For the last 12 years, Chinese professional actor Lu Jingang has been making a living by playing a poor beggar in a popular scenic spot and collecting money and food from kindhearted citizens.

Seeing Lu Jingang on the job, you’d think he was nothing but a poor beggar looking to make ends meet, but that’s only because he is really good at his job. Lu is a professional actor who has been playing the role of a beggar at the Qinming Shanghe Garden scenic area in China’s Henan Province for the past 12 years. With his dirt-covered face, sad puppy eyes, and modest clothing, he has perfected the art of getting tourists to dig deep in their pockets and help a poor guy out. Only he is very good at pretending to be poor because, in reality, he is anything but that. The talented actor reportedly earns up to 70,000 yuan ($9,730) per month, plus more food than he could ever hope to eat.

According to Time Doctor, the average monthly salary in China is currently around 29,000 yuan ($4,000), which makes Lu Jingang one of the highest-earning individuals in the Asian country. Some have gone as far as calling him the richest beggar in China, which is technically false because he is a professional actor who plays a beggar for profit.

Lu says that he chose this unusual career path because he just loved performing and this gave him the chance to do just that, without having to audition. His family didn’t support him in the beginning, which is understandable, but after seeing that he was earning quite a nice monthly sum, they had a change of heart.

As time went by and Lu Jingang adapted to his daily role and the performance that recently made him an internet celebrity, he became increasingly better at attracting people’s sympathy and their money. His modest attire, the sad expression on his unwashed face, and his pleas all create a picture that makes people dig in their pockets to help him out.

Lu’s monthly salary sparked quite a heated debate on social media, with most expressing their envy of his situation.

“He is happier than me, I am the real beggar,” one person wrote.

“I want to quit my job and go be a beggar,” someone else commented.

Interestingly, Lu Jingang warned people not to come to Qinming Shanghe Garden to try their luck as beggars, as they would have a hard time competing with his well-rehearsed act.