American homeless people, surviving in the city

Although the $150 reward for completing the task temporarily relieved Lynch of his worries about building materials for his shelter.

But for Lynch, who had just become a homeless person and had no experience, finding a place to buy a tent at a reasonable price and where to set it up were both significant challenges.

Even though he had seen videos of lecturers or donuts before, he would just laugh them off and never really learned anything about how homeless people survive.

Just as he was pondering, the chilly November winds of Seattle swept past him once again, taking away the little warmth he had left in his body.

His already emaciated stomach started to cramp again.

Lin Qi immediately understood that now was not the time to slowly study how to build a shelter.

If he doesn't find something to fill his stomach soon, he might really starve to death on the roadside!

So, a few minutes later,

The old black man who had once given Lynch a few pointers looked on with some confusion as the young man who had just left, who should have been enduring hunger as he made his way to the relief food distribution point two blocks away, returned so quickly with two steaming hot hamburgers.

Seeing Lin Qi plop down next to him again, the old black man spoke calmly, his tone revealing an undisguised curiosity:

"This burger smells amazing, like it's freshly baked... Is someone handing out food nearby?"

Lynch didn't say anything, but simply picked up a hamburger and began to wolf it down.

God knows how long it had been since the body he transmigrated into had a proper meal.

When Lynch smelled the rich aroma of the hamburger patty, his first reaction was to feel nauseous.

But then, a sharp, almost painful hunger suddenly erupted from his stomach. Lin Qi had no time to answer the old black man's question. Starving and with his eyes practically glowing green, all he could think about was the hamburger in his hand.

With one bite, the rich aroma of meat, mixed with the fragrance of pickles, cheese, and onions, spread throughout his mouth.

Really fragrant!

Lin Qi quickly stuffed the entire hamburger into his stomach in a few bites, choking and coughing several times, even bringing tears to his eyes.

But the feeling of his empty stomach being filled again after so long filled him with immense happiness and satisfaction.

The old black man watched from the side, his Adam's apple bobbing as he secretly swallowed, but he just watched without trying to snatch the other hamburger Lynch brought or saying anything more.

He didn't speak again until he watched Lin Qi swallow the hamburger whole:

"So, you encountered someone distributing food nearby?"

"Huh? No, I bought them at a nearby restaurant with the little money I had left. They cost ten dollars each."

Only then did Lin Qi have time to answer him.

As a seasoned wilderness survival enthusiast, Lynch knew that a person who was extremely hungry should never eat too much food in a short period of time.

Therefore, he mustered all his strength to suppress his craving for another hamburger and placed it in front of the old black man:

"Here, have this."

The old black man glanced at him, but didn't stand on ceremony. He grabbed the hamburger and swallowed it whole in a few bites.

After eating and drinking his fill, and wiping his greasy mouth, he finally looked at Lin Qi:

"I didn't expect you to still have spare money? Then why did you come to me for medicine just now?"

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

The way you're saying that makes it sound like I'm trying to bribe a suicide squad with this hamburger...

Lin Qi was internally complaining as he spoke:

"It's nothing major, I just wanted to ask where I can buy suitable winter supplies, like tents, warm clothes, and where's a good place to pitch a tent..."

The old Black man let out a laugh that sounded like he had phlegm stuck in his throat: "I told you you're a Green Horn, you don't even know these things."

Lynch didn't quite understand what "green horn" meant, but he guessed it was some kind of slang among homeless people, describing someone like him who had just ended up on the streets.

The old black man laughed, but still explained it to him carefully:

"Even if you have the money to buy winter gear, you certainly wouldn't buy brand-name items or new clothes, right? It's only because you're a newbie who hasn't realized you've fallen out of civilized society, hasn't realized how cruel the streets are, that your first thought isn't to steal or rob, but to spend money to buy..."

"If you really want to buy, I know a good place. Go four blocks east, into the alley behind the Sorrento Hotel, there's a semi-charitable secondhand clothing store. They're fairly cheap there, you can find decent clothes and tents."

"As for where to pitch the tent..."

"If you just want a place to avoid freezing to death while you're applying the enhancement agent, then just set up your tent by the roadside. Nobody will bother you for a while. But if you leave it there, the police will definitely drive you away."

"If you're looking for a place to live long-term..."

As the old Black man was speaking, he suddenly couldn't help but cough. But he quickly caught his breath and continued, "Keep going east. There's a small green park under the overpass, where a lot of people like us gather."

