Chapter 137 - Reputation Recovery

Shortly after Miss Calculated began scolding her liaison, there was a quiet gasp followed by a stretch of silence from Ji Soo's side of the phone call.

After a few rounds of Miss Calculated simultaneously being both mad and disappointed, she's finally calmed down sufficiently to shift from yelling loud enough for the entire block to hear her, down to a normal-volumed stern scolding as she continues ranting into her phone.

"Look, I'm not saying full refunds, but you better make it mandatory that all licensed vendors offer an exchange program to trade in the existing model for the real one while only charging the price difference. Yes yes, with proof of purchase, of course, all eligible discounts applied yadda yadda…

“I don't care! If the changes required to refurbish existing ones to the real thing is such a big deal, maybe you should reevaluate letting them cut so many corners next time! Start looking for a new manufacturer, I don't want my name ruined by association with substandard products through these bastards ever again!

“And! I want six of the final version! ASAP! Yes! Not refurbished either! If they fight too much, tell them I'll see them in court for defaming me, I can guarantee I'll get more than a few phones worth of cash out of them if they make me waste my time doing it! Yes!

“I want detailed reports every step of the way! I'll be busy tonight, don't call me unless you absolutely have to. Yes, yes, I'll call tomorrow, bye, Chester." As Miss Calculated aggressively hangs up her phone upon the completion of assigning her instructions, she heaves a deep sigh. After finally turning around to face the group once more, she walks back over to rejoin them, tucking her phone back away into one of her pants pockets.

Lucas gives an impressed whistle as soon as he makes eye contact with her.

“Six phones, eh? Do I even wanna know why you’d need that many?” As Lucas asks Miss Calculated this with a playful tone, she raises an eyebrow at him.

“Hmm? I figured it would be fairly obvious for you. Given the way we go through money, the three of us generally just alternate who gets to have the latest prototype, plus personal modifications, of course. Considering it’s thanks to you and Jonathan that I even found out how much they ruined my design, and it’s not like I’d see a dime of the price difference if you did an exchange anyway, I figured it made sense to just get free new ones for you two too. And, the sixth one I’ll just take apart and use its component parts to make 23’s phone, might as well get that for free too, right? Hmph, as much of a disappointment as that shitty company is, I know Chester will ride their asses until they take my demands seriously and will begin production immediately. Oh, actually…” After Miss Calculated finishes answering Lucas, she pulls her phone back out, unlocking it once again.

Once it’s clear that Miss Calculated is finished speaking, for now, there are the sounds of Ji Soo taking a deep breath, as if he’s composing himself.

“You’re… You are with Miss Calculated right now? It… You… Um, so you’re actually spending time with the Sisterhood… Even without it being a part of marketing..?” While Ji Soo is asking this, he keeps slowly getting quieter as he trails off, his overall tone notably softer than it was earlier.

Meanwhile, Miss Calculated has finished typing something out on her phone, then stuffs it away once again.

‘Oh my god, is he a Calc fanboy? Oh, what was she doin' on her phone anyway?'

[...She told Chester to increase her demands so as to be for seven phones, so he can have one too. I guess that's her idea of a consolation bonus for dealing with her angry ranting and the extra work she just dumped on him?]

'Ha! Considering how expensive the so-called cheap version was, maybe that's not such a bad deal.'

“So you, uh, your alliance wasn’t just some formality? You’re legitimately friends with them..? Where the hell did you come from..? Wait… Can, can she hear me? Right now? She was mad because she heard me before, right? Oh my god…” As Ji Soo continues speaking, he has a legitimately curious tone to his voice, with a note of hopefulness.

‘Oh, he is absolutely a Calc fanboy, bwahahaha!’

[...Sure does sound like it, doesn’t it?]

“Eh? Yeah. I mean, I think it’s fair to say we’re friends by now, yeah?" At first, Lucas has an almost dismissive tone as he flatly answers Ji Soo, but then he looks up curiously at the three sisters forming a semi-circle around him.

“Well, yeah, I guess ya could say so. It feels kinda, eh, weak, to say just friends instead of rivals though.” Miss Masher has an almost comical look of contemplation before scrunching up her nose and answering. Miss Chievous snorts with amusement at her response.

Through the phone, Ji Soo quietly gasps again.

“Oh, oh, I know! Lucas is your rival, Jon is my rival, and Calc just puts up with them so she can spend time with Willy and 23!” When Miss Chievous merrily makes this declaration, Miss Calculated makes a good-humored chuckle while smiling and Miss Masher nods repeatedly. Further backing her up, Willy gives an affirmative bark as well, with his tail enthusiastically wagging.

“Wha-! Hey!” While Lucas tries to pretend to be offended, he can’t even keep a straight face, and the four of them laugh at varying degrees of mirth.

Meanwhile, the phone call is dead silent. Perhaps, one could say muted, even.

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Lucas total kills: 7

Lucas total deaths: 11

Lucas total assists: 1

Lucas current GDV: 14.81 (+.01 net change)

Lucas's fame level: 4.50* (Beyond just local, viral meme tier. Local levels are extremely high.)

Lucas's hero suspicion level: 2.25* (More than just passing suspicion for some paranoid individuals, even more people are realizing he's an impulsive idiot.)

Jonathan total kills: 6

Jonathan total deaths: 2

Jonathan current GDV: 5.59 (.1 +.01= +.11 net change)

Jonathan's fame level: 2.75* (Mostly just local.)

Jonathan's hero suspicion level: 3.0* (More than just overly-paranoid people are suspicious at this point.)

Willy's fame level: 1.5* (Anonymous meme fame, local fame primarily as 'Xenoclast's dog', but some strangers know him as William/Willy now.)

Supervillain social circle size: 14

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Little character theater:

Jonathan, glaring at the back of someone running away from him, grinding a pack of matches under his left heel, and quietly grumbling to himself as he picks up a small gasoline container to bring with him: Seriously, what happened to getting fewer tasks there, 011...

Willy, getting up and briskly walking in a small circle around Miss Calculated and then Lucas, his tail energetically wagging the whole time: Bark!

Lucas, scrunching up his face while he sulks: She’s not just putting up with us, what the hell? She clearly liked my boomerang idea!

427, hesitating a moment before responding: [I’m not quite sure that’s the right phrasing, but I’m sure she considers you a… Source of inspiration?]

Author, choking back a laugh: Inspiration my ass! It's more like he’s a big dumb idiot that said something so stupid that she can’t help trying to make it work!

Mr. Quacks, amusing himself with the acoustics of quacking into the small gas can: Quack!