Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Hospitality
A green meteor streaked across the sky. Benjamin handed Li Hua a bag of things he had just found on Mars: "Is there anything in here that can be used?"
Li Hua opened it and saw that most of the items inside were luxury goods of strange shapes, as well as some small change.
After the civilization on Mars became extinct, it's not that no one wanted to go to Mars to hunt for treasure.
But it was truly terrifying that an entire race was silently wiped out by the plague in an instant. People in other galaxies didn't know the true nature of the plague, nor did they know that it was a virus that only attacked through telepathy. They just rejected Mars, which had turned into a plague planet.
Of course, there will always be people with great skills and courage who go to Mars to hunt for treasure, but as the hammerhead shark boss said before, a large part of Martian technology is based on the unique mind control ability of Martians.
Moreover, the Martians have become extinct, but the defense system they built is still operating autonomously, and outsiders can only plunder some superficial things.
Mars's climate isn't suitable for less robust species. Many robust species are so focused on making a living in space that they wouldn't even consider "scavenging trash." Those who can breach Mars' security wouldn't care about such a small profit, while those who can't are essentially just scavenging trash...
In this situation where the benefits and risks are not proportional, few people go to Mars.
Hundreds of years passed, and when people had almost forgotten about Mars, someone discovered that there was a surviving Martian in the Justice League, which was famous in the universe. Then no one wanted to go to Mars anymore.
The reason is simple. If the orphans of Mars are unwilling to return to Mars, doesn't that just prove that there's something seriously wrong with Mars?!
Even Martians can't handle Mars, so why would anyone else go there? The solar system itself is so remote that even if we were to pay for it, we wouldn't even be able to fuel the spacecraft there. And now we have to add some life-saving protective gear, or even risk our lives... The universe is so vast, and there are so many ways to make money. There's really no need to focus solely on Mars.
Of course, Li Hua and Benjamin didn't know what was going on behind the scenes.
They were just surprised that they were lucky enough to find something useful on Mars after hundreds of years.
"Okay, I'll have No. 666 help me bargain later, so remember to cooperate with me."
Li Hua unzipped Benjamin's coat, stuffed the package inside, and then zipped it up again.
"Look carefully, this is all our belongings now."
Benjamin reached out and held the package in his coat. “Is it necessary to be so cautious?”
"Although this might make us look like big fat sheep, considering that this is all we have, it's better to be cautious."
Li Hua shook the hem of her battle skirt and used the eagle-beaked staff as a crutch.
"Besides, only real 'sheep' would worry about being targeted. Have you ever seen a few robbers who are tired of living rob a live-fire armored car?"
Even better if someone came to rob them. Since they're able to survive in this universe, they must have some real-time cosmic currency, right? Since they have money, wouldn't it be unreasonable to compensate these victims of the robbery for their emotional distress?
When Jason started his own business, Li Hua was always watching from the side.
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that the security in this cosmic transit station with trading functions was not bad. When Li Hua and Benjamin were asking prices and bargaining in various shops, no robbers appeared.
Li Hua used the bargaining skills he learned from his elders when buying vegetables in the market to go to many stores. Maybe he was cheated a little, but in the end he still bought two sets of portable space suits that can also be used by humans.
And he still had some extra money, so Li Hua found a reliable-looking cosmic bank, opened an account and got a card, deposited most of the money into it, and used the remaining money to buy some cosmic-flavored snacks.
Space food... well, if you can get over the visual impact, it's actually quite delicious.
"I thought I was seeing things."
Li Hua and Benjamin both had automatic language translators. It was not until the person who said this walked to the table that they suddenly realized that the words were in English.
"Oh my god, how did you two get here?"
The man was wearing a green, black and white tights. Referring to Jason's reaction when he saw Benjamin's Kryptonian form, it was not difficult for Li Hua and Benjamin to guess his identity.
Benjamin, who happened to have no food in his mouth, asked: "Green Lantern Hal Jordan?"
"It's me. You're BEN 10 Benjamin Tennyson, right? I've heard of you. You're kind of my half-colleague from another world!" Hal pulled out a chair next to them and sat down, smiling friendly at Li Hua. "Sharing a table?"
