Ryoma Raiden going to prison was a necessity; it was crucial for the continuation of the subsequent plot.
However, his current identity as "Ryoma Raiden, CEO of MEI Corp" couldn't be discarded either. This was vital for the construction of MEI Corp, the building of St. Freya, and resolving the Third Eruption.
Faced with this multiple-choice question, Li Mu's answer was naturally "Select All."
"The identity of MEI Corp's CEO cannot be lost, but Ryoma Raiden also needs to go to prison."
As for how to do this? Naturally, he would continue to serve as the CEO of MEI Corp under Ryoma's identity, while simultaneously throwing the real Ryoma into prison to complete the plot Check-In!
This way, he got the best of both worlds. A win-win situation.
However, since he had usurped Ryoma's identity, he should naturally give the man some compensation... provided he could thoroughly turn over a new leaf and become a productive member of society.
Until then... let him continue his "re-education" in prison.
Although both involved going to prison, the treatment in different prisons varied drastically. Which prison Ryoma would end up in depended entirely on how much he had changed during his two months on the African plantation.
If he could truly kick his gambling and drinking habits, Li Mu wouldn't mind arranging for him to stay in a prison comparable to a resort hotel. Conversely, if he remained unrepentant, Li Mu wouldn't hesitate to throw him into a harsh prison where dropping the soap was a real danger!
"But surely, after picking bananas on an African plantation for two months and experiencing the harsh beatings of life, he must have improved somewhat, right?"
As a character with some plot significance, Li Mu still hoped Ryoma could become normal. That would be helpful for pushing the plot forward later.
Thinking this, Li Mu took out his communicator and sent a message to another "good bro" who was currently far away on the African continent, verifying certain things.
[Mu: Teacher Big V, the plan has entered the next phase. Send Ryoma back.]
...
There is a game that doesn't trick you into spending money, has no stat inflation, and no complicated recharge options.
Moreover, the benefits are excellent. You get a hundred "draws" just for logging in.
You can claim a hundred draws each in the morning, noon, and evening without even signing in. If you fail to complete a task that day, not only is there no punishment, but you are rewarded with another hundred draws.
At this point, some friends might ask:
Bro, bro, is there really such a conscientious game? Where can I play such a generous game?
Yes, brothers, there is. It's right there in the limited-time returning "America Nostalgia Server."
Africa, Ethiopia.
In a newly cleared plantation.
CRACK! WHAP!!!
"OW! Aaaah!!!"
Two muscular men held whips that cracked loudly through the air, striking Ryoma who was tied to a tree trunk.
Listening to Ryoma's hysterical wailing, one of the men frowned. Somewhat unable to bear it, he said to his companion:
"Big brother, should we go lighter? Let's not actually kill him."
To this, the other man said nothing, simply increasing the force of his whip, eliciting another round of wails from Ryoma.
Only after finishing that strike did he say to his companion with dissatisfaction:
"This guy not only slacks off at work and steals every chance to be lazy, but he even tries to drag others in the plantation into gambling! The simple, honest lads from our tribe were being corrupted by him! Honestly, I've wanted to whip him for a long time!"
"But we shouldn't beat him to death..."
"He won't die. This whip was given by Lady V. It hurts like hell but doesn't cause lasting damage."
"Besides, Lady V specifically instructed not to hold back. Do you think you're smarter than Lady V?"
Hearing the name "Lady V," the hesitation on the first man's face vanished instantly, replaced by a mix of awe and worship.
Then, the two of them held nothing back, whipping Ryoma with vigor.
Soon, Ryoma, who hadn't completed his morning "check-in," received his reward of one hundred lashes.
Once the two men cut him down, Ryoma lay on the ground, wailing.
Ryoma was experienced with this. Although the whip didn't leave wounds, the pain would linger for at least three days.
Feeling the burning agony all over his body, hot tears streamed from his eyes. A physically robust man was now crying helplessly.
"When will these days end... MEI, Daddy misses you so much!"
