Ah You had never been inside the Hilton before.
Hell, he'd barely even walked past it. The hotel sat on the waterfront, all glass and marble and perfectly manicured gardens. The kind of place where a cup of coffee probably cost more than his daily wage.
He stood across the street at 6:45 PM, trying to work up the courage to go in.
He'd spent an hour getting ready – which for him meant taking a proper shower, digging out his one decent shirt (a plain blue button-up he'd bought from a night market for twenty ringgit), and borrowing some hair gel from his neighbor's boyfriend. He looked... acceptable. Not good, but not homeless either.
His phone buzzed. Linda:
Where are you? I'm in the lobby.
Shit. No more stalling.
Ah You crossed the street, walking past the valet parking where a guy in a uniform was helping someone out of a Mercedes. The doorman – a Malay guy in a sharp suit – gave him a once-over but didn't stop him.
The lobby was exactly as intimidating as he'd imagined. High ceilings, crystal chandeliers, leather couches that probably cost more than a car. Everything smelled expensive – some kind of subtle perfume or incense or whatever rich people used to make their spaces smell like money.
A few well-dressed people sat in the lounge area, having quiet conversations over wine and cocktails. Piano music drifted from somewhere.
Ah You felt like he'd walked onto a movie set where he definitely wasn't supposed to be.
"There you are."
Linda appeared from the lounge area, and Ah You had to make a conscious effort not to stare.
She'd looked put-together at the restaurant, but this was different. She wore a white silk blouse and tailored black pants, jewelry that caught the light just right, hair and makeup done professionally. She looked like she belonged in a magazine spread.
"Hi," Ah You managed. "Sorry, am I late?"
"You're on time." She looked him up and down, her expression unreadable. "Come. We're not meeting here."
"We're not?"
"Too public. Follow me."
She turned and walked toward the elevators. Ah You hurried after her, very aware of how his cheap shoes squeaked on the polished marble floor.
They got into an elevator. Linda pressed the button for the 15th floor.
The doors closed. Silence except for the soft elevator music.
"So... what's this about?" Ah You asked.
"Business. I told you."
"What kind of business?"
Linda glanced at him. "The kind that could change your life. If you're smart enough to take it."
The elevator dinged. Fifteenth floor.
They walked down a hallway that smelled like fresh flowers and new carpet. Linda stopped at room 1507, pulled out a key card, and opened the door.
It wasn't a regular hotel room. It was a suite – the kind with a living area, a dining table, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Sarawak River. The lights of Kuching sparkled below.
"Sit," Linda said, gesturing to the couch.
Ah You sat. The couch was incredibly comfortable. Of course it was.
Linda went to the mini bar, pulled out two bottles of mineral water, and handed him one. She sat in the armchair across from him, crossing her legs.
"Let me be direct," she said. "Yesterday, you were a nobody. A kitchen helper I was planning to fire. Today, you somehow managed to increase my father-in-law's restaurant revenue by over fifty percent in a single shift."
"I just—"
"Don't." She held up a hand. "Don't insult my intelligence by pretending it was luck. You knew which ingredients were the best quality. You knew exactly how to market them. You convinced customers to pay premium prices for dishes they'd never heard of before." She leaned forward. "So let's skip the bullshit. What's your secret?"
Ah You's mind raced. What could he say? That he had magic plant powers? That would go over great.
"I... I'm just good with ingredients. My grandmother taught me about plants and—"
"Your grandmother." Linda's tone was flat. Disbelieving. "Try again."
The room felt smaller suddenly. Ah You took a sip of water, buying time to think.
Linda watched him with those sharp, calculating eyes.
"Okay," she said finally. "You don't trust me. I get it. So let me tell you something instead." She stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the city. "My husband's family has owned Golden Phoenix for thirty years. It's been declining for the last five. Profits down, customers going to newer places, staff unmotivated."
She turned back to face him.
"I was sent here to fix it or shut it down. My husband doesn't care – he's happy in Singapore. But I care. This is my project. My chance to prove I can turn around a failing business." Her expression hardened. "And then you show up and do in one afternoon what I've been trying to do for two weeks."
