A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

Jinchengzhai Qianye laughed and said, "I want to challenge my limits. Even if I lose, I can still go back to my hometown. It's better than being a native with no way out here in Tokyo."

The "poor natives" in Tokyo have a significantly lower quality of life compared to the residents of other smaller cities in the surrounding area. However, while the lower limit is higher in smaller cities, the upper limit is higher in Tokyo. Some relatively high-end professions can only be found in large cities like Tokyo.

As Lu Chi and Li Wei chatted, they unknowingly arrived at Ocha Women's University. Li Wei found a temporary parking spot, parked his motorcycle, and followed Jin Chengzhai Qianye into the campus.

Looking around, Li Wei said, "The atmosphere feels quite serious, completely different from the style at the Tokyo University of the Arts."

Jinchengzhai Qianye said, "It should be said that the campus atmosphere at Tokyo University of the Arts is the most unique among all the universities in Tokyo. Seriousness is the common atmosphere in ordinary universities."

Diploma mills that are just places to coast through life naturally have a poor academic atmosphere. Both students and teachers exude a lax attitude, while students at truly good universities are actually quite diligent, which is why they create an indescribable serious atmosphere.

Chapter 1. A Perfect Match

Li Wei and Jin Chengzhai Qianye walked side by side, attracting a lot of attention, since both of them were absolutely handsome and beautiful.

Jincheng Sai Senya was already a very well-known figure at Ocha Girls' University. Although she was a "country bumpkin" who came from a remote place like Hokkaido, she was naturally beautiful and had a lot of popularity among the male students on campus.

When everyone saw Li Wei beside her, they felt a sense of perfect harmony between them. The two looked so well-matched. The boys who had initially felt resentful felt inferior upon seeing the handsome Li Wei, making it difficult for them to look directly at him, let alone continue looking at Jin Chengzhai Qianye.

Jin Chengzhai Qianye noticed the gazes of those around her and felt a little shy. She was not someone who liked being watched, nor did she enjoy such things.

Jinchengzhai Qianye gently tugged at Li Wei's sleeve and whispered, "Let's hurry up, the stares here are making me uncomfortable."

Li Wei could sense her discomfort. She was different from other girls. While other girls would feel secretly pleased to receive attention, she valued inner beauty more than outer beauty and disliked this feeling. It made her feel like a vase for others to admire.

It has to be said that girls like her are quite rare these days. In this era, everyone wants to become fat by stuttering, and very few people can work as patiently as she does and do what they really want to do well.

"Then let's hurry up," Li Wei said.

After the two quickened their pace, they soon disappeared from everyone's sight. When they reached a less crowded area, Jin Chengzhai Qianye finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Wei laughed and said, "In terms of enjoying watching a good show, Ocha Women's University and Tokyo University of the Arts are not much different. It's just that there are more strange people at Tokyo University of the Arts."

Jin Chengzhai Qianye gently patted his ample breasts to ease his tension.

Jinchengzhai Qianye said, "I think the atmosphere at Tokyo University of the Arts is quite good, much better than at Ocha Women's University. At Tokyo University of the Arts, I felt a kind of freedom that is indescribable."

Li Wei said, "Art schools often produce eccentric people, and even among the faculty and staff, there are many eccentric individuals. Therefore, the school rules are somewhat different from those of other schools. For example, at Tokyo University of the Arts, in addition to prohibiting illegal activities in public places, there is only one restriction: running naked is prohibited."

Jinchengzhai Qianye's face showed a shocked expression, and he said, "Uh... this is really freedom..."

Li Wei laughed and said, "Of course. During the exhibition, many people from outside the school came to visit, so the school's higher-ups were trying their best to restrain the students so that outsiders wouldn't see them looking unkempt and slovenly, which would damage the school's image. If it weren't for the exhibition, when you come to Dongyi University, you'd feel like it's a chaotic mess, with all sorts of weird and wonderful things. After being in that kind of environment for a long time, you'd feel a sense of envy when you see other schools."

Jin Chengzhai Qianye covered her mouth, trying her best to make her smile as ladylike as possible. She didn't expect Li Wei to say such a thing about her alma mater.

However, what Jin Chengzhai Qianye didn't know was that Li Wei had already been quite lenient with Dongyi University. Dongyi University had many problem students, especially those who liked performance art. They would always cause trouble outside of their regular creative work. One of Li Wei's seniors even had the experience of defecating on a bed in a guesthouse. That guy got into a fight with the guesthouse owner. When the police later questioned him about why he did it, he said he wanted to experience the feeling of slightly breaking taboos within the rules and then showing it to others.

Such oddballs are not uncommon among students at the Tokyo University of the Arts. In a place teeming with eccentrics, someone like Li Wei seems perfectly normal.

