A Feast (4K)

Dusk cast an amber glow over the faded oak door as Hisoka pushed open the restaurant's doors for the third time.

He wore the same apron stained dark red, and spoke the same familiar words:

"Teacher Lianke, Junior Carl, dinner is ready~"

"This guy... when did he wake up?"

Carl stared at the lingering bruise on his forehead-a souvenir of Lianke's "education through love."

After a moment's hesitation, Carl obediently followed Lianke into the restaurant.

People needed food like iron needed steel; skip one meal, and hunger would set in.

After a day of training, most of the swelling and bruising on her face had gone down. Her cheeks were still a little swollen, but it no longer interfered with her eating.

"Dinner's served~" Hisoka's voice ended on a strange trill, like the sound of a venomous snake's scales rubbing together as it flicked its tongue.

The food he brought glistened in the candlelight. The roasted pork chops smelled of char and rosemary, making Carl swallow.

"What a feast!"

On the porcelain plate before her, chops roasted to an oily sheen were piled into a little mountain, dark red sauce flowing through their grain like lava.

After a hard day of training, Carl's stomach had long since gone empty. But after swallowing, she still hesitantly looked to the side.

One chop, one bowl of washed berries.

That was the entirety of Hisoka's and Lianke's dinner.

"Eat. Training your Nen Aura requires a lot of nutrition, or it'll affect your physical development!"

"Your master can at least make sure you get your fill."

Lianke picked up a purple berry, her tone gentle.

An inferiority complex etched into their bones would often follow the children of Meteor City for their entire lives.

Having come from Meteor City herself, she understood all too well what Carl's look meant-she simply felt she didn't deserve it, nothing more.

"While we're at it, let me teach you something basic."

After swallowing the berry in her hand, Lianke's expression gradually turned serious.

"Nen Aura is like a flame that tempers life. Using an appropriate amount is good for our bodies."

"But if it burns too fiercely, your body is bound to pay a terrible price, and it may even..."

"Leave not even ashes behind."

When Lianke finished, Carl nodded in understanding.

She understood that one shouldn't drain the pond to catch all the fish.

"Go ahead and eat."

Seeing Carl swallowing, Lianke spoke directly.

"Ah~ nom!"

At that, Carl hesitated no longer. She stabbed a chop with her fork and stuffed it into her mouth.

When the first chop touched her tongue, Carl suddenly remembered the last Spring Festival she had spent at the welfare home before transmigrating.

The chops had been just as glossy, and she had been curled up in a corner just the same. But back then, the clatter of chopsticks had been mixed with the caregivers' curses, rather than Lianke's gentle voice.

The springy meat, paired with the salty-sweet sauce, bloomed across the taste buds on her tongue.

Carl silently forked up a second chop. As her canines tore through the fibers, the savory juices seeped out.

She counted the berries disappearing from Lianke's plate, and when the seventh vanished between her lips, the clatter of cutlery against porcelain stopped abruptly.-This was the table etiquette she had etched into her bones.

"What are you looking at me for? Eat yours!"

Lianke rolled her eyes and spoke to Carl with some helplessness.

This child was just like she had been back then...

Yorbian Continent, Flint City.

Thanks to the excellent sanitation policies of its successive mayors, the city had been rated the cleanest on the entire continent for hundreds of years running.

For that reason, the city had a pleasant-sounding nickname-the "City of Purity."

Harris Manor.

Bulletproof glass refracted Flint City's neon lights into distorted bands, casting colorful patches across Hao Halis's shiny bald head.

He swirled his crystal glass, sending the 1952 Lafite into a dark red whirlpool that reflected the brilliant lights of the city skyline.

As the city's supreme ruler, burdened with the office of mayor, he loved the city more deeply than anyone.

"Tsk~"

Hao took a small sip of red wine, savoring its delicate aroma as it flowed down his throat and into his esophagus. He couldn't help narrowing his eyes in comfort.

This is the life~

"Bang~"

The gold-trimmed oak door burst open, and twelve-year-old Teresa rushed in like a leaping flame.

Crumbs of Skittles clinging to her skirt scattered as she ran, rolling into tiny rainbows across the carpet worth tens of millions of Jenny.

"Dad, you're hiding here drinking again!" The girl's voice was bright and sweet.