"But let me make this clear first: whether it's on the roadside or in a park, you're bound to be chased away by the police; it's just a matter of how long it takes."

"I see."

The intelligence, obtained in exchange for a hamburger, was extremely useful. Lynch thanked the black man and immediately got to work.

Braving the cold wind, he walked stiffly through four blocks and finally found the semi-charitable secondhand store the old black man had mentioned in the alley.

You cannot purchase any items in the store, but the prices are indeed much cheaper than in ordinary stores.

A down jacket that appears to be completely airtight sells for only $15, and a single tent sells for only $7.50!

In America, where even a bottle of Coke costs $3 and a hamburger costs $5, Lynch can only say that this price is well worth it!

He decisively bought a short down jacket that was at least not leaky or torn, long pants, and sneakers, and also bought a single tent, spending a total of only $30.

The shop owner was a white woman in her fifties with a very kind face.

Seeing that Lin Qi seemed to have just been homeless, the woman gave him an extra sleeping bag and wished him well.

"Live well, young man! God bless you..."

Although Lynch wasn't particularly fond of the blessing, he was genuinely grateful for the white woman's kindness.

Although there aren't many, there are still good people in this society...

After thanking the white woman, Lynch, carrying his newly purchased equipment, arrived at the green garden under the overpass that the old black man had mentioned.

The garden is not very large; it is really just a narrow green belt under the overpass.

As a homeless encampment, this place naturally doesn't have any particularly beautiful scenery.

When Lynch arrived at the small garden with all his belongings, he found it in complete disarray.

The lawn had long been trampled bare, revealing the hard, dry earth; garbage was scattered everywhere, and sewage flowed around several crooked tents.

The entire garden was shrouded in a strange stench, mixed with the exhaust fumes from the overhead overpass. In any case, it was hardly a pleasant place.

The only reason to live here is perhaps because it's far from the crowds and relatively less likely to be evicted by the police.

...Perhaps being close to the Sottoli Hotel is an advantage? The area around Third Avenue is mostly CBD and high-rise buildings, and many places simply do not allow homeless people to enter; while the area where the Sottoli Hotel is located is basically a working-class neighborhood, with many convenience stores, small restaurants and family shops mixed in, which is actually more friendly to homeless people.

Lin Qi thought to himself, trying to find a bittersweet humor in his thoughts.

As he pondered, he found a secluded spot in the small park, as far away from other homeless tents as possible, and began to set up his own single tent.

Lay out the groundsheet, unfold the tent, and secure the tent pegs...

With his ample knowledge of wilderness survival, Lynch successfully completed all the steps of setting up the tent.

As the final step was completed, the tent frame supported the canopy as it stood upright, and the system in my mind immediately popped up a notification:

[Congratulations player, you have successfully completed the quest: Obtain Shelter!]

[Mission complete. Please choose one of the following rewards to receive...]

Alright! Let me see what reward this task will give me...

Just as Lin Qi was excitedly rubbing his hands together, waiting for the system to pop up the reward options, he suddenly heard a series of chaotic footsteps approaching from not far away.

It sounds like... someone is running frantically in his direction!

Who would be running around in a place where only homeless people live? Could it be a neighbor who happens to be coming back?

No, his footsteps sound so hurried, it doesn't sound like he's going home normally. Could he be being chased by gang members?

In any case, the sound of such hurried running, whenever it occurs outside of sports meets, often signifies danger and abnormality.

Lin Qi was not yet used to his identity as a homeless man, and he became a little nervous when he heard the footsteps.

But before he could figure out what had happened, the footsteps stopped abruptly with a dull thud.

What's going on? It sounds like someone has fallen.

Lynch hid behind a clump of bushes next to the tent, holding his breath and straining his ears, listening intently while hoping the runners would disappear into the distance as soon as possible.

But as he listened, Lin Qi heard no further sound after the sound of the fall.

The prolonged silence only made him feel more uneasy.

Just like in an FPS game, being able to hear enemy footsteps means you can pinpoint their location, while not being able to hear footsteps means the enemy is lurking somewhere unknown.

Lin Qi couldn't help but start to let his mind wander.

After thinking it over, he decided to peek out secretly, at least to find out what had happened.

He quietly peeked out from behind the bushes.

It was quite dark under the overpass at dusk, and Lin Qi couldn't see his surroundings clearly.

But he could clearly see that a person was lying face down not far from him!