pjbooks Chapter 1: An Asian Boy Homeless
Chapter 1: An Asian Boy Homeless
California on a summer afternoon enjoys the most abundant sunshine on the entire West Coast.
At a Wendy's Burger restaurant in Los Angeles, several scantily clad girls finished their lunch and left, chatting and laughing.
A furtive figure glanced around before quickly moving over from a corner seat.
Before the waiter noticed, I grabbed the leftover fries from the table, coated them with ketchup, and eagerly stuffed them into my mouth.
Although it doesn't have the crispiness of freshly fried potatoes, the aroma of potatoes and oil is still very satisfying, not to mention it's high in calories.
Ma Jieke knew that what he was doing was disgusting and could easily be seen as perverted.
But in order to complete the damn main mission, he had no choice but to get involved.
[Main Quest: After fasting for 24 hours, steal someone else's leftovers] Settlement Value: ★
Fuck! Aside from swearing, Ma Jie didn't know how else to express his feelings.
He had been in the legendary Los Santos for several days, but he had never been as disheveled as he was today.
This is a country illuminated by lighthouses; if you're willing to spend time queuing, there are plenty of places on the street where you can get relief meals.
As a die-hard fan of a top-rated lecturer, haven't I seen pigs run even if I've never seen pork before?
While eating fries, Ma Jie pulled an iPhone 5S out of his shorts pocket.
He found this antique, which was released ten years ago, by chance while rummaging through a trash can.
To my surprise, it actually turned on after I tried it, the screen wasn't damaged, and all the functions were there.
The only odd thing was that a game called Perfect Life was installed.
Moreover, no matter how many times you uninstall it, it will reinstall itself when you're not paying attention, and even formatting and flashing the ROM won't help.
The gameplay is also quite frustrating. Every day, several random tasks are released for no apparent reason. Regardless of whether you have completed them or not, the game refreshes again at midnight, but it will not remove any ongoing non-time-limited tasks.
With the mindset that he was already there, Ma Jie chose a main task that was both a necessity and easy to complete: "Collect recyclables on the streets of Los Angeles and get a minimum of $5 in return."
Even though collecting recyclables is a simple way to make money, it still took him two whole days.
There was no other way; I was unfamiliar with the area, and many people used paper cups for drinking water and beverages, so there weren't many plastic bottles and cans for me to pick up.
The only way is to first identify the target, then follow behind them, and wait for them to finish drinking before standing by a nearby trash can, or simply go up and ask for it.
After a lot of hard work, three skills popped up on the game screen for him to choose from.
[Mixed Martial Arts Lv1]: Slightly improves your mixed martial arts skills. You can upgrade by selecting multiple times.
【Car Driving Lv1】: Slightly improves your car driving ability; can be upgraded by selecting multiple times.
【Explorer (Consumable)】: Scans with itself as the center, marking the most valuable lost items within a 300-meter radius.
The first two are growth-oriented skills; even if you choose them, you can't immediately monetize them and they won't help solve your current predicament.
So without even thinking, Ma Jieke directly chose [Explorer].
This is somewhat similar to the item-finding game in traditional AAA titles, only it's been adapted for real life.
Click to use the skill, and the phone will transform into an interface similar to a sonar system.
After arriving at the target location according to the navigation, a miracle happened: a bulging wallet was found on the spot!
Ma Jie was dumbfounded. Could this be the legendary game coming to life?
Family, tell me loud and clear, what is a man's romance?!
Overwhelmed with excitement, Ma Jie picked up the wallet and ran away.
I thought I had struck it rich, but when I found a secluded corner and opened it, a mask of pain was slapped right onto my face.
About 90% of the space inside was filled with various coupons, and the cash was less than $20.
Only an American loser would stuff stacks of coupons into their wallet.
However, it did solve my immediate problem. With the money, I went to a discount clothing store and bought a T-shirt and shorts, which cost about $6.
At least make yourself look like a normal person, otherwise, if you're dressed in rags and urinating in public, you'll easily be chased away by the police.
Entering wealthy neighborhoods and shopping malls can also result in being chased and ganked by security guards.
He planned to buy a tent first, but when he asked at the sporting goods store, the cheapest tent was $40.
Moreover, that thing is only slightly better than a mosquito net; it doesn't really provide shelter from the wind and rain, it just gives you a relatively private personal space.
Having tasted success, Ma Jie tried to complete the mission again, which led to the scene just now.
I have to say, the mission detection in this game is truly awful; it feels like someone is actually watching you.
I've almost finished my fries, but the task completion screen still hasn't popped up.
With a heavy heart, I picked up a glass of leftover juice and sipped it through the straw.
The cup made an embarrassing vibrating sound after it was emptied.
Now you can reward me, right?
The mission is complete. Please choose one of the following skills (choose one from three).
As a result, just as the interface was switching, one of the girls who had just been dining there turned back the way she came.
Looking at the Asian boy in front of her who was "stealing leftovers," her face was full of incomprehension.
However, I still politely greeted them: "Hi, have you seen a white backpack?"
