America: Starting from collecting corpses, leveling up to godhood

3 a.m., Los Angeles.

The sound of raindrops hitting the metal sheet woke Chen Ming up.

He instinctively tried to stretch, but his leg ended up landing on the car door—this was his current home, a gray 08 Toyota Corolla.

I reached out to touch the phone on the passenger seat, and the screen stung my eyes.

Balance: $12.40.

This amount of money can only buy two gallons of gasoline... or a few Burger King discounted burgers.

Keep going, he'll be hungry.

When we eat, the car's heater can't be turned on.

Although temperatures in California begin to rise in March, the late nights can still be freezing.

An unread email was displayed in the notification bar. The sender was Chen Ming's student loan service provider—he knew the content without even opening it.

The six-month grace period has expired, and if he fails to pay the minimum payment soon, his credit score will plummet.

This is a really awful joke.

Americans often think that the University of Tokyo has a credit score system because in the US, without a credit score, you can't even get a decent phone number, let alone rent an apartment...

"Go to hell."

Chen Ming cursed, his voice hoarse.

Just a few days ago, he was a college student with decent grades, when an accident brought him to this Chinese-American man with the same name.

The family that came from was middle class. Although they weren't very wealthy, they lived in a detached house with a garden and lived a very comfortable life.

Until a multi-vehicle collision destroyed everything.

Chen Ming's parents died on the spot. The perpetrator was a confused Latino gangster who was driving without a license, had no assets, and had stolen the car. He was a worthless man.

Even more devastatingly, in an effort to save on insurance premiums, the father only purchased the minimum coverage liability insurance.

Not only did he receive no compensation, but the various loans his father had taken out to support his education and maintain a respectable middle-class lifestyle also collapsed.

The house was taken away, and the furniture was auctioned off.

All Chen Ming had left was this old Corolla and a mountain of unpaid federal student loans—the kind that even a certain black president couldn't pay off when he became a congressman.

He has tried everything these days.

Looking for day-wage casual work, not to mention the wages were far from enough, the intense gazes of the Mexican foremen made Chen Ming's heart tremble.

Looking for a formal job... even McDonald's requires you to fill in your current address on the application form.

Without a good, permanent address, you won't pass a background check, but good neighborhoods require proof of employment...

No address means no job, no job means no address; being single-minded leads to being stuck at both ends.

It was a perfect vicious cycle, and the tuition bills and loans from USC were just the first kick that got him into it.

Chen Ming had done some mental calculations.

With five months to go before the fall semester starts, he would need at least $50,000 to pay late fees and tuition to return to school, not including loan interest.

This 50,000 yuan is the toll for climbing back to the surface world.

If he gathers all the necessary documents, he'll still be a promising medical student; if he doesn't, he'll be stuck in the mud, never able to turn his life around...

"Knock knock".

The knocking made the car windows rattle.

Chen Ming looked outside and saw a Walmart security guard wearing a bulletproof vest.

"Drive away, no overnight stays allowed here!"

Chen Ming had no choice but to comply – his car insurance had already been lapsed, and if the dispute attracted the police, the car would be towed away on the spot.

At that time, he would really have to sleep in the mud and water.

Chen Ming drove aimlessly onto the street, then slid the car into a dark alley two blocks away and turned it off.

The surroundings reeked of the sour smell of garbage cans, but at least there was no light from flashlights.

"Is that all?"

Chen Ming leaned back in his chair, looking at the rain streaks on the windshield, wanting to laugh but unable to manage a smile.

Until he saw words begin to appear in front of him.

[Today's tasks have been refreshed]

[1. Behind the trash can at the end of the alley, there's a blue canvas bag. It was thrown away by the delivery driver in a panic ten minutes ago when he was robbed. Inside are two cheese and beef pizzas. Find them. (Low risk, no completion bonus)]

2. Two blocks away, at a self-service car wash, a Honda Civic is being washed. The owner is a careless drug dealer who left a roll of cash, totaling $120, under the floor mat. Find it. (Medium risk, attribute points +1 upon completion)

[3. There's a black Dodge charger under an overpass one kilometer away. A USC medical school professor is locked inside. Rescue him, and you'll receive a private job and temporary accommodation. (High risk, +3 attribute points, +1 skill point upon completion)]

Chen Ming rubbed his eyes. The pale blue characters were still floating in mid-air and moved with his gaze.

As a Chinese American, Chen Ming, who comes from a well-educated family, has never used any illegal drugs since childhood.

Is this for real?

Chen Ming pushed open the car door and walked to the end of the alley. After scanning several trash cans, he actually saw a splash of blue.

Unzip it, and two boxes of Pizza Hut pizzas lie quietly inside, still slightly warm.

it is true……

This system that appeared out of nowhere is real!

Chen Ming leaned against the wall and devoured a whole pizza in a few bites. As his blood sugar returned to normal, his brain began to work at high speed, and he started to think about the value of the remaining two pieces of information.

Go two blocks away to find $120?

Chen Ming immediately abandoned this option.

This amount of money is enough to fill up his gas tank and survive for a few more days, but it won't get him out of the current cycle. He also has no idea what the attributes and skill points are for.

The third point is the key.

A professorship at the USC School of Medicine, a private job, temporary accommodation... it was as if the options were tailor-made for him, each hitting the nail on the head.

"Anyway, there can't be a worse ending."

Chen Ming wiped the rain off his face, returned to the car, opened the trunk, and took out a tire wrench.

It was cold and rough, but it provided a sense of confidence.

Start the engine and shift into gear.

The one-kilometer journey was short. Chen Ming turned off the headlights and used the momentum to slide the car under the overpass.

Fifty meters ahead, a muscular black Dodge Charger was parked next to the bridge pier.

As the intelligence indicated, the interior lights were off, and the front seats were empty.

Chen Ming gripped the wrench tightly, crouched down, and crept along the bridge pier.

Through the car window, he could vaguely see a blond white man in his fifties curled up in the back seat, his mouth taped shut, seemingly unconscious.

In the dim light of the streetlights, Chen Ming could make out the face inside—Robert Evans.

Chen Ming, a notorious "failing grade king" at the USC School of Medicine, took his Clinical Anatomy course during his sophomore year. Because of his well-written report, the old man even praised him in a large lecture...

There was a girl squeezed next to Evans.

Although her face was covered in grime, her Central Asian mixed-race features were quite attractive, and the T-shirt she was wearing, which was clearly a size too small, was stretched very tightly.

She didn't faint; in fact, she even winked when she saw Chen Ming.

Chen Ming hesitated for a second, but still took off his coat, wrapped it around the wrench, and swung his arm around it.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the car window shattered.

Chen Ming leaned out of the car and deftly used a knife to cut the straps off the girl's body and tear off the tape.

"call--"

"Oh my god... I wasn't this bored when I was wading across the sea in a shipping container."

The girl rubbed her swollen wrist, her gaze passing over the figures moving around the convenience store entrance before fixing on Chen Ming.

"Handsome, I wouldn't mind having a few drinks with you sometime... but those two Mexicans will be back soon, and they both have guns."

"If you don't want to use a wrench on a Glock, you'd better drive now."