"Simple jobs," the receptionist said, sliding a small board toward him. "Low risk. Low pay. No requirements."
Andres studied the posted requests carefully.
Delivery tasks. Cleaning contracts. Material gathering.
Nothing impressive.
But that wasn't the point.
"…Consistency over scale," he thought.
He selected a basic request: transporting goods between two districts.
Not because it paid well—
But because it gave access.
The moment he accepted, a small token was handed to him.
"Proof of assignment."
He nodded and stepped out.
As he walked, his mind began working through possibilities.
Multiplication could help—but only carefully. Too much would draw attention.
Storage meant efficiency.
Mind's Eye allowed route prediction.
"…This isn't just work," he realized.
"…It's testing my system."
The delivery itself was uneventful, but efficient.
Faster than expected.
Cleaner than expected.
When he returned, the receptionist looked surprised.
"…Already?"
Andres simply handed over the token.
She checked it, then placed coins on the counter.
"Completed."
Small.
But real.
As he stepped back into the street, the weight of the coins in his hand felt different.
Not because of their value—
But because he had earned them.