Maggie walked happily down the street. Or at least "happy" as a divine cosmic entity. Joe wasn't there for her this time. Apparently, he, Benny, Karen and two other co-netizens signed up for a big gaming tournament half a year ago. There's a big game going on in 20 days and their team needs to train, but Joe can't entertain Maggie while training. So he makes a difficult decision to fulfill his promise to someone he's known for more than a decade and asks Maggie to entertain herself for a while.

To his great surprise, the girl agreed without complaint. From her point of view, Joe agreed to a social contract, and the effort to uphold its terms is commendable. In addition, she already knows enough about human society to venture into the big city on her own without causing any major accidents. It also helped her recently figuring out how this "Wi-Fi" works, which allowed her to look up any information she might need from various online sources. The same wireless connection came in handy when she played a little joke on that spy government agent a few days ago.

Of course, Maggie was fully aware that she was being watched. Her brain's ability to process information is comparable to that of a quantum computer, and she usually allocates most of her power to someone who is constantly aware of her surroundings. It's not hard for her to notice that there are some suspicious data streams here, and some suspicious camera movements there. She really thinks it's cute, and humans think they can spy on the Observer without being detected. Maggie could have retaliated in some way, or confused her actions, but she didn't see the need to do so. It wasn't hubris or pride, it was logic that drove her to this conclusion.

After all, the more one tries to hide something, the harder one tries to dig into it.

That is, she still has some secrets that she would rather not let humans know. One of them is that Joe is her spiritual anchor. If something happens to him, then Maggie loses the ability to display her otherworldly powers and becomes weak enough to be banished to where she came from. On the contrary, as long as Joe is still around, it is almost impossible for her to be forced to leave this reality. She is very fond of the field and all its novelties, such as matter and gravity. She really didn't want to leave until she had fully experienced its vastness. Therefore, she must make sure that she does not hurt Joe while she is traveling alone.

That's when his favorite machine came along. When Maggie "upgraded" the Full Immersion Pod 3000™, she infused it with the essence of a familiar Pod Man. It is a first-order cosmic entity characterized by great strength, immense durability, and doornail-level intelligence. The last one makes their mental footprints almost non-existent, while also making them very easy to control. Older dogs usually keep them as servants or slaves, but Maggie spent the better part of two centuries training her dogs to become more ...... Subtle. Admittedly, this is still a work in progress, but so far it has served its purpose perfectly. As a result, she has the confidence to entrust Joe's safety to the possessed pod. This would at least buy her enough time to defend a man if he was attacked while she was away.

As Maggie walked down the street, thinking about the general goth, she began to realize something. Ever since she arrived in Super City Dave-156, she hadn't seen anything other than humans. Within a radius of three hundred meters, there were no birds, no rats, not even a single cockroach. The lack of fauna puzzled Maggie. The atmosphere is not polluted to the point where it is impossible to sustain life. If anything, the air is almost completely free of pollution. With no obvious answer to Maggie's question, she decided to challenge herself to see where to find some animals, if any.

Of course, the girl could effortlessly and quickly read several online articles on the subject, but she refused to do so. Solving mysteries and studying unknown phenomena is Maggie's pleasure, and simply finding the answers can ruin her pleasure. It's a "journey is more important than destination" deal. However, the first step was as tricky as ever. When Maggie remembered Joe's neighbor, Edith Ma

d

Ake) mentioned a "puppy" who didn't know where and how to start investigating. Based on the context of that conversation, she deduced that the word was most likely referring to an animal, most likely a pet, which made it a good topic to talk about.

In order not to get an answer easily, the girl used the age-old technique of asking random people on the street. Of course, passers-by were taken aback when someone as quirky and charming as Maggie casually talked to them, and even more so when she started asking about things that should have been common sense. Despite this, Dave-156's people are reasonable and friendly, and have been kind enough to provide Maggie with some relevant information.

It is clear that the puppy is a four-legged mammal characterized by a friendly nature, soft fur, floppy ears, a cold nose, and an expressive tail. As far as the girl knows, this is a genetic branch of the canine that Joe represents in some of his games. Unfortunately, finding one will be extremely difficult. Puppies are expensive animals that require a wide variety of permits and maintenance, so only those who are lucky enough to have a job can afford one. Edith Mandrake had mentioned that they were uncommon, but Maggie didn't think that the main reason for this was the economic aspect.