Li Wei said, "Laugh if you want to. Dongyi University is a place that produces a lot of jokes and anecdotes. You can always trust the ability of Dongyi University's teachers and students to create funny stories. There are no limits to how silly people can be."

To be honest, Li Wei quite likes the silly atmosphere of the East China University of the Arts. However, as a Chinese person, he can't fully integrate into that environment. He is well aware of this, and for the sake of his peaceful life, keeping a low profile is inevitable.

Especially before acquiring the "golden finger" (a special ability to manipulate others' feelings), he couldn't easily deal with the malice of others. If someone was targeting him behind his back, he couldn't defend himself, so keeping a low profile avoided a lot of trouble. However, after obtaining the golden finger, he could see through people's hearts, clearly discerning who was kind to him and who was malicious. It was precisely because of this that he gradually restored his social boundaries and began interacting with the outside world again. Moreover, because his charm is now extraordinary, he has a significant advantage in social interactions. After all, people, regardless of gender, are drawn to appearances. Li Wei's sunny and resolute style is not only appealing to men but also very attractive to women.

The two chatted as they walked and soon arrived at the office building where Professor Jinchengzhai Qianye worked. Li Wei waited outside the office for Jinchengzhai Qianye to finish submitting her assignment. Submitting the assignment didn't take much time; Professor Di Hai, with a serious expression, only took a few minutes to review the plan submitted by Jinchengzhai Qianye and gave it a pretty good grade.

After leaving the office, Jin Chengzhai Qianye breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face.

Li Wei said, "It looks like the result is good."

Jinchengzhai Qianye said, "Yes, this assignment is related to the final evaluation. My major is quite special, so there is no final exam. Instead, we use each assignment as part of our participation grade, and the final grade is the average of the total scores of all assignments. This is the last assignment of this semester. I got 10 out of 100, which is just 10 to pass. Now I can finally relax."

Li Wei laughed and said, "Many students in Chongguo's universities have a saying that translates to 'Ten points is enough, more points are a waste.' For those who don't plan to take the postgraduate entrance exam and just want to graduate normally, passing is enough."

Most university majors have exams, while only a very few majors rely on student work, such as some branches of finance where exams involve stock trading simulations and real trading, with students' grades determined by their final profits and losses.

Jin Chengzhai Qianye said, "Li Weijun, how about I show you around the Imperial Tea House?"

Li Wei said, "It's still early, we can take a stroll."

Li Wei was quite interested in Ocha Girls' University, because it was a school where women outnumbered men. Although it wasn't all-female like the IS Academy he had visited before, women still made up the majority of the students. Li Wei was quite curious about this kind of mixed university that had been transformed from a traditional girls' school.

Chapter 1. Unexpected Situations

The two of them toured the school in no time. Although Li Wei was complimenting them verbally, he was actually comparing Yucha and Dongyi University in his mind. In the end, he came to the conclusion that Yucha's atmosphere was too "neon-like," serious and dull. Compared with Dongyi University, where there was a lot of fun among the mentally challenged youth, it was a completely different world. He still preferred the atmosphere of Dongyi University. After all, most people who are involved in art are more interesting.

After visiting the school, Li Wei took the girl back to his apartment. When they arrived at the apartment, they could see two groups of yakuza members fighting in the distance. They were bleeding from head wounds, and some were lying on the ground groaning.

Jinchengzhai Qianye said calmly, "This is just a normal occurrence here. Let's go around."

Li Wei asked, "Is the security situation here always like this?"

Jin Chengzhai Qianye laughed and said, "You'll get used to it. After all, the rent here is cheap, and you get what you pay for. I'm already very satisfied to be able to live in Tokyo for such a low price."

Jin Chengzhai Qianye had done the math. Renting a well-located apartment would cost over 100,000 yuan per month, and a yearly rent would wipe out half a year's income for an average person. Here, the rent was only 40,000 yuan per month, and less than 100,000 yuan per year. Although she had received a large sum from Li Wei, she planned to save it as an emergency fund. She feared that this money would lead to extravagant spending habits, so she decided to maintain her current lifestyle, treating the large sum from Li Wei as a fixed deposit that could only be withdrawn in critical moments.

The two chose to take a detour, avoiding the yakuza fighting, but when they went upstairs and returned to their rented room, they found several people gathered in the hallway, discussing something.

Jinchengzhai Qianye saw her room. The door was open, and she saw her neighbors who lived on the same floor and whom she rarely saw. Everyone looked rather grim.

Jinchengzhai Qianye walked over and asked, "What happened?"

The person who was still talking stopped and turned around to say, "The apartment building has been burgled. This old apartment building doesn't have security cameras. We suggested that the landlord install them, but he said it was his private property and he wouldn't allow cameras. Now look what's happened, several rooms have been burgled. You should check what you've lost first; it would be a real problem if something very important was stolen."

