Chapter 38: Wanli
Chapter 38: Wanli
By Wednesday, Officer Brayden had successfully entered Lance’s identity information into Jingang City’s records. Now, anyone searching his personal details would find a file associated with the White family. Lance had officially taken on the identity of "Steven (formerly known as)" and was now recognized as Lance White.
Brayden also helped him apply for a Social Security number and a personal tax number. With these two pieces of documentation, Lance was now a legitimate citizen of the Federation. Not even the President could question his legality!
"My promise to you still stands," Brayden said earnestly, handing Lance an envelope containing the paperwork.
The "promise" referred to Brayden’s agreement to offer discounts for identity solutions to anyone Lance referred to him. Since Brayden had publicized his ability to resolve identity issues for immigrants, he had already received numerous inquiries. One particularly generous client had promised to pay four hundred dollars if Brayden could secure legal status for them.
Although the unrest in Jingang City had peaked and was winding down, it didn’t mean the public sentiment against immigrants—both legal and illegal—had improved. Over the past two to three weeks, numerous immigrant-owned shops had been vandalized, looted, and even burned, causing incalculable economic losses.
Last week, The Federation Times ran a front-page photo capturing the chaos. In the image, five police officers stood with their hands on their hips behind a police car, watching a dozen hooded figures fleeing a jewelry store. Scattered on the ground were jewels and silverware the looters had dropped during their escape. The store owner, clutching a head wound, stood helplessly in the doorway.
The image, dynamic and impactful, resonated across the Federation, causing widespread outrage. Even now, reports of immigrant-owned shops being looted or destroyed continued to surface. Notably, this time the looters hadn’t discriminated based on ethnicity—native Federation citizens also fell victim. As a diverse, multi-ethnic country, distinguishing an immigrant shopkeeper from a local one was often impossible.
Beyond property damage, many immigrants had been assaulted or robbed. In this environment, the desire among undocumented immigrants for legal status became all-consuming.