I'm building Gundams in America

"Bondi... sir, it's so good that you're safe and sound... please forgive my incompetence..."

Standing in front of the tent, old Billy looked at Wayne, who had reappeared, and tears streamed down his face.

When those MS-13 people appeared yesterday, he was equally resentful and wanted to leave with Wayne to protect them.

But thinking about his large family to support, and the possibility of his entire family being killed if he clashed with the MS-13, old Billy ultimately decided not to leave with Wayne.

After finishing work in the early hours of the morning, old Billy couldn't sleep all night.

His heart was filled with remorse, and before dawn, he went out onto the street again and came to Wayne's tent.

He asked some of the homeless people living nearby where Wayne had gone, but no one knew.

Old Billy had no choice but to stand outside Wayne's tent, waiting for Mr. Saint's arrival.

Seeing Wayne appear unharmed, he finally couldn't help but shed tears of repentance.

Wayne said gently:

"Billy, my friend, you didn't do anything wrong. You just wanted to protect your family, which is the choice anyone would make."

Are you worried that those thugs will hurt me? Don't worry, everything was peaceful last night.

Hearing Wayne's understanding words, old Billy felt heartbroken, feeling like a completely selfish sinner. But the saint's words warmed his heart, and tears streamed down his face.

He secretly vowed that if a similar situation were to occur again, he would first settle his family and then dedicate everything to the saints.

Wayne then saw a line of text flash above old Billy's head:

Loyalty: Willing to follow to the death

He couldn't help but smile slightly.

It seems like old Billy has a lot of inner monologues.

Just then, even more pedestrians appeared on the street.

These people all had anxious and dejected expressions on their faces, and some were clearly traveling with their families, heading in the direction of Wayne.

Moreover, many of these people were well-dressed and in much better condition than the homeless people who were dressed in rags.

Some of them are clearly from middle-class communities.

The biggest difference between them and homeless people on the street is that they carry umbrellas or wear raincoats.

But they seemed to be talking to some homeless people on the street, and after learning the exact information, most of them walked over with doubts on their faces.

Wayne was taken aback and asked old Billy beside him:

"Has a new homeless shelter opened nearby? Why are there so many unfamiliar faces on this street?"

Old Billy wiped away his tears, turned his head to look, and quickly said:

"Sir, you may not know this, but the Green River and the White River have both breached their banks, causing massive flooding that has submerged many homes. The flooded areas are all around Seattle, and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated."

"A temporary shelter was set up in a nearby park, so there are a lot more people here now."

As he spoke, old Billy sighed:

"This morning I heard from someone evacuating from a flooded community that the riverbanks were in disrepair, and the heavy rains in Washington state these past few days have caused historic flooding, affecting at least 100,000 people..."

Wayne frowned and said:

"Isn't the government providing disaster relief?"

Old Billy shrugged:

"Yes, they sent them to live in tents in the park, with the whole family sharing one blanket, and they were given some things like Dr. Pepper."

No wonder there are so many unfamiliar faces on this street all of a sudden...

Wayne then asked:

How many people died?

Old Will, who was standing nearby, looked at his phone and said:

"Sir, I also saw the news. Thousands of homes and shops were flooded, nearly 100,000 people were affected and evacuated, and... one person died."

David, standing to the side, shook his head and said:

"Hey man, don't believe any of the bullshit from the American government. This is America. In a flood, you only die if you are drowning on the spot and someone sees and records it."

"If you drown and then people find your body, you don't die from flooding, you just die from suffocation. If you die from electrocution due to flooding, you die from electrocution. If you are killed by rocks swept away by the flood, you die from rocks. If you are swept away by the flood and killed by a car accident..."

Just then, Wayne's phone rang suddenly. He pressed the answer button, and Charlotte, the head of the St. Mary Biotechnology Corporation's mortuary project, immediately answered:

"Mr. Wayne? I think you've seen the news too, the floods! There are so many corpses, we're severely short-staffed at collecting bodies. I think you and your assistant would be best off heading to the flood-stricken areas immediately... This is a great time to stockpile supplies!"

Wayne sighed and said:

"Director Charlotte, I saw the news. It said that only one person died in the flood."

The sound of smoking came from the other end of the phone, followed by a long sigh.

"To hell with those fake news stories! Can't you hear the ambulances and sirens? All the medical facilities are in complete chaos, the morgues are overflowing with bodies! Mr. Wayne, I can add another $50 per body, hurry up, I want fresh ones."

After hanging up the phone, Wayne looked at the disaster victims and homeless people who were gathering around and said to Mike and David:

"Bro, you've heard it too, the flood, there are many bodies, but I'm needed here too..."

Mike nodded:

"Don't worry, brother, David and I are enough. We're your assistants for collecting corpses."

David laughed as well:

"Just do your job. We've got this over with. I've heard it. These damn businessmen want fresh. They can't wait, like they want a fresh steak."

After a pause, David continued:

"I know you want to bless them before they die. After we receive the bodies, we will bring them here for you to bless before sending them to St. Mary."

As they spoke, the two quickly jumped into an old Toyota parked by the roadside and drove towards the disaster area.

Wayne then entered the tent, sat cross-legged, and said in a deep voice:

"Let's begin."

As soon as the words were spoken, the tent flap was lifted, and a well-dressed couple entered the tent.

