Herta Space Station, Main Control Cabin
Stelle glanced down at the Herta Doll she held, it was strikingly well-made, and then at the young man in front of her, who was forcing a commercial smile. Her tone was doubtful as she asked,
"Are you sure this is a large Herta Doll? How's this different from the ones I ordered before? There's literally no size difference!"
"It is the 'large' version," Jiang Mo replied confidently. As both a businessman and head of the Galactic Geopolitics and Law Department on Herta Space Station, he assured her he'd never pull a bait-and-switch on customers.
Stelle cocked her head in puzzled disbelief. Her one-month-old brain buzzed with confusion. She inspected the doll again:
Texture: Soft, pleasant. Check.
Outfit: As exquisitely detailed as always. Check.
Details: Every tiny bit was perfect. The purple flower on its head even looked accurate… Wait, what's that?
Her gaze landed on a conspicuous bulge on the doll's chest. She paused, then glanced down at her own chest, almost subconsciously comparing.
Huh? Is it… slightly bigger than mine? Seriously?
After a moment of serious contemplation and comparison, she looked up at the equally serious Jiang Mo and declared:
"I can tell right away, you deceived me. The Herta Doll isn't that large."
"You tell me, isn't it large?" he asked.
"…Yes," she admitted.
"Then aren't we done?" he shrugged innocently. Just then, his phone lit up with a meeting reminder.
"Alright, since the order's fine, I'd better go. See you next time, dear Ms. Anonymous Customer."
He smiled, waved, then confidently turned toward the meeting room, leaving Stelle blinking in surprise.
As he walked off, a question popped into her sharp little mind:
"Hey! Why are you profiting from selling Herta Dolls? Did Station Chief Asta owe you money?"
Jiang Mo froze in his tracks, then turned back to answer with a smile:
"First, Asta doesn't owe me a cent. I just want to buy the latest combat mechs from the company faster."
"Second, my name isn't 'Hey!', I'm Jiang Mo, head of Galactic Geopolitics and Law Department on Herta Space Station."
With a small joke about past lives, he strode away from the control cabin, leaving an utterly bewildered Stelle staring after him as coworkers eyed her curiously.
But for someone who scavenges trash cans like a pioneer, odd looks were nothing. Stelle didn't care.
Just then, a light-screen adorned with a red-and-white mask flashed before Jiang Mo.
[Special Task: Successfully sold one "Herta Plush Doll, Enhanced Version" (1/1). Reward: +1 Simulation Attempt, "Herta Plush Doll, Super Enhanced Version" ×1]
[Remaining Simulation Attempts: 1/5 (next reset in 72 system hours)]
His eyes focused instantly on that Super Enhanced doll.
"Super Enhanced version? What, is it a mega upgrade?"
"The first bonus reward is this? Can't they just give me credit points?"
His annoyance with the "Memory-Simulation System" bubbled up. As he hurried toward the meeting room, he muttered:
"Every time I play a normal civilian, it's fine. But I work my ass off and don't even get credit points. First bonus and they give me this? Why can't it at least be credits?"
"With a salary like this, when will I ever afford those mechs?"
He glanced out at the endless stretch of space beyond. As a transmigrator, he dreamed of exploring the universe, not wasting life stuck on a station.
But for now, with his current resources and strength, and in a universe filled with extraordinary relics, magic, and gods, that was a fantasy.
Better to stay safe in the station than die hilariously out there.
Boredom, yes, but safe and comfortable.
One day, when this lackluster "cheat tool" finally gives me real power, or when I've saved enough credit to buy a mech, then I'll quit and go see the galaxy.
Even welders on the lower levels of the station are already flying around. And me? Still broke.
Vrrrr...
His phone vibrated, dragging him back.
[Monthly Work Report meeting starts in 10 minutes]
He sighed.
"Work first. Simulation stuff can wait until I'm back in my dorm. But what's that?"
Before he finished speaking, a purplish-black figure rushed toward him.
At first he thought it was a late coworker, after all, everyone had to attend the meeting. But then he saw the iconic black beret and the massive hammer half her height!
A Herta Doll, no, the Herta Doll, was charging at him at 200 km/h.
Wait, did the memory-simulation dev run out of funds and come for me? No!
He tried to run, but before he could lift a foot, the doll's perfect face was inches from him. It grabbed his wrist, and its hollow purple eyes locked on him as it delivered a chilling message:
"Madam Herta wants to talk with you. She's waiting in her office."
"????"
Before Jiang Mo could process anything, the doll yanked him off toward the dormitories.
"Ms. Herta! Slow down! My bones are gonna break!!!"
Looking at the figure in a purple magic cap and satin dress, Jiang Mo's mind went blank.
Nobody warned him that selling unauthorized Herta merch would get the actual Emanator herself to arrest him!
A matter of copyright fees, did it really require her personal attention?
The doll finally spoke:
"Madam Herta, Task #114980 completed. Task: retrieve 'Memory Simulation Tester' #2 Jiang Mo. Switching to Praise Mode."
"Madam Herta is a peerless gem. Madam Herta is an unrivaled genius. Madam Herta is an inimitable beauty!"
The doll's praise echoed as the real Herta paused her work, then looked toward it:
"Good. Task completed. End Praise Mode. Meanwhile, go on standby."
The doll froze mid-phrase, stiff as a statue.
