America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 5 Beacon of Civilization, Dark Forest

Welcome to my home.

Dominic followed us to the 19th bridge arch in the 5th Street of Los Angeles.

Dominic put his bag on the ground, turned around, spread his arms wide, and stood on a rock with a smile on his face, somewhat proudly asserting his territorial sovereignty.

Zhang Ailun looked at the unexpectedly spacious bridge archway.

Two blue double tents, the surroundings were clean and tidy, a solar lamp with a charging cable connected to a solar panel hanging on the wall, an old sofa in the corner, and an oil drum blackened by smoke.

A nail embedded in the wall stretched out a line, from which several pieces of clothing hung. Next to the blue tent were stacks of black plastic bags filled with cans.

To be honest, the living conditions here are much better than he imagined!

Apart from the lack of bathing facilities, heating equipment, and unstable power supply, it's practically a converted, comfortable little nest. No wonder it's the base camp under the bridge where the homeless master has lived for two and a half years.

Unlock the new map.

"You just leave the jars here like this, aren't you afraid someone will come and steal them?" Zhang Ailun looked at the jars, somewhat puzzled.

If you're out hunting during the day and no one is guarding your home, what if someone comes to raid your base?

"Don't worry."

Dominic said, "There are indeed many homeless people around here, but they are mostly familiar faces. I know them all. Strangers who come here are usually driven away. Surviving on the streets is not difficult. You just need to follow the rules and you don't have to be afraid of getting into trouble."

Dominic then pulled out a sign with colorful graffiti that at first glance looked like a funny little yellow duck.

He said with a smile, "See this? This is the logo of Lori Louis 19, a group formed by friends who have lived in the nearby bridge cave camp for a long time. You know what I mean! As long as we're all on the same side, you don't have to worry about your things being stolen, and no one will dare to bully you."

"Sometimes when the shelter doesn't provide relief services for a long time, and people really can't make ends meet, people from other streets will come and invite you to go shopping in groups at 24-hour supermarkets and discount stores on nearby streets."

"..."

Do you guys make zero-yuan purchase sound so elegant and refined?

"If you encounter a group of Black people wearing red or blue clothes on the street, I suggest you don't hesitate, just turn around and leave that place!" Dominic earnestly reminded Zhang Ailun.

He was also given a detailed account of the local gangs in Los Angeles, their distribution maps, and survival rules in the wild.

I'm clearly standing under the beacon of human civilization, yet I feel like I'm trapped in the dark forest of laws. Is this the legendary West Coast?

Zhang Ailun is questioning the meaning of life.

The local gangs and factions in Los Angeles are intricately intertwined, with numerous groups of varying sizes, exceeding Zhang Ailun's expectations.

He had only learned about it from movies and the San Andreas game before, but the reality was much worse.

This is the West Coast. If you accidentally wander into gang territory and linger for a few seconds, or even glance at a black guy, they really won't tolerate it. Several black guys will surround you and give you a good "Fuck" speech, or even worse, they might choose to "shoot" you!

Gangs exist in every neighborhood of Los Angeles, but the number of gangs in the 13th neighborhood is the highest, and a documentary about it has even been made.

The infamous African American gang: Cripples and Blood. They are bitter rivals, one red and one blue – a classic example of a red-blue pairing.

Hispanic (Latino) gangs: 18th Street, Florence 13, MS13, California.

18th Street is the undisputed overlord of the Los Angeles gangs, rivaling Florence 13th Street for supremacy, each holding half the reins, and is a force that neither the Cripples nor Blood dare to mess with.

MS13, caught in the middle, can only get scraps, profiting through drug trafficking, extortion, and human trafficking.

Motorcycle (bicycle gangs): Hells Angels MC Motorcycle Club, Outlaws Motorbikes.

The former is a religious organization with club-like characteristics, with strict discipline. Its founders are a group of World War II veterans and Harley riders who advocate free riding and punishing evil and promoting good.

But their background is anything but clean. Their main income comes from arms dealing, drug trafficking, and monopolizing sex and entertainment venues. Almost every branch of a strip club runs a gang-related money-making project: leaf plantation.