"I didn't mean to—"
"I'm not angry." Linda sat back down. "I'm interested. Because whatever you did, I want you to do it again. Every day. And I'm willing to pay you for it."
Ah You blinked. "Pay me?"
"Double your current salary. Plus commission on revenue increases above baseline." She pulled out her phone, typed something, then turned the screen to show him. "Three thousand ringgit base salary per month. Plus five percent of any revenue over our monthly average."
Three thousand ringgit.
Ah You made twelve hundred at the restaurant. On a good month.
"That's..." He tried to do the math in his head. "That's a lot of money."
"That's what you're worth. If you can keep performing like you did today."
"What's the catch?"
Linda smiled, and it wasn't entirely friendly. "Smart boy. The catch is: you work exclusively for me. Not just at Golden Phoenix – I'm planning to expand. I want to open three more restaurants in Kuching within six months. You'll be my ingredient specialist, menu consultant, whatever title you want."
"I don't have any experience—"
"You have something better than experience. You have instinct. Talent. Whatever it is you did today." She leaned back. "So. Are you interested?"
Ah You's head was spinning. Three thousand ringgit base. Plus commission. That would solve... everything. Ah Ma's medical bills. The rent. The debt.
But something felt off.
"Why me?" he asked. "You could hire a professional consultant. Someone with actual qualifications."
"I could," Linda agreed. "But professionals are expensive and slow. You're cheap and you've already proven results." She shrugged. "Plus, you're hungry. People who are desperate work harder."
There it was. The honesty he'd been waiting for.
She saw him as a tool. A useful one, but still a tool.
[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE: Linda's Offer]
[OPTION A: Accept the job. Potential rewards: stable income, business connections, new opportunities. Risk: You'll be tied to Linda's ambitions.]
[OPTION B: Decline politely. Maintain independence. Risk: You'll lose a major income source and potentially make an enemy.]
[OPTION C: Negotiate for better terms. Risk/Reward: Unknown.]
Ah You looked at the system notification, then at Linda sitting across from him in her expensive clothes in her expensive hotel suite.
She had money. Connections. Power.
But she needed him. That was leverage.
"I want four thousand base," he heard himself say. "And ten percent commission."
Linda's eyebrows went up. "Excuse me?"
"You said I increased revenue by fifty percent. That's about four thousand ringgit extra in one day. If I can do that consistently, I'm worth way more than three thousand a month."
"You have balls, I'll give you that." Linda studied him. "But you have no experience, no education, no track record beyond one good day."
"And you have a failing restaurant that needs saving fast." Ah You surprised himself with how steady his voice was. "You said it yourself – you need results, not credentials. I can give you results."
They stared at each other.
Linda's expression was unreadable. For a long moment, Ah You thought he'd completely fucked up. She'd kick him out, maybe even get him fired from Golden Phoenix.
Then she laughed.
Actually laughed, throwing her head back.
"Okay," she said, still smiling. "Okay. I like you. You've got spine." She pulled out her phone again. "Three thousand five hundred base. Seven percent commission. Non-negotiable. Take it or leave it."
[QUEST UPDATE: Negotiation Successful!]
[New offer: RM3,500/month + 7% commission]
It wasn't what he'd asked for, but it was way better than his original salary.
"Deal," Ah You said.
Linda extended her hand. "Welcome to the team."
He shook it. Her grip was firm, businesslike.
"You start Monday," she said. "I'll have contracts drawn up. In the meantime, I need you to do something for me."
"What?"
"There's a food expo this weekend at the Borneo Convention Centre. Suppliers, distributors, restaurant owners – everyone who's anyone in the F&B industry will be there." She pulled out an envelope from her bag and handed it to him. "This is your entry pass. I want you to walk around, check out the suppliers, and tell me which ones have the best quality ingredients."
Ah You opened the envelope. Inside was a VIP pass with his name already printed on it.
She'd been confident he'd say yes.
"Just walk around and look at stuff?"
"Use whatever your secret method is. Make notes. Take photos. I want a full report by Sunday night." Linda stood up, clearly ending the meeting. "Any questions?"