Jinchengzhai Qianye remained calm. After all, there was nothing important left in the room; she always carried her truly important things with her.

Li Wei said, "He makes sense. Let's check the room first. Without security cameras, it will be very difficult to get the lost items back."

Because of the prevalence of private land in Japan, the Skynet surveillance system simply cannot be installed. The Japanese government has considered large-scale deployment of Skynet, but this has been met with public resistance, with many arguing that it infringes on ordinary people's privacy rights. Precisely because most areas lack surveillance cameras, while crime in Japan isn't rampant, the police face considerable pressure, as many cases remain unsolved due to insufficient leads.

The person who had spoken earlier continued, "We also suggested that stubborn old man install security cameras, but he always said no. Now look what's happened, without cameras, we can't catch thieves at all. I'm moving away from this awful place; I just can't stand it here anymore."

Li Wei could understand the other party's perspective. The apartment owner didn't want his privacy disturbed, so he prohibited the installation of cameras, which Li Wei could understand. However, from a security standpoint, for an ordinary person with little fighting ability, having cameras was always better than not having them. If he really encountered any special situation, the surveillance cameras could provide the police with more clues.

As tenants here, it's understandable that the people who had their belongings stolen would feel angry.

A young girl said, "This time it's just lost items; money is just an external thing, it's gone now. But what if those thieves come at night? How can we guarantee our personal safety? Are we supposed to pretend to be asleep while they're stealing?"

"Exactly! We've been suggesting installing security cameras all along. If there are cameras to warn people, most thieves won't dare to come near!"

Seeing the crowd's agitated expressions, Li Wei whispered to Jin Chengzhai Qianye, "Let's go. There's no point in just venting our emotions."

·Requesting flowers·· ······

Jinchengzhai Qianye nodded, and the two entered the room with the door wide open. Jinchengzhai Qianye began to assess his losses. In just a few minutes, the entire small house had been searched thoroughly, and the damages were tallied.

Jinchengzhai Qianye pulled a small box from under the tatami mat, opened it in front of Li Wei, and inside were neon coins of various denominations.

Jin Chengzhai Qianye laughed and said, "I'm pretty lucky. I only lost some money. The place where I actually kept my emergency funds was not found. There are 400,000 yen here. It's what I saved up from my part-time job. I didn't keep it in the bank. It's specifically for dealing with special situations."

...

Li Wei said, "I was lucky this time, and no one found out. But like you said, one's luck won't always be that good. The security here is really bad. It's either drunkards knocking on the door or burglars breaking in. There are even yakuza fighting not far from the apartment. I'm really fed up with this place."

The drunkard was still part of Li Wei's plan, but the subsequent gang fight and burglary were beyond his expectations. Without using divination to foresee the future, he would hardly have been able to sense such things, because these events were not directed at him, so he wouldn't even have been touched by them on a whim.

Jin Chengzhai Qianye laughed and said, "It's because the rent here is cheap. Before I met you, Li Weijun, my financial situation was never good, so I tried my best to save money on food, clothing, housing and transportation. To be honest, I've lived here for more than a year, and this is the first time I've encountered a burglary. However, gang fights are very frequent here. I heard that the gangs here are fighting for control of several pachinko parlors."

Li Wei himself controlled a yakuza organization and had a considerable understanding of the yakuza world. Generally speaking, large yakuza organizations usually have their own businesses, since simply collecting protection money is not enough to support a large number of underlings. Therefore, in order to make money, yakuza organizations have infiltrated various industries. The violent methods of the yakuza are just a means for them to protect their own interests, not their ultimate goal.

Chapter 1. The Types of Yakuza Organizations

Professional yakuza are completely different from ordinary thugs. Ordinary thugs usually don't have a clear purpose; they just drift along aimlessly because they've lost their goals in life.

In truly professional yakuza groups, the internal division of labor is very clear, and everyone's ultimate goal is the same: to make money. For yakuza members, violence is always a last resort; they only resort to violence when problems are completely unsolvable through negotiation.

Faced with official suppression, yakuza members are constantly seeking ways to survive. The stories of yakuza members selling milk tea and delivering takeout, though seemingly laughable to many Chinese, are true stories. They represent the efforts of yakuza members to make a living. After all, not every yakuza member is exceptionally skilled in combat, and everyone ages. Once they pass thirty and their physical functions begin to decline, even martial arts practitioners must find a way to retire.

The martial arts world is never just about fighting and killing; it's also about human relationships and social interactions. Even those who are considered to be on the extreme must ensure that they can still live with relative dignity after losing their advantage in martial arts.

