attend to this time. It's a bit of a pity that the master is not here, but what needs to be done must be done. I can always visit again when I have the chance." Li Wei took out an exquisitely wrapped invitation from his pocket and placed it in front of Ryo Sakazaki.

Ryo Sakazaki looked at the large KOF logo on the cover of the invitation with a surprised expression, which then turned serious.

"The King of Fighters tournament... Is Geese still organizing this year's tournament?" Ryo Sakazaki asked.

Li Wei nodded.

Ryo Sakazaki looked surprised and said, "Mr. Li, why would you cooperate with a villain like Geese? He's no good person. In fact, it's fair to say that the reason South Town is in such a chaotic state is because of him pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Ryo Sakazaki was genuinely puzzled. How could someone as kind and gentle as Li Wei, who seemed like a perfect gentleman, associate with such an extremely evil being? This was somewhat mind-blowing to him.

Li Wei laughed and said, "You're right, Geese is indeed no good person. If it weren't necessary, I wouldn't want to deal with such a villain. But this time, everyone's interests are aligned, and this is also an important event that benefits all of humanity. Therefore, I chose to cooperate with Geese and, with his help, hold the 1991st King of Fighters Tournament."

"So this competition was actually orchestrated by you behind the scenes, Mr. Li. What is your purpose?" Ryo Sakazaki asked curiously. Li Wei replied, "To select the strongest warriors among all of humanity in order to prepare for the impending disaster." Ryo Sakazaki looked puzzled; Li Wei's explanation was hard for him to understand.

"Disaster? Natural disaster or war?" Ryo Sakazaki asked, puzzled.

Li Wei said, "It's much more terrifying than that, so I need to gather everyone's strength. I rarely mention this to outsiders. But Master Takuma is a reliable person, and as his eldest son, you are entitled to know some inside information." Ryo Sakazaki nodded. If Li Wei's purpose was only this, he had no objection. After all, all sorts of strange things happened in previous King of Fighters tournaments, and he had already developed thick nerves.

Furthermore, the King of Fighters tournament has often been accompanied by conspiracies and intrigues. Various factions use the tournament as a stage to showcase their strength and defeat their opponents, casting a shadow over this sacred stage for fighters worldwide. Ryo Sakazaki said, "Can you tell me everything?"

Ryo Sakazaki felt uneasy about the current situation. Now that he had been piqued, he was even more eager to know why Levi had done what he did. It was neither a natural disaster nor a massive catastrophe caused by war; he truly couldn't imagine what kind of disaster it could be.

Moreover, what can a group of fighters possibly do in the face of such a disaster? This is what puzzles Ryo Sakazaki the most.

Li Wei shook his head and smiled, "I can't tell you now. After all, it involves too much, and knowing too much won't do you any good. It might even bring you unnecessary risks."

Li Wei knew that the storm was brewing. Goenitz was extremely active, running around trying to bring Orochi back, while also busy awakening the other members of the Eight Heroes and developing the Orochi clan's kin. He was incredibly busy.

Now, the two sides are competing to see who can complete their deployment first.

However, Li Wei would not interfere too much with Goenitz's plans. After all, he was still waiting for the incomplete form of the Great Serpent to descend. If he were to break all of the Great Serpent's claws and fangs at this time, preventing the Great Serpent from emerging, then all the preparations he had made to seize the Great Serpent's power would have been in vain.

Ryo Sakazaki said, "Does knowing more necessarily mean danger? Is this whole thing that weird?"

Li Wei said, "You know that international arms tycoon, Lucar, right?"

Ryo Sakazaki nodded and said, "I know him. He's incredibly wealthy, has his own private army, and most importantly, he's extremely powerful personally. He also has a wicked hobby of turning defeated fighters into bronze statues." ... Please give me some flowers.

Li Wei said, "He almost lost his life because he went to explore secrets he couldn't know."

Goenitz, as the final boss of the King of Fighters '96 tournament, wasn't considered top-tier in the game. However, according to original data provided by SNK insiders, Goenitz was second only to Orochi as the world's number one fighter, far surpassing other fighters in strength. Even the combined might of veteran top fighters like Chin Gentsai and Tung Fu Lu couldn't withstand Goenitz's true power. (The last part, "八简女," is a separate, unrelated phrase and doesn't translate directly.)

The in-game performance differs somewhat from the official description. Despite the increasingly flashy skills of the various bosses, in terms of raw power, they are all inferior to Goenitz according to the official description. If it weren't for Chizuru Kagura's ability countering Goenitz, no one would have been able to defeat such a formidable opponent.

0...

Ryo Sakazaki looked shocked: "Even an underground emperor like that almost lost his life?! That's too unbelievable!"

