Advanced Poison Mastery had gotten him poisoned to death by all kinds of toxins hundreds of times. Advanced Hidden Blade Proficiency had been a little better, but all told, he had still died dozens of times.
The moment Jiang Hang saw that this skill was labeled dangerous, combat-focused, and advanced, he knew he was probably going to die plenty more times.
Maybe he could even set a new death record in the training space.
With that thought, Jiang Hang lay on his bed and entered the training space.
Then, a night passed.
The next day, Jiang Hang woke from his sleep.
This time, when he woke up, he actually felt as though a lifetime had passed.
He had probably died so many times that he could no longer remember exactly how often.
All he knew was that he had encountered countless dangers in Virtual Space. The slightest lapse in focus meant death.
And the ways he died were all over the place: being surrounded and hacked to death by a crowd, getting shot in the head by a sniper from afar while being mobbed, getting crushed flat when a road roller suddenly fell from the sky as he was being mobbed...
In short, he was basically being ganged up on by a crowd while all sorts of dangers kept appearing around him.
What he had to do was truly survive against all odds.
Even if there was less than a one percent chance of turning things around, he had to seize that infinitesimal possibility and survive until the end.
After a whole night of beatings, his originally novice-level fighting skills had even risen to intermediate level.
Sure enough, the closer humans came to death, the greater their potential they could unleash.
After spacing out in bed for a long while, Jiang Hang sent messages to Koharu Yoshino and Shizuka Sakaki, telling them that the agency was taking the day off and that they did not need to come to work.
Although the system ensured that those deaths would not mentally affect him, he still decided to take the day off.
Having found himself an excuse to slack off, Jiang Hang crawled back under the covers.
Since his fighting skills had already risen to intermediate level through Mind's Eye training, it felt a little wasteful to use an advanced training book on them. So, without much hesitation, Jiang Hang directly used the training book on his disguise skill.
"If Disguise reaches advanced level, it shouldn't be too troublesome... It can't possibly be worse than Mind's Eye training, right?" Jiang Hang muttered, while also asking his system.
"System, is it difficult to raise Disguise to advanced level?"
"The host only needs to train according to the requirements for Advanced Disguise in the training space. This system will also provide the host with a certain degree of assistance."
It sounded fairly normal. Since he was taking the day off anyway, Jiang Hang figured he might as well raise his disguise skill too.
After all, disguise skills could be useful in many aspects of daily life.
However, the moment he entered the training space, Jiang Hang realized that he had been far too naive.
There had not been much difficulty with novice disguise, because it could not allow Jiang Hang to imitate targets that were difficult to replicate.
But advanced disguise was different. Not only did he have to imitate a person's appearance, he also had to ensure that their inner personality would not give him away.
When disguising himself as people roughly his height, or taller and sturdier than him, he only needed some supporting tools. Jiang Hang passed that portion of the training quickly.
But for those thinner and shorter than him, the system forced Jiang Hang to undergo bone-shrinking training.
The pain was like breaking every bone in his body while forcing him into all kinds of difficult yoga poses.
More importantly, the damn system beside him kept making him experience the target's emotional journey. Otherwise, the training would continue endlessly.
Faced with those three layers of torment, Jiang Hang would rather die a few more times.
Damn system, you set me up!
The Suzuki Conglomerate's Gift
On a sunny day, the Beika Art Museum, which had been closed for nearly ten days, finally reopened.
As the new owner of the Beika Art Museum, Jiang Hang naturally had to be present on opening day.
Perhaps because the previous news and public discussion had made many onlookers aware of the museum, and perhaps because quite a few people remembered having visited it before, people flocked over once they learned that the Beika Art Museum would not be shut down and converted into a hotel.
Thus, on its first day of reopening, the museum's visitor traffic looked remarkably promising.
"Everyone seems really enthusiastic!" Koharu Yoshino appeared to have great expectations for the Beika Art Museum's future.
Just moments ago, Jiang Hang had appointed her the Beika Art Museum's "promotional ambassador." He felt that the job would suit someone with her potential for advanced interpersonal skills and leadership.
Koharu Yoshino had gone from being Jiang Hang's little assistant to a regional commander of sorts in a daze, but judging from her current appearance, she was quite motivated.
Of course, Shizuka Sakaki could not be left out either. Though she had yet to formally debut as a voice actress, Jiang Hang had already given her the roles of the Beika Art Museum's "image ambassador" and in-house announcer.
The two girls were now enthusiastically discussing the museum's future development.
