Era of Mist

’Play?’

The word felt strangely unfamiliar, and Shi Tiexin’s first instinct was to refuse.

But on second thought, he’d never allowed himself the luxury of playing before because he was always living on the brink, just trying to survive. He simply never had the chance.

Shi Tiexin was actually a huge gamer. He used to drool over news about the latest consoles and fantasize about new hardware. Even when Zhou Xiong had taken him out to eat, he’d gotten completely engrossed in an ancient arcade cabinet, which just went to show how much he loved it.

What kid doesn’t like video games? If they had the choice, who wouldn’t want to be a happy, carefree otaku? ’All that inspirational crap I just said was just for show. Being a happy, carefree otaku sounds pretty damn great!’

It was just that his old life never allowed him to indulge in gaming.

But now... He looked around. ’Hmm, food and drink are covered, I’ve got status, plenty of money, and hundreds of henchmen... This version of me in this timeline seems to be doing pretty well.’

’As for my old plan of going straight?’

’Whoever wants to go straight can go straight! Whoever wants to run can run! Right now, I’m going to play some games!’

And the best part was, he didn’t have to handle everything personally anymore. He could just give orders for whatever he needed.

So Shi Tiexin said to Ah Fei, "You arrange it."

"You got it! This is my specialty. Just you wait!"

Surrounded by his entourage, he left the restaurant and got into Ah D’s massive SUV. He didn’t even have to lift a finger to open or close the door. ’This must be the life of the rich and powerful,’ he mused.

Thinking back, Liu Qigang had been just like this in his factory.

But how big was Liu Qigang’s factory, really? And how big was all of Tumu Castle? Yet here, in the bustling Tokyo Metropolitan Area, a massive city of over ten million people, I, Shi Tiexin, am a real figure to be reckoned with!

’Speaking of which, Tokyo used to be one of the great meccas for video games, with events like gaming expos. To think I’ve been here so long and never gone to check it out... a real oversight on my part.’

’Heh heh heh, I’m going to splurge today! Let’s go! Time to play a hundred credits’ worth!’

VROOOM! The SUV roared to life, and the night wind felt incredibly refreshing as it rushed past. Ah D had modified the vehicle; aside from the windshield and the support pillars, everything from the doors up—the roof, the panels, all of it—had been stripped away, making for an incredibly wild ride. Plus, the enormous, wide seats were a perfect fit for a burly man of Shi Tiexin’s size.

"Time to play! Let’s go!"

"AWOOOOOOO!"

The henchmen howled like wolves as they tore through the streets. Pedestrians in Japan shot them wary glances and quickly got out of the way. Hearing the men’s shouts in Chinese, not a single person dared to utter a word.

"YOU FUCKIN’ ASSHOLE, TURN OFF YOUR HIGH BEAMS!" A pair of bright headlights blinded them, and Ah D bellowed at the top of his lungs. The other driver started shouting back, but how could he possibly be a match for them? Ah Fei and the other two couldn’t resist joining in, unleashing a torrent of profanity like a high-pressure hose. The driver of the passing luxury car was so rattled by the verbal assault that he jerked the wheel, nearly losing control.

"Hahaha!" The henchmen roared with laughter, the very air crackling with their unbridled lawlessness.

Watching his wild henchmen, Shi Tiexin felt a ripple of emotion. He didn’t know what to make of their brazen behavior. But for a young man who had been oppressed for so long, this kind of unrestrained freedom was undeniably attractive.

Shi Tiexin began to laugh too.

It started as a smile, then grew into a laugh, and finally became a booming roar that echoed down the street.

’Going straight?’

’Not interested anymore.’

’It’s not as important as a hundred credits’ worth of fun!’

They continued their rampage, the Japanese scenery a blur outside the vehicle. All five of them were ecstatic. Who cared about speed limits now? The city was their racetrack. They sped along for about twenty minutes before arriving at their destination.

"Boss, we’re almost there," Ah Fei announced excitedly. "I know a place, it’s top quality. You’ll definitely be satisfied today!"

