The Thief

Because his daily work now includes hiding from the FBI and the police, Henry is never relaxed about his surroundings. The slightest disturbance will attract his attention. However, most of the time, he chooses not to interfere.

But today's situation was a bit different; a girl sneaked into the restaurant. She looked like an inexperienced novice about to do something naughty.

Not only did she attract Henry's attention, but the waiters and other customers in the restaurant also noticed her actions. It's just that no one openly stared at her.

She sneakily approached the restaurant's salad bar, and taking advantage of a lull when all the servers were busy, grabbed a few small round buns from the salad bar and then casually walked out.

Although the restaurant staff were busy, quite a few people were actually watching her. Some, seeing this, quickly put down what they were doing and tried to catch up with her.

Although the restaurant's salad bar and bread are provided free of charge to diners, those who are not dining there are obviously not allowed to take them, let alone engage in what is tantamount to theft.

One of the waiters immediately tried to chase after them.

Just as the female thief took off running and the waiter gave chase, Henry happened to block the waiter's path. She was a large woman; the skinny thief wouldn't have been able to withstand a single punch from her.

Henry took two bills and handed them to the waitress, saying, "One is for the bread, and the other is your tip. Is that alright?"

Both bills were five-cent notes, which was more expensive than many of their dishes, so there was no reason to refuse. The waitress stuffed the bills into her apron pocket, made a helpless expression, and said, "Don't do it again."

OK.

But the female thief, who should have fled, didn't leave the restaurant. Instead, she turned back, biting her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes, stubbornly stuffing the bread into Henry's hand, and turned to leave.

Henry grabbed the girl's hand, and just then, her stomach rumbled loudly. This made the girl, who had been looking indignant, blush instantly, leaving her both amused and exasperated.

Judging by appearance, this girl is probably not long after graduating from high school; she still has some baby fat, but her complexion doesn't look quite right.

Henry said, "How about I treat you to lunch, madam?"

The girl turned to look at the person, her face wary. Then she looked at her hand, which was being held.

This prompted Henry to release her, saying, "What If...? you don't want something for nothing, then in exchange, you'll be my model, and this lunch will be your payment."

This inexplicable condition made the girl even more wary. She touched the spot on her arm where she had been grabbed and cautiously took a step back.

Realizing there was something wrong with his words—after all, this city full of dreams also had its share of traps— Henry explained, "It's not some strange model, it's a sketch model."

"We don't need to go anywhere. Just wait until you finish your meal, then sit for five to ten minutes so I can finish the sketch. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"... Why?" the girl asked.

Henry picked up the sketchbook he had brought with him that day, flipped through a few landscape paintings, and showed them to the audience, saying, "I've experienced hunger; it's the most horrific torture in the world. So I know what that feels like."

"Judging from your clothes, you don't seem to be homeless, so this difficulty should only be temporary. It's just lunch; it's nothing to me."

As he spoke, the surrounding guests began to applaud and cheer for Henry's statement. In any case, kindness is always commendable.

Henry gestured to those around him, then quickly grabbed the girl who was trying to run away, saying, "You're here in Hollywood to chase your dreams too, right? If you're too shy, you won't survive in this industry."

The girl turned her head, staring wide-eyed, blinking rapidly.

Releasing his grip, Henry gestured to his table and said, "If you want to hear more, sit down. But don't expect to hear any success stories."

Turning his head, Henry waved to the waitress and said, "Menu, please."

The girl looked at the menu that had just been brought to her, and Henry said, "Order whatever you want. This isn't the time for you to act like a lady or pretend you have a small appetite."

Henry's joke immediately brought to mind a pair of dead fish eyes staring at a Deadman behind the menu. He chuckled and brushed it off. At the same time, he was observing the girl in front of him, feeling she looked vaguely familiar.

The girl was a typical blonde Caucasian with very good facial proportions. Her only notable feature was her deep-set eyes, which prevented her face from blending into the crowd.

Henry doesn't need to constantly use X-Ray Vision to look under people's clothes to comment on their figures. Not all nudity can be described as beautiful. Clothes are a good form of protection, shielding others from view.

The girl sitting there was wearing a long-sleeved casual spring outfit that didn't accentuate her figure, making it difficult to assess her physique. However, judging from her wrists and palms, she appeared to be a bit fleshy.

She's not quite fat yet, but she's still a far cry from the morbid aesthetic standards of models.

The girl ordered several high-calorie dishes in one go, clearly intending to eat enough to last three days. In her view, she had already paid a price—being the other party's sketch model. So, there was no need to be polite; she should eat her fill.

Henry, of course, didn't stop them. Six hundred thousand dollars in illicit funds—that'd be enough to feed them for a hundred years at this family-run restaurant. He wouldn't feel the pinch spending such a small amount.

In that instant, Henry suddenly connected the girl in front of him with a certain future famous ice queen. If she were just a little thinner, she would look a lot like that person.

Could it really be that perfect? Henry wondered to himself.

"Hello." The girl waved in front of Henry, as if trying to get his attention.

Coming to his senses, Henry asked, "What's wrong?"

The girl asked, "Are you an actor?"

Henry honestly replied, "I'm registered with the Actors Guild and have acted in a few movies. But I was just a background extra, and those movies never made it to theaters; they were all B-movies that went straight to the video market."

"Oh," the girl said, sounding disappointed.

Henry laughed, "That's why I said, don't expect to hear any success stories. People like me are everywhere in Hollywood."

"So this road is difficult?" the girl asked.

"I should say there are many other things I can do, so I'm not actively seeking opportunities as an actor. For example, I later became someone's assistant, the salary was good, and I did it for a year or two."

"Then why did you stop doing it?"

"My boss has passed away. I can't exactly go to heaven and stay with her, can I?" Henry laughed.