Chapter 7: Not A Professional Mechanic

(Third Person POV)

The recent announcement caused the fans to be slightly sad, though they quickly recovered and tried to be understanding. There was only one illustrator at Singularity Works after all.

More than 30,000 have visited the site, and 25,000 of them have already become fans and have been following the site since they joined. These fans have invited others to support Singularity Works, while most go to Genjitsu's LINE to express their appreciation for their hard work and also to tell them to take a rest more, as they don't want such a godly artist to suddenly collapse.

There were other fans who invited their friends so they could buy their own copy of the available manga volumes as a way to support Singularity Works.

And then there were others who saw the announcement as a chance. Some of them were from small companies that held a few offices that handled otaku goods, while others were investors who saw profits from the site. Both of these types immediately moved to secure it.

They only had one objective in their mind. It was to obtain Genjitsu's services or own the site itself!

_____________________

Aiko Books was a relatively popular publishing company in Yokohama. They have adapted many hit series that got their anime adaptation later. This kind of company was always looking for more talents they could add to their roster for the sake of expanding their business.

And currently, their eyes were set on a very promising talent.

"So, did that artist respond back?"

Tanaka, the Senior HR Specialist, asked the woman who was in charge of recruiting this great artist.

The woman in question held a complex expression as she turned to her boss before shaking her head.

"Sir, Genjitsu still hasn't responded yet."

Hearing the words of the woman caused Tanaka to clench his fist in anger.

"Why? Didn't I tell you to take care of it?"

"I'm sorry. I'll try and contact the artist again...!"

Takarada Inoue felt wronged, but she couldn't complain. That was her boss. She was just an average HR staff member.

"Do it! We need to have that artist!"

Tanaka walked away while grumbling under his breath. After making sure he was gone, Inoue let out the exasperated moan she had been keeping.

She was upset. When they initially learned about Genjitsu, Inoue was unexpectedly assigned the responsibility of recruiting her. This happened in early April. May had already begun, and Genjitsu had yet to react to any of her offerings.

At first, they treated this situation casually. They assumed Genjitsu was simply a competent artist whom they could employ whenever they wished. They realized that Genjitsu was more than that after that quick third volume update on that site. That mangaka artist was extremely quick and could produce high-quality work with whatever series they chose. Aiko Books' HR sensed immense promise in that artist.

If they had that kind of artist, any of their future work would be of that quality, and they could attract a larger audience as a result, which would increase the company's profits.

That was why their attention was completely taken by Genjitsu. They need to have them!

And Inoue was in charge of that.

Tanaka had recently blamed her for not being able to capture the interest of that artist. He continued insinuating that she was useless while covering it up as him assisting her with her job. She could not even speak out about it because it was her superior.

Inoue was at a loss. She implemented the usual strategy for recruiting artists to their company. Promising Genjitsu an above-average salary if they would only accept their commission, or even promising them additional rest days because they regarded their incredible upload speed as a hint that whoever was behind Singularity Works was overworking this artist.

It was often assumed in this nation that artists clung to their first jobs as if they were their lifeblood. Any artist, whether an animator, mangaka artist, digital artist, or writer, was considered a freelancer, and most artists struggle to find steady work. If any corporation ever took them on, they would generally seize the chance and never let go.

And if a better option presented itself, then they would jump ship regardless of how much time they spent in their original workplace.

It was why, in a culture concerned with company loyalty like Japan, artists were seen as unwanted visitors, just as low-level employees were. Just an example, in games and anime series, executive directors and other company members are typically listed first, followed by those who actually worked on the project in small fonts.

Of course, there were exceptions like exceptionally successful authors, but even these successful authors weren't as respected as the company CEOs themselves. Because hierarchy was a serious thing in Japan, only those at the higher positions could get all the credit, while those who worked for them could only get their leftovers.

So, even with Genjitsu's incredible showings throughout her work, Aiko Books simply thought that Genjitsu was also the same as these artists. They were giving her a lot more benefits than what they assumed they had at Singularity Works.

And Genjitsu was still not responding.

"Ugh... if this continues on, the management might just fire me this month."

Inoue bit her lips as tears almost formed in her eyes.

