Chapter 72 The Cat Father and Son
Narita International Airport, Japan, January 25.
Two golden-brown heads stood in the front, their hair thick and soft, looking even smoother than Dove chocolate. People suffering from hair loss couldn't help but feel envious upon seeing it, and couldn't help but take a second look.
They were a young white father and son; the father was in his early thirties, and the son was around seven years old. Both had bright blue eyes, deep-set eyes, high-bridged noses, and a few freckles on their cheeks… Except for the child’s hair, which was lighter and more of a deep blonde, they looked exactly alike.
However, upon closer inspection, it's not hard to see that the father and son's appearance and skin color are not very Caucasian; instead, they have some East Asian features. Perhaps they are of mixed race.
The child dragged a small suitcase forward, but in his excitement, he didn't want to stay quietly beside his father. The man, carrying a travel bag and pulling a suitcase, freed one hand to hold his son's hand, and the little guy's legs finally settled down a bit, but his mouth started to chatter again.
"Passenger-Check-in-Baggage-Instructions..." the little boy read aloud, word by word.
“Joseph, stay here quietly, I’ll move the luggage over there,” the man said, patting his son’s head.
"I want to go too—" the little boy clung to his father's lap.
An elderly woman nearby saw this and said with a smile, "Sir, your son is so cute!"
"Thank you," the man replied with a polite smile.
But the little boy hid behind his father as if he were shy, his face scrunched up, and he shook his father's arm, asking in broken Japanese with a wronged expression, "Dad, I'm a boy! Why do you say I'm cute?"
"Kawaii can also be used to describe boys! Joseph is just so cute."
The little boy nodded blankly, accepting the fact that he was very cute.
After checking in their luggage, the man boarded the plane with his son and found seats in economy class.
The human baby has started its "100,000 Whys" mode—
"Dad, why can airplanes fly?"
"Dad, why don't airplanes flap their wings like birds?"
"Dad, why can't I fly?"
"Dad, why is the Earth round?"
"dad…"
The man patiently explained everything from aerodynamics to geography, but like other curious children his age, the little boy didn't seem to care about the real answers. His interest waned quickly, and he soon looked elsewhere.
"Joseph, look, that uncle over there is sleeping. Why don't you take a nap too?" the man whispered to his son.
The little boy obediently nodded and nestled against his father to sleep. The man took off his coat and draped it over his son, then closed his eyes for a short rest himself.
After some time, the little boy was woken up by his father.
“Joseph, look!” the man pointed out the window.
"Wow! It's the sea!" The seawater stretched as far as the eye could see, shimmering with golden light.
"This is the Pacific Ocean."
"Dad, why is the water I drink clear, but the sea is blue?"
The man sighed, as if annoyed by his overly curious son's questions, and then took out a lunchbox and said, "Here, have some sandwiches."
Sure enough, the food successfully shut the little boy up.
The man also enjoyed a quiet lunch.
After a flight of more than ten hours, the plane landed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in the United States.
When going through customs, the man showed his passport to the staff:
His name was Arthur Felis, and his son was Joseph Felis.
They are Europeans who are tourists in the United States.
The two successfully passed through customs and entered Texas, USA.
"Dad, I'm thirsty," the little boy said, licking his lips, automatically switching to English.
The man gave him some change: "Go buy some water yourself, I'll go get the car. You wait for me outside."
"Okay—" the little boy said and ran off lightly.
Among the fifty states of the United States, Texas is known for its tough and martial spirit. This characteristic is reflected in public transportation: pickup trucks are everywhere.
Therefore, when Arthur retrieved his car keys from the safe and arrived at the parking lot to see the large pickup truck that his friend from the FBI had prepared for him, he wasn't particularly surprised, but rather felt somewhat helpless.
Looking at the oversized, bull-head-like grille at the front of the car, the man shook his head, both amused and exasperated.
Although this Tundra is from the same Toyota family as his previous GT86 sports car, the difference in style is like night and day. Unlike the sleek and stylish Japanese cars, American pickup trucks, like the Texas spirit, are quite rugged.
"Oh well, let's just do as the locals do."
The man loaded his luggage onto the cargo box at the back of the truck and climbed into the driver's seat.
He looked in the mirror, touched the fake beard on his chin, and felt something was missing. A thought struck him, and he pulled out black sunglasses from his pocket, putting them on, which made him look more rugged.
"Yes, this looks much more harmonious!"
The man was pleased with his new look. He spent a little time getting used to the left-hand drive, and then slowly drove out to meet his son.
The man honked the horn twice, rolled down the window, and shouted, "Joseph, over here!"
The little boy jumped excitedly into the passenger seat: "Dad, this is for you!"
The man took the soda, his expression a mixture of disbelief and exasperation: Why did you buy me a drink with such childish packaging?
Seeing the little rascal wearing sunglasses and sporting a smug grin, the man didn't lose his temper and continued to maintain his image as a patient and kind father: "Thank you, Joseph."
"You'd better not spread any dirt on me in the 'crying' group, or I won't let you off easily!"
The man gave the other person a threatening look.
But the little boy, gulping down his soda and looking out the window, ignored it all.
The elderly father, unable to discipline his child, was sad and helpless. He decided not to waste any more words and drove south in silence.
Texas is located on the southern edge of the United States, bordering Mexico. As they travel south, the landscape changes: the mountains become rugged, and the vegetation gradually shows more typical subtropical characteristics. Although it is not yet as lush as the forests in summer, the plants here are reviving earlier than in Nagano at the same time of year.
The little boy finished his soda and started talking again. He pressed his face against the car window, watching the darkening sky, and asked, "Dad, when are we going to get home?"
"Soon."
"Dad, can I go hunting in the forest?"
"You can't poach!"
"Can I ride a horse? Like a cowboy in a Western movie?"
"You can ride a horse?" the man asked, looking at his son in surprise.
"Of course I will! My dad taught me that in Hawaii, have you forgotten?"
"So what else did you study there?"
“My dad taught me everything in Hawaii!” the little boy answered proudly.
"This setting is too exaggerated; we shouldn't use it again in the future."
"Hey—" the little boy drawled out as if expressing his dissatisfaction, muttering softly, "But I'm telling the truth!"
“Remember to act like a little kid; a seven-year-old can’t learn that much,” the man reminded him.
"Alright then..." The little boy silently chopped down some of his skills. "Dad, where's my mom?"
The man glanced to the side curiously: "Where did you get a mