Chapter 2: 2 Family and Family Members

2 Family and Family Members

Even getting a partner... if I can’t find a job, I’m afraid I won’t even manage to get a loaf of bread!

With a dark face, he left the Sixth Cleanup Bureau, joined the long queue outside the Cleanliness Bureau, and stared at the gleaming new badge on his virtual panel—Li Ang let out a quiet sigh.

Good news: I’m still a guy, and even one with a buff.

Bad news: this buff seems temporarily useless, and sometimes even gives me strange debuffs...

After staring for a while at the pitch-black [Unemployed Youth] badge and the entry “Dating Success Rate -80%,” Li Ang slowly “crawled” forward with the queue outside the Cleanliness Bureau, his gaze shifting to the other two badges currently “equipped.”

On the virtual panel that came with him to this world, there were three badge slots; in the center slot, one badge glowed with a dim deep blue, radiating a warm, gentle feeling.

【Reliable Older Brother (Bronze): Since your parents died early, you took on the responsibility of caring for your younger siblings—you are a responsible and dependable older brother, deeply loved by your siblings.】

【Wearing Effect: When speaking with minors younger than you, they will easily develop trust in you, and when emotionally agitated, they are prone to trigger the special state “Open Heart,” confiding their inner sorrows and secrets to you.】

【Advanced Path: None】

【Hidden Trait: Inactive】

Beside this “Good Brother” badge was another, blazing crimson, so bright it outshone the sun.

【Materialist Soul (Unique · Crimson · Unupgradable): As a staunch materialist, you believe matter is the objective foundation of existence; spirit and consciousness are products of matter. All incomprehensible phenomena stem from your insufficiently accurate or profound understanding of the world.】

【Wearing Effect: For things and knowledge you can understand, through your own analysis and thought, you grasp them quickly and, when using them, gain enhanced effects proportional to your level of understanding;】

【For things and knowledge you cannot understand, by expanding the boundaries of your cognition, you immediately gain partial related information, and when encountering them, reduce their impact on you according to your level of understanding.】

【Advanced Path: Maximum level reached; cannot advance further.】

【Hidden Trait: Inactive】

“...”

Judging by the description alone, this unique badge seemed impressive—but in reality, it was nothing of the sort.

It triggered only once at the very beginning, helping him master this world’s language within three days to a level of normal communication, then vanished completely, never acting again.

Even if its activation was difficult, his badge buff was certainly not “normal”—he wondered if this condition counted as the red-haired woman’s described controllable “anomaly.” If so, maybe he was suited for the Cleanup Bureau?

He couldn’t help turning back to glance toward the Cleanup Bureau, then quickly shook his head, dismissing the absurd thought entirely.

Don’t be stupid—that’s a ten percent annual death rate!

And from their attitude, the Cleanup Bureau was clearly not a department you could just quit; joining probably meant working for life.

He was barely seventeen—if he worked until sixty, he’d have to endure over forty years, with a death rate nearing ninety percent—he’d almost certainly die.

If he were alone, it might be fine; after all, this life was already a bonus, and rather than toil for decades in mines, smelting furnaces, making medicine, growing sick from labor, then end up like those neighbors in Veteran’s Alley—

o￠o

First drained of his meager savings by illness, then dumped on a hospital corridor, lying on a soiled bed reeking of vomit and excrement, screaming in agony as his family wept beside him—better to risk it now, gamble this rotten life on one shot!

But now his family had four members: two little ones still shorter than his waist, and his older sister, though only one year younger, had been sickly since birth, and after a chemical leak accident, inhaled a lot of alchemical fumes—her lung disease persisted, never improving, leaving her unable to do heavy work.

He could risk himself, but if he died in that Cleanup Bureau, his family would likely exhaust the eldest first, then slowly starve the two little ones—none of the four would survive.

“Damn!”

Thinking of this, Li Ang lifted his head, gazing at the endless queue ahead, clenched his molars tightly, and spat fiercely onto the intricately carved blue stone tiles beneath his feet.

“This damned world!”

As the sun set, its dim afterglow filtered through clouds thick with alchemical waste, falling onto the filthy streets of the Royal Capital, crushed and soiled beneath someone’s heavy footsteps, until swallowed entirely by darkness.

After waiting over two hours in line and enduring several rounds of inspection and questioning, the unemployed youth was, unsurprisingly, rejected.

