MEI sat on the sofa.
Looking at the darkening sky outside, her eyes were filled with worry.
Her father had gone out to buy groceries, but there was still no sign of him returning. She had tried calling him, but no one answered.
A few simple dishes were set on the table.
After waiting for a long time with no sign of her father, she had eventually gone out to buy the ingredients herself, hoping to find him along the way. Unfortunately, after checking all the nearby grocery stores, she hadn't seen a trace of him.
It turns out that when pushed into a corner, people are capable of anything. To take care of her father and survive under the pressure of poverty, MEI had been forced to develop decent cooking skills.
Though the taste was average, at least it wouldn't send anyone to the hospital... probably.
MEI turned her head. The TV was playing the evening news.
[Breaking News:]
[A Pachinko parlor located in the West District of Nagazora City was robbed earlier today, resulting in significant property damage.]
[The perpetrator is suspected to be a woman with light purple hair. Police have issued a warrant for her arrest.]
[The suspect is believed to be armed with heavy weaponry and is considered extremely dangerous. If you have any information, please contact the police immediately. Do not attempt to approach the suspect.]
MEI watched the footage on the screen. It showed a Pachinko parlor billowing thick black smoke. The once lavishly decorated building had been reduced to near-ruins.
Despite the destruction, based on the surrounding street view, MEI instantly recognized it as one of the places her father frequented.
She stood up abruptly, anxiety clouding her face.
"Father... he didn't run into trouble, did he?"
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Worry began to gnaw at her heart.
Although her father had promised her before leaving that he wouldn't gamble or drink anymore, and although MEI genuinely hoped he could turn over a new leaf and get their lives back on track...
Emotionally, she wanted to believe he had changed.
But rationally, she found it hard to believe a person could undergo such a drastic transformation without experiencing a major, life-altering event.
Her father had fallen this far because of the devastating blow of her mother's death. If he were to change again, what kind of massive shock would it take?
MEI fell silent. A dark suspicion had already taken root in her mind. Her father had almost certainly gone back to gambling or drinking.
Gradually, a wave of sadness and grievance washed over her. She felt like her life was mirroring the darkening sky outside—bleak and gray.
MEI stood up, put the food into an insulated container, changed her clothes, and prepared to check the nearby izakayas or the police station.
Just before leaving, she paused, thought for a moment, and grabbed a can of pepper spray and a homemade stun gun she had tinkered together in her spare time.
Although everything seemed normal on the surface, the news reports made it clear that public safety in Nagazora City was deteriorating. It was best to be prepared when going out at night.
Ready to face the night, MEI reached for the doorknob.
But just as her hand was about to touch it, the door opened from the outside.
Father and daughter locked eyes, both freezing for a moment.
"MEI?"
"Father?"
The man opening the door was indeed her father, Ryoma. However, his appearance was drastically different from the disheveled mess he had been this morning.
His hair was meticulously styled, his clothes were crisp and clean, and the persistent stench of alcohol that usually clung to him was completely gone.
His face was sharp and composed, devoid of the haggard, soulless look he had worn for months.
He was carrying a metallic briefcase, looking every bit like a successful businessman returning home after closing a major deal.
If she hadn't looked at this face for over a decade, MEI would have thought this was a completely different person.
MEI breathed a sigh of relief.
Regardless of the details, the fact that her father had returned safely was all that mattered.
"Since you're back, Father, let's eat first..."
MEI took the dishes out of the insulated container and set the table, inviting Ryoma to sit down.
The meal wasn't lavish—it couldn't compare to a professional restaurant—but it carried the warmth of a home-cooked dinner.
...
"I just learned how to make these recently, so the taste might not be quite right."
Ryoma clasped his hands together and smiled. "Thank you for your hard work today, MEI. Itadakimasu."
He picked up a piece of what appeared to be tempura and took a bite, chewing slowly.
"How is it?" MEI looked at him with a hint of anticipation.
Ryoma's eyes lit up. After swallowing, he gave MEI a thumbs up.
"Delicious!"
Seeing Ryoma's exaggerated praise—like something out of a gourmet cooking show—confusion crept onto MEI's face.
She was self-aware about her cooking. While it wouldn't send anyone to the ER, calling it "delicious" was definitely an insult to the ingredients.
Curious, she picked up a piece of tempura and put it in her mouth.
An explosion of overwhelming saltiness and sourness detonated in her mouth. MEI felt like her taste buds had been carpet-bombed. Her face instantly scrunched up in bitterness.
She looked at Ryoma, who was still happily shoveling food into his mouth.
After swallowing the bite with great difficulty and fighting down the urge to gag, MEI asked hesitantly, "Father... is this... really good?"
Ryoma's expression didn't falter for a second.
"It's delicious! This is food made by my daughter. It tastes like home."
MEI's expression was complicated, but a warmth spread through her heart.
She knew her father was likely comforting her, sparing her feelings.
But then she realized—how long had it been since she had seen this considerate, caring side of him?
Ever since her mother died, his personality had warped, and he seemed to have abandoned the world entirely.
But now, MEI felt a glimmer of hope. Could it be that her spirited, reliable father had returned?
