I became the emperor in the comic book series.

After finishing everything, Kotoko Higa lit a cigarette and sat on a bench next to the dilapidated small park in the square below her apartment building. She stared at the dark sky above, where a light drizzle had started falling from some unknown time, and remained silent for a long time.

On the way home, Bao Yue took out a talisman and stuck it on the little cat doll that was constantly struggling and used to seal the Po Xuan demon. It was given to her by that very powerful older sister.

Recalling the invitation to be trained by the other party and the promise to reach the top of the psychic ranks within ten years, she ultimately chose to give up.

It's been too long... Mom can't wait that long for her.

She must seize the moment, take every opportunity to become stronger, defeat the Void, and snatch her mother's spirit back from His hands!

The traditional methods of training shikigami and passing on spiritual mediums are too slow and not radical enough.

If she wanted to make graduates more controllable... she had better options.

Meanwhile, on the train back to Tokyo.

Higashino Akira reached out and stroked the face of the courtesan, who was resting her head on his lap like a kitten, as she carefully recounted the battle to him. He then fell into thought.

Well, actually I didn't touch anything, it didn't feel real at all, but since she was in this position, it just felt a bit inappropriate if I didn't pretend to be affectionate.

He felt that his previous thinking might have been too conservative.

Searching for evil spirits one by one to reach at least blue stats after being conferred a title is like sifting through sand; the drop rate is too low.

But what if we turn our attention to the gods?

In Japan, there are so-called eight million gods. As long as you can communicate with them or negotiate with them, and you understand their rules of conduct but can't defeat them, they are often worshipped as gods. Perhaps there are also some similar urban legends, gods that were worshipped because of a certain belief or fear, and that's how they came to be.

However, from the two I have met, whether it is Shikanoko, who is the deer god, or the fox mountain god, although they are of different levels and their abilities are very different, they all have the common characteristic of having very high aptitude.

After all, the position of a god is also considered part of the qualifications.

Thank you, not all gods are strong. Some are weaker and easier to deal with, like Kanoko. You don't even need to lift a finger; you can easily subdue them with just words and threats. As for the average ones, like the mountain god, you can take them down with the power you currently possess.

This group, whose skill level starts at blue, is predominantly purple, and has a high success rate, should be the most suitable target for him.

The key is that God is often more intelligent and more controllable than evil spirits.

Instead of bestowing titles upon evil spirits as gods, it would be better to directly incorporate those mediocre, nomadic gods.

For him, who is in a period of rapid development, the progress of talent training is ultimately difficult to keep up with the demand, so it is more efficient to directly poach people.

Just like before, they dug two little foxes away from the mountain god.

Although their strength was mediocre, their abilities in other areas, besides fighting, far surpassed those of the courtesan and the thousand souls.

He was, after all, a civil servant who had received formal training and was a knowledgeable regular soldier.

Akira Higashino came up with a plan!

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P.S.: Third update, three chapters still owed.

Chapter 143 Dongye, do you want a wife or not?

The following morning, Akira Higashino arrived in Chiba and presided over a meeting at the Yunmeng Group to discuss the group's future development plans.

Looking at the new faces that had appeared in the meeting room.

They are the latest group members to be promoted and squeezed into the decision-making level after the game "Omizome Story" became popular and led to the establishment of a new business division.

Whether it's the booming development of the logistics and delivery department, the thriving game division, or the recently successful Yunmeng Entertainment, which has achieved considerable success by recruiting Mai Sakurajima and riding the wave of the hit game "Okumizome Monogatari," and by promoting Eiko Tsukimi, there's much to discuss.

As for the original pillar industries of Yunmeng Group, after suffering a blow and undergoing industrial transformation, those numerous small and medium-sized labor-intensive livelihood industries have gradually survived and are also resuming expansion, but their performance is still somewhat inferior and their profits are relatively meager.

