pjbooks Chapter 25, why are you still talking about it? Are you out of your mind?
Chapter 25, why are you still talking about it? Are you out of your mind?
Blood Gang, AKA Hellfire... I'm fucking Olympus Pantheon.
A bunch of lousy beggars, they picked a name they thought was cool, and think they can walk all over the streets of Los Angeles like they own the place?
If what Jimmy said is true, MaJack wouldn't mind giving it a shot.
It's just picking up a few broken jars, it's not like I'd die from trying it, is it? It's not like I'd die from gold or jewelry.
After some searching, they entered an orange building, which was the food bank that Jimmy had mentioned.
Just like the food trucks distributing food, the line almost filled the entire courtyard.
However, judging from their clothing and cleanliness, few of them looked like real homeless people.
Next to the group were two black men wearing orange vests, holding microphones and singing enthusiastically.
"We are the world."
"We are the children."
"It's true, we'll make a better day."
"Just you and me."
With the help of his mentor Jimmy, Ma Jie learned that the food bank is a charity that partners with the government to distribute supplies such as flour, vegetables, canned goods, and frozen chicken to families and individuals in need.
No identification is required to collect these supplies, and no record will be left. Anyone can collect them as long as they are present.
Since most of what they get is raw food that needs to be cooked before eating, it doesn't even meet the standards of the locals and is at the very bottom of the food chain in the various wilderness areas of Los Angeles.
In other words, those who can queue here are all normal people with real addresses but struggling financially, mostly elderly people and housewives.
After receiving the food coupons from a service window, Ma Jieke realized that the so-called food coupons were not the paper receipts he had imagined, but a magnetic card similar to a JD physical card.
With this magnetic card, you can legally make zero-dollar purchases. Over 90% of supermarkets and stores in Los Angeles support this, but the types of goods you can buy are limited to food.
"Hey buddy, do you have any oranges for sale?"
As soon as I reached the gate, a man wearing a hoodie and sunglasses came over and started chatting with me, speaking in a slang I couldn't understand.
"What's the price?" Jimmy stopped and asked.
"Same as always, are you selling?"
Their attitude wasn't very enthusiastic; it was more like, "Take it or leave it."
"Sell." The man took out the food coupon, opened an online banking app on his phone, and scanned the serial number on the magnetic card.
"Single standard denomination, $217 USD, discounted to $108.5. Cash or bank transfer?"
Are there any transaction fees for transferring money?
"Of course, bro, I'm not doing charity."
Jimmy hesitated for a moment before replying, "Then let's keep the cash."
"No problem." The man took out his wallet and handed him four bills with Franklin ($100), Lincoln ($5), Jefferson ($2) and Washington ($1) printed on them, plus a 50-cent coin.
They settled all outstanding payments and quickly fled the scene of the crime.
"Jimmy, you sold a $200 food voucher for only $100?"
Ma Jieke found it a bit unbelievable, because if this were done at Dongda University, it would be no different from spending real money.
I spend 100 yuan to buy a barrel of oil worth 200 yuan. Isn't that making a 100 yuan profit? Even if I resell it, I can still get at least 150 yuan.
"Otherwise what?" The kid grinned slyly. "It's not just me; almost all the scavengers in the slums do it this way. What kind of desperate person would spend money on food? Aren't the shelters and food trucks enough for you?"
Hmm... that sounds pretty reasonable. On the streets of Los Angeles, if you're willing to spend time queuing, you can theoretically eat for free until you die.
Getting something for free is fun for a while, and getting it for free all the time is even more fun. These guys have really figured out how to play this game.
"How did the person who bought your food stamp make a profit?"
Ma Jieke was quite curious about the profit model of those who collected food stamps.
"Making a profit from the price difference?" Looking at the adorable newcomer, Jimmy grinned mischievously. "I don't think you understand at all."
"Damn it, can you stop talking to me like that?"
Ma Jie felt a tightness in his anus, and the image of Brother Jie's voice and smile appeared before his eyes.
"Who do you think has the right to stand there, blatantly collecting everyone's food stamps, and never get kicked out by the police?"
"Huh?" Ma Jieke was taken aback. "Could it be...?"
"That's right, just like you're thinking." Jimmy explained as they walked: "All the food stamps will be used at offline supermarkets. The next day, you'll find that the food that was bought is back on the shelves, and the supermarket's checkout system will show an extra $217 in payment records. As long as you have the necessary financial documents, you can apply to the Department of Agriculture to exchange them for cash."
"Turning $100 into $200 is a feat that even David Copperfield could hardly achieve."
"I don't know if this would happen in China, but in America..."
"Alright, bro, stop talking. I know you have a knack for languages."
Seeing that he still wanted to continue complaining, Ma Jieke strategically covered his mouth, saying, "Why are you still talking? Don't you want to die?"
As the saying goes, some things are only four ounces on the scale, but once you put them on, they weigh a ton.
My great America has its own unique national circumstances.
After crossing the road and turning a corner, I bumped into another resource spawn point.
Glancing at the dwindling food in his bag, Ma Jieke decided to kill the monster while he was at it, thus solving his midnight snack problem.
Whether or not the task can be completed is another matter, but it's always good to at least have a stomachache first, so the safety net mechanism should be utilized properly.
Just as I was about to queue up to farm monsters, I heard a player arguing with an NPC in the core battle area.
"Fake! You bunch of liars, you fed me spoiled food, you used me as a dumping ground, didn't you?"
A redneck American man threw the roast chicken he had just received, which he had only taken a bite of, onto the ground and stomped on it several times.
Then he turned around, waved his arms, and shouted at the people in line: "Brothers and sisters, stay away from this relief station unless you want to end up in the hospital."
Under his persuasion, a few newbies did leave the group, but most players remained standing still, showing a strong disbelief in the situation.
Soon, a staff member approached him and said, "Sir, please stop what you're doing, or I'll call security."
"Security? Go ahead and yell!" The redneck man was indignant and incredibly fierce. "I'm warning you, I'm an American citizen. This is a free land where anyone can speak freely. Even the president doesn't have the right to interfere with my speech. Aren't you afraid of God's punishment for feeding people toxic garbage?"
"Sir, this is my final warning to you: stop your baseless slander immediately."
The other party was an older white man in a suit and leather shoes, who looked like a government official, used to a life of luxury, and didn't take the redneck old man seriously at all.
"I'm giving you one last warning: bring me fresh food. I want hot dogs, I want fruit, I want milk. If you can't do that, get out of here!"