Oaks' Acorn

A forest-themed bar isn't really a big deal.

You can find several in New York alone, let alone across the whole country.

But the forest-themed bar at Benevolence Society headquarters, "Oak Bar," is completely different.

First off, everyone's already used to treehouses that actually grow, since that's how Benevolence Society's offices are built.

But when everyone saw Oaks placing giant acorns in front of himself, their expressions turned a bit strange.

"President, I know your name is Oak, but that doesn't seem like a reason to hand out acorns—though I've never seen ones this big."

The Benevolence Society members wouldn't raise objections. If the Benevolence Society were a religion, Oaks wouldn't just be the pope—he'd be a divine envoy. They simply wouldn't question him.

Still, they all perked up their ears at Melinda's question.

The acorns handed to them were as big as large coconuts, while normal ones were at most as tall as a thumb.

"Fellow members of the Benevolence Society, in your hands is my latest invention, and one of our future flagship products—the Drink Acorn!"

Oaks announced solemnly, and everyone stared in shock—

An acorn that can be a drink?

Melinda picked up an acorn, shook it, and grinned:

"There's actually liquid inside? Isn't this just a coconut with a different shell?"

"No, no, no, completely different... Please pull up the stem of the acorn... Yes, just like that."

Oaks picked up a large acorn, pulled its stem, revealing a straw-like tube inside:

"All-natural, zero processing, and multiple flavors... Give it a try."

Melinda opened her mouth and tentatively took a sip—

"Whoa! This is... watermelon juice?! Isn't this an acorn?!"

"Hey! Mine's mango-flavored!"

"Mine's apple juice!"

"This is grape juice!"

"Of course orange juice is here!"

"Hehe, dragon fruit juice!"

"Shh—! This, this is lemon juice! Uh..."

"Cough, cough... bitter, bitter melon juice..."

Seems like some weird ones snuck in.

But Melinda fully understood what the "Drink Acorn" was.

It was genetically modified plants, growing juice as fruit, and even the damn straw grew out of it!

"Just this one thing, and it's a goldmine..."

Melinda knew exactly what this meant.

In this world, there was no fear of GMO food—weren't there plenty of freaks from eating normal food?

No wonder Oaks had been so confident about having a profit channel. Once this hit the market, it would explode.

And Melinda had already seen the fruiting ability of those bizarre trees in Little Rainforest.

Cost? Even concentrated juice cost more than this!

"Whoa, looks like I missed something?"

A feigned surprised voice sounded at the door. Oaks twitched his mouth:

"Hey, Tony, you didn't say you were coming."

"New York's too lively today, can't focus on checking out the ladies—so why not a city forest getaway?"

Tony Stark took off his sunglasses and spread his arms dramatically:

"Oh buddy, gotta say, this place is a real resort. If you built a sanatorium here, even the President would be interested!"

"Uh, I'm not interested in the President. Low-key, low-key."

Oaks nodded at Pepper, who was smiling behind Tony:

"Welcome to the Benevolence Society, Miss Pepper. Your help with Zhang has been a huge favor."

"Tony's a shareholder in the Benevolence Society, so as his assistant, it's my job.

Also, today's the Chinese Spring Festival. Happy holiday, Oaks—Tony wanted to say that."

Pepper looked a bit embarrassed as Tony's attention was already drawn to the giant acorns everyone was holding, and she gave an apologetic look.

"Thanks. He's still the same old guy."

Oaks made a gesture for Pepper to come to the bar, while Melinda silently observed them with interest.

"Hey, buddy, this is so cool!"

Tony had already picked one of the large acorns from the row on the bar and was turning it over in his hands:

"Oh, let's see what it says here... Passion Fruit? Hmm... top-tier in terms of flavor, shame it's not whiskey, though coffee would've worked too."

"All-natural means you can only grow Drink Acorns that correspond to fruits found in nature, but looks like you're not too interested in juice?"

Oaks saw Pepper already delightedly picking out an acorn under Melinda's introduction, and shrugged at Tony, who seemed a bit unenthusiastic:

"I'm still working on developing Plant-Based Beef. In the future, you'll be able to eat a burger that grows from a tree."

"Uh... it still feels kind of weird. Maybe I'll give it a try, but I still prefer a cheeseburger."

Tony winced, but the odd feeling didn't stop him from recognizing what a monumental invention this was.

"By the way, since you're here, I've got something for you."

Oaks gestured for Melinda to look after Pepper and led Tony to a corner of the bar.

"What's up?"

Tony couldn't help glancing at Pepper... and then at Melinda beside her.

"Yeah, the mature ones have a charm of their own."

"Mel could knock you into a concussion with one punch. And, she's a disciple of Ms. Carter."

"Who?!"

Tony shuddered, staring incredulously at Melinda, who seemed to glance their way:

"Don't tell me you mean that Ms. Carter?"

"Ah, one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D., Ms. Peggy Carter—I only found out by chance after becoming a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant."

Tony winced, still shaken—

He'd already decided to stay far away from the Carter women.

"Uh, what was that thing you were going to give me?" He thought Oaks didn't know about his connection to Peggy Carter, and figured changing the subject was a good move.

"Here, this is for you—a shareholder certificate for the Benevolence Society."

Tony's mouth twitched as he watched Oaks pull out a string of Acorn Bracelets and set it on the bar:

"Uh, I'm used to wearing a watch."

The bracelet was made of twelve small, handsome acorns, looking plain and unadorned.

"You can wear both, no conflict. It has a special effect."

"Special effect? It's not going to make me more charming, is it?"

Tony grabbed the bracelet with a skeptical look and slipped it onto his left wrist—then froze.

"This..."

The moment the bracelet went on, Tony felt a jolt of energy. The lingering traces of last night's hangover vanished instantly, and his mind was clearer than ever!

"How is it?"

"...Thanks."

After a long pause, Tony managed to force out those two words.

For a genius of his caliber, Oaks' gift meant far more than it would for an ordinary person.

"It adjusts your body's condition, eliminates fatigue, and accelerates wound healing—until the acorns turn black. And in a critical moment, you can smash one open and eat the pulp. The effect..."

Oaks paused, then said with pointed seriousness:

"One acorn equals a bottle of Recovery Serum. In certain situations, that's a life."

"I'm heading out for half a year next month. Take care of yourself—and it's best not to take it off."