Jiang Hang did not say anything to dampen their spirits.
He knew perfectly well that the visitors were only there because of temporary hype. At most, it would last about a week.
Once the attention faded, the Beika Art Museum would return to its previous half-dead state. After all, it was still just a small art museum without any particularly precious collections.
Thinking this, Jiang Hang had planned to take a walk around outside the museum and keep an eye out for thieves or pickpockets sneaking in.
However, not long after he had stepped outside, he spotted familiar faces in the crowd.
They were Ran Mori and Conan.
Why had this little grim reaper come again?
Jiang Hang felt a little tense. Although places where people died around Conan usually did not suffer repeat deaths like the set next door, what if something happened here?
Still, since he had seen Ran Mori, Jiang Hang went over to greet her.
Only when he approached did Jiang Hang notice that she had other people with her.
Looking at the girl beside Ran Mori wearing a headband, Jiang Hang naturally recognized her at a glance from such an obvious feature.
Ran Mori's close friend, the Suzuki Conglomerate's second daughter, Sonoko Suzuki.
"Miss Mori, little Conan, are you visiting the art museum again?"
Ran Mori was somewhat surprised to see Jiang Hang approach. "Mr. Jiang Hang, what a coincidence. I didn't expect us to meet at the art museum again."
She explained why she was here. This time, she was merely a supporting character; Sonoko Suzuki had dragged her here, and Conan had tagged along as well.
As she spoke, she introduced Sonoko Suzuki to Jiang Hang.
As for Kogoro Mouri, according to Ran Mori, her father had accepted a client's request yesterday to locate her father and was still out investigating, so he had not come this time.
Jiang Hang had been about to tell Ran Mori that he was rather skilled at finding people if she needed help, but Sonoko Suzuki, who was standing beside Ran Mori, suddenly let out a cry.
"You're Jiang Hang, the new owner of the Beika Art Museum?"
Seeing Ran Mori and Conan look shocked by Sonoko Suzuki's words, Jiang Hang waved his hand.
"It doesn't really have much to do with me. The museum just happens to be under my name now. Sonoko Suzuki... is this young lady the daughter of the Suzuki Conglomerate?" After explaining briefly, he looked toward Sonoko Suzuki.
It was not strange that Sonoko Suzuki recognized him. The Suzuki Conglomerate had endured for decades and was one of Japan's leading conglomerates. It would have been stranger if she did not know about the Foundation behind him.
But from Ran Mori's explanation, it seemed that she had come to the museum specifically because of him?
As Sonoko Suzuki's eyes swept over him, Jiang Hang seemed to hear her mutter under her breath.
"He's pretty good-looking, but not my type... What a shame. I should've had my sister come instead..."
Considering Sonoko Suzuki's boy-crazy nature, Jiang Hang thought it was probably a good thing that she had not taken a fancy to him.
After muttering to herself, Sonoko Suzuki's expression became much more serious now that she was not fawning over him.
She took an exquisite invitation from her handbag and solemnly handed it to Jiang Hang.
"This is an invitation my father, Shiro Suzuki, asked me to deliver to you, Mr. Jiang Hang. Please accept it."
"Shirou?" Jiang Hang froze when he heard that familiar pronunciation, and the words slipped out before he could stop them. "Is your father also an ally of justice?"
After learning that the man's name merely shared the pronunciation of that ally of justice but was written differently, Jiang Hang wiped his forehead in relief, said that he had remembered it incorrectly, and shifted the conversation back to the invitation.
In any case, the invitation from the current chairman of the Suzuki Conglomerate brought Jiang Hang an unexpected surprise.
As the chairman of a major conglomerate, the Suzuki Conglomerate had collected quite a number of precious treasures. However, it rarely put them on public display.
Shiro Suzuki's invitation stated that he intended to hold an exhibition of the Suzuki family's treasured artifacts soon, and he hoped to host it at the Beika Art Museum. He was inviting Jiang Hang to the Suzuki residence for more detailed discussions.
Jiang Hang was rather surprised when he read the invitation.
An exhibition of the Suzuki Conglomerate's treasures would be hugely popular anywhere. It would never lack a venue, and if word got out that it was being held at the Beika Art Museum, Jiang Hang would not need to worry about the museum's visitor numbers for at least the next few months!
He had never even met Shiro Suzuki, yet the man had already sent him such a generous gift.
Jiang Hang naturally understood that Shiro Suzuki was doing this entirely to show goodwill toward him—or rather, toward the Foundation behind him.
