Soi said while adding the new expenses to the company spreadsheet, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “Speaking of cars, who’s actually running Cars 4 a Better Future for us? Is it really Dennis? Because, let’s be real, he’s just the… finance guy.”
He glanced up, raising an eyebrow. “And by ‘finance guy,’ I mean the human equivalent of a malfunctioning ATM. He knows how to move money, sure, but actual management? Leadership? Making sure the business doesn’t collapse under its own weight?” Soi scoffed. “Yeah, I’m not seeing it.”
Maluck leaned back, smiling. “Harsh.”
Soi shrugged. “Accurate.” He tapped his screen. “So tell me, who’s actually making sure that place doesn’t turn into a disaster?”
Maluck nodded, swirling the last of his coffee. “Yeah, Dennis is handling the money flow, but he’s not actually running anything. He just signs papers and panics a lot.”
Cass, flipping through her notes, didn’t even look up. “Right. The actual day-to-day operation is still being handled by the existing charity staff—the same people who were running it before we took over. Some of them are corrupt, some are just clueless, and a handful might actually care about charity work.”
Maluck frowned. ‘Wait… wasn’t Cass supposed to be somewhere else?’
He narrowed his eyes. “Weren’t you supposed to be off doing more financial digging?”
Cass blinked, then casually held up her coffee. “Yeah, I was.”
Maluck gave her a look. “Then why are you here?”
She took a slow sip. “Because I needed caffeine before I kept doing that. Relax, I didn’t teleport in. You two were just too busy getting all giddy over new cars to notice me walk in.”
Soi sighed, rubbing his temples. “Great. First, it’s surprise expenses, now it’s surprise people.”
Maluck shook his head. “Alright, fine. After this, you’re back on it, right?”
Cass took another sip. “Yep. And if you’re thinking about replacing people, I’ll need to do a deeper dive into the payroll records. Figure out who’s loyal, who’s dirty, and who’s just coasting along pretending not to see the corruption.”
Soi nodded. “Good. Because if we’re putting someone in charge, we need to make sure we’re not accidentally leaving any landmines behind.”
Maluck pursed his lips, tapping his fingers against the table. “So, what you’re saying is, we technically own it now, but the same people are still running it?”
Cass shrugged. “Pretty much.”
Maluck sighed. “That’s not gonna work long-term. We need people in place who actually answer to us.”
Soi nodded. “Yeah, because right now, if Harrison Lowell finds out we took over, he’s not gonna come to us—he’s gonna go straight to his old lackeys and tell them to start causing problems.”
Maluck exhaled, drumming his fingers against the table. “Alright, so we need loyalty. People we can put in as managers, people who are competent but also on our payroll.”
Cass smirked. “You want people that are shady, or people that are actually good at their jobs?”
Maluck grinned. “Why not both?”
***
Maluck leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table. “Do the staff even know we’re the new bosses?”
Cass looked up from her laptop. “Probably not. Most of the managers are just running things like usual. They report up the chain and, as far as they know, that chain still leads to Trask and Lowell.”
Soi nodded. “Which means if we just waltz in, it’s going to tip them off.”
Maluck groaned. “Argghhhh. This part makes my brain hurt.”
Cass smirked. “What, the part where we don’t solve a problem by throwing money at it?”
Maluck waved a hand. “It’s just messy. We can’t outright fire everyone without drawing attention, but we also can’t just not clean house.”
Soi sighed. “And let me guess, you’ve got an idea?”
Maluck grinned. “Yep. Dennis calls them in for ‘reviews,’ and I play the part of a secretary.”
Cass raised an eyebrow. “So, let me get this straight—you want Dennis to call in all the managers for ‘performance reviews,’ and you want to play secretary?”
Maluck’s grin widened. “Yep.”
Soi pinched the bridge of his nose. “And why, exactly, do you need to be a secretary?”
“Because I want to personally watch these people squirm while I use my scammer detection skills to figure out who’s dirty.”
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Cass smirked. “So, let me get this straight. You want to sit there, take notes, and nod politely while actually deciding which ones get to keep their jobs and which ones are about to have a very bad day?”
Maluck snapped his fingers. “Exactly. Plus, I get to wear fake glasses and pretend to type.”
Soi groaned. “This is the dumbest smart plan I’ve ever heard.”
Cass shrugged. “Honestly? It’s not terrible. If we let Dennis do all the talking, no one will suspect a thing. Meanwhile, Maluck sits there quietly, takes mental notes, and figures out which ones are stealing, lying, or just plain stupid.”
Maluck nodded. “Right? Then, when we’re done, we decide who stays and who suddenly needs a new career.”
Soi exhaled. “Fine. But if you start handing out pink slips while adjusting imaginary glasses, I’m walking out.”
Maluck smirked. “No promises.”
***
Maluck called Dennis that evening, and the second the man picked up, Maluck could hear the nervousness in his voice.
“H-hey, boss.”
Maluck smirked. “Relax, Dennis. I’m not here to spiritually curb-stomp you again.”
Dennis let out an awkward chuckle, but Maluck could tell he still wasn’t over their last meeting. ‘Good. A little fear kept people motivated.’
“Alright,” Maluck continued. “Here’s what we’re gonna do. Tomorrow, you’re running performance reviews for every manager. Keep it quick—five minutes per person. You’re gonna ask two simple questions.”
Dennis gulped. “Okay… what are they?”
Maluck grinned. “First, What do you think about the job?”
Dennis blinked. “That’s… reasonable.”
Maluck’s grin widened. “Second, Have you ever thought about stealing from the company?”
