Upon hearing that name that I never expected to hear in my own world, I was frozen solid. It was a good thing that this conversation was occurring over the phone, or the man on the phone would be able to tell something by my expression right away. I didn’t dare say anything else either less I give something away in my voice. I waited for him to continue instead.
“I have sent my conditions to your apartment. The items I am looking for and where to contact me should you succeed are there. I have listed a few items, and in the unlikely event you’re able to obtain them all, there is more money in it for you. Of course, it’s your choice whether you wish to pursue this honor or not. If you do not contact me, I will presume our business is done. You’re not the first person I’ve made this request with, and you probably won’t be the last. If you can fulfill my desires though, I can guarantee it will be worth your time, though. That is all. Goodbye.”
With that, there was a click, and I finally lowered Lily’s phone away from my ear. My thoughts were all over the place.
The Alliance of the Coin was called Allco? Allco was the predominant business of that other world. Everything used Allco products. My Perco, the military tech, all of it belonged to the Allco company. That was why the master code was such a powerful tool. Yet, now Allco was here as well. I didn’t feel excited about it. I felt worried. This came from several sources.
First off, Allco didn’t just develop the Perco. They were the ones who discovered sorcery. The MGV was developed by them. They were the ones that destroyed the world. If they were in our world, were they on a similar path that would lead to this world’s destruction? That wasn’t my only source of worry. Allco was also the one who developed the World Travel device. Those mirrors, and the World Travel algorithm, were all created by them.
I had always presumed that the world fell before they could make use of the technology, but what if they had developed the technology because the world was falling? Some of those people could have jumped from their world to our world. The higher-ups of Allco could have all escaped to another world to rebuild their infrastructure. It would be perfectly reasonable to believe that with the knowledge of that world, they were all able to become this so-called ultra-rich class above everyone else.
Had they fled, they would have done so in the 90s. Wasn’t it the 90s when we experienced our technological boom? For that world, the boom had been caused by a prolonged hot war, but our technological boom seemed to occur at random. Were there people from that world already among us?
I just didn’t have enough information. It could be that two similar worlds created two similarly named businesses. It wasn’t like my world and that world didn’t share more similarities than differences. They had leftovers of many of the same name brands, at least when predating the Allco takeover. There were museums, malls, and cars. A business called Allco could have been made twice. They might not have any relation to each other at all except for the name.
The only way I’d be able to learn more was to become a member of this organization. If I wanted to keep my family and friends safe, I would have to. It wasn’t enough just to sit back and be idle and hope for the best. That was how I’d lose everything. I had to be proactive and keep fighting in both worlds if I wanted to succeed in either. It was the only way to keep everyone safe.
“I’m… sorry.” A voice that was barely loud enough to be heard over the club speakers said next to me.
I looked up to see Lily still sitting there. Her head was lowered, and she looked a bit downcast.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“What for?” I asked. “Our relationship has always just been business. You only started talking to me because you thought I’d bring you interesting stuff to sell and that you’d get a good commission. Everything since then has just been a basic exchange of goods.”
I didn’t mean to sound cold, but there were only so many times I could get lured in by Lily’s seductive charm only to realize she had some ulterior motive before it started to put me off of her.
“Just business…” She gave a wry grimace. “I don’t like being used by others, and I take my relationships very seriously.”
I was still angry at her, but seeing her dejected appearance, I could already feel the anger of other men in the club who were looking our way. I already knew what they were thinking. They were wondering what I did to make such a beauty sad.
“You’re still my landlord.” I sighed. “And, I might have more stuff to sell to you in the future.”
“Really?” She looked up at me, and I was surprised to see a gleam of unshed tears in her eyes.
I knew I had acted a little cold to her but was she really that disturbed? I quickly shook my head. No, this was just an act. I couldn’t forget that she was good at manipulating people. I had to be very careful with her. After a second of consideration, I sat down, across from her this time.
“I need a plant.” I declared. “A type of seaweed. It looks like this.”
I held out the Perco, where Cecelia put up the image of the plant in question. She had pulled it off the internet based on the image that the store keep had provided before. Lily pursed her lips and then reached out and took my hand. She studied the watch carefully.
“I didn’t take you for someone who used a smartwatch. This is an interesting type. I’m not familiar with it.”
I yanked my wrist away from her in irritation. “I need them in a few hours. You have any ideas where I can get them?”
“You’re asking me?” She raised an eyebrow. “Not Mizuki?”
“Didn’t you say that Mizuki was being cut off by her dad? I don’t know if she currently has the resources to help me at the moment. That’s why I’m asking you.”
She sat back, crossing her arms under her breasts in a way that made them practically pop out of her dress. “I might be able to help, but what would I get out of it?”
Her previous depression had been replaced with a sullen poutiness. It would have been cute if I wasn’t on my time crunch.
“Technology.”
She blinked. “Technology?”
“Give me a week, and I’ll give you something you can auction off… a technological advancement that can sell to the highest bidder. One condition, the person who buys it has to give their identity. Can I put such a condition on an auction?”
“You can…” She responded, narrowing her eyes. “But what kind of technology are you talking about? We have bought and sold patents all the time, but you do not have any patents. I’ve checked.”
“This is something new.” I smiled. “And something a lot of people would want. You’ll just have to trust me. If I’m wrong, what have you lost? Having to spend an hour rounding up seaweed?”
Considering what I was offering, it seemed almost laughable that she would refuse me. That’s why she only made a face briefly before nodding in acquiescence.
As for what I intended to sell, well, I hadn’t decided yet. That was why I needed a week. There were tons of things I could sell though. I wanted it to be something distinctly from that world though. I was hoping that selling it would bring those guys out in the open. They would want to snatch up any technology in the auction that came from their world if it was true that they came from another world. In a way, this was a kind of test. Either I’d find a foothold into Allco, or I’d discover that Allco was nothing but a name.
As for me, they already seemed to know I existed. I was really curious about what this guy wanted from me. If it was something that came from that world, then I had to accept that they were aware of me. If that was the case, then I was in a lot of danger. I suddenly felt like I might be safer if I returned to that world rather than stayed in this one.
“I will have a bushel of these plants shipped over to your warehouse within the hour,” Lily stated after making a few calls.
I wasn’t in a drinking or partying mood after that. Besides, I still had a long night ahead of me. It was only around 11:30 by my clock. I got another rideshare and took it to my place. I wanted to rest a bit before heading back to that world and finishing my deal there. As I passed security, the guard gave me a wink. I didn’t understand why he had a silly expression on his face until I reached my apartment. As soon as I opened the door, I found a girl waiting for me there.