"Is this it?" Ma Jie reached under the table and pulled up a very simple women's backpack.
I actually noticed it earlier, but I didn't pay much attention to it in order to complete the task.
"Phew, thank goodness." The girl immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you so much, handsome! My work card, iPad, and living expenses for the next quarter are in this bag."
"So you're an international student?" From her brief description, Ma Jie could roughly guess her identity.
Generally speaking, the U.S. government issues four types of identity cards: temporary green card, permanent green card, Social Security card, and work permit.
If you obtain the first three, you can enjoy almost all social welfare benefits except for the right to vote.
Work permits are for the spouses of international students and legal immigrants. Their purpose is to allow them to look for work normally without needing an employer's signature as a guarantor.
"That's right, my name is Valentina, I'm Mexican, and what about you, handsome?"
"My name is Jack." MaJack didn't intend to give his full name, because it sounded weird.
After they opened the boxes, Valentina sat down warmly.
Her features are delicate and three-dimensional, with typical Latino characteristics. Her figure is clearly the kind that works out regularly, and her tanned skin exudes a healthy glow.
Unlike white girls, she doesn't have freckles on her face. When she smiles, you can see her two apple cheeks, which gives her a very pleasant appearance.
If the full score is 10, I would give it at least 9 points.
"Jack, that's a lovely name." Valentina smiled warmly. "Jack, could you stand up for a moment? I'd like to guess where you're from."
"Of course, why not?" Ma Jie said, straightening his posture. At 1.85 meters tall, with his visibly defined biceps, he exuded a sense of intimidation.
"First, let's rule out anyone who's taking over." Looking at the tall, muscular Asian boy in front of her, Valentina couldn't help but retort, "None of the Japanese exchange students I've met are as strong as you. Secondly, I need to rule out Korea, because they seem a bit effeminate to me. So you must be from the same country as Jackie Chan."
"Absolutely correct." Ma Jie spread his hands, quite satisfied with her analysis.
"Haha, I'm a genius." Having guessed Jack's nationality correctly, Valentina was somewhat puzzled: "Jack, I just witnessed some scenes I can't understand, so are you facing some difficulties?"
Ma Jie didn't know how to answer. He couldn't just tell the other person that he was actually playing a game, could he? That would definitely be treated as a mental illness.
"Okay, my question did sound a bit offensive, but I meant no harm."
As she spoke, she unzipped her backpack, took out a magnetic card and a name tag from a hidden compartment, and pushed them in front of Ma Jieke, her eyes full of sincerity: "This is my work card that I just applied for, and my work badge. I work part-time at the relief station in the Fifth District, distributing supplies to people in need. If you need anything, you can add me as a friend on social media, and I will notify you in advance when it's time to distribute supplies again."
Majesty was somewhat moved by this kind-hearted Mexican girl.
In reality, there isn't that much deceit and treachery between people; most people are quite compassionate.
"As you can see, I am indeed homeless now." He hesitated for a moment, but still chose to be frank: "However, my situation may be much worse than you think. I have no ID, no phone card, no online banking account, and I don't know how to open one. There are some guides online, but many of them require payment. They don't seem to consider what kind of customer group would want to know this kind of information."
Like the University of Tokyo, most apps in the United States require a phone number and real-name authentication.
The only thing Ma Jieke can do right now is browse the web using free WiFi.
However, it's not as easy as you might think. In many places with free WiFi, such as McDonald's and Starbucks, you have to order first before you can get the password from the server.
Some even require phone number verification to connect, and charge a fee after a certain time. It's outrageous, ridiculously absurd.
"I see." After listening to Ma Jie's complaints, Valentina was speechless.
The reason I was willing to help was because the Asian boy was very honest and didn't turn on the auto-pickup function even though he was poor.
Secondly, he does look quite manly, exuding a tough guy vibe, which completely won her heart.
But no one is a living saint, and it's best not to meddle in things that are beyond our capabilities.
"It's alright." Seeing her looking a little embarrassed, Ma Jie smiled nonchalantly: "When I meet another kind person like you, maybe they can help me out of my predicament."
"I hope so." Valentina looked a little disappointed, but then suddenly seemed to remember something: "By the way, Jack, you can ask Max from the Blue Hair Squad for help. She lives under the Queen's Road overpass. Just ask any homeless person around there, and you'll definitely be able to find her."
The Blue-Haired Squad? That sounds more like the name of a street gang, doesn't it?
"What does this Max do?" Ma Jie asked curiously.
"She's similar to you, also homeless on the streets," Valentina continued. "She often goes to the shelter for food, and that's how we met. But I heard from other homeless people that she seems to be quite famous in Skid Row, often helping people who are alone, so you can't go wrong by going to her."
Skid Row, commonly translated as "Poor Street," is a commercial district in downtown Los Angeles, covering approximately 54 city blocks.
This area is known for its filthy and chaotic environment and numerous social problems, and it is home to a large number of homeless people, alcoholics, drug addicts, and mental patients.
It's also where the top-rated instructor and North America's number one jungler started from scratch.