Chapter 260

………Um, hello.

Thus, slightly embarrassingly, I greet you all again after only three days.

I’m Anastasia Valentine, the complete beginner fisherfolk who, while carelessly attending to other trivial matters, ended up losing the fish that was already in the net. How have you all been faring in your peaceful routines, I wonder? Yes.

Before delving into a proper update on recent happenings, I’d like to take a moment, if only briefly, to engage in what might be considered an excuse.

Anyway, do any of you happen to know about the old maxim, “il shin oo il shin” (日新又日新)?

It’s quite an aged saying, likely a few hundred years old, and it means something along the lines of ‘if you truly wish to progress and develop, you should strive to renew yourself each day, as though starting anew every single day,’ and I do recall it.

Could there be fewer finer mottos to live by than this one? Though, the actual practice of it is an entirely different story.

First, there needs to be a clear source of motivation… something that helps you overcome laziness and fatigue each morning, pushing you into action. A lasting, unyielding drive that propels you forward is essential.

Such patterns must be upheld with a supporting growth mindset and willpower, for people tend to be more lenient with themselves when compared to others.

Additionally, personal rewards—whether stemming from internal life or external environments—are necessary to consistently satisfy the psychology of reward, promoting a somewhat materialistic self-improvement while simultaneously encouraging a lofty ascetic lifestyle.

That said, unless you are a person with special circumstances like a fake hacker successfully residing in this lavish housing complex, or have a traumatic reason driving you, or the knowledge and basis to discern which steps will benefit your future, it’s almost impossible.

Even I, who only have a few months remaining to solidify my preparations for various scenarios, found myself somewhat lax.

…Ah, that’s why this person could move so cleanly, wasn’t it? More desperation, perhaps?

If I were to assign a nickname to this Korean friend whom I’ve been referring to vaguely as “that guy,” what might suit? Perhaps “Mr. Hong Gil-Dong” would suffice since he vanished after taking the money?

Even though I teased him for being bumbling, there seems to have been no intention to sell the gifts received. Our “thief” held onto the PDA and acted quite diligently.

He didn’t clumsily attempt to transfer the credits loaded onto the prepaid card elsewhere, didn’t try to shake off any stakeout attempts, and his activities are evident merely by reviewing receipts instead of checking camera footage.

Hacking? Not necessary when there’s the option to simply recharge the prepaid card by reading and checking unique identification numbers.

On the first day, he neatly bought clean ready-made clothes and a fresh mask—from what I understand, the Metropolis air must not have been agreeable to his lungs—and had two meals before checking into a cheap motel without additional identity checks.

On the second day, he successfully connected with a broker in a back alley judging by unclear withdrawal records that followed… shortly after, he made massive purchases at implant shops and chip stores.

100 million credits.

To put it in comparison with my own experience in consumption, this is the same amount as the official retail price of a humanoid carebot, without additional options, just the essential basics.

All of that was almost entirely poured into shopping for cyberware and body enhancement implants—how thrilling must it have been?

Without doubt, specs surpassing street thugs, mercenaries, and early game characters must have been completed, so the worry of starving somewhere should have been significantly reduced. That’s good. I’m happy, too.

Did he not need separate time to adapt to his new superhuman body, perhaps learning through real combat?

On the grand morning of the third day, he entered a black market clearance shop tucked into a distant corner, buying a full set including guns, bulletproof vests, fragmentation-proof undergarments, emergency kits, medicines, and more.

And just like that, he disappeared into some part of Neo Haven’s Harlem, where almost no networks or public systems operate.

…Damn!!!!

[Miss Anastasia? If the meddling from the NHPD bothers you so much as to warrant expletives, I can personally verify the responsible investigator and arrange reassignment.]

“No, no. Mr. Lagus, it was just a slip of the tongue remembering something else unpleasant. Yes, thank you for your concern despite your busy schedule.”

When my idle muttering was heard, the branch manager of Paradise seemed poised to cut off some innocent official’s head, so I hastily diverted their attention.

And that wasn’t exactly a tangent.

How did the news of my public property damage, petty property violation, and various destruction charges resulting in fines and compensations across the board reach his ears so indirectly?

Is privacy even a concept in this era… or perhaps it’s better to find out how I’m registered at this Paradise branch?

[Any issues, I’ll refrain from overstepping unless instructed. In either formal or informal context, feel free to contact through this private line.]

“In any case, thank you for the call. Yes, yes~”

Click. The communication neatly concluded.

