Chapter 6: Applying for the Position of Reserve Deputy Sheriff

Ao Xi spoke excitedly, “Of course I’ll apply for citizenship, so what are we waiting for? Help me submit the application for the reserve deputy sheriff position.”
It was as he always said—his system would be useless if he returned to his own country, so he had to stay in the United States. Besides, who dared stir up trouble back home? Ao Xi would be sworn enemies with anyone who tried!
That left him with no choice but to devote himself wholeheartedly to emptying his magazine here in America.
Mark shrugged. “Alright, even though I’m officially off duty, let me help you fill out the form first.”
He led Ao Xi inside, found Aunt Susan again, and together they filled out the necessary paperwork.
The application was straightforward, and they finished quickly.
Susan gathered up the forms and said, “You already have a U visa and work permit. Tomorrow you can apply for a Social Security Number, SSN, which you’ll need for taxes and insurance. I noticed you have a Huaxia bank card—you can check if they have a branch here in Los Angeles and switch to a US card.
If there isn’t a branch, you’ll need to open a new bank account for your salary. As for your residential address and other details, you can provide those later once you have them.
There’s something even more important—you’ll need to get a driver’s license. It costs just over a hundred dollars, but in Los Angeles, you can’t get anywhere without a car. And as a reserve deputy, you’ll be authorized to carry a firearm, so you’ll need to apply for a gun permit. The good news is, our department can process and issue gun permits for you.
You can handle all these things at your own pace, there’s no rush. Now, when will you be available for training?”
Reserve deputies were usually part-timers, with their own day jobs, so they’d attend training after work or on their days off. That’s why Susan needed to know when Ao Xi could come.
“I can start anytime,” Ao Xi replied eagerly, wishing he could begin training right away and get on with the business of punishing evil and promoting good.
“Alright, tomorrow take care of your SSN and bank card. If possible, come in for training the day after tomorrow. Try not to be late, and if you can’t make it, just call this number and let me know.”
“Got it.”
Ao Xi said goodbye to Aunt Susan and found Mark waiting for him at the door.
“You finally came out, Ao Xi. I was about to starve to death,” Mark complained.
“You know, Mark, I don’t like men,” Ao Xi said with solemn seriousness.
Mark’s face fell. “I don’t like men either, but you’re about to walk home hungry.”
Ao Xi laughed. “Come on, bro, where are we going for dinner?”
Mark shrugged helplessly. “Come on, get in the car. I’ll take you to eat.”
You really are a good man, Mark—as long as you’re not interested in my backside, I’d almost call you my godfather.

Mark took Ao Xi to a restaurant called Asahi Ramen—the sign outside read “Izakaya.”
Ao Xi was a bit surprised. Mark was not only reliable at work, he was generous too—taking him out for Japanese food.
But when the food arrived, Ao Xi was dumbfounded: a single bowl of noodles.
Where was the sushi? The salmon?
Mark rolled his eyes. “Japanese food is expensive, man. I’m just a regular cop.”
Aren’t American police supposed to be well paid?
“This is Los Angeles, buddy. I have to pay rent, just live, save for a house, pay off my car loan—I’m struggling too.”
Fair enough. Ao Xi picked up a big slab of pork and took a hearty bite. The Japanese ramen was actually pretty tasty. “Then treat me to a proper meal next time, when you have the money.”
Mark nodded, picked up his fork, and started eating. Halfway through, he suddenly realized—why was he paying for dinner again?
After the meal, Mark drove Ao Xi back to his spot by the wall. As he dropped him off, he said, “Buddy, I know you have money, but Los Angeles isn’t exactly safe. Where you choose to live is important. If you’re planning to work long-term as a reserve deputy at the Temple City substation, you really should pick your community carefully.”
“Don’t worry, man, I’ll sort it out. No need to worry.”
Mark nodded and drove away.
James came over to ask what had happened, and Ao Xi gave him a brief rundown before they each lay down to rest.
Lying in his sleeping bag, Ao Xi couldn’t calm down for a long time. Though he had lost his parents, they’d left him a sizable inheritance—several million—so he had always lived comfortably. He’d come to America to activate his system, but now he was sleeping on the streets. Who could understand this? The ground was truly hard.
But what really weighed on his mind was what Mark had said—their department was searching for the perpetrator behind last night’s shooting.
Others might not know, but he knew full well—the shooter was him, Ao Xi.
If Mark and his colleagues hadn’t been so capable and retrieved his documents within a few days, Ao Xi would have definitely continued his “work” for the sake of upgrades or money, and eventually he’d be on the police radar.
He was just an ordinary person who had only just activated his system. Maybe he could rely on luck to evade the police for a while, but to keep relying on luck would be courting disaster.
Now things were better. There was no need to keep shooting down old men for coins—he could find another path.
The next day.
Ao Xi got up early, tidied up, and took his documents to the Social Security office to apply for a card. Since his ID had been recovered, and he had a new U visa, work permit, and the reserve deputy sheriff application, it was easy to get the card—he had a job lined up, after all.

