Legal Status

Actually, Henry didn't have to wait long. Tom's conversation with the guests ended quickly.

Or rather, he had no idea how long they'd been talking. By the time he walked in, Tom's talk with the visitors was already wrapping up.

That meant Henry's delayed Super Hearing only caught one of them saying something like "find the target as soon as possible" to Tom.

If Henry wanted to, he could sift through the noise in his super brain and reconstruct the conversation he'd missed between Tom and the guests. It wasn't beyond his ability.

But he wasn't that curious. Gossip might be human nature, but juicy stuff only gets interesting when it's scandalous or spicy. Eavesdropping on a business deal? What was he going to do, become a corporate spy?

The conversation inside ended, and the two guests didn't linger. They walked straight out, ready to leave.

Henry didn't pretend to be buried entirely in his magazine, nor did he stare at them after they came out.

He just did what any normal person would—looked up briefly at the sound, then went back to his magazine.

Those two, though, wore sour faces like the whole world owed them money. As they passed Henry, one of them even stared at him deliberately, trying to link that face to their target.

Henry didn't look up, but his senses caught every bit of that move.

Especially one guy's eyes—they had something like a bird's Nictitating Membrane, closing vertically once. That startled him, though he didn't show it.

Another mutant. What the hell was going on in this world...

The two strangers walked out the door, and Tom's voice came right on cue: "Hey, Henry, you finally showed up. Get in my office."

Putting the magazine back, Henry walked into Tom's office. Tom was clearing the glasses from the last guests and handed Henry a hot coffee, gesturing for him to sit.

Not caring if the chair still held the previous guests' warmth, Henry plopped down.

He acted rough in small things like that because hardly anyone noticed those details. Henry only paid attention because of his past life before the transmigration.

Being a homebody meant having some cleanliness quirks about personal space. He also held himself back from stepping on others'. That's why he noticed little stuff like that.

Once seated, Tom pulled a big kraft paper envelope from his drawer and slid it to Henry. "All the documents are in there. Take a look. Ask if you've got questions."

Henry dumped everything out of the envelope.

Aside from the passport—which looked the same worldwide except for the cover color and matched what he'd seen before his transmigration—he could recognize that.

The rest had words he knew, but he had no clue what they were for.

Seeing Henry's blank look, Tom politely pointed at the documents and explained.

He sorted them one by one, pointing: "You probably recognize the passport. Then this is your Social Security card and related paperwork. You're an American citizen, and here's your birth certificate.

"With this, it means you've got a pile of taxes to pay. Talk to an accountant for the details—he'll tell you how much. Think of it as protection money for the US Government to keep your legal status.

"So don't blow all your cash. Not paying taxes is worse than breaking the law. The IRS is tougher than the FBI. They won't kill you, but they might squeeze you dry and sell you off to cover the bill.

"Then here's your work permit and proof. Since you might've just cashed checks before, I took the liberty of asking Old George to issue a pay stub.

"From now on, make a copy before cashing a check for tax filing. And here's your driver's license and the car transfer papers. The plates are included, so no need to swap.

"All of this is legit. Even the FBI can't find a problem. So if you're planning anything shady, don't tarnish this identity. Some of this stuff was a pain to get."

Henry hesitated, then asked, "That simple?"

"This is Alaska. Besides here, places like Hawaii or Saipan—overseas territories—make it easier to get these things. But Hawaii's a tourist hotspot, lots of eyes. This godforsaken place? Nobody bothers to check."

Tom explained: "The government has some perks to keep these non-contiguous territories running. The actual process isn't as strict as the mainland.

"But when I say the FBI won't find a problem, it's because these documents are legal. If they really dug for flaws, they'd find plenty. So don't ever put yourself in that position. You get me?"

"Got it." Henry packed up the documents, confirming what each was for.

Once Henry had everything stowed, Tom switched to small talk: "You taking this bundle onto George's boat?

"If it ends up feeding the King Crabs, I can't replace it. Even if you wanted to start over, the records are already filed. That'd be a hassle, you know."

Henry set down the kraft envelope and took a sip of coffee. "Met George this morning. He said the Annie No. 21 won't be back in port for two more days. No work today. With him looking out for me, I don't want to sign on with anyone else's boat."

Tom agreed: "Right. Who you work with matters more than how much you earn. But young folks these days don't see it that way."

"Ha. In the end, it's all about making money. If that so-called 'right person' just wants to trick you into working for free with talk of loyalty and a bright future, would you go for it?"

"No way. Like you said, it's all about making the damn money." Tom shifted gears. "If you've got nothing today, want a gig? Earn some extra cash."

"What kind of gig?"

"Go check something out for me at a place. Just take a look. It's not far—You can make it back today."

"Hmm. Does it have to do with those two who left before me?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no." Tom's answer was deliberately vague.

"Then forget it. I've got a feeling getting tangled up with them would be trouble."

Tom didn't push. He raised his hands. "Fine. Your choice."

Henry said casually, "Didn't know you moonlighted as an info broker."

"In this backwater, with no shot at a Crab Boat, you've got to hustle to get by. If I didn't get seasick, I'd be a captain by now, let alone a pro crabber."

"Buy a boat, let someone you trust run it," Henry suggested.

Tom just laughed. "The waters run deep. You wouldn't get it."

New book, requesting follow-up reads, collections, and recommendations. Thanks~~