The fox borrowed the tiger's might

Collecting emotions took skill.

He could mouth off to anyone he liked, as long as he could beat them in a fight or wasn't afraid of getting beaten up.

But he couldn't pour poisonous motivational soup down just anyone's throat. Not everyone responded to it.

Feed that soup to an inn attendant, and it could kindle his hopes for life, even if only briefly.

Feed the same soup to the innkeeper, and he would only think, Are you trying to put off paying for your room...?

Tip an inn attendant a copper coin, and he would be happy all day.

Give the same copper coin to a roadside beggar, and he would take it for granted. Even the smile he gave back and the flattery he offered would carry no emotion, just a cheap, fake air of professional routine...

So.

Even when collecting emotions, he had to pick the right targets. That would save him plenty of wasted effort.

Keep reviewing, keep learning.

That was Lin Bai's recipe for success.

After giving the beggar money, Lin Bai stayed put. Looking at the man squatting lazily beside the road, he asked, "Who's in charge of your Beggars' Guild around here?"

"What Beggars' Guild?" The beggar raised his head slightly and picked his nose.

"There isn't one?" Lin Bai smiled. "Maybe I got it wrong. Isn't there anyone protecting you beggars?"

The beggar instantly grew wary. "Of course there is."

"Who?" Lin Bai asked.

"The city lord allows us to beg inside the city. His lordship is wise and mighty, with the heart of a bodhisattva. Naturally, he's the one protecting us..." The beggar cupped his hands toward the city lord's residence, his face full of gratitude.

What a performer!

That killed the conversation dead!

This fellow's survival instinct suddenly flared up. Had he misunderstood something?

Lin Bai looked at the beggar with a half smile and played along with the misunderstanding. "You've got a good eye for things!"

"Oh, sir, you flatter me. In this line of work, you can't get any money without knowing how to read people! Besides, nobody usually comes asking us stinking beggars for information!" The beggar looked at Lin Bai and chuckled. Reaching into his bowl, he took out the copper coins Lin Bai had just given him and said with an ingratiating smile, "My lord, you dropped your money into my bowl..."

Holy shit!

Lin Bai held his breath. Even the beggars were this sharp.

Was this really a fucking game?

When Lin Bai didn't move, the beggar painfully pulled another handful of copper coins from inside his clothes and offered them with both hands. "My lord, I picked up the wrong ones. This is the money you dropped."

Looking at the heaping handful of copper coins, Lin Bai hesitated. If only those hands hadn't just been picking a nose.

Was begging this profitable?

Maybe having Big Brother run a Beggars' Guild wasn't such a dead-end prospect after all...

"Ahem!" Lin Bai coughed, put on a stern expression, and snapped, "Put that away. What do you take this lord... what do you take me for? Since when have I ever taken back money I've handed out?"

[Relief from Li Ergou: +1]

[Collect ten portions of positive emotions (completed). Reward: presence +3 (issued)]

[Congratulations, you have gained an initial understanding of the mysteries of Negative Emotions and positive emotions. Please choose your next mission direction: 1. Positive emotions; 2. Negative Emotions.]

He could choose the mission direction himself now?

Lin Bai considered for a moment, then chose Negative Emotions without hesitation. Fooling a little beggar hardly required his undivided attention.

[Congratulations, you have planted a negative emotion tree. Since you have gained an initial understanding of the mysteries of using emotions,

barring special circumstances, the system will no longer issue targeted missions.

Please take the initiative to collect Negative Emotions. Ten people's worth of Negative Emotions will allow you to water the growth tree once.

Watering promotes the tree's growth. Each time it reaches a certain stage, your mental power will automatically increase.

Once the tree bears fruit, you may unlock the positive emotion tree.]

Great!

Now it was changing the rules!

Lin Bai grumbled inwardly. Collect emotions and water a tree—when it finally blossoms and bears fruit, are they going to mail me a box of oranges too?

Dragging things out bit by bit was so unsatisfying. Couldn't they just give me all the rewards at once?

Hadn't I clearly already mastered the art of stirring up other people's emotions?

Not user-friendly at all!

The reward was issued directly.

Presence increased by three. In the beggar's eyes, after Lin Bai said those words, his entire bearing changed, gaining an inexplicable touch of authority.

Originally, he had still harbored a sliver of doubt about Lin Bai being an undercover government agent.

But when Lin Bai's presence changed, that last shred of doubt vanished completely, replaced by unwavering belief.

How could an ordinary person possess such a bearing?

"My lord, your face looks unfamiliar. You're not from Jiamao City, are you?" the beggar asked cautiously.

"Mm. I came to investigate a few things," Lin Bai replied vaguely. "Don't ask about things you shouldn't."

"Yes, sir!" The beggar sheepishly drew his neck back. "My lord, Liu Quan is in charge of this part of the south side. Would you like me to fetch him for you?"

"No need." Lin Bai shook his head. "Do you know about the notorious bandits who planned to break someone out of prison yesterday?"