Afterward, he went to the Los Angeles branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, opened a local bank and credit card account, and transferred his entire fortune—six hundred thousand dollars—into it.
[System Notice: Host now possesses a bank account. Cash rewards will now be deposited directly into your account. No risk—use freely.]
The system was considerate. Ao Xi had been wondering if, as a cop, it would be inappropriate to keep rifling through targets’ pockets for cash. The system’s update deserved praise.
After being notified at the counter, the bank’s client manager came out enthusiastically to pitch financial products, but Ao Xi politely declined.
He didn’t have that much money anyway—and even that might not be enough to buy a house in Los Angeles.
America was truly bizarre in some ways—you needed to provide a residential address to open a bank account, so they could mail you statements. No address, no account. To get a job, you needed a bank account and address, plus a tax ID—for payroll and taxes.
Strangest of all, to rent an apartment you also needed a bank account and proof of income, with monthly salary at least three times the rent, or landlords wouldn’t rent to you.
This created an impossible triangle: without an address, you couldn’t open a bank account; without a bank account, you couldn’t rent; without a home, you couldn’t get a job.
Luckily, Ao Xi didn’t have to worry about all that. He had money—and in America, money could get you anything.
With his banking sorted, Ao Xi bought a phone and got an AT&T SIM card. After checking local Chinese forums online, he called a real estate agency listed there.
As soon as they heard he wanted to buy property, they became extremely enthusiastic—offering viewings at any time, car rides, and to handle all the paperwork, as long as Ao Xi paid a little extra in service fees.
He arranged to view apartments the next day, then called Susan to explain and postponed his training.
He bought takeout to share with James. When James heard Ao Xi had recovered his lost items and would soon be done with the homeless life, he was quick to offer heartfelt congratulations.
After a moment’s thought, Ao Xi said, “James, why don’t you get out of this lifestyle? I mean, you’re American—you should be able to figure something out. If you’d like, I can help you a little.”
James looked tempted, his face torn with struggle, but finally he sighed and shook his head. “We’re different, Ao Xi. You’re like a blank sheet of paper—it’s tough at first, but once you’re on the right track, things will go smoothly. I’m not like that.
I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past. If I showed up in public, the first thing waiting for me would be jail, then there’s child support and other hefty payments. I’m glad you’re willing to help someone you barely know, but I’ve missed my chance.”
“Don’t say that, James. There’s an old saying in China: it’s never too late to start over.”
James didn’t reply, turning his back and lying down.
Seeing this, Ao Xi knew not to press him. He thought James was a good guy—they’d been neighbors for several days, after all—and it would feel wrong to leave without a word. He didn’t mind helping out with a bit of money, but James had his own ideas, and Ao Xi couldn’t argue. They simply weren’t close enough for that.