Barry ran through the streets of the Metropolis, and he had noticed that compared to Los Angeles, there weren't many homeless people on the streets of the Metropolis. This place was cold and coastal, with those very cold winds blowing. The street structure here was not designed for cold protection, which led many streets to become wind tunnels. In the current temperature, being blown by the cold wind for a dozen minutes would mean there's no need for rescue.
Some were found in windy alleys. Most of them wore thick cotton clothes, also wrapped in sleeping bags, sitting in corners half-asleep. Not everyone was on drugs. Most people didn't move because the food they found didn't provide enough calories to support any activity. Sitting there meant they could better conserve energy.
Most of the homeless chose to gather together. Some centered around shelters, staying on streets near shelters so that if someone came out, they could go in.
The rest gathered around food distribution points. Within the radius of the three food distribution points, there would be the highest concentration of homeless people. One could easily figure out without complex calculations that if they wanted to have two meals a day, then from going to get food, lining up, receiving the food, returning, and then going for the next meal, it would completely use up the entire daytime.
Some might think there's no need to have two meals a day, since they aren't moving, one meal is enough. But in reality, it's not feasible, because the calories in the distributed food aren't as high as imagined. Moreover, going to get the food also consumes calories, and eating only one meal a day wouldn't meet the need.
Many relief meals seemed pretty decent, with meat patties, bread, and beans. But strangely, the high-calorie desserts often seen in bizarre videos, like syrup-drenched donuts, nearly half-meter-high ice creams, or huge tubs of sugar-oil mixtures, would never appear in the relief meals.
America is a place where syrup is so cheap it's almost free. Walk into any fast-food restaurant, and there's unlimited syrup in drinks or added to food, which is why the obesity rate is so high.
Yet, relief meals had nothing like syrup. Even pouring an extra spoonful of the cheapest corn syrup could give them enough energy for two more days, but it just wasn't there.
This was because the distributed relief meals controlled caloric content. This was to ensure the energy the homeless could obtain was just slightly higher than what they consumed daily in coming to pick up the food. That way, they'd have no time for anything else, every day was spent lining up for meals, eating, and going to pick up meals in an endless cycle.
Moreover, while the homeless might eat two meals, there are 3-4 food gathering points because many are unpredictably empty, causing many people to waste trips. This helps burn off any extra calories they had stored, bringing all stored fat to zero.
The aim was to exhaust the homeless person's energy, and also to keep them perpetually tied to the relief food distribution points. This way, they wouldn't appear near other communities, a method for managing urban security. Shelters worked similarly, always requiring waiting and competing to trap people.
Victor had accessed a lot of surveillance data, and Barry had made an on-site run, basically confirming the gathering areas of the homeless in the Metropolis, with the numbers roughly tallied.
Things were very bad. Barry walked with his phone, saying, "Many of them are too skinny, their fat nearly depleted. They can't survive this winter."
"Prioritize relocating this group," Diana said over the phone. "Avoid using force if possible, it's best to talk reasonably. Ron and I have found a good place, do you want to come and take a look?"
Seconds later, Barry appeared where Diana was. This was an abandoned factory, where some homeless already were, but since this place was remote, calling them homeless was more like calling them wilderness survivors. In small groups, they gathered around barrels for warmth, and surprisingly, someone was roasting a rabbit, clearly caught from the nearby hills.
They were wary of these outsiders, but clearly, Diana had already negotiated with them. So while they watched from afar, there were no aggressive moves.
"We can seal this area off," Ron said. "That way, the mountain winds won't blow through. This side faces the sun, we can open up this wall for better lighting. We'll install heating equipment underground that can almost cover the entire building."
Barry nodded, thinking it was a good idea. Diana reminded again, "Don't resort to kidnapping, causing panic would be troublesome. Talk to them nicely, some people will be willing. Once some structure forms, others will come voluntarily without our need to recruit."
At this time Hal also returned, saying, "The procurement is basically done, but the truck has yet to come over."
"What happened?" everyone asked with concern, "Is there a problem?"
"No," Hal shook his head. "I thought, just going up to them, they wouldn't trust us. How about I let the driver take the truck marked with relief signs around the city a few times, that way they'll know a new relief point has opened. They might want to come voluntarily, then it wouldn't be so hard to pick them up."
Everyone thought this method was great. So, Diana and Ron started building the base, Hal took care of the truck, Barry handled the publicity, Victor provided information and logistical support, and progress was soon made.