Madam Herta's gaze shifted to the stunned Jiang Mo. Her cool expression softened slightly.
Slowly, she approached and pulled a Herta Doll from her side, one subtly bulging, then gently stroked it.
"Although you lack copyright, this plush doll's craftsmanship is impressive. No wonder it's so popular on the station."
"But you owe me an explanation, why is the doll on your dorm bed different?"
Realizing she was holding his Super-Enhanced version, Jiang Mo registered it was stuffed with a prosthetic organ.
Why was that in his room? By the Aeons, Jiang Mo would never sink this low, even for an envoy.
Wait… wasn't that the bonus from the task screen?
The red-and-white masked icon, the twisted reward, all clicked. He'd been pranked by Aha!
The Super-Enhanced Doll has a prosthetic organ?!
Stunned, Jiang Mo blinked back to reality. He squared his shoulders and stared at Madam Herta.
"Ms. Herta, I swear I didn't make this. They gave it to me via Aha to prank me! Please believe me!"
She nodded.
"You can check my dorm. There's a workbench, alarms…"
He trailed off, it seemed she already believed.
Standing thoughtful, Madam Herta nodded again, then casually tossed the doll aside before speaking again.
"You really think I'd come all this way just over copyright infringement and modified merch?"
Her face drew dangerously close, two centimeters from Jiang Mo's, and she paused.
"Or do you think whatever problem you presented was that trivial?"
Her breath warmed his face, and Jiang Mo realized he needed to identify a problem that would impress her.
"...You mean, there's an even more interesting problem with me?"
He ventured.
She smiled slightly and started pacing the office, saying:
"That's right, there is a more interesting issue, so I'll get straight to the point, You've caught Aha's attention."
"About five minutes ago, I detected a sharp fluctuation of imaginary-energy waves coming from the space station at the edge of the universe. Though it was brief, my instruments picked it up."
"Curious, I rushed back to the station, traced the energy signature to your dorm, and discovered that little contraption, a… 'Fiji Cup' version inside the doll."
"By the way, it gave off a 'Joy' fate trace, so I sent the doll to fetch you."
Her words paused as she eyed the stunned Jiang Mo, and she added with interest:
"I'm very intrigued by this trait of yours being targeted by Aha. So I want you to help me test the simulation universe, just like with that star core brat."
"Of course, I won't let you test for free. I saw in your browsing history how much you want the latest combat mech. I'll gift you ten sets. How's that?"
With that offer, Jiang Mo forgot his embarrassment and fell right into the honey trap. But it really seemed Madam Herta was genuinely drawn by his special trait. Plus she wasn't demanding copyright fees for her image, she was offering a reward? He had no choice but to accept.
From her words, he realized Aha was the one truly controlling his memory simulator. Otherwise, how could that Pleasure-trace gadget and the massive energy spike be explained?
Instead of hoping for a better bonus from Aha, he'd do better to cling to Madam Herta, explore space in her mechs, and gain the protection of a brilliant envoy. It was a win-win deal.
That said, there was no way he'd let her off that easily. Partly for his own amusement, partly to maybe please Aha into giving him even more rewards.
He took a deep breath, looked into Madam Herta's slightly expectant eyes, and shook his head.
"I won't help test, Ms. Herta, unless…"
"Unless?"
She tilted her head, a sly smile forming, waiting as if expecting him to make a request like "give me a functional Herta Doll" or something.
Yes, Aha put that gadget in his room just to toy with him. That didn't mean Aha hadn't thought about him. But for the trick to be fun, Aha needed to see him messing up, otherwise, where was the joy?
"Unless you beg me to."
"Eh?"
She froze mid-thought, then gave a casual wave:
"I thought you'd say something grand, but that's it?"
"Does the greatness of a genius begging you just feel pleasing?"
Before he could reply, she decisively grabbed his sleeve and said stone-faced:
"I'm begging you, come test the simulated universe."
Face-to-face with such commanding presence, Jiang Mo felt it would be a shame not to do something, but of course, that was merely a fleeting thought. He didn't have the strength to resist her dolls, let alone seize her.
He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply to steady himself, and asked seriously:
"Then what do I do next, Ms. Herta?"
She stepped back and began adjusting the simulator settings, voice calm but excited:
"See that blue ring? Stand in it. I want to see what'll happen when you enter the simulated universe."
"Okay."
The moment he stepped into the ring, another familiar holographic prompt appeared:
[A new simulation will start. This will use 1 simulation attempt. Proceed?]
Jiang Mo blinked. Weren't they supposed to test her simulation, not his? Or was this the manifestation of his special trait?
Still, he nodded firmly and selected Yes.
[Loading memory simulation. Please wait...]
As the screens faded, his consciousness began to blur like sleep. But before he fully lost awareness, red text and twisted laughter echoed in his mind:
[HAHAHA! Aha is very pleased with you! So pleased! Your actions are so "Joyful", so entertaining!]
[You used to complain the simulations were boring, this time, let Aha help you! HAHAHA!]
[Let's see… that scrap-metal's Emanator is right before you, and you want to reveal your trait? Let's have her watch you slip. That'll be fun! HAHAHA! HAHAHA! HAHAHA!]
[I can't wait to see how the non-rational genius reacts, seeing you dishonor yourself! HAHAHA!]