The milky-white purification bead felt cool against Rajendra's chest. He wore it over a crisp, pale pink kurta—the uniform of MANO, the face of light and strategy. In his pocket, the dark MAKA ring was a cold, heavy secret.
The Mad Scientist's request was a business problem: 70 kg of garlic. Sourcing it legitimately was possible, but moving it required MAKA's shadow. He needed a cover story.
He went to the bustling Vashi vegetable mandi. He approached a large wholesaler, a man named Patel.
"I need a large quantity of fresh garlic, Patel-ji," Rajendra said, his tone polite, the MANO bead visible at his neck.
"For a hotel?" Patel asked.
"For a charitable trust," Rajendra corrected smoothly. "The Shri Maa Kali Annakshetra. We prepare health packets for monsoon season in the villages. Garlic, turmeric, ginger. This will be a recurring order."
Charity work earned immediate respect. Patel's eyes softened. They negotiated a fair wholesale price for seventy kilograms. Rajendra paid a deposit from MAKA funds, now routed through a newly-opened trust account. The garlic would be delivered to a small, rented godown near the mill.
The next night, the MAKA crew assembled in the empty concrete godown. The smell of fresh garlic was sharp in the air. Rajendra wore black.
"This is the first offering for our distant… partner," he told Ganesh, Vikram, Mohan, and Prakash. "Remember the procedure. It is a sacred transfer, not a transaction."
He placed his ring-hand on the first jute sack.
"Aparājitāyai namah," he murmured.
Store.
A deep thrum, a puff of crimson smoke smelling of iron and incense, and the 50-kg sack vanished. He repeated the process for the remaining twenty kilograms. In moments, the godown was empty save for lingering smoke.
[Interdimensional Inventory Updated: Allium sativum – 70 kg.]
[Ready for Designated Transfer to User: Mad Scientist.]
He selected the trade contract.
Transfer 70 kg Allium sativum to 'Mad Scientist'?
Return: 28 Void-Coins.
[Yes] / [No]
Yes.
The system chimed. [Contract Fulfilled. Void-Coins Received: 28. Total VC: 30.5.]
A private message arrived instantly.
Mad Scientist: Specimens received. Purity acceptable. Unique organosulfur compounds confirmed. Stand by for Phase 2 botanical extract requirements within 48 hours. Your logistical efficiency is satisfactory.
The deal was done. MAKA had successfully completed its first major interdimensional procurement. The capital was now real.
The following morning, Rajendra dressed in a soft yellow kurta, the white bead outside his clothes. He had an appointment at Mumbai University's Economics department. It was time to plant the seed of MANO.
The professor was busy. "My intern, Miss Sharma, can assist you with the industrial policy literature," he said, waving toward a young woman organizing files.
She turned. Shanti Sharma. Her gaze was intelligent, immediately noting his clothes and bearing. She wore a simple, elegant cotton sari.
"You're looking for information on textile revival?" she asked, her voice poised.
"For Shakuniya Mills. I believe there's a future in quality, not just quantity," Rajendra replied, slipping into his MANO persona—earnest, forward-thinking.
"Most mill owners are looking for exit plans, not futures," she observed, a slight, professional smile touching her lips. "The reports are here."
As she guided him, explaining export incentives and modernization schemes, Rajendra asked precise, insightful questions. He could see her reassessing him, her initial polite detachment giving way to genuine interest.
"You have a clear vision," she said finally, as he prepared to leave with a stack of photocopied reports. "Unusual for someone your age."
"A clear vision needs a solid foundation," he replied. "Thank you for your help, Miss Sharma."
"Shanti," she said. "Good luck, Mr. Shakuniya."
The meeting was brief, but the connection was made. MANO had its first thread to the academic and strategic world.
That evening, back in his room, he assessed his resources. 30.5 Void-Coins. The expanded Procurement Menu offered two critical paths.
For MAKA: Auditory Deception Field (Grade-D). Creates sound illusions in a 10-meter radius. Cost: 18 VC. With 10% 'temple bell' chime surcharge: 19.8 VC.
For MANO: Nutrient Density Enhancer (Soil Applicator, Basic). Boosts crop yield/quality by 15% per acre. Cost: 20 VC. With 10% 'blessed earth' aura surcharge: 22 VC.
He couldn't afford both. MAKA needed tools for security and expansion. MANO needed tools for legitimate, generational wealth creation. The shadow or the light?
He made his decision and purchased the Nutrient Enhancer for MANO. A small, stone-carved plow shimmering with a gentle golden light appeared on his table. This was a tool for the land, for the mill's future cotton fields, for building something real and lasting. MAKA's security would have to rely on secrecy and the dark ring's power a while longer.
As he held the warm, glowing tool, another notification appeared. Not from the trade log, but from the Auction Network's Public Board, a stream of messages from other hosts.
[Host 'Star-Forger']: Anyone got stable D-tier quantum coils? Paying in Astral Tokens.
[Host 'Necro-Gardener']: Selling blight-resistant soul-tree saplings. Bidding starts at 50 VC.
[Host 'Pixel-Lord']: Buying pre-digital age cultural artifacts! Moving pictures, sound recordings! Primitive entertainment media! Top prices for good condition!
The last message made Rajendra freeze. Pre-digital age cultural artifacts. Moving pictures. Sound recordings.
He looked around his 1987 room. He thought of the film posters plastered across Mumbai. He thought of the VCRs his MAKA crew was smuggling. He thought of the music cassettes in every street stall.
A slow, wide smile spread across his face. He had been thinking too small. Earth didn't just have garlic and cotton.
It had Bollywood.
He had just found a goldmine the multiverse didn't even know it wanted to buy. And he was the only merchant in the grand cosmic mall who could sell it.