11. Hello, Mercedes

Back in his apartment room, Tsukasa Harano changed his shoes and crouched in a corner, pulling out a can of Kao’s “Powerful Mildew Remover” spray.

The mold proliferated rapidly during the rainy season.

Initially, Harano hadn’t planned to bother with it, since he would soon have enough money to move out of this apartment.

However, due to the initial investment in his “Gold-Digging Girl” grand plan for buying a car, as well as subsequent spending plans, his finances currently couldn’t cover rent properly, so he had to put that aside for the time being.

Therefore, removing the mold became an urgent necessity.

The spray, a mixture of sodium hydroxide and deionized water, visibly faded the mold stains and slid down the wall. Harano scrubbed vigorously with a brush, ensuring all the mold came off, then wiped the area clean with a cloth. After repeating the process twice, the mold was gone.

Besides the corners, the base of the toilet was also prone to mold, so he inspected the room once more.

The repetitive mechanical actions occupied little of his mind. While tidying up, Harano summoned his “Malice List” from deep within and reviewed his recent gains.

[Malice Target: Shio Shigeeda]

[Malice List as follows]

[1. May Amaterasu, God, and Buddha bless me; I hope my neighbor is an upbeat, sunny person and not truly suicidal (white)]

[2. I hope the neighbor personally promises not to harm me; I’m so afraid he might suddenly lash out (white)]

[3. I really want to eat eel rice and beef bowl, but today’s expenses are already severely over budget. Damn, my mouth is really uncontrollable (white)]

[Second malice item achieved]

[Basic reward drawing in progress]

[Reward: Automatic Salary Increase Card (0.1 yen/s)]

“Only the second item was fulfilled. The first one wasn’t—could it be because I didn’t make that kid feel I’m a cheerful person? That must be it.”

“That child is indeed a bit special. Although I don’t want to be rude, there might be a chance.”

“The message I sent to Ruka Hoshino during the mold removal hasn’t been replied to yet. Is she afraid to respond or just unwilling to acknowledge me? Arranging a private meeting is indeed a problem, plus there are those two rewards…”

Harano wrung out the cloth, folded it, and set it aside, then looked at himself in the mirror.

[Reward: Physical Constitution Improvement Card (slight)]

[Reward: Appearance Optimization Card (slight)]

These two were the final gifts from his stoic superior.

He had already silently activated them moments ago.

After two minutes, standing before the mirror, Harano felt no obvious changes in his body, only a warm sensation, as if he had just soaked in a hot spring.

As for his appearance, no noticeable difference was evident; perhaps the effects were more subtle and gradual.

This body’s constitution was decent. After all, Japanese physical education teachers rarely fell ill, as balanced development was emphasized from elementary school through university. Harano’s major in college was agricultural science, which naturally involved outdoor work. After his business failed, he even worked for a few months as a subway porter and loader. Even if his health was somewhat suboptimal, it was probably close to healthy.

Great achievements begin with small efforts.

No matter how insignificant the accumulation, with time and repetition, transformation is inevitable.

No man does not wish to be more handsome.

Nor does any man dislike endurance.

At the lower rungs of society, if it weren’t for lack of options, no one would trade health and youth for cash flow. The desperate grind for money is merely to survive, or at best, to live better.

If true financial freedom were attained, most people would still choose to spend money on health and appearance.

Therefore, their value is difficult to measure.

For Harano, possessing the ability and opportunity to easily improve his standard of living, his body and appearance might be even more valuable.

“Ring, ring, ring—”

Just as Harano was lost in thought, the phone beside the sink suddenly lit up.

The clear ringtone grew louder.

The screen showed an unknown number.

Three or four seconds later, Harano wiped the water droplets off the edge of his palm, swiped the green icon to answer, and held the phone to his ear.

A steady voice came through the receiver.

“Is this Mr. Tsukasa Harano?”

“Yes, speaking. May I ask who this is?”

“Hello, I’m Ryuji Sato, the head of your campaign team. I’m calling to update you on the current progress of your campaign and to inform you of some upcoming matters. Is now a convenient time?”

“Campaign?” Harano was momentarily stunned.

“Yes, have you been too busy with other things lately?” The man on the line spoke patiently.

Harano paused thoughtfully, unsure if this was a scam call, yet something felt off. After a few seconds’ consideration, he calmly replied, “I’ve indeed been busy recently. Please go ahead.”

The man’s voice continued.

The call lasted four or five minutes.

Harano’s expression gradually relaxed as he grasped the situation’s ins and outs.

Especially after checking his Malice List once more.

His suspicion was completely confirmed.

“Here’s the situation: you have successfully inherited Mr. Watanabe’s voter base. You can say this election is essentially won, but please keep it confidential until the final count and official announcement, as you originally wished to keep your identity as secret as possible...”