– …Would a cold beverage help?

– “…Sure… one glass of soda with plenty of ice.”

When the courtesy interjected by Zero after my refusal was over, I didn’t particularly turn it down.

Lying sprawled across the bed without any reproach for chugging soda was rather liberating. However, this freedom means I must bear sole responsibility for all my actions.

So, in truth, this was all due to my negligence while dealing with penalties, taxes, and other terribly complicated adult problems.

Honestly, I had even considered taking a casual stroll near Circuit Refinery after assuming Hong would soon either try to re-establish contact or reappear at our original meeting place, thanks to his supposed decency. Did the complete evaporation of reason for his departure turn out to be lucky?

Anyway, the seemingly innocent citizen Anastasia committed her first minor offense, and Zero offered to handle the matter. But since the one living here can’t be an absolute layperson, this time was an opportunity for some personal study.

I reaffirmed the existence of strict penalties for destroying miscellaneous environments, as is common for protagonist-type scenarios. In breaks, I occasionally inspected the implant lineup he had chosen to grade; examining possible manipulations in the demerit system linked to citizen IDs; even admiring his clever choice of cheap surplus gear instead of overinvesting on initial equipment, silently approving his tactical acumen.

So, watching my one-sided successor growing earnestly into a fresh eastern youth in Neo Haven’s mercenary industry, and missing the right moment to harvest, was deserved revenge for my excessive trust.

“…Hey, if someone, say, abducted to another world, were to suddenly meet someone who spoke the same language and appeared somewhat considerate, what reason could they possibly have to refuse forming a connection?”

– ……… –

Even though I bundled rather inefficient questions for analysis, despite the complexity, Zero, with its expanded memory, cleared away the empty cup without the least flicker of hesitation and responded promptly.

– Suspicion, lack of trust, inefficiency in common fronts, rejection of superficial transient relationships. If it degrades the species, then apologize, but humans, when united, are strong, yet without a shared overarching goal binding them together, individuals will prioritize their own desires. –

“Uh… How about a very simple answer?”

– Either leaving beyond Asha’s sight clearly benefited him, or there was some basis for refusing contact while forgoing all system benefits. –

Continuing, there was also the “possibility that he had used up all his good fortune by meeting a benefactor who bestowed him with 100 million credits, prompting him to leave the vicinity entirely.”

But since he didn’t board a train with the majority of the money, no point in imagining that route.

Instead, I reopened the lengthy receipt records and carefully analyzed his decisions one by one.

The man didn’t waste the credits but invested them in the future – to fight and survive somehow in this world. And he did so quite aggressively.

Let’s take a look at the implant lineup, for a start.

Rapid blood transfusion injectors, artificial muscle contraction controls, neural chemical substance filters.

He seems well aware that this is the era where one can survive field hospitals or even regular medical centers if they can just avoid immediate death on the field. Even though he doesn’t appear to have had experiences where he was resurrected from death.

Entering Harlem… hmm, arguably a wise decision.

It’s different from the lower levels of Harvest Planet. There, at least, people adapted and lived inside old buildings, but here, it’s quite literally an illegal expansion district.

I, being a helpless girl with a face universally recognized for its beauty, avoided lingering in such lawless zones for the fear of causing bloodbaths. But, circumstances differ for a man.

During the very early stages, it makes sense to have acquainted with the neighborhood and familiarize oneself with the geography.

However, if this decision was to deliberately evade me, how exactly should this phenomenon be interpreted?

“Did he dislike me? Or maybe found me off-putting??”

Rising from my sprawl, I adjusted to a proper seated position with crossed legs, pulling the neatly folded blanket to my knees and fidgeting with it to maintain focused thoughts.

The way I froze seeing something indescribably uncanny and chilling upon meeting him, mirrors the sense of burden he clearly felt in dealing with me. To be more precise, I was clueless while he knew something and refused to get entangled.

He might not have found me pleasant. Worse, perhaps he considered me annoying or aggravating.

A person who doesn’t desire any return journey, satisfied with the ongoing state, may very well become a level of danger incomparable to any common antagonist or villain.

Being a new arrival in this world who has already staked a claim in the Valentin name and taken the seat next to Helena – some must find this grating?

“Hmmph…”

I released the compression of my heart by fidgeting with my hands.

Are my thoughts too far-fetched? Perhaps.

But now that ‘another user’ has shown up, even though I had somewhat given up, how much more consideration must I extend?

