Toumori Sanae looked expectant, but she only saw Eriri's confused expression.
"What is it? Say death!"
Cold sweat broke out on Eriri's forehead. She felt her mind was in a fuzzy state. Not only did she forget Kato Megumi's name, she couldn't even remember what she looked like.
"What did you add? One plus one equals two? Experience +3, recommendation +1?"
Suddenly, Eriri's eyes sparkled: "I remember, the name of Shadow Lady is Recommendation Ticket!"
"Ying Pingping, you idiot Death! Take my Thunder Hammer Whirlwind!"
……
"Kato, are you home?" After resting at home for a while and estimating that Kato Megumi had probably arrived home, Yushan Heren sent a message.
The message instantly became read, but there was no immediate reply. After waiting for half a minute, Kato Hui sent a voice message: "My sister and I are in the supermarket and haven't returned home yet."
Yushan and the other person rolled around in bed, but he didn't expect that he guessed wrong the time Kato Megumi would come home for the first time.
[It's so late, what are you still buying in the supermarket? 】
……
"Xiaohui, why are you suddenly running here?" Hiromi Kato walked out from behind the container.
"I didn't do anything!" Kato Megumi slowly put away her phone and said calmly.
"Xiaohui is not honest anymore and has started to deceive her sister!" Kato Hiromi walked around Kato Hui and she smelled gossip.
"My sister even lied to me and said she would take me to Hokkaido for a trip." Kato Megumi said.
"When did I say that?" Kato Hiromi blinked, his skill in playing dumb was first-rate.
"Let me see." Kato Hui took out her phone again, "You can find it by looking through the chat history!"
"I suddenly remembered that I haven't bought sunscreen yet. Hokkaido is a high-latitude area with strong ultraviolet rays. Xiaohui must be careful not to get sunburned!" Hiromi Kato smiled and changed the subject.
Kato Megumi nodded and followed Kato Hiromi out of the corner.
"By the way, Xiaohui, can you tell your sister secretly who you are going to travel to Hokkaido with next week?" After shopping, Kato Hiromi came up again.
"No! This matter needs to be kept secret."
"Do we have to keep it a secret in front of my sister?"
"Yes!"
Kato Hiromi looked at Kato Megumi seriously and said, "Could it be that she is going to Hokkaido with that boy named Yushan Kazuto?"
Kato Hui blinked: "Xiao Hui doesn't know either!"
……
"By the way, Sanae, how many days of vacation do you have next week?" At the door of Touma's house, Eriri smoothed her slightly messy hair and suddenly asked.
"What's wrong? I can rest for five days, death!" Toumori Sanae's midterm exam is also next week.
"Five days, that's great, we only have four days of vacation." Ying Lili said a little enviously. If there were five days of vacation, she could stay at home for one more day.
"Stop talking nonsense, just say it, death!" Toumori Sanae was still a little unhappy. She had finally got the real name of the Shadow Lady, but Eriri had forgotten it.
"It's the Hokkaido hot spring trip I told you about before. How about we go together next week?"
"Stupid Ying Pingping, Thor's hammer user will not go to Hokkaido's death with you!" Touma Sanae was unhappy.
"Yes, if it weren't for Yushan Kazuto, I, I wouldn't want to go with you!" At this point, Eriri felt a little unhappy. Why didn't Yushan Kazuto want to go with her?
"It's because of the Great Demon Lord Yushan again, idiot Ying Pingping, you have been completely corrupted by the Great Demon Lord Yushan, death!"
"You are the one who has been corrupted!"
"Butler, quickly send Ying Pingping home to death!"
Chapter 71 Competition and Inspiration
【Contest?】
When he woke up in the morning, Yushan Heren saw the message that Kong Yinzi sent late last night and felt a little confused.
"What is this National Online Shogi League Tournament?" Yushan Kazuto tried to search for information about the tournament, but unfortunately there was very little information about the tournament on the Internet. He had no choice but to send a message to Sora Ginko.
"The National Online Shogi League Competition is an amateur competition that was only recognized by the Shogi Academy this year. The winner of the competition can participate in the bonus association's three-dan inclusion test. If you pass the test, you can directly join the three-dan league and skip the six-level player system." Kong Yinzi replied quickly.
Yushan Heren looked at the two messages, one was sent at 2:40 last night, and this one was sent at 5:35 in the morning.
"You didn't sleep last night?"
"Don't change the subject!"
