Chapter 59: How Far Can We Go? Probably Not Far

After finishing the unserious talk, Qingshan Li explained seriously: "The relationship between her and me is probably like two carousel horses in the same facility — close in distance, but they will never touch."

"That's quite literary." Ono Mizuki was fairly satisfied.

Ono Mika smiled.

After finishing the meal and washing the dishes, the three prepared to study.

Before starting, Ono Mizuki kept admiring that ten thousand yen bill, occasionally pressing it happily against her face.

"If your grades drop, you won't get it next month." Facing such an adorable Ono Mizuki, Ono Mika's tone couldn't become serious at all.

"I have an idea." Qingshan Li spun his pen and smiled, "I did receive the text message, but I haven't actually seen it, so I'm still not at ease. Let's go to FamilyMart together and check the balance at the ATM?"

There's more than one way to check the balance, but this one has the most ritual feel.

The Ono Sisters didn't speak.

After a while.

"Doing it this way is safer." Ono Mika said solemnly.

"Go?!" Ono Mizuki could no longer hold back.

"Go!"

The three stood up quickly, pushing and shoving at the doorway as they put on their shoes, threw open the metal door, and surged out.

"Buy some snacks on the way!"

"Should we buy Mizuki a mobile phone?"

"Wait until after the exams!"

In the pitch-black night, the brightly lit FamilyMart convenience store was like a lighthouse guiding ships.

The three walked in and gathered in front of the ATM.

Ono Mika entered the password one digit after another.

At a certain moment, Qingshan Li suddenly covered Ono Mizuki's mouth; Ono Mizuki's body trembled with excitement.

"Um," the clerk looked over, "are you together?"

Ono Mizuki turned back, so excited she hugged Qingshan Li.

"Sorry!" The clerk withdrew.

The three whispered in front of the ATM, voices low but emotions high.

"It's really there!" Ono Mika also nearly lost her mind, gripping Qingshan Li's arm tightly.

"One zero, two zeros, three zeros" Ono Mizuki confirmed the numbers, as if only this way could turn everything before her eyes from a dream into reality.

"Don't rush, don't rush!" Qingshan Li calmed the two, "Withdraw five hundred thousand and try!"

"Five hundred thousand?!"

"That—" The clerk looked over.

"It's fine." Qingshan Li, covering the sweet girl's mouth, gave a radiant smile.

The clerk looked at the sweet girl: "She seems to—"

"Hurry, hurry!" Ono Mizuki excitedly shook Qingshan Li's body.

"Sorry!" The clerk withdrew once again.

Ono Mika said softly: "Five hundred thousand, this much money, carrying it back in hand is too dangerous."

The clerk felt something still wasn't right; just in case, he cautiously poked his head out.

He happened to see Qingshan Li taking off his top, while the sweet girl impatiently helped.

This time, Clerk-san, withdrew completely!

When the three left, the sweet girl hugged the boy's clothes, wearing the expression of a female molester, rubbing her face against them and kissing them.

This is a FamilyMart convenience store, not a convenience-for-that-kind-of-thing store!

The three who had withdrawn five hundred thousand finally had a sense of reality.

Not to mention the Ono Sisters, even Qingshan Li was somewhat in a trance — to think he could earn this much money so easily.

—System, well done, tonight I'm giving you a day off!

Back home, needless to say, the three used the five hundred thousand in all sorts of exaggerated ways, including but not limited to slapping their faces with it, spreading it on the bed, throwing it in the air.

Finally, under Ono Mika's forced order, they started studying.

In the evening, after showering, because he'd given the System a day off, Qingshan Li wrote his novel until 12:30.

Lying in bed, he settled today's emotions, thinking about the future.

In Tokyo, for a three-person household to maintain a relatively affluent life, it takes about 10 million to 15 million per year.

One hundred million yen can only last ten years.

This still doesn't count unexpected expenses.

Must continue earning money.

One hundred million yen — Ono Mika giving each person ten thousand a month; at least she'd have to raise the standard to one million per person per month for it to count as meeting the standard financially.

That is ten billion.

The authors of big hits like "Dragon Ball," "One Piece," "Detective Conan," "Naruto" — their incomes should have long surpassed a hundred billion.

No, those are manga authors.

Are there any novel authors?

Thinking up to here, Qingshan Li fell asleep.

4 AM.

—System!

System·Ryosuke rose coldly and silently began doing push-ups.

Even during water breaks, he was as cold and ruthless as a robot returning to its base to recharge.

"To what level can I reach in this lifetime?" Qingshan Li thought.

Aside from making the Ono Sisters happy for a lifetime, he himself had no life goal he absolutely had to achieve.

Money, power, beautiful women — he liked them all, but to say he had much interest in becoming the richest man, ruling the world, or collecting the most beautiful women of every country and age, he didn't.

The only thing he wanted to do was to see, with the System, how far he himself could go in this world.

The pain of over-exercising felt like his bones were cracking.

So painful, so tired, so regretful.

Qingshan Li understood a principle: a real man absolutely does not sympathize with himself when making a choice.

For example, during System fitness or study, he could regret, slack off, and curse during the process, but when making the choice, he absolutely could not let himself off easy.

At six o'clock, Qingshan Li lay on the ground as if he had just crawled out of the river.

After showering and changing clothes, he started writing his novel, until Ono Mizuki called him to eat breakfast.

"You have to ask about the new home situation today, for sure." Ono Mika reminded Qingshan Li.

"Don't worry." Qingshan Li ate the leftover stew in big mouthfuls.

"You clearly already have one hundred million yen, yet you still eat leftovers." Ono Mizuki sighed.

"Cherish it; this might be the last meal of leftovers in your life." Qingshan Li said.

"Then Onii-chan, you eat more~" Ono Mizuki smiled sweetly and gave him an extra serving.

After eating breakfast, the three went out.

From their current residence, reaching Kaimei High School took thirty to forty minutes by vehicle alone; counting walking, waiting, and transfers, it took about an hour.

The daily commute time was two hours.

Two hours a day, three years equals ninety-one days.

Of course there were days without school, but even so, the wasted time was not insignificant.

Arriving at school, on the Baseball Club's countdown banner, the time changed from "61" to "60".

Today was Tuesday; first period in the morning was Classical.

"Class begins." Akita Shio said, walking toward the podium.

"Stand up!" the class representative said.

Qingshan Li, who had just said "a real man absolutely does not sympathize with himself when making a choice" this morning, now fell into hesitation and conflict.

Using the System in class, once he spaced out, he would truly fall into hell.

However, under the System's coercion, his class efficiency was at least three times his usual.

Get used to it, don't be afraid, Qingshan!

—System!

Qingshan Li held a determination to die, as if Tenshinhan using Mafuba against Piccolo Daimao.

【Teaching scenario detected, whether to activate Intelligent Guidance】

—Yes!

"Please sit." Akita Shio said, "Before class, Teacher will run an advertisement: Teacher is the Hyakunin Isshu Club's Club Advisor. Recently the Hyakunin Isshu Club wants to compete in the Tokyo Regional Tournament in June, but is still short one person. Interested students please definitely consider it."

From the "advertisement" onward, Qingshan Li spaced out.

【Qingshan Li: Mikami Ai classmate, sorry, I actually like you. Because you said we're impossible, I deliberately did some twisted things to make you hate me.】

Everyone: Men, it's okay to be a little kinder to yourself; there's no need to drive yourself into a dead end.

This was the second principle Qingshan Li realized this day.

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(Chapter End)