Late at night, Hou Wenjie realized he was having a dream.

It was a very strange feeling. In his dream, he picked up fragments of memories and watched those scenes that had actually happened play out before his eyes like slideshows.

He watched those dead memories quietly, like watching a flower bloom quickly and then wither and fade away.

Then he woke up; it was raining lightly outside the window.

At the end of the dream, the memory abruptly ended, and a soul-wrenching pain shattered everything.

Hou Wenjie didn't think much of it, but he couldn't fall asleep anymore. He lay in bed and quietly waited for dawn.

From midnight until dawn, those fragmented, sharp memories pierced his mind, forming a narrow corridor of memories within it.

It was as if he was walking barefoot down this corridor again and again, his feet bleeding profusely.

On this rainy night, he deeply understood Zhang Chu's words: "It is shameful to be lonely."

Perhaps he should find a woman and try dating?

Is this... human thought? Those fragments of memory brought him closer to people.

The sky finally brightened, and it was still drizzling outside the window.

Hou Wenjie got dressed, washed up, put on his raincoat, and started his morning run.

Going for a run in the morning rain is a very enjoyable experience.

The world is shrouded in a hazy mist, and as you wander through it, unable to see left, right, front, or back, you might even develop an illusion that you could walk like this to the very end of the world.

It's as hazy as a dream; you'll fantasize within it, imagining yourself doing everything in your dreams.

As Hou Wenjie stepped on the stone bricks, he imagined that the fragments of his memory were no longer sharp, but had turned into smooth pebbles that would no longer cause him pain.

But how could that be? Any living being that has memories will suffer, even if it was once just a piece of data.

In the morning, he opened the door of Magic Bean Bookstore on time.

Ozawa is here; Tabuchi had class today and didn't come.

Ozawa never reads the books he buys at home; he stores them at the bookstore because he feels that this is the only place suitable for reading.

Besides Ozawa, several regular customers also came. They happily picked out their favorite books, bought them, and then found a private seat to sit down and read them slowly.

Hou Wenjie told Xiaoze that there was no sequel to "The Kingdom of Women" and that the authors of all the books in the bookstore had been imprisoned.

The light in Ozawa's eyes dimmed slightly. He thought for a moment and asked, "Will your bookstore have to go out of business?"

Hou Wenjie looked at him and said, "I'll figure something out."

Hou Wenjie hasn't come up with a solution yet.

Many things in this world catch you off guard. Just when you think it might be a joke, it shows you the bloody truth. Life is a damn tough journey of going against the tide.

Hou Wenjie never expected that Tang Ren, whom he considered incredibly silly, would orchestrate two unexpected events in his life.

The familiar sound of leather shoes brought him back to his senses, and when he looked up, he saw Zhang San.

Yesterday at the Baicaojiang Izakaya, he mentioned asking Zhang San to come and help him review the transfer agreement today. Hou Wenjie looked at it; it's 9:30 now.

The two chatted quietly, having nothing better to do.

At 9:53, Kitagawa Kokenji arrived as promised and stepped into the Magic Bean Bookstore.

He looked pale, his arm was in a cast and suspended in a sling, and his fingers were wrapped in gauze.

But his body stood ramrod straight, his eyes were firm, and he looked so determined.

Hou Wenjie clicked his tongue twice.

His younger brother, who had come with him, presented the agreement with both hands, saying, "President, all the contract documents are here."

Hou Wenjie handed the contract to Zhang San, who carefully read it, confirmed there were no problems, and then Hou Wenjie signed it.

Now that the agreement has been signed, Kitagawa Society has officially become his property.

How can you not have a long-term plan for your own business?

Hou Wenjie looked at the tall, handsome young man in front of him, never expecting that he could undergo such a complete transformation overnight, and asked:

What are your thoughts on the future development of Magic Bean Club?

Kitagawa Kokenji said confidently:

"I believe that simply collecting protection money and running bars has severely hampered the development of the Magic Bean Society! These profits are only enough for us to recruit a few dozen members. And this is also the reason why many old-school small gangs have declined."

I believe that in today's incredibly developed internet age, we should develop our community with an internet-centric mindset.

For example, issue high-limit online loans to the neighborhoods under our jurisdiction, with real names and without any collateral!

For example, shooting youth films, and island youth films is a vast market. If others can make them, why can't we?

Today, the Takarazuka Revue, once the most famous revival of the island, is in decline, and many of the girls there are looking for a way out.

We could easily spend a huge sum of money to invite the girls in the film to make movies.

As the highest art institution in Japan, the Takarazuka Revue's century-long history still evokes a strong sense of nostalgia among countless Japanese people.

We can easily imagine the sensation that would be caused if a girl who came from the Takarazuka Revue made a coming-of-age film!

We can also create online virtual communities, issue virtual currencies, and let netizens mine on them.

Besides, smuggling alcohol and cars are also businesses worth getting involved in!

Hou Wenjie looked into Kitagawa Kokenji's eyes and said, "Your ideas are all very good, but have you thought about the obstacles they might face?"

Your case involves loan companies, youth film studios, smuggling companies, and more.

Have you considered the consequences of threatening their interests?

Kitagawa Kokenji looked directly at Hou Wenjie and said:

"Of course I've thought about it, but if I had to choose between living in humiliation or dying in glory, I would choose the latter."

I will not allow a second person to speak in a way that humiliates me while I am still alive.

Kitagawa Kokenji spoke these words with resounding conviction.

Hou Wenjie nodded: "Yes, very good. Now you finally stand in front of me and speak like an adult."

Since you are willing to take responsibility, you can go ahead and do the lending.

Before this news gets out, you still have time to think about how to deal with attacks from lending companies.

As for making a youth film, that's a good idea. Perhaps it could be a turning point for my Magic Bean Bookstore. Let me think about it some more.

The two then chatted for a long time, exchanged contact information, and seemed to get along very well. Strangers would never understand the hatred that Kitagawa Kokenji harbored for Hou Wenjie. That hatred was like a burning ember, and it would only grow more intense with time.