Wandering America: My kill threshold is far ahead

After glancing at the task status on the AR virtual panel with great delight, Ma Jieke couldn't help but want to throw his phone.

No, isn't this considered complete?

What, do I have to pull out an RPG and get blasted by them before it's over?

But despite the complaints, the work still had to be done.

I opened Google Maps and searched for "Jinbaolai Dismantling Plant," but damn it, there was no signal.

How far is this from the city center? Do old Californians rely on paper maps for navigation when they drive?

Unfortunately, the United States is a commercialized country, and the government has no say in the affairs of telecom operators.

Unless the government subsidizes them to build base stations in remote areas.

Otherwise, why would they do a losing business? Whether you have a signal or not is none of my business.

Finally, having no other choice, they had to determine their direction based on the angle of the sun and drove a short distance toward Los Angeles.

Once a signal is available, locate the target point and then drive there.

As we approached the dismantling plant, the roadsides gradually became bustling.

Tow trucks frequently pass by outside the window, and more than 70% of the cars being towed are severely damaged, including top luxury cars such as Bugatti and Aston Martin.

There were even car carriers that looked like giant centipedes, slowly crawling along the road, their frames filled with the old, weak, and disabled members of the automotive industry.

If these cars were compared to people, this place would undoubtedly be a car graveyard responsible for collecting corpses.

In addition, every so often along the road, you can see people reaching out to stop cars, with a rusty metal sign behind them that says "Vehicle Recycling".

These people include both men and women, but they are mostly Black and Hispanic, making them easy to distinguish by their appearance.

The little black cat doesn't come with any sun protection gear; it has built-in UV protection armor.

Mexicans are less talented in this area; basically, everyone has a cowboy hat.

What's even more amazing is that these two groups don't mix together; one side occupies one side of the road, and they each do their own business.

"What do these people do?" Ma Jie asked curiously. "Scalpers?"

"More or less." Xiao Fu explained as he drove: "This place doesn't have an official name, but those in the know call it the car graveyard. It consists of several large dismantling plants, dozens of service companies, and hundreds of repair shops. The people you see here are all business dealers, and the vast majority of them are illegal immigrants."

"Secondhand trading, valuation, motorcycle modification, forged driver's licenses and license plates, help find rare models—whatever your needs, an expert can quickly match you with relevant service providers and then take a commission."

"No wonder it's all Mexicans and Blacks, you can hardly see any locals."

"A local?" Xiao Fu replied seriously, "How could a local endure such hardship? They could make money lying on the street."

"Pfft..." Ma Jieke was successfully amused, recalling a famous internet joke.

Don't be so smug, son. Californians are the bosses. All they do all day is eat and drink. What are they doing? Who are they working for? Are they risking their lives? Stop messing around.

Damn, once you think about it, it really makes sense. Free food and drink, and money to buy leaves. Isn't this just like the Eight Banners descendants of the Qing Dynasty who live off iron stalks?

Who knows, family? We've accidentally found the legitimate Qing dynasty in the Western Hemisphere! The Empress Dowager's restoration of the dynasty is in sight!

Just as the adventurer bison was driving smoothly on the road, the car carrier in front of him made a mistake when turning, causing the towing vehicle to unexpectedly detach from the car body.

The car body, laden with the remains of other vehicles, lay across the road like a pillar, completely blocking it.

"Damn, what kind of garbage play is that? He's obviously a newbie."

Ma Jie couldn't help but curse, and Xiao Fu was forced to stop.

Whether in games or in real life, getting the hooked back on is a very time-consuming process. You have to use tools to adjust the height of the outriggers and then align the towing pin and towing seat perfectly, which takes at least ten minutes.

As soon as the three of them got out of the car, a fat black woman with no neck ran up to them with a warm smile on her face: "Hey handsome guys and beautiful ladies, do you need any errand services? Just give me a $5 tip."

$5? You're asking for a quick buck, right? This is a common tactic of scalpers: lure you in with a low price, then rip you off in unexpected ways.

Take Dongda University as an example. You just bought a car and happily drove to the vehicle management office to register it. However, because you found the process troublesome, you asked someone to do it for you.

OK, first, I'll photocopy all the relevant documents. I can charge you 25 yuan for 10 yuan, and that'll cover your breakfast money.

You need to take a photo, right? It's for your driver's license. I know a place that does that, right across the street.

Do you have a fire extinguisher in the car? No, I know someone who sells these for 81 each. Thank you for your patronage.

Hey bro, your headlights aren't bright enough to pass the inspection line. It'll cost you 150 yuan, I'll fix it for you.

Boss, there are too many people applying for license plates, so we might not be able to get one today. For an extra 100 yuan, I have connections inside, and we can get it right away.

After everything is done, I'll sell you a special license plate base, which costs 30 yuan to produce, but I'll charge you 200 yuan.

From beginning to end, you didn't give the scalpers a single extra penny, but the commissions they received from their various partners added up to several hundred.

Dongda University is like this, and Xida University isn't much better, so Ma Jieke immediately refused and told Aunt Pang that he already had someone, thus avoiding further harassment.

While waiting for the tow truck to restore the watermelon, I idly walked to a fruit stand, bought a big watermelon for $3, asked the owner to cut it open for me, and squatted down by the roadside to munch on it.

After the melons were finished, the car carrier was finally put back on, clearing the road to the dismantling plant.

The adventurer, Bison, continued deeper into the area, where an endless wall of corrugated iron appeared ahead, topped with a high-voltage electric fence.

After passing through the gate and entering the factory area, and then turning a corner, Ma Jieke was immediately stunned by the scene before him.

Countless car wrecks were piled up densely, forming a vast, mechanical ocean shimmering with metallic waves.

The yellow crane atop the wreckage was in operation, and the air was thick with the combined smells of rust, gasoline, and charred rubber tires.

The view continues forward, bypassing this huge car-shaped mound, and then driving past rows of blue shipping containers.

We finally stopped in the parking lot near the northwest corner and walked towards a building with a red and white striped awning. The sign above the door read "Jinbaolai Renewable Resources Service Co., Ltd."

A slightly overweight Black man was lying on the rocking chair by the door, taking a nap with his sun hat pulled up over his face. There was an unfinished bottle of ice-cold beer on the small table next to him.

"Hello Dick, I've brought you a big business opportunity."

Franklin walked up and greeted him in a perfect West Coast accent.

The old black man removed his hat, revealing gray hair and a beard. Upon seeing that it was Xiao Fu, he put it back on and completely ignored him.

Feeling humiliated, Xiao Fu immediately raised his voice: "Get up, Old Dick! This is a commission from Simon Autos. Do you even want to stay in Los Angeles?"

Upon hearing the words "Siemens Auto Repair Shop," the elderly Black man sat up helplessly, yawned, and lazily asked, "So, what kind of vehicle do you want to reclaim this time? Is it the ride of some Hollywood director, or a classic car in a car museum?"