American homeless people, surviving in the city

"Huh? Are you serious?"

Lynch really couldn't tell if Kayla was being sincere or just joking.

Not just that sentence, but every single one of her words surprised him.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Officer Kayla frowned, feigning anger.

"I don't understand, sister..." Lin Qi smiled bitterly to himself.

Fortunately, although Officer Kayla seemed a bit too unrestrained, her tone gradually became more serious when the conversation turned to work-related matters.

"Putting your appearance aside, I'm serious about hiring you just because you're dressed neatly."

She analyzed each point one by one: "First of all, this shows that you still have the willingness to keep yourself clean, which is something that many homeless people on the street cannot do."

"Many of them have been on the streets for too long, have given up on themselves, and have lost the motivation to reintegrate into society, so they don't care much about their appearance."

"People like that live day by day and generally don't take their work seriously."

"Secondly, you also have the ability to keep yourself clean."

"This means you at least have some connections or savings, and didn't, like many others, invest all your money in enhancement products..."

"Therefore, this means that your brain has not been damaged by the enhancer and you still have the ability to complete the task."

Officer Kayla rested her chin on her hands, a half-smile on her face: "Am I wrong about what I've said?"

"Hmm...you're absolutely right."

Lynch's impression of Kayla subtly changed for a moment; this older sister seemed quite reliable after all.

But then, it seemed he had guessed something:

"Wait, did you really deduce all this from my appearance, or did you already inquire about me from Officer Chen Kelei?"

For a fleeting moment, Officer Kayla's face showed an expression that almost made her smile.

But that expression vanished in an instant, so quickly that Lin Qi wondered if he had just hallucinated.

Kayla cleared her throat twice. "Alright, enough chit-chat, newbie. Now that you've passed the interview, let me tell you about the job details."

Lin Qi quickly took out his phone and opened the notes app.

"First of all, there are some things I need to tell you about this job in advance."

Kay stretched out a long, thin finger: "If you don't have relevant experience, this job might not be right for you. Because of the long hours spent at crime scenes, you're likely to witness many disturbing situations, which could lead to mental health issues or workplace injuries—"

"Let me make this clear first: because you don't have legal status, the police station won't reimburse your medical expenses, understand?"

Lynch nodded; this was already within his expectations. In America, people without legal status are inherently considered inferior when it comes to work.

Officer Kayla was already quite patient by clearly explaining this to Lynch.

Seeing Lynch nod, Kayla continued, "Secondly, before you came, we outsourced crime scene cleanup to specialized companies."

"But our police station boss always felt that the outsourcing company's fees were too high and wanted to save some money, so he assigned me this task..."

"In short, what I mean is, this position is newly created, and I can't guarantee how long you'll be able to do it. If the director changes his mind someday, I might not contact you anymore. Can you accept that?"

Lin Qi was somewhat displeased with this, but he still nodded. After all, he wasn't exactly rolling in money, so making some money was always a good thing.

Even if this job is unstable, it's still better than picking up trash or begging on the street.

"Good that you can accept it. Finally, you are not allowed to steal any property from the crime scene. If you are discovered, we will arrest you immediately, understand?"

Officer Kayla emphasized the words "discovered" rather than "don't steal".

Lin Qi understood immediately: "Got it!"

"Very good, then let's move on to questions about the job responsibilities."

Kayla tapped her fingertips on the table as she spoke quickly:

"I'll provide the cleaning supplies, so don't worry about that, but that's not the point. The point is, you'll almost certainly be involved in some cases because of this, and those cases are confidential. Therefore, whatever you see, you're not allowed to tell any outsiders, understand?"

"Okay, I understand." Lin Qi had already found out that, due to the unique nature of their work, crime scene cleaners are one of the few professions that, despite doing physical labor, frequently come into contact with various hidden aspects of society.

Kayla nodded in satisfaction: "That's the most crucial point, and you've done your best."

"Apart from that, they're all minor issues. Do you have a driver's license?"

"A driver's license? I don't have one," Lynch said honestly. "But I can drive."

"What do you mean 'I don't have it on hand'?" Kayla pressed impatiently. "Is your driver's license in the tent? Or did your ex-girlfriend take it?"

"Uh, I don't have an ex-girlfriend either." Lin Qi hesitated for a moment, but still took out the story he had prepared: "I was beaten up a few days ago, lost my past memories, and all my belongings were stolen."

"Therefore, although I remember that I can drive, I don't remember whether I passed the driving test or not, and I don't know if my driver's license was among the things they stole."

"ha?!"

Now it was Kayla's turn to be shocked: "Wait? What did you say?"

Knowing that his experience was indeed too bizarre, Lynch calmly recounted his past once again.

After hearing this, Kayla still had an incredulous expression, but she eventually calmed down a bit.

She reached out, grabbed Lin Qi's arm, and placed it on the table, beginning to check for needle marks: "You're really not overdosing on enhancement drugs, are you? Don't be spouting nonsense."

Lin Qi gave a wry smile: "What I said is indeed true. Besides, you can verify it with Officer Chen Kelei, right?"

"Hiss, that's true. I remember now, when Chen introduced your background to me, he was quite vague. I just didn't quite catch it at the time..."

The complex background caused Kayla's mind to momentarily freeze. She paused for a few seconds, then shook her head violently, giving up on thinking.

"Oh well, never mind! Since we've already decided to hire you, and with Officer Chen's endorsement, I'm too lazy to guess about your past anymore."

"Although not having a driver's license might cause some trouble for now, you can start by doing small jobs in the city. I'll pack up the cleaning supplies for you when I get back; you can just take them to your work destination."

"And the good news is that in Washington state, people like you who are undocumented can also take the FLA test for a special driver's license. Although it cannot be used to prove identity, it can at least be used to legally drive on the road."

"If you want to get more work, I suggest you take the exam as soon as possible."

Kayla's suggestion was quite practical. In America, due to its vast land area, sparse population, and scattered urban areas, coupled with extremely underdeveloped public transportation, it is indeed difficult to get around without a car.

Lynch genuinely didn't know that he, without legal status, could take a driving test in Seattle.

But upon hearing Kayla's suggestion, he could only internally scoff.

Is it my driver's license that I'm missing?

What I lack is a car!

But to his surprise, Kayla, as if guessing his thoughts, added quietly:

"Once you get your driver's license, I'll provide you with an official vehicle in the name of the police station. What do you think?"