It was unfair. She just got to this position after working here for a few months, and now she was unfortunately put in a difficult case like this. The company doesn't care if the artist themselves was the one being difficult. They would blame it on her incompetence because they wouldn't admit they were wrong with their assumption.

This was the kind of inflexibility common to this country.

And now, she might just lose her job because these inflexible leaders couldn't comprehend that, maybe, the artist actually doesn't care about the offer, or they were simply muted; there was that option too.

'I might have to find a new job after this...'

She thought, her heart already believing that Genjitsu wouldn't respond.

_____________________

Unlike the publishing companies like Aiko Books, few investment firms were interested in Singularity Works itself.

The site, albeit simple in appearance, already had a dedicated PR account that provided frequent updates on several social media platforms. They also saw that, despite being an unknown, the site had grown very quickly in just two months.

They didn't care about Genjitsu. They only cared about the numbers it was showing.

And now, seeing that their PR had announced a month-long hiatus, they felt it was the right time to make their move.

They didn't reach out to Genjitsu. They simply considered that artist a freelancer. No, they reached out to the "Singularity Works Official." One of those who reached out to them was the Ryukin Alternative Capital.

Ryukin Alternative Capital was part of the Ryukin Conglomerate, a very large corporation in Japan, which recently jumped into e-book distribution businesses as they found great growth from it. This investment firm set their eyes on Singularity Works as they saw great potential from it.

It was led by a Senior Investor who had been with this branch company for three years. He had made some investments in his name that brought the company a profit, which gave him some credibility in this field. He now considered Singularity Works as simply another stepping stone to furthering his position within the corporation.

"Heh... They'll shut down if they don't take my offer."

Sakamaki Iida was convinced that whoever owned Singularity Works would accept his offer to invest in them as long as they sold the bulk of their shares to his business. Singularity Works has put a month-long suspension on all of its works, which means they have lost a significant amount of potential money for this month. Their technical staff had previously examined and determined that the server this site used would be difficult to operate given their expected income.

This was an excellent chance for him. He was confident that the management of Singularity Works was already in the red, as server fees and other expenditures required to run the server had to be so high that even their predicted income could not cover it. Without their limited income, they were effectively burning money this month.

He felt like a master in a chess game as he made his move, already confident that he had won. He was already planning how he would make a lot of changes to this site, like taking out the free access for the first volumes of the manga and changing the prices of many of its purchasable volumes and other membership options just to profit more from it.

He greatly anticipated the profits he could get when that time comes.

_____________________

These were just two out of a few groups who became interested in Singularity Works. Their eyes were either set on the artist or on the site itself.

They weren't aware that the owner of the site itself doesn't care at all, nor do they know that she blocked any notifications from them as they weren't related to her work.

Asane's attention was currently on another thing.

"Whoa... I didn't think it would be this high..."

Asane was in her living room, sitting on her sofa as she looked at the statement from the company that handled her electrical bills. Asane truly didn't expect it. Her physical server, which used an inferior version of the Storage Server Singularity, doesn't use electricity anywhere because it could generate its own energy to act as its power source. It also fully exploited quantum mechanics so it could instantly connect to every computer around the world, just like how she designed it.

What it meant was that the cost of maintaining this server was absolutely zero. It was free. She literally had a dedicated server that worked everywhere, even without the existence of any electrical lines, and could connect anywhere on this planet just because of the quantum mechanics she exploited just to create it.

She tried thinking just why her electricity was so high this month, before her eyes briefly glanced at her computer. She quickly processed the problems after looking at her upgraded computer.

'Right... I did upgrade my computer... and my phone... and my charger... You know what, right… I did mess up with a lot of my appliances here...'

Her server might not be the cause, but everything else was. Unlike the physical server that used the basic principles of the Server Storage Singularity, every hardware and appliance in her apartment room was upgraded using technological knowledge that was 10,000 years ahead of this time.

Even if she optimized all of it, their energy consumption would still be greater than a general model available for civilians.

'Well... I couldn't help it. Whenever I'm bored, I just have the urge to mess with my appliances and improve them...'

Even as she thought that, there was another reason within her mind why she did just that.

