Street performance

Located in the northern part of Los Angeles, Hollywood has grown into a world-famous city after more than half a century of development. It is not only the top film factory globally but also represents the essence of the American film industry. It has become one of the most popular tourist attractions worldwide.

In this world of movies, Hollywood Boulevard acts like a winding river, connecting Hollywood in its entirety. The entire street is always filled with a bustling atmosphere, rivaling the renowned Times Square as the world's crossroads. The east-west street bears the signs of both modern prosperity and historical heritage. The entertainment and fashion showcases on both sides of the road are like natural stages, providing a glamorous display for everyone. In the distance, the Hollywood sign, Universal Studios, and numerous film shooting locations encapsulate the unique charm of this movie city, blurring the line between being in a movie and the real world.

This section of Hollywood Boulevard, stretching from Gower Street in the east to La Brea Avenue in the west, is famously known as the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Over two thousand stars are embedded on this pedestrian walkway, with each star representing an individual's outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry. Although the nomination and confirmation process of receiving a star continues to face numerous criticisms, it does not diminish the attention and authoritative status of the Walk of Fame. Earning a place on this walkway is a significant reward for anyone.

Since the first star was unveiled on this boulevard in 1960, forty-two years have passed. Although more than two thousand stars now bear names, they are still just a very small portion compared to the vast number of participants in the entertainment industry. Therefore, the significance of the Walk of Fame for most people lies in commemoration, sightseeing, and remembrance. This has also made the Walk of Fame a beloved performance venue for street performers in the streets of Los Angeles.

From the rising sun in the morning, various performers start their day's work on the Walk of Fame. Especially in front of the bustling Hollywood & Highland entertainment complex, it always becomes a fiercely contested area for street performers.

As the sun set, the lively scene on the pedestrian walkway didn't diminish; instead, it became even livelier. The fiery sunset painted a vivid picture of the crowd bustling shoulder to shoulder. Near a lamppost close to La Brea Avenue, a ragged homeless man laid weakly on the ground, extending his right hand in an attempt to stop pedestrians, hoping someone would spare some change. The blood-red light cast upon the homeless man, revealing the dirty patches on his body. Those who saw him instinctively furrowed their brows and quickly detoured, avoiding his presence.

Homeless wanderers are not uncommon in Los Angeles. Homeless beggars picking up trash, disheveled street kids, and mentally drained drug addicts... you can see quite a few of them when looking around on the streets. However, the division of neighborhoods in Los Angeles is clear, and the activity areas for these homeless individuals are limited. They tend to stay within specific areas and are rarely seen in upscale and affluent districts or financial areas. Although there is no specific boundary determining their presence, similar to areas like Chinatown or Little Tokyo, these homeless individuals always know their "belonging" and refrain from entering the territory of the wealthy white population. The riots caused by the Rodney King incident in April were evidently an exception.

However, the activity area for these homeless individuals evidently does not include Hollywood Boulevard, so it is uncommon to see them here. When passing by this homeless man, many people subconsciously looked around for police officers on the street to prevent any disorderly incidents. Police patrols were frequent, especially with the lingering aftermath of the Rodney King incident. But all these passersby were disappointed because just less than a hundred yards away from the homeless man, two police officers stood there, evidently having no intention to drive away the homeless.

The locals of Los Angeles quickly realized that this homeless man must have obtained a permit for street performance through the City Hall, and once the police officers confirmed it, they naturally wouldn't expel him. Cities like New York and Los Angeles always attract numerous street performers, and to regulate and manage them, it is not possible for just anyone to take their guitar and perform on the streets. It's a different nature than setting up a stall anywhere. Therefore, street performers who want to obtain legal performance permits can submit an application to the City Hall and earn themselves a spot on the streets. Clearly, this homeless man should be one of the permitted performers.

However, for visitors and tourists, they cannot comprehend the intricacies involved. After all, very few people would associate a destitute homeless man with a splendid street performance. Consequently, almost every passerby furrowed their brows and bypassed him, filled with doubts and incomprehension about the safety of the Walk of Fame, continuing on their way.

