The players grew

Just as [Deng Libuduo] had expected, when he logged back in, the players in Jiamao City were already waiting along his route.

Even the Shadow Guards leveling up in the City Lord's Residence had all come running out to join the fun.

Act out a little scene, spend one copper coin, and make friends with a top player—why wouldn't they?

He emerged from the toilet.

[Deng Libuduo] walked down the street, brimming with confidence.

He had barely taken two steps.

A player named [Jing Buyi] approached from the opposite direction. He winked at [Deng Libuduo], tripped his right foot with his left, and fell to the ground with a thud. "Ow, my leg! Can someone help me up?"

Tripping over nothing?

[Deng Libuduo] watched [Jing Buyi] clutch his leg and howl, his mouth going dry. Are you insulting my intelligence?

Still.

Now that things had come to this, he had to act, however cringeworthy it was.

[Deng Libuduo] steeled himself and rushed over. "Brother, I'll help you up. Would you be willing to pay me one copper coin?"

"I would." [Jing Buyi] sounded like a devout believer meeting a priest, his voice full of emotion and his acting cringeworthy beyond the heavens.

In an instant, the surroundings fell utterly silent.

I want to die!

What kind of fucking rotten idea did I come up with?

Why does everyone else get embarrassed when Lin Bai stirs things up, while I always have to experience this unbearable humiliation myself?

The corners of [Deng Libuduo]'s eyes twitched violently. Smiling, he gritted his teeth and helped [Jing Buyi] up.

"Thank you. You're such a kind person." [Jing Buyi] rose with his help and pressed the copper coin he had prepared into [Deng Libuduo]'s palm.

Before [Deng Libuduo] could react, [Jing Buyi] had already cupped his fists and called loudly to the onlookers, "Foster a new spirit of civility! Good people and good deeds start with me! Friends and neighbors, the Chef God Restaurant welcomes you!"

Fuck!

[Deng Libuduo] was about to go mad. He quickly switched to the private chat channel. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Promoting the big shot!" [Jing Buyi] gave him a smug look. "Brother Deng, no need to thank me. It's only what I should do."

Fuck you!

I'm doing a quest!

Did I fucking ask you to advertise?

[Deng Libuduo] roared inwardly. He had never been so humiliated in his life, even if the people around him were just NPCs!

What a fucking gaming experience.

I haven't gained much experience, but my skin sure is getting thicker.

And yet he couldn't explain himself.

After all, on the forums, the account [Deng Libuduo] was a bona fide marketing guru. On paper, he also owned thirty percent of the restaurant.

Most importantly, the ad he had posted on the forums to recruit people had also been framed as marketing.

What the fucking hell!

Behind him.

Holding paper and a brush, Zhang Bao asked Zhang Dashan beside him in bewilderment, "Dashan, does this count as a success?"

Zhang Dashan nodded blankly. "I suppose so. The boss always does the unexpected. He wouldn't send Xiao Deng out to do good deeds for no reason. This must be his new way of drumming up business."

Behind the crowd, Lin Bai nearly burst out laughing as he watched the two players perform their little play.

He truly hadn't expected [Deng Libuduo] to pull something like this.

Still, this would work too.

If he dared to keep acting all the way through, that would be virtue of a gentleman, through and through. It would definitely fool the system...

Having enjoyed [Deng Libuduo]'s outrageous maneuver, Lin Bai couldn't be bothered to keep following him. He had more important things to do; he couldn't spend every day chasing players around to watch the fun.

Meanwhile.

[Lao Mi] and [Jing Mi] had found their way to the beggars' den.

Facing a whole nest of beggars, [Lao Mi] stepped forward. "Who's in charge?"

"You two?" Liu Quan recognized [Lao Mi] and his companion at once. He sneered. "You escaped from the City Lord's Residence? You've got some ability, then. Brothers..."

He was only halfway through speaking.

Thrust!

[Lao Mi] drew his newly bought dagger and, in one clean motion, plunged it into [Jing Mi]'s chest.

Blood sprayed out.

[Jing Mi] crumpled limply to the ground, several mouthfuls of blood bubbling from his lips.

He died with his eyes still open.

After practicing Basic Martial Arts in the City Lord's Residence for two days, [Lao Mi] had reached level two. He was much stronger than an ordinary person, and a strike to a vital spot could easily kill in one blow.

