I get interrupted in my search by Akiko and Rei from the Seito-kai.

Akiko: "Is this seat taken?"

Me: "Nope, go ahead."

The two girls sit at the available computer next to me. It seems they have a lot of topics to research.

I find a few guild contract examples, and one catches my interest. It's a meritocracy where you gain voting power proportional to the amount you invested in the guild. For instance, contributing 30 credits out of 100 total would give you 30% of the voting power. Here the guild members must elect an executive committee to handle day-to-day decisions. Excluded or leaving members can ask for a refund of their participation (up to 60%).

I find this contract quite fair, so I download it for edit. I add myself to the executive committee and set up the minimum income participation to 1%. I save the contract's blueprint in my interface; now, I need magic ink and paper.

I stretch and sit back in my chair. I glance at my neighbors and ask If they need help. I answer a few of their questions; they are already planning their first expedition.

"Many of our peers think it's unfair that your group had an early start. We are pressured to make a move," says Akiko. I tell her: "I see, though you shouldn't force yourself if you don't feel like it." She seems annoyed: "You wouldn't understand," then leaves. When I look at Rei, she explains that Akiko was born into an elitist family; she had a rigorous education, and staying ahead of the competition is vital for her. Rei then adds that it's not my fault she left but more because of the stress. She apologizes and leaves the scene as well.

I end my search on that note and go to bed.

The next day I head straight to the workshops to build my contract. Luckily, I own all the required ingredients. I make a page of parchment and brew some ink. I open my interface at the calligraphy table, and the contract writes itself for me. I then head to the administration and register my guild stone. I need a name; I pick the first thing that comes to my mind: "Faith." Once the guild is created, I sign the contract, and it disappears. I message my friends and tell them to meet me upstairs.

I pass by the auction house and, to my surprise, collect 2000 credits. I sold my 3 guild stones and a bunch of items. I wonder who bought them since the auction house is anonymous. One of them went to the Bureau for sure.

I meet my friends upstairs. I present the guild concept, and they all seem to appreciate the idea. As an executive member, I can invite someone without triggering a vote. I show them the contract; they all sign it, even Lilly. Tao says that he saw guild halls for sale on the station's first floor. We climb up the stairs and walk until we find one. It cost 1000 credits; I donate the amount to the guild and buy it. Jack exclaims, "How the hell did you get that much money?" I tell them about my auction house business. My friends get excited about the prospects; there are many leisure activities on the complex (bowling, ice skating, laser tag, etc.). Still, no one can afford them due to our small pension. "I saw a giant TV at the mall," says Tao. Even Lilly starts wondering about braving the upper floors.

We enter the guild hall. To our great surprise, we end up in a field. My friend who never took the teleporter can't believe their eyes. We're surrounded by a wooden fence, and it's impossible to pass it as if there was an invisible wall. I open my interface and find an edit menu. The area is 40m². It's possible to expand it at the cost of 25 credits per square meter. You can also buy furniture and even buildings, but it's costly. I buy a couch for 500 credits, and it materializes out of nowhere.

Tao loses it: "Maaan, that's sick!" I still have 1250 credits, but it's early in the month. I manage to buy a TV and a game console for 800 credits, leaving me with 450. Tao passes out. Markus asks about the rain, so I check the app, and it seems you can disable bad weather. We all enjoy the console until lunchtime.

During lunch, I tell them that I want to depart for the upper levels soon. We agree to leave the day after tomorrow. After lunch, I head to my room for a nap. Before I fall asleep, I get a message from Tao: "Can you add me as an executive?" I add him to the committee without overthinking.

I wake up at 4pm and head to the guild hall to see what the crew is doing. When I arrive, I meet a few people in front of the door. There is a piece of paper pinned:

Rules:

Entry is 10 credits for 8 hours Must take turns when playing Can't bring drink or food inside

I open my interface and understand that Tao is renting the console; the guild collects the profits under his name. Upon entering, I find him making sandwiches on a camping table. "Look, it's cheaper when you buy in number," he shows me an ad for a beer barrel. "You can't materialize food here, so the guys went to the mall." he continues, "We need investment; how much can you put?" I reply that I'm getting low on funds but donate 100 more to the guild. He instantly buys a speaker with that; "Here, put on some music."

I open my interface and find the music streaming app. You need to subscribe to access everything; however, some free songs rotate every week. I start one of the available playlists; the place is turning into a gaming bar.