American homeless people, surviving in the city

Lynch drove very fast on the way back to downtown Seattle.

There are no streetlights along the roads in the suburbs, and the traffic is sparse, so you can only rely on your own headlights to illuminate a small area ahead.

Being in such a dark environment, Lynch was indeed a little afraid that something like a cultist or a killer might suddenly jump out from the roadside, just like in some horror movies.

There was nothing he could do; what he had seen and heard today was far beyond his comprehension.

Fortunately, nothing strange happened along the way as he had imagined.

They sped all the way back to the bright lights of downtown Seattle, where Lin Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But the thought that even the homeowners in the most affluent neighborhoods and those well-dressed corporate executives could become targets of that cult still made him feel uneasy.

...No, I can't be so paranoid. Life goes on. I can just be vigilant if I notice any signs...

Lin Qi forced himself to calm down, and then headed to the American-style barbecue bar called "Old Beauty" according to the address sent by Chen Kelei.

On the one hand, he wanted to share his experience and the evidence he had with Chen Kelei, a real professional police officer, as soon as possible; on the other hand, he was indeed a little hungry.

Soon, he arrived at the "Old Beauty" bar, parked his car, and strode into the bar.

This was Lin Qi's first time visiting such an entertainment venue since his transmigration. As soon as he entered, a mixture of the smells of charcoal-grilled meat, malt beer, and fried food hit him, and the leisurely jazz music in his ears finally made his tense nerves relax a little.

This barbecue pub wasn't crowded, but it felt unusually lively. The warm yellow lighting and cozy interior made it feel very comfortable.

At the bar, several men in overalls were laughing and talking loudly, while a few young people were playing around a pool table deep inside the pub. A television in the corner was on, showing the local Seattle evening news.

Lin Qi spotted Chen Kelei immediately—he was sitting in a booth by the window, with a plate of nearly empty French fries and several empty beer bottles in front of him.

To be honest, Lin Qi had only met this young man once before. At that time, Chen Kelei was full of vigor and spoke with great confidence, leaving him with a very good first impression.

But this time, when he looked over, he saw Chen Kelei hunched over, with a scruffy beard, looking just as unkempt and listless as Lin Qi, who had been wandering the streets for a long time.

Was it just my imagination? Or did something actually happen?

With a slight sense of doubt, Lin Qi walked up to Chen Kelei, tapped the table, and then sat down opposite him.

"Hey, it's been several days."

"Brother Lin, you're here." Chen Kelei looked up, forcing a smile, which quickly faded. "Sit down, sit down, come on, order whatever you like, what would you like to eat? And what would you like to drink?"

"Are you...drunk?"

Lin Qi frowned as he looked at Chen Kelei, whose condition was clearly off, and the empty wine bottles on the table. "Are you alright? Shouldn't you go home and rest early?"

"No, it's nothing, I didn't drink too much." Chen Kelei waved his hand, picked up the bottle opener, and pried open a new bottle of beer. "I was just in a bad mood, so I had a few too many drinks. I can hold my liquor perfectly well; I could drink a whole case of beer without any problem!"

"Come on, let's have a drink first!"

Although he said that, Lynch could clearly hear the guy uttering English.

This man, who was born and raised in America, was so drunk that he could no longer communicate with Lynch solely in Chinese.

Lin Qi sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. But since the other person had already drunk this much, he couldn't make him vomit. Besides, he wasn't in a good mood himself.

So he didn't refuse Chen Kelei's request. He first drank a beer with him on his own, then asked the waiter for the menu. The two of them ordered some grilled beef ribs, French fries and salad, and Chen Kelei added a few more bottles of beer.

After the waiter left, during the lull before the food arrived, Lin Qi quickly leaned over, lowered his voice, and prepared to tell Chen Kelei about his experiences that day, seeking help and advice:

"Kelei, listen to me, you know about that home invasion murder case in the Lakeside District, right? I was there today..."

He hadn't expected that, despite bringing up such a crucial topic, Chen Kelei across from him remained expressionless, showing no interest whatsoever, and simply waved his hand dismissively.

