Chapter 3: 100 Billion Deposited
How did things turn out like this...?
The golden opportunity I had waited so long for... I completely blew it! I am such a huge idiot!
Tang Ping sighed uncontrollably as he walked toward his rented apartment, thinking back on the foolish thing he had just done.
"Sigh!"
Fine, whatever! If being a "kept man" is what it takes, then so be it! If I can have an Evil God as my benefactor, I probably won't have to worry about rent and bills ever again!
However, the biggest problem is still...
Tang Ping turned his head and glanced at the "prize" following behind him—the Great Evil God herself.
"?"
To his surprise, the girl looked dazed for a moment and followed his lead, turning around to look behind her as well. But there was absolutely no one there.
"..."
No, no, no! I was looking at YOU! Tang Ping complained silently in his head. Still, he actually found her reaction rather cute.
"Um... may I ask what your name is...?"
"You may call me Lady Tanoxi, servant!"
"Ser... Servant?!"
This isn't right! Even if I made the wrong wish just now, I did technically obtain a "Goddess." According to the logic of manga, I should be the one being called "Master," right? Why does it feel like the roles are reversed?
Perhaps sensing the confusion in Tang Ping's eyes, Tanoxi replied, "You obtained me, yes, but I also obtained you."
"So you're saying... we do indeed possess each other, but it's an equal relationship where your rank is higher, so you have priority control over me?" Tang Ping frowned, analyzing the situation seriously.
"Don't be in such a hurry, servant! As long as you start as a servant, you can eventually upgrade to 'boyfriend' and finally become my life partner. It'll be quick—it only takes about a thousand years!"
Tanoxi pumped her fists with an expression that said, "You can do it!"
By this point, of course, she was no longer naked. Under Tang Ping's persistent persuasion, Tanoxi had finally put on some clothes.
She was very tall, nearly two meters in height. She wore a black formal dress—a one-piece gown cinched at the waist with a belt made of gold chains, accentuating her curvaceous bust and slender, willow-like waist. The fabric was a lustrous black satin, adorned with patterns stitched in gold thread.
Her snow-white shoulders and the skin on the sides of her thighs were exposed. The chest area was even more daring, featuring a bold V-shaped cutout. Her deep cleavage and the rounded curves of her breasts were openly displayed to the air.
However, compared to the magnificent view of her chest, the things behind her back were even more eye-catching...
Growing from her back were eight white tentacles, each as thick as a human arm! They looked somewhat like the tentacles of a squid, but without the suckers—more akin to the tentacles of a jellyfish.
As Tang Ping studied Tanoxi with great interest, she asked for his name.
"By the way, servant, what is your name?"
"...Tang Ping."
"Tang Ping? A fine name! I look forward to your service from now on!"
"...Likewise. I look forward to working with you."
Even though Tang Ping had just enjoyed a wave of "visual benefits" from Tanoxi's appearance, business was business, and negotiations regarding his "workplace" duties were another matter entirely.
Tang Ping never expected that after finally escaping the exploitation of a "black company" six months ago, he would fall straight into another pit.
Life Online... is truly a difficult game.
Twenty minutes later, the two finally arrived at the rental.
Tang Ping pulled out his keys, opened the door to Room 404, and invited Tanoxi inside. As she stepped past the entryway, a small room of about 320 square feet came into view. A double bed, a desk, a chair, a storage rack, and a small refrigerator—along with a cramped, shared bathroom next to the door. Together, these pieces made up Tang Ping's little world.
Noticing Tanoxi's constant scanning of the surroundings, Tang Ping couldn't help but speak up. "Sorry, it's a bit cramped in here."
"Hmm, it is indeed very small. My home's entryway is larger than this whole place," she remarked.
"..."
Sorry that my entire life can't even compare to your foyer! Tang Ping's corner of his mouth twitched as he welcomed his new, boastful boss into the room.
"You can sit here for now."
Tang Ping pointed to the only spring bed in the room, gesturing for Tanoxi to take a seat. Tanoxi didn't hesitate; she sat right down and even gave it an experimental bounce, as if testing the bed's elasticity.
"Oh~"
Watching her incredibly expensive gown and her galaxy-like flowing hair come into contact with his old, slightly torn bedsheets, Tang Ping felt a pang of guilt, as if he were committing some sort of sacrilege. But... there was nothing he could do. This was the best he had to offer.
Shaking off the slight discomfort, Tang Ping went to the storage rack, set down the cardboard box he was carrying, and carefully sliced through the tape with a utility knife.
As he worked, he asked, "So, is there anything I need to do?"