The investment and M&A department is in contact to acquire a bank. Meanwhile, the social platform and software development and promotion of the company is still waiting for the game exchange forum built by Yunmeng Group for the game "Omu Dyeing Story" to reach its final registration level, so that it can catch competitors off guard and directly convert them into a famous company in one fell swoop.

Other supporting media and platforms were either purchased or developed in accordance with the group's arrangements, without making any premature moves that would alert competitors.

In the entertainment field, the core is the film "Your Name". So far, the results are not yet visible. It is mainly used to hone the team and cultivate new talents. After all, if we want to make a large-scale entry into the film and television industry in the future, we will have a platform and resources, but we will not have enough professional talents and it will be difficult to increase output.

After Kongming summarized and reported the recent developments of Yunmeng Group in detail,

Akira Higashino slowly began, "Everyone has done a great job during this period, whether it's in the promotion and marketing of the game or the development of new businesses. This deserves recognition."

"Although we encountered some setbacks along the way, the result was good."

"That is precisely why we should continue to expand, deepen, and consolidate the fruits of our victory along the path we have already succeeded in."

"Riding on this momentum, we will continue to build our foundation and lay the groundwork for future development in other areas. At the same time, we cannot wait until the hype of one project has died down before thinking about starting the next one; new project planning must be put on the agenda."

"Regarding the new project, I have an idea. Please write it down and we can go back and brainstorm to refine and implement it."

"In our previous game, we leveraged its strong social features to drive the development of various industries, both online and offline, including agriculture, logistics and delivery, and entertainment management."

"We are the leaders and producers of content."

"But we can't dominate the market forever and create content that users and players will pay for."

"So, while the popularity and positive reviews of 'Omzome Story' are still going strong, let's try to involve players in the creation of subsequent content. We will only be responsible for creating the game's beginning and gameplay framework, allowing players to express their passion and co-create the characters, character designs, and even the story background and plot development."

"To integrate film and television animation, novel creation, and game production with [the company/organization]."

Akira Higashino described a storyline that could be linked to the game "Okumizome Monogatari".

The story begins with Akira Higashino, the newly appointed deity and successor to the Yunmeng Shrine, who is dissatisfied with the gradual decline of mystery in the new era, the collapse of the original order, the weakening of the gods due to the loss of faith as a supporting force, the fall from their divine positions, and the defiled scene of yin and yang imbalance in the human world. With the goal of recreating the three realms, dividing yin and yang, unifying faith, and reuniting mystery, he begins to recruit talents and write a new chapter in mythology.

"As for the name of this project, let's call it 'Yunmeng Fantasy Land'."

Inside the meeting room, everyone looked at each other, unsure of the final outcome of this new model that had never been seen before, and there were even considerable risks involved.

Some people asked directly, "How are the legal and public opinion risks related to copyright handled? After all, we have no precedent for this here."

After thinking for a moment, Higashino Akira said, “Yunmeng must maintain control, and the copyright cannot be leaked. As the price for co-creation, this project will be a semi-public welfare project. Fifty percent of the net profit after deducting all costs will be invested in various charitable and welfare undertakings controlled by the Yunmeng Group, and the remaining fifty percent will be used for creative incentives. Once the story and setting are written and agreed to be published to Yunmeng and confirmed for use, they will belong to Yunmeng. This will be written into the contract, and a pop-up will be made to the provider before each content publication review to ask whether to agree.”

"Then won't we make money?" someone asked, but this time he received only speechless looks from everyone.

Okumizome Story is still a free game.

As a highly diversified group, as long as the game project is popular, even if it doesn't make money itself, the value it brings is enough for Yunmeng Group to reap profits in other industries.

The group's dividends are very attractive, but they are not distributed based on departmental profitability. For example, many of Yunmeng's industries are not very profitable, and some even need support from headquarters, or even have to spend money to maintain their development. However, this does not prevent those departments from receiving a considerable share of the group's dividends.

