American homeless people, surviving in the city

Since Officer Kayla was unwilling to discuss the missing persons case any further, Lynch couldn't force her to continue the conversation, so he could only helplessly accept the keys and sticky notes she offered.

The sticky note still contained some basic information about the case, which Lin Qi put into his pocket.

Then, while examining the exquisitely crafted key in his hand, he casually asked, "It's 2025, and rich people are still using physical keys like this?"

Kayla replied calmly, "Because the fingerprint lock was damaged during the burglary and murder, this is the key to the new door that was temporarily installed."

Lynch: "...I'm sorry, I forgot that this family has already suffered a great loss."

After putting away the room key, Kayla belatedly remembered something and took out a laminated card from her breast pocket:

"Oh right, I almost forgot to give you this. This is our Seattle Police Department's official identification. Take this with you and put it under your windshield."

"Otherwise, once you get to an upscale area like the Lakeside District, your car... uh, will most likely be stopped on the spot by security personnel."

Lynch suspected that Kayla almost used some kind of insulting word to describe the car, but he had no proof, so he silently accepted the laminated card and left the police station building as Kayla watched him go.

Back in the parking lot, I got into the car and gripped the steering wheel.

The excitement that had just been interrupted gradually reawakened in Lin Qi's heart.

Compared to the flimsy tent that made him feel so insecure, Lynch felt for the first time that he had a place of his own again.

Just being in this small, dusty, and leather-smelling space made him feel incredibly at ease, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

That's great...

At this moment, he finally understood why so many homeless people in America chose to live in their cars; he also understood better what kind of determination Gleason and Irwin had made to sell their car in order to save Ton.

After enjoying the peaceful atmosphere in the car for a while, Lin Qi regained his spirits.

According to Officer Kayla, this mission is expected to be quite demanding. Therefore, it's important to get there early today so that we can plan the workload for the next few days and prepare for tomorrow night's boxing match.

So, after setting the route on the navigation software, Lynch started the car and drove towards the location of the mission.

The location of this mission, the site of the incident, is the Lakeside District, situated on the shores of Lake Washington in the eastern suburbs of Seattle, and is one of Seattle's most well-known affluent neighborhoods.

Coincidentally, the site that Lin Qi was in charge of cleaning up last time was located in an apartment building called "Lakeside Residence," a name that was trying to capitalize on the popularity of the Lakeside area.

Families living in the Lakeside area are all extremely wealthy and influential. If we were to describe the level of luxury in this area in terms of numbers, the median home price here would be around $450 million in 2025.

Even a prominent American billionaire, who hasn't yet appeared in Epstein's files, currently lives in this community.

The little over a thousand dollars that Lynch had earned on the streets these past few days through sheer luck, skill, and hard work was not even enough to pay his property fees here.

Along the way, Lin Qi looked around at his surroundings.

In late autumn and early winter, the outskirts of Seattle, while not exactly desolate, still present a bleak scene amidst the vast forests and wilderness.

The suburban roads were full of potholes, and the asphalt surface was stained dark black by the rain, causing the wheels to often accidentally run into puddles of all sizes; the maple trees by the roadside had already lost their leaves, and the withered branches were mixed among the dark green evergreen conifers, creating a mottled scene.

But as Lynch approached the Lakeside area, he turned a corner, and the scene before him suddenly changed.

The desolate wilderness scene suddenly disappeared, replaced by lush green roadside trees. Clearly, these roadside trees were of a completely different species from the trees seen in the wild, and they were often maintained to keep them so green and neat.

After passing through this tree-lined path, the view in front of the car suddenly opened up.

The lakeside area unfolded before Lynch's eyes like a tranquil and peaceful painting. Luxury lakeside mansions were hidden among lush evergreen trees and meticulously manicured gardens, with white fences and private docks dotting the landscape. Even the asphalt roads were clean and spotless.

If you came here on a sunny day, the view would be even more beautiful than it is now, but unfortunately, Seattle rarely sees sunshine in autumn and winter.

Shortly after passing through the tree-lined path, an iron gate blocked Lin Qi's way.

A young white man in a security guard uniform stood smartly at the roadside post. When he saw Lynch drive up, he immediately gestured for Lynch to stop, and then strode towards him.

"Please stop the car, sir, please stop the car!"

Lin Qi obediently stopped the car and rolled down the window. Driving such a beat-up car, he felt it would be strange if he wasn't stopped, and he was prepared to explain.

Unexpectedly, the security guard simply leaned closer to the car, squinted, and carefully peered through Lin Qi's dusty windshield into the interior. He quickly recognized the laminated card Lin Qi had placed under the windshield:

"Are you from the Seattle Police Department? I've already received the information. Please come in, I'll open the door for you right away!"

The security guard's easygoing nature surprised Lin Qi: "You can confirm I'm from the police station just from this card? Aren't you afraid this card is a fake, given how old and beat-up my car is?"

Unexpectedly, the security guard simply smiled politely and said, "Don't worry, although it's just a card, it actually has a special anti-counterfeiting label from the Seattle Police Department, which I can recognize."

"I trust my eyes; I'm a professional!"

"So confident?" Lin Qi's eyes widened.

"Moreover, it is precisely because you drive a car like this that I am even more certain that you are from the police department."

"Otherwise, besides the police station, where else in all of Seattle could you find such a dilapidated car?"

"This..." Lin Qi was momentarily at a loss for words to refute.

However, seeing that the security guard was humorous and talkative, he took the opportunity to chat with him: "Thanks to professional security personnel like you, the Lakeside area can maintain its peace and tranquility."

"However, I'm actually a professional cleaner sent by the police to handle crime scenes. I'm here to deal with a horrific home invasion and murder case that happened a few days ago. You know which case I'm talking about, right?"

"I know." Hearing Lin Qi bring up the topic, the security guard's expression darkened. "Has the police caught the murderer yet?"

"No, so I wanted to ask you what your thoughts are on this case?" Lin Qi asked curiously.

"Regarding this case, all I can say is that during my shift, I have never seen any strange people drive through this gate."

Seeing that Lin Qi had brought up business, the security guard's expression grew even colder: "I have nothing to say except that."

With that, he pressed a button on the remote control in his hand, opening the iron gate blocking the middle of the road: "Alright, you can go in now. I wish you success in your work."

Seeing that the other party was unwilling to talk more, Lin Qi shrugged and said nothing more. He stepped on the gas and drove into Seattle's most luxurious affluent neighborhood.