The sudden turn of events stunned every beggar who had been itching to make a move.

Liu Quan's expression shifted several times, and even his voice trembled slightly. "You... what are you trying to do? You've killed someone. Don't think you can escape..."

"You're the leader?" [Lao Mi] asked.

"I am." Liu Quan kept glancing at [Jing Mi] on the ground and nodded instinctively.

"From now on, this area is under my protection. Any objections?" [Lao Mi] asked calmly as he wiped the blood from his dagger on [Jing Mi]'s corpse.

"What gives you the right?" the young beggar Li Ergou demanded, his neck stiff.

"I'm more ruthless than you," [Lao Mi] said.

"..." The beggars were collectively dumbfounded.

Are you fucking sick in the head?

Who kills his own companion to show how ruthless he is?

Liu Quan's face darkened like still water. He gritted his teeth. "A life for a life. The evidence is undeniable. Grab him and take him to the City Lord's Residence."

"See you in a bit." [Lao Mi] gave a savage grin, turned, and ran.

"Fuck, he's insane!" Watching [Lao Mi] sprint away, Liu Quan cursed in fury and kicked Li Ergou beside him. "Ergou, go see if that woman can still be saved!"

Li Ergou approached [Jing Mi] and shakily held a hand beneath his nose, then shook his head. "Boss, dead."

"You're the one who's fucking dead," Liu Quan snapped, his face gloomy. "Two of you, throw him into the well out back. Clean up the blood. What fucking rotten luck!"

"Aren't we reporting this to the authorities?" Li Ergou asked.

"Report my ass!" Liu Quan looked utterly grim. "Haven't we got enough trouble already?"

Two beggars carried [Jing Mi]'s corpse to the rear courtyard and tossed him into a dry well with a thud. Each muttered about rotten luck, then returned to the front hall.

Before they could report to Liu Quan, both froze on the spot.

Who else could the two figures standing in the doorway be but the pair from earlier?

"A ghost!" With a piercing scream, one beggar's eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

"Can we talk now?" [Lao Mi] asked, smiling at Liu Quan.

"Just what are you people?" Liu Quan stole a glance at [Jing Mi], standing beside [Lao Mi], sweat pouring off him like rain. He couldn't tell whether the figure before him was a person or a ghost.

"What a stupid question. We're people, of course," [Jing Mi] said, rolling his eyes at him.

"To be precise, people who cannot die," [Lao Mi] said, weighing the dagger in his hand. "Submit to us, or we'll kill you one by one. Come to think of it, we still have a score to settle!"

"A trick! It has to be a trick!" Liu Quan cried hysterically.

"Even if it is a trick, do you dare bet on it?" [Lao Mi] sneered as he drew another dagger and handed it to [Jing Mi].

Each death cost a level!

Sacrificing a teammate to the heavens once was enough. Doing it again would make him a complete fucking idiot.

They had no other choice.

The beggars worked together well. Even though they had learned Basic Martial Arts at the City Lord's Residence, if they fought the beggars head-on, they might have to spend several lives to wipe them out...

There was absolutely no way to subdue them by force, but if they fought them to the death, they would have no underlings left!

The beggars wouldn't respawn. Surely the two of them couldn't drag people off the streets to become beggars and establish a new Beggar Gang?

After thinking it over from every angle.

Using their undying bodies to bluff people was the best approach.

It was the only trump card they could currently play.

Fortunately, their levels were low. A day's training would make up for one death, so the loss was entirely affordable.

The only good thing about this game was that the NPCs could think, allowing them to gain benefits through negotiation.

Looking at the two brazen troublemakers, Liu Quan could only suffer in silence. What the fuck was this?

He simply didn't dare take the gamble!

After all.

He had seen that woman die and come back to life with his own eyes.

What if they were telling the truth?

Even a beggar was still alive!

Besides, they were living pretty well...

"I'll count to three." [Lao Mi] raised his fingers. "One... two..."

"All right, I agree," Liu Quan interrupted in despair. He swallowed. "But I have one condition."

"Speak," [Lao Mi] said.

"Great hero, I can serve under you, but you'll have to break that habit of killing your own people." Liu Quan looked close to tears. "We only have one life. We can't withstand that kind of havoc!"

[The boss has the final say over a street (completed). Reward: fortune +2 (issued)]

The moment Liu Quan submitted, a quest notification sounded in Lin Bai's mind.