Friday's breakfast was, as usual, well-made and perfectly tailored to Charlie's tastes. It wasn't anything particularly fancy, just a simple breakfast pancake, yet somehow, in its simplicity, it hit all the right notes.
The ingredients were the most common you could find: two eggs, a slice of ham, shredded carrots, a small handful of shrimp skins, and finely chopped green onions. The pancake itself had been fried to a perfect golden brown, with its crispy edges encasing the soft, savory interior. The smell was irresistible, filling the room with the warmth of freshly cooked food.
Despite the humble ingredients, the meal looked like something you'd see in a high-end café. And while there's an old saying that the ham usually steals the show in such a meal, Charlie had always had a soft spot for eggs. There was something about the way the egg yolk was spread across the pancake, soaking into the dough and enhancing every bite with a rich, satisfying flavor. The whole cake was permeated with the fragrance of the eggs, a reminder of the simple joys of a good breakfast.
Friday had prepared the meal with his exact preferences in mind. Every ingredient, every seasoning, every touch had been carefully chosen based on Charlie's past meals. Each bite was perfect, a small burst of joy that made the morning feel just a little bit brighter.
"I've referred to the Roujiamo you ordered thirteen times at 'Chen's Old Noodles' and the burritos from the third-floor window in your school cafeteria," Friday said, her voice as soft and melodic as ever, "and adjusted the recipe accordingly. If you'd like any changes, feel free to let me know. I can improve it for next time."
Charlie smiled, his mouth full of the rich flavors of ham, egg, and sauce. "No, this is perfect."
It wasn't just a polite response either. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, the meal was hitting all the right notes for him. If Charlie could, he'd give Friday's breakfast a glowing four-star review right now. Why not five stars, you ask? Well, that's simple—leave room for improvement, always.
"If it's true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," Charlie mused to himself, "then Friday's well on her way to having me wrapped around her finger. Compared to this, the Roujiamo from Chen's Old Noodles feels like fast food."
While eating, Charlie scrolled through his phone, casually clicking on the exclusive app for the Ninth Special Service Division, also known as the "madhouse." There was a new message from Tara, his immediate supervisor.
Tara was responsible for assigning Charlie his clerical duties at the madhouse. Of course, being a part-time college student, no one expected him to handle anything too important. Most of the tasks he received were trivial and administrative. Basic paperwork, filing, and the like.
Initially, Charlie had thought about doing the work himself, mostly out of curiosity. But after just ten seconds of staring at the dense, complicated tables and endless rows of text, he quickly closed the file and handed the task over to Friday.
"You're better at this stuff than I am," he had said, giving her a nod of approval.
Friday had, of course, done an exceptional job. All Charlie had to do afterward was skim the finished work to ensure it met the standards. So far, no complaints had come from the higher-ups. In fact, Tara had sent a message the next day, praising his quick and thorough work.
Apparently, Tara had expected this task to take Charlie at least a week to complete. The fact that it was done so quickly, and with such high quality, had impressed her. She mentioned that she now believed Charlie had a knack for handling detailed work, and she was beginning to think he had real potential in the field of materials management.
Charlie chuckled. Tara was polite, almost to a fault. She seemed new to her leadership role, her messages full of respect and courtesy. It was refreshing to deal with someone who didn't throw their weight around. She was young, kind, and a pleasure to work with. But even so, her high praise had caught him off guard.
Charlie reflected on the situation. He had been trying to keep a low profile, to fly under the radar. After all, while Friday was the one completing most of his tasks, he didn't want to seem too efficient or too eager. He'd purposely delayed handing in the completed work for a few days to make it seem more natural. But even with the delay, it still exceeded Tara's expectations.
"Maybe I should've held off a bit longer," Charlie thought. "Next time, I'll wait until the last minute to submit, and I'll ask Friday to dial back the quality. No need to stand out too much."
