Tokyoites don't have martial virtue

This problem finally surfaced in chapters 80-82, like something out of a late-stage Silver Age novel, resulting in a bizarre and dramatic situation. Many readers who enjoyed the book wrote lengthy reviews criticizing me. These chapters were originally intended to be a minor climax, and the plot was quite simple. In chapter 80, the senior student went undercover, discovered she had run into the underworld, and then decisively kidnapped hostages to create a standoff; chapters 81-82 saw the protagonist rush in to rescue them. Actually, I had the outline written; I just needed to improvise in the middle. However, my mental state wasn't right during that period. I wanted to write about the protagonist, like a lone wolf, rushing in alone and wiping out the underworld, but I was afraid the "realistic" readers would say the protagonist was impulsive and lacked common sense, questioning why he didn't call the police for help; I wanted to write about the protagonist hiding outside and calling the police, but I was afraid the "fantasy" readers would say the protagonist lacked guts.

The most problematic aspect is that in chapter 80, I hadn't actually built up a strong sense of crisis. The enemy was just a bunch of cheap, low-life gangsters and con artists. After the senior student took a hostage, they didn't dare move, fearing trouble if someone died. The two sides were locked in a stalemate for half an hour, giving the protagonist ample time to gather his forces and then charge in. Yet, many readers suddenly said, "The villain lacks charisma; I'm disappointed." Frankly, this kind of comment makes no sense to me. A villain who's just entered university and incites minors to commit crimes would be terrifying in reality, but how much charisma can he possibly have against our righteous, fanatical protagonist? We can't expect every criminal organization to have a Professor Moriarty just because Wano Country is a land of outstanding people, can we?

But I was in a rush at the time, and in a moment of impulsiveness, I listened to the readers' opinions and hastily revised Chapter 80. I increased the threat level of the villain and made the senior's crisis so urgent that every second counted—a minute's delay in coming to save her meant certain death. However, I forgot to revise the later parts after making the earlier changes, resulting in a complete logical collapse and inconsistencies, leading to this farcical situation.

However, this is mainly my fault. After all, maintaining a balanced perspective towards readers is an essential quality for any online novel author. Readers have the right to freely post comments (otherwise I would have already created a featured comments section), but authors must also have their own principles.

Rather than the traditional Japanese style of bowing and apologizing, I'm better at correcting my mistakes. That very night, I rewrote those chapters entirely, followed by two or three more major revisions, and also changed some earlier chapters, trying to correct the protagonist's character logic as much as possible. In the current version, I've basically fixed the logical and character issues, and the plot is much more exciting than the first draft. If I come up with even better ideas in the future, I'll revise it again. I think it's fair to call me a "craftsman" for rewriting a few poorly written chapters three times.

Actually, I'm quite glad this problem surfaced early. If it had occurred after the chapters were published, I wouldn't be able to change them as easily as I do now.

After completing this major task, I started reflecting on why my performance had deteriorated. To understand this, I spent my time at home mimicking the howling of someone wearing smoke goggles while relentlessly punching a sandbag, continuing even as my knuckles bled. Three days later, I finally grasped a truth…

The ghostly screams from the smoke-mirror are quite catchy.

No... I realize I've gone a bit astray, focusing too much on readers' evaluations and opinions. I tried to please everyone, ultimately setting my standards too high, exceeding my own capabilities, which backfired, and I forgot my original intention in writing this book.

My initial motivation for writing this book was very simple. I believe that even as people grow up and mature, they begin to become indifferent, selfish, and observant of others' cries for help, and they consider this a sign of "high intelligence" and "high emotional intelligence"... I still believe that there is a noble and passionate hero within each person, and that they yearn for all things beautiful.

This book is like a spiritual continuation of the previous book—the one where the fun-loving man who only wanted to speed up the fireworks was ultimately saved by love, and this book is a story about a crazy man about love and salvation.

Yes, many people consider this book very childish and full of flaws. They prefer stories with selfish protagonists and egocentric themes, the so-called "intellectual novels." I know this might sound sarcastic, but I'm not. I used to write this kind of book, and I enjoyed reading it. This time, I just wanted to try something new.

