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Harold offered him incredible conditions even after he told him that he could only work during afternoons. He didn't even go check the other companies and signed with this one. He believed that if you stumbled upon a gold mine, there was no need to go check for a platinum mine elsewhere. One had to be satisfied with what he could get and grab hold of opportunities. And this was a good one.

As he sat for lunch at his usual restaurant, he read the contract once again.

9500 spatial coins (SP) per month only for working every afternoon, Monday to Friday… This felt like a dream and a scam. Back at the mines, he worked tirelessly for half the day only to get a meal ticket and lodgings, both of horrible standards. Here, in exchange for working in the afternoons, he would be able to get so much more…

Also, they gave him a brand-new wrist-com as a present for signing with them. He gazed at his wrist where a fashionable and top-of-the-line black apparel now took its place. It was supposed to be an incredible product of technology who gave time, enabled calls between people and gave access to the galactic web. Though he didn't know what was the galactic web, it sounded cool. He was very pleased with it.

He showed it off to the waitress who laughed brightly at his words.

As she had expected, today, that guy came. He was wearing the same suit as yesterday. He told her about how he got a job as an engineer for 9500SP a month and a wrist-com. He seemed even happier about the com than the job and its salary. She was a little envious to be honest. She only earned 1500SP every month while helping here with the shop. But then again, if the kid was an engineer, it couldn't be compared. She was working to learn to become an engineer while he was already one. She was very happy for him too. She wondered why he registered for university if he was already an engineer though. Well, maybe he wanted to learn a second trade? There were many engineers who tried to learn business as well for their careers.

Though, when he told her they offered him a flying car and he rejected, asking for more money instead, she had a hard time believing it. Spatial cars weren't cheap. He should have taken it. Though, with 9500 a month, he would be able to afford one on loan quite easily anytime. She was curious about what he would do next. He was a really lively kid.

As for him, he was eating a burger ravenously with his gaze still fixed on his wrist.

…

He would only be starting at the company starting next month, at the same time as he would start school. That meant he was free to do whatever he wished until then. So, he did the one thing he had never been able to do before.

Nothing.

That's right. He did absolutely nothing besides lazing around and wandering the city. He had fun discovering new places and new interests. He loved the holographic games he could play for free on the wrist-com. He enjoyed the many different foods available in the big city. He marveled at the different alien species he crossed paths with from time to time.

Humans were at odds with some races from the universe but they also had friendly ties with a few. It was quite novel to see those. He was frightened by the appearances of some and found a few to be incredibly cute. He mused at the diversity of life and truly enjoyed his free time.

He ate with the aunt from the same building once, tasting homemade cooking for the first time, nearly crying from the happiness it brought him. Sharing a meal was truly the right way to eat. He vowed he would find himself a cute wife to enjoy this with a family of his own one day.

Those few weeks had been blissful. He loved every moment of it.

But everything has an end.

And to this, the end was the beginning of something new. It was the start of school!

He had very high expectations and incredible hopes for it. Today was the introduction ceremony along with the orientation in the afternoon. He would only start work the next day.

He put on the now familiar suit and left his apartment. As he closed the door, he looked back at his own home and smile. Then, he went on his way humming happily.

The university wasn't that far and he already memorized the entire map of its campus by now. As he walked through the gates, he saw hundreds of other people his age, excitedly chatting with one another. He even spotted a few alien species mingling around. He noticed something weird soon enough though. No one else was wearing a suit. He wondered why. This was supposed to be the outfit worn by professionals according to the salesman.

He ignored it and followed the crowd as they went towards the auditorium where the ceremony was scheduled to take place. It was a giant stadium made of pure white bricks with a very big "STADIUM" painted blue in front of every entrances.

He entered along with the other students and was glad not to be the only one impressed. Many were expressing their amazement vocally in his surroundings. It was to be expected for they ended up being directed to take whichever seat they wished out of the tens of thousands there were available. The platform for the representatives was in the center and completely open. Everyone in the 360-degree stadium would be able to see the speakers.

He took a seat as close as possible, only to be quite high up. There were at least a dozen rows before him. But he was satisfied regardless.