American homeless people, surviving in the city

Lin Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief after watching the taxi disappear around the corner at the end of the road.

It was fortunate that those thugs didn't launch a surprise attack before Chen Yumo left.

After helping the drunk female college student, Lin Qi's next thought was how to spend his first night as a homeless man.

Seattle's damp, cold nights can be a test for ordinary homeless people, especially those who are penniless, addicted to drugs, or suffering from illnesses. They can easily become disco breeding grounds on such nights.

But for Lynch right now, getting through a night like this isn't difficult.

Although he had never camped in a city before, Lin Qi had extensive camping experience before his transmigration. Even though he had far less equipment than he had when he camped before, the tent, sleeping bag, and newly bought second-hand clothes he had were enough to keep him warm.

After all, Seattle's weather can only be described as damp and cold, but it's still above 0°C, so it's not as deadly as winter in Northeast China.

Lynch was more worried about the people roaming the streets. They were not as fierce as wild beasts in the wilderness, but they were more unpredictable and more deadly.

What if other homeless people camping in the Green Garden had ill intentions towards him? What if someone came to steal from him under the cover of night? What if something even worse happened...?

Lin Qi recalled a piece of news he had heard before his time travel: it was said that homeless people in America always used transparent tape to stick their belts together when they slept.

Otherwise, the homeless, whose pent-up emotions have been suppressed for so long, might rise up and fight back...

Lin Qi didn't know if the news was true, but just imagining the scene sent chills down his spine.

If he had a choice, he would never want to camp out overnight in this small garden under the overpass with a group of unfamiliar homeless people, but he really didn't have a better place to go.

...We can only try our best to be vigilant and take precautions!

Lin Qi gritted his teeth and secretly vowed to get rid of his homeless status as soon as possible and move to a safe place!

At the same time, Lynch also realized that his experience of the past twenty years was actually of no help in living on the streets.

He didn't know how to choose a safe place to spend the night, he was unaware of the social dynamics on the streets, he didn't understand the various slang terms used by homeless people, and he didn't know how to stay on the streets longer.

As for how to get rid of his homeless status, that is an extremely difficult challenge even for native-born Americans, and it is nothing short of a fantasy for a novice like Lynch who knows nothing about American society.

Thinking of this, Lin Qi couldn't help but feel a little discouraged.

Fortunately, he had only recently fallen on hard times and still had a strong will to climb back up. In addition, he also had a system.

Although he didn't know what else this wilderness survival system could bring to his survival on the streets, Lin Qi suddenly remembered that he still had a mission reward to claim!

As soon as he thought about it, the system notification popped up again, showing the mission reward he hadn't had time to claim yet:

[Congratulations player, you have successfully completed the quest: Obtain Shelter!]

[Mission complete. Please choose one of the following rewards to claim!]

[Optional:]

[A. Constitution cap +0.5 (In the wilderness, a better physique is always useful)]

B. A multi-functional military shovel. (The same model used by the US military, capable of chopping, digging, sawing, and other tasks.)

C. Bluffing: When facing dangerous creatures, they are less likely to attack. (Many insects and birds use this tactic when facing predators.)

This was Lynch's second chance to receive a mission selection reward, and he had gained a basic understanding of the operating logic of this wilderness survival system.

Currently, as long as you complete some tasks that are beneficial to survival, you can get corresponding rewards, and these rewards are theoretically helpful for survivors to survive in the wilderness.

However, these rewards don't necessarily have to be used in the wilderness.

Just like the $150 he received after completing his first mission.

According to the system's design, he should use the money to seek help from the inhabitants in the wilderness; however, it would be perfectly fine for him to use the money to shop.

Similarly, whether it's the optional reward for the first mission, [Fortune I], or this reward, [Bluff], their applicable scenarios don't seem to be limited to the wilderness.

Good fortune brought by "luck" is useful everywhere; and as for "bluffing," aren't these homeless people on the street, each with their own ulterior motives, just "dangerous creatures"?

Lin Qi had absolutely no understanding of how people survived on the streets or how homeless people communicated, and he lacked the ability to socialize with them.

The ability to bluff, in a sense, makes up for Lynch's weakness in this area.

Although it is unknown how this ability will manifest itself, if used well, it would be perfect for intimidating other homeless people.

Having thought this through, Lin Qi had already made up his mind.

Choose the reward: [Bluster]!

As soon as a thought flashed through my mind, the three options given by the system vanished without a trace.

This time, however, Lin Qi didn't feel two extra banknotes in his pocket. Instead, he felt a cool breeze enter his brow.

With the new ability in hand, Lin Qi felt more confident.

As the sun gradually set and the dark gray sky grew increasingly gloomy, with a hint of nighttime dampness in the air, Lin Qi knew it was getting late. He quickly decided to take advantage of the last bit of daylight to re-examine the surrounding environment and try to determine if this was a suitable place to camp for the night.

He pitched his tent in the most secluded corner of the green park, close to the road, separated from the path by only a thin layer of bushes. He chose this spot because it was as far away as possible from the tents pitched by other homeless people; he could only see two or three tents in his field of vision, the closest of which was at least 50 steps away.

Aside from the possibility of not being able to sleep at night due to the noise of cars on the road, Lin Qi felt that the location was not bad. Maintaining this distance gave him a modicum of sense of security.

Just as he bent down to continue preparing and reinforcing the tent while thinking about whether there was a better location nearby, a series of light footsteps suddenly came from behind him.

A "neighbor" has returned?

Lin Qi quickly straightened up and looked behind him warily.

A young man with dark brown skin and short curly hair was walking briskly towards him. He was wearing a thin hoodie stained with oil and faded jeans. Before he even reached Lin Qi, a strong smell of gasoline wafted over.

Aside from his attire and the strong smell of gasoline, what caught Lin Qi's attention the most was the wrench in his hand. The newcomer didn't hold the wrench like a tool; instead, he inserted his fingers into the hole in the handle and swung it deftly, like turning a knife.

Judging from his unkempt appearance, he must be a neighbor living in this park... Perhaps he's trying to intimidate me in the dark with this attitude?

The test is here...

Lin Qi's mind raced, but since the other party was already walking straight towards him, he had to respond.

He slowly stood up, turned around, his movements steady, neither flustered nor showing weakness.

Even he himself didn't realize that the moment he turned around and faced the approaching young man with the curly wrench, the newly acquired [Bluff] skill had subtly changed his demeanor.

He put his hands on his hips, straightened his back, and turned around to look back, like a seasoned hunter sizing up potential prey.

Under Lynch's silent gaze, the curly-haired young man visibly slowed his pace, and instead of turning the wrench, he gripped it tightly in his hand.

Finally, he cautiously stopped about ten steps away from Lynch.