"Okay, keep talking, and then go to bed!"
"The three-stage league is the best way for chess players to become professional chess players. It is usually held every six months. Only the champion and runner-up of the league, or the winner of two third places, can be promoted to professional chess players."
"The three-stage league usually starts in April and October every year, but in April this year, due to problems with the sponsors of the competition, the competition had to be postponed to the end of June this year."
"So, if I participate in the National Online Shogi League Tournament and pass the 3rd Dan Entry Test, I can participate in the 3rd Dan League that will start in June this year?"
"Wait until you win the National Online Shogi League Tournament!"
Kong Yinzi yawned. Although she felt a little uncomfortable hearing Yushan Heren's relaxed tone, she had to admit that with Yushan Heren's chess skills, there was almost no possibility of failure.
"Okay, I get it. You should go to bed early. I'm going to get up and exercise."
After sending the message, Yushan Kazuto climbed out of bed. He felt that there was not much to worry about in this National Online Shogi League Competition.
[Kong Yinzi is a 2nd dan chess player. According to her, I am much better than her. I should be at least a 5th dan chess player.]
Yushan Kazuto's understanding of shogi is still inadequate. Shogi is called a 70-30 game. Even a 9th-dan player cannot say that he can definitely beat a player who has just entered the dan level. However, he was able to completely suppress Sora Ginko without leaving any chance. This was definitely not something that he thought a 5th-dan player could do.
The National Online Shogi League Competition sounds impressive, but it is actually just an amateur competition that was established less than three years ago. The first two sessions were called the National Online Shogi Competition. It was only after it was recognized by the Shogi Academy this year that the word "League" was added.
Since the competition was established not long ago, the competition system is not perfect and the entire competition process only lasts for two weeks. It took Kong Yinzi a long time to find such a suitable competition for Yushan Kazuto.
[Damn you, you're not serious at all. ]
Kong Yinzi lay in bed, tossing and turning. Even though she felt tired and sleepy, she couldn't fall asleep.
[I have to remind him to move slowly, otherwise he might be considered cheating. ]
[I will also work harder and strive to win two games in a row before June and qualify for the third-tier league.]
【I wonder if I can get the runner-up? 】
Kong Yinzi's goal is more rational, the highest she can get is only runner-up. After all, she knows very well that if Yushan and others participate in the competition, there is basically no possibility that the championship position will fall into the hands of others.
……
[Will the competition officially start on May 18th? ]
Yushan Kazuto browsed the event information sent by Kong Yinzi and frowned.
May 18th is next Saturday. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be strolling in Hokkaido with Kato Megumi at that time.
But after thinking about it, Yushan Heren felt relieved. After all, the first few days were just preliminary rounds. If he got five wins or three consecutive wins, he could enter the promotion round. According to his efficiency, it would only take more than an hour.
"Why do I suddenly feel a little bored today?"
After getting used to busy weekends, Yushan Heren felt bored on a rare free Sunday.
[No, I can’t waste such a leisurely Sunday, I have to write some code to calm my nerves! ]
Yushan and Ren turned on the computer. Although he felt a little unfamiliar with writing code, he quickly got into the state.
Lines of code flew across the screen as Yushan Kazuto gradually got into the groove. It seemed that because he hadn't practiced for a long time, the accumulated inspiration was pouring out in an endless stream. Yushan Kazuto's fingers were moving faster and faster, and the only sound left in the entire room was the crisp sound of keyboard keys.
Countless inspirations burst out and collided, and Yushan Kazuto felt that he had entered a wonderful realm. Originally, he was just typing codes aimlessly, but now, he was completely immersed in the ocean of creation.
Closer, closer! Yushan Kazuto's finger movements increased in speed again. The crackling sound of the keys was as moving as an eighth note.
Suddenly, the sound of keystrokes stopped.
The flow of characters on the screen also stopped. There was no doubt that the computer was stuck.
Yushan Kazuto stood up, walked into the bathroom, washed his face with cold water, and then he calmed down a little.
[It's a pity that inspiration doesn't come often. ]
Yushan Heren didn't get angry, but just felt a little regretful. The program he had just written really exceeded the carrying capacity of this computer.
After sitting on the bed for a while, Yushan Heren took out his mobile phone and dragged a mobile phone number off the blacklist.
"Has Xiao Heren finally found his conscience? He actually took the initiative to call me! I'm so flattered!"