Some indeed couldn't survive. Because to get relief, they had to wake up early. More importantly, they had to walk fast, to get ahead in the line. If they arrived too late and the food was gone, the whole morning would've been wasted.
And because of their hunger, they couldn't run in the relief race in the afternoon and lost to others. This creates a vicious cycle: the weaker people can't compete, which makes them hungrier and weaker, with less energy, they can't withstand the cold, ultimately leading to a frozen and starved death.
Barry walked around a bit and found about a dozen such people, most of whom were relatively older. They were no longer able to go out to get relief, huddled in tents waiting for a kind fellow to give them a bit of charity or simply waiting to die.
When Barry mentioned a new relief point, they didn't really care. Even if they were tricked into being experimental subjects, at least they'd get a good meal, so they quickly nodded and agreed to leave.
However, transporting these people was not easy. Barry wouldn't dare take them into Divine Speed, as these elderly and infirm couldn't withstand such strain, so it was best to find a vehicle to transport them.
This kind of thing definitely couldn't be asked of a regular freight company—they wouldn't be willing to do it. The only option was to find a truck driver willing to take private jobs. Barry ran around the city and found a truck drivers' parking lot, but it seemed it wasn't the time for racing, as the lot was filled with trucks but no people.
Luckily, Victor quickly pulled up the drivers' phone numbers based on the license plates. Barry called them one by one, and to his surprise, after only five or six calls, someone agreed.
Barry waited in the chilly parking lot for a while. Soon, a brawny man walked out of a nearby shop, with tattoos adorned all over his bald head, holding a pile of chocolate bars in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. As he walked over, Barry felt a bit intimidated.
He swallowed, shook the brawny man's hand, and stuttered slightly, "Well... We've opened a new relief point in the suburbs and want to transport some homeless people over there..."
The brawny man squinted his eyes, scrutinized Barry for a moment, and said, "You don't look like you're from a medical institution."
"I'm not," Barry quickly added, "We're not selling bodies, nor are we conducting live dissections or drug trials. It's a genuine relief point. If you don't believe me, I can take you to see it."
The brawny man frowned, seeming reluctant to waste his time. But Barry reached out and touched his arm, and the next second, he was in the abandoned factory.
He widened his eyes at Barry, while Barry spread his palms and said, "We're superpower users. We believe our superpowers can help more people, which is why we're doing this. And of course, we're not asking for free help, we will pay you."
After taking the driver back, the truck driver hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, get in."
Barry got into the passenger seat of the truck and led him to the place where they had just negotiated to pick up the people. There were actually more than he imagined, about twenty, mostly elderly, with three or four women and a pregnant woman.
Along the way, there was some silence, as these people obviously hadn't communicated with anyone for a long time. And upon arrival, they didn't have much reaction, appearing numb. It wasn't until Ron lit a fire in a barrel and gave them some food that someone asked, "Can we stay here?"
"Of course, but only during winter," Ron thought for a moment, then said, "We can ensure you safely get through this winter. Perhaps when the weather warms up, you may try to find some employment."
Some among them nodded, while others simply ate in silence. Barry quietly asked Ron, "Can they find work?"
"As long as they're not doing drugs, it's possible," Ron replied, "If they can't find formal jobs, they can work illicitly."
Barry nodded. Earlier when he was roaming around the city, he noticed some restaurant districts, which indeed had a high demand for illicit workers. And the reason they can't use homeless people is because they focus too much on finding food and maintaining warmth, whereas there's no energy left to find jobs. But if they could provide for them throughout the winter, allowing their health to recover somewhat, those not on drugs could take illicit work.
This kind of job doesn't require a fixed address; it even provides meals and lodging. Except for lower pay and more effort, it's doable work. Although their fitness might not equal the workforce, as long as the asking rate is low, employers will certainly hire.
Generally, the reason regular homeless people can't do this is that they don't understand it upon first becoming homeless, can't find such work, and can't accept the gap. By the time they get used to the environment and know the ropes, their bodies are worn out, leaving them stuck in the cycle of seeking relief meals, just like everyone else.
This made Barry realize that the help they need isn't much. In fact, if they could continue eating full meals for a few consecutive days, accumulate a certain amount of fat in their bodies, and gain some strength, there's a chance they can rely on their strength to turn things around. This initial smoothness fired everyone up with more enthusiasm.