In Need of a General Manager

Chapter 12: In Need of a General Manager

Satria was flying through the forest on top of Marlyn. He still remembers exactly where is the gate that connects this world with his earth. After about ten minutes, he arrived at a clearing. There seems nothing odd with this clearing, but when he approached it, the floating door manifested into existence.

'I need to buy this plot of land after this ..., although there's a mechanism that only lets me and the people who have my permission can see the gate, it's still worrying. I don't know much about the mage from this world. They might find something suspicious with this flow of energy and investigate it.' mussed Satria.

After he got the circulation skill, he could vaguely see the flow of energy. He doesn't know whether if its the so-called qi, mana, or Magicka, or whatever it's called, but he just knows that there's an energy. This energy flows in the open world and also inside his body. Some streams of energy gathered into one place, and he could vaguely sense an energy flow that lead to this gate that connect the two worlds.

"Thanks, Merlyn ..." Satria patted her beak before un-summoning her.

He walked through the gate and left this world. Through the eyes of the observant, he just disappeared. It was like, he walked, and then in the next second, he was out of the frame.

After a minute of total silence, a figure slowly approached the clearing. This figure was clad in all black, with two menacing crescent blades on his back. He stared at the spot where Satria disappeared for a while before he turned around and left. His movement was fast but produced no sound, he left silently just like how he came.

.

..

...

[You have returned to your Origin World 'Earth']

'I'm back ...,' he felt the shift of gravitational force and atmosphere, marking that the interdimensional travel has been successful. 'Now I know how bad the air is in this place.'

It's not even a minute since he returned to the earth, and he could feel the difference between the polluted air of Surabaya city compared with the other world. It's just ... too horrible to be compared. He lived in a small town on a mountain foot in Central Java, but he would bet his life that even his hometown air still couldn't beat the purity of the other world.

Forget about the environmental condition of this world, Satria immediately started the things he has to do when returning to earth. But first, he re-synched the clock on his phone. It shows 07.40 AM Monday, only 18 hours have passed since he stepped into the gate and enter the other world. The time dilation worked exactly just as he hypothesized.

Satria should've had a class schedule about right now. However, completing the quest is more important to him. Thus, for the first time in this semester, he decided to skip a class.

'Damn ..., I'm so handsome.' Satria praised his new appearance in the bathroom mirror.

His face was all clean and there are no freckle or acne on it unlike how it was before. He seems to gain some height, and his muscle becomes more prominent.

Finished having a quick bath, Satria called out his friend from his hometown, Reihan. The call connected and a carefree voice transmitted over from the phone.

<Supp?>

"Assalamualaikum ..."

<Wa Alaikum salam, not every day you'd call me, how's life going?>

"Yeah, I'm good ..., what about you?"

<Busy with some organization stuffs, just like usual.>

"That sounds rough ..., anyway, I need some help. Can I borrow your car?"

<Hmmm ..., for what, and when?>

"I need to buy something in large quantity, and you know I only have my old bike so maybe I can use some help with that. As for the time, I need it immediately. Like, right now."

There was a long pause before Reihan said his answer.

<..., well, alright.>

"Great, where are you now?"

<I'm at Campus B.>

"Got it. Thanks, man."

<Nah, don't mind it. You owe me a meal for this.>

"Sure, I'll treat you later."

After hanging up the call, he grabbed his helmet and goes to campus B with his motorcycle. It took around 10 minutes to reach Dharmahusada Street where Airlangga University Campus B is located. Satria parked his motorcycle in the rainbow building and then called Reihan once again. The latter decided on a meeting spot and he walked through the campus for a bit.

Just like usual, he walked with the phone in his hand. It's a habit that has seeped into his bone. He might even have learned the skill of walking without seeing the road. But then, he noticed that something doesn't seem right. He felt that someone was watching him, no, not just one person, but everyone.

It was not because his narcissism kicked in. He turned up his head and found out that was the case. A bunch of girls was looking at him while giggling and talking in their group. Campus B is where the social and humanity majors are mostly located. There were more female students compared to males on this campus.

His new appearance increased his overall charm greatly. His skin tone is still brownish, but it's more of light porcelain brown. His body also got a change, his height increased by 7 cm, and his body become beefier. Even when he covered half of his face with a mask, his natural charm still attracted these women.

Some girls with too much confidence tried to stop his way and hit a conversation, but he 'politely' excused himself and went on his way. He hastened his pace towards the place designated by Reihan.

In the FISIP gallery, a guy in a polo shirt was seen smoking a cigarette. Satria approached him and called out his name.

"Reihan!"

The guy who just sucked his cigarettes turned around and exhaled the whitish smoke. He has a clean shaved face and his hairstyle in a buzz cut. His eyes were sharp and has a tall nose and high cheekbone. He wore a branded shirt and shoes that cost millions. Overall, his look was above average and he's from a considerably well-off family.

Reihan squinted both of his eyes staring at the man who just called out to him.

"Who are you?"

"Huh, what are you talking about, it's me! Satria."

Reihan rolled his eyes at that, "I'm asking just in case ..., but dude, did you have a second phase of puberty or something? You seem taller ... and a bit buffed."

"Well, don't know about that ... maybe the excess protein from eating geprek chickens every day lead me to this."

"As if eating those would let you gain all those muscles!"

"Forget that, about what I asked you before ..."

"Here ..., but let me use your old motorcycle in the meantime." Reihan throw the car key at him which he grabbed without a hitch.

"Fair enough." Satria nodded and placed his motorcycle key. "I parked in the rainbow parking lot, floor 2."

"Got it ..., by the way, how's your going with that cosplayer chick? Did you succeed?"

