Moving In To A New Home

March 5, 2023, 9:30 AM - Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines - On the Road to Vertis North

Daniel sat in the car, scrolling through his phone, and watching some TikTok videos as they made their way to Vertis North. The area where the condominium building was located wasn't really that far from Daniel's old apartment; it was just that there was almost always traffic in these parts (and even most parts of Metro Manila). While watching a video of newborn birds being fed worms, he felt his phone vibrate. Checking the notifications, he saw that it was a reply from Molly.

"Hi, Daniel! Sorry for the late reply. I just woke up actually. :) Yes, I am free later today. I don't mind hanging out. What do you have in mind for later?" Molly said through chat.

Daniel's heart skipped a beat as he read Molly's message. He was about to type in his reply, his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. It was his mother, so he immediately picked up the call.

"Hi, Ma," Daniel said, trying to sound casual.

"How are you, anak?" his mother asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"I'm doing fine, Ma. Just busy with some things," he replied, hoping to deflect any questions about the money.

"What things?" his mother prodded.

"Basta, Ma. Just some stuff I need to take care of," Daniel replied, keeping his answer vague.

"I hope it's nothing illegal or dangerous," his mother said sternly.

"No, no, Ma, it's nothing like that," Daniel assured her.

"Good. And where did you get that Php. 20,000? That's a lot of money, anak," his mother asked.

Daniel hesitated for a moment, not wanting to lie to his mother, but also not wanting to reveal too much. "It's a reward for something new I'm about to start, Ma. I resigned from my job at The Metro Times TV and I'll be starting something new."

His mother was silent for a moment before speaking again. "I hope you know what you're doing, anak. Don't forget that your father and I are always here for you, okay?"

"I know, Ma. Thanks for always being there for me," Daniel said, feeling grateful for the support of his parents.

As he ended the call, Daniel couldn't help but feel guilty for not telling his mother the whole truth. How could he explain the money he magically obtained from a mysterious system that many would not believe even exists? Daniel shrugged it off as he can't do anything about it anyway.

After the call, Daniel replied to Molly's message, "Hey! Sorry, I replied late as well. My mom just called. No worries, glad you're awake now. I'm actually planning to go shopping later at Ayala Mall Vertis North. I actually just moved to a new place, so I need to buy some things. Would you like to come with me?"

Molly replied, "Sure, I'd love to! What time should I meet you?"

"How about we meet at the mall entrance at around 2 PM? We can shop for a bit and then grab an early dinner at Nabe. that's a Japanese Izakaya and Hotpot place inside Ayala Mall Vertis North. My treat. What do you think?" Daniel suggested.

"That sounds great! I've been wanting to try Nabe for a while now," Molly replied excitedly.

"Awesome, see you later then!" Daniel replied.

Not long after, the car arrived in front of Orean Place, the building where Daniel would be moving in.

Daniel reached for his wallet and handed the driver the fare and added a generous tip.

"Thank you for the ride," Daniel said with a warm smile.

The driver's face lit up with surprise and gratitude. "Thank you so much, sir! You're very generous," he said, taking the money.

Daniel continued to smile as he collected his luggage from the trunk. "It was my pleasure," he replied.

As he walked towards the entrance of the building, he turned back to the driver. "Have a good day," he said.

"You too, sir. Good luck with your move," the driver said, before driving off.

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March 5, 2023, 10:00 AM - Vertis North, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines - Orean Place Condominium Vertis North

As Daniel walked into the building, he felt his heart race with excitement. He headed straight to the front desk to collect his key card, hoping for a quick and easy process. However, the receptionist gave him a skeptical look as he approached.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"I'm here to claim my key card for the penthouse unit. My name is Daniel Abelardo," he replied confidently.

The lady raised her eyebrows and scrutinized him from head to toe. "Excuse me, sir, but are you a resident here? You don't seem to fit the profile of someone who can afford a condo unit in this building, and you look too young to own one. Even the most basic units here would cost millions," she said, implying that Daniel didn't belong.

Daniel was caught off guard by the receptionist's question. "Yes, I'm a resident here. I'm moving in today," he said firmly, trying to conceal his annoyance.

The receptionist hesitated for a moment, eyeing him suspiciously. "Are you certain, sir? We've had cases in the past where pranksters and vloggers try to sneak in and cause trouble. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave," she said, reaching for the phone to call for assistance.