She was bothered at how slow and inefficient current technologies are. With advanced knowledge just sitting on her mind, she couldn't stop comparing the current performance of these appliances with what she knew, and before she knew it, she was disassembling each technology and improving them with alien materials and unknown technological principles.

Even her microwave wasn't spared, nor her charger, or her electric stove, or even her rice cooker. Lately, whenever she felt bored, she was eyeing the light bulb in her living room and her laundry machine.

She knew she couldn't keep doing this in this place. It wasn't even a house she owned. It was just an apartment room she was renting.

'... Maybe I should start looking for a house?'

While Asane was busy with her own thoughts, the landlord was sitting on the opposite side of the table, looking at the absolute mess in this room.

'What happened here? Where did these things come from?'

She could see a bunch of scraps piled on the corners of this room and some simply scattered around. There were some half-finished machinery and devices all around, like that weird half-capsule framework with wires still sticking out of it or the countless amounts of scavenged computer parts and various amounts of colorful metals she couldn't identify scattered around the floor.

It looked as if a storm had passed here.

In the end, the landlord couldn't resist her curiosity.

"Motogaku-san, where did these come from? I don't recall you having any of these." The landlord gestured to the scattered junk around the room.

"Huh? Oh... yeah, I haven't told you. I've ordered a lot of materials so I can practice for my next job."

The middle-aged landlord raised an eyebrow at that. "Practice?" She recalled that this tenant had quit her previous job two months ago, and since then she hadn't left her room. She didn't know this woman, who was previously a clerk in a convenience store, would suddenly have an interest in technology.

"Yeah. I just tried my hand at it and was quite surprised that I have the talent for it." Asane scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

The landlord was intrigued by that. She couldn't help but ask her out of curiosity.

"Oh my, that's good. You are already preparing for your future. What have you been doing?"

"Nothing much. I'm just messing with my appliances and fixing what I can fix. You know, the usual stuff that electricians and mechanics do on their job."

The landlord's eyes lit up. "Oh, you're planning to be a mechanic?" She couldn't help but be interested. This was a woman who was trying to enter an industry that was predominantly filled with men.

"Technician, actually," Asane corrected without elaborating.

While the middle-aged woman was busy chatting with her, Asane was using most of her brainpower to lie through her teeth. She couldn't say that she was actually upgrading appliances around here. She was put on the spot when the landlord asked her that, and it was making her heart pound faster in anxiousness.

"I see. That sounds great. Where are you planning to work then?"

"Uh... somewhere in Akihabara? I heard there are still some hirings there!"

"Oh right. You love those cartoon stuff."

Asane's face twitched at how the auntie called it.

"By the way, you are planning to be a technician, right? Do you know how to fix some appliances?"

"What kind of appliances?"

"You know, like a microwave and TV. The usual handyman hasn't come this month, and my microwave's not working. I really don't want to order another one because it's quite expensive... Oh, and my TV is acting strangely as--"

'Ugh... Right, I remember now. The landlord of this apartment loves to gossip. It's not a bad thing, but it's a bit annoying...' She held back the grimace that almost formed on her face, though Asane's smile was visibly strained as she simply nodded at the woman.

"---and right, the lightbulb at the second-floor stairs has become faulty. Would you mind looking at it and seeing if you can fix it?"

'Well, I'll just help her out so she stops prying so much. I already diverted her attention from these metals. Can't let her ask again where I got these from...' She nursed her face into a smile fitting for a customer service representative. "Of course, leave it to me!"

"Wonderful! I knew you were dependable since I first saw you...!"

"Ahaha..." She just laughed along with the woman, even as she was having a hard time trying to keep up with her.

'I have to find a new place soon...'

_____________________

(Asane POV)

"Amazing! It's actually working!"

"Thank you so much for fixing my TV! I'll ask you again next time!"

"Where did you learn this? Can you teach me?"

"Can you also fix my phone?"

It has gotten worse...

I didn't expect that it would escalate into this!

How to summarize this. So, after gathering my equipment, I accompanied the landlord to her room, where she pointed me to the damaged appliances she had. I promptly repaired it. It is not like it was difficult. It also takes less time since I employ system-made mechanical tools, which are more flexible and precise for tasks like this.