Of course, the Astral Girl was not easily dissuaded, and she continued to look for those rare cubs. After about 40 hours and nearly 500 street interviews, she learned the location of an exotic pet shop, which was said to have their stock there. Unfortunately, it's about 80 kilometers away, in a completely different place in the big city of Dave 156. The distance between her and Joe was far greater than she would like, and she couldn't let him accompany her because she had agreed to let him hone his game skills without interference. Maggie was understandably frustrated, but her search was not in vain.

She knows that a pet store is a thing. So while the mythical puppy may seem out of reach at the moment, she has found a new place to complete her goal of finding animals. She went on to ask pedestrians where she could find a more local place — one within a five-kilometer radius of Joe's place. It turned out to be more difficult than her previous attempts, as it really didn't seem to be an agency that met her criteria. She wanted to ask where the meat from the food stalls came from, but it was a dead end. The staff in these places are robots that mimic human behavior. They do not have free will and are therefore unable to react to topics that they cannot handle.

"I'm sorry, miss."

On the third day of Maggie's search for a house, a stranger approached her. It was an old gentleman in his forties and fifties, but his age was difficult to tell because he had ugly burn marks on his face. This immediately struck Maggie as strange, as this was the first person she had met with a scar, not including an avatar. His clothes are also quite peculiar. In relatively warm weather, the man wears an old dusty trench coat with a red beanie and a gray plaid scarf around it, rather than the light clothes worn to keep it cool.

"Really? She replied with a smile.

"A colleague of mine told me that a lovely young lady who fits your description has been looking for a pet in the area. Will you do that?"

"Indeed."

"Great! I'm Mr. Charles and I own a small independent company called Lyfe Haxx with the spelling of the name "y" and two "x". "Who are you?"

"You can call me Mags. Just magazines. ”

"Nice to meet you."

He held out his hand, but Maggie held out.

“…… Well, straight to the point. "He took it back." I'm sure my company has the kind of merchandise you're looking for. If you're interested, I'd love to show you the way. ”

"Curious. Locals told me that there is no pet store nearby. ”

"To be exact, we are not a pet store. More like a grocery store, we happen to have some cute little animals in stock at the moment. ”

"As far as I know, it's generally accepted practice for buyers to approach sellers, not the other way around," she noted.

Haha, that's true. However, our business is still in its infancy and our ability to advertise is limited, so we have to find potential customers on our own. I think you're quite a wealthy person, given the singularity of your genetic patterns. Therefore, I think it is prudent to contact you in the hope of establishing a lasting business relationship. ”

As a seeker of truth and knowledge, Maggie is not particularly concerned about the constant misunderstanding of genetic patterns. She tolerated this statement because it was a convenient and hassle-free way to explain her celebrity looks, her swirling dark circles, and her strange snake-shaped curls. This also helps to assume that the assumptions are not entirely wrong, as her fleshy vessels are technically genetically modified from the baseline Homo sapiens species. Or, she can make herself look exactly like a person, not just most of them. So far, she's collected enough data on sensual aesthetics to fit into them perfectly.

However, Maggie already likes her unique appearance so much that she refuses to change it unless absolutely necessary.

"I understand," she nodded. "I agree to your request and accompany you to the place where you go to work."

"Oh, that's great!" Mr. Charles smiled. "I'm sure you won't be disappointed!" Here, please, miss. ”

The man led her through the street, into a residential building, and then took the elevator all the way down.

What locals call "street level" is actually about 80 stories above the ground. This is necessary because these super skyscrapers have a total of about 200 floors. It's a very high height and a lot of people have to cover it with a very limited elevator that can't be too fast so as not to hurt the passengers. At some point, people realized that the easiest way to alleviate this problem was to raise what was considered to be the bottom, so they started doing it. This eventually led to the development of vertically layered street systems in most large cities.

Dave-156 is no exception. The street that Joe mainly uses is actually the third of the four floors. The place where Mr. Charles takes Maggie is the lowest level, often referred to as the "Underground City". "The Astral Girl herself had never been there, but she discovered it through her special perception. Interestingly, from the outside, it is not different from the upper floor. The most noticeable change is that the air has become stuffier, colder, and smells of burning tires.

Following her impromptu guide, Maggie eventually came to a three-story storefront built between two skyscrapers. Its structure seems sturdy enough, and it's not small at all, although it looks like a small shack compared to the engineering feats on either side of it. If that uncharacteristically new white paint says anything, it's a recent addition. A large red holographic sign hovers in the air above the entrance that reads "Lyfe Haxx™".

"Here we are, miss," announced Mr. Charles cheerfully. "Please go this way!"

