Chatting on the Way Home

Before leaving the small airport, there was an airport usage fee to pay. This was mainly because the airport management had cleared the snow from the runway in advance to make landings safer. They weren't just sitting there taking money for nothing.

Henry paid the fare and watched the propeller plane leave. He then sat in the co-pilot's seat in Old Tom's car and followed.

The radio was playing country music, a genre many Old Bai men enjoy. It was playing John...

Denver's classic song, "Take Me Home, Country Road".

As they drove off, old Tom said, "Hey kid, I didn't expect you to do so well since you went to Los Angeles. Even the newspapers here in Alaska have been reporting on you."

"Hmm, let me guess what kind of news it is?" "An outsider venturing into Hollywood has invested an exorbitant amount in a doomed Titanic —is that the news?"

"Ha, don't be angry. You know how that world king viewed you after he was crowned at the Oscars."

"A complete novice who got lucky and rode the wave of director Cameron's popularity to stand above numerous film company bosses." Is that it?

Old Tom laughed and said, "Haha, success is success. Don't pay attention to what those jealous guys say. Their Venom words are either meant to destroy you or to deny your success."

"It's precisely because journalists are generally ignorant that they created the Pulitzer Prize to recognize those who occasionally shine and say something that isn't so stupid."

Henry laughed heartily after hearing Old Tom's explanation. "Such a fresh and interesting viewpoint! This is the first time I've heard of it!" "Isn't that right? Precisely because most people can't do it, we should commend those who do."

What If...? something is commonplace for everyone, then what's the point of giving a reward?

"That's true." Henry then asked, "Any news from Alaska?"

Over the past few years, although Henry would send something to old Tom every two or three months, he never inquired about his family's affairs.

Whatever changes occurred in Alaska wouldn't affect his mood. This wasn't Henry's home; it was just a stop along his journey.

Of course, there aren't that many things to discuss in Alaska. Besides, it's just two men on the phone. Even disregarding the phone bill, who has the keen observation skills to see every single day in detail?

Now, people ask these questions not only face-to-face, but also to pass the time.

Sure enough, old Tom said, "What could possibly change here? It was like this a hundred years ago, and it will be like this a hundred years from now."

"If there's any difference between when you were here and now, it's that Old George retired a few years ago. He handed over the captaincy of the Annie 21 to one of his nephews and now he's just a shipowner."

George Jefferson III, owner and captain of the crab boat Annie 21, which Henry once sailed on. He was one of the most respected old captains in the port.

Henry was quite surprised and asked, "I thought he would stay as captain forever. Why did he retire?"

"His two children are working and have started their own families. Now it's just him and his wife here, and they earn enough to enjoy their retirement. Why should they continue to risk their lives at sea?"

"That's true. Don't you plan to move to a more comfortable climate to retire? Still want to stay in town?"

Where can we move to?

"Hmm, Hawaii?"

"Isn't that still by the sea?"

Is this your standard? As long as it's away from the beach, it's fine.

There's no point in arguing with an old man who's practically on his deathbed. Henry turned and asked, "What about Old John? His bar business must be just as bad."

"Anyone who dares to enter his bar during the day should be prepared to have their face washed. This is common knowledge far and wide. So how good can his bar business be? He probably doesn't care. Anyway, he's already far from starving here."

In retrospect, Old John's bar operation seemed more like a sign-in system. If someone missed a sign-in day, the others would immediately suspect something was wrong.

The fact that the sheriff broke down the door and found him immediately proves this point. It's just that the old man didn't suffer an accident; his time simply came, and he passed away peacefully.

They chatted idly along the way, exchanging a few words here and there, with Henry occasionally glancing at Kitty in the back of the truck.

The Alaska winter doesn't affect Tiger with their thick winter fur as much as one might imagine. At least this Tiger didn't seem to feel any discomfort, or perhaps it was deliberately curling up to keep warm.

It just lay on its side, looking up at the unique scenery. It rarely snows in Los Angeles, and even at Sheep Cave Valley Laboratory, where it frequents, the snow is rarely deep enough to cover its entire legs.

So this snowy scene also attracted the Tiger's attention. It would sniff the air from time to time, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, and listen to the whispers of animals in the mountains that were not hibernating, searching for food. Although most of what it heard was the sound of car engines.

If I could get out of the car and run around, I can't imagine how wonderful that would be.

Fortunately Kryptonian don't have mind-reading abilities, so Henry wouldn't know Kitty's thoughts. Otherwise, he would definitely use weight loss as an excuse to let Kitty play a snow chase and see if she could catch up with Ford's proud F150 pickup truck.

The town was reached quickly. Funeral procedures in Europe and America are largely the same, especially for those who have experienced the lives of Audrey Hepburn and Howard...

Henry, who attended the funerals of two prominent Stark figures, was quite familiar with the place.

In sparsely populated Alaska, burial is still the practice, with people being buried in the cemetery next to the Church. This nameless town also has a small Church, but there is no Priest residing there; only a believer who also manages it and maintains the environment.

The itinerant Priest in charge of this parish will come regularly to celebrate Mass. He doesn't come every Sunday; rather, he schedules it according to the parish's schedule.

Since it was already the second day, Old John had already been prepared, placed in a coffin, and laid to rest in his bar.

When Henry arrived, he saw that Old John's bar was packed with people in broad daylight. If he himself saw this scene, he would be so angry that he would jump out of his coffin.

It was as if everyone was doing it on purpose, deliberately gathering together. After all, when Old John was around, his bar was like a forbidden zone during the day; anyone who came would get scolded. If they didn't cause trouble while he was dead, when else could they?

Seeing this, Henry knew he hadn't made a mistake this time. Old Tom parked the car, and several nosy old men looked out. Even though the Kryptonian now had a full beard and his long hair was casually tied in a ponytail, he was still recognized.

"Henry! You're back! That's quite a surprise."

Henry lifted the intact case of liquor from the back of the truck and said, "Old man, open the door for me. You guys didn't drink all the liquor in broad daylight, did you?"

Upon seeing the familiar premium whisky label on the outside of the box, the group of old-timers' eyes lit up, and they opened the door with fawning smiles.

"It's a shame you missed yesterday's revelry. Everyone deliberately came to enjoy the daytime wine. Luckily, you brought some good wine, so we can make up for it today."

Henry muttered, "If Old John knew, he'd be furious. Oh, no, he's dead."

Everyone burst into laughter, and not a single person showed any sign of sadness. But there was not a trace of mockery in their laughter. Henry knew that...

This isn't a sign of disrespect for the late Old John; it's simply a way of bidding him farewell in a joyful manner.

Unfortunately, I was the only young person present. If there were more, we could have put on a funeral procession to send off the old man.

At that moment, Kitty yelled from the back of the truck, startling the old men.

However, this group wasn't frightened like the young people; they simply turned to Henry and asked, "Is this big cat real?"

I thought it was some kind of specimen or statue you brought back.