Dennis choked. “What?!”
“Say it real casual-like,” Maluck said, waving a hand. “Make it sound like a joke. But watch how they react.”
Dennis sounded like he was actively sweating. “You—you seriously want me to ask them that?”
Maluck leaned back. “Trust me. If they’re clean, they’ll laugh it off. If they’re guilty? They’ll panic, over-explain, or try to play it cool. Either way, I’ll be sitting there, watching them like a hawk.”
Dennis swallowed hard. “…And what happens if someone does react suspiciously?”
Maluck smirked. “Then we’ll have a little chat afterward about career opportunities elsewhere.”
Dennis sighed. “I should’ve never met you.”
Maluck laughed. “Too late, buddy. See you tomorrow.”
***
Maluck eyed his Bad Luck points suspiciously. The number 88 sat there suspiciously. That was a way too ominous number to leave sitting there. No way was he walking around with that kind of bad juju hanging over him.
Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out the Fortune Tuner.
“Alright, let’s burn this down.”
He activated the device, watching as his Bad Luck Points (BP) drained to zero.
At the same time, his Luck Points (LP) adjusted:
?105 LP → 80 LP (minus the 25 LP Fortune Tuner cost)
?BP: 88 → 0 (all burned)
?LP Bonus: +44 (converted from BP)
?Final LP: 124
Maluck grinned. That’s more like it.
Maluck opened up the System Store, scrolling through today’s selection.
“Hmm… anything good today?”
His eyes flicked over the options:
?100 LP - Four-Leaf Clover Keychain
A simple charm that slightly increases positive encounters for a day.
“Eh. Not bad, but a slight increase? For a hundred LP? Pass.”
?10 LP - Beginner’s Lucky Coin
Flipping this coin will always land in your favor.
“Oh wow. A beginner’s scam tool. Cute, but I already have real luck manipulation. Next.”
?25 LP - Loaded Dice (Set of 2)
These dice can be rolled to any number you choose.
Maluck snorted. “Wow. Amazing. A cheat for the least useful form of gambling. Yeah, let me just hit the craps table like some Vegas ringer.”
He sat back, unimpressed. “Nothing really worth spending on today. Which means, I can level up the System!”
***
Maluck decided it was time. He had been holding onto his Luck Points, but after yesterday’s ridiculous slip-on-a-sausage incident, he wanted more control over his fate—or at least, less random meat accidents.
He tapped the Level Up System button and dumped 90 LP into it.
[System Response]
Are you sure?
“Yes!”
The System took a moment, then a notification popped up.
[Level 3 – Coin Flip Fate]
“You get equal amounts of good and bad luck. Enjoy the ride.”
?BP still increases by 2 per hour.
?1 Free Lucky Spin per day as compensation.
?For every bad luck event, a minor good luck event follows immediately.
Step in gum? Find a $5 bill. Lose your keys? Find them in the first place you check.
Maluck blinked at the description. “Oh. So I’ve basically signed up for cosmic slapstick.”
He exhaled, rubbing his temples. “Well, at least I get a free Lucky Spin now. Let’s hope it’s actually lucky and not just another way for the System to mess with me.”
Maluck was excited about his free Lucky Spin every day now. It was like a little dopamine hit—who didn’t love free rewards? But then, as he pulled up the Wheel of Fortune, his excitement faded.
Wait a second…
Something was off.
The Awesome categories—the ones that actually had good rewards—had shrunk. Like, significantly. Meanwhile, the Sorry, Try Again slots? Yeah, those had multiplied like rabbits.
“What the hell?” Maluck muttered, squinting at the wheel.
Then it hit him.
The free Lucky Spin was just like those “daily free pulls” in mobile games. Technically, you could win something amazing, but let’s be real—the designers weren’t about to hand out good stuff for free. Oh no. The real purpose was to get you hooked, to make you think, Ooh, just one more spin! Maybe next time I’ll win big!
Maluck groaned. ‘This damn System is running a full-on gacha scam on me.’
He stared at the wheel, debating. He could feel the trap closing around him. First, they make him excited about the free spins. Then they nerf the odds. And then—the final, insidious step—they dangle some limited-time, exclusive, one-time-only premium spins in front of him.
He knew it was coming.
‘Damn it. Well at least it’s free.’
Maluck decisively hit the Lucky Spin button, watching as the wheel clattered around, flashing between tempting prizes and completely useless junk.
“Come on, something good,” he muttered.
The wheel slowed… tick… tick… tick…
And landed on—
[The Lucky Socks]
Wearing them ensures you never trip, stumble, or get caught off guard. Also incredibly comfortable. Can be transferred. Has Hello KittyCat on them. Lasts for 1 day.
Maluck stared at the description.
Then he burst out laughing.
“Are you serious? Lucky Socks?”
He scrolled down and saw the most important part:
TRANSFERABLE.
His laughter turned into a slow, delighted grin.
“Oh, this is hilarious.”
Maluck grinned, already picturing Chloe’s reaction. This was going to be the best gift ever.
“System,” he asked, “the Lucky Socks last one day. Do they activate as soon as I take them out of the store?”
[System Response] Nope. They activate when you want them to activate. So if you’re transferring them, activate them before you transfer.
Maluck’s grin widened. ‘Oh, this was perfect.’
He could already imagine Chloe gearing up for a break-in—moving with perfect stealth, never tripping, never losing her balance, like she was possessed by the god of gracefulness.
This was too good.
He pocketed the socks, making a mental note to hand them over right before her next heist. She’d be the best cat burglar ever!
***
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