Chapter 9

"Hey, Shōta, wake up."

"What is it?"

"There's a visitor. The intercom has been ringing for a while."

"What? In the morning?"

Since there was no choice, I headed to the entrance.

The intercom in my room doesn't have a camera.

So, I had to pick up the receiver to find out who it was.

"Who's there at this early hour?"

"It's me."

Huh? That voice sounds familiar.

Who is it... Oh, it's the Chief of Integration from the AI development company.

"Ah, sorry. I'll open the door now."

The Chief of Integration is the boss of my former boss.

Unlike the bad boss, the Chief of Integration was a former programmer who understood me.

He recognized my talent as a programmer.

Well, since I quit, it doesn't matter anymore.

"Sorry to bother you so early. I heard you haven't been to the office recently."

"Uh, I quit the company."

"Ah, I heard you hit your boss. But that was entirely his fault."

What?

It seems the company is on my side.

Why is this happening?

"Anyway, let's be honest. The bug you found. We realized it's related to the major bug."

"Wow, really?"

That bug could lead to a 900 billion yen compensation.

If it's related, I might have done something significant.

"Yeah, it's true. It was verified yesterday, and when they tried to call the discoverer, they found out you had quit."

This is getting interesting.

He must have been shocked.

"However, the bug hasn't been fully resolved yet. It affects a wide range, and we don't know how it impacts everything."

"What do you want me to do?"

"We need your help. Any conditions you have, we'll accept."

Hmm. He's really serious.

Maybe I should push my luck.

"Then, how about two weeks? I'll work all night if needed. How about 2 million yen for the job?"

"Agreed. The period might extend, but we'll talk about it then."

"Really? Are you sure? You're deciding so quickly."

"I'm in charge of this project. I'll make the necessary decisions."

The Chief of Integration is impressive.

It looks like I'll end up earning more than him.

"Alright, I'll get ready."

"Ah, I have to go out for two hours at noon today. I have something to do."

"Understood. We'll count on you to help us after that."

The Chief of Integration left.

☆ ☆ ☆

"Where are you going at noon?"

"Well, I'm going to hand over half of the money I got from yesterday's buyout to the president of the estate clearance company."

"Huh? But you said you already paid 30,000 yen?"

"Yeah, but it turned into 580,000 yen. I want to give half to the president."

"…Why is that necessary?"

It's about creating opportunities.

I want to appraise more estates in the future.

To do that, I need to ensure the president also benefits.

"Hmm. I see. Got it. You know, sometimes you have to lose a little to gain a lot."

Ah, that's right.

There are more important things than the immediate gain or loss.

If you don't understand that, you end up like my former boss, the Chief.

"Then, I'll go with you at noon. And, we might have to work all night for a few days."

"Alright."

Kasumi can't be involved while I'm programming.

She'll have to stay home while I debug all night.

"Got it. I'll wait patiently."

"Thanks."

I was considering the possibility of not being able to come home for two weeks.

But...

I'm supposed to be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today.

I'll be in transit, so there's no Wi-Fi, and I can't access the internet.

I'll respond to comments and such when I arrive in Bali tomorrow.