He opened the box and took out four fist-sized tubs of ice cream—Chocolate, Vanilla, Milk, and Malt. He placed them casually in front of Tanoxi, letting her take her pick.
"What?"
Tanoxi didn't pick up any of the ice cream. Instead, she began wandering around the room. She peeked here and poked there, seemingly intrigued by these mundane objects. Eventually, her gaze landed on the desktop computer in the corner, and her eyes didn't stray again.
"The story of the Golden Axe and the Silver Axe is nothing but a fairy tale to trick children. I don't believe you'd sign a contract so easily, let alone give yourself to me for no reason," Tang Ping muttered.
Well, even though I'm the one who ended up with the collar...
Seeing that the Great Goddess looked down upon the inferior sweets of humanity, Tang Ping stopped offering. Instead, he popped open the chocolate ice cream and started eating it himself.
"Are you interested in the computer? Alpha, turn on."
As soon as Tang Ping spoke, the computer hummed to life. The moment the screen lit up, it reflected in Tanoxi's eyes.
By the year 2040, Artificial Intelligence had become fully matured. Electronic products boasting AI features were woven into the fabric of everyday life. From smartphones and PCs to gaming consoles, speakers, refrigerators, and even showers—everything had AI. However, most were just gimmicks; many manufacturers simply added voice control and called it an "AI product." In reality, there weren't that many scenarios where one actually needed AI, unless you had more money than you knew what to do with.
"Alpha, are you there?"
"Hello, dear user."
Tang Ping gestured for Tanoxi to sit in the chair. He took her right hand and placed it on the wireless mouse, explaining that Alpha would teach her how to use it following the on-screen prompts.
After the Goddess nodded, Tang Ping said, "I've forgotten how to use the computer. Please guide 'me' to open the Voogle browser and type in... 'Myths and Legends' as the keywords."
"Understood. I will guide your operation. Step one: move the mouse and click this icon."
The tutorial went smoothly. Tanoxi successfully opened the browser and, under the AI's guidance, slowly typed the words using the keyboard. She hit Enter, and a string of search results popped up, with "Vila-pedia" at the very top.
Tang Ping held Tanoxi's hand, noting the incredible, soft elasticity of her skin. He clicked the link for "Myths and Legends Around the World – Vila-pedia," and a page listing various mythologies appeared before them.
"It works basically like this..."
"This is too slow!"
Tanoxi suddenly swatted Tang Ping's hand away and took over. A faint green glow suddenly emanated from her palm. It first wrapped around the mouse, then rapidly spread along the cable to the PC tower, the monitor, the keyboard, and every other peripheral.
"???"
Tang Ping stood there in a daze, completely baffled. The screen began opening and closing windows at lightning speed in a constant loop. Each cycle of opening and closing took about 0.5 seconds.
Tang Ping leaned in close to catch the flickering images on the screen: Gods of the World, Origin of Earth, Humanity, Nations, Government, Language, Culture, Aliens, Ancient Civilizations, Computers, Technology, Space...
"..."
Now Tang Ping understood what she was doing. She was using some kind of power to "hack" the computer, diving headfirst into the sea of the internet to consume all human knowledge at a superhuman speed.
This is cheating! As expected of a God! That's freaking incredible! It was a far cry from the inefficient way humans had to attend classes and read books to gain knowledge. Tang Ping could almost see a vision of every student on Earth crying in their bathrooms.
Since Tanoxi was so focused on her "online course," Tang Ping decided not to disturb her. He returned to his seat and continued eating his ice cream.
Suddenly, Tanoxi spoke.
"I need followers, servant."
"Followers...?"
Tang Ping looked at the Evil God, who remained focused on the screen, and took another bite of ice cream. Mmm~ pure sugar and calories. I can live a few more days.
"There is a wall towering into the clouds before me. I cannot stop here; I want to transcend it! Therefore, I need followers."
Tanoxi seemed to be stuck in some kind of dilemma. She was troubled, and the mouse in her hand began to creak under her grip. Tang Ping was terrified she was going to break his equipment—he didn't have the money to buy a new one.
"You mean... starting a religion, increasing your congregation, and eventually gaining the power of faith to make yourself stronger?" Tang Ping said casually, taking another bite of ice cream.
"H-How did you know?!"
Tanoxi's eyes widened as she looked over, her face full of disbelief. Even her habitually haughty tone sounded a bit frantic now.
In her eyes, humans were creatures both lowly and ignorant. If it weren't for the guidance of divine beings, humanity could never have built such a glorious civilization. Those abandoned temples and sun-drenched ruins beneath the sea were the ultimate proof. This was the conclusion she had reached based on what she had seen and heard on her way here.
