America: Starting from collecting corpses, leveling up to godhood

"What?" Sophia's smile vanished instantly.

"That's the goods I ordered!"

"But you arrived more than ten hours later than agreed time... We can't wait until it spoils, otherwise we won't get a single penny."

The fat man shrugged, looking completely indifferent.

"Bullshit, I can offer a thousand!"

Sofia blurted out a swear word and was about to rush up and grab the fat man's collar when a hand grabbed her shoulder first.

Chen Ming forcefully pushed her back behind him.

"You're right, we were late... Being late means we have to accept the consequences, that's fair."

He took out a pen from his pocket, wrote a number on the back of the torn-off fast food receipt, and handed it over along with ten dollars.

"This is my private number, it's on 24/7, you can call me Chen."

"Consider this compensation for wasting your time. Next time you come across something rare like this, or anything you think you can exchange for US dollars—no matter what time it is, call me first."

"Believe me, my money is just as green as everyone else's, and I don't ask pointless questions."

The fat man was taken aback at first, then took the banknotes and stuffed them into his vest pocket, before taking a big bite of the burrito in his hand.

"Ha, you know much more manners than this crazy woman..."

"Chen, I'll remember you."

He mumbled indistinctly and pointed behind him with his thumb.

"If any idiots in this area cause you trouble in the future, just mention my name. They all know who 'Big Taco' is."

"Big Taco... he's quite ambitious." Chen Ming smiled.

"It sounds like you're trying to outdo the person in the White House."

"Fuck it."

The fat man spat a lettuce leaf on the ground with disdain, his fleshy face trembling.

"How many years has that withered old corn been around? I've been in this neighborhood since the 90s... If you really think about it, he should pay me royalties."

"Kid, I'm the president here."

Chen Ming made a surrender gesture, then pulled Sophia, who was still about to curse, and turned to leave.

Sofia finally snapped when she got back into her car in the apartment building.

"Are you crazy? Ten dollars, you just gave it to that fat bastard like that?"

Sofia angrily pounded on the dial, as if the banknotes were flesh cut from her body.

"Not only did we make a wasted trip and get nothing, but you even lost money? Chen, has your brain been suffocated by the smell of paint?"

"It's just a ticket, Sofia."

Chen Ming fastened his seatbelt and started the car.

"I'll eventually have to pick up the goods myself, so I need to build a good relationship with these local bigwigs first. This little bit of money is nothing."

"Do as you please, it's your money anyway."

Sofia rolled her eyes, took out a cigarette from her bag, and lit it.

"So, what does Mr. Chen, the great philanthropist, plan to do next? Give money to the homeless and ask them to help you dig out a few corpses from the garbage dump?"

"If that's the case, remember to let me know in advance so I can apply for a 'Good Person of the Year' award for you in Hollywood."

Chen Ming ignored her sarcasm and silently stepped on the gas, letting the Corolla merge into the traffic.

With a thought, several lines of text that only Chen Ming could see appeared.

[Today's tasks have been refreshed]

[1. In a trash can in the back alley of a Taco store, about one kilometer away, there is a Glock 19 discarded by gang members. The serial number has been ground off. Find it. (Low Risk)]

[2. The person who stole your things is at the "Pink Flamingo" motel. He's a greenhorn, illegally processing albino "samples" to sell to collectors with unusual fetishes... Go teach him a lesson and get your things back. (Medium risk, +1 attribute point upon completion)]

[3. "Big Taco," who just overate, is currently asleep due to a spike in blood sugar. Hidden in a secret compartment behind his sofa is a bag of stolen jewelry and 2,200 yuan in cash. You can try to take them. (High risk, +4 attribute points upon completion)]

Chen Ming's gaze lingered on the third option for only half a second before he decisively looked away—he had just noticed that "Big Taco" had an Uzi pinned to his pants in addition to the oil stains.

As a gun, it is GOAT level in close-range combat.

In comparison, taking a gun and teaching a lesson to the "colleagues" in the second mission is more cost-effective.

"I'm hungry. The navigation says there's an 'Old Jose' taco restaurant nearby. Let's go there and grab something to eat."

Chen Ming turned on his turn signal.

"ha?"

Sofia's hand, holding the cigarette, froze in mid-air.

"You just saw a fat guy who weighed over 200 pounds, reeking of body odor, chewing tacos and drooling. Now you're telling me you want to eat tacos too?"

"He ate with gusto, didn't he? And that taco looked really authentic."

Chen Ming continued to spout nonsense without changing his expression, and instead of slowing down, he stepped on the gas.

"You need to be well-fed to have the energy to work."

"What kind of work?"

You'll find out soon enough.

Ten minutes later, the Corolla stopped in front of a store with neon lights.

Despite being called a taco shop, it's actually just a roadside stall converted from a shipping container, but there's a long queue of more than a dozen people outside, and the air is filled with the strong aroma of cumin, onions, and charcoal-grilled meat.

The overpowering flavor, a blend of oil and carbohydrates, is irresistible.

"Damn it..."

As soon as Sofia opened the car door, her expression of disgust vanished instantly, and she even involuntarily swallowed.

"Okay... I take back what I said earlier. While 'Big Taco' isn't exactly a great person, he does have some taste when it comes to food."

"I need two...no, three, with extra guacamole..."

"No problem, but you'll have to go and queue up first."

"I feel a bit unwell in my stomach... probably from smelling that weird odor in that building for too long."

Chen Ming pointed to the dark alleyway on the side of the shop.

"I'll go to the back to take care of this. You just stay here and wait in line. Don't move."

After saying that, Chen Ming stuffed a banknote into Sophia's hand, and before she could respond, he hurriedly pushed open the door and got out of the car, clutching his stomach as he quickly walked to the back of the shop.

Hey, remember to wash your hands!

Sofia called out to him from behind, and then joined the queue.

After circling into a deserted alley, the pain on Chen Ming's face vanished instantly.

The back alley of the shop is like two completely different worlds from the front.

It was dark and damp, with a layer of sticky grease on the ground and the air filled with the smell of spoiled swill. Several flies were buzzing around a few huge green garbage cans.

Chen Ming held his breath, his gaze sweeping over the instructions displayed on the system panel.

Distance to target: 3 meters

Chen Ming walked to the leftmost trash can, which was overflowing with half a bag of cornbread, and took out latex gloves from his pocket and put them on—essential tools for a medical student and a street cleaner.

Despite feeling nauseous, Chen Ming quickly found a plastic bag under a pile of stinking avocado peels.

Tear it open, and inside lies a black pistol, lying silently.

The Glock 19, a classic compact 9mm pistol, is one of the world's most reliable killing tools.

I ejected the magazine, and there was only one round missing—it must have been eaten by some unlucky guy's head.

Upon inspection, the serial number on the side had been roughly ground off with a file, clearly indicating that this was a stolen gun with a history.

"Whoever dumped you here, you're mine now."

Chen Ming quickly wiped the stains off the gun and tucked it into his clothes.