Dinner and a Billion

Chen Hao picked up his knife and fork, cut off a piece of steak, and put it into his mouth.

The beef juices burst open at once, the bite of black pepper mingling with the rich aroma of meat, making it genuinely hard to stop eating.

He then picked up a piece of salmon sushi, dipped it in soy sauce, and narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

Android 18 sat across from him, resting her face in her hands, her pink hair draping over her shoulders.

The restaurant's soft lighting fell across her fair skin, casting faint shadows along her neck and cheeks.

She tilted her head and secretly watched Chen Hao. Wisps of hair obscured part of her view, yet made her expression seem especially intent.

Her fingers idly twirled a small lock of hair, a barely perceptible smile lingering at the corners of her lips.

As Chen Hao continued cutting his steak, he looked up and met her gaze. "What is it?" The crisp clink of knife and fork against the plate made the question sound even more like a signal breaking the silence.

Android 18 gently shook her head, her hair swaying with the movement and scattering fragmented glimmers beneath the lights.

After a brief pause, she sighed. "I just think... it's strange."

Chen Hao set down his knife and fork and lifted his wineglass. With a gentle turn of his wrist, the red wine slowly swirled within it.

Its fragrance seemed to drift into the air.

"What's strange?" he asked.

Android 18's gaze passed over Chen Hao's shoulder, toward the night outside, where colorful neon lights flickered.

The lights reflected off the glass and into her eyes, like rippling water.

"Back then, my brother and I were controlled by the android system, locked in Dr. Gero's laboratory—when we woke up, all we saw were metal walls and smelled disinfectant. Every day, we were scanned and modified. There was almost no freedom in our lives." She raised a hand and lightly brushed the edge of her white porcelain plate. "I never imagined that one day we could sit in a warm restaurant like this, watch the traffic outside, and enjoy a real dinner."

"Aren't you living that life now?" Chen Hao asked, raising his glass and taking a small sip.

The wine spread across his tongue, its fruity notes and tannins unfolding in layers.

"Yes." Android 18 sighed softly, a hint of daze in her eyes.

Her fingers tapped twice on the tabletop. "But it still doesn't feel real. Like I've had a very, very long dream, and I don't know when I'll wake up."

Chen Hao set down his glass and leaned forward, his gaze as warm as sparks in the deep night. "Then enjoy it properly. Life is meant to be enjoyed." He smiled, a faint tenderness flowing from the fine lines at the corners of his eyes.

Android 18 looked at him. In her eyes reflected the restaurant's gently flickering candlelight, along with Chen Hao's tender face.

The corners of her lips gradually lifted, like the first ray of sunlight when ice and snow began to melt—soft and bright.

"Chen Hao."

"Hm?" Chen Hao had just picked up a piece of lobster meat and was about to put it into his mouth.

"I have a question." Android 18 suddenly turned serious. She sat up straight, folded her hands on the table, and looked directly at Chen Hao.

"Why did you help me? Not just by saving my brother, but also by telling me about Buu. Those things had nothing to do with you. You could have ignored them completely."

Chen Hao set down his knife and fork, the sound exceptionally crisp.

A piano melody flowed softly through the restaurant, while the night outside quietly deepened.

He slowly raised his head and gazed into Android 18's blue eyes, as though an entire ocean lay hidden within them.

"Because you're Android 18." His voice was low and resolute, every word seeming carved into his heart.

Android 18 froze, surprise flashing through her eyes. "That's it?"

"That's right." Chen Hao smiled openly, lightly fiddling with the salt shaker on the table. "That's enough."

She was stunned.

Time seemed to catch on that single second.

Android 18 looked into Chen Hao's deep eyes and found her own reflection there—not the version of herself from the laboratory, but the real, whole person she was now.

That gaze had crossed countless cold operating tables and surgical lights before settling in this warm restaurant at this very moment.

There was no hesitation, no concealment—only that bright gentleness and unwavering resolve, like the beam of an old lighthouse that had always remained there.

"I..." Android 18 had just begun to speak. Soft light cast a faint halo across her face, and her lips had barely moved when she was interrupted by a sudden commotion—outside the restaurant, a disturbance abruptly broke out, like the scrape of shoes against the ground as a crowd surged, mixed with heavy footsteps and a few brief exchanges. It tore through the quiet of the night.

The two of them turned around together, their gazes passing through the restaurant's translucent floor-to-ceiling window.

Trunks was striding toward them, followed by seven or eight suited staff members. Their expressions were stern and their steps orderly, like a well-trained escort team.

Trunks wore a dark blue business suit, his tie impeccably knotted. A confident smile sat on his lips, but the fine beads of sweat on his forehead could not hide his haste.

"Mr. Chen Hao!" His leather shoes struck the marble floor, the sound echoing through the restaurant. The staff behind him followed closely, their footsteps growing louder and louder.

Trunks reached the table, caught his breath slightly, then stepped aside to make room.

Two men in suits immediately stepped forward, each carrying a black suitcase.

The cases were heavy. Their arm muscles were taut, and their knuckles had turned white from exertion.

"I brought the money." Trunks wiped away sweat, pride in his eyes.

Chen Hao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

He had been half-reclining against the back of his chair, one hand resting casually along the edge of the table. Now he straightened slightly and tapped the tabletop twice with his fingers.

It had only been half an hour since the call. That was fast.

"Of course." Trunks smiled generously and patted the suitcase, producing two muffled thumps. "Capsule Corporation takes ten billion yen very seriously."

He paused and glanced around. The other diners in the restaurant could not help looking over, but he paid them no mind and merely waved to the two men behind him.

The suited men exchanged a look, then swiftly snapped open the suitcase latches. With a click, they lifted the lid.

As soon as the lid opened, light from the crystal chandelier shone directly into the case. Inside lay neat stacks of brand-new banknotes, each one a ten-thousand-yen bill, clean as though they had just come from the printing press.

The bills gleamed with the sheen of fresh ink beneath the lights, their edges perfectly aligned, packed so densely they were nearly overflowing.

A faint scent of ink and paper drifted through the air, making people want to take another breath.

"Ten billion yen." Trunks pointed to the other suitcase. "There's another ten billion here, exactly the same. Twenty billion yen in total—not a single yen short."

As he spoke, he looked at Chen Hao, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes, as though waiting for his reaction.

Chen Hao glanced over the cases, then raised his right hand and lightly touched the top stack with his fingertips. The paper's temperature and texture passed through his fingers.

He nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. His tone remained calm. "Not bad efficiency."

"Of course." Trunks smiled more easily and stepped closer, lowering his voice with a probing edge. "Mr. Chen Hao, would you consider working with Capsule Corporation in the future?"

"Working together on what?" Chen Hao withdrew his hand, lifted the wineglass from the table, and gently swirled it. The amber liquor rippled under the lights.