American homeless people, surviving in the city

Several tens of minutes later, Lin Qi stood outside the gate of the Seattle Police Department's Western Precinct, carrying two newly purchased bottles of wine.

These two bottles of wine cost him over a hundred dollars, and they were among the best he could buy in the supermarket, showing his sincerity.

After spending the money, Lynch was penniless except for a few dozen dollars in emergency funds, but he was not panicked.

It's just money; I can earn it back!

Standing in front of the police station, Lin Qi felt a little nervous because he theoretically had no legal status.

Did I just walk right into a trap...?

But then he thought about it again. With his brand-new clothes, as long as he didn't say anything, who would be able to tell that he was a homeless man without any identity?

Thinking this, Lin Qi relaxed again. He strode into the police station.

The Seattle Police Department's Western Precinct was bustling with noise. All sorts of people could be seen walking around the building, with a constant cacophony of conversations, footsteps, printer clicks, and shouts.

I don't know if it was because it was close to lunch break, but there was no one at the police station reception.

So Lynch took out his phone and sent a message to Kayla:

"I'm on the first floor of your police station, but there's no one at the front desk. How can I find you?"

Kayla's reply came quickly: "Wait a moment, I'll be right there once I finish what I'm doing."

Since the other party had said that, Lin Qi had no choice but to wait patiently.

With nothing to do, he found a corner in the police station lobby, leaned against the wall, and idly looked around at the bustling building.

Soon, his attention was drawn to the scene in another corner of the hall.

There were even a few people dressed in tattered clothes sitting on the ground, idly scrolling through their phones; it was obvious at a glance that they were also homeless.

Lin Qi was amused. How could he run into a fellow professional in a place like this?

However, he soon recalled that earlier that morning, James had told him that the police had been cleaning up the area around Third Avenue more frequently lately.

Were they arrested for resisting police street sweeping?

Just as Lin Qi was filled with curiosity, a series of crisp footsteps of high-heeled leather boots suddenly approached from afar.

He looked up in the direction of the footsteps and, sure enough, Officer Kayla was walking briskly toward him.

After a few days apart, Kayla Grayson was as dashing as ever. Her police uniform tightly hugged her voluptuous, tanned, and healthy body, with the buttons on her chest taut and her legs appearing even longer in her high-heeled boots.

She strode up to Lin Qi and gave him a familiar, hard pat on the back: "You haven't been waiting long, have you? Come on, let's go outside and talk!"

Lynch obediently followed her out of the police station, and only stopped when they reached a secluded spot in the parking lot behind the building.

Then he turned around and immediately spotted the shopping bag in Lin Qi's hand:

"Oh dear, is this wine for me? I saw it a while ago, but there are too many people in the hall... Quick, let me see what brand it is!"

Lin Qi laughed: "I thought you rushed out with me to get my car, but I didn't expect you saw the wine in my hand... Here, here you go."

"The key and room key you got from the last mission are in this bag. I'm returning them to you. Please keep them safe."

"Alright!" Kayla happily put away the things Lynch brought. "Looks like you're quite sensible, kid."

"Of course, thanks to Officer Kayla, I was able to get such a good job. How could I not thank you properly?" Lin Qi said with a smile.

"Alright!" Seeing that Lin Qi was so cooperative, Officer Kayla patted her chest. "In that case, I'll take you to see the car we promised you!"

Oh! We've finally reached this part!

Lin Qi suppressed his excitement and continued to follow Officer Kayla through the parking lot.

A moment later, she stopped, turned to Lin Qi with a beaming smile, and patted something parked in the parking space next to her:

"How about it? You can drive this car from now on!"

this...

Lin Qi looked at the machine beside the two of them, and for a moment he was unsure whether he should call it a car.

This thing does indeed resemble a car, but it's covered in a thick layer of dust that almost completely obscures the car's color. You can only barely see the mottled black paint underneath through some scattered areas.

Most of the black plastic panel under the bumper is missing, and the exposed metal bracket underneath shows reddish-brown rust marks. There is also a noticeable dent on the left side of the vehicle, which is obviously a mark left after an impact.

In addition, the entire car body was covered in scratches, making it look extremely dire.

The only proof that this is a Ford Crown is the most frequently purchased classic model by police departments across Washington state.

In short, this is a zombie car that's in poor condition even among zombie cars.

Is this car... still drivable?

As if sensing the hesitation in Lynch's eyes, Kayla patted the car hard, sending dust flying down in a flurry.

"Hey, don't hesitate like that! This car was only left for you after Chen and I petitioned the director together. It's definitely still drivable, no problem!"

"This vehicle is in a rather unfortunate state, as it was retired in 2020 during a failed attempt to convert a police vehicle from gasoline to electric. At the time, the plan was to sell it on the used car market, so it underwent some rather rough treatment."

"In the end, for various reasons, it wasn't sold and stayed here. It remained untouched for five years, which is why it looks like this now."

"But don't worry," Kayla said, handing over the car keys and giving a thumbs-up. "At least it started last time, I promise!"

Your words have only made me more worried...

Despite his inner hesitation, at Officer Kayla's urging, Lynch took the car keys from her, inserted them into the ignition, and got into the car.

Kayla waved from outside the car: "I've already filled up the tank for you. Let me see how you drive!"

Lynch gripped the steering wheel, lightly pressed the accelerator, and a roar of engines mixed with unidentified noises filled the air. Then, the Ford Crown started moving in response.

The acceleration isn't particularly strong, but the power is ample.

After driving around the parking lot once, when he finally stopped, the hesitation on Lin Qi's face had completely disappeared, replaced by an irrepressible excitement.

This car actually works! We have a car now!

Officer Kayla smiled with satisfaction outside the car: "See? I told you this car could run, right?"

"Great, this means you can take on cleanup work further away from downtown Seattle... another step closer to completely putting this role under the control of the police department!"

Both were quite satisfied with the result, and Lin Qi was even more eager to take the car for a spin, so he quickly asked:

"I usually use this car, right?"

"Yes, you can use this car as you please, since it doesn't have any police markings on it anymore." Kayla nodded. "However, you'll be responsible for all the gas and maintenance from now on. You'd better set aside enough money to keep the car running, or you'll end up living paycheck to paycheck!"

"No problem!" Lin Qi readily agreed, but then a new problem occurred to him, "Oh right, if that's the case, what if I get into a car accident someday and the car is completely totaled?"

"No problem." Officer Kayla wore a standard civil servant's smile. "This car is police property. If anything happens, you can just pay for it at market value."

"The current market price... is around $3000!"

While this price is somewhat out of reach for Lynch's current assets, it's not exactly expensive either; it's the amount one could earn from doing three or four crime scene cleanups.

Therefore, Lynch was perfectly able to accept it.

He nodded. "I understand. Where are the tools for this cleaning mission? I'll head out right now!"