The first weekend after the monthly exam, sunlight streamed through the glass curtain walls of skyscrapers, casting dazzling light spots on the ground.
Okabara Kyogumichi stood in front of an office building in the city center, looking up at the structure labeled "Mikado Kitchen." This was his first time personally visiting this company, which the system had helped him establish.
"I didn't expect the system to choose such a good location," he murmured to himself, adjusted his collar, and entered the building.
The smart identification system at the front desk immediately scanned his identity, and the glass door slid open silently, emitting a soft prompt: "Welcome, Shiro Yoru-sama. The system has planned the optimal route for you, directly to the top floor office."
As he ascended in the private elevator, Kyogumichi looked at the gradually shrinking city view outside the window, feeling a bit emotional. Since coming to this world, he had spent most of his time on campus, almost forgetting that he had another identity—the mysterious creator "Shiro Yoru," with 50 million followers and billions in assets.
The moment the elevator doors opened, a breath of fresh air, carrying a faint scent of pine, wafted over. The entire top floor space adopted an open-plan design, with spectacular panoramic city views outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, and simple yet modern furniture inside, exuding a sense of technology everywhere.
What surprised Kyogumichi even more was that in this vast office area, all the busy figures were intelligent robots of various forms. Some were processing documents, some were operating computers, some were cleaning, their movements precise and efficient, yet almost no extraneous noise could be heard.
"Shiro Yoru-sama, welcome to Mikado Kitchen Company," a female robot, whose physique was close to that of a human, walked forward. Her appearance was meticulously designed, and her voice was soft and natural. "I am Chief Operating Robot 001, responsible for reporting the company's recent status to you."
Kyogumichi followed 001 on a tour of the company, seeing robots of various functions working in an orderly manner along the way. The robots in the document processing area had slender and flexible fingers, typing on the keyboard so fast that afterimages almost appeared; the robots in the data analysis area displayed various charts through holographic projection, updating sales data and fan growth curves of the works in real time.
"Currently, the company is mainly responsible for the copyright management, merchandise development, and business cooperation of the 'Shiro Yoru' series of works," 001 introduced as she walked, a detailed report unfolding before her in holographic projection. "Last week, sales of your name. Blu-ray discs exceeded 500,000 units, digital music downloads of 'Lemon' increased by 2 million, and fan activity continues to rise."
Kyogumichi looked at the constantly fluctuating data, somewhat surprised. He had only released the works, and the subsequent operational work was entirely handled by the system and these robots, never expecting such good results.
"How is the merchandise product development progressing?" he asked. He remembered the system had previously mentioned developing merchandise for comics and novels.
"The design of the Parasyte series figurines has been completed, and small-batch trial production is underway," 001 brought up a 3D model for display. "According to fan survey data, the first batch of products is expected to sell out within a week after launch. Additionally, the your name. themed cafe cooperation project has entered the negotiation stage, and the other party has provided three proposals for your selection."
In the copyright management area, Kyogumichi saw several small robots rapidly processing various copyright applications and rights protection information. The screen displayed global copyright usage, and once infringement was detected, the system would automatically generate a rights protection plan and submit it to the cooperating law firm.
"Previously, several unauthorized organizations that used Uchiage Hanabi for commercial performances have been resolved through legal channels," 001's tone was completely unruffled. "All infringing parties have paid compensation and issued public apologies, and relevant records have been entered into the industry blacklist."
Kyogumichi recalled the note on the panel, "All copyright issues of the works have been resolved, and those that weren't resolved were physically resolved," and couldn't help but inwardly complain about the system's simple and crude handling method.
Arriving at the creative assistance area, the robots here were equipped with advanced creative assistance systems. They could generate various inspiration materials and plot suggestions based on the style of Kyogumichi's published works. Although the final creation still depended on him, these aids greatly improved creative efficiency.
In the lounge area, several cleaning robots were performing daily maintenance, gently wiping furniture and floors, and even automatically adjusting indoor lighting according to light intensity. The smart screen on the wall played a fan appreciation video produced by the company, featuring fan messages and cosplay works from all over the world.
"The first online fan meeting will be held next month, and technical tests have been completed," 001 introduced. "The system will use virtual avatar technology to allow 'Shiro Yoru' to interact with fans, avoiding exposure of your true identity."
Kyogumichi nodded. He had always wanted to keep his identity as "Shiro Yoru" a secret, so he could enjoy the fun of creation without being overly disturbed by attention in his normal campus life.
At the end of the tour, 001 transmitted a concise report to Kyogumichi's terminal device: "Above is the company's operational overview for this month. If you have any new creative plans or instructions, you can send them directly to the system via the terminal, and we will complete the execution plan within 24 hours."
As he walked out of the office building, the setting sun was painting the sky a warm orange-red. Kyogumichi looked back at this company operated by intelligent robots, feeling a strange sensation. In this world, he not only had his youthful daily life on campus but also this hidden "business empire." This dual life was both interesting and challenging.
His phone vibrated. It was a message from Shiina Mahiru, asking if he wanted to go to the library to study together this weekend.
Kyogumichi smiled and replied "Sure," temporarily putting company matters out of his mind. Whether as the ordinary university student Okabara Kyogumichi or the mysterious creator Shiro Yoru, he was earnestly living every day in this world.
And these intelligent robots continued to work tirelessly in the office building, guarding this secret belonging to "Shiro Yoru" and supporting his other life in this world. In the distance, the city lights began to twinkle, and Kyogumichi's figure gradually blended into the crowd, leaving only the lights of Mikado Kitchen Company shining in the night, like a silent and efficient secret base.