Finally, I want to ask myself again: "Do you consider yourself a writer?"

I don't think so.

People like me who write books for royalties and to attract attention can only be called "word-writing service industry workers." Lu Xun once expressed a very interesting point: "Poetry exists in everyone's soul, and the poet's job is to awaken the poetry sleeping in people's hearts." I think only those who hold this kind of awareness are qualified to be called writers.

Oh, by the way, please subscribe again! Thank you! I'll add more chapters after it's released; I'm still thinking about how many, probably between 3 and 5?

— Respectfully submitted by Xiao Chen, the pure love warrior from Tokyo, on May 26, 2023.

94. When the stars fall, you will meet the magician.

After school, Kyushu Seiichi entered the hostess bar and saw Manager Saito humming a tune while wiping glasses, guessing he was in a good mood.

"Manager, what's making you so happy?" Kyushu Makoto asked curiously.

"I heard the Kazama Group was dismantled by the cops, and their boss is now locked up in jail like a dog." Manager Saito glanced at him, a hint of schadenfreude in his smile.

"Moreover, the funding problem of the Golden Demon Group has been resolved, and our store will no longer be harassed."

"That's good, congratulations, store manager." Kyushu Makoto shrugged, his reaction indifferent.

"Hey, why are you so indifferent?" Manager Saito was taken aback, then joked, "Don't tell me you're the one who dismantled the Kazama Group!"

"The store manager thinks too highly of me~" Kyushu shook his head easily: "I'm just a high school student, I don't have that kind of power."

“Indeed.” Manager Saito put down his wine glass, reverting to his usual stern and harsh demeanor.

"Work hard, and don't let me see you slacking off!"

"Oh, I see!" Kyushu Makoto wasn't annoyed at all and responded with a chuckle.

After finishing his work, Makoto Kyushu left the PR shop and prepared to find a place to have dinner.

When he arrived at the entrance of "Kyushu Ichibanboshi," he found a drunken woman squatting on the ground, seemingly sobbing softly.

"Momiji-nee?" Kyushu recognized her and hurriedly stepped forward to check on her.

"Why are you squatting by the door? Are you alright?"

"Ugh..." Seeing Makoto Kyushu arrive, she took a deep breath, barely managing to stand up while leaning against the wall. Her body swayed, and her eyes were slightly red.

"What a coincidence, Chun Chuan, you're here for dinner too. Ugh, my head is spinning."

"Did you drink a lot today?" Kyushu Makoto quickly helped her up, frowning. "This is the first time I've seen you this drunk."

"Hehe. Today's guests are just a bit more difficult," Suzumiya Kame mumbled, scratching her hair and chuckling sleepily.

"But I can still drink, haha, let's open another bottle of champagne for the guests. Haha."

"Don't drink anymore, I'll take you home." Kyushu Makoto sighed and said, "Hold onto my shoulder, don't fall!"

Drunk people are as heavy as pigs that have fallen asleep, something he had already experienced when he took Ms. Jiangniao home—Kyushu Makoto put his arm around her shoulder tightly, using his other hand as a cane with his umbrella, and finally managed to get her home.

"It's really not easy for people in this line of work. Go home and get some rest." Kyushu Makoto dropped her off at the door and whispered a few words of advice.

Suzumiya Momiji squatted at the front door, struggling to fumble for her keys in her handbag.

Just as Kyushu Makoto was about to leave, he heard Suzumiya Kame ask indistinctly, "Hey, Harukawa, would you look down on someone like me?"

"How could that be?" Kyushu Makoto sighed softly, his tone turning helpless:

"Your industry is indeed very controversial. But everyone has their own difficulties, and I have no right to criticize you from a superior position."

"Eh~ This is just like the standard answer you would give~" Suzumiya Kame chuckled and asked again:

"Xiao Chunchuan, can you lend me some money? Three hundred thousand. Three hundred thousand will do."

Kyushu Makoto was taken aback, scratched his head and said, "Momiji-nee, you know my situation, it's impossible for me to take out so much money all at once."

