[System Task Completed: Balance the Scales]

  Great stuff! You definitely deserved to take his car. Vroom vroom!

  +30 LP

  ***

  Maluck loved it!

  Before stepping into Ron’s pawn shop, he had been clinging to his Luck Points like a broke college student stretching their last five bucks until payday. A luck pauper, barely scraping by, hoping the universe wouldn’t kick him while he was down.

  But now?

  Between the Luck Siphon Stone and the System Task reward, his LP had skyrocketed to 200.

  Two. Hundred.

  It felt like the System’s equivalent of going from eating instant ramen every night to suddenly having a black card.

  Maluck grinned, feeling absolutely loaded. “I can finally afford to buy stupid shit in the System store.”

  As they stepped outside, Maluck looked at the luxury car now legally his.

  Then he glanced at his old car.

  He should donate it or something.

  And that’s when a System Task popped up.

  [System Task: A Generous Soul] You’ve taken your due, but true balance comes from giving as well. Why not tip the scales back in your favor? Donate your old car and share your fortune with someone in need.

  Bonus: +0.03 Wisdom, +5 LP.

  ***

  Seeing the System Task pop up, Maluck turned to Chloe.

  “Hey, Chloe, why don’t we split up? There’s two of us and two cars. You want to take Ron’s ride to get it detailed?”

  Chloe wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, definitely. I don’t want to be driving around in a car that smells like a sleazy old man and midlife crisis.”

  “And I’ll take my car to somewhere that’ll accept donations.”

  Chloe paused, blinking. “Oh, that’s… that’s actually nice. Really nice of you to think of that.”

  Maluck nodded sagely. “Yep. All my own idea. Absolutely. Just woke up this morning and thought, ‘You know what? I should do some good today.’”

  He placed a hand over his heart.

  “I’m basically Robin Hood.”

  Chloe snorted. “Right. Robin Hood. Except instead of stealing from the rich, you bullied a pawnshop owner into giving you his car.”

  Maluck grinned. “It’s called modern adaptation.”

  ***

  Maluck pulled up to “CARS 4 A BETTER FUTURE – DONATE TODAY!” A well-maintained lot, a clean office, and a professional-looking sign made it seem legit.

  And that’s what set off his Scammer Slayer instinct.

  [Skill Activated: Scammer Slayer]

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Warning! Something’s off. This isn’t some street-corner grift—this is a professionally run operation with serious money moving behind the scenes. You’re looking at the polished surface of a much bigger scam.

  Maluck’s grin widened.

  ‘Oh, this was going to be fun.’

  A man in a crisp suit, clearly trying to ooze professionalism, walked over with a corporate-friendly smile.

  “Welcome, sir! You must be here to make a difference in someone’s life.”

  Maluck raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, sure. That’s totally why I’m here.”

  The man laughed smoothly. “At Cars 4 A Better Future, we take unwanted vehicles and ensure they go to families in need. It’s all about giving back to the community.”

  Maluck tilted his head. “Uh-huh. And how exactly does that work?”

  “Oh, it’s simple!” The man pulled out a sleek brochure, flipping through pictures of happy families standing beside their “donated” vehicles. “You sign the ownership over to us, and we handle everything—repairs, logistics, and placement.”

  Maluck’s Scammer Sense was screaming its head off now.

  “Right, right,” he said, leaning casually on his car. “And I assume this is a registered charity?”

  “Of course!” The man’s smile didn’t falter. “We’re fully accredited and backed by numerous government partnerships.”

  Maluck had already pulled out his phone, typing fast.

  “Great. That means you have a tax-exempt number and your financials are publicly available, right?”

  The man hesitated for half a second—but that was enough.

  “Oh, absolutely! Transparency is very important to us,” he said quickly. “But, uh, government paperwork takes time to update. You know how it is.”

  Maluck grinned.

  Yeah. He knew exactly how it was.

  A quick search pulled up their records.

  Yep. Officially registered.

  Yep. Recognized by the government.

  Yep. Actively receiving tax-deductible donations.

  Maluck glanced at the lot again.

  There were nice cars here. Too nice. Not the kind of stuff people would just donate out of the kindness of their hearts.

  “Alright,” Maluck said, stretching. “So, who actually gets these cars?”

  “Families in need,” the man said, regaining his smooth tone.

  “Uh-huh. And how do you choose who gets them?”

  “Oh, we work with government agencies and select nonprofits to identify eligible recipients.”

  Maluck’s Scammer Slayer flashed again.

  Government agencies?

  Oh.

  Oh, this wasn’t just a scam.

  This was a real, well-connected operation.

  Which meant?

  There were people in high places getting a cut.

  And now?

  Now he was very interested.

  Maluck crossed his arms, grinning.

  “Well, you’ve really sold me on your ‘cause,’” he said. “I’d love to donate my car.”

  The man relaxed slightly. “That’s wonderful to hear.”

  ***

  As soon as the sales guy disappeared into the office, Maluck pulled out his phone and dialed Soi.

  It rang twice before a familiar, no-nonsense voice answered.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey Soi, what’s up?”

  “Maluck! Nice to finally hear from you. I’ve got the paperwork almost done for the corporation. It should be ready in a day or two. And that check for $200K should clear soon, too.”

  “Super, nicely done buddy. I’m actually calling you about something else,” said Malak.

  “Ohhh?”

  Maluck grinned. “Quick question. What do you know about a charity called Cars 4 A Better Future?”

  There was a pause. A long pause.

  Then Soi sighed.

  “Why?”

  Maluck chuckled. “Oh, you know. Just doing my civic duty. Thinking about donating my car.”

  Soi’s voice went flat. “No, you’re not.”

  Maluck smirked. “Oh, I was. But then my Scammer alert went off like a car alarm.”

  Soi groaned. “Jesus. You can’t go five minutes without stumbling into something shady, can you?”

  Maluck leaned against his car, watching through the office window as the sales guy shuffled through stacks of paperwork like he was stalling.

  “So, I take it these guys aren’t as squeaky clean as they pretend to be?”

  Soi sighed again. “It’s legit on paper. They file actual tax returns, they do some real donations, and they have government backing.”

  “But?” Maluck prompted.

  “But it’s also a money pit. Most of their ‘donations’ get funneled into executive salaries, consulting fees, and ‘logistics’ that somehow cost millions.”

  Maluck whistled. “Damn. And let me guess—certain government officials are getting their piece of the pie?”

  “Oh, absolutely.” Soi sounded disgusted. “I ran into them a while back when I was auditing someone else’s mess. They’ve got politicians, law enforcement, and corporate execs all tangled in their web. The kind of people who make problems disappear.”

  Maluck’s grin widened.

  “Oooooh. So I really shouldn’t be poking around.”

  Soi groaned. “Maluck.”

  Maluck smirked. “Well, now I have to.”

  “Maluck, I swear to—”

  “Alright, gotta go! They’re coming back with my ‘donation’ paperwork.”

  “Maluck, DO NOT SIGN—”

  Click.

  Maluck pocketed his phone, just as the sales guy walked back out, smiling way too wide.

  “Alright!” the man chirped. “We can get everything processed right away!”

  Maluck grinned, folding his arms.

  “Oh, I bet you can.”

  Because now?

  Now he wasn’t just donating a car.

  He was going to start following the money.

  And he was about to make a real big choice, because a very different System Task had appeared. Something he had never seen before.

  ***