"Right." Shi Tiexin nodded. "I’ve heard of it. Akihabara, right? I’m looking forward to it."

"Akihabara?" Ah Fei froze for a second, then a funny look spread across his face. He nudged Shi Tiexin in the ribs with his elbow. "Boss, I didn’t realize you were into that sort of thing. Maid cafes, right? Cat ears? Cosplay? Hmm, I see you have... particular tastes."

’Maids? Cat ears? What’s that got to do with anything? Aren’t the arcades in Akihabara?’

Shi Tiexin frowned. "This isn’t Akihabara?"

"Of course this isn’t Akihabara," Ah Fei said, full of confidence. "Akihabara only has a few spots, and they’re pretty mediocre. If you just try to pick someone off the street, you have to get lucky to find a good one. This place is way better! It has a long and storied history, impeccable management, and top-notch service. The selection is huge, the variety is incredible... you could call it the Holy Land of Holy Lands! Absolutely top-tier!"

Ah Fei’s face was practically glowing with pride. ’For an illiterate guy who can’t even write, you sure managed to string a lot of words together,’ Shi Tiexin thought. ’Must have been tough for you!’

’But what exactly is this place?’

’Don’t tell me there’s some kind of "Holy Land" level arcade here?’

Three minutes later, Shi Tiexin looked up at a glittering neon sign: Kabuki-cho Sakura Avenue.

’Kabuki?’

’I remember learning about that in school. Isn’t it a traditional form of Japanese musical theater? The kind where they paint their faces completely white? It looks pretty creepy... what are we doing here?’

But when he looked around at street level, he saw the place was bustling with people and incredibly prosperous. Under the influence of the "Dark Night Tide," all of Japan had fallen into decline, and you could see signs of decay in every corner of Tokyo. Yet this place alone seemed to be thriving, growing even more prosperous than before.

Men of all ethnicities flowed through the area in a constant stream. Cars bearing three-pointed stars, four-ringed logos, and other symbols of luxury came and went without end. It was truly a prosperous place.

Shi Tiexin immediately swallowed his pride and asked, "What is this place?"

"Huh? Boss, you don’t know?"

Seeing the look on Shi Tiexin’s face, Ah Fei realized his boss genuinely had no idea where they were. He immediately stepped up to explain. "Boss, we’re here to ’play,’ right? And when you talk about playing, you’re talking about the five vices: eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and drugs. You’re obviously not hurting for food or drink, and you don’t seem interested in gambling or drugs. So I figured, why don’t we skip the foreplay, cut to the chase, and get straight to the main event—how about getting... laaaaaid?"

’L-A... LAID?!’

’Getting... laid?’

’Are they being this blunt about it?’

Shi Tiexin felt his face grow hot. ’Am I blushing? I can’t be blushing! How humiliating would that be for me, the big boss!’

"I think that’s a great idea," Mai Ba immediately chimed in. "They say Japan now is... what was it again? Half-something?"

"Half-capitalist and semi-colonial."

"Right, semi-colonial. If it’s colonial, then of course we have to do some proper colonizing. This ’semi-colonial’ must mean we provide half, and they provide the other half. The motherland sent me, so our side is providing the men. That means Japan has to provide the women, right?" Mai Ba slapped Ah D on the shoulder. "What do you think? Feel like doing some colonizing?"

Ah D stomped on the gas. "Let’s colonize!"

’Whoa, hold on, you guys,’ he thought. ’I just wanted to play a hundred credits’ worth of games! I don’t want to do any ’colonizing!’ I... I mean... I am a little curious, I guess. Heh heh heh...’

’Ah, screw it. The will of the people has spoken. I’ll be magnanimous and let my subordinates have their fun. The worst that can happen is I’ll just look and not touch. Okay, I’ll touch a little, but I won’t grope. Okay, I’ll grope, but I won’t grind. Okay, I’ll just grind a little, but I won’t...’

"We’re here. This is the place."