I Hate Systems

Compass Carburettor had one limitation in the type of work he could do to earn money. It was that he didn't have a legal ID. After all, he wasn't even a denizen of this world. He had been here for less than a day.

Since any work with a decent pay needed him to show his identity, all he could do was work part-time with minimal wages. Thankfully, the job at the café gave him a decent pay.

It wasn't much, but it was enough for him to get by. Pocketing the envelope, Compass Carburettor walked through the street, watching the number of people on the road beginning to decrease sharply.

After all, it was already 10 PM. And in this part of the city, there wasn't much for the nightlife to go about. And, most of the shops were already beginning to close down.

As he continued to walk, his stomach rumbled as Compass Carburettor looked at the bag he carried. In it were the leftovers in the café that were handed out to the staff. This seemed to be the usual practice there, one of the reasons all the workers there consisted of college students.

While working there, they could earn some money and also save up on their food expenses. To an average student that didn't have much money, this was a good opportunity.

Even though he wished to eat, he didn't do it for now. After all, he had to first find a place to settle in for the night. He couldn't be found roaming through the roads like a homeless bum by the police.

It was not to mention that he had to work the next day. So, unless he wished to stink, he had to take a bath.

So, that was why he was currently walking. But, he wasn't going about aimlessly either. Rather, he had enquired about a couple of possible locations that were open during the night among the staff at the café.

He said that he was wanted to find some establishments where he could work during the night. And, they also had to be looking for staff to hire.

As the staff working at the café were students, they were privy about where and when they could work to earn some pocket money.

So among what they said, he zeroed in on one place. It was an internet café that also doubled as a hotel.

The system used there was pretty interesting in that the hotel rooms were charged by the hour and not by the day. And, the ones that frequented there were the students from the Melora Technical Institute of Sciences.

As it was located closer to their dorm, they frequented the place a lot. Some brought their girlfriends to the hotel rooms to wrestle while the rest just used the internet café to surf the internet or play games.

Since he only required three hours of sleep per day, this was the perfect place to live in for the time being.

After an hour of walking, he arrived at the place, pretty surprised for a moment upon seeing how bustling it was. It formed a stark contrast with the neighbourhood that was mostly silent now, save for the rare few vehicles that plied the road.

It was a triple storied building, with the ground floor serving as the internet café while the first and second floor served as the hotel. And, on the first floor was a bakery of sorts that sold all kinds of refreshments for those using the establishment.

"No alcohol allowed inside the premises." He read the sign that was hung at the entrance, looking at the plaque that was hung over the entrance that read, "Champion Internet Café."

"College ID?" The moment he approached the counter at the front, the man seated behind asked in habit.

"Hello, I heard you were looking to hire people." Compass Carburettor said in response.

"College ID?" The man asked again, extending his hand.

"I…dropped out." Compass Carburettor stealthily glanced around once before whispering to the man, acting embarrassed to do so.

"Can you use a computer?" He asked.

"Yes," Compass Carburettor nodded in response.

"Then, have a seat here." The man got up, offering his seat before saying, "The computer on the right shows which cabin is free and which is occupied. When someone leaves, charge them based on the duration of stay…well, the software will tell the amount. And you'll only have to receive the cash."

He then pointed left, "The computer on the left is for regular use. If you need to use the internet, use it for that."

"The number 1 on the landline is to speed dial to me. If there is an emergency, call me through that." The man said, "You'll be the only one working here throughout the night. Can you handle it?"

"Yes." Compass Carburettor nodded in assurance.

"Alright, I'll come to check up on you at around 6 AM." The man said, "I'm Gurren, this place's owner. If some of the students here try to cause any problems, tell them to meet me in the morning. My brother's a professor at the Technical Institute. So, they won't dare make trouble here."

"Oh, by the way," He pointed at the CCTV camera placed nearby, "There are CCTVs everywhere here. So…"

"Don't steal anything, alright?"

"I won't, sir." Compass Carburettor said in response.

"Well, only time would tell." Saying his piece, Gurren boarded the lift nearby and headed up. it seemed he was using one of the hotel rooms to live.

It was unknown if he lived with his family or not, but Compass Carburettor didn't care about that, sighing now that he had a second source of income. But, the income was only secondary. The better option was him staying with a roof above his head and free access to the internet.

Moreover, it was pretty cold outside at night while it was warm within the internet café. It allowed him to relax as he opened up the bag, looking at the food that he had placed above the uniform he was given at the café.

'I have so minimal belongings.' He smiled wryly and began to eat the food, soon setting his eyes on the computer to the left, opening up its browser, 'Now, to start with work.'