It was almost like trying to ace a test but intentionally aiming for an average score, just to blend in. Charlie wanted to be the invisible cog in the madhouse machine, not the one that drew attention. There was no point in being too noticeable—if you stood out too much, you'd just end up with more work.
His mind flashed to Saiki Kusuo from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.—the ultimate master of blending in and avoiding unnecessary attention. Yeah, that's what Charlie was aiming for.
Still, Tara seemed pleased with his work. She had mentioned that she hadn't expected him to finish so quickly, and now there wasn't much left for him to do. She promised to assign him more tasks in a few days, but for now, Charlie was free to "touch the fish," as they said in the division—meaning, relax and do nothing. She also mentioned that if his studies ever conflicted with his madhouse tasks, she'd be happy to help him out.
Initially, Charlie had assumed this was just polite talk. But as he thought about it, the idea of the madhouse helping with his schoolwork started to intrigue him.
Last semester had been a disaster. Charlie had spent most of his time gaming, cutting videos, and procrastinating. When finals rolled around, he found himself scrambling. He'd spent countless nights in the library, cramming for exams and trying to memorize entire textbooks in a matter of days. His study group had practically abandoned him, and he'd spent the last month dodging his professors, who were on the verge of failing him. Somehow, he'd managed to scrape by, but the experience had left him mentally drained.
This semester wasn't looking much better. Now that gaming had become his primary focus, school had fallen even further down his list of priorities. Attending class had become something he did when his stamina in the game was low, and he needed something to pass the time while waiting for it to recover. There was no way he could pull off another miracle come exam time.
At first, Charlie had figured he'd rely on Friday to help him get through his classes. But now that Tara had offered to assist, maybe the madhouse could help him juggle his workload. If he could leverage their resources to keep his school tasks under control, he could fully commit to leveling up in the game without having to worry about exams or papers.
In fact, if Tara could pull some strings for him, he might even be able to breeze through his classes entirely, passing exams with flying colors while focusing all his energy on gaming.
With last night's level-up, Charlie had noticed a significant boost in his physical strength. Now, when he used mortal-level heroes like Batman, he no longer felt the fatigue he used to. Only when he used the more powerful heroes, like Spider-Man, did he start to feel the effects of prolonged gameplay.
As he finished his breakfast, Friday swiped her hand in the air, summoning a floating screen filled with detailed information.
"Sir, I've noticed you've been using supplements to speed up your recovery," Friday began, her voice gentle but serious. "However, based on my analysis, some natural alternatives would be more effective and come with fewer side effects. I've customized a supplement list for you. Would you like to take a look?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "You even designed this?"
"Of course," Friday replied with a soft smile. "Ensuring your health is one of my primary objectives."
Charlie glanced over the list as he continued to eat. He couldn't help but frown slightly.
For some reason, it seemed like a lot of the supplements listed were of the "whip" variety, clearly designed to boost... specific functions.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the list seemed a little too focused on one particular type of enhancement. But then again, as he looked at Friday's innocent, caring face, he pushed the thought aside. There was no way she'd have any ulterior motives.
"What could Friday be implying?" he wondered, shaking his head.
"Well, these supplements don't look cheap," he muttered.
Friday nodded. "No, but given your current income and lifestyle, I don't believe cost is an issue for you."
Charlie laughed. "That's true. I barely leave the house anyway."
"Shall I place an order, sir?" Friday asked sweetly.
"Yeah, go ahead," Charlie replied. "Pick what you think works best, and I'll approve it."
"Very well, sir," Friday said, nodding before turning back to her task.
Charlie finished his breakfast and stood up, stretching. As he did, Friday effortlessly cleared the table and asked, "According to your schedule, you have a class this afternoon. Will you be attending?"
"Class? Absolutely not," Charlie replied with a grin.
The last thing on his mind right now was school. He had far more exciting things to focus on—like the new game functions he had unlocked the night before. There were points to generate, skills to be drawn, and new territories to explore. The idea of sitting in a classroom while his game world was waiting to be conquered seemed absurd.
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