“Wait, torture? What do you mean?” I asked, my voice quieter now, the gravity of his words sinking in.

Charlie sighed. “Not like you’d be tortured yourself. They go after the people you care about, making you watch. It’s their way of ensuring you’ll never forget the lesson,” he explained. His voice was calm, but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable as he turned to face me fully.

“That’s why, Aria,” he continued softly, “I’m asking you to be really careful. If you mess up, it won’t just be you who faces the consequences—it’ll be Granny, Pops, and me too.” His lips curved into a faint, sad smile before he turned and stepped into the library hall.

I stood there for a moment, watching him go. As much as Charlie seemed kind and easygoing, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my presence here was weighing on him. Maybe he was just doing what Granny Chan wanted, but deep down, he didn’t want me here? Or am I just overthinking everything?

But then again, if Charlie didn’t want me here, he wouldn’t be so kind—accompanying me to the library, serving me breakfast, and being friendly. I brushed aside my doubts, deciding I was just overthinking things.

I followed him into the library and noticed him chatting briefly with a female clerk. After their exchange, he returned to me with a small smile.

“Miss Ivy says the records are located at the back of the hall, on the last set of shelves,” Charlie informed me.

I nodded in acknowledgment, and as we began walking deeper into the library, I took in my surroundings. Young and old alike were scattered throughout the space, all engrossed in books. Their focus and dedication impressed me.

It struck me how different life here was compared to the city. Back home, people like me often preferred sports or gadgets over books. But here, without the distractions of modern technology, it seemed books had become the primary gateway to knowledge and exploration. People here likely spent more time tapping into their creativity and making the most of their available resources, unburdened by reliance on gadgets.

Watching these diligent readers made me feel a bit out of place, even intimidated. I couldn’t help but think they were all smarter than me. Kyle, though—he’d love this place. I could already picture him by the window, engrossed in a book, completely at peace.

This library felt like a glimpse into a bygone era, before the world became saturated with technology. It was refreshing and fascinating, and I couldn’t help but wish I could capture this moment—a photo to share with my loved ones back home. I wanted them to see how amazing this experience was and how much it was opening my eyes to a different way of life.

We walked past rows of bookshelves, some towering and others neatly arranged, their contents hinting at the sheer volume of knowledge stored here. The library spanned three floors, and I couldn’t help but marvel at its size.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Charlie, what kind of books are usually found here? I’m curious,” I asked eagerly, my eyes scanning the shelves. The atmosphere of the place was motivating me to read something—anything—that caught my interest. Normally, I wasn’t much of a reader, but seeing everyone so engrossed in their books was inspiring.

Charlie glanced at me with a smile. “Oh, we have a bit of everything: astronomy, engineering, various branches of science like psychology and biology, philosophy, languages, history, mathematics, and even pseudo-sciences like astrology and black magic. Of course, there are also storybooks in different genres, magazines, newspapers, and”—he chuckled—“manga.”

“That’s impressive!” I exclaimed, genuinely amazed. “I didn’t realize you’d have such a variety. How do you even get all these books?”

“Through business and trade,” he explained. “As I mentioned before, we don’t use city money here. Instead, we operate on a barter system.”

“What? A barter system? That still works?” I asked, incredulous. “Isn’t it unfair to exchange something valuable for something less valuable?”

Charlie smiled thoughtfully. “From my perspective, your monetary system—the fiat money system—is far more complicated than ours. And honestly, it seems like it creates a lot of conflict, especially when it comes to social class. Here, we don’t experience financial crises or deal with corrupt governments like the ones Granny Chan has told me about.”

His words gave me pause. It was intriguing to hear such a straightforward critique of the monetary system I’d grown up with. The simplicity of life here was beginning to feel less like a limitation and more like a conscious choice.

I felt my brain spinning as Charlie explained. He sounded so confident and knowledgeable, and here I was, struggling to keep up. I couldn’t help but feel a little dumb in comparison.

“Uh, I don’t quite get it, Charlie,” I admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. “Could you, um, maybe elaborate?”

Charlie stopped walking and turned to face me, his expression unreadable. His sudden seriousness made me feel like I was being silently judged.

“Are you sure you want a lecture?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well,” I began, trying to sound more confident than I felt, “I’m going to be staying on this island for a while, so I guess it’s better to start learning the basics, right?”

“Fair enough,” he said, his tone softening. “Alright, there are four main types of monetary systems. First, there’s the Commodity Money System, which uses physical goods like gold or silver as currency—like in ancient times. Second, there’s the Fiat Money System, where money has value because the government declares it legal tender—your dollars, euros, and so on. That’s the system you city folks use, and we call it ‘city money’ here. Third, there’s the Barter System, where goods and services are exchanged directly without any money involved. And finally, there are Digital and Cryptocurrencies, which are modern systems that use digital tokens or blockchain technology, like Bitcoin and Ethereum.”

Wow, Charlie must secretly be an avid reader, I thought to myself. I mean, he even knows about Bitcoin! He’s surprisingly up-to-date. I don’t know much about it myself, but I’ve heard some students at school talk about it before.

He paused, looking at me with an expression that seemed to ask, “Are you still with me?” I nodded quickly, trying not to betray how hard I was focusing to keep up.

“Mind if we sit for a bit?” Charlie asked, gesturing to a pair of nearby wooden chairs. “This might take a while.”

“No problem,” I replied, settling into the chair.

“Alright, let’s start with a quick review,” Charlie said, flashing a sly grin. “Can you explain the Barter System and Fiat Money System to me, Aria?”

“Oh, come on, Charlie, now you’re just teasing me!” I protested, half-laughing.

“I’m just making sure you’ve got it straight,” he replied with a playful shrug. “Better to clear it up now than have to go over it again later.”

“You’re totally looking down on me, aren’t you?” I shot back, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Not at all!” he said, chuckling. “Don’t think like that.”

“Fine,” I relented, rolling my eyes but unable to hide my smile. "Barter is, um, the exchange of goods and services directly between parties without the use of money, and Fiat Money is... printed paper given value because the government declares it so. Right?”

I tried to sound confident, even though I wasn’t entirely sure of my answer. Charlie’s grin widened, and I felt a mix of pride and relief, hoping I’d gotten it mostly right—or at least close enough.

“Yep, you’ve got your own way of explaining it, but that’s about right,” Charlie said with a grin before continuing. “Here’s the thing, Aria: the island doesn’t have a government. There’s no president or any officials like what you’re used to in the city. However, we do have authorities called the Rule Implementors, or sometimes we just call them R.I.s, and the Erasers.”

“Wait, what are those?” I asked, intrigued.