America: Daily Intelligence Starting with the Homeless

Chapter 16 Online Identity: War Commander

"Medicine? Is it the Oseltamivir granules that's been getting hyped up lately?" Gloria asked in surprise, so much so that she spilled too much honey sauce all over the pizza, making her a little flustered.

"I heard that on places like the dark web, the price has now reached $120."

Jeff agreed, saying, "Getting this medicine now is harder than figuring out the insurance claim terms. I didn't expect you to have a solution, Simon."

Riley was also somewhat incredulous when he heard this, knowing that the management of pharmaceuticals on the West Coast is extremely strict.

Without a doctor's prescription, ordinary people can only buy large quantities of painkillers.

Recently, oseltamivir granules have been sold out due to speculation. The people in their camp had tried various methods before, but they couldn't get even one of these pills.

But unexpectedly, Lin Simon, who had just joined the camp, received a complete box.

Who is the American, him or me?

"However, Simon is the kind of person who fooled me with an empty box. He also knows kung fu, so it's not surprising that he was able to get the medicine."

After sorting out his thoughts, Riley nodded repeatedly. Thinking that he was the one who brought and introduced such a capable person to the camp, he couldn't help but feel a little proud.

He raised his beer as well: "Cheers! To Simon's arrival, and to the rebirth of our camp!"

"Oh—cheers!"

Everyone cheered, and the campsite immediately became lively.

Lin Ximeng also took a big bite of the pizza, "Italian meat sauce flavor, really good."

This was the first "fresh" food he had eaten since becoming homeless.

The rich, oily flavors and carbohydrates that fill your mouth, combined with the beer in your hand, create a sense of satisfaction.

The homeless people living under the bridge are living a pretty good life.

Chris, who was standing nearby, took a sip of his Coke, suddenly slapped his thigh, turned around and crawled back into the tent. He came out a couple of minutes later carrying a worn-out black cell phone.

"I almost forgot about this!"

He shoved the phone into Simon Lin's hand. "Buddy, you don't have a phone yet, right? Here, take this."

Seemingly afraid that Simon Lin would refuse, Chris immediately added:

"When I was making fitness short videos, I had three spare phones."

"This one is the most durable. Apart from some scratches on the casing, the screen is not cracked and all functions are working perfectly."

"Now that I'm homeless, I don't need that many phones by myself, so it's perfect for you to use."

"This is all for the camp, isn't it?"

Lin Simon held his phone tightly. He knew that Chris wanted to thank him on one hand, and on the other hand, he wanted Chris to be able to contact him if there was any danger at the camp.

"Okay, buddy, I'll take it then." With that thought in mind, Simon Lin stopped being polite. Having a cell phone would make it much easier to collaborate with Max next time.

At this moment, Riley leaned over and said to Simon Lin, "This is just the right time to give you a complete 'identity'—do you know OnlyFake?"

Through the other party's explanation, Simon Lin learned that OnlyFake is the largest online fake document manufacturing service provider in the United States.

Simply fill in the information on its website, and it can generate virtual addresses, email addresses, and even fake credit records, which can be perfectly used to register for various apps.

Almost every homeless person has used OnlyFake services.

Lin Simon opened his browser and, based on Riley's information, entered the URL for OnlyFake.

The page is clear and tidy, but it's so obvious at a glance that it's a fake certificate.

"Fill in all the required information," Riley advised Simon Lin from the side.

Lin Ximeng first uploaded a selfie, and then changed the background of the photo to blue using the app, which became her personal identity photo.

Then, upon seeing the name field, Lin Simon paused for a moment before typing: Char Saint Gilles Horus.

Riley leaned closer to look, frowning and scratching his head: "Is this your full Chinese name? Why does it sound different from the Chinese names I've heard before? It's like something out of a science fiction movie!"

Who registered on this website using their real name?

Lin Ximeng smiled.

Previously, Max used the fake name "Caroline" when accepting same-city deliveries on the Carrot App.

He now has a clear illegal status in the United States. Is he using his real name to make it easier for others to arrest him?

"Who would put their real name on a fake identity?"