"Has my little law enforcer come for another surprise inspection?" Hao hurriedly hid his cigar, but his thick hand knocked over his wineglass.

Red wine ran down the leather sofa and wound across the floor in a dark red stream.

Damn it!!!

Why didn't the bodyguards outside stop her?

At the very least, they should have warned me...

Hao scratched his bald head, the flesh on his face bunching together in a worried frown.

People said daughters were their fathers' silk pajamas, warm and considerate.

Why is my daughter so different, like a little flower-faced cat every day...

"Don't move! You're under arrest!"

Teresa deftly slipped behind her father and locked her pale, tender arms around his triple-chinned neck. "That's your twenty-seventh recorded case of excessive drinking!"

With that, she suddenly twitched her nose. "And you smell like cigars too!"

"Oh, oh~ Daddy was wrong. Please show mercy, honorable law enforcer Teresa Halis."

Hao raised his diamond-studded pocket watch and pleaded, "I'll take you to the candy store tomorrow. You can have all the newest crystal lollipops you want."

Teresa was his only daughter. He had raised her from childhood, so of course he knew her tricks.

"Hehe~"

"Since you know you were wrong, Dad, shouldn't you make it up to Teresa?"

The girl released one arm from around Hao's neck, placed her hand on his bald head, and gently scratched it.

"Tell me, tell me! Don't tickle Daddy!"

The girl's scratching made his head itch, but Hao didn't dare actually break free of her arm, so he hastily begged for mercy.

"Teresa misses home."

"I haven't seen Mommy in a really, really long time!"

"Dad, when are we going back?"

Pressed close to Hao's ear, Teresa asked in a soft, delicate voice.

"In a couple of days. Once Daddy has finished taking care of things here, I'll take Teresa back, okay?"

Hao stroked his daughter's curly hair and forced a smile, comforting her in a kindly tone.

So she misses her mother...

"Really?"

Teresa looked up, her clear eyes fixed on Hao's profile.

"Of course it's true. When has Daddy ever lied to Teresa?"

Hao spoke with absolute confidence.

As an official assigned by the V5, he could take a few months off without much trouble, so long as there were no major incidents to handle.

"Smack~"

Hao felt a wet spot on his cheek, where a small, saliva-covered imprint appeared.

"Then I'm going now~"

Teresa wiped her mouth and ran happily toward the door.

Having achieved her goal, she still had homework from her teacher to finish!

"Slow down, you might fall~"

Seeing this, Hao hurriedly called after her.

Why is a girl running so fast in a dress?!

What if she falls and hurts her knees?!

"Bang~"

A moment later, the oak door closed again.

Only after Teresa's footsteps faded down the corridor did Hao press a hidden compartment beneath his desk.

"Click."

Amid the hum of turning gears, a silver-white landline phone rose from beneath the desk.

Hao picked up the receiver and deftly entered a string of numbers.

"Ring, ring~"

After several seconds of ringing, the call connected.

"Mayor Hao?"

An elderly voice came from the other end of the line.

"It's me."

"Cut this month's allocation by another thirty percent." Hao's crocodile-leather shoe crushed the candy crumbs on the carpet as his indifferent gaze moved forward, settling on the lights throughout the city.

So I can go home with my daughter sooner, those lowly wretches in Meteor City can go ahead and die!

"I want to see the recovery rate increase by 140 percent before December."

At the other end of the line, the old man swallowed. "But it's summer now..."

"If you won't do it, there are plenty of people who will!"

Hao's tone was indifferent.

"No, no, no, Mayor, I'll do it!"

"I promise I'll meet your demands before December!!!"

"Please rest assured, sir!"

The elderly voice on the other end made its promise with absolute confidence.

"It had better be."

As he spoke, Hao reached for his wineglass and took a small sip of the dark red liquid.

"Meteor City has never had elders. All it has ever had are the people who manage Flint City's garbage dump. Vincent, don't forget that."

At the other end of the line, the old man in silk pajamas froze. His once-straight back unconsciously bent.

Although what Hao said was true, the truth was often the hardest thing to accept...

"Your grandson has always received a full scholarship at Saint Maria International School." Hao turned his pinky ring, and the V5 emblem on its face flashed coldly. "Or would you like him to experience Meteor City's distinctive education?"