“I understand. Thank you, Mr. Sato.”

“It’s my duty.”

“If you succeed on July 7th, I will remind you again about attending the assembly.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Let’s hope for our success.”

After hanging up, Harano sat on the sofa, stroking his chin as he absorbed the information.

The stranger’s name was Ryuji Sato.

He was the head of Harano’s campaign team.

That’s right—campaign.

According to Sato, Harano was currently running as an independent candidate in a by-election for a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, with his victory almost certain.

He was not running for Tokyo governor.

Unlike the generous candidate named Uchino Harano had met on his way to work a few days ago, who was running for governor—the mayoral position—Harano was running for assembly member, a local legislative position.

Yet this was still remarkable.

Japanese assembly members held legislative power.

Of course, local assemblies only set detailed local laws, and local legislators’ influence was limited.

However, compared to Harano’s previous status as a local civil servant, the social standing of a politician was unquestionably much higher, with corresponding benefits—whether in salary or various privileges—that ordinary people envied.

If Harano hadn’t recalled he still had an achievement reward “Identity Choice Card” that seemed inactive for a day, he might have hung up immediately.

After all, Tokyo assembly elections were far more competitive than other prefectures’, especially for independents who held very few seats among hundreds, typically reserved for influential figures in society.

Sato said Harano inherited another’s voter base and was virtually guaranteed victory through unconventional means—undoubtedly the work of the Malice List.

Harano gathered his thoughts.

Becoming an assembly member.

This was undoubtedly a good thing.

The most immediate change was that even if Harano got into conflicts with others, the police could no longer arrest or interrogate him after arriving.

Also, the circles he moved in would be different.

The things he encountered would be different.

If money could improve his standard of living and buy almost anything he wanted, the assembly member identity was an invitation to the upper echelons of society, completely shedding his ordinary status.

As he pondered deeply, his phone, recently set down on the coffee table, lit up again.

This time, it wasn’t a call.

It was a message from a chat app.

Harano glanced at it, hesitated briefly, replied, then got up from the sofa to change clothes and went out. He walked to the parking lot where he had parked his new car, started it, and headed straight to the agreed meeting place.

However, after driving for just over ten minutes and waiting at a red light, his phone rang again.

“Director Hoshino?”

“Harano…”

“Didn’t we already arrange where to meet? Why are you calling me now? Have you already arrived?” Harano asked, holding the phone.

“No, not quite…” The woman’s voice hesitated.

She fell silent, seemingly organizing her words. After a moment, she replied with a somewhat reluctant tone, “I want to know why you want to see me.”

“Director Hoshino, aren’t you clear on the reason?”

“If it’s work-related, there’s no need to meet privately. And Harano-san, there’s no need to trouble yourself to treat me to a meal. If it’s personal, I think we can talk over the phone, and I’m quite busy right now.”

“Director Hoshino seems to lack a sense of contract.”

“We’re just colleagues, not business partners. I just want to ask what you want to do, Harano-san.”

“What do I want to do?”

This question stumped Harano.

He couldn’t exactly say, “You’re a gold-digger.”

Or, “I’m here just to fulfill your malice list.”

“Maybe I’ll take everything you have and then discard you.”

His silence seemed to confirm something on the other end, and the woman’s voice grew anxious, as if wanting to hang up: “If there’s nothing else, then I…”

“Your question caught me off guard. Let me think about how to answer you,” Harano said suddenly before the other person could respond.

He paid no mind to her reaction. When the light turned green, he activated cruise control, keeping speed under thirty miles per hour in the right lane. After confirming safety ahead and behind, he activated the hands-free speakerphone:

“Hello, Mercedes.”

“Hello, how may I assist you?”

The sweet mechanical female voice of the Mercedes AI responded promptly.

Harano kept his eyes on the road, glanced at the three-pointed star emblem on the steering wheel, and after a moment’s thought, said slowly, “If I want to meet a woman who agreed but then suddenly wants to back out and questions what I want, what should I do?”

“I’m sorry, I cannot answer that question at the moment, but I have found the following suggestions for you.”

Clearly, this AI was not very intelligent.

But its purpose was achieved.

At the moment the sweet voice of the Mercedes AI sounded, the call on speakerphone neither disconnected nor made a sound, clearly indicating that Harano’s colleague Ruka Hoshino had some degree of recognition for the Mercedes brand.

Harano rested his fingers on the steering wheel and waited.

Hoshino on the other end did not hang up; instead, she remained silent on hold for a long time.

“…Have you already left?”

“On the way.”

“I should be there in about twenty minutes…”

“Please come as soon as possible.”