Li Hua hadn't yet chewed and swallowed the food in his mouth - he had just stuffed a piece of something that tasted like squid tentacles mixed with malt sugar, and at this point he could only nod and give a thumbs-up to show his agreement.
"Thanks!" Hal asked again. "How did you find this place? This isn't even in the solar system."
Although I knew these kids were good at running, they were really running too fast, right?
Benjamin said proudly, "This isn't my first time on a space voyage. When I dropped the kids off, I used my Kryptonian form and simply wandered around where the space station should be. I even disabled the Omnitrix's automatic DNA scan mode when I got here. Otherwise, with all the aliens here, we wouldn't have been able to move at all today."
"What about you? What brought you here?"
Hal smiled brightly, "Of course we're here to go shopping. The food and wine here can't be found on Earth! By the way, why are there only two of you today? Where's the Batboy?"
Li Hua finally ended his verbal battle. He rubbed his sore cheeks and said, "He went back to take care of family matters."
Hal recalled the "Bat Has Arrived" group chat he'd been dragged into when the Justice League returned to Earth some time ago, and the tearful accusations those teenage superheroes had leveled against the new kid Batman had sent down from the sky...
Batman's family life might indeed be a bit rough lately.
Hal: "But where do you get the money to buy things? Earth's currency doesn't circulate in space."
Benjamin: "The shop owner recommended that I go to Mars to pick up some scrap to sell."
As mentioned earlier, the universe also has a waste recycling industry, so Hal didn't think anything was wrong. He just said, "Next time, you should be more careful. Fortunately, this time it was only Mars. If it were another uninhabited planet with houses, there might be high-risk radiation, viruses, and other dangerous things left."
When a whale dies, all things come to life. This is not only the natural law of the earth.
Rather than going to Mars to pick up ownerless items and sell them, Hal was more surprised that Benjamin could still find useful things there centuries after the Martian civilization became extinct.
Hal gave the children some advice about space travel: "If you're going to other planets, I suggest you buy a portable space suit and a portable automatic oxygen mask, the kind humans can use. Also, a star map and a space communicator, in case you get too far and lose track of Earth. Of course, it's best not to leave the solar system. The universe is vast, and getting lost would be disastrous."
"Thank you." Li Hua took out the card he had previously applied for and showed it to Hal. "Excuse me, this should be a legitimate Universal Bank card, right?"
If not, he would go back and tear down that fraudulent bank right now.
Not only did you sell the things but you also opened a bank card?
Hal couldn't help but admire the two children's initiative. He picked up the bank card and checked it. "It's legitimate. This is a legitimate space transit trading station. There may be scammers here, but it's unlikely to be a bank."
Benjamin pulled out two more portable spacesuits. "Are the materials of these two spacesuits legitimate? I picked them based on my previous space travel experience, but I'm not sure if they're suitable for this universe."
"It's standard, but a space suit made of this material can cope with the climates of many planets..."
Benjamin and Li Hua cheered and high-fived.
Since both the bank card and the space suit are legitimate, after they go to Mars to experience the use of this space suit, they will buy Jason's suit as well.
"...Wait, you're only buying spacesuits now?" Hal asked. "Then how did you leave Earth?"
Li Hua: "After Ben found this transfer station and memorized its location, I covered myself with a magic shield, and then he used his Kryptonian form to carry the shield."
Hal: "Traveling directly into space without a space suit or other space support equipment?"
"Don't worry, we have experience," Benjamin said. "Before, when Li Hua wasn't proficient in magic and I wasn't proficient in Kryptonian abilities, we even used this trick with Jason to look at the sun. Now we're all proficient, so there won't be any problems."
Hal: You did it more than once???
Batman did say that Benjamin would become a Kryptonian and go to the sun every day to pick up the Ice Ghost cubs, but he didn't mention that Li Hua and Jason also went to see the sun...
........
etc.
Does Batman know about this?
Hal couldn't help but sigh: "You are so brave."
"It's okay. That was the babies' first time on the sun, and we were really worried so we followed them for a bit. And we didn't actually get too close to the sun. Now this is my second time in space... I went to the bathroom, and some soup splashed on my clothes."
Li Hua put the cutlery on the empty plate and passed by the waiter who brought Hal Jordan a drink.
Hal pointed out the location of the restroom to Li Hua and asked Benjamin, "So, are you buying spacesuits now to explore the stars and the sea?"