A chill ran down Vincent's spine, and cold sweat broke out at once.

Water flowed downhill, and people sought to climb higher.

Compared with Meteor City, surrounded by mountains of garbage, the clean, tidy, developed, and civilized Flint City was naturally better!

So they had long since secretly sent their children to Flint City and enrolled them in an ordinary school.

But from what Hao was saying, he had already found their children and had them in his grasp!

For an instant, Vincent felt like a fish on the chopping block, his lifeline held in another's hand.

Even though he had lived most of his life and seen all manner of situations, he couldn't help feeling his heart pound...

"Don't be surprised."

Hao set down his glass and picked up the red wine beside him.

"Whatever else I may be, I'm the mayor of Flint City."

But you were only just transferred here! You've been mayor for eight months at most!

Vincent's eye twitched, but he could only suppress his shock.

"Beep, beep~"

After hesitating for a moment, he still wanted to ask something, but only the busy signal remained on the receiver.

At some point, the call had ended.

"Trickle."

Wine as red as fresh blood poured out, every drop flowing into the clear glass.

Hao casually set down the bottle, picked up his glass, and walked step by step to the transparent glass wall.

Multicolored neon lights fell across his face, making his eyes narrow instinctively.

Memories from more than half a year ago welled up.

Eight months ago, the term of Flint City's previous mayor, Oren Halis, had ended, leaving the mayor's seat vacant.

With the connections left by the previous mayor and the protection of the Halis Family behind him, he had an inherent competitive advantage.

Even so, Hao had still spent nearly a billion Jenny to win over officials at every level!

For no other reason than that Flint City was simply too lucrative a prize, with far too many interests involved!

"Turning the continent's garbage collection point into a source of resources for Flint City-our predecessors were wiser than me by who knows how much..."

Hao suddenly sighed with emotion after sipping his wine.

As a member of the long-established Halis Family, Hao had carefully read through Flint City's history before becoming mayor.

Unlike Meteor City, which had existed for 1,500 years, Flint City had actually been established only recently, less than 150 years ago.

The two cities were not far apart, only 500 kilometers in a straight line.

But unlike Meteor City, which had always remained a mountain of garbage, Flint City was a fully functioning, rapidly developing city!

And that was all thanks to the classic policy upheld by its successive mayors-the "Resource Recycling Act"!

Of course, Hao preferred to put it another way-"bleed them and carve off their flesh to fill our bellies."

The blood they drained was naturally Meteor City's.

The flesh they carved off was naturally Meteor City's as well.

Over the past 150 years, successive mayors had extracted gold from scrap metal through "garbage recycling," used expired drugs to cultivate a monopolistic pharmaceutical company, and entered the organs of millions of Meteor City residents into the national transplant database.

"Do you know why Flint City Hospital has a 99% success rate for transplant surgeries?" Hao murmured to his wineglass.

The smog-proof glass reflected his twisted smile. "Because the donors have all undergone at least five years of environmental adaptation training~"

In any case, no matter how many of these lowlifes without registered national identification numbers or physical data died, the successive mayors would not be affected in the slightest!

After all, there were only two kinds of people who might know the truth-the citizens who enjoyed the vested interests.

And the lowlifes who were exploited.

Neither kind would have a chance to speak up!

After all these operations, Flint City had developed fully, and they, the nobles, had gained ample benefits.

It was a win-win!

Most importantly, his predecessors had already overcome all the difficulties involved in carrying out these operations for him!

So, as far as Hao was concerned, all he had to do was follow in his predecessors' footsteps, and he could rake in a fortune!

It was practically a triple win!

All these factors combined were what made the position of mayor of Flint City so valuable!

"In my five-year term, I'll stop once I've made 30 billion jenny!"

"No, 30 billion isn't enough!"

"I have Teresa to think of too. Fifty billion! I'll stop once I've raked in 50 billion!!!"

Hao drained his glass, then looked down at the brightly lit manor through the bulletproof glass.

Teresa was chasing fireflies in the garden. It was homework her teacher had assigned her.

But she would never know that every one of the fireflies in the garden was a special insect worth millions of jenny.

And to meet the conditions those fireflies needed to survive, Harris Manor's smart temperature control system maintained a constant temperature of 25°C.

The night grew deeper.