American homeless people, surviving in the city

With the help of the Razor Claws' connections, Lynch got his driver's license faster than he had expected.

Generally speaking, obtaining an FLA provisional driver's license takes at least 30 days, from submitting the application and completing the online course to the written test, medical examination, and road test.

But with just one phone call from lawyer Baldwin, Lynch arrived at the office responsible for driver's license matters, filled out a form, and spent an afternoon undergoing a simple medical examination and road test before receiving his driver's license in the blink of an eye.

As he walked out of the office with his temporary driver's license, the Seattle sun was just beginning to set below the horizon.

Such speed truly made Lin Qi feel somewhat disoriented.

But through this incident, Lynch gained a deeper understanding of the "power" of the Razor Claws.

Even something as basic as a driver's license, which is essentially handled entirely by government departments, could be quickly resolved for Lynch with just one phone call from the Razor Claws' lawyer.

Such influence is nothing short of terrifying.

This Razor Claw Gang... could never be just a simple street gang. The enormous profits generated in street society may very well have been channeled upwards through channels like the Razor Claw Gang, ultimately forming a top-down, multi-layered network of interests.

Of course, all of this is meaningless to Lin Qi now, who is just a homeless man who knows a little bit about martial arts.

He composed himself and walked toward the nearest bus stop, preparing to return to his long-term residence in the small campsite in the greenbelt.

Nothing interesting happened along the way, but after finally no longer having to worry about money, Lynch found himself examining the society in which he had lived for many days with such calmness for the first time.

The bus, though not crowded, was filled with all sorts of people.

A well-dressed office worker was inexplicably in the slowly moving car; a young and attractive student was listening to music with headphones on; and a neatly dressed young black man, despite his afro, was clearly different from the thugs on the street.

At that moment, Lynch felt the atmosphere of a "normal society" and for the first time felt that he was truly beginning to live on this land.

Although it's unclear how dangerous the boxing match will be two days from now, things are slowly getting better, at least for now.

The biggest remaining problem is the personal safety issue caused by being homeless.

Lin Qi couldn't help but start to calculate:

Right now, even without counting the antique teacup worth over a thousand dollars, I have a substantial sum of over 1500 dollars. That's enough to live on for quite some time at Tokyo University.

Is it possible to stop being homeless with this money?

The thought of this possibility filled Lin Qi with excitement. But when he took out his phone and checked the local prices in Seattle, reality cooled his enthusiasm once again.

In expensive cities like Seattle, even the cheapest decent housing, such as a studio or a shared apartment, often costs more than $1500 a month in rent.

Including the security deposit and the rent paid in advance, Lynch would need to save at least $4000 to rent even the most basic little house and have some money left over for living expenses.

Moreover, these are the most ideal conditions.

Because they lack legal status, many landlords refuse to rent to homeless people like Lynch.

Therefore, if Lynch wants to rent a house, he might either be extorted by the landlord for a higher rent and deposit, or he might only be able to rent the most dilapidated houses, which might be no different from living in a tent on the street.

I still need to keep saving money...

Lin Qi smiled bitterly to himself and silently dismissed the idea.

Several tens of minutes later, the bus slowly came to a stop after an announcement.

Lin Qi jumped off the bus. Compared to the stuffy air inside the bus, which was filled with the smells of gasoline and rubber, the air outside was indeed fresh and sweet.

It even has a milky smell...

No, that smell means someone nearby is selling marijuana!

Lin Qi coughed a few times and quickly ran away from the bus stop.

Although Third Avenue gave him a hard time as soon as he returned, Lynch still felt more relaxed here than at the oppressive Razor Gang headquarters.

I'm back, amidst the filthy streets and the unconscious bastards lining them!

In a good mood, Lin Qi walked towards the campsite in the green belt.

But before he had taken more than a few steps, in the hazy light of dusk, Lin Qi noticed a small, thin figure looking around anxiously in the distance.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Raul!

The moment Lynch saw it clearly, Raul also noticed Lynch and quickly ran over.

"Off work today too?" Lin Qi greeted him with a smile.

Unexpectedly, Raul rushed to Lynch's side, his face full of anxiety:

"Boss! You've finally arrived!"

"Oh no! Oh no!"

Why did you come running over like one of those little demons from Journey to the West who rushes into a cave to deliver a message...?

Lin Qi quickly supported him: "Don't panic, catch your breath, what happened?"

After seeing Lynch, Raul seemed to calm down a bit. He tried to catch his breath and spoke intermittently:

"After I got off work... as soon as I returned to camp, I found that Tang En seemed to be on the verge of death!"

"He was coughing violently, constantly spitting out pinkish-red bubbles of blood, and gasping for breath, but he hadn't woken up from his coma!"

Gleeson and Erwin were pacing anxiously, not knowing what to do.

"A regular hospital is definitely out of the question. I sent them to the nearest shady clinic, but I don't know if he can hold on... Boss, you should go check on him too!"

Lin Qi was speechless.

Although he had only met the trio of programmers a few times, and had never even met Tang En, they had developed some acquaintance after last night's dinner.

Since our neighbor is in trouble, we should at least go and see what's going on; we might be able to lend a hand.

On the contrary, Raul's attitude puzzled Lynch:

"The dead man you dragged out of the tent last time... what was his name again? Why were you completely unfazed when you saw him dead last time, but you're so anxious now that Tang En is in trouble?"

Raul scratched his head:

"You mean old Tom who died in the tent... I was actually a little sad at the time, but I didn't show it."

"In my opinion, when someone dies, they're gone; there's no need to dwell on it too much. But Tang En is still alive!"

"Since he's my friend, I must do everything in my power to pull him back from the brink of death!"

Lynch nodded: "I understand."

Led by Raul, the two quickly navigated the streets and alleys of Seattle, turning left and right, and soon arrived at a small alley.

This appears to be the back alley of a restaurant; the walls of the alley are blackened by cooking fumes, and the air is filled with the aroma of grilled meat and cheese.

Lin Qi spotted the dilapidated Santana belonging to the three programmers parked at the alley entrance.

"Looks like they've arrived!" Raul shouted. "Let's hurry inside!"