Yukinoshita Haruno's voice is still so bright and sunny, making people feel like they are bathed in spring breeze. It's a pity that her heart is black.
"I suggest you write a 10,000-word reflection on the call, and I'll pay for it to be published in the Tokyo Daily News."
"That would be too expensive! Xiaoyangnai is embarrassed to let Xiaoheren spend money like this!"
"It's much less than the 20 million yen handling fee. It's not a big deal."
……
"I've been talking to you for five minutes. Forget it, let's get down to business." As they were chatting, Yushan and the other person looked at the call time and found that it had been five and a half minutes.
"If you feel bad about phone bills, you can chat via video!"
"I want a z15t02, you should be able to get it, right?"
"z15t02?" Yukinoshita Haruno's tone was a little confused, "Isn't that a server? What are you going to do?"
“There’s a demand for certain things.”
Seeing that Yushan Kazuto was unwilling to say more, Yukinoshita Haruno did not continue to ask: "I can get z15t02, but it will take some time."
"15 days." Yushan Kazuto calmly reported a time.
"I'll try to look for it. If it's available in Japan, I can send it to you in about three days."
"Well, thank you." Yushan Heren hung up the phone.
……
Chapter 72: Kasumigaoka Utaha's New Chapter
In the cafe, Machida Sonoko looked worried: "Shi-chan, even though this book signing event was not very successful, there is no need to start all over again."
"Editor Machida, please call me Kasumi Shiko."
"Shi-chan, don't worry about such trivial things as the name. Now we are discussing the direction of your plot!" Machida Sonoko said dissatisfiedly.
"I'm sorry, Editor Machida, I think it is necessary to revise the plot." Kasumigaoka Utaha said firmly.
"Why? Even if the effect of this book signing event was not good, there are objective reasons. The audience of your works does not seem to like such lively occasions. I am too eager for quick success. If your first book signing event is held in some quieter areas, it will definitely be a lot more lively."
"Editor Machida, even if the book signing event is very successful, I will not change my mind. The thought of revising the plot is like a devil, constantly whispering in my mind. I know that this approach may cause me to fall into the abyss, but I still can't extricate myself." Kasumigaoka Utaha said seriously.
"Are you sure? Do you really want to insist?" Machida Yuanzi finally gave in. "But I have to remind you in advance that the performance of "Love Metronome" has not met the company's expectations. If you insist on doing it, you may have to cancel it early."
"I know."
Kasumigaoka Utaha took a deep breath. As a work of the Fujimi Fantasia Award, "Love Metronome" has always been tepid. The sales volume in the first week was 17,000, and the sales volume in the second week suddenly dropped to less than 2,000. Up to now, the cumulative sales volume is only 20,000 copies.
If it were an ordinary light novel, a new work with a first volume sales of 20,000 would be a very impressive achievement. But "Love Metronome" is an award-winning work after all, and its resources and channels are not comparable to ordinary light novels. The sales of 20,000 are not proportional to the resources invested by Kadokawa Bookstore.
"Besides, Editor Machida, even if I don't revise the plot, "Love Metronome" will not be able to be completed smoothly." Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled.
Machida Yuanzi blinked her eyes and said, "I didn't expect you knew everything."
"So, even if sales decline after I revised the plot, it only accelerated the process."
Machida Sonoko was silent for a while: "Tell me about your new plot." "I'm planning to add a second male lead who is a popular character." Kasumigaoka Utaha thought of the appearance of Hayama Kazuto in her mind.
"A funny supporting role? It seems a bit inconsistent with the style of "Love Metronome." Machida Yuanzi frowned, "Besides, in the manuscript of the second volume, you have already added the second female lead, Zhen Wei-chan. Adding a second male lead doesn't seem appropriate."
"He's not a funny supporting character, but a normal male second role. He's handsome, smart, and friendly, but he's very sharp-tongued and sarcastic towards Sayuka."
"Wait, this is really not a villain?" Machida Sonoko hurriedly stopped her.
"Of course not. I set him up as a person who says one thing and thinks another. His usual friendliness is just a courtesy. When it comes to the people who are truly important to him, he doesn't know how to express his feelings. He can only attract attention through sarcasm and sarcasm."
"On the surface, his relationship with Sayuka is incompatible, but in fact, he has been silently paying attention to and helping Sayuka. He is always secretly working for Sayuka's happiness."
Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke faster and faster, her eyes shining. Machida Sonoko hadn't seen such creative passion from Kasumigaoka Utaha for a long time.