After that, I borrowed the ladder stool she had in her storage room before walking to the stairs connecting the first and second floors, and I used that ladder stool to reach the damaged bulb. Rather than replacing it, I just repaired the bulb. It is simple if you know what is burned out and how to replace it properly. I carried a lot of raw materials that I could swiftly repurpose into various components for appliances, so even burnt-out LEDs are quite simple to replace without completely replacing them.

Unfortunately, one of the occupants in this apartment saw me repair the light bulb just as I was done. The landlord, being a gossip queen, quickly informed her that I am a skilled mechanic, despite the fact that I had previously told her that I was not.

One thing led to another, and now we are here. I fix practically everyone's damaged appliances. One of them even begged me to fix their computer, and with many eyes staring at me in expectation, I could not refuse.

Fortunately, they were not stingy enough to depart after I repaired their belongings. The majority of them offered me complementary items such as rice and other condiments, while only a handful paid me a pittance. It was good, I suppose. I know I am getting ripped off, but it does not matter. At the very least, they expressed gratitude.

*Ping*

I perked up when I heard the sound of pinging on my phone. Checking it out, I saw it was Lupo-sensei who had just approved the manga drafts I had sent to him.

Great. I have been waiting for this!

I just have to wrap this up, and then I can go back to my room and then finish up all the preparations. Then I will upload the manga!

At the same time, I'll have to ask Researcher-chan to look for any decent properties I can purchase with my current budget. Freelancer-chan has been earning me a lot on a daily basis, so I have enough budget to at least buy a decent property for myself.

After that... Well, obviously I'll be moving out. I've already paid my rent here. I can simply just leave whenever I want.

Before that, though... My room is quite a mess. I have to clean that up...

_____________________

(Third Person POV)

Before the end of the week, the people who were checking Singularity Work were shocked when they saw another announcement from "Singularity Works Official."

(ANNOUNCEMENT)

We are glad to announce another series being added to our roster. "Bunmei no Chichi" volume one and volume two will be released next week, with the first volume being free to access!

We are also proud to reveal that the light novel adaptations for "Isekai Growth Cheat", "Leisure VRMMO Newbie ~ Becoming Strongest through Auxillary Skills", "The Villainess Quits!", and "Bunmei no Chichi" are underway and will be released somewhere in this year!

As always, we are grateful for the continued support of the fans. We have already hit 25,000 members in this community!

As thanks for all of that, every purchasable content will have a 50% discount, and pre-orders for "Bunmei no Chichi" volume two will be 80% for an entire week!

We hope you are satisfied, and please support the authors who have written such wonderful series on their accounts HERE!

Thank you for your continued support!

~ Singularity Works Official

Regardless if they were fans or those who schemed behind the scenes, all of them were shocked at such an announcement.

They thought Singularity Works wouldn't have any activity for this month. They had already declared that they would go on a hiatus for all of their works. Though a few have quickly realized that the handler for "Singularity Works Official" hasn't said anything about working on a new series outside the existing three.

The fans were excited. With new content, of course they would be overjoyed. They quickly started pre-ordering the new series "Bunmei no Chichi" volume two, after the announcement was made.

As for the investment firms that wanted to claim a major share of this private site, they were livid. Even if it was unintentional, it felt like the people behind this website had outmaneuvered them. They didn't expect them to be working on another series. It made their job a bit harder and also turned Singularity Works a bit of an enigma to them.

The publishing firms targeting the website, though, saw a great weakness through this announcement. They looked at the name of the illustrator and were convinced about one thing.

Singularity Works is abusing Genjitsu!

They kept using the same artist and forcing them to make a large amount of high-quality pages in each of their chapters. They haven't cut any content from the source material, nor have they paced their release date reasonably. That meant Genjitsu was being overworked!

Even if that wasn't the case, these publishing firms, mostly those who distributed ebooks, would take this chance to curb this site before it could grow. Even if it was a new site, it was still a competitor who held the reins for this godly artist.

Without Singularity Works, Genjitsu will be jobless.

At that time, anyone could just snatch this talent and gain profits from her work!

And so, a dark cloud loomed on the horizon as these foxes schemed towards this growing group!