America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 59 Begging Performers

After leaving Old Pick's auto repair shop, Zhang Ailun walked to his old home in the poor streets of Fifth District.

He glanced at the time and realized it was still early, but he had nothing left to do.

I sent a message to Simone and Reina, but neither of them replied.

Zhang Ailun had no choice but to buy a Mexican taco, a chicken wrap, and a glass of lemonade from a roadside vendor. He ate as he walked, enjoying the scenery, and it felt pretty good.

I arrived at a street corner and heard music in the distance. There were five or six people gathered around. When I went over, I found that it was a begging performer.

The girl, with a lip piercing, eyeshadow, and dyed azure blue hair, sat on a suitcase, holding a guitar. In front of her were hats containing scattered coins and banknotes. A golden retriever was also tied to the suitcase.

Zhang Ailun stood by the roadside and watched the beggar perform. The performer was singing a cheerful song called "Lemon Tree".

Great, I can already recall that distant afternoon when my English teacher played this classic song in class.

Zhang Ailun nodded and hummed softly. "I wonder how, I wonder why. Yesterday you were telling me the sky was so blue."

The girl's singing was quite good; at least it sounded nice and drew the listener into the atmosphere. Zhang Ailun decisively took out a $5 bill and put it in his wide-brimmed hat, receiving a nod of appreciation from the girl as she sang and laughed.

He bent down and stroked the golden retriever's head, then turned and walked to the nearby retail store, where he bought two bottles of water.

After the song ended and most of the onlookers had left, Zhang Ailun stepped forward and handed the girl who was tuning her guitar strings a glass of water, praising her, "Girl, you sang very well."

"Thank you for the compliment." The girl smiled slightly, took the water, and added, "Thank you for the water too."

"Are you British?" Zhang Ailun asked, somewhat surprised, recognizing her accent.

Water, oh wow oh wow.

The girl nodded somewhat awkwardly and said, "That's right. What's wrong? Do you want to make fun of my accent too?"

"I didn't mean that. Isn't English your country's language?" Zhang Ailun shook his head. The American was mocking his father's accent, which was completely upside down.

"My name is Hamburger, what's your name?"

Sandy.

"Hi Sandy." Zhang Ailun shook her hand and pointed to her luggage. "What's wrong? Are you homeless?"

Sandy shrugged. "It's just a few minor troubles, but I'll get through them. Because I have a great team, I'm not alone. You know, it would be dangerous for me to beg on the street all by myself."

"I understand. This is also your turf, right? Because I also have a pretty good team in the Fifth District." Zhang Ailun nodded.

Sandy was a little surprised. "You're homeless too?"

"That's true. Due to some problems, I can't find a job or rent/buy a place, so I have to stay on the streets temporarily. But things are getting better now. What about you? And what caused you to end up on the streets?"

Zhang Ailun leaned against a lamppost, chatting and laughing with the girl.

The conversation revealed that the girl actually had a family, although it was a single-parent family, but the family was very well-off, and her mother and siblings treated her very well.

When she was 18, her family sold their possessions and moved back to England, but she stayed behind because of her musical dreams and didn't want to abandon her bandmates.

Before her death, her family left her a trust fund and bought her an apartment and a car, but she ruined it all herself.

She loved music since she was a child and formed a campus band with her friends. However, the road to fame was much more difficult than they had imagined. After graduation, because the other members of the band had no source of income, they had to work part-time and busk on the streets, living in that apartment.

However, because they often made noise in the middle of the night, they were complained about by the neighbors. The police came to mediate several times. In the end, Sandy had to sell the apartment and rent a place in a relatively quiet place. She persisted for several years, but the band remained lukewarm.

The band's peak was also due to its popularity overseas, where it had 200,000 fans on short video platforms.

Finally, because the band's bassist was locked up for fighting and injuring someone, Sandy sold her car to pay his bail. But no sooner had he been released than he was imprisoned again for drug use and causing trouble.

The other two drummers and keyboardist were also arguing and breaking up because the drummer was exposed for secretly making noodles, and the keyboardist was also dragged out and criticized for meeting with the top-ranked fan.

The band couldn't keep going and broke up, and their account was also banned for violating regulations.

Sandy lost her house, her car, her bank account, her money, and now she has no one...

The only dog ​​he had was the bassist's dog, this golden retriever.

What a pitiful woman.

However, she has now found a few like-minded partners on the street, all of whom share a dream of music. They can barely make ends meet by busking every day.

As he spoke, he turned his head and saw several young people carrying drum stands and musical instruments walking across the street.

"My friend came to visit me. It was a pleasure chatting with you. See you another day, Hamburger." Sandy smiled as she packed her bags, took her golden retriever by the leash, waved, and turned to leave.

"Good luck, Sandy, may God bless you." Zhang Ailun waved and watched the group leave. What a girl with such a tragic fate. Hopefully, I'll see her become famous someday.

I took out my phone and followed the other person's TikTok account. I also gave them a heart on their video.

He has done his best, and he's not rich. He should give the rest to the other party's top donor.

Zhang Ailun turned and left the street.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at Sanji Bar at No. 66 Meiji Street.

Seeing the intelligence report showing 2 dead and 16 injured, he felt it necessary to remind the kind-hearted bunny girl Mary, at least to tell her to be careful at night.

If the other person ends up in the hospital or has an accident because of this, he won't feel guilty, but he will feel some regret. Good people deserve good rewards!

However, after arriving here, I realized that I had been worrying too much.

Because Mary didn't go to work at all today.

"Sir, is there anything else you need?"

"No, since Mary is resting, I have to go now. Don't tell her I was here, thank you."

Faced with the temptations of the other bunny girls, Zhang Ailun didn't even glance at them, didn't spend a single cent on them, and turned to leave.

The bunny girl didn't pay much attention, thinking she was probably just one of Mary's regular customers.

As soon as Zhang Ailun stepped outside, he saw several homeless Black men smoking Leaf brand cigarettes, chatting, and picking up cans from trash cans on the streets.

It wasn't until other homeless people who didn't belong on the street came and rummaged through the trash cans that a conflict broke out between the two groups.

"Buddy, don't you know this is our territory?" Old Black opened his fanny pack, revealing a black, unarmed gun, and threatened the homeless man.

"Get out of my way, okay? We're not just ordinary homeless people, we're from the Singed Gang!"

"Wait, now that you're here, don't leave!!"

The group of black men exchanged glances, not wanting to waste the resources that had come to them, and dragged the homeless man into the alley, knocking over his cart and garbage bags.

(End of this chapter)