"Phew, we're finally alive, meow."
"I really thought we were gonna die back there. That was terrifying, Boss."
"Proxy, thanks for this."
In the video store, Anby, Billy, and Nekomiya were sipping juice on the sofa.
Meanwhile, Nicole, the leader of the Cunning Hares, was sprawled out on the floor, butt in the air, looking completely burnt out.
"Waaah, my money... my precious money that I worked so hard to save... I was going to treat myself to a nice meal this weekend~"
Nicole stared at her empty wallet, her heart feeling like it had been stabbed.
Despite her pitiful sobs, no one in the room felt an ounce of sympathy for her. Even her own three subordinates had no intention of comforting their boss. They were already completely numb to Nicole's inability to hold onto money.
It wasn't that she lacked connections or skills. But when it came to business luck, hers was an absolute disaster. No matter the venture, the only road awaiting Nicole was bankruptcy.
The only reason the Cunning Hares hadn't gone under yet was because she was constantly borrowing money from everyone.
They could make a decent living just by taking on regular commissions, but Nicole could never resist gambling on some obviously shady job, inevitably losing all her money in the process.
Because of this, the members of the Cunning Hares being hungry more often than not was considered a good day. She was one step away from dismantling Billy and selling him for scrap. Mo Wang seriously suspected all her luck stats had gone into recruiting people.
"Proxy, you bastard! Seeing me this miserable and you're just sitting there drinking juice... don't you have a heart?!" Nicole exploded, seeing Mo Wang sipping juice while watching her misery.
"Heh, the fact that I even let you, a debtor who owes me a fortune, into my store and am allowing you to pay in installments is a huge act of mercy. How do you have the gall to criticize me?"
Mo Wang remained perfectly calm, taking a leisurely sip of his juice.
"Besides, want some juice?"
He nonchalantly offered a glass to Nicole.
"Yes."
No matter how angry she was, Nicole ultimately nodded pitifully, snatched the glass from his hand, and chugged it down.
"Waaah~ Juice... it tastes like juice."
"Forget it! Since we've already paid so much! Anby, Billy! Nekomiya! Listen up! Even if we only drink juice today, we're drinking our fill before we leave!" Nicole declared, her resolve hardened.
"Nicole, you!" Belle pouted.
Mo Wang turned to the exasperated Cunning Hares trio. "What's her deal now? Since when is she desperate enough to fill up on cheap juice?"
"That's because Nicole invested our food budget again," Anby explained matter-of-factly. "As a result, forget cheap juice, we have to split a single bottle of water between the four of us."
As expected of the cover girl, Anby's awareness was no joke. If Mo Wang wanted to know, he could probably even find out what color underwear Nicole was wearing today.
"Forget juice, I'm drinking second-hand motor oil now. I've never had it this rough in my life," Billy lamented.
"It's been a long time since Nekomiya had any fish snacks. Last time, we had to share one hamburger between the four of us."
The plight of the Cunning Hares was truly a tale of sorrow.
"Ahem, it was just a small hiccup! I'll solve the funding problem soon!" Nicole insisted, though no one believed her.
"Since you're all so miserable, any interest in working part-time at my store? The pay isn't great, but it includes three meals a day," Mo Wang offered. While Nicole was unreliable, he was quite fond of the stoic white-haired girl, the cute cat-girl, and the cool robot.
"Hey! Isn't poaching my staff right in front of me a bit much?! And why did you leave me out?!" Nicole yelled, grabbing his pant leg, looking at him like a jilted lover.
"Hehehe." Mo Wang didn't even glance at her.
"Damn it! Don't underestimate me! I've got a hot tip this time! It's a guaranteed money-maker!" Nicole shot up from the floor.
"Oh? You have a 'guaranteed' money-making tip?" Mo Wang looked at her skeptically.
"Hmph, of course! Who do you think I am? Proxy, don't say I didn't warn you. The profits this time are going to be huge."
"Oh, well, I wish you the best of luck. Just remember to pay me back," Mo Wang said, then added, "And close the door on your way out."
He and Belle exchanged a look of pity.
"Hey! That's not how this is supposed to go! Aren't you supposed to ask me what the tip is?!" Nicole panicked.
