Living in the bubble economy of Tokyo, I became a literary giant through lotteries.

"It's indoors again this time?" Guan Gufeng glanced around at the surroundings.

The room is about 30 square meters and has good natural light. There are several worktables by the window, and the tables are piled with things.

Original manuscript paper, ink, halftone paper, ruler...

Several storyboard drafts were pasted on the wall, heavily marked with pencil marks, indicating that they had been revised many times.

The air smelled of a mixture of ink, tobacco, and instant coffee.

But the most eye-catching thing is not the worktable, but the mahjong table in the center of the room.

A green velvet tabletop, four chairs arranged in a circle, mahjong tiles scattered on the table, uncollected, as if no one had taken care of them after the last game.

Guan Gufeng's heart skipped a beat.

"No way, I just casually mentioned it before, and you actually brought me to the comic studio for a lottery? But who has such a unique hobby as to put a mahjong table in the studio?"

He walked to the worktable and glanced down at the manuscript on it.

Yu Yu Hakusho

Guan Gufeng's pupils dilated slightly.

"No way... I've somehow ended up in Yoshihiro Togashi's studio?"

Yoshihiro Togashi, a manga artist whose name is jokingly referred to by netizens as "Old Thief" because the four characters in his name, when separated, are positive, but when put together they are derogatory.

Mahjong King, the God of No Publication.

Along with Akira Toriyama, Takehiko Inoue, and Masami Kurumada, he is known as one of the four kings of Weekly Shonen Jump.

Besides Yu Yu Hakusho, he also drew Hunter x Hunter, which caused a sensation worldwide.

Besides the quality of his work itself, his frequent hiatus from updates also caused a sensation worldwide.

How can creators stop updating? Don't you all agree?

However, Yu Yu Hakusho should have started serialization at the end of 1989, and at that time, Yoshihiro Togashi's manuscript should have contained some setting materials.

Guan Gufeng looked at the system panel, where an arrow pointed to a tile on the mahjong table: Red Dragon.

[Equipable item detected: Yoshihiro Togashi's Mahjong Set (Red Center)]

[Item Description: This Red Dragon tile is Yoshihiro Togashi's recent favorite. He's found that he can win every time he draws it. In any case, this tile embodies his "luck," "manga skills," and "power to procrastinate."]

[Action Effect Preview: After equipping this item, you will gain professional-level drawing abilities, enabling you to draw comics and illustrations with an additional 50% increase in skill and efficiency.]

[Permanent condition preview: Maintain the equipment status until a piece of work is completed]

[Equipped?]

Guan Gu Feng looked at the item description and his face darkened.

"The power of procrastination?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Mr. Togashi."

"Who told me to go on hiatus so often when I was following 'Hunter x Hunter'?"

He reached out and quickly grabbed the red wine from the table.

"I'll accept your red coin."

"leave."

With a thought, Guan Gufeng's figure vanished instantly, and the room returned to silence, as if no one had ever been there.

The next second, Guan Gu Feng returned to his bedroom, holding a mahjong tile in his hand.

at the same time.

Yoshihiro Togashi, carrying a bag of convenience store drinks and snacks, pushed open the studio door, followed by three assistants.

"Don't leave after you finish drawing today. Stay and play mahjong with me." Togashi put the bag on the table, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I've been having incredibly good luck lately, so I have to strike while the iron is hot."

"Again?" an assistant asked with a pained expression. "Last week I lost a week's worth of meals."

"That's because your skills aren't good enough."

In the evening, the four of them sat down at the mahjong table and began shuffling the tiles.

The cards were rubbed together in his hands, the clattering sound filling the entire room.

Tag number.

dice.

Draw a card.

After drawing his first hand of cards, Togashi frowned.

"etc."

He put down the cards in his hand and began counting the cards on the table.

"What's wrong?" another assistant asked.

"The cards are wrong." Togashi's expression grew increasingly grim. "It seems like one card is missing."

The group turned all the tiles over and counted them one by one. It was a standard mahjong set of 136 tiles, and they counted it three times.