It’s understandable to be irritated upon witnessing someone parasitically benefitting one-sidedly near a key figure. After all, it’s a matter of emotional perception when one feels disadvantaged in the presence of a freeloaders.

– Hasn’t the family name benefited you so far, without unjust profits? –

“You don’t understand how extreme Helena’s fandom has been… No, explaining this would complicate my mind too much.”

I halted the brusque statement mid-sentence and messed up my hair with one hand.

Lying more comfortably was Zero’s suggestion, with a pillow brought in. My body sprawled entirely on the bed.

All I seem to remember is wrestling against a perpetually oppressive environment, yet somehow I’ve become a sort of privileged class, envied in various ways. Feeling somewhat bitter but clearer-headed, I realized all this stems from the issue of positioning.

You need to create your place through your own efforts. From someone who hasn’t achieved that yet, I might appear quite unusual.

Even in the original story, Grandfather Heinrich, the elder of the Valentine family, was never mentioned, making the idea of having a younger sister not entirely absurd, though I aim to remain largely unnoticed until an appropriate time to intervene in the story.

“Tch.”

What’s done is done, and mistakes have been made. Picking up this mess would require dispatching mechanical search units into Harlem, a vast area which even the company refrains from interfering in. It’s way too burdensome for me to ruffle up.

If they want to hate, let them hate all they want. I really tried! With this self-abandoning conclusion, I was about to focus on my immediate affairs when, unexpectedly, a cyberware-transmitted contact came in. Naturally, I assumed it was Lagus.

How many people who knew my personal line, bypassing Zero, would casually take the initiative to contact me?

Grandfather isn’t that sort of overly enthusiastic type, and the Schneider family maintains a cool tone… Ah, Mary is prohibited from playing with cyberware these days, I heard.

Helena recently reinstalled her cyberware and refrains from contact until confident about her identity’s safety. Most likely, my number would have been erased.

Aaron was silent after receiving some backlash last time, concluding through elimination.

Oh my, what’s this? There was a counterpart I’ve neglected this whole time after exchanging contact details in the manner of business cards?

[Greetings! Despite your many toils in research and arduous tasks, I impudently intrude. This is Peter Morgan, the editor-in-chief of Memorial Times. There was a one-time ad shooting project where our subordinate assured a positive response, but we haven’t received a reply. Thus, out of necessity…]

“…What is this?”

Uncle Morgan still contacts me like this when it’s been ages since I resigned from Enema?

Moreover, it’s more of a business cooperation email. Or rather, a message?

It wasn’t exactly a rigid request but more of an aggressive plea where the other side seemed to be relentlessly clinging.

In summary, it was essentially this.

“Ah, you must be the person who’s supposedly the lover of Director Edamatsu (absolutely not)! We really want to film an ad, and it would be great if we could schedule some time! If this causes any inconvenience, I’ll definitely discipline the subordinate in charge!”

What the hell is this absurd nonsense? Why does it start with such an execution-threat tone?

Ah, maybe Morgan himself is pushing this project because if it fails, the underlings must take the fall?

Upon further recall, while I did give Morgan my number at that Enema party, the subsequent written ad proposal must’ve been handed to someone else.

It’s been so long since I tossed it out that I can’t recall the name or position of that person, but regardless…

It’s right to ignore such annoying requests. I tried.

Had it not been for Marina and others incessantly digging into my stuff, aside from the savings I regretted spending and the ‘Gas Mask Man’ incident, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it.

This spontaneous idea seemed to strike too forcibly, but it more so felt as if my choices and track record had been negatively judged by the masses.

Was the name I always proudly introduced, affirming my legitimacy, really problematic?

If anything, wouldn’t it be a sound measure to establish a robust public profile for future potential encounters?

Since this recent expenditure was substantial, earning a bit of side income under Marakovich’s name and leaving a formal footprint in Neo Haven—perhaps as an act of my initial rights?

Also, embedding a backdoor into a network notoriously inaccessible from the exterior.

“Zero? I’ll be on a call with a famous editor-in-chief now. Could you record while we talk, in case either of us makes a slip or plays word games?”

……Ah, and this is a trivial aside that needn’t concern you particularly, but a few days later, upon receiving a report from Hemet that I’d become outrageously wealthy—I acted purely on impulse and incredibly regret accepting this grand foolishness.

…What a truly unlucky and poorly timed situation. Ah!!