Chapter 405: Home and Family

I even got a partner… If I can't find a job now, I'm afraid I won't even be able to get a loaf of bread!

With a dark face, Li Ang left the Sixth Cleanup Bureau, joined the long line outside the Cleaning Bureau, and stared at the gleaming new badge on his virtual panel—unable to suppress a weary 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 weird debuffs…

After staring for a while at the pitch-black 【Unemployed Youth】 badge and the entry "Dating Success Rate -80%," Li Ang, slowly crawling forward in the long queue outside the Cleaning Bureau, turned his gaze to the other two badges currently equipped.

On the virtual panel that had come with him to this world, there were three badge slots; in the center slot, a 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 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 · Non-Upgradable): 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 additional enhancements based on 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: Already at maximum level, cannot advance further.】

【Hidden Trait: Inactive】

"..."

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

It had triggered only once at the very beginning, helping him master the world's language within three days to a level of normal communication, then vanished completely ever since.

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

Unable to resist, he turned his head to glance back 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; once you joined, you might be stuck for life.

He was barely seventeen now—if he could retire at sixty, he'd have to serve over forty years, with a death rate nearing ninety percent—he'd practically be dead for sure!

If he were alone, it might be fine—after all, this life was already a bonus he'd picked up. Better to risk it now, gamble this rotten life on one desperate shot, than to spend decades laboring in mines, smelting furnaces, making pills, growing sick, exhausting his meager savings like those neighbors in Veteran's Alley, then being dumped onto a hospital corridor, lying on vomit-stained beds waiting to die.

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 illness had persisted, never truly improving, leaving her unable to do any heavy work.

He could risk his own life—but if he died in that Cleanup Bureau, his family would likely exhaust the eldest first, then slowly starve the two little ones; all four would die.

"Damn!"

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

"This damn world!"

…

As the sun set, its dim afterglow filtered through clouds thick with alchemical waste, falling upon the filthy streets of the royal capital, crushed and soiled beneath the crushing weight of someone's steps, until swallowed entirely by darkness.

After standing in a two-hour 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—almost on his knees, pleading—he was still turned away.

Seeing Li Ang's emaciated frame—noticeably thinner than his peers due to malnutrition—the fat official didn't even bother speaking; he shoved him aside with one hand, moved to the next applicant, pinched the man's arms and thighs with disdain, then stamped a red "Passed" mark on his dark, 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 sigh, expelling the thick, lingering gloom 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 nothing great, he'd had both parents, a harmonious family, and a quiet, safe 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—required every ounce of strength. It was…

Forget it. Better to think about where to find work tomorrow, how to earn a little extra for 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, he walked confidently into the poorly lit alley, hurried through the dark, cluttered, filthy street, and headed toward the low, small 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."

Before the slender, frail girl could ask how things went, her brother frowned, his expression stern.

"Didn't I tell you dozens of times not to open the door for strangers?"

"I didn't open it for strangers."

The girl wasn't upset by the scolding; 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, a warmth stirred in Li Ang's resentful heart, but he kept his stern face.

"This area isn't as chaotic as the outer slums, but there are still bad people. What if you misheard?"

How could I possibly mishear…

At his words, the slender girl sighed inwardly.

Even in the generally miserable Veteran's Alley, few walked with footsteps as heavy as her brother's—especially since his major illness three years ago, his steps had grown heavier, heavier still. Even in sleep, she could recognize the sound of his tread, as if he carried a thousand catties on his back.

Still, though certain she'd never misheard, she didn't argue. She hung up his coat, walked into the kitchen, and brought out the still-warm dinner.

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 cheeks, 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?

Flustered by his sister's gaze after eating too fast from hunger, Li Ang coughed lightly and murmured, "Where are the little ones? Asleep?"

"Mm."

The slender girl nodded gently, her smile tender 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 the inner room."

"Don't do that next time."

Seeing his sister's pale, bloodless face, Li Ang shook his head.

"You're not well. The little ones 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, mm."

The slender girl softly agreed, still not arguing, just smiling and nodding, tilting her chin forward slightly—accepting her brother's concern.

She clearly didn't listen…

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 persuade her, he said no more, finished his meal quietly, then hesitated.

"Today…"

"It's very late."

She interrupted him.

"The Transportation Department is so far—you wouldn't spend money on a ride, so you walked. If you're going out again tomorrow, you need to rest now."

"..."

"Mm…"

He understood—she knew he'd failed again. Li Ang sighed, then frowned.

"I'm useless. If only I could…"

"Brother!"

"Mm, mm—I won't say more."

Clenching his fist 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 desperate cries of his younger siblings.

"Brother! Wake up! Hurry up!"

(End of Chapter)