Ever since he was dumped on this African continent by that woman calling herself the Faded Elf, he had been working like a beast of burden in this strange plantation.
The owner of this plantation was called "Lady V," and she took "special care" of him. At least, aside from himself, he had never seen anyone else getting whipped. It was as if he was the only one stuck in this limited-time nostalgia server.
Ryoma vaguely felt that all of this seemed targeted at him.
He had just gotten a bit itchy-handed and wanted to gamble with others in the park to cultivate some sentiment, but ended up tied to a tree and whipped mercilessly.
Why was this Lady V so cruel?!
And he was a scientist! Shouldn't the knowledge in his brain create more value? Why use him like a beast of burden?
Ryoma didn't understand. He only felt that the future was pitch black.
However, if asked whether there were any benefits to coming here, there probably were.
Currently, he was actually much more spirited than when he arrived. His body, originally thin from alcoholism, had actually bulked up quite a bit.
After all, in this plantation, after a day of picking bananas, he was physically and mentally exhausted. There was no chance to gamble or drink; he could only fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
With such a regular schedule, three meals a day on time and in sufficient quantity, despite the heavy labor, he had become much stronger after two months.
Even his spirit and appearance were completely different, lacking the wretched look of his past.
Feeling the pain in his body, Ryoma knew from past experience that no one would disturb him for half an hour after a beating.
Having worked all morning and then received a whipping, weariness washed over Ryoma rapidly.
Soon, his consciousness blurred.
Vaguely, he seemed to hear an ethereal voice.
"Will you still gamble in the future?"
Ryoma hesitated for a moment, but stimulated by the lingering pain in his body, he subconsciously answered:
"No more gambling, no more gambling."
"Will you be a responsible, good father in the future?"
This time Ryoma didn't hesitate and answered immediately:
"I will definitely be a good role model and make MEI proud of me!"
...
In his sleep, Ryoma felt someone shaking him. He opened his eyes groggily, and the first thing he saw was a set of pearly white teeth, followed by a dark face behind them.
Seeing Ryoma wake up, the man said, "Bro, you awake?"
Hearing this, Ryoma shuddered and immediately scrambled up.
"I wasn't slacking off! I'm going back to work right now! Don't whip me!"
He recognized this man as one of the plantation overseers who whipped him often.
However, this usually fierce-looking guy now had a rather gentle expression and was holding a briefcase.
Seeing Ryoma awake, he reached into the briefcase.
But what he took out wasn't the whip that made Ryoma's heart jump, but a sealed document envelope.
"Mr. Ryoma, although our time together hasn't been very pleasant, I regret to inform you that you've been optimized."
Looking at the envelope handed to him, Ryoma froze for a moment, then looked blank.
"Huh?"
"Inside is your salary for the past two months, plus severance pay."
Seeing the confusion on Ryoma's face, he explained:
"We purchased engineering robots specifically for picking bananas from MEI Corp. They only need sunlight to survive."
"The remaining workers are undergoing technical transition training, and some went to the newly opened banana by-product company. We don't need so many people here anymore."
"So, I regret to inform you that you're fired."
"This is your salary. We are a legitimate, conscientious enterprise; we won't short you a single cent."
Hearing this, Ryoma shook, and then shook again.
He pointed at his own face in disbelief.
"I can go?"
Faced with Ryoma's repeated confirmation, the man with the briefcase looked a bit impatient.
"If you don't want to leave, you can stay and work. Learn mechanical driving and maintenance. No salary during training, but room and board are provided."
"No! No, no!! I'm leaving! I'm leaving right now!!!"
...
Only after walking out of the plantation and feeling the bulging envelope in his hand did Ryoma confirm he wasn't dreaming.
He thought of the ding-ding-dong sounds of pachinko parlors on the streets of Nagazora.
He thought of his gentle, family-oriented daughter, and the happy little home he missed so dearly in his dreams.
Thinking about it, tears couldn't stop falling from Ryoma's eyes.
He wiped his tears, his voice choked with sobs.
"The good days... are finally coming back."