After all, as Japan's population ages more and more, even yakuza organizations are facing the problem of aging. Before coming to Japan to study, Li Wei had seen photos of a yakuza annual meeting online. It didn't look like a yakuza organization at all; it looked more like a retirement home celebrating the New Year.

Many yakuza members were martial arts fighters in their youth, but after the age of thirty they became intellectual fighters; this is the power of time.

Furthermore, as the Japanese government's suppression of yakuza organizations becomes increasingly stringent, these organizations are gradually integrating themselves into various industries, using violence or other above-the-table means to achieve localized monopolies.

Take the agricultural cooperatives in Japan, for example. They're essentially a rebranded yakuza organization. These cooperatives profit from both sides: they sell seeds and rent machinery to farmers at inflated prices, but if farmers refuse their services, the cooperatives destroy their fields and houses. Furthermore, the cooperatives buy up all the crops and fruits the farmers grow at rock-bottom prices. Japanese farmers mostly earn a meager living through hard work; although their income may be higher than that of a typical white-collar worker, the intensity of their labor is far greater. And without the interference of the agricultural cooperatives, farmers could earn even more.

After profiting from the farmers, the agricultural cooperatives sell the fruit and grain they purchase at inflated prices. The reason Japanese watermelons have become a luxury item is due to the agricultural cooperatives' interference. Japan has considered importing fruit from abroad, such as from Okinawa, which has an abundance of fruit. If Japan were to import fruit from Okinawa, the price of fruit in the Japanese market could be reduced to about 50% of its original price.

However, the agricultural cooperatives used their money and political influence to obstruct imports, forcing ordinary Japanese people to pay exorbitant prices for fruit. The agricultural cooperatives are a product of multiple yakuza organizations, and they have long since legitimized themselves. They are no longer officially designated yakuza groups, but rather semi-official institutions with comprehensive welfare systems. They are arguably the pinnacle of all yakuza organizations, even the Yamaguchi-gumi cannot compete with them. The illegitimate cannot challenge the legitimate.

However, not all industries can be controlled by yakuza organizations. People die for wealth, birds die for food, and yakuza organizations are even at a disadvantage in some industries. For example, in the fishing industry of an island nation like Taiwan, yakuza organizations have suffered heavy losses.

There have been instances where yakuza organizations considered monopolizing the fishing industry, profiting from protection money and the catches of fishermen. However, the fishermen of Japan are known for their toughness and are among the few truly spirited "Showa men" in the country, whose fighting prowess surpasses that of yakuza organizations.

In Japan, fishermen are very united. Once, in an attempt to intimidate them, a yakuza organization slashed and threw more than a dozen fishermen from a fishing boat into the sea, dragging them with ropes to feed sharks.

This incident ignited the fishermen's fury, and a "war" broke out between the fishing industry and the yakuza organization. The fishermen, brimming with martial spirit, went on a rampage, hunting down yakuza vessels at sea. They even went so far as to ram a yakuza whaling ship that was significantly larger than themselves. The more than thirty yakuza members on board were all chopped up and thrown into the sea to feed the fish, and the whaling ship was also seized by the fishermen.

The yakuza organization wanted to extend its reach into the fishing industry, but unexpectedly, it forced the entire industry to consolidate, forming a mutual aid association mainly composed of fishermen. This organization, existing under the name of the mutual aid association, can be considered a variant of the yakuza organization itself.

Both sides suffered heavy losses in the end. Japan already has a serious aging population and low birth rate. Both sides knew that continuing to fight would not benefit either side. So, a dramatic scene unfolded: the members of the yakuza organization raised the white flag, disguised themselves as fishermen, joined the mutual aid association, and became fishermen who earned their living through their own labor.

The reason why the two sides were able to unite was also related to changes in the external environment. Armed fishermen from Okinawa often came to Japan to fish, and the large fleet of Okinawa fishing boats was followed by warships and coast guard vessels. When the Japanese fishermen saw this, they were immediately intimidated. Therefore, the fishermen and the yakuza organizations were able to unite. Facing an even more terrifying behemoth, they could not survive without banding together.

Of course, Li Wei was naturally pleased with this; seeing his motherland acting like such a rogue put him at ease.

Besides these two dramatic industries, yakuza organizations have also ventured into the real estate and entertainment industries, and their penetration into these industries has been quite successful. These things have even been depicted in some anime.

Li Wei looked at the girl who was happily hugging the box of money and snapped out of his reverie.

Li Wei said, "The security here is really bad. If you want to move, I can provide you with some assistance in that regard."

Jin Chengzhai Qianye said, "Li Weijun, you're an international student here to study. Won't this be too much trouble?"

Jin Chengzhai Qianye didn't want to cause Li Weitian any trouble in this matter. Precisely because they were friends, she didn't want to put Li Weitian in a difficult position.