Volume 1: First Arrival Chapter 72 Leftovers
"Oh, sorry, today's share has been distributed..."
The tall and strong young man raised his head and saw Kirk in front of him. The corner of his mouth paused, and then he showed an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, please forgive my misunderstanding. I don't think you need these."
When he got really close to him, Kirk could feel the strength of the young man in front of him.
He is slightly shorter than Kirk, but his muscles are nearly twice as thick. His weight should be around 190 pounds (86 kilograms), but he still looks light, and there is strength beneath his muscles. It seems that he has practiced boxing.
So, even though he was surrounded by homeless people just now, he was still able to stand out and be seen at a glance.
Kirk smiled with his usual ease, "Who knows, maybe you don't need it today, but you may need it tomorrow. So, find out about the market conditions in advance to be prepared."
“Haha.” The young man was amused and laughed heartily. “This is the first time I’ve heard of preparing for wandering, but if you need it, I can help. I’ve been wandering around this city for a while.”
Kirk didn't hesitate to look at the lunch box in the young man's hand. "So, this was your idea?"
The young man looked down at his hands and shook his head.
"No, no no no, this wasn't my idea, it was the owner's, An and Sun, a Chinese couple."
He was a little slow to realize that Kirk's idea was ridiculous. After all, he was not the boss. The young man couldn't help but laugh heartily. His brows relaxed and a sunshine emanated from the inside out.
"It's always hard to keep track of the amount of food in a fast food restaurant, but every meal has to be cooked fresh, otherwise the health department might come knocking on the door, so leftovers are inevitable."
"Before, they were all thrown away directly; later, An felt it was a pity and decided to distribute it to the homeless, since no one would touch it in the lunch boxes anyway."
“I’m just responsible for distributing it.”
A complex expression appeared on the young man's face, one of gratitude and sadness, regret and relief. It was difficult to describe it accurately at the moment.
"In fact, I am personally very grateful to An and Sun. The economic situation has been bad in recent years, and more and more people need help, and it is difficult to find a job."
It is enough to just stop there. Since the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008, the economy has been on its way to a low point. Although there have been some signs of , there are still many ordinary people struggling, and the unemployment rate remains high. Including the young people in front of us, all need some "help."
Kirk nodded slightly to show his understanding. The NY PD's overtime pay dilemma was actually due to the same reason. They were all facing their own dilemmas.
But the topic seemed too heavy and off-topic, so Kirk quickly brought the subject back.
“I just noticed that most of the people coming here are black, which you don’t often see in Chinatown.”
"Ha." The young man smiled and nodded vigorously to show his agreement, but after agreeing, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly, and a trace of loneliness appeared on his face.
"Although I don't want to blame them, they have their own difficulties; but it is true that very few Asians, especially the Chinese, are homeless."
"When faced with difficulties, they are always more diligent, braver and more tenacious in facing and solving problems. At least, they are willing to give it a try."
"but."
The young man shrugged and let out a long breath.
"What else can I do? We are brothers and sisters of the same ethnic group, and I can only give a little help within my ability."
The conversation did not continue. From the confusion and contradiction in the young man's expression, it could be seen that he was not happy either.
Kirk: Uh...it's a little awkward.
Kirk realized that the young man might have misunderstood his meaning. He did not mean to condemn or attack anyone who was lazy, evasive, or lazy. His focus was still on the clues.
Black homeless people gathered.
But it’s a little hard to explain, and it involves some case circumstances that can’t be discussed publicly, so…
It’s just a misunderstanding, so let it be.
Kirk continued to ask, "Is this the only Panda Express that does this? I mean, if that day really comes, I probably won't be able to afford the high cost of homelessness in Manhattan. I'm thinking of going to Brooklyn to discuss life with your brothers and sisters."
The young man laughed heartily with a self-deprecating remark, "The subway is a good friend of all New York citizens. I believe you can find a way to stay in Manhattan or return to Manhattan."
“But…” The young man couldn’t help but chuckle twice. “If you can’t do it, there are many fast food restaurants in Brooklyn and Queens that do this. I have a few friends who also work in fast food restaurants. Occasionally, after get off work, I will go over to help them. I hope I can do my part.”
“I know there’s a Panda Express in Williamsburg, and they’ve been doing this for almost a year.”
"Oh, there's one in Flushing, too, two blocks over from Arthur Ashe. I visited them last month. My last job was there, but they haven't been doing well lately."
"You know, there are quite a few authentic Chinese restaurants in Flushing, and the market prospects for Panda Express there are not very good."
"There's a Wendy's in Jackson Heights and a Taco Bell in Highland Park."
"If you ask carefully, you should be able to find quite a few. As far as I know, Subway seems to have always had this kind of service, providing a certain amount of sandwiches for free. They are just fresh food, and those who need help can go and get them for free."
As the young man spoke, the more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. The more seriously he took it, the funnier it became, and he couldn't help laughing again.
"Gentleman, are you serious? Why are we having this conversation?"
Kirk raised his eyebrows slightly, "What if I say this is a social survey?"
The young man immediately showed an expression of sudden enlightenment, "Oh, so, this is a social experience survey of Ivy League universities, the real experience of the rich second generation? This makes a lot more sense."
From the joking tone, you can tell that the young man is also joking.
Kirk spread his hands and faced the teasing calmly, "Okay, you see through me. I'm ready. Next stop, Williamsburg."
"Haha!" The young man burst into laughter. "Do you need my directions?"
"But I think you won't miss it."
"Go past the Williamsburg Bridge and head north along Marcy Avenue to the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and Foster Street, near Magellan Gardens. That area is full of restaurants."
Magellan Gardens.
Kirk immediately grasped the key words. The latest body was found in McGolrick Gardens, only three blocks away from Magellan Gardens.
In fact, Kirk has not yet sorted out the connection between these homeless people and fast food restaurants.
Although there were some speculations, the motivations and causal relationships were not strong enough and somewhat far-fetched; however, curiosity always led him here, especially when he heard about Magellan's Garden, he thought it was worth a look.
The series "The Full Monty," based on the novel of the same name by Douglas Adams, maintains this view:
Everything in the world is fundamentally related, and everything is connected. As long as you let nature take its course, you will be able to discover the truth.
Kirk agreed with this.