"Not interested. I don't want to hear any of your 'tips'."
Nicole making money? That was the funniest joke he'd heard all year.
"Hey! Don't say I didn't give you a chance! You were the first person I thought of! I don't tell just anyone about opportunities like this. If we work together..."
"I'll accept a commission, but cooperation is out of the question," Mo Wang said, waving his hand dismissively.
"What?! You really don't trust me?!" Nicole clutched her heart, pointing a trembling finger at him.
Everyone in the room stared at her. How did she have the nerve to even ask that?
"Ahem, Proxy, we're so close... can't we just forget about money? It's bad for our friendship~" Even with her thick skin, Nicole couldn't help but blush.
"Don't be ridiculous. What 'relationship'? At best, we're friends and you're my debtor. Don't slander me," Mo Wang said, shuddering at her attempt at acting cute.
"Then... then how much for a commission?" she finally asked, gritting her teeth.
"One hundred thousand per job. Non-negotiable, no credit, no installment plans, and no zero-down payments," he said, crossing his arms.
"Gah~ Can't you make it a little cheaper?"
"Hehehe, you think hiring Phaethon the WISE is cheap? I wouldn't even look twice at a hundred-thousand-credit job from anyone else. This is a super-low price just for you," he said with a wicked smile.
"W-Watashi... Watashi really broke~" Nicole wailed.
"Oh, no money? That's fine too," Mo Wang said, cracking his knuckles.
"What? You'll help me for free? Proxy, you..."
"No. I mean, if you don't have money, then you can just pay me back with your body."
"Whoa~!" The crowd of onlookers gasped.
"Brother, you actually..."
"Proxy has a hobby like that? Hmm, in that case..."
"Proxy and Nicole? Does... does this mean I can come here for fish snacks whenever I want?"
"Whoa, is the boss finally going to take Nicole-taichou?"
The onlookers all had strange looks on their faces.
Nicole herself took three steps back. "Th-that's... a little too fast, don't you think? Even if... even if we're close..." Her face was as red as a hot iron.
"What are you thinking, you idiot!" Mo Wang chopped her on the head. "I meant, if you don't have the money after this job, you'll work for me for free to pay it off! A year should be enough. It's a bargain, right?"
"You... you...!" Nicole's face was beet red, not from embarrassment, but from pure rage. She was a beautiful girl, for crying out loud! Why did he look at her like she was the plague?!
"That's it! Anby, Billy, Nekomiya! We're leaving! I don't believe I can't find another Proxy to take this job!" Nicole stormed out of the video store.
"Hey, hey! Nicole, wait for me!" Nekomiya followed.
"Sigh, uh, Boss, that's just how Nicole-taichou is. Please don't be mad. We'll figure out a way to pay you back. I'm going now!" Billy apologized before running after them.
"Mmm~" Anby, the last one to leave, stood in place, staring at Mo Wang.
"Are you mad?" she asked softly.
"Of course not. How many years have Nicole and I worked together? I'm not going to get angry over something so small," Mo Wang said with a wave of his hand.
"Good. Nicole will probably look for some cheaper Proxies. Are you sure you're not going?"
"Nope," he said, shaking his head. "But if you guys are in real danger, you can contact me. As a friend, I'll help you out."
"Okay. I'm leaving then," Anby said, and then followed her team.
"Honestly, why does everyone expect me to do charity work?" Mo Wang grumbled, then noticed Belle smiling at him. "What's with that weird look, my dear sister?"
"I thought you were going to help Nicole this time," she said, hugging his arm. "Usually, even when she owes you money, you still help her, right?"
"What are you talking about? Usually is usually. This time, she's gone too far," he said, flicking her forehead. He wasn't really mad at Nicole, but he felt he needed to teach her a lesson about her speculative habits.
"If I agreed this time, you can bet she'd not only fail to make any money, but she'd end up owing me even more. At this rate, the Cunning Hares might as well just go bankrupt."
"Hehe, but what if Nicole is in real danger? You know her luck..."
"What else can I do?" he sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I'll just have to go in and bail them out myself."
He had a strong feeling that this time, he'd really have to take a trip into a Hollow.
Hearing this, Belle's smile grew even wider.
Her brother really was a tsundere, after all.