"It's mainly to take the kids out for fun," Benjamin sighed. "It's so hard to find uninhabited areas on Earth, and the kids will be traveling in space someday, so I thought spending more time in space would be good for them. On Earth, they can only hide and seek, which is far from the freedom they have in outer space."
When he and Li Hua go to Mars to work, they can take the kids for a walk.
Benjamin had been a child himself, and he knew the pain of having no way to release energy.
Although they are now restricted by existing conditions and the children may still have to live alone on Kelmis for a period of time after returning to the BEN universe, Benjamin still tries his best to make his children happier during this time.
“Wow.”
Hal thought the two children left Earth to experience interstellar travel, but he never thought they left Earth to take their babies with them. He couldn't help but admire Benjamin, a fellow from another world who had gotten pregnant at the age of 15 and had given birth to 14 children out of wedlock.
"It's really not easy for you."
"Being a mother is not easy. I can only try my best."
Benjamin smiled and blinked his right eye, then stood up and walked towards Li Hua who was walking back.
"Okay, we should go back to take care of the kids. I'm really happy to be able to talk to my seniors from another world. Bye."
Li Hua waved to Hal and smiled brightly: "Thank you for giving us advice on space navigation. I wish you good luck in your future work and a happy life!"
Hal smiled and waved goodbye to the two children, continuing to drink his wine at his seat until the waiter brought him a small dish.
Hal: "Is this the wrong order? I didn't order any side dishes."
"That guest in pink ordered it," the three-armed alien said. "Aren't you two friends? When he paid for your table, he even asked me what dishes would go well with the wine."
"The bill has been settled anyway, so you can keep it."
Hal, who had no shortage of cosmic currency and had originally planned to treat the children to a meal, showed off his handsomeness as a reliable senior and a mature man: "......"
Benjamin can see the checkout counter from where he sits, so...
He, Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, a working adult, was treated to a meal by two children he met for the first time in his own jurisdiction?
He's even a kid starting his first business in the universe!
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The author has something to say: Hal's feelings are a bit like:
Out for a walk and lunch, you happen to see a neighbor's kid picking out spicy snacks for 50 cents a bag at your regular convenience store. They greet you politely and sweetly. Upon asking, you discover they've just made a few bucks selling bottles on the street. You order a bottle of milk tea and sit down to chat with them. Just as you're thinking about treating the kid, he suddenly leaves for something.
After the children left for a while, I realized that my milk tea had also been paid for by the children, and they even gave me a small snack... It felt like déjà vu.
Hal: No??? Who is the “guest” anyway?
Benjamin: Not only did I treat Green Lantern to a meal, I even used my own allowance to treat Vilgax to a meal! (Even ordered a kids' meal)
Li Hua: Very hospitable! (Applause)
PS: The plot where Benjamin treats Vilgax to a meal (6 minutes and 11 seconds of the 10th episode of the third season of "Ben 10 Alien Heroes" "Ghost") has not happened in this article yet (the Benjamin in this article is in the time period after the third episode of the second season of "Ben 10 Alien Heroes" "Evil Twins" (Albedo's first appearance) and before the fourth episode (Ice Ghost gives birth to a child)). But if he can treat Vilgax to a meal, it is normal for him to treat Green Lantern!
The plot of inviting Vilgax to dinner is very interesting. Vilgax asked Benjamin for help (no spoilers for now), and then Benjamin took him to a hamburger shop.
Vilgax (looking up at the sign): Hamburger shop?
Benjamin (puts a takeout on the table): I bought you a kids' meal. So don't tell them you're eight. (He then walks back to his table to continue eating his fries)
Gwen (moving the fries out of the way as Benjamin reaches for them)
Benjamin: Hey!
Gwen: Do you remember how many times this guy tried to kill you?
Benjamin: I don't know. There were so many, so many I can't remember them all. But that's what makes it fun~ (Smiling smugly, turning to Mojiasi—yes, this guy was sitting with his back to Mojiasi) What did you want to see me about~
Mojiasi:.......I need your help.
Very funny hahaha, during this part, both Mojias and Gwen Kevin were probably thinking, "Ben, can you be more serious and decent?"
【Catch the bug twice】
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