America: Starting from collecting corpses, leveling up to godhood

When I got back to the car, Sofia was putting her feet up on the center console and scrolling through Weibo out of boredom.

Seeing Chen Ming open the car door, she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"So fast? I just heard some noise on your end..."

"It was just a friendly cultural exchange."

Chen Ming tossed the two folding knives he had picked up into the glove compartment and started the car.

"I helped three Black friends correct their stereotypes about Asians."

"It's clear you taught them a lesson they really knew."

Sofia picked up one of the knives and flicked the blade away.

"Two dollars a bunch... these poor bastards."

"So, what was your total income today? It must be quite considerable..."

"Four thousand two hundred and fifty dollars."

Chen Ming counted out several bills, about 1,200 dollars, and handed them to the passenger.

"This is yours."

"You're really generous..."

Sofia took the money, flipped it over a couple of times, and then stuffed it back into Chen Ming's seat.

"Put it away, newbie. Although I love money, I also have principles. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be tied up under a bridge with Evans, feeding mosquitoes..."

"My life is worth more than 1,200 yuan."

"One thing at a time," Chen Ming insisted.

"Without you leading the way, I wouldn't be able to find my way."

"Come on, I didn't do anything today except get choked by the fumes in the car..."

Sophia rolled her eyes and interrupted Chen Ming.

"If you really feel bad about it, then treat me to a decent dinner."

"make a deal."

Seeing this, Chen Ming stopped being coy and promptly put the money back in his pocket.

"What would you like to eat? If you don't mind, I can show off my cooking skills."

"Wow, you can actually cook?"

Sofia raised an eyebrow, her gaze as if she were looking at some rare animal.

"I thought medical school graduates like you only knew how to brew coffee in beakers... Where are you planning to do it, in my apartment?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Haha, looks like you didn't look closely at the kitchen."

Sofia let out a sneer.

"My kitchen has no pots or pans, only a microwave and a coffee pot that hasn't been washed in about three years..."

"Are you planning to microwave me a big meal? Or are you going to make soup in the bathtub?"

"..."

Chen Ming then remembered the apartment he had only glimpsed last night.

For a single girl like Sofia who just drifts through life, the kitchen is usually just a decoration used to pile up takeout boxes.

"Okay, you choose one."

"Really……"

Sofia's lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"How about Providence on Melrose Avenue? I read online that their chef's tasting menu this season is fantastic, and with the accompanying wines, it should only cost a little over a thousand dollars for two people including tip..."

"No problem, let's navigate." Chen Ming answered crisply.

This time it was Sofia's turn to be stunned.

"Are you serious?"

"certainly."

Chen Ming smiled and shifted into Drive.

"If you don't mind, I might suddenly have a stomachache and need to go to the bathroom when we're eating dessert, and I might not be back for a long time... You probably can't run faster than me in high heels, right?"

"Ugh, get lost!"

……

Forty minutes later.

As Corolla was about to turn into a brightly lit strip mall on the side of the road, Sofia suddenly slammed her hand on the watch face.

"Don't go in, keep driving forward!"

Chen Ming instinctively slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop just before it reached the entrance.

"What's wrong? Are there police or something?"

He glanced around warily, his right hand instinctively reaching for his waist.

"More disgusting than the police."

Sofia pointed to several young men wearing red vests at the mall entrance, who were staring at passing vehicles like vultures.

"See those guys in red vests? They work as valet parking attendants."

"In Koreatown, this is legal robbery... These bastards will block all the free parking spaces with posts, and no matter if you drive a Ferrari or a beat-up Toyota, you have to pay five dollars for parking and a two-dollar tip if you want to go in to eat."

"Seven US dollars for parking?" Chen Ming frowned.

"Yeah, that's enough to buy two bottles of beer."

Sofia waved her hand dismissively.

"There's an abandoned community park ahead, and there are free parking spaces all along the road... I'd rather walk an extra five minutes than give money to these idiots who can only lose their car keys."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming immediately straightened the steering wheel and accelerated away.

Although he had several thousand dollars in his pocket, Chen Ming didn't want to waste any money—seven dollars was indeed a huge sum, enough to buy a lot of hamburgers or bullets.

After parking and walking for more than ten minutes, the two pushed open the door of a barbecue restaurant. A wave of heat, mixed with the aroma of charcoal, smoke, and high-decibel noise, hit them.

The restaurant was packed with people at that moment.

The background music was deafening K-Pop, and a golden exhaust pipe hung above each round table, like countless elephant trunks dangling from the ceiling.

"Two bottles of original flavor soju, one bottle of beer, and a large portion of Wagyu beef set meal..."

Sofia sat down and skillfully ordered from the waiter.

"You can speak Korean?" Chen Ming was somewhat surprised.

"In Los Angeles, you can't get by on just speaking English..."

Sofia grabbed the bottle opener and pried open the bottle cap with two loud bangs.

"If you want to eat a good meal, you need to know a few words of Korean or Chinese; if you want to get your car repaired or find a cheap renovation worker, you need to know Spanish; English is mostly used to deal with the police and social workers."

As she spoke, Sofia poured the shochu into a beer glass, stirred it vigorously with chopsticks, and as the foam surged violently, a standard Somaek was ready.

"Want to give it a try?"

"I'm a medical student, I can't drink too much alcohol." Chen Ming quietly asked the waiter for a Healthy Cola.

"Whatever."

Without waiting for Chen Ming, she tilted her head back and poured the bubbly, cloudy liquor down her throat.

"Ha—this is life."

After a few drinks, a flush from the alcohol quickly rose to Sofia's cheeks.

Chen Ming only ate a few bites—this kind of Korean BBQ wasn't really to his taste; the portion was too small, and the seasoning was just so-so.

"I'm actually very curious."

Chen Ming's voice cut through the noisy background.

"You said this job is just for casual work, so how do you usually make a living...? With a paid subscription on OnlyFans?"

"Cough cough cough—"

Sofia nearly choked to death on the wine she had just drunk.

"Thank you for the compliment. It seems my figure is worth something."

"That's a very interesting question, Chen, but before I answer it, I need to clarify one thing..."

Sophia stretched out her slender fingers and gently traced a circle around the rim of the wine glass in front of Chen Ming.

"If you're only interested in my experiences, that's fine, but forget about anything else. We've only known each other for less than two days."