One hundred and thirty-five sheets, one is missing.

"Where's my Red Center?!"

……

He got up very early the next morning.

After he finished washing up, he changed into clean clothes.

Before leaving home, he deliberately took a detour to Ginza.

Tiger House.

This long-established wagashi (Japanese sweets) shop, founded in the 16th century, has a small branch in Ginza, but it's not crowded in the mornings.

The glass display case was filled with all sorts of yokan, monaka, and dorayaki, all beautifully packaged like works of art.

"Please give me four dorayaki."

The shop assistant wrapped it in tissue paper and put it in the shopping bag.

This was the dessert his sister loved most, as he remembered it, and it was something his mother often bought for him and his sister when she was alive.

Carrying a tote bag, Guan Gufeng boarded the tram bound for Taitung District, leaning against the door and watching the scenery outside the window change from high-rise buildings to low-rise residential areas, and then from residential areas to familiar shopping streets.

After getting off the tram, I walked along the road I'd walked for over a decade. The ramen shop on the corner was still there, and the laundromat's sign had been replaced, but the color was still the original blue.

Guan Gu Bookstore.

The roller shutter door was half-closed, the wooden signboard was faded, and most of the gold paint on the two characters "Guan Gu" had peeled off. Several stacks of old books were piled up at the entrance, covered with plastic sheeting and covered in dust.

Guan Gufeng stood at the door, composed himself, and then pushed the door open.

"Welcome to Guangu Bookstore, may I ask...?"

Guan Guyu, who was sitting at the front desk, stood up and habitually put on a professional smile.

Then she saw the person's face, and her smile froze.

"Little Wind?!"

"sister."

Guan Guyu stood there stunned, then suddenly rushed out from behind the front desk and hugged Guan Gufeng tightly.

Guan Gu Feng felt his sister's shoulders trembling.

She still smelled of that familiar shampoo. She had lost even more weight than a month ago, and her wrists were so thin they looked like they would break if you used too much force.

"Sister..." Guan Gufeng's voice was a little hoarse.

Guan Guyu didn't speak. She buried her face in her younger brother's shoulder, her shoulders heaving, but she held back her tears.

Guan Gufeng gently stroked her back, feeling the protruding bones on his sister's back pressing against his palm through her thin sweater.

It's only been a month.

"Sister, I'm back," he said softly. "Look..."

He picked up the bag in his hand and shook it.

"I brought dorayaki. Your favorite."

Guan Guyu finally let go of him, her eyes red, looking at the handbag.

The logo of Toraya.

"You..." Her voice was a little hoarse, "Why did you buy something so expensive..."

"Sis, I have money now." Guan Gufeng smiled. "Don't cry, come inside and eat."

The inner room remained the same.

Guan Guyu went to the kitchen, poured two cups of hot water, and brought them over. Guan Gufeng opened his bag and placed the dorayaki on a plate.

He picked one up first, "Sis, come and eat."

Guan Guyu picked up a dorayaki and took a bite.

The sweetness of the red bean paste melted in my mouth, just like the taste I remembered.

"Is it tasty?"

"Mmm." Guan Guyu nodded, tears falling again.

The last time I ate Toraya's dorayaki was when my mother was still alive.

The two ate in silence, neither of them speaking. After a while, Guan Gufeng spoke first.

"Sis, let me tell you about my novel."

Guan Gufeng put down his dorayaki and began to explain how he submitted his manuscript, how he won the award, and how he signed the publishing contract.

He spoke very simply, glossing over many details.

There was no mention of capsule hotels, convenience store night shifts, or expired oden.

He didn't even mention that his sister had saved up money for three years, which he still hasn't been willing to use.

Guan Guyu listened quietly, holding her teacup in both hands, her eyes as gentle as a spring breeze.

She didn't interrupt him or press him for answers, because she believed her brother would succeed, just like that night.

That's it.

Guan Gufeng put down his teacup and looked at his sister.

"sister."

"Um?"

"Why don't you move in with me?"