At this moment, a tall guy carrying a guitar walked by with steady strides, but he had his head down, seemingly lost in thought. Such pedestrians are common on the streets of Los Angeles. Although the most famous music academies in the United States seem to be concentrated in New York, and Broadway has become one of the landmarks of the city, Los Angeles is the global hub for theaters. From drama to symphony and art communities, the music scene in Los Angeles is as prominent as the fame of Hollywood movies. Various genres of West Coast music have developed and flourished in this city, not to mention that the most authoritative and prestigious Grammy Awards originated in Los Angeles.

Therefore, the music flows slowly in this city, and independent musicians of various colors and styles are countless.

The guy seemed to be too absorbed in his thoughts, to the point that he didn't notice the homeless man on his left side. The homeless man extended his left hand, accidentally hooking the guy's left foot. The guy lost his balance and almost collided with a lady in front of him. Realizing his mistake, he quickly grabbed the lady and continuously apologized. The lady was initially unharmed, but due to the guy's apology, she waved her hand to indicate that she was fine.

However, before the guy and the lady could say anything else, a wailing cry came from beside them, "My hand, Jesus Christ, my hand!" The sharp cry sounded agitated and eerie, "My hand must be broken, my hand!"

Turning around, they saw that it was the homeless man who shouted.

The homeless man's voice caused the dozen or so people around the sidewalk to stop in their tracks. Some quickly walked away, not wanting to get involved, while others stayed to watch the commotion. Some began discussing what had happened. For a while, it attracted quite a bit of attention in the vicinity.

"Sir, ma'am, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry." The guy's face was filled with panic, and his youthful and inexperienced expression clearly conveyed his confusion. As the homeless man's voice was somewhat rough and difficult to distinguish, the guy apologized incoherently. He even knelt down directly, preparing to check on the homeless man's condition.

But before the guy's hand could touch him, the homeless man screamed again, "You want to break my hand, you damn guy! Do you want to kill me?" The piercing sound was as unpleasant as the sound of glass scraping on a chalkboard, making people feel very uncomfortable.

The pedestrians around immediately became agitated because anyone with eyes could see that the guy didn't do anything at all, and the homeless man started screaming. It was obvious that the homeless man saw the young guy and wanted to extort money from him. It was too obvious. However, none of the onlookers took the initiative to intervene, but someone called the nearby police officer. Yet, no one reminded the guy.

The guy seemed completely oblivious to everything, frantically looking at the homeless man in front of him. "Ambulance, do we need to call an ambulance?" The guy's youthful face was filled with confusion. His clear eyes appeared so helpless and innocent, evoking sympathy. Beads of sweat even appeared on his bright forehead, making one suspect that he might cry at any moment. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought just now. I really didn't notice. I didn't mean to do it." The guy explained in a flustered manner. "Let me help you up, don't lie down."

While saying this, the guy reached out to grab the homeless man's shoulder. However, as soon as his hand touched the shoulder, the homeless man immediately jumped up from the ground, completely devoid of the previous appearance of weakness. "What! Sexual assault! This person tried to sexually assault me!"

What's going on? The onlookers were all stunned. Could this homeless man be a woman?

The homeless man sat up against a lamppost, grabbing their own collar, glaring fiercely at the guy. The ferocious look sent shivers down people's spines. "Don't you dare touch me! If you don't give me an explanation today, don't even think about leaving!"

"What...what?" The guy was terrified and couldn't articulate his words clearly. His innocent eyes were on the verge of being filled with clear tears.

The homeless man gritted their teeth fiercely, stepping forward step by step, scaring the guy into continuously retreating. "You broke my hand and tried to assault me. If you don't compensate me, I'll sue you in court!"

"Money? What money? I don't have any money." The guy was completely overwhelmed. Finally, someone among the spectators couldn't bear it any longer and stepped forward to speak up for the guy, but before the words could come out, they were fiercely stared at by the homeless man, who then shouted, "Do you all want to gang up on a homeless person? Or is someone willing to pay for him?"

The ferocious tone didn't sound like that of a woman at all, but rather reminded people of fierce creatures like a mastiff. Although everyone believed that the homeless man was trying to scam money, no one was certain whether the homeless person was actually injured or not, so they were momentarily taken aback. Fortunately, the police officer arrived just in time!