Even though Li Ang had long since thrown away what little dignity he had left, grabbing the interviewer’s sleeve and begging repeatedly that he could handle the job, even nearly kneeling to plead—

The municipal civil servant responsible for recruiting cleaners still didn’t bother to reply; seeing Li Ang’s emaciated frame—noticeably thinner than his peers—he simply raised his fat, greasy hand and shoved him aside, then moved to the next applicant, pinching the man’s arm and thigh with carrot-like fingers, eyes full of disdain, before stamping a red “Passed” mark on the applicant’s black, bony chest...

Fuck!

Recalling the scene—where people were treated no better than livestock—Li Ang instinctively clenched his molars and let out a heavy breath, expelling the long-brewed bitterness in his chest.

Even after nearly three years here, he still couldn’t get used to this bullshit.

In his past life, though he’d achieved little, he’d had both parents, a harmonious family, and a peaceful half-life—his greatest hardship had been getting yelled at by his boss. Then, in an instant, he was dumped into this damned world, where even the simplest act—survival—took every ounce of strength.

Forget it. Better to think about where to find work tomorrow, how to help support the household.

As he neared the corner ahead—the entrance to Veteran’s Alley, where his family lived—Li Ang stopped, rubbed his stiff face hard, and finally forced a faint smile.

Keeping that smile in place, Li Ang stepped skillfully into the poorly lit alley, hurried through the dark, cluttered, filthy street, and headed toward the low house in the southeast corner.

Just as he stood before his door, hand raised to knock, the old iron gate—rust-covered, older than he was—suddenly swung open, revealing a pale, delicate face, beautiful but clearly ill.

“Brother.”

After calling out to Li Ang, the slender girl hadn’t even asked how things went when her brother frowned and scolded sharply:

“Didn’t I tell you dozens of times not to open the door for strangers?”

“I didn’t open it for strangers.”

The girl didn’t get angry; instead, she took his coat, gently brushed it off, and smiled:

“I know your footsteps. I only open the door early when I hear you coming back.”

“Still not allowed!”

Hearing her words, Li Ang’s heart softened slightly, but he kept his stern face and scolded:

“This area isn’t as chaotic as the Outer City slums, but there are still bad people—what if you misheard?”

How could I possibly mishear...

Hearing Li Ang’s words, the slender girl sighed inwardly.

Even in Veteran’s Alley, where hardship was universal, few walked as heavily as her brother—especially since his major illness three years ago, his footsteps had grown heavier, so heavy she could recognize them even in her sleep: the sound of a man carrying a thousand-pound burden.

Still, though certain she wouldn’t mistake it, she didn’t argue with him; she hung up his coat, then walked into the kitchen and brought out dinner still steaming.

As Li Ang, exhausted, sat at the table and began wolfing down his food, she sat beside the old, one-legged table, her thin arms propping up her pale face, gazing softly at him as he devoured the simple stew.

It’s so late—why aren’t you resting? Why are you watching me eat?

Feeling uneasy under his sister’s gaze after eating too fast from hunger, Li Ang coughed lightly and murmured: “Where are the kids? Asleep?”

“Mm.”

The slender girl nodded gently, smiling as she tilted her chin forward slightly.

“When the sun just set, they insisted on waiting for you to come home before sleeping, but soon they started rubbing their eyes. Finally, they fell asleep side by side beside the table—I just carried them back to their room.”

“Don’t do that next time.”

Looking at his sister’s pale, bloodless face, Li Ang shook his head:

“You’re not well. The kids have grown a lot these past two years. Next time, just let them sleep. When I come back, I’ll carry them to bed and cover them with a light blanket so they don’t catch cold.”

“Mm-hmm.”

The slender girl softly agreed twice, didn’t argue, just smiled and nodded, tilting her chin forward slightly—accepting her brother’s concern without resistance.

Clearly didn’t listen at all...

Seeing her expression, Li Ang sighed helplessly.

He had no way with this sister—delicate and pale on the outside, stubborn as stone inside. Seeing he couldn’t convince her, he said nothing more, finished his meal in silence, then hesitated:

“Today...”

“It’s late already.”

She interrupted him:

“The Municipal Office is far, and you never spend money on a carriage—so you walked. If you’re going out again tomorrow, you need to rest now.”

“...”

“Mm...”

Realizing his sister knew he’d failed again, Li Ang sighed, then frowned:

“I’m useless—if only I could...”

“Brother!”

“Mm, I won’t say more.”

Clenching his fists tightly, resolved to work twice as hard tomorrow no matter what, Li Ang gathered the dishes and walked to his small room. After tossing and turning for a long while, he finally fell asleep, burdened by endless worries.

But before dawn, his sleep was shattered by a violent, bellows-like coughing fit, accompanied by the shrill, desperate cries of the two children.

“Brother! Wake up! Hurry up!”