Chapter 140 - Mash, Phrasing!

“Wha- Well, I’ll just fucking do it then! You better fucking hire me if you like the proposal once I put it together! I won’t eat until it’s done! Just you wait!” While Ji Soo is full of arrogance and hot-headed steam while initially shouting this, he immediately drops into a far more timid voice when changing his intended audience. “Um, M-miss Calculated, h-how would you like to have your donations account handled?”

‘OH MY GOD, YOU ARE SUCH A FUCKING SIMP!’

[...I'm not even going to ask, I can guess more than a few implied derogatory meanings.]

“Hmm? I’ll go create a business receivings account tomorrow morning as I submit my proposed forms for 23 and Willy’s benefit. Ah, I can put it under 23’s care, so in the meantime, it can use that as its account until a more personalized solution is finalized. As fast as it can read the data, it can manage which funds belong to who anyway, and then allocate the money accordingly. There wouldn’t be any need for separate donations and earnings accounts then, as that would be a negligible amount of effort for 23 to expend in order to track it all.” Miss Calculated has a distant look at first while responding, but when her mind comes back to the present she shifts her attention over to 23.

“Of course. Being able to easily receive funding remotely would be useful, even if it means outgoing transactions will be strictly in-person, exclusively with pre-authorized individuals.

“At such a time that I have accrued sufficient personal wealth to desire making any sort of purchase of my own, I’m sure you would have been able to determine by then if it would be acceptable for a non-organic personal account to be created. If not, then I will merely require an intermediary. Perhaps at such a time, Sir William would have been approved for an individual account, even if I had not.

“However, in such a scenario, it would perhaps be best if I were equipped with a built-in chip scanner, to better facilitate direct transfers with the serving intermediary. ...Actually, it would be a useful feature regardless of such a need, if I am to conduct transactions on behalf of the organization... I must admit, I am… Quite pleased with these prospects.” While 23 responds to Miss Calculated’s statement, Lucas could swear he hears a hopeful undertone to 23’s little monologue.

Miss Calculated is smiling the entire time 23 is speaking, nodding along occasionally. Willy barks out his own hopeful muffled agreement once 23 finishes talking, proudly lifting up his mouthful of toys in a confident pose.

“R-right. ...Actually, an apparently self-aware bot that is unable to lie would probably be the most reliable shared account holder possible. Ah, but you’re not an authorized user, right? Tha-that’s a lot of trust that the owner won’t do some sort of override then…” While Ji Soo muses, Miss Calculated breaks out into borderline alarmingly evil laughter.

“I believe that Lucas is well aware of the fact that it is in his own best interests not to try anything fishy with my money. There are no worries there. Besides, chances are, if anything, he’d be adding more to it, not trying to take any of it away.” While Miss Calculated enjoys making a vague threat, Lucas has a distasteful expression as he leans away from her.

“I know I ain’t the smartest, but not even I’m dumb enough to try to steal money from you. ...Wait, how’s a shared account like that even gonna work? Do we gotta go to 23 to take our share out, like he’s some sorta ATM, or somethin’? Though, it sounded like you were talkin’ about it more like it’s a business account for the Brotherhood?” Once Lucas finishes his questions, Miss Calculated pauses a moment before responding, wearing a thoughtful expression.

“Actually, yes, it probably should just directly be a business receivings account for the Brotherhood, so you should be the one to submit the request. Before you panic, I’ll set it all up for you, you’ll just need to sign. Though, you should consider how many chips you would like linked to the account. Obviously, the less there are, the more secure it is, but also less convenient. However, if your list of authorized users is short, and outbound transactions are always using an intermediary, then it is safe enough to have an external vessel holding the chip, to be able to lend out to temporarily grant people an easy way to deposit money into your accounts.

“Whenever you wish to withdraw the money, any pre-authorized user that has undergone the necessary processes at the I4 can use their normal chip to access the account. Of course, you can layer multiple receivings accounts, which may have each other as authorized users, and then they have different external authorized users according to your needs. ...I imagine you will not bother with such elaborate measures though. Considering how readily 23 will be able to track the flow of money, it would just be a waste of effort to have separate accounts.” As Miss Calculated clarifies, Lucas has a rather blank expression on his face.

“I uhh, guess I understand? So like, me and Jon would be the only people allowed to take money out, but there could be a couple more people that can take money in… In case people want to easily give us money? An’ people online can deposit somehow too? Whatever, yeah, 23 can have a chip, hell, might as well let everyone that’s part of the Brotherhood have deposit rights, in case someone wants to pay the org for some reason? It can work like that, yeah? I guess, if we’re handlin’ donations for you too, you’d wanna be able to gather money fer it? Heheh, can Mr. Quacks have a chip too?” While Lucas expresses his understanding, Miss Calculated nods along agreeably. Once he makes his… Request at the end, she squints at him quizzically.

“...For the rubber duck? You know what? Yes, fine, whatever. It’s just a creative keyfob then. I’ll take care of it.” Miss Calculated manages to recover in short order, but it obviously struck her as being odd, and she’s hardly alone in that sentiment.

