Big Brother's Career

Inspired, [Long Xi] cheerfully went off to find somewhere to farm money.

The game had only just launched. He had to seize the initiative.

Sooner or later, someone would leak this method. Once everyone started doing it, the pawnshop's buyback prices would plunge off a cliff, and his money would have been spent for nothing.

[Long Xi] found a secluded corner and quietly went about killing himself.

Meanwhile, in a bustling corner of the night market, someone had used a twig to write these words on the ground:

"Our hometown was flooded. My sister and I are penniless, stranded far from home, and haven't eaten in three days. Please, kind souls, spare us something to eat..."

Dressed in rags, [Lao Mi] and [Jing Mi] squatted behind the words, with a chipped bowl set out in front of them.

There were a dozen or so copper coins in the bowl.

Occasionally, a passerby would toss a copper or two into it.

[Lao Mi] would press his palms together and smile ingratiatingly. "Thank you, kind soul. May good people enjoy peace all their lives."

[Jing Mi]'s eyes darted around the crowd. "Lao Mi, are you seriously planning to beg here?"

[Lao Mi] said, "What else can we do? Jiamao City is huge, and most people are asleep at night. If our little bro comes out for a stroll, this is where we're most likely to find him."

[Jing Mi] said, "But playing a game like this feels so embarrassing."

[Lao Mi] said, "What's embarrassing about making money? Just think of it as experiencing another way of life. I've checked—no beggars come out at night. We're the only ones in the night market. We can look for him and make money at the same time. The best of both worlds."

He continued enthusiastically, "I've calculated the earnings. Squatting here for a night will bring in at least thirty copper coins. I've already decided: whenever I have some free time, I'll tear up my clothes and find somewhere to squat and beg..."

[Jing Mi] said, "..."

[Lao Mi] glanced back at [Jing Mi]. "If you don't want to mind the stall, you can log off and browse the forums. See if you can find any guides that might help us."

"Mm." [Jing Mi] gave a mild acknowledgment, backed away a few steps into an empty corner, clicked the exit button, and silently logged off.

Over two hours later.

The night market's crowds gradually dispersed.

[Lao Mi] was counting his earnings.

[Jing Mi] logged on, his face brimming with excitement. "Lao Mi, an expert posted a game guide!"

"What?" [Lao Mi] didn't even look up.

"Specialized knowledge." [Jing Mi]'s face lit up. "That expert studies metallurgy. He used the forging knowledge he'd learned to win a blacksmith's appreciation and successfully became his apprentice, unlocking the Blacksmith Profession. He's already moved into the blacksmith's home tonight."

"..." [Lao Mi] froze. "Real-world knowledge can interact with the game?"

"Clearly, yes," [Jing Mi] said. "He's already worked out the approach. In this game, you have to forget how you used to play. You can't spend all day thinking about leveling up and killing monsters. Instead, you have to treat yourself as someone who's really transmigrated here and find a way to fit into this world. That'll get you better returns."

"Fit in?" [Lao Mi] muttered. He instinctively opened his personal panel, then froze again at what he saw. The corners of his mouth twitched several times.

"What's wrong?" [Jing Mi] asked curiously, noticing his odd reaction.

"I unlocked a profession too." [Lao Mi] showed [Jing Mi] his panel.

[Jing Mi] looked up. Beside [Lao Mi]'s name, the previously empty profession field now contained a word: Beggar.

His eyes widened. "That works too?"

Looking at his newly unlocked profession, [Lao Mi] was a little speechless.

"I squatted here too. Why didn't I get it?" [Jing Mi] hurriedly opened his own panel. The field was still empty.

[Lao Mi] scrolled through his game log. "Earn thirty copper coins through begging to automatically unlock the Beggar profession."

[Jing Mi]'s face darkened. "What good is that profession? Does it give any special bonuses?"

[Lao Mi] shook his head. "I can't see any yet." Then he grew excited. "Having one beats having none. Maybe it's a hidden profession. My little bro was right—I really am a dragon among men..."

[Jing Mi] glanced at his excited companion and asked in an odd tone, "Lao Mi, have you thought about something?"

"What?" [Lao Mi] asked.

"The method for unlocking professions has been posted on the forums. Loads of players will definitely find professions tomorrow," [Jing Mi] said.

"So what?" [Lao Mi] said. "They can find them, and so can we. There's no rule saying you can only have one profession. Begging can easily be a side job."

"We have red names," [Jing Mi] said quietly.

As though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head, [Lao Mi] went completely rigid. The joy of acquiring a new profession instantly vanished.

"As long as the Wanted Order is still posted at the city gates, neither of us can find a new profession," [Jing Mi] said. "If that little bro of yours really is a story NPC, fine. But if he isn't, or the rewards are too small, spending too much time on him will put us behind the other players right from the start. There are plenty of hardcore grinders in this game. We have to consider that..."

After a long silence, [Lao Mi] looked around the deserted night market and took a deep breath. "Half a day. We'll spend another half day looking for him tomorrow. If we still can't find him, we'll turn ourselves in to the authorities and explain the situation to the city lord. If we can't get the Wanted Order revoked, we'll delete our characters and start over."

The next day.

By the time Lin Bai woke up, the sun was already high.

The moment he opened his eyes.

Two new system notifications popped up in his mind.

[Big brother must have strength. Have your big brother learn a specialty (completed). Big brother's profession has been confirmed as Beggar; reward: Fortune +3.]

[One small step for big brother is one giant leap for you. A wavering big brother is destined to accomplish nothing. As his little brother, you must establish firm convictions for him; reward: Fortune +3.]

What the hell?

The quest completed itself?

"But how the hell does begging count as a specialty?" Lin Bai instantly snapped fully awake and sat up. "What has this guy been doing? How did he become a beggar out of nowhere? Is he planning to work his way up to leader of the Beggar Gang? Does the system want me to personally put him in charge of the Beggar Gang, then become deputy leader myself?"

What a fucking trap!

In a world full of demons, monsters, and ghosts, what the hell was the point of being a beggar chief?

Your dreams determined your ceiling. Following this big brother offered no future!

The only consolation for Lin Bai was that his big brother finding a profession on his own still counted as completing his quest.

He could get rewards for free without doing the work himself.

That aspect of the system was fairly friendly.

Big brother braves the world while little brother enjoys the easy life. Now that was the proper way to use the Chief Supporting Character System!

Thinking of it that way, Lin Bai immediately felt much better about being forced into becoming the Beggar Gang's deputy leader.

But when he carefully considered the follow-up quest, he frowned again. "Establish firm convictions for big brother? Make him stay a beggar forever? No changing careers? What a joke. Players are fickle. They're after fun and achievement. Who doesn't dream of becoming a sword immortal and flying around the sky? How could they stick to one path from beginning to end, especially when that path is begging?"

After pacing around the room twice, Lin Bai still hadn't thought of a way to make [Lao Mi] keep being a beggar.

Finally.

Lin Bai stopped pacing, his gaze gradually growing resolute. "What a pain. If all else fails, I'll have to force him to delete his character and see if I can find a new big brother who's easier to deal with. Ideally, big brother should show some initiative and develop on his own..."

The new book has set sail. Seeing so many longtime readers of Dream Fulfillment Master follow me here has warmed Old Wei's heart. Please accept my sincerest thanks. One bow!

Also: a new book needs care. Please send more recommendation votes and monthly votes, and keep following the updates, ^_^! Two bows!

P.S. Thanks to Autumn Waters and Drifting Duckweed Red for the Helm Master contribution, and to I Trample the Demon God, Shandong Little Li, Gargamel, and the others for their generous support. Three bows!