Good departmental profitability is just a bonus; the overall assessment is based on a comprehensive evaluation.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the bedroom. Yukino Shino, Akira's new secretary, walked in and leaned down to whisper in Akira's ear.

After listening, Higashino Akira looked up at the room and said, "That's all for now. Each department should go back and refine the project prototype, then compile a plan for me and get it implemented as soon as possible."

After saying that, Akira Higashino ended the meeting and left the meeting room with Haruno Yukinoshita.

Soon, in his president's office, Akira Higashino didn't have to wait long before a middle-aged man with a somewhat gloomy demeanor and a smiling face was led in by Haruno Yukinoshita.

The other party immediately started making small talk, saying, "Mr. Higashino is truly remarkable for his age. He has built such a large-scale business at such a young age. It is truly astonishing."

Akira Higashino nodded, but didn't seem particularly pleased. "Thank you for the compliment."

"These are my heartfelt words. Ever since I learned about Mr. Higashino's deeds, I have often thought back to my past experiences. Every time I recall them, I feel that I have wasted half of my life."

"Let's get down to business. I think Mr. Sakura came to see me for more than just to say these boring things."

"Haha, of course not! I am indeed here to visit Mr. Higashino on important business, and it is something very important."

Faced with the young man's cold attitude, the middle-aged man called Sakura wasn't angry at all. After all, this kid was so promising at such a young age, and besides...

Who knows, he might even end up becoming family with his boss someday.

"I wonder if Mr. Higashino is currently married?"

As Sakura spoke, without waiting for Higashino Akira's reply, he took out a photograph from his suit pocket and handed it to Higashino Akira.

After all, this kind of thing must have been investigated before he came, and he had complete confidence in the source of the Shinomiya Group's intelligence.

The photo shows a petite, slender girl with delicate features and a cold demeanor.

"This is the eldest daughter of our Shinomiya Group, the apple of the old patriarch's eye. She is currently studying at Shuchiin High School. She is outstanding in both appearance and ability, and is still unmarried."

"In this country, there are not many people who are worthy of her. Only a young and promising man like Mr. Higashino is a good match for Miss Shinomiya."

"So, as long as Mr. Higashino speaks up, I will immediately send you Miss Shinomiya's engagement. At that time, our Yunmeng and Shinomiya groups will become allies and work together. The troubles that happened to the Yunmeng Group before will never happen again. In the entire island market, there will be no more enemies that can rival our two families?"

Upon hearing this, Higashino Akira gave the old man spouting nonsense a deep look.

When did it become the business of discussing the marriage of the heiress of a top-tier unicorn conglomerate, a marriage that no one even knows?

They weren't even from the main Shinomiya family, yet they confidently declared that they would do it if he agreed.

Who does he think he is?

None of us are poor, ordinary people. Who doesn't care about saving face? What if we get rejected?

Normally, for a marriage of this caliber, there should first be a banquet or something similar, inviting the two young people to have time to get to know each other, before subtly inquiring about their thoughts on marriage and whether they are willing to be together.

If Akira Higashino were the descendant of a powerful figure like the heiress of the Shinomiya Group, he would have little say and be forced to passively accept things, which would be understandable.

But he is a self-made man who takes charge of his own life. Is it presumptuous of him to ask him if he wants a wife right away?

Moreover, any intelligent person in Higashino Akira's position would not dare to easily form a marriage alliance with a powerful force like the Shinomiya Group.

Leaving aside Akira Higashino's uniqueness and the extraordinary power he possesses.

Akira Higashino has no parents or direct relatives. If he were to marry into the family and the other party were to sabotage him, wouldn't his vast fortune simply be swallowed up by the Shinomiya family?

Let alone others, even Higashino Akira, upon hearing this proposal and having this opportunity, had a fleeting thought in his mind about using a dump truck iaido technique after the marriage to eliminate all the other members of the Shinomiya family and take over their family business.