"Of course. The wanted notices are already up," the beggar said.

Understanding dawned on Lin Bai. No wonder his dear Big Brother had gone off to become a beggar. So that was why. The incident had caused quite a stir!

With him wanted, things would be even easier!

Lin Bai said, "I received information that the two notorious bandits from yesterday have disguised themselves as beggars and are scouting the city, waiting for a chance to strike. Go tell Liu Quan to find them."

"We can't have that!" Li Ergou bristled at once. "Aren't they dragging us poor wretches into trouble? Don't worry, my lord. We'll find them for you within an hour."

"Once you find them, take them straight to the authorities. You can claim the credit," Lin Bai said. "I'm investigating a major case. Don't tell anyone I came to see you. If word leaks out and ruins my business, you won't be able to bear the consequences..."

"..." Li Ergou caught his meaning. "I understand!"

"Off you go!" Lin Bai waved a hand.

Li Ergou gathered up his chipped bowl and left like the wind.

Players couldn't log out while in government custody.

With such a huge pot of blame dumped on his head, if Big Brother could still hold on without deleting his character, he really would be worth cultivating!

Watching the beggar leave, Lin Bai observed a minute of silence for his Big Brother, [Lao Mi], then turned toward the carpenter's shop.

Progress on the Flawed Creation System's mission had stalled. He had to hurry them along and get the sign installed. If he kept making people experience flaws manually, when would he ever reach fifty people?

In just two short days, he had made few friends but provoked plenty of enemies. And he had just chosen the negative emotion tree. Without some means of defending himself, who knew when someone might beat him up...

"Little Brother, is that fellow sick in the head? A perfectly good table, and he insists we smash a hole in it..."

"Would he take over a haunted shop if he wasn't? Brother, Dad said to use scrap material wherever we can, and put that idiot's job off as long as possible. Maybe he'll learn about the shop today. If we finish the work before then, we're the ones who lose out. Nobody wants tables with holes in them. Making them would just waste labor and materials."

Outside the carpenter's shop.

Listening to the conversation inside, Lin Bai was speechless. He had found the reason his mission had stalled.

Good thing he had come. Otherwise, who knew how long these people would have strung him along!

Of all the natives he had encountered so far, apart from the three simple-minded ghosts, each was more cunning than the last. This world felt less and less like a game.

"Carpenter Zhang, is this how you deceive your customers?" Lin Bai coughed and challenged them loudly.

The two brothers stopped working abruptly.

The elder set down his saw and straightened up. "Who are you?"

Lin Bai said, "I'm the sick idiot you were talking about."

Both brothers flushed and stood there awkwardly, neither knowing how to respond. How embarrassing.

"Sir, what brings you here?" Carpenter Zhang hurried out of the room, shot the brothers a fierce glare, then plastered a smile over his face. "We're working on your furniture. We'll deliver it as soon as it's finished."

"Stop trying to fool me. I heard everything they said. You're just waiting for me to leave so you can pocket my deposit!" Lin Bai sneered. "Carpenter Zhang, with those thick brows and big eyes, I thought you were an honest man. Who knew you were doing such dirty things behind the scenes!"

Zhang Achun's aging face reddened. "Sir, you've misunderstood. I just didn't want you to lose out. To tell you the truth, inside that shop you bought..."

"They agreed," Lin Bai interrupted.

"..." Carpenter Zhang seemed not to have heard clearly. "What?"

"I met them last night. They agreed to let me open a business there," Lin Bai said solemnly. "My business is waiting to open, yet you're still trying to fool me. I wouldn't mind having them come talk to you tonight..."

"Sir, you're joking, aren't you?" Carpenter Zhang's teeth were chattering.

"The husband, Song Jinnan. The wife, Wu Xiuxiu. The daughter, Song Ling. Do I sound like I'm joking?" Lin Bai raised an eyebrow and gave a soft snort.

Clang!

The plane in the younger Zhang brother's hand fell to the ground.

[Fear from Zhang Achun, Zhang Hu, and Zhang Bao: +3].

Lin Bai looked at them with a smile. "I'll give you one day and one night. By tomorrow morning, I want the sign hung up and the tables, chairs, and stools set out in my shop. Master Zhang, that won't be a problem, will it?"

Carpenter Zhang's face was deathly pale, his teeth chattering. "N-no problem."

"Without a diamond drill, you don't take on porcelain work. If I dared to buy a haunted property, naturally I had the skills to handle it. Did you really take me for an idiot?" Lin Bai smiled. "Master Zhang, get to work. I still have to hurry the blacksmith along. And don't spread word about Song Jinnan and the others. I'm counting on this shop to make money!"

Open a shop and make money!

Shouldn't you spread the news that you subdued the ghosts?

What was the point of hiding it?

Weren't you still fucking sick in the head?

Were you opening a restaurant to serve people, or ghosts?

When that thought surfaced in Carpenter Zhang's mind, he couldn't help swallowing. Watching Lin Bai's retreating back, he felt he had guessed the truth.