"...This kind of cliché plot is all over manga."
Tang Ping had no idea what was going through Tanoxi's mind. However, as a veteran otaku, he was a master of various manga, novels, movies, and TV series. Whether it was the reasons behind a villain's corruption, cultivation techniques, or even the origin and truth of the universe—he knew these common tropes like the back of his hand.
Guessing Tanoxi's goal was easier than going downstairs to the convenience store to buy a bag of potato chips.
"What is 'manga'?" Tanoxi asked, tilting her head. With the blank expression on her face and a metaphorical question mark hovering over her head, she looked remarkably cute.
"Um... it's a bit complicated to explain. Basically, it's a type of entertainment book. People feel better after reading them."
After thinking for a moment, Tang Ping gave up on a detailed explanation. She probably wouldn't understand anyway. Having said his piece, he went back to eating his ice cream.
"Like this one?"
Tang Ping looked up, and his face instantly turned a deathly shade of pale.
The reason was simple: the image displayed on the computer screen was indeed a manga, but it was definitely the kind that children are not allowed to see. A curvaceous woman with her legs spread wide, flashing a "peace sign" with both hands, strange symbols written in black ink on her thighs, and a certain white liquid leaking out...
Wait, isn't this my top-secret collection?! I clearly hid them in the folder named "Applications and Discussions of Calculus"! Why did she find them?!
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Tang Ping threw his ice cream aside and lunged toward Tanoxi in a desperate attempt to force-quit the computer.
But Tanoxi didn't give him the chance. The tentacles behind her back acted like vipers that had been lying in wait; the moment Tang Ping rushed over, they coiled around him, pinning him down and subduing him instantly.
"STOP IT!!!!!"
With his arms and legs tightly bound, Tang Ping could only scream at the top of his lungs, trying to salvage the last shreds of his dignity as a man. Tanoxi ignored him completely, clicking through folder after folder.
"Attack of the Behemoths? That's not right... why isn't there a single beast in here?"
"AAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
"Meeting at Akari's House Today? Servant, girls don't just throw themselves at guys for such boring reasons, you know."
"Mind your own business! LET ME GO!!!!!"
"A Guide to Mizuryu Kei Land?"
"Don't say the names! I'm going to die of shame!!!!!"
"Alien Invasion: The Home Guard Strikes Back?"
"AAAAAAAH! Just let me die! Why are you doing this to me?!"
After ten minutes of brutal psychological torture, Tanoxi went back to playing with the computer. Tang Ping, meanwhile, looked like he had lost all will to live. He wrapped himself in his duvet like a giant dumpling and curled up in the corner of the bed, his face stained with the tears of humiliation.
Forget it... nothing matters anymore... just let me pass away like this...
Seeing her servant looking so pathetic, Tanoxi rolled her eyes in exasperation. Then, she manipulated the mouse and clicked a few times on the screen. Five seconds later, Tang Ping's phone screen lit up.
Ding-dong!
"...Is it another bill? I'm sure I paid the phone bill three days ago! Could it be... could it be the landlord asking for next month's rent early? I'm doomed, I'm doomed, I'm doomed!!!"
Tang Ping scrambled up from the bed and grabbed the phone on his nightstand.
Ding-dong! The phone rang again.
"Another one?! Is it the motorcycle insurance?"
Tang Ping woke the screen and opened the messaging app. He kept muttering, "Please no, please don't pressure me... ?!"
Before he could finish his sentence, what he saw turned him into a statue. It was a text message. It clearly stated:
[Transaction Notice: Your account ending in 20124 has received a transfer of 10,000,000,000 Credos on 2040/03/21 at 20:48.]
"???"
Although Tang Ping recognized every single character on the screen, he couldn't wrap his head around them when they were put together.
"W-What is this?!"
Ding-dong!
[Transaction Notice: Your account ending in 20124 has received a transfer of 10,000,000,000 Credos on 2040/03/21 at 20:49.]
Another message notifying him of a massive deposit. Tang Ping's mind went blank; he had no idea what was happening. But soon, he didn't have to think at all...
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Tang Ping was so startled he threw the phone back onto the bed. But it continued to chime incessantly. After a while, the notification sound finally stopped. Only then did Tang Ping dare to pick the phone up again.
He counted the messages—there were ten in total. Aside from the timestamp, the content of each was identical.
Which meant...
"100,000,000,000... I just received 100 billion?!"
(Note: The Credo is the official currency issued by the Republic of Elind; 1 unit is equal to 1 Credo.)