About a thousand. But he settled for: "What should I wear?"
"Business casual. Collared shirt, decent pants. Don't show up looking like you just rolled out of a kampung."
Ouch. But fair.
"Okay. I can do that."
"Good." She walked him to the door. "Oh, and Ah You?"
He turned.
"Don't disappoint me. I'm betting on you, but I don't give second chances."
The door closed behind him.
Ah You stood in the hallway, staring at the VIP pass in his hand.
What the hell had he just agreed to?
The bus ride home felt surreal.
Ah You sat by the window, watching Kuching roll past. Street food vendors setting up for the night market. Kids playing football in a parking lot. Old men drinking coffee at kopitiam.
Normal life. His life, until two days ago.
Now he had a system that gave him superpowers. A job offer that would triple his salary. An invitation to a food expo where he'd apparently rub shoulders with industry big shots.
It was too much, too fast.
His phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:
You should be careful with Linda. She's not what she seems.
Ah You stared at the message.
Who is this?
No reply.
He waited five minutes. Nothing.
Great. Mysterious warnings. That was just what he needed.
The system screen flickered:
[WARNING: New presence detected in your vicinity]
[Esper signature identified: Unknown Level]
[Recommendation: Stay alert]
"What?" Ah You looked around the bus. Just the usual people – a few students, some office workers heading home, an old aunty with grocery bags.
Nobody suspicious.
But the system warning stayed on his screen, glowing faintly red.
Someone was watching him.
The bus reached his stop. Ah You got off, every nerve on edge. He walked quickly toward his apartment building, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder.
The street was poorly lit – half the lamps were broken and the city hadn't bothered to fix them. Shadows pooled between buildings.
He was almost at his building when he felt it.
A presence. Behind him.
Ah You spun around.
A figure stood about ten meters away, partially hidden in shadow. Couldn't see their face. Couldn't tell if they were male or female.
But he could sense... something. The system warning was going crazy now, flashing red.
"Who are you?" Ah You called out.
The figure didn't move. Didn't speak.
Then a voice – neutral, filtered somehow, like they were using a voice modulator:
"You awakened recently. Nature affinity. Weak, but growing."
"How do you—"
"Stay away from Linda Zhao. She works for people who would use you and throw you away."
"What people? What are you talking about?"
"You've been warned."
The figure turned and walked into the deeper shadows of an alley. Ah You ran after them, but when he reached the alley entrance—
Nobody there.
Just empty darkness and the smell of rotting garbage.
[QUEST NOTIFICATION: Hidden World]
[New quest unlocked: Investigate the Esper Underground]
[Description: You've encountered another esper. The hidden world of awakened individuals is larger than you thought. Learn more about this secret society.]
[Rewards: Unknown]
[Accept? Y/N]
Ah You stood at the mouth of the alley, heart pounding.
Two days ago, he was just trying to survive. Now he had powers, mysterious job offers, and people with voice modulators giving him cryptic warnings in dark alleys.
His phone buzzed again. This time it was Ah Ma:
Ah You, the medicine finish already. Can you buy for me tomorrow?
Right. Reality check.
Whatever weird shit was happening with espers and mysterious warnings, he still had real problems. Real responsibilities.
He selected 'Yes' on the quest notification, then texted Ah Ma back:
I'll come visit this weekend and bring the medicine. How are you feeling?
Ah Ma is okay. Don't worry. You take care of yourself.
Ah You pocketed his phone and headed into his building.
Tomorrow he'd go to the food expo. Do the job Linda wanted. Figure out this esper stuff later.
One step at a time.
But as he climbed the stairs to his apartment, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking into something way bigger than a simple job opportunity.
The system screen glowed softly in the corner of his vision:
[PLAYER LEVEL: 2]
[WARNING: You are being watched]
[WARNING: Trust no one]
"Yeah," Ah You muttered. "Thanks for the helpful advice."
He unlocked his door and stepped inside.
The cactus on the windowsill had grown another new shoot. In just one day, it looked healthier than it had in months.
At least something was going right.
[To Be Continued]