As he approached, the automatic doors opened, allowing him and his guests to enter. The interior is very neat and spacious, with plenty of rafters and shelves to display a wide variety of goods. That is, at that particular moment, there wasn't much to show. For example, automatic ashtrays, automatic itchers, a machine that automatically shuts down when it is turned on, and other novelties. The most practical item is a pair of running shoes that rattle every time you take the third step.

"I'm sorry for making such a mess," the owner said happily. "Like I said, we're just getting started and I'm still sorting everything out. Please come back with me and I can show you our collection of cheap pets. ”

Maggie did so and was ushered into a large warehouse. Seven forklift-like cargo robots are working to sort through the mountains of crates and boxes that pile up behind. Within these packages, there are a series of smaller plastic containers with small holes from which the sound of animal life is emanated. Maggie had to work extra hard not to allow herself to peek inside because she didn't want to ruin the big reveal just when she was about to win. She waited eagerly for Mr. Charles to start showing them off, and he did so without delay.

In total, there are eight animals to choose from. The first three are mammals – a snow-white rabbit, a small giant space hamster with a predominantly orange color, and a small hedgehog. The next two are reptiles, one of which is a black gecko with yellow spots, and the other is a coiled snake with gold and brown markings. The sixth pet is a tarantula with a very vivid blue and yellow color. The last pair is a somewhat annoying but colorful parrot and an overly excited budgie parrot.

"What do you think, miss?" Cute little thing, isn't it?"

In fact, even Maggie can see that these little animals have their own unique cuteness. It's not just her opinion, it's an inference based on hard data. Color, size, shape, behavior, and other observable factors suggest that 96% of humans will find an attractive partner in this choice. Of course, it is impossible to explain personal taste, but Maggie's objective analysis shows that hamsters are the cutest from a purely scientific point of view.

When her main goal is fully accomplished, the girl decides to ask her about her failed efforts to locate a particular creature.

"Don't you have any dogs in stock?"

“Puppe

The boss's eyes widened. "Of course not, miss. They are difficult animals to serve and are not suitable for living in ordinary apartments. Even if I could get one, I wouldn't sell it here. ”

"Why are regular apartments considered unsuitable for puppies?"

"Their size is the problem. Some of them can grow as big as people, and they require a lot of real-world exercise to stay fit. In a standard four-by-five room, you can't adequately care for them, so you'll never get permission to keep one. In contrast, these little bugs can be kept in cages and aquariums that take up little to no space. ”

"I understand."

Mr. Charles was momentarily startled when the girl's eyes flashed blue, but he simply blamed it on some strange genetic pattern she used.

"So, what do you say, Miss Maggs?" Each weighs only 500 pounds. This price includes everything they need to keep them healthy and happy, including an animal care digital handbook and a year's supply of feed. ”

Maggie had come so far that she thought she might as well stay the course and decided to get one of these pets for no reason. However, there is a considerable problem with the realization of her whim through legal means.

"I'm sorry to tell you that I don't have any pounds at the moment."

The currency in question is entirely digital, which means that Maggie can't own any currency named after her without implanting a plug-and-play chip. Of course, she can "deposit" money into someone else's account. If she did, she could simply inflate Mr. Charles' balance, or borrow a little money from Joe and let him buy it on her behalf. However, Maggie is currently on some kind of adventure, so she wants to see how people usually deal with these situations. It was a learning experience she looked forward to participating.

"Oh. That...... It's so disappointing. The man's smile vanished. Take the risk of sounding rude, miss, if you don't have the ability to shop, then you should say it in the first place. Otherwise, you're wasting your time and mine. ”

"I apologize. I focused on the desire to observe domestic animals and only now took into account my lack of financial means. ”

"I don't think I can blame you for being so excited. But I'm curious if you're visiting Butte from somewhere else

po

D-4 Your accent and the way you speak speak speak for themselves. ”

"It's an accurate assessment."

"Hmm. I understand. I think I understand your predicament. ”

The Third British Empire is the only government in the galaxy that uses Poundington as its primary currency. No one knows why the British insisted on doing this, as all other space civilizations traded using standard galactic credit, often abbreviated as "credit". "Whenever a foreigner accesses the 3BE system, it causes all sorts of troubles. Not only does the value of credit fluctuate relative to Punchington, but the former is most often exchanged in kind. It is common for tourists and tourists to find themselves unable to pay for anything because they do not think to exchange their credit cards for pounds beforehand.