Satria's left eye twitched hearing that. Six days have passed since that time when he wanted to ask out his crush girl. But it was just yesterday on earth as the time passed 7 times slower in Dahlia's world.

"... nah, it didn't work out."

"Ow ..., uhmm, well if you want to talk about it I'm all ears."

"No ..., I'm fine, I realized that I was such a fool." Satria smiled bitterly.

Funny thing is that, even though he has the power to enter a fictional dimension and meet the so-called 'waifu' that he dreamed of. His mind and heart still couldn't move on from Tyas.

Even though Dahlia the main heroine of her world has shown great interest in having a relationship with him. He reluctantly accepted her advances. He was still hesitating about how he should treat Dahlia. While Dahlia is way prettier than Tyas, he couldn't force himself to adore her the same way he is with Tyas.

"There's a lot of women in this world. Don't get fixated with the one who never shares a common feeling. Besides, what's your reason for liking her in the first place? Because she cosplayed? Dude, there are literally hundreds of girls in the Japanese Study major who cosplayed. It's not that rare."

"Oh shut up ..., it wasn't because of that. Well, yeah, at first it's like that, but she's like an onion."

"As in when you peel it, it would agitate your tear glands?"

"The more I peel, the more layer revealed inside ..., she's unique in my eyes, alright."

"Damn, what a simp ..., oh well. What am I to say about your girl preference."

"..." Satria went silent for some time and then sighed. "I need to go, where did you park your car?"

"In front of the master program building."

"Well, see ya later ..., I'll send the car to your apartment tonight." he stretched out his hand. Reihan grabbed his hand and they have a firm handshake.

"Alright, and it's fine if you return it by tomorrow. There have been some disturbing gang activities around my place lately."

"Is it that bad?"

"Not really, those scums of society are usually active at midnight so as long as I return before 10 pm, it's alright."

"Hmmm ..., well, be careful. Send my regard to your imaginary girlfriend."

"Shut up you cosplayer's simp."

"I'm off, salam alaikum!"

"Alaikumusalam."

Satria left him and then went to the car parking lot. It took a while before he found Reihan's car. He drove the car and entered Karang Menjangan street.

As he waited for the traffic light, he think of his next plan.

'If I waited on earth, there's no way I could finish the quest. But if I waited in the world with a faster time rate compared to earth ..., then maybe I had a chance to finish it. The question is, what world?'

He had noticed this particular problem. The event time is relative to his own biological clock. This mean, if he spends a day on earth which is 7 times faster than Dahlia's world, a week would have passed in her world.

That's a loophole that he just realized right after he woke up from the comatose state. If only he knew about it earlier, then maybe he wouldn't spend his days carelessly in Dahlia's world. Nevertheless, he was incapable of turning back the time that has passed. The only thing he could do is to maximize the little bit of time left until the event ended.

'But yeah, in that case, I need someone to delegate things. Dahlia might be capable of that, but that's not why I hired her in the first place. Her forte is not in managing these things, but in researching and developing things. Should I use that Invitation Letter?'

He wanted someone who can act as a proxy, someone who is capable to manage his trading company and has experience in handling business. There are numerous such characters like those in anime, manga, and novels. In an urban setting novel, a female CEO is something like a must-have, like there are tons of them. Shentu Tianyin, Xia Shiyu, Lin Ruoxi, Xiao Yumei, you name it.

However, he didn't want to drag a woman from her version of the earth just to handle things in another world. They probably had a family, and thus it would be much more problematic in the long run. Thus, he needed someone from another world. Preferably, with little to no attachment to her home world.

Previously had a thought, that maybe it is a good idea to invite Ningguang, the Tianquan of Liyue Qixing from Genshin Impact. But honestly, he didn't know what is it that he can offer to make her work for him. She was rumored to be the person with the most Mora in all Teyvat, while he was an upstart with just a meager amount of wealth. It would be very difficult for him to make a deal with her.

The next person that comes to his mind was Delfina Homer Lamanry, the 1 Kre slave who become the wealthiest merchant in her world. She was from the novel [Kujibiki Tokushou Musou Hāremu ken]. In the novel, she was very cunning when negotiating with people but it all changes in front of the protagonist.

Another candidate is Laura Markey ..., the main heroine of [Bringing the Farm to Life in Another World]. She was a genius in cultivation and also in business. She also somehow has a similar appearance to Taylor Swift.

After recalling that Chinese web novel, he remembered another female character who is adept at the business sector. Ya Fei from [Battle Through the Heaven], was introduced as the auctioneer of the Primer Auction House. The author described that she possesses devilish charms and the ability to sell anything.

'But why all of them are female characters? Well, of course, it has to be a woman ..., after all, why should I leave a man nearby my Dahlia?' he justified his reasoning to invite a female business manager with that.

Although he still hadn't found his heart ready to accept Dahlia's feelings, he already considered her as his fiancée.

'..., but I also need someone who could protect herself well if the need arose. Ya Fei and Delfina have zero combat expertise, so scratch them out of consideration ..., that leaves Ningguang and Laura.'

Laura is a cultivator, reaching Warrior Level 6 at the start of the story. It was a major accomplishment because not many people capable of reaching that stage at that age, she was 17 at that time. He can't really measure how powerful is that Warrior Level 6, as there is no comparison to speak of. Though, there's also a matter of her appearance who in the novel said that she is nearly identical to Taylor Swift.

In Teyvat, the power of an individual is predominantly held by the vision wielder. A vision grants users elemental abilities based on the element of their given Vision. Ningguang received her Geo Vision ..., or rather reactivating a masterless vision when she concoct a plan on commercializing the masterless vision from the vision wielder who dies. Although in the game she is a four-star character, she was pretty badass when she went on full Gilgamesh mode in the Jade Chamber.

'Hmmm ..., who should I invite?'