A pile of milk crates was stacked neatly in the corner, repurposed into bookshelves and storage cabinets.
The most conspicuous thing was a makeshift table made of wooden planks. On it was a stack of newspapers and an iPad, its screen cracked but clearly charging.
"Pardon the humble abode," the man said, dusting himself off and sitting on an overturned paint bucket. "Make yourself comfortable."
"How do you get water?" Li Wei asked, sitting on another crate and looking at several large, white plastic barrels in the corner.
"Every morning at three," the man said, pointing to the barrels, "a few of us go to Central Park or a nearby fire hydrant to get water."
Li Wei looked at the well-spoken man before him, and the feeling of dissonance grew stronger.
"You seem like a well-educated person," Li Wei couldn't help but ask. "How did you end up living here?"