Mr. Charles is sure that the girl in his shop is such an example. He couldn't think of any other plausible explanation for how a foreigner with such a peculiar genetic pattern could have been completely crushed. For her, the only way to change this is to implant P

P and open a bank account in her name. The medical procedures and bureaucratic procedures required to do so are too time-consuming. Under the circumstances, Mr. Charles could not afford to sell Maggie anything, but he could not bear to drive her away.

Thankfully, he was a shrewd man who was able to come up with an alternative.

"Miss Maggs, I think we might be able to make a deal. Uh, I assure you, there's nothing immoral," he was quick to add.

"I'm listening," she proudly uses the first idiom Joe taught her.

"As you can see, my business location is still chaotic and I haven't gotten a steady customer base yet. If you can help me get it started, I'm willing to give you one of my pets as payment. ”

She almost questioned whether it was a good idea to lift the building off the foundation, but then realized from the context that he might not have meant it literally.

"What the hell do I need to do?" Maggie asked rhetorically.

"Allow me to explain. My shop has a wide range of goods aimed at impulsive young people that can be easily affordable with £50 pocket money. My plan is to get them to come every month and try any new fads that come out since their last visit. ”

"This seems like a sound business strategy in terms of securing long-term profits."

"I'm glad you thought so. However, it's hard for an old guy like me to appeal to the youthful spirit of my target demographic. On the other hand, you have an exotic appearance, speak softly, politely, and a little quirky. I'm sure you can easily attract the attention of others. All you have to do is cleverly lure it to my shop. What do you say?"

"It's allowed. How many clients do I need to ensure in order to honor my agreement in this regard?"

"Oh. Uh-huh. Please wait. ”

Charles closed his eyes, frowned, and turned on his I

staccou

ti

g implant the program and want to calculate these numbers.

"I believe 25 paying customers are enough to pay for one of my pet care packages. Do you think you can do it?"

"It's all I can do." She nodded. "Can you put this agreement in writing?"

Maggie doesn't actually need transaction documents, but her observations lead her to believe that mortals like to keep these things in physical storage.

"Oh, dear. This makes me a little embarrassed," the boss was a little uneasy. "I don't think I'm going to be able to prepare a formal contract right away."

"It doesn't matter. I'll be accommodating. ”

Maggie's eyes sparkled, and she pulled out an ominous-looking piece of parchment out of thin air. Mr. Charles's proposal was written on it in cursive and faintly glowing red ink. She gave this to the bewildered shopkeeper, who felt a chill hit his spine as he grabbed the suspicious file. He is overcome by a strong feeling that is not just a theatrical performance, but a real soul contract that arises directly from some horror story.

In the end, the old man decides to trust his reason instead of his surprisingly accurate intuition, and convinces Maggie that this is a strange misunderstanding.

"Miss, I don't know what you want to achieve with these little tricks, but if you just want a promissory note, then I can write one for you."

He handed her the parchment, but as soon as Maggie touched it, the parchment burned and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"It's an acceptable option," she calmly declared.

Charles shook his head and muttered something like "damn foreigner" as he walked to the office. The promissory note was quickly written, stamped, and signed. The gentleman politely ignored Maggie's statement about signing the agreement and kept her busy. The girl grabbed his catalogue and quickly left. Frankly, he was reconsidering the matter because he realized that such an effort could backfire. Mags is so strange that she can easily give his store a bad name instead of a good one, but he decides to believe that cute girls have terrible power over lonely young people.

Mr. Charles then discovered that he had grossly underestimated his temporary business partner. Within two hours of Maggie's departure, Lyfe Haxx's office hosted more than 70 potential clients, at least half of whom bought something. Mr. Charles was utterly stunned by the influx of this inexplicable crowd of people, though he certainly did not complain. As for the cosmic horror of that girl's appearance, she fulfilled her obligations with unexpected ease. In order to do so, she did not even resort to any particularly evil or immoral means. All she does is passively monitor people's subconscious desires and approach those who can satisfy their whims with Mr. Charles' merchandise. Her heterogeneous charm takes care of the rest.

In the end, the customers were happy with their purchases, the store got the boost the owner wanted, and Maggie earned herself a cute little pet. This is basically the ideal outcome of "everybody wins". Mr. Charles expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Maggie and even offered to hire her as a full-time assistant manager. She realized it was a great privilege to offer a job to someone her age, but she didn't want to accept the position. She politely declined the old man, grabbed her prize, and walked towards Joe's place with a triumphant smile on her face. As for her choice of pets, she ended up choosing a small snake with golden and brown scales, which she later named the calm Azgodkalar.

Yes, from a scientific point of view, the miniature giant space hamster may be the cutest of all, but in the case of Maggie, that snake is absolutely precious