The advantages are a short growth cycle and quick returns. They can be sold after about a month of cultivation, and a single plantation can bring them over $4 in income per week.

The latter is an undisciplined criminal, a lawless young white man, a mental patient, who frequently rides his bicycle to various states to commit crimes and kill indiscriminately.

Other gangs include the Mafia, Asian Boys, Huaqing, Bamboo Union, Aryan Brotherhood, street gangs, and other groups of all sizes.

The Lori Louis 19 that Dominic mentioned is not a gang at all; at most, it's a homeless mutual aid group that hangs around the 19th bridge in the Fifth Street area, which could be called a beggar gang.

This kind of grouping behavior is quite common: drug addicts flock together, homeless people flock together, and scavengers flock together. Although they are all homeless, they are still in different circles.

Most drug addicts and beggars in the slums are controlled by gangs, forced to pay protection money and provide sexual services. The streets are extremely dangerous at night. As a homeless person, you really can't survive without sticking together for warmth.

Street homeless gangs sometimes clash over interests, but occasionally they also share common tasks, such as shopping at supermarkets.

It's usually led by local small gangs who persuade homeless groups and slum residents to participate in the job. They might even give you money, leaves, or baseball bats to encourage you to join.

If you don't participate, you'll be ostracized, and the little black guys won't invite you to play next time.

When you go to the shelter to get food, you have to be at the very back of the line.

Try reporting me and see what happens. You'll die if you do.

However, Lorry Louis 19 rarely participates in such errands because most people can support themselves and would only consider buying for free if they were really desperate.

Dominic also gave Zhang Ailun a brief introduction to the homeless friends living near Bridge No. 19.

Zhang Ailun didn't remember much of the others, but he did remember one old black man.

Lorry Louis 19 is named after him.

Young Lori is a 2.1-meter-tall black man who was a star player in the number 3 position in football. He had also been involved in gangs before, but an accident caused him to injure his knee and become lame, making it difficult for him to walk, which ended his professional career.

His car and house were mortgaged, he couldn't repay his college tuition loans, he was heavily in debt, his credit was blacklisted, he couldn't find a job, and he was forced to live on the streets.

I received unemployment benefits for six months and struggled to make ends meet, but then they stopped giving it to me altogether. I have no idea where that money ended up.

Now he spends his days collecting garbage, carrying a bucket and wiping car windows on the street to beg for money, living a life of aimless drifting. He uses all the money he earns to buy leaves, and relies on charity meals for food, living like a decadent, dissolute person.

The people at the bridge-hole camp would also use him as a figurehead if needed. After all, his 2.1-meter height is truly intimidating! Who wouldn't be scared of him?

Old Hei lives on the east side of the No. 19 bridge arch next door. He's a well-known figure, and most homeless people wouldn't dare come this way because of him.

The local gangs would also give him face because he had been a star athlete and held considerable influence among Black people; if he didn't cause trouble, the local Black people wouldn't mess with him either.

Zhang Ailun didn't know much about rugby, but he had heard that people with poor physical abilities went to play basketball, and those who could stay and play rugby were all freaks with abnormal stats.

It's such a shame. If he hadn't played football but had played basketball, he might have become another Shaquille O'Neal!

"So, if I want to live here long-term and don't want to be harassed or chased around by the police, do I really need to pay Little Lori's membership fee every month? Can I be sure I won't be kicked out by the police just by staying here?"

Zhang Ailun voiced his doubts.

"You don't need to worry about that, Allen. This place is a former urban area, and police officers rarely come here. If there is any emergency, your friends will come and notify you in advance."

"There are no fees to live here. Everyone gathers here spontaneously. But if one of your fellow citizens is bullied, you need to stand up and help them. You also need to be clean! Otherwise, you'll end up sleeping on the streets like everyone else, being chased around every day, and dying at any moment. That's what a truly unorganized homeless person is like."

"People like us are essentially entrepreneurs; some of us will eventually have to leave the streets."

"But you'd better not get too close to people on the street, because they often do some not-so-good things," Dominic said.

Can you start a business by buying things for free and collecting recyclables?

That's certainly a great idea.

A temporary slump is really nothing.

(End of this chapter)