After all, Rugal wields immense power, and if he wanted to establish a country, no one would dare to say a word against it. He is a ruthless man who controls nuclear forces and space carriers. No major power dares to coerce Rugal, for fear that this madman will suddenly go crazy and cause chaos around the world.

However, even a big shot like Rugal almost lost his life, so Ryo Sakazaki had no desire to continue exploring. The more he knew, the more dangerous it would be, and it was better for him to stay away from such things.

Li Wei said, "I have already sent the invitation. It has the contact information of Gis's men on it. He is in charge of coordinating all the specific matters of the competition. If you have any questions, you can call his men directly."

Ryo Sakazaki nodded.

“In that case, I’ll take my leave,” Li Wei said.

"Won't you stay for a simple meal?" Ryo Sakazaki said.

Li Wei looked slightly surprised and said, "Wouldn't that be too intrusive?"

Ryo Sakazaki laughed and said, "Not at all. Mr. Li, it's rare for such a distinguished guest to visit. Besides, you have to deliver invitations for that guy Geese, which means you'll be traveling all over the world. If we miss this opportunity, who knows how long we'll have to wait to get together again."

Despite Ryo Sakazaki's warm invitation, Li Wei stayed and dined with several key members of the Kyokugenryu group.

Chapter 257. Yuri Sakazaki's Troubles

The lunch at the Kyokugenryu Dojo was quite lavish. Although the Kyokugenryu Dojo's financial resources were not as great as those of local tyrants like Geese, they were still far beyond what ordinary people could afford. Li Wei looked at the students' lunch and saw a wide variety of meats, a good balance of meat and vegetables, and even special nutritional supplements.

Li Wei enjoyed a sumptuous lunch at the Extreme Flow restaurant. However, martial artists generally prioritize a balanced diet, so they cannot be too picky about the taste.

After lunch, the Black woman in charge of cleaning collected all the tableware and took it to the dojo's kitchen for washing.

Li Wei arrived at the courtyard behind the dojo. Compared to the bustling front courtyard, this area, serving as a rest area, only became lively during rest periods.

Yuri Sakazaki, carrying a thin quilt, came to the room behind Li Wei, who was sitting in the corridor, and quickly laid out the "043" bed on the tatami mat.

"Li Wei, the place for your lunch break is ready." Yuri Sakazaki looked at Li Wei sitting in the corridor with a curious expression.

The men in the dojo were all burly and rugged. Her father and brother were both complete martial arts fanatics. Robert Garcia, who joined last year, was originally a humorous person, but he was gradually assimilated by his father and brother, becoming a martial arts fanatic who only cared about being the "strongest."

The monotonous life within the dojo made her yearn for everything outside. Li Wei, coming from the outside world, seemed completely different to her from the people in the dojo. Li Wei turned to look at Sakazaki Yuri, who seemed hesitant to speak, and said, "Yuri, aren't you taking a nap?"

The Kyokugenryu school also has a tradition of lunch breaks, but there are fixed rules about the timing. The students haven't reached lunch break time yet, but Yuri Sakazaki doesn't have to follow those rules; she can rest whenever she wants. Yuri Sakazaki sat down next to Levi and said, "I can't sleep right now. Staying in the dojo all day is so boring." She rested her chin on her hands on her knees, looking frustrated.

"Yuri, don't you go to school?" Li Wei asked curiously.

“My father sent me to a private, elite girls’ school. It’s incredibly boring there. Now that school is on holiday, it’s just as boring back home,” Yuri Sakazaki sighed. Li Wei said, “It’s a girls’ school founded by the church, right?” Yuri Sakazaki nodded.

Li Wei could understand why Sakazaki Yuri felt bored. Church-run girls' schools were inherently strict places, and someone with Sakazaki Yuri's somewhat unconventional personality would naturally feel uncomfortable in such a rigid environment. Frankly speaking, church-run girls' schools were essentially training wealthy young men to become future wives. While they didn't have high academic requirements, they were extremely strict in matters of etiquette, manners, physical appearance, art, literature, and home economics. The core of all this policy was to cultivate a qualified wealthy wife.

Takumi Itagaki probably sent his daughter to that kind of place hoping to toughen up Yuri Sakazaki, but Yuri didn't like the environment, so going to school became torture. Yuri said, "The teachers and nannies at school are a bunch of perverts. I feel like they're brainwashing the students."

Li Wei laughed and said, "Aren't all church-run girls' schools like this? After all, from the very beginning, church-run girls' schools never intended to train all the girls they sent in to become successful. What church-run girls' schools aim to cultivate is a lady of a wealthy family, not an engineer or an artist."

Yuri Sakazaki said, "That's why I think it would have been better if my dad had just thrown me into prison instead of sending me there. At least there aren't so many torture programs in prison."