After all, Jiang Hang had been thinking about how to raise the industry level.
According to the system's explanation, raising an industry level required meeting two key conditions: popularity and satisfaction.
If those two values did not meet the system's requirements, no amount of money could raise the industry level.
Therefore, he could not possibly refuse this generous gift from the Suzuki family.
After checking the date on Shiro Suzuki's invitation and seeing that it was three days later, Jiang Hang immediately told Sonoko Suzuki that he would visit the Suzuki residence on time.
You Really Are Something, Conan
Out of curiosity about Conan, and since they had not met for several days, Jiang Hang casually asked Ran Mori whether their agency had encountered any cases recently.
Jiang Hang had thought that since he had stolen Conan's spotlight over the past few days, the boy should have calmed down a little.
Yet to Jiang Hang's surprise, Conan's grim reaper aura was as powerful as ever. Even without the Moon Shadow Island case, people still died wherever he went.
Jiang Hang had spent three days on Moon Shadow Island and another two after returning. In those five days alone, Conan had "coincidentally" run into two murder cases!
Of course, Sleeping Kogoro had successfully solved the mysteries and identified the true culprits both times.
When Jiang Hang saw even a hint of helplessness on Ran Mori's face, all he could do was sigh inwardly.
You really are something, Conan.
While Jiang Hang was marveling at how Conan had not lost his touch, Conan was also deeply impressed by Jiang Hang.
He had just tentatively asked where Jiang Hang had gone over the past few days. After learning that he had been on a business trip to Moon Shadow Island, Conan confirmed his suspicions.
He knew about the recent news of the Moon Shadow Island drug dealers being arrested. Although Jiang Hang's name had not appeared in the reports, Conan was certain that Jiang Hang had played a crucial role.
Unaware of Jiang Hang's heroic deed on Moon Shadow Island, where he had been driven by a coded musical score to threaten the culprit with a Sword Cane, Conan once again raised his evaluation of Jiang Hang.
I really hope I can return to my original body soon and face you in a fair fight!
That was what Conan was thinking after learning that Jiang Hang had solved another major case.
Brother Conan, please hold back. Don't unleash your power near my art museum. If you really cause another murder case here, my art museum will truly be finished!
That was what Jiang Hang was thinking after learning that Conan had encountered another two murder cases.
Sure enough, their thought processes had never been on the same wavelength.
After finally seeing off that grim reaper, nothing unusual happened at the museum.
Relieved, Jiang Hang returned to the office inside the art museum.
To his surprise, the "Shirobako five" he had been thinking about for so long suddenly appeared before him.
When he entered the office, he saw Koharu Yoshino and Miyamori Aoi staring at each other in surprise, apparently amazed by how similar they looked.
Jiang Hang had no doubt that if they talked for a little longer, these two girls, whose personalities were also exceptionally alike, would stage a sworn sisterhood ceremony right in front of him.
After seeing Jiang Hang arrive, the four girls greeted him curiously under Shizuka Sakaki's introduction.
The group's absolute core, the energetic girl and Musashino Animation's speed demon Miyamori Aoi; the black twin-tailed animator Yasuhara Ema; the literary girl Imai Midori, whose name contained the character for "green"; and the final short-haired girl... he honestly could not remember her name. He only remembered that she had little presence in the anime and seemed to work at a CG company making tires, so he had remembered her by the code name "the tire maker."
It was only after Shizuka Sakaki finished introducing everyone that he remembered her name was Todo Misa.
According to Shizuka Sakaki, they were all off work today. After learning from her that Jiang Hang had bought the art museum, they had all insisted on coming to see what her incredibly wealthy boss was like.
At their first meeting, everyone seemed somewhat reserved. Jiang Hang, on the other hand, had long known them. Knowing that they were all girls who loved animation, he took the initiative to ask about animation to open the conversation.
Sure enough, once the topic turned to the industry, the girls who already worked in animation had endless things to say.
When they learned that Jiang Hang intended to acquire or invest in an animation company and produce animation himself in the future, they all exclaimed in amazement.
After all, they were all girls striving for their dreams. Put simply, striving for one's dreams was basically another way of saying one had no money.
Investing in an animation company to make animation was simply far too distant a prospect for them right now.
"I think highly of all of you. I know Musashino Animation. Although it hasn't produced any new independent works in many years, I heard your company recently started a new project. We should be able to see Musashino Animation's new work next year, right?"
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