Wandering America: My kill threshold is far ahead

"Miss Max, please take a look at this."

With that thought in mind, Ma Jie took the shoes out of the woven bag.

The original shoebox was dirty and inconvenient to carry, so he threw it away as trash.

"Where did you pick up these old shoes?" Max glanced at them, seemingly unimpressed.

"Worn-out shoes?" Ma Jie turned the high heels over and pointed to the gold logo on the sole: "Look closely, lady, this is Apostropha. It costs $999 on the official website, enough to buy ten pairs of your canvas shoes."

"Really?" Upon hearing the price, Max picked one up casually, examined it from all angles for a while, and then took out his phone to search for pictures of similar styles.

Two minutes later, she looked at Ma Jieke with the kind of compassionate gaze one might have for someone with intellectual disabilities: "Buddy, is it possible that your shoes are counterfeit?"

"Huh?" He choked on his words and almost spat his beer in the other person's face.

"Compare them yourself." Max zoomed in on the picture on his phone and placed it next to the shoes. "This is the style I found on the official website. It's exactly the same as your shoes, but if you look closely at the logo on the sole, the authentic one is obviously thinner. The hook of the letter 't' is very smooth at the end, and the two letters 'O' are not symmetrical. I won't go into the other small details."

"In short, it looks fake at first glance."

Oh no! Ma Jie was a bit overwhelmed. She was so excited about it all afternoon, but then I got all ready to go and she told me she was on her period?

Actually, this makes sense when you think about it. What strippers don't want, how good can it be?

I was just too excited at the time and didn't consider the problem from any other perspective. I was only thinking about cashing out as soon as possible to improve my life.

This only made things worse for the already struggling family.

"Don't be angry, kid." Seeing his utterly dejected expression, Max grinned and said, "Even if it's a fake, I didn't say it's worthless. Actually, the workmanship is quite exquisite. You can't really tell from the front. If you're willing, I'll keep it for myself. Wearing it to Pudding's parent-teacher conference in the future will definitely drive those old perverts crazy."

"Name your price, just don't go too far."

Ma Jie thought for a moment, then held up one finger: "One hundred US dollars!"

"What?" Max's captivating eyes widened. "Why don't you just knock me out with a stick and throw me into the sewer? Everything in this car is yours."

"Didn't you tell me to name a price?"

"I said I'm offering a price, not extortion, OK?" She angrily blew on the blue bangs that were covering the corners of her eyes: "Okay, I'll give you $30."

"Don't try to bargain with me, or you can take it and deal with it yourself!"

Ma Jieke immediately chickened out and remained silent, which meant he agreed.

I'm under their roof, so whatever happens, happens. At least I can earn $30, which is better than nothing.

"Phew, the deal's done. Let's talk about the next project."

"What did you say you were missing?"

"SIM card." In Ma Jieke's view, this is of utmost importance, as it can solve the problem of wireless network and pass the registration and verification of various platforms.

This is the internet age. If you can't even access the internet, what's the difference between you and a caveman?

"Come on, what's a SIM card?" Max asked, looking puzzled. "Modern phones all use eSIM technology, so there's no physical SIM card slot."

But upon seeing that Ma Jie was using an iPhone 5S, she immediately felt relieved: "Okay, first answer me a question: Do you have a Social Security number?"

"No." Ma Jie shook his head.

The Social Security Number is a nine-digit number issued by the U.S. government to citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents. It is roughly equivalent to a national identity card.

Generally speaking, as long as you have a job and can prove that you have been paying taxes for a long time, you can apply.

However, to find a job, you must have a Social Security number. Without a Social Security number, you cannot find a job, and without a job, you cannot apply for a Social Security number.

This is the reality for most undocumented immigrants: they can only work in so-called labor-intensive industries, earning wages lower than the minimum wage, and constantly having to guard against arrest by the immigration authorities.

"You're in trouble, buddy." Max seemed a little gloating when he learned that Mark didn't have a Social Security number. "In this situation, the operator that helps you get a plan usually charges a deposit of $300 to $500, plus a service fee of $50 to $100. You don't look like you can afford that."

Upon hearing this astronomical figure, Ma Jie was dumbfounded. $500? You might as well just rob someone.

"Are there any other options?"

"Of course." The white woman smiled slyly: "By subscribing to a family package, you can have multiple accounts for one person. Your identity information will be bound to my name. Husband, brother, uncle, daddy, anything is fine, whatever you like. The basic package is $35 per month, with an additional $15 information rental fee."

"Hmm, that sounds pretty reasonable." Ma Jie scratched his head. Although he had spent more money, the problem was finally solved.

With a driver's license and communication functions, things will be much more convenient in the future. You won't have to search for Wi-Fi everywhere, and you can use most apps smoothly.

"Let's leave it at that for now, and we can discuss any other needs later."

"Okay." Max's slender fingers pressed a few keys on the calculator: "Driver's license $35, SIM card $50, total $85. After deducting the $30 discount on the shoes, you still owe me $55."

After speaking, he opened his fair palm, facing Ma Jieke.

The latter emptied his pockets and found only $29 and 5 cents, and could only give an awkward smile.

"Sorry, this is a small business, we don't offer credit."

I'll return it to you tomorrow.

"No way!" She put her hands on her hips. "America is a credit-based society. If you don't have credibility with me, how can I trust you?"

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Okay then." His eyes darted around mischievously, and he said in a serious tone, "Go and clean the sewage system in my car, and then wash the car body and interior. I'll give you $25 for labor. That's not a low price, is it? Jimmy and his crew might not earn that much even if they collect cans all day under the scorching sun."

Ma Jieke was taken aback, his stomach began to rumble. A sewage system? To put it mildly, it was nothing more than a black water tank filled with septic tanks!

Forget $25, even if you add two zeros to the end... could you afford it?

"I'm not doing it. Let whoever wants to do it do it."

Ma Jie slumped back in his chair, striking a classic pose reminiscent of Uncle Ge from the sitcom "I Love My Family".

When people are forced into a corner, resorting to shamelessness can be a viable strategy.

Besides, I never intended to renege on the debt; it was only $25, not worth it at all.

Dude, I made over $50 in just half a day. What do you think I need your paltry sum for?

During the struggle, a rapid knocking sound came from outside the door.

Max, furious at not receiving the full payment, yelled, "What are you banging on? Nobody's home!"

"Max, it's Jimmy. I have good news for you. May I come in?"