Hank and Bane

"'Husband and Wife Lung Slices'? 'Ants Climbing a Tree'?"

"Th... are these all food?"

Flipping through the menu in her hands, Nelly wore a strange expression.

Such bizarre names. Could it be...

Across from her, Fornia wore an innocent smile. "Little Nelly, I've heard of this dish. First, you need a loving married couple, then you take out their lungs..."

"Then you pair them with chili peppers and some beef..."

The corners of her lips curved upward. "Oh, right, you have to braise the lungs first. That way, they'll absorb more flavor!"

"Eek!!"

Nelly shuddered and flipped another page. "Y—you're injured right now, so you shouldn't eat spicy food. N-never mind, let's get something else."

The waitress beside them covered her mouth to keep from laughing aloud. After taking a deep breath, she explained, "Actually, Husband and Wife Lung Slices contains neither a married couple nor lung slices, just like Wife Cake!"

"What's Wife Cake?" How strange. Did people here get married by eating cakes?

"Um... What I mean is, this dish is actually made with beef tongue, tripe, and so on. This restaurant is a legitimate business."

"But it's spicy, right? She's injured, so spicy food isn't good for her." Nelly turned to look at Fornia, only to find her head lowered and her body trembling constantly, as if she were laughing herself sick.

Damn Fornia. She must have done that on purpose!

"She's injured?" the waitress asked, startled.

"Yes!"

"People in our country often say that eating something can replenish the same part of your body."

Hearing that, Nelly flipped back through the menu. "This Dongpo Pork Hock means a pig's hind leg, right? We'll have one of those."

Fornia: ...

"Fornia, is there anything you want to eat?" Nelly gave her a sweet smile and looked at her innocently.

Damn it, she's using cuteness against me!

Fornia's eyes darted away. In the end, she could only take the menu and order Almond Tofu, a dessert.

"Okay, then add one Almond Tofu. Thank you." Fornia merely pointed at it, but the waitress didn't see. Nelly had to repeat the order.

The waitress seemed to understand something. With a smile on her face, she left the private room.

"Enjoy your meal, you two!"

Haishi's new urban district.

A little over a month ago, this place had still been undeveloped wasteland. Now, high-rises had been built, housing many refugees.

Some of those affected had already died in the Honkai, some lay in hospitals, and the rest were either staying with relatives and friends or living here.

Why didn't they stay in hotels? They had been full for ages.

Besides, this wasn't something as simple as a fire or an earthquake. Anyone who had experienced the Honkai could turn into a monster or fall ill at any moment.

Gu Yan walked slowly.

Although much of the new urban district had already been completed, the population was enormous. Countless people in Haishi and the surrounding areas still had to sleep rough.

Fortunately, this country would not abandon them. Instead, it rallied the strength of the people to help them through the crisis.

Those who still had no place to stay could only settle down in corners of the buildings that had already been completed, using them to shield themselves from Haishi's slight winter chill.

Among them were many elderly people who had lost their children, as well as countless children who had lost their parents. They could only rely on kindhearted people for help as they struggled to survive in this world where the Honkai had begun.

However, at the foot of one residential building, Gu Yan spotted a strange person.

He was a foreign middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. His blond hair was slightly long and tied into a ponytail. Though his style was wild and carefree, it carried the weathered air of an old man in his twilight years.

He was still physically capable of working, with all four limbs intact, yet he sat cross-legged on the ground with a guitar resting on his legs. He was clearly "performing for money." Beside him, a golden retriever listened to its owner's playing with its eyes closed, seeming to enjoy it greatly.

What puzzled Gu Yan even more was that all of his audience were a group of... children?

Curious, Gu Yan approached the group of children, trying to blend in. Since he had arrived late, the music was already nearing its end, and he had missed the performance.

"How was it, children? Did you like it?" The man's Mandarin was extremely fluent, and his voice was gentle.

"It was great!"

"Uncle Hank's violin is the best I've ever heard!"

The man called Hank shook his head and smiled. "Oh, thank you, little darlings. But Uncle Hank's instrument is a guitar, not a violin."

"Right, Uncle Hank's guitar is the best too!"

Hank did not press the matter. Instead, he spread his hands and said, "Since you're all satisfied, hand over your treasures to Uncle Hank!"

The children did not seem reluctant. Excitedly, they took their little collections from their pockets one after another. Gu Yan glanced over them, raising his eyebrows.

The children's treasures were quite interesting. Some were oddly shaped leaves, some were unusually colored stones, and others were scraps of paper they had cut out themselves. Only a very few took out a coin.

Hank, however, wore a delighted expression, as if he had truly found priceless treasures.

"Wow, this stone is completely black! It must be the legendary obsidian. What a treasure. Uncle Hank will gladly accept it."

"Is this a paper dinosaur? I can't believe I got to see a dinosaur. What an incredible artist!"

The children whose "treasures" were praised were overjoyed, although Gu Yan knew very well that Hank was merely playing along with them.

"With so many good things, I can't keep hiding mine either. I remember your country has a saying. It's called... 'When one receives a gift, one should...'"

"Return the favor!" a little girl answered eagerly.

"That's right! Such a clever girl. Then I'll give this chocolate to you first!"

Taking a large handful of chocolates from his pocket, Hank handed one to the little girl. The other children's eyes lit up at once.

"Thank you!" The little girl unwrapped the chocolate and put it in her mouth, an expression of bliss appearing on her face. Then she remembered something and asked,

"Uncle Hank, can I hug Bane?"

"Of course, little girl. Bane is my best friend, and he likes you all very much too." Hank nodded slightly and reached out to stroke the golden retriever Bane's head.

Bane understood at once. He moved in front of the little girl and rubbed against her affectionately. She hugged him, her eyes filled with fondness.

"Now then, who gets the next chocolate?"

The children became excited. One after another, they raised their hands high. Some even stood up on tiptoe, afraid their hands were not high enough, and began competing with the others.

In some respects, the children's treasures were extremely precious. But whether in value or in the children's affection for them, they were far inferior to the chocolates.

Gu Yan had seen those chocolates before. A small piece cost twenty yuan, and for a long time before this, he had regarded them as luxury goods.

Gu Yan was puzzled. He did not know why Hank was doing this. It could not even solve Hank's own hunger.

Silently taking out two banknotes, he placed them among the pile of treasures.

"Sir, I don't have any chocolate for you, my grown-up friend."