However, in the end, Akira Higashino still had some moral bottom line and a sense of shame. In addition, the Shinomiya family was too big and complicated, with a large number of illegitimate children from the main family, branches, and even the main family. It was impossible to kill them all, and it was also difficult to swallow them whole. So he gave up this dark idea.

"Let's not bring this up again. I'm a sentimental person, so I won't hold Miss Shinomiya back any longer."

"What's the big deal? Mr. Higashino is still so young. What young and promising man doesn't have a few female confidantes? Miss Shinomiya will understand."

Sakura still didn't give up. Higashino Akira simply flipped the photo over and placed the portrait side face down on the table.

"It would be impolite to say it again."

"Does Mr. Sakura really want me to say something as rude as admitting that I like big breasts and have little interest in small breasts before he'll give up?"

Across from her, Sakura opened her mouth, completely unexpected to hear such a response. No, what's wrong with being smaller? Isn't being such a beautiful and aloof young lady a plus?

Besides, just because it's small now doesn't mean it will be small in the future.

What if we develop something further after marriage, and maybe even have a second growth spurt?

Besides, it's an arranged marriage. If you really don't like someone, can't you just have a marriage of convenience, go through the motions, keep the wife at home, and have affairs on the side?

Sakura had wanted to say something more, but seeing Higashino Akira's unwavering gaze, she ultimately gave up the idea, sighed silently, and changed the subject.

"What about other business investments and collaborations?"

"If Yunmeng Group is willing to accept the financing from Shigong Group, all of Shigong Group's resources will be fully opened to Yunmeng Group."

Higashino shook his head. "Yunmeng Group is not short of money at the moment, and has no plans for financing or going public."

Sakura paused, his brows furrowing.

"Then acquisition is the only option. The Shinomiya Group is willing to acquire part of the Yunmeng Group's assets at a premium to reduce Mr. Higashino's burden. Mr. Higashino is still young, just graduated, and freed from these worldly constraints, he can pursue new industries, continue to expand the market, and amaze everyone!"

As he spoke, his tone turned serious. "Mr. Higashino, you'd better think carefully before answering me this time. Our Shinomiya Group also has its pride and cannot tolerate repeated rejections. As a young person, you have a broad future and a bright prospect. There's no need for you to plunge headlong into a dead end. In our market, it's not entirely fair and open. Offending people you can't afford to offend will only narrow your path in life."

Higashino Akira tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes slightly raised, his tone playful, "Are you threatening me?"

Sakura replied in a cold voice, "I'm reminding you."

"Do you represent the entire Shinomiya Group, or just a voice within the Shinomiya Group?"

The other person's expression changed slightly, but it was fleeting. They still stubbornly insisted on their position, putting on an arrogant face befitting a large corporation, saying, "There's no difference."

Akira Higashino smiled, turned to Haruno who had been quietly waiting by the side, boiling water and making tea, and waved to her, telling her to stop for a moment.

"Yinno, does Mr. Sakura have an appointment with me?"

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita Haruno shook her head. "No."

“Then please ask Mr. Sakura to leave.” Akira Higashino, who dislikes wearing watches, turned on his phone screen and glanced at the time. “I have other things to attend to later. Please see this distinguished guest from the Shinomiya Group out for me.”

In the end, Sakura, looking quite displeased, didn't cause any trouble or make a scene like some third-rate villain, and instead followed Yukinoshita Haruno's guidance and left the Yunmeng Group.

When Yukino returned, there was no one else in the office. She dropped her disguise, closed the door, and walked briskly to Akira Higashino's side. She picked up the photo that hadn't been taken away, glanced at it with a slightly mischievous smile, and teased him.

"I've always heard of the young lady from the Shinomiya family, but I never imagined she would be so beautiful. If you don't hurry, you'll miss this opportunity."

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P.S.: 4,000+ words. I was 200 words short of finishing before, so I added some word count corrections. If you haven't seen the change yet, please refresh the page.

Chapter 144 Are you sure you want to eat Xiaoyang here?