Moreira had his hand cut off and could no longer work properly. With one less kidney, he would gasp for air after running just a few steps. His body was extremely weak, making him even more incapable of working, so he had no choice but to beg on the streets. What made his situation even more miserable was that he earned less than other beggars. Despite the heavy foot traffic in the area, he only made a few dollars a day—just enough to buy a couple of buns.
I told him he deserved it. His luck had run out. When even a beggar couldn't earn money, and with the Five Ghosts Fortune-Bringing tattoo—which was essentially borrowing wealth from ghosts—it all had to be repaid.
You can owe anyone, but never owe ghosts anything. I warned you not to get this Yin-inspired tattoo, but you just wouldn't listen.
Even after getting it, when you made so much money back then, you could have stopped. But no, you had to be greedy. Now look at you—who else can you blame?
Moreira dropped to his knees, admitting he was wrong and begging me to save him.
I said, "I'm not some immortal—how could I save you? Can I reattach your hand? Even if you found your own kidney, I wouldn't be able to sew it back."
Moreira insisted I must have a way. "Gods and Ghosts Tattoos are so powerful," he pleaded. "If you just give me another one, my hand will grow back."
I suddenly laughed. Moreira didn't understand why, and I didn't explain. I just tossed a dollar coin into his bowl, turned around, and walked away.
Moreira was too weak. He chased after me but soon collapsed, unable to keep up. He could only crouch by the roadside and cry, but I didn't care. I didn't look back as I left.
When I gave him the Five Ghosts Fortune-Bringing tattoo, I warned him he'd suffer the consequences.
It seems he couldn't handle them—but he has to bear them anyway. That's what he gets.
In this world, nothing comes for free forever. Some things demand repayment twice over. In gambling, no one wins forever. If you're greedy, you lose.
Of course, this outcome only happened six months later. But let's return to the present.
After Moreira left, Stein cursed him for being petty. "Driving a luxury car and bringing a beautiful woman—what is that if not showing off? And then claiming he's sharing blessings? Who'd believe that?"
Antonio even asked who he was. "Should we go after him and beat him up? He's so arrogant I can't stand it."
I told them not to bother. "Yin-inspired tattoos are no good. Bad behavior, impure motives, greed multiplying—sooner or later, trouble finds those people."
The words I said back then truly came true half a year later. Though I haven't done much with Yin-inspired tattoos, I've seen their true nature clearly.
Although the effect of this thing is overbearing, it can amplify human desire infinitely, and in the end, it will bring about its own destruction. That must be why Grandpa forbade Yin-inspired tattoos.
I don't care about Moreira, and I can't care about him, so I'll just let him be.
Business was slow this morning. The three of us lazed around for half the day. In the afternoon, Chloe came by, bringing me ginseng soup to replenish my energy. She said tattooing is delicate work that takes a lot of effort.
Stein tried to grab a sip, but Chloe glared at him fiercely and refused to let him drink, insisting it was only for me. Stein wasn't happy. Aigoo, he groaned, complaining about being force-fed dog food. "Who can stand this lovey-dovey abuse? I don't even have a woman—what's the point of giving me tonics if I've got no way to vent?"
I quickly told him to shut up. Chloe and I are close—what's wrong with her bringing me soup?
Chloe looked displeased but didn't argue. She just handed me the soup.
I told her not to focus only on me. Her body had just recovered from fighting the Corpse-Fetus not long ago, so she needed nourishment too. We could each have a bowl—that would be just right.
Chloe laughed softly and hummed in agreement. She said no one had ever taken care of her before—I was the first. Even her mother had never truly been kind to her.
I said it was nothing. The soup was hers anyway, so I didn't deserve any credit.
Antonio and Stein were eating their savory dishes while watching Chloe and me talk, glancing enviously at my bowl of broth, practically drooling.
I suddenly asked Chloe why she was being so nice today, bringing me soup.
Then she remembered what she'd meant to say. She had quit her nightclub job and moved to my neighborhood. Now she was trying to become a host, though she wasn't sure if it would work out. In the future, if I needed, she could bring me not just soup but even meals every day—after all, eating takeout daily wasn't good for me.
Stein sighed dramatically. "Sure enough, all the good ones go off to become female streamers…"
Before he could finish, my size 42 shoe stamped onto his size 41 face. He wailed and collapsed, twitching on the ground.
I warned him, Say another word, midget, and I'll deduct your entire month's salary. That scared Stein into silence. He clamped his mouth shut.
Chloe had only worked in that industry out of necessity. Her heart was kinder than most—she wasn't dirty. Now that she was turning her life around to become a streamer, I supported her 100%.
Chloe was overjoyed by my encouragement. But the streaming industry was competitive—making it big wouldn't be easy. She said she didn't expect instant fame; as long as she could feed herself, the rest would depend on fate.
Once she gained enough followers, she'd advertise for me, promoting the Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts business.
That sounded great. I could even give Chloe a commission—a win-win. No more takeout, and with a woman around these three rough men, it'd be an unbelievable blessing.
Speaking of recommending guests, Chloe said she remembered her boss seemed to have recently encountered some evil misfortune. He had been so annoyed that when Chloe tried to resign, he nearly scolded her. After all, as the nightclub manager, the boss didn't want her to leave so soon. Plus he was already irritated, so he lost his temper.
Fortunately, Chloe stood firm and insisted on quitting. But her boss's evil misfortune might actually be my business opportunity.
Chloe's boss is called Hames, nicknamed Big Hames. This man has some influence - able to operate a nightclub while conducting certain shady dealings. People like him usually have ruthless backgrounds, otherwise the police would have arrested him long ago.
I asked Chloe if she knew what evil curse her boss suffered. Could my Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts solve it?
Chloe said she'd heard others mention that Hames liked vacationing in Southeast Asia. Last month he even kept a beautiful woman there, but dumped her after a month and returned home.
After returning, Hames noticed something wrong - he couldn't touch other women without experiencing knife-like pain in his groin so severe it made his eyes roll back. He couldn't even touch his wife - any contact caused excruciating pain.
Hames rushed to see doctors but they found nothing wrong. Being a seasoned ruthless operator, Hames quickly suspected the Southeast Asian woman.
Rumors say Southeast Asia has Kuman Thong curses. Realizing he might have been cursed, Hames returned to find the woman, but she had already disappeared.
Only the black magic caster who placed the Kuman Thong can break the spell. Terrified he might be doomed to a life of celibacy, Hames discovered he could still pleasure himself manually. Perhaps finding another man might work too - but women were completely off limits, as any contact brought that knife-cutting agony.