Birthday Banquet

Her eyes widened, and her small cherry lips fell open. She stammered, "Y-you... you..."

The Big-Breasted Woman's reaction drew the attention of her companions.

The Six-Arms man turned around, grumbling, "Poison Scorpion, what kind of trouble are you causing now? Huh?"

Then he saw Reke and let out a startled cry.

The others in the group who didn't recognize Reke were baffled, unable to understand why one of their leaders was acting this way.

Bald Man, who recognized Reke too, looked surprised and delighted. He hurried over to Reke, bowed, and said, "My lord, it's an honor to see you again."

Watching this unfold, Reke scratched his head, a hint of confusion crossing his face. "You know me?"

Reke had completely forgotten when he'd met this man before.

"I had the good fortune of going on a mission with you ten years ago, my lord," Bald Man replied respectfully.

As he looked at them, Reke searched through his memories, finally recalling where he'd encountered them.

He nodded slightly. "So it was you. Make sure you eat plenty tonight."

Just then, the elevator arrived. Reke stepped inside and gestured for Bald Man and the others to join him.

"My lord, please go ahead. We'll take the next one."

The Big-Breasted Woman and the Six-Arms man had also recovered by now. They stood behind Bald Man and bowed to Reke.

Reke said no more and closed the elevator doors.

"Guild Leader, who is that?"

One of the people who didn't recognize Reke looked at Bald Man curiously.

Bald Man shook his head and warned them, "I don't know the full story either. Just remember not to provoke him. If you die, no one will avenge you."

The elevator stopped on the ninth floor. As soon as Reke stepped out, the aroma in the air caught his attention.

He walked straight to a dining table, picked up a plate of steak, and tipped it into his mouth.

He'd eaten only half the dishes at one table when someone interrupted him. Reluctantly, he looked down at the little girl tugging on his pant leg.

"Uncle Reke, you came here and didn't even come see me. You just hid here and ate by yourself." The little girl gazed up at Reke with big, expressive eyes, pouting as if she were furious.

"Xin Xin, don't bother Uncle Reke while he's eating. He'll come find you when he's done." Reke ignored Xin Yue's angry expression and turned his attention back to the other food.

Xin Yue knew exactly what Reke was like. She spread her little wings and flew into the air, circling him over and over. It was her special way of dealing with him.

"Xin Xin, why don't you go find your big brother Dong Kang?" Reke asked as he ate a cup of ice cream, hoping to send the little rascal away.

Only Xin Yue dared to bother him while he was eating. Anyone else would have been swatted away or destroyed on the spot.

"No, no! Big Brother Dong Kang is such a coward. Last time I asked him to come out and play with me, he wouldn't. He even told my mom, and then I couldn't go."

"Ahem! You call that playing? You were going to leave the city and go into the wilderness by yourself!" Reke nearly choked.

"I was just curious," Xin Yue said with an embarrassed smile.

"Lola, where are you? Come take Xin Xin away!" Reke had no idea what to do with the little girl, so he resorted to the ultimate summoning technique.

Lola had spotted Reke and her daughter long ago. She had no intention of helping him out. Watching Reke suffer amused her.

She pretended not to hear him calling. Then she stopped keeping an eye on them and went to find Pat and the others.

Lan Xin had been drinking with Bellis. Hearing Reke's voice, he was about to go over, but Bellis grabbed him and wouldn't let him leave.

After calling for a long while without anyone coming, Reke guessed what Lola was up to and looked at Xin Yue, who wore a triumphant expression.

A mischievous smile appeared on Reke's face. He reached out with an oil-smeared hand and pinched Xin Yue's chubby cheeks.

"Ah! Uncle Reke, you're so mean! You got my face all dirty!" Xin Yue cried out, flapping her wings as she hurriedly backed away and protested.

"Let's see if you'll still bother me, you little rascal." Reke laughed, hands on his hips.

Xin Yue's face flushed red with anger. She charged at Reke, flew right over his head, grabbed his hair, and started beating him up.

With the little girl no longer blocking his view, Reke ignored her as she continued pummeling his hair and went to wage battle at another dining table.

Only after he'd eaten his fill did Reke pull the exhausted little girl off his head. She had fallen asleep there.

Carrying Xin Yue, he found Lola and confronted her. "Lola, did you do that on purpose? I could clearly sense your aura nearby. The moment I called you, you ran off."

"Don't be ridiculous. Someone needed me for something." Lola knew Reke's temper too well to admit to it.

"You know the truth. Keep an eye on her yourself. I'm leaving." Reke handed Xin Yue to Lola.

"But you just got here. Aren't you going to wait for Xin Xin to wake up?"

"I've eaten my fill. Xin Xin won't wake up anytime soon. She kept fussing on my head for over half an hour. See you in eight years." Reke patted his round belly and spoke casually.

"What? You're leaving for that long?" Lola asked loudly, wondering if she'd heard him right.

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, a crowd gathered around them.

Pat asked, "Eighth Sister, what's going on?"

Lola explained that Reke was leaving for eight years.

No one could believe it. They couldn't understand why Reke would be gone for so long.

Lan Xin spoke first. He didn't ask why, only pleaded, "Brother Lei, take me with you."

"Reke, did something happen?" Pat asked. Though he'd stepped back from the front lines, he spent most of his time in the wilderness, searching for undiscovered life forms.

"I'm going to seek a breakthrough. I don't know how long it'll take, but I'll definitely be back when the spaceship is finished. Then I'll be leaving Udrapa Planet." Reke briefly explained his plans.

"Lan Xin, you don't need to come with me. You'd just be in the way. You should marry Shaniu soon and give your mother a grandchild to look after."

Reke coldly rejected Lan Xin, then even offered him advice.

After that, Reke glanced around at everyone from the Budaso Adventure Team, turned his back on them, and waved as he walked away without a backward glance.

Lan Xin watched Reke's retreating figure in a daze. After hearing his explanation, he realized it might be a long time before he saw Reke again.

Even though Reke had said he'd come back for the spaceship in eight years, there was no telling whether he'd see them then. Knowing Reke, disappearing without a word was something he could easily do.

"Sidekick, I'll stay with you and wait at Professor Plus's place in eight years." Bellis took Lan Xin's hand and spoke softly.

"Thank you, Bellis."