A Plan for Money

Lassen slumped into his old leather chair, his eyes fixed on the ceiling of his studio. The fresh morning air seeped in through the slightly open window, but he paid no attention to it. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Before coming to this world, his main problem had always been the same: how to make money. So how was he going to solve that dilemma here, in this strange new world?

He had already explored the most obvious options in his head. "System, send a billion dollars to my bank account."

[ Are you sure? ]

"Why, can't you do it?" Lassen replied in a mocking tone.

[ Yes, but introducing such a large sum into a basic economy could cause disturbances that you wouldn't be able to manage at this point. Are you really sure you want to do that? ]

Lassen rolled his eyes, annoyed by the system. "Okay… I need to be smart." he muttered, a spark of determination in his eyes. "I want money, and I want it now."

His eyes drifted up, staring at a corner of the ceiling. He thought for a moment. "What if I robbed a bank? No, too risky… And too cliché, too."

The system, true to its nature, responded almost immediately.

[ Really? Is that the best idea you have? ]

Lassen rolled his eyes again. "What do you know? It's a classic, but… yeah, maybe a bit too risky. Alright, forget the bank."

He scratched his head, looking for another solution. "What if I started selling products online? I invent some revolutionary product... like socks that turn into slippers. That could be a hit!"

[" Really? Transformable socks into slippers? Are you sure you want the whole world to know how… innovative your ideas are?"] mocked the system.

Lassen stared at the virtual screen, sighing. "Okay, fine. Maybe it's not the idea of the century. But it could work, right?"

[" Oh, you got me good, host. A revolutionary product… that changes lives… transformable socks. Maybe you could also sell air in a jar. After all, it's so innovative."]

Lassen grumbled. "You're unbearable. Alright, forget the socks. Let me think some more."

A moment of silence passed. Then an idea hit him. "What if I hacked into a company? It's a quick way to make money, right? I break into their system, find security flaws, and offer them a solution for a large fee. Efficient and discreet, right?"

In the novels he'd read, that kind of plan always worked. Take a local company, infiltrate their system, spot the flaws, and then offer to fix them for a nice sum. Simple, effective… and discreet.

[ Finally, something that resembles an intelligent idea. ]

Lassen smiled, pleased with himself. "Ah, I knew you'd eventually appreciate my creativity."

He jumped up suddenly. "Alright, let's start small, don't want to make it too visible. Let's avoid multinational companies."

After a few minutes of thought, he said, "System, give me a list of national companies with a good reputation, that rely mostly on the internet for their business."

On the transparent screen in front of him, a list of three companies appeared:

[ 1 - Vito: peer-to-peer product sales ]

[ 2 - Mia: dating app ]

[ 3 - Lovo: delivery service ]

"Ooh, I know them. Alright, what do I do now?"

Even though it was easy to ask the system to hack and write a report for him, Lassen knew there was always the matter of an in-person meeting with the company to negotiate. He couldn't just rely on automation for these kinds of transactions.

And if he were more delegating in his work, he wouldn't have been fired from all his previous jobs.

"Wait a minute…" A flash of inspiration struck him.

The system had told him it could do anything, even summon people. So, what if… he summoned someone to handle all of that for him?

"Hehehe… What if I summon an assistant? No, a little sexy assistant who can do everything for me?" Lassen began to imagine his assistant, even drooling a little.

[ Pervert. ]

The system's notification snapped him out of his daydream.

"Ahem, ahem… System, I want to summon an assistant, a very, very, very competent right-hand man."

[ If you summon an assistant, I'm afraid you won't let them work with your perverted mentality. ]

"Ahem, ahem… okay, okay, an assistant works too."

The screen lit up again, and in the blink of an eye, a man appeared before him. He wasn't old—maybe in his thirties—with sharp features and a posture marked by discipline. He wore a simple dark blue suit, his brown hair neatly combed, with a few streaks of gray at his temples that added to his mature and reliable look. He gave off an aura of calm and competence. He wasn't a young, arrogant man but rather someone who knew exactly where he stood.

The man bowed slightly and spoke in a confident voice. "Master."

Lassen looked him over, a little surprised by the appearance. He hadn't imagined someone so… "professional." "Okay, you're… my assistant, right? What's your name?" Lassen asked, curious.

The assistant responded calmly, without changing his demeanor. "My name is Alex, Master."

"Alright, Alex. How old are you?" Lassen continued, intrigued.

"Thirty-three years old, Master."

Lassen nodded, satisfied. "And… what exactly are you good at? What are your skills?"

"I am skilled in business management, project organization, cybersecurity, and administrative assistance. I ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently."

"Okay, but wait, can you have kids?" Lassen asked, with a teasing smile. "Or are you just a robot with no personal life?"

[ Really? That's what you want to know? ] the system mocked.

"Do you go to the bathroom?" he continued, just to test him.

Alex, unflappable, answered with absolute calm. "Yes, Master. I perform all human functions, including those."

Lassen raised an eyebrow, amused. "Alright, fine. As long as you do your job, I'm good."

The system, always responsive, chimed in casually:

[ He's perfectly integrated into this world. No trace of his appearance. You are free to use him however you wish. ]