Being carried onto an ambulance at the start? But this is America!

"This beef rice is absolutely amazing, it's so fresh it looks like it just came out of the pot!"

Camilla licked her lips contentedly and carefully folded the empty lunchbox.

"You guys are really lucky. The food at the Methodist Church is of excellent quality, but I know the lines are so long they stretch all the way to Santa Monica, but the timing never works out."

After eating and drinking her fill, she became even more talkative.

She pulled out her phone, its protective case badly worn, and enthusiastically showed it to Li Ping: "Look, you have to follow these Instagram accounts: 'Operation Compassion Los Angeles' and 'St. Francis's Kitchen'."

...They're the fastest at sending messages; where the meal is being held, what they're posting, pictures, and videos—it's all crystal clear.

She opened another Facebook group, which was filled with posts.

"Skid Row Mutual Aid Network - this is the real gem, it has information on which street distributes relief at what time, and 99% of the information is here."

Experienced users will also mark the quality, waiting time, and even the attitude of the volunteers.

Extract the useful information, have GPT compile it into tables, and update it daily—it's much more reliable than government websites!

She spoke with a hint of pride as she showed a simple but clearly presented spreadsheet.

The table lists where items will be distributed today, what items will be distributed, and at what time.

Li Ping gave a heartfelt thumbs-up: "Professional!"

This beef rice meal was definitely worth it; it's a living archive of street survival experiences.

"Unfortunately, I don't have a SIM card yet."

Li Ping pulled out his pineapple-shaped phone with a cracked screen. Without internet, it was practically blind in this era.

Camilla glanced at his phone and nodded knowingly.

"Oh right, you guys haven't been here long. It's simple, once you have some money, just go to CVS or 7-Eleven and buy a prepaid SIM card, but..."

She pouted, "That data allowance is pitifully small, and ridiculously expensive."

Li Ping recalled the price tag for the temporary data card he had glimpsed outside the convenience store window: $25 for 5GB of data.

For them, who were penniless, it was an astronomical sum; it was more realistic to just use the library's Wi-Fi.

"If you can save up about... $20?"

Camilla lowered her voice slightly, a sly glint in her eyes, "I know some connections; I can help you get a California driver's license."

Seeing Li Ping's questioning look, she added, "Don't try to fool the police or immigration with it; that thing won't stand up to scrutiny."

She emphasized, "But it's enough to get a phone card from a mobile carrier, register some loose bank accounts, and get website verification."

In the United States, a driver's license is like an ID card.

Seeing that the two brothers were still a bit confused, she simply gave an example: "Do you know that the law stipulates that you can only buy alcohol when you are 21 years old? But where do those 18 or 19-year-old kids in college get alcohol to drink?"

It's fake. Just take a photo, Photoshop an age onto it, and upload it to a database. It can fool many places. Twenty yuan, done.

It's all too common for a 16-year-old to use a fake ID belonging to a 23-year-old to buy cigarettes; this business is even easier than selling cigarettes.

"Then what,"

She continued, "With legal status, our camp has connections to get affordable data plans from big companies like Verizon—$15 a month for 20GB of data. Pretty good deal, right?"

"You only need to save up $35."

Li Ping then revealed a look of surprise mixed with embarrassment. "We actually do have this much money, Camilla. Can you teach us how to do it? It's so lucky to have met you!" He didn't hold back his praise.

For them, a fake ID that can pass online authentication, plus the internet, is enough for the time being.

As for whether it's fake?

Anyway, fake IDs are rampant in the US, just don't be stupid enough to show them off in front of the police.

As he spoke, Li Ping took out three Franklin bills and handed them to Camilla: "Thank you for the extra five dollars, beautiful lady."

One driver's license per person, and currently only one SIM card is needed.

"Thank you, kind boy."

Camilla was very kind and took a picture of each of the two brothers in front of a blue tent.

After simple processing and uploading to the website, a driver's license that looks incredibly realistic is quickly generated, except that it is only an electronic version and there is no physical copy.

If it's a physical product, then another sum of money is needed.

"I won't get the SIM card until tomorrow, but I'll bring it back for you then."

Camilla turned on her hotspot, sent Li Ping the two brothers' fake driver's licenses, and then contacted the telecommunications company.

"That was so fast, thank you so much!"

Li Ping discovered that Camilla was very skilled at things online, and he could learn more from her in this area.

"That's all I can teach you... well, the little tricks of the gray area."

Camilla's excitement faded, replaced by a hint of helpless sincerity. "The one who can truly help you solve your big problems is Roland."

"Roland?"

Upon hearing the name again, Li Ping couldn't help but ask, "What kind of person is she? You all seem to...respect her?"

"Is he exceptionally tall and strong, the kind who could kill a bull with one punch?"

Li Fan understood the key words this time and interjected, gesturing with his famous fist.

"puff--"

Camilla laughed at Li Fan's imagination. "No, no, buddy, it's not like that."

Her smile faded, and a rare seriousness appeared in her eyes. "We respect her because of her profession—she is a lawyer."

lawyer.

The word fell into the air, seemingly silencing the clamor under the bridge for a moment.

In the United States, the power, status, and complexity represented by the legal profession are deeply ingrained in society.

"lawyer?"

Li Ping was genuinely surprised. "How did a lawyer end up... stranded here?"

"They're all homeless now, what's the use of lawyers?" Li Fan's question was more direct.

"One at a time."

Camilla held up a finger. "First question, Ping, why is Roland here? Her story... is more hardcore than most men's."

"When she gets back, you can ask her yourself. I guarantee it'll be enough for all of us to mooch another drink from her."

A mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"Second question, Fan,"

She turned to Li Fan, her tone becoming serious and earnest, "Why should we respect a lawyer even if we're homeless? Here's a piece of advice that's worth a fortune on the street."

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice to ensure every word was clearly audible:

"On the street, a good fighter can win for a night, a good thief can win for a day, but a person who understands the law can ensure you don't lose for a lifetime."

"Especially the two of you, people without status."

Her gaze swept over the two brothers. "In America, you can do a lot of unconventional things, but the worst thing is a sudden inspection."

A knowledgeable lawyer can pull you out of a pit when you're about to fall in, or at least tell you how to fall less badly.

She leaned back in her chair and gave a vivid example.

Last week, the arrogant leader of the Grayhead Gang in Fifth Street missed a court hearing because he ignored a parking ticket. The judge ruled that he was in contempt of court and put him in jail.

The leader of the 8th Street Shield gang, with whom we have a good relationship, always comes to ask Roland about every ticket or court notice he receives.

And the result? Their gang became more and more stable.

She looked at Li Ping, who seemed to be deep in thought, and Li Fan, who still seemed somewhat bewildered, and concluded.

"You need to figure out the rules here as soon as possible, otherwise, if a homeless person or an undocumented person is arrested, it might not be a matter of just being detained for a few days."

For example, today I heard that there was a reckless young man in the poor neighborhood who actually called an ambulance because he had a fever.

I can't even imagine how huge the bill would be.

She shook her head, her voice tinged with lingering fear.

"Luckily they jumped out of the car halfway through the journey. Hopefully, the records on the car weren't too clear, otherwise, the bill will eventually be sent to any place they might have registered as a visitor."

"Oh, there will be a bill for jumping out of the car?" Li Ping was stunned.

"certainly!"

"If he plans to rot on the streets for the rest of his life, then it doesn't matter."

But as long as he ever wants any chance to reintegrate into society, the bills will haunt him like a ghost, destroying all his credit and ensuring he can never recover.

Li Ping and Li Fan exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

Even jumping out of the car couldn't completely shake off that white ghost?