Li Wei laughed and said, "Things aren't as exaggerated as you say. Even if a church school has strict rules, it's still far from a real prison. Besides, a church school can teach a girl how to become a lady."

Yuri Sakazaki gave a disgusted look and said, "I don't want to become that kind of pretentious, fussy woman. I have to find a way to escape from there. Even the most ordinary public school is better than a church-run girls' school."

Li Wei just smiled. Every family has its own troubles, and the Sakazaki family is no exception.

When Li Wei was researching, he discovered an internal conflict within SNK regarding the mother of Ryo Sakazaki and Yuri Sakazaki. There are two versions of her story. The first is that she was divorced from Takuma Sakazaki, and the second is that she died in childbirth while giving birth to Yuri Sakazaki.

Through the memories of the Geese puppet, Levi discovers that on this timeline, Yuri Sakazaki's mother died in childbirth.

It was precisely because of this that Takuma Sakazaki, a burly old man, raised Yuri Sakazaki single-handedly, acting as both father and mother. Due to the lack of maternal love, the relationship between Yuri Sakazaki and her father and brother was actually very awkward...

It wasn't a problem when she was little, but now that Yuri Sakazaki has entered puberty, she seems increasingly rebellious to Takuma and Ryo Sakazaki.

In reality, this wasn't because Yuri Sakazaki was rebellious, but because her family lacked a mother as a lubricant. Both Takuma Sakazaki and Ryo Sakazaki were straightforward, so Yuri naturally felt confused by this way of getting along, which made their relationship particularly awkward.

Li Wei said, "Have you talked to Uncle Zhuomo about this?"

Yuri Sakazaki shook her head and said, "With his personality, it's no use talking to him."

Li Wei laughed and said, "Yuri, you didn't talk to Uncle Takumo, so how would he know what you want? Or did you not have a proper talk with Uncle Takumo?"

Yuri Sakazaki's expression was somewhat stiff. Every conversation with her father ended unhappily, and gradually, she stopped opening up to him.

Li Wei's words hit her sore spot, and Yuri Sakazaki puffed out her cheeks, looking sullen.

Li Wei laughed and said, "You really want to go outside?"

Yuri Sakazaki nodded.

Li Wei said, "The outside world isn't as wonderful as you imagine; it might even disappoint you. Uncle Zhuo and Liang not letting you run around is actually their way of protecting you. 2.8"

Yuri Sakazaki said, "I know about this kind of thing. After all, I was kidnapped by Mr. Big before, so I know how dangerous South Town is. But I can't live under my father and brother's protection forever, can I? I'm a human being, not a caged canary."

Li Wei said, "Although I really want to help you, this is your family matter, so I can't do anything to help you except cheer you on."

Yuri Sakazaki said, "I envy you, Li Weijun, for being able to travel all over the world. I wish I could go on adventures with you."

Li Wei said, "I can't agree to that unless you can get Uncle Zhuomo's consent."

Li Wei could understand Sakazaki Yuri's thoughts, but understanding was one thing; if he were to leave without saying goodbye and take her away, there would be many troubles later, and he didn't want to cause any trouble right now.

Chapter 258. Sparring

While Li Wei was chatting with Yuri Itagaki, Ryo Sakazaki had already contacted his father, Takuma Sakazaki, and explained the King of Fighters tournament in detail.

The Kyokugenryu Dojo had participated in the previous King of Fighters tournaments and had made a name for themselves. For Kyokugenryu, the King of Fighters tournament was the best stage to showcase their talent. In addition, the dojo's funds had been a bit tight recently, and the fact that the teams that made it to the top 16 would receive at least $50 in prize money made Takuma Sakazaki, who had been struggling with funding issues, very appealing.

Takuma Sakazaki had just hung up the phone with Ryo Sakazaki when he received a call from his daughter, Yuri Sakazaki.

Without hesitation, Takuma Sakazaki answered the phone. "Yuri, what's up?"

"Dad! I want to go out with Li Weijun, I want to go on an adventure."

"Nonsense! They're going to deliver invitations to the King of Fighters tournament, what are you going there for?!"

“I’d like to go and broaden my horizons too. Li Weijun is sending out invitations all over the world, so I’m sure I’ll get to spar with all sorts of experts. If I travel with him, I’m sure I can learn a lot.”

Sakazaki Takuma was speechless at his daughter's wild idea. After a long pause, he said, "With your mediocre skills, you'd only cause trouble if you went along. They'd have to divide their attention to protect you. And do you think they'd even allow you to come along?"

“I have a way to come along! Dad, all you need to do is help me with the leave of absence paperwork,” Yuri Sakazaki said.