Riley understood after hearing this and thought about creating another fake identity for himself next time. He decided to choose a name that sounded tough, like "Sydney Stallone" or "Rambo."

Simon Lin quickly filled in the remaining options. After confirming that everything was correct, the app displayed a "$15 activation fee" message at the last step.

"Riley, can you pay for me online?" Simon Lin said, taking out $15 in cash from his pocket and handing it to Riley.

"Don't worry about it, leave it to me." Riley took out his phone, skillfully opened the payment page, and quickly completed the payment. "Try refreshing it."

When the payment success notification pops up, the screen immediately generates a string of "identity data"—including a fake driver's license number, proof of virtual address, and other necessary information.

Riley advised, "Try it on a social media app. If you can register successfully, then it was generated correctly."

"No problem," Lin Ximeng immediately tried out his new identity on social media, and all the results showed that the verification was successful.

After Lin Simon added Riley, Gloria, and the others from the camp as friends, he asked again:

"How then are physical identification documents produced?"

Lin Ximeng knew that the current online fake identities mainly solved online problems, allowing him to be free and unrestrained online.

However, if you want to move freely in the real West Coast, a physical paper document is necessary.

Riley scratched his head: "You have to find someone to do it offline. We'll have to ask Isidora for help. She knows someone who does this, but it's not cheap. It costs several hundred dollars, and we'll have to wait a while."

Lin Ximeng recalled Chris's somewhat arrogant ex-girlfriend. When they first met, she seemed to have mentioned that he could ask her for help with any identification documents he needed.

It seems that the other party does indeed have a good network of connections on the streets of the West Coast.

Since there was no immediate solution, Lin Simon put the issue of his offline identity out of his mind for the time being, took a bite of his pizza, and continued to enjoy the camp party in front of him.

Gradually, the people in the camp began to tell their stories of how they became homeless.

Chris wiped his mouth and said, "When I was filming fitness videos, the most important thing every day wasn't exercising, but injecting all sorts of fitness drugs."

"In order to make muscles grow bigger and look better quickly, you have to use all sorts of ruthless stuff."

"Those medicines were ridiculously expensive. I didn't have much money left over at the time, but I had no choice but to take out a loan to afford them."

"For the next month, I finally managed to accumulate 10,000 to 20,000 followers, and I was about to start making money. But then my medication malfunctioned."

"The drug salesman who sold me the medicine disappeared overnight. I later found out that there was a problem with that drug; other users were admitted to the ICU and eventually died."

Chris sighed, "Luckily, I'm in good shape and haven't had any major health problems. But without that special fitness drug, I wouldn't be able to maintain my muscles and physique."

"My fans quickly unfollowed me and left, and I suddenly lost my income. I couldn't repay the loan for the medicine, so I had no choice but to become homeless."

As he spoke, he showed everyone his thick, massive biceps. "Look, when I was at my peak, my biceps were twice the size they are now."

"I think you look much better like this," Gloria said, clearly not liking overly muscular men and finding Chris's current physique more pleasing to the eye.

Chris nodded. "Thanks, I have a girlfriend now."

"Get lost, I have no interest in someone as glib as you," Gloria retorted immediately.

After hearing this, Lin Ximeng's eyes lit up as he looked at Chris.

Even after being injected with drugs that could land someone in the ICU, they survived with great vitality. The only cost of stopping the medication was that their muscles returned to the level of a normal fitness enthusiast.

What kind of innate ability to administer medication is this?

Great America, it is truly terrifying.

As Lin Ximeng was thinking, he suddenly saw a figure waving at him from behind a tent on the outskirts of the camp.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Isidora, who had left the camp earlier.

"Why is she here?"

"Hey, who's here?" Gloria, with her sharp eyes, also spotted the newcomer and immediately shouted.

"Did you come to see if we've been kicked out?"

Isidora remained silent for a moment, then reluctantly approached the group.

Chris's face lit up with joy the moment he saw the other person. "You, you're back?"

Isidora responded coldly, pointing at Simon Lin and saying, "Chris, this is none of your business. I'm here to see Simon."

With a "whoosh".

Lin Ximeng felt three pairs of eyes turn to him at once.

Chris instantly became listless and pale.