She pleaded again, "Two hundred thousand, or even one hundred thousand, is fine."

Upon hearing this, Kyushu Makoto suddenly leaned forward and grabbed her shoulders, ignoring the pungent smell of alcohol and rose perfume on her, and asked seriously:

"Sister Huazi, are you in some kind of trouble? Can you tell me?"

"Hmm... troublesome?" Suzumiya Momiji's eyelids twitched, and she quickly shook her head: "No, it's nothing."

As she spoke, she dazedly held her forehead and fell silent, seemingly no longer conscious.

"Fine, you should get some rest today." Kyushu Makoto had no choice but to give up and turn to leave.

The next day after school, Kyushu Makoto immediately called Suzumiya Momiji.

It's Chuncheon! Why are you contacting me all of a sudden?

The other party was clearly a little surprised.

"Momiji-nee, do you remember I brought you back yesterday?" Kyushu Makoto asked directly.

"You said you wanted to borrow 300,000 from me, are you in trouble?"

"Huh? Borrow money?" Suzumiya Momiji paused, clearly surprised, but immediately denied it.

"No way! I must have accidentally gotten drunk. How could I possibly borrow money from Harukawa? Hahaha!"

"If you encounter any trouble, just tell me, and I'll try my best to help you." With her silvery laughter, Kyushu Makoto hung up the phone.

Kyushu Makoto wasn't a blockhead; he clearly sensed that Suzumiya Momiji had something on her mind. Otherwise, why would she ask him for money while drunk?

300,000 yen is not a small amount. If it's just for paying off credit cards or daily loans, you don't need that much money at all.

Kyushu Makoto wanted to find out what had happened and help her within his means. However, since Momiji wouldn't say anything, he didn't know where to start.

On his way to his part-time job, Kyushu Makoto was considering the possibility of her borrowing money.

Mortgage? Car loan? Or... loan sharking?

Many sex workers like Suzumiya Momiji are poor people who are in debt; otherwise, few people would be enthusiastic about this kind of work that sacrifices their body and dignity.

"Guest, you seem to be troubled."

Suddenly, a familiar female voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Kyushu Makoto looked in the direction of the sound and saw the female fortune teller again.

Night Wanderer Tianyin was still dressed in a black robe, her smile full of mystery.

She sat leisurely in her electric wheelchair, moving slowly forward. A small cart was hooked behind the chair, presumably filled with the props she used to set up her stall.

"Why are you in a wheelchair?" Kyushu Makoto asked. "Are your legs injured?"

Ye Youtianyin chuckled sheepishly and waved her hand, "I'm just too lazy to walk; I usually go out in a wheelchair."

“Okay.” Kyushu Makoto couldn’t help but chuckle, almost amused by her strange remark: “You really are...unique.”

"Compared to that, I feel there's a major shift in your destiny line." Night Wanderer Heavenly Sound pulled out a tarot deck and said mysteriously:

"Let me do a divination for you, Brother Hongzhong. It doesn't matter if you don't believe me, I'm just doing this out of personal curiosity."

Before Kyushu Makoto could say anything, she had already drawn the first card without further ado.

"The thread of fate for love has been reconnected and returned to its upright position, proving that it is developing in a positive direction," she exclaimed softly, covering her mouth slightly.

"It's unbelievable! I thought romance would disappear from your journey!"

Then, Night Wanderer Tianyin eagerly drew three more cards:

"[Trial][Emperor][Sun]. You and the three of them went through a difficult time together and established an initial friendship."

"This is the [High Priestess]." Night Wanderer Tianyin drew another card, her face lighting up with delight.

"How interesting! The High Priestess has actually been elevated to the rightful position! She has fulfilled her unfulfilled wish and will now follow you closely, becoming a support in your life."

Night Wanderer Tianyin stared at Kyushu Makoto's face for a long time, then suddenly realized what was going on and drew two cards.

"The Magician upright and the Star reversed... Interesting, this is your fate soon."

"When the [star] falls, you will meet the [Magician]. After this night, the true face of the world will be revealed to you."

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