The man was holding a little boy in his arms, while the woman was holding a little girl.

The man looked like a blue-collar worker from a redneck background, and the woman was wearing makeup; it was a typical American middle-class family.

Upon seeing Wayne, who was wearing a long robe, the two men looked somewhat uneasy.

Wayne asked calmly:

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

The man then said in a low voice:

"Sir...cough cough...my children have a fever...but there's no doctor at the shelter, and we...we're afraid to go to the emergency room...cough cough cough...we're not familiar with this neighborhood...I heard they say you can exorcise evil spirits...I didn't know...I'm so useless..."

The man coughed as he spoke, and as he continued, both he and his wife's eyes reddened.

He then bent down and kissed his son, who was in a coma due to a high fever, his eyes filled with tears, and looked up at Wayne.

His eyes were full of hesitation, clearly indicating that he was also somewhat uncertain about his choice.

They simply had no other choice.

Before Wayne could speak, the woman beside him, tears streaming down her face, said to the man:

"Robert, it's not your fault, it's all a test from God... I have nothing left, I can't lose you all..."

Wayne frowned and said:

"Didn't the insurance company provide compensation?"

The man gave a wry smile and said:

"Sir, you may not know this, but government personnel only began evacuating the community when the floodwaters entered... It was nighttime, and we didn't even have time to grab a blanket..."

"If we don't go with them, the insurance company will even refuse to pay us out..."

"Oh, insurance companies, those devils! Now my house and car are all gone, we're homeless, but my insurance agent says the damage assessment will take two to three years! And during that time I still have to pay property taxes..."

When a flood comes, all-wood houses are basically vulnerable. Even if they don't collapse immediately, they are often uninhabitable unless they are reinforced and repaired.

That's another huge sum of money.

The man named Robert seemed to have been suppressing his emotions for a long time, and now he kept talking:

"After retiring from the Navy, I became a dockworker... cough cough... just now, I received my layoff notice... unless I can find a new job immediately... cough cough cough..."

At this point, Robert raised his head, trying hard not to let the tears in his eyes fall.

He understood that, given his current situation, finding a job immediately was virtually impossible.

Because of tariffs, there are simply not enough jobs at the docks right now.

Not to mention that he has now lost his house and has little savings, and his property may be forcibly auctioned off due to property tax.

That would make it even harder to find a job.

The woman wiped her eyes, still sporting a standard American white smile, and said to Wayne:

"Hey sir, you know what? We also have two dogs. Animal rights activists took them away because they thought our current situation wouldn't allow them to live comfortably..."

The little girl beside her shook her mother's hand and said:

"Mom, when can we see Eddie and Goofy again? I miss them..."

The woman hugged the little girl, kissed her forehead, and said:

"My darling, you will see them again..."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

Wayne sighed, placed his hands on the foreheads of the two children, and whispered an incantation, activating the [Basic Witch Doctor] skill.

He had never tried using the [Basic Witch Doctor] skill to heal two people at once before, and immediately felt his hands become burning hot at the same time, with two streams of heat flowing into the bodies of the two children.

The freezing rain, the flood, and the ordeal all night have left both children with high fevers and symptoms of severe colds and bronchitis.

If left unchecked, it will inevitably lead to pneumonia.

Fortunately, they met Wayne.

Soon, both children coughed violently at the same time, spitting out a large amount of mucus, which Robert and his wife quickly caught with tissues.

The boy, who had been delirious with a high fever, opened his eyes and struggled to get out of his father's arms as if he were completely healthy.

Their body temperatures quickly returned to normal, and the two children turned and ran out of the tent to play.

Upon witnessing this, Robert and his wife went from shock to gratitude, expressing their deepest thanks to Wayne.

Robert took out four hundred dollars and respectfully placed them into the pile of voodoo bones in front of Wayne.

"Sir, thank you... cough cough... I apologize for my initial hesitation..."

Wayne nodded slightly, poured two glasses of milk, and said to the two of them:

"Drink it."

Although the child's condition has almost recovered, it would be bad for the child if the condition of the two parents worsened.

Adults have stronger immune systems, so drinking milk with added ingredients is generally not a problem.

The two men were now completely convinced of Wayne's abilities. They thanked him profusely, drank the milk, and respectfully left the tent.

Your basic witch doctor skill has been improved (Specialization 72% + 2%).

[Experience Points +2]

Wayne is now very much looking forward to improving his basic witch doctor skills. What level will he reach after specializing...?

"Next."

Immediately, under old Billy's arrangement, a plainly dressed young woman entered the tent.

The woman had blonde hair and blue eyes, wore a slightly worn leather jacket and jeans, and had a touch of heroic spirit in her appearance, with a hint of scrutiny in her eyes.

Erin Bryce, a Dark Court enforcer, is a devout Christian with a strong belief in justice. Her father died in a drug bust, and her mother, Miranda, was hospitalized due to excessive grief. She suffers from severe insomnia and neuralgia due to long-term blood selling during her college years and work stress. She receives a tip from Jimmy, another Dark Court enforcer, and goes undercover to arrest Bruce Wayne, an illegal medical practitioner.

~

(Second update delivered. The book will be available tomorrow night, brothers. I'm working hard to build up a backlog of chapters.)