Moments later, two security guards appeared. "Is there a problem here?" one of them asked sternly.

*Ding!*

"Minor Mission Assigned: Overcome Discrimination," Sampaguita's robotic voice echoed in Daniel's head. "Don't let them look down on you and get away with it. The reward for completing this minor mission would be a vehicle."

Daniel was surprised that such a scenario could trigger a mission. He only snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the receptionist asking the guards to escort him out of the building.

"He's trying to get in! Look at him, he doesn't look like a resident at all. Escort him out!" the receptionist said.

The two guards tried to force Daniel to leave, but he insisted that he was a new resident moving in that day. He stated that there should be something in their system about it, but the receptionist hadn't even checked. As Daniel refused to leave, the situation escalated, and the guards were about to lay hands on him when a middle-aged man in a suit came out of an office.

"What's all this noise about? Don't you know that there's a VIP arriving anytime soon?" the man said in a stern tone.

The receptionist and guards were shocked. It was the building's general manager, Mr. Enrique Santos.

"Mr. Santos, we're sorry. It's just that this man claims to be a resident here and wants to collect his key card for the penthouse unit, but I'm not convinced that he belongs here. I've seen many pranksters and vloggers who try to sneak in and cause trouble," she said, pointing to Daniel.

The manager narrowed his eyes as he took a closer look at Daniel. "Is that true?" he asked, addressing Daniel.

Daniel was a bit surprised to see the manager, but he remained calm and composed. "No, I'm not a prankster or anything of that sort. I'm a new resident here and I just want to claim my key card," he explained.

The manager studied his features for a few seconds. "Do you have any ID to prove that you're a resident here?" he asked.

Daniel reached for his wallet and pulled out his ID. He handed it to the manager, who examined it closely. After a few seconds, the manager's eyes widened. "P@#!ha!" he muttered to himself. He realized that the person the receptionist was trying to kick out was the VIP he was waiting for - the person who had just bought their penthouse unit for more than Php. 37,000,000!

The realization dawned on Mr. Santos, and his demeanor instantly changed. "I'm terribly sorry for the confusion, Mr. Abelardo. We didn't expect you to arrive so early. Please forgive our lapse in judgment," he said, handing back the ID to Daniel.

Daniel took it back and nodded, feeling a mix of relief and amusement. He couldn't believe that he had been mistaken for a prankster or a vlogger. He wondered how many people had faced the same discrimination before him and how many more would face it in the future.

"You three!" Mr. Santos said, his voice tinged with anger. "Why didn't you even check the system!? You judged too quickly. Is this how you were trained!? You three are fired. Don't bother reporting here anymore," he said firmly, his disappointment evident in his voice. "Get out of my sight!" he shouted, pointing to the door.

The three employees were about to start walking toward the exit when Daniel interrupted.

"Excuse me, Mr. Santos," Daniel interrupted respectfully, his voice breaking the tense silence. "I don't want to cause any trouble, but I don't think firing them is the best solution. I understand how it feels to lose a job, and I don't want that to happen to anyone else. Can't we just give them a chance to learn from their mistake and change their ways?"

Mr. Santos understood Daniel's intention, so he decided to go along with it. "You're right, Mr. Alberto. Firing them might be too harsh. But they still need to be held accountable for their actions. I think a suspension would be more appropriate," he said, his voice calmer than before.

The three employees breathed a collective sigh of relief, but their faces still betrayed their embarrassment and shame. They looked at Daniel and apologized, realizing how unfair they had been to judge him without verifying his credentials. They thanked him for his mercy and understanding, promising to do better in the future.

*Ding!*

"Minor mission: Overcome Discrimination, completed," Sampaguita's robotic voice sounded inside Daniel's head, making him smile with satisfaction.

"You are rewarded with 50 overcome points and a BMW R 1250 GS Motorcycle, which costs around Php. 1,759,000. It is being delivered to your designated parking space here in the condominium as we speak," the voice continued.

"A motorcycle, huh?" Daniel muttered to himself. "I don't even have a driver's license."

Sampaguita quickly replied, "A driver's license is included in the reward and can be found inside the storage compartment of your BMW R 1250 GS."

"I'll check it later after settling my things upstairs," Daniel said to himself.

With that Daniel picked up his key card and headed towards the elevator, excited to finally move into his new home. As he stepped into the elevator, he looked back at the three employees and nodded, hoping that they would indeed learn from their mistakes and grow as professionals.