Turned off Bilibili, William Clark took Evelyn's laptop again and continued watching the old movies she had found. He had been spending his days like this lately, getting more and more skilled at living off someone else.

　　"I'm heading out now!"

　　"Okay, take care!"

　　After breakfast, Evelyn put on her shoes to go to work. Before she could open the door, someone knocked from outside, and a man's voice said, "Little Evelyn, are you there? It's Uncle Foster."

　　"I'm here, let me get the door for you."

　　"Wait, hold on a second!"

　　William Clark jumped up and pointed to his bedroom. Evelyn caught on too: "Oh, um, uh... Uncle Foster, is there something you need?"

　　"I heard you made a new friend, so I came with Little Sarah to take a look. Is this a good time?"

　　"Uh, we, we were just about to head out. Could you wait a moment?"

　　William Clark quickly put on her oversized coat, looking all "layered and stylish," and shuffled over in slippers. Evelyn swallowed nervously and opened the door.

　　Outside stood a man in his fifties, plainly dressed with a kind face. Next to him was a tall, fair-skinned policewoman with a ponytail.

　　"Uncle Foster, Sister Sarah!"

　　Evelyn was clearly very respectful toward them. William Clark followed her lead and greeted, "Uncle Foster, hello! Sister Sarah, hello!"

　　"......"

　　The two frowned, sizing him up and down, their first impression being that he was rather frivolous.

　　"We were just about to go out. Can we talk as we walk?"

　　"That works."

　　So they all went downstairs. Evelyn automatically kept her distance, while Old Foster motioned for William Clark to sit on a bench, his tone full of warmth: "Young man, what's your name? How old are you?"

　　"William Clark, 26."

　　"Oh, 26."

　　As soon as he heard the age, he thought, "high-risk for unregistered residents." He asked, "Where are you from? Do you have any family?"

　　"......"

　　"I'm a community aid worker, and this is a police officer. We're here to help you."

　　"......"

　　Old Foster saw how nervous he was, so he took something out of his bag and said, "Don't be afraid, this won't hurt. I just need to take a look."

　　As he spoke, he used a small device to scan his face. The screen showed no information—definitely an unregistered resident.

　　Sarah Morgan had been on guard the whole time, now gripping her taser. She'd seen plenty of people with mental issues, extreme personalities, or violent tendencies.

　　But William Clark happened to be non-aggressive. Though he didn't talk much, he was honest. After hesitating for a while, he said:

　　"I don't remember where I was born. I've been wandering since I was little, following this person today, that person tomorrow... I just arrived a couple of days ago, and Little Evelyn found me. Little Evelyn is very kind and took me in, and I help her out with things..."

　　Old Foster nodded, neither expressing belief nor doubt, and said, "Young man, this is my job. Our duty is to help you settle down and reintegrate into society, so there's no need to worry.

　　But there are some procedures we have to follow. I need to give you a physical exam, then observe you for a while and investigate your identity. I hope you'll cooperate."

　　"Are you saying I can't stay here anymore?"

　　"You'll need to stay temporarily at the aid center, but don't worry—the observation period varies. For some, it's just a couple of days."

　　"Can I go back and pack up first?"

　　"Of course. Want me to help?"

　　"No, no need to trouble you!"

　　So, he and Evelyn went back upstairs. As soon as they entered, he grabbed her hand, looking as tragic as someone being forced into a blind date: "Comrade, I did exactly as you told me. If I don't make it out, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

　　"You'll definitely get out. Hurry up and think if there's anything you need to tell me."

　　"Don't worry about the computer. Keep my phone for now, but don't reply to any messages for me. Can you visit me at the center?"

　　"Of course!"

　　"Then come by whenever you can, and keep in touch."

　　William Clark left, and that little rascal Evelyn even called out, "Uncle Foster, he's not a bad person, he's really not!"

　　Damn, what a bunch of drama queens.

　　……

　　Evening, aid center dormitory.

　　Bunk beds, a dozen or so in one room, creaking and squeaking everywhere. William Clark received a wristband, a washbasin, toiletries, plus a T-shirt of indeterminate color and a pair of old sneakers.

　　The wristband could monitor his movements and physical condition, but he suspected it was also a security measure—like, if he did something bad, the wristband would zap him or something.

　　Freaking amazing!

　　I'm being rescued in a parallel world!

　　There was a small cafeteria here, with staff who doubled as cooks. The food wasn't particularly tasty or bad, but at least it was filling. After his physical, he ate, lay on the bed with his legs up, and true to his name, continued to drift along.

　　Still going with the flow, carefree as ever.

　　"Whoosh... whoosh..."

　　Suddenly, strange noises came from outside the door. A head pressed against the little window: "Hey, are you still alive?"

　　"Dead!"

　　"I'm here to see you, but I can't come in. I can only talk to you for five minutes!"

　　"Why are you so excited?"

　　"Because this is so much fun! So many people came looking for you today—someone wanted to play pool, someone wanted to swim, someone wanted to shower, and there was even a tea seller..."

　　"Just tell them all I'm out of town and won't be back for a while."

　　"What about the one asking to borrow money?"

　　"Who wants to borrow money?"

　　Evelyn was short, apparently standing on something, clutching the little window: "Someone named Henry Parker, asking to borrow ten thousand from you."

　　"Didn't say why?"