The Angry Tiger Who Can't Spend Its Money

Just as Lin Mo was feeling smug, thinking that through "selling his body"—no, wait, through commercial cooperation—he had finally achieved financial freedom and could charge toward higher-end ingredients, reality dealt him a heavy blow.

He had excitedly proposed his next "menu" to the family through Wang Keke. The requirements weren't high: just large quantities, enough to fill him up, and fresh quality, with targets locked onto Advanced Beast Soldier monsters known for their speed, strength, or special talents. He had even sketched out a beautiful future in his mind where he inherited cool talents like [Invisibility], [Venom], or [Elemental Affinity].

However, a few days later, Wang Keke found him with an expression of helplessness, followed by the family head, Wang Qingtian, who looked rather embarrassed.

"Mimi," Wang Qingtian rubbed his hands together, his usually dignified face now filled with the frustration of a "logistics manager," "this new menu of yours... is a bit difficult for us old bones to handle."

(Inner thoughts): You old schemer! You were quite eloquent when you were tricking us while watching the trial footage, weren't you? How can you not even satisfy this tiny demand for ingredients? What use are you! Lin Mo lay in his luxurious tiger den, lifted his eyelids, and shot them a look full of skepticism and disdain.

Wang Qingtian seemed to read the meaning in that look. He gave a dry cough and decided to speak plainly, turning to Wang Keke with a solemn tone: "Keke, you know it's not that the family doesn't want to give Mimi the best. It's just that... the current situation of us humans isn't as glorious as it looks on the surface."

He sighed and began counting on his fingers for the tiger and the girl: "Our Wang Family can be considered a family of some standing in Northeast Base City, right? But if we count them all up, there are only five people who possess full War General rank strength and can reliably hunt Beast General rank monsters."

"Five?" Wang Keke was clearly surprised. She knew there weren't many experts in the family, but she hadn't expected so few.

"Yes, just five. And that includes your father and two uncles who are stationed at the front lines year-round," Wang Qingtian said with a bitter smile. "In the entire Northeast Base City, all factions combined, there are only about fifty War General rank experts on the books."

This number made Wang Keke gasp, and even the lying Lin Mo pricked up his ears. He knew that humans were in a weak position in the early stages of Swallowed Star, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad. In such a huge base city, there were only fifty top-tier combatants?

"And of these fifty-plus people, over ninety percent must be stationed at the front lines year-round to resist the prying eyes of truly powerful Lord rank monsters, as well as the tidal waves of low-to-mid-tier monsters," Wang Qingtian's voice carried a hint of heaviness. "They guard the safety perimeter of the entire base city; it's impossible to mobilize them easily just to 'go hunting' for someone."

He looked at Lin Mo with an honest gaze: "Therefore, for those of us left in the rear, the source of monster meat we can obtain mostly depends on luck. It's either spoils of war brought back by front-line soldiers during occasional rotations, or what adventure squads manage to hunt in relatively safe areas."

"There is meat from Advanced Beast Soldiers, but not much, and the species are random. It's impossible to get you exactly what you want, let alone guarantee it in 'large quantities' and 'fresh'."

"As for Beast General rank monster meat?" Wang Qingtian shook his head. "That is an even rarer strategic resource. The allocation of every portion requires strict discussion; it's either used to reward soldiers who have performed meritorious service or supplied to peak Warrior rank soldiers who have hope of breaking through to the War General rank. For someone like Mimi... uh, ordering it as regular food is impossible."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

Lin Mo understood completely. It wasn't that the Wang Family was incompetent, nor was it that this "old schemer" Wang Qingtian was intentionally holding him back; it was that the entire human camp was in a state of embarrassment where "even defense is a struggle."

The logistics supply line was pitifully fragile, and high-end resources were extremely scarce. Even if he, Lin Mo, sat on a fortune of billions, in this post-apocalyptic background where monsters ran rampant, many resources couldn't be bought just with money.

(Inner thoughts): I'm stunned... I'm truly stunned! So I worked myself to the bone, sold my looks (tiger looks), filmed so many shameful things, and earned so much 'prostitution money,' only to be told... I have money but nowhere to spend it?! What the hell! Isn't this all for nothing?!

A nameless fire shot straight to Lin Mo's forehead. It was the anger and frustration of a dream shattered and his efforts being ruthlessly mocked by reality.

He seemed to see countless monsters representing powerful talents running past him, wagging their tails in mockery, while he was blocked by a fence called "lack of supplies," left only to sigh at the "beasts."

Under the weight of immense disappointment and anger, Lin Mo stood up abruptly and let out a low, resentful tiger roar that made the room's windows buzz. Then, he made a decision that perfectly matched his current mood—

He was going to slack off!

To hell with the cooperative acting! To hell with the professional spirit! What use is it for me to earn so much money! If I can't even eat the meat I want, why the hell should I keep filming!

From that day on, "Working Tiger" Lin Mo officially declared a strike.

When the agent called, Wang Keke had just picked up, and Lin Mo swiped it away with a paw.

He didn't even look at the new scripts delivered; he tore them into shreds with his claws.

There were even brand representatives who brought a filming crew to his door, trying to move him with their sincerity. In the end, Lin Mo simply gave them a majestic back and a tail flicking with impatience. No matter how the director and assistants tried to lure him with cat teasers (which was simply an insult!) and top-tier jerky, he remained unmoved, like a tiger-shaped sculpture full of disdain for the secular world.

"Mimi, don't be like this. Can't we use this money to buy other things?" Wang Keke tried to soothe him.

(Inner thoughts): Other things? What's the use of other things! What this tiger wants is talent! Evolution! To become stronger! If I can't become stronger, no matter how much money I earn, I'm just a fatter pet! Lin Mo buried his head in his paws, radiating a low pressure that screamed, "Tiger life is meaningless, don't touch me."

Wang Qingtian also came to see him a few times, only to be glared back by Lin Mo's undisguised "you useless guardian" look. He could only touch his nose in embarrassment, express his understanding, and promise that once there was Advanced Beast Soldier meat that met the requirements, he would prioritize it.

But Lin Mo knew this promise was as good as a pie in the sky. Relying on the family to provide a stable supply of the specific high-end ingredients he needed was a lost cause in the short term.

His path to becoming stronger seemed to have hit a bottleneck that couldn't be solved by "hiding" and "earning money." Was he really going to be trapped at the Advanced Beast Soldier level, slowly accumulating strength by eating ordinary Beast Soldier meat? Or should he continue to gnaw on the Lightning Marten that had already lost most of its effectiveness for him?

(Inner thoughts): No, I absolutely cannot sit and wait for death! I must find another way... Since the family can't be relied upon and money is useless for now, then... I'll just go out and hunt for myself, right?

A bold and dangerous idea began to sprout in Lin Mo's heart. His golden tiger eyes, which had been somewhat dim due to anger and helplessness, reignited with a spark of wildness.

However, how to get rid of the surveillance of his "star tiger" status and how to safely leave the base city to head into the true wilderness... that was another huge problem that required careful planning.

For now, he had to carry this "slacking off" stance to the end. After all, when a tiger is depressed, he is in no mood to work.