Watching her father continuously stuff the questionable food into his mouth, MEI felt helpless, but also a twinge of guilt.
How could she let her father continue eating such unpalatable food?
Perhaps she really should seriously study cooking...
While MEI rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought with a faint smile, she didn't notice that the "Ryoma" sitting across from her was also quietly observing her.
Another piece of tempura went down. Bitterness and spiciness exploded in his mouth. This was the umpteenth flavor profile Li Mu had detected in a single dish.
To create over a dozen different conflicting tastes in one plate... in a sense, MEI was a culinary genius.
If his physical constitution hadn't been boosted to the level of an A-Rank Valkyrie, he would probably be in the ICU right now, his consciousness waving hello to his ancestors at the Gates of Hell.
Yes, the current Ryoma was actually Li Mu in disguise.
Since the real Ryoma was currently useless, Li Mu had no choice but to take the reins himself and establish MEI Corp.
As for the real Ryoma? He was currently harvesting bananas on a plantation in Africa.
Looking at the remaining food on the table, Li Mu shuddered internally.
But no matter how hard it was to swallow, he ate it without changing his expression, even going so far as to praise MEI's cooking.
Why?
[Check-in complete: 'Daily Life - Raiden Mei's Dinner'. Reward: Crystals x10.]
The reward wasn't much—practically spare change compared to his previous payouts.
But the key was that this was a repeatable daily mission!
That meant just by eating MEI's cooking every day, he could earn 30 Crystals. Every single day!
Li Mu suspected this braindead System had copied mechanics from a mobile gacha game. Wasn't this just a variant of the daily stamina login bonus?
Regardless, for the sake of 30 Crystals a day, he would happily be a hype man.
After all, if he told MEI the honest truth—that her cooking was a biohazard—and crushed her spirit so badly she never cooked again, wouldn't his daily free rewards disappear?
After dinner, MEI cleaned up and prepared to return to her room to read. Li Mu stopped her, indicating he wanted to talk.
Sitting across from MEI, Li Mu—wearing Ryoma's face—looked full of remorse.
"MEI, I've been thinking all day, and I finally realized just how terribly I've behaved."
"As a father, as an adult... to be supported by my own daughter... Your mother in heaven must be incredibly disappointed in me."
"Father, please don't say that. You... you..." MEI wanted to comfort him, but given the reality of the situation, she couldn't find a single valid excuse for his behavior.
"MEI, I know you want to comfort me, but there's no need." Li Mu looked sincere. "Admitting past failures isn't shameful. What's shameful is glorying in them. I don't want to be that kind of man anymore."
"Father?"
"I've decided. I'm going to build a legacy for you. I'm going to make you the happiest child in the world."
"Father, what are you talking about?" MEI was confused. Her father was acting stranger by the minute.
"I've decided to start a business."
"..."
MEI felt like her father must be drunk again.
"...Let's not, Father."
She couldn't be blamed for doubting him. A man who was an alcoholic gambling addict just yesterday suddenly claiming he wanted to start a business?
If it were anyone else, she would have called them crazy. But since it was her father, she tried to be gentle.
"We can still put food on the table right now. If this venture fails, we really won't have a way out."
Hearing the distrust in MEI's voice, Li Mu smiled faintly.
He lifted the metallic briefcase onto the table.
"These are patents I worked on in the past. If I monetize them, I can definitely establish a foundation here in the Far East."
MEI knew her father had been somewhat famous in the scientific community, specializing in physics and engineering. It was normal for him to have some patents.
But to use them to start a startup... Although she didn't want to crush his enthusiasm, MEI wanted to say that was a bit delusional.
However, Li Mu had already opened the briefcase, revealing stacks of documents inside.
"So you spent the whole day printing these out? I thought..."
I thought you went gambling again. Of course, MEI didn't say that part out loud.
Curious, MEI took a stack of files from the briefcase and began to read.
Very quickly, her gaze sharpened.
As a true genius, her knowledge base allowed her to easily understand the technical data.
It was a blueprint for an autonomous mech, including various supporting technologies. Some parts were significantly more advanced than the current world's standard.
This surprised MEI greatly.
Li Mu smiled.
He had bought these blueprints directly from the System Shop for 100 Crystals. They were Fire-MOTH technologies from ten years in the future.
In the years to come, as the Honkai disaster escalated, humanity would be forced into a desperate arms race against extinction. With Honkai energy serving as a near-omnipotent power source, technology would leap forward every single day.
Although the future world's tech tree would lean heavily towards biological enhancements, and mech technology wouldn't advance as fast as bio-engineering, compared to the current era, it was still a massive leap forward.
At the very least, it was more than enough to anchor a corporate empire.
However, gradually, MEI looked up at Li Mu, her eyes filled with suspicion.
"Father, is this really your technology?"
Although her father had some achievements in research, as his daughter, MEI knew exactly how capable he was.
It was possible Ryoma developed this. But it was highly unlikely.
Facing MEI's suspicion, Li Mu didn't flinch. He spoke with righteous confidence:
"Of course it's my technology."
"I swear on your mother's name."
"If I'm lying, may your father spend eternity harvesting bananas in Africa!"