"Hey, Brother Lin, give me some face, let's drink first, eat and drink well, then we can continue talking, okay? I roughly know what you're trying to say, but I'm so confused right now, my heart is pounding, I really can't listen to what you're saying..."

"this..."

Lin Qi was taken aback, but since Chen Kelei had said so, he couldn't force him, so he could only sigh helplessly.

Fortunately, after arriving at this tavern, Lin Qi relaxed a bit.

So, he turned his curiosity and asked:

"What happened to you? You seem so downcast..."

"Sigh... Brother Lin, don't ask, don't ask..."

Chen Kelei abruptly changed the subject: "Let's drink first, okay? Let's drink first!"

"Okay, okay... I'll do as you say, I'll drink first!"

Lin Qi sighed and poured himself another full glass: "Alright, let's toast to these awful days!"

After two glasses of wine, Lin Qi let out a satisfied burp, and Chen Kelei finally opened up completely.

But he seemed to be sticking to his requirement of "we'll talk business after dinner," and instead started going on and on about police station gossip:

"...You know what? Everyone in the department is incredibly annoying these days. That new federal liaison officer, what's his name, Howard? He's always finding fault with our work..."

"oh."

"...Our group leader holds meetings with us every day, but he never says anything of value. It's so annoying. That's bureaucracy. We have to listen to that old man wasting our time, while we still have unfinished work to do and are being pressured by our colleagues who are in charge of our work..."

"That's very realistic."

"...And then there's that new female intern, Emily. She's quite pretty, but as soon as she joined our group, she caught the eye of old Miller, the guy in charge of the files. Every few days, he'd insist she help him organize some 'private files.' One time, I happened to see Emily coming out of the archives after I finished working overtime. Her face was flushed, like she'd just been crying..."

"That's too tragic."

Lin Qi could only sip his wine intermittently, listen to the news on TV to pass the time, and listlessly agree with the others.

Soon, his attention was completely drawn to the television news:

"...The mayor's office announced that Seattle will be hosting dignitaries from multiple countries, and police have been placed on high alert, with citywide police resources primarily focused on security and traffic control..."

"...The Seattle Seahawks narrowly defeated their opponents at home, and the fans celebrated wildly in the rain..."

"...A talent show has been embroiled in scandal, with one contestant being exposed for a history of domestic violence, leading to sponsors withdrawing their funding..."

Listening to the news broadcast on TV, Lin Qi couldn't help but sigh to himself. Seattle on TV was a bustling and prosperous international metropolis, so why was it so different from what he had seen and heard?

Not only was he left homeless on the streets, but even as a cleaner, he would find traces of a cult inside the villa.

Now, even after get off work, I still have to sit here, listening to this poor young policeman, frustrated by his job, pour out his grievances...

Fortunately, the barbecue was finally served not long after.

On the sizzling hot plate, grilled beef ribs steamed and smelled delicious, while the accompanying fries were fried to a golden brown and crispy perfection.

Lin Qi cut off a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. The rich meat juice burst out between his lips and teeth. Although it was a little hot, it still aroused his appetite.

He immediately began to devour the food.

However, Chen Kelei, sitting opposite him, simply picked up his fork, stared at the ribs in his bowl, and hesitated to start eating.

After a long silence, he suddenly spoke, his voice clear and deep:

"Brother Lin, do you know what? Actually, I'm one of the police officers in charge of investigating the home invasion and murder case you mentioned in the lakeside area."

"Eh?"

Lin Qi's eyes widened immediately: "You're actually the police officer in charge of investigating that case?"

"That's perfect. I'm genuinely curious, what's the progress of your police investigation?"

Chen Kelei gave a wry smile:

"This morning, I requested further investigation from the head of the special investigation team for this case, but the head's response was that we were not allowed to continue the investigation!"

"Subsequently, during the meeting this morning, the director personally issued the order... the case in the Lakeside District is officially closed."

"We're not investigating anymore!"