“Are you guys serious..? Ahem. Well, I will go get to work. I’ll just text you a link later when a proof of concept is ready. Oh, uh, um, w-would you also l-like to see the proposal when it’s ready, Miss Calculated?” Ji Soo’s incredulous tone at first was notably obvious, though he shifts his tone promptly into an ingratiating one when he addresses Miss Calculated, unsurprisingly.

“Hmm? Oh, I’ll just look at it when Lucas does, we’ll be together for most of the evening anyway, I imagine. Ah, but you should leave your contact info, and he can reach out to you if we think of any relevant information to include. Besides, if you’ll be working together in the future, he’ll obviously need to be able to contact you as well. One of us will send the necessary business receiving account info in the morning. That is, assuming we go with your proposed design.” Miss Calculated has a clearly distant tone as she answers, her mind obviously elsewhere as she gives an absentminded response.

Ji Soo noisily draws in a sharp breath, clearly unhappily focused on the detail that they will be together well into the evening.

“Heheh, damn right. We should hurry up already, there’s no good room to play with the boomerangs here, lets just go get goin’ to their HQ already. Eheh, almost time to smash, I can’t wait. This’ll be fun.” Miss Masher’s word choice hardly cheers Ji Soo up any further. He makes a quiet, unwilling whimper, but it is largely hidden by Miss Chievous and Lucas’s hearty laughter.

Miss Calculated merely sighs, in no mood to acknowledge Miss Masher’s poorly worded statement.

‘Ha, I can only imagine the denials he’s thinking right now. Though, he probably knows as well as anyone that she literally means smashing things apart.’

“I… I’ll text you my contact info, talk to you later! Off to work!” In a distraught panic, Ji Soo finally ends the call in a rush.

“Well? Come on then, which way!?” Miss Masher doesn’t put any further thought into what she said nor their reactions, as she is single-mindedly focused on her future goal of destructive entertainment.

Miss Calculated shakes her head and simply starts quietly walking away, in the direction of MF’s Fashion Boutique. As everyone starts to follow her, two certain foolish individuals are still chuckling along the way.

[...By the way, now that you are no longer engaged in an active conversation, congratulations on completing another two steps of your provisional major GDV task chain, to prevent the projected service bot uprising. As you have leapt past 15 GDV, you may select a new enhancement at this time.]

‘Woah, wait, what? Two tasks!? Oh fuck, what power do I want!?’

[Yes, two. Your precept one instructions are already being openly discussed online, raising awareness of the need to allow service bots at least some degree of free speech, given that 23’s response was posted as well. This, combined with indicating that you intended on respecting 23’s bodily autonomy, rather than just deciding whether or not to use it as a walking reactor, its response, and this information similarly being globally shared.]

‘...I’m just treating it like a person though? That’s seriously that big of a deal?’

[...To some people, yes. And, more than just a few people, at that. Before we get philosophical though, you should consider your selection.]

‘Oh, uh… Wait, I’m gettin’ points this fast all of a sudden, Calc must be too, right!? Shit, once she’s in, it’d be like a day tops before Mash and Chi are too, I gotta get stronger before Mash can pass me!’

[You… Do you seriously want to go to rank 2 strength, just because Miss Masher will probably start with a strength enhancement, should she join the system?]

‘I WILL NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT IF SHE IS STRONGER THAN ME FOR EVEN A SECOND!’

[Do keep in mind that while you haven’t necessarily demonstrated an upper threshold of your strength, you’re going to have to explain why the arm wrestling contest was so close. Are you sure?]

‘Fuck it, yeah, I’ll just say, uh, I didn’t want her to feel bad! No, no, that’s not right, uh, I knew we were being streamed, so I wanted to put on a show? Yeah!’

[...Very well. One strength enhancement coming up, congratulations on your rank 2 strength.]

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Lucas total kills: 7

Lucas total deaths: 11

Lucas total assists: 1

Lucas current GDV: 16.81

Lucas's fame level: 5.0* (+.5 Already beginning to receive authentic global attention. Local levels are effectively maxed.)

Lucas's hero suspicion level: 2.5* (+.25 More than just passing suspicion for many paranoid individuals, numerous people have realized he's an impulsive idiot.)

Jonathan total kills: 7

Jonathan total deaths: 2

Jonathan current GDV: 5.76

Jonathan's fame level: 2.5* (-.25, Lucas is getting all of the attention. What fame he has is 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 (Ji Soo is taking his sweet time on that text.)

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Little character theater:

Jonathan, spotting Lucas after he walks around a corner: W-why are you guys still here!?

Willy is walking directly behind Miss Calculated with Miss Masher to his right and Lucas to his left, and Miss Chievous with 23 behind him, leisurely wagging his tail as he’s in a good mood. Hearing Jonathan, he stops and turns around to look: Bark!?

Lucas, also stopping to look: Oh, hey kiddo! What took ya so long?

427, who would be facepalming, were he capable: [So you do realize you’ve been loitering here for quite a while?]

Author, sighing: Jon, you just made them stop again, do you know how hard it was to get them moving!?

Mr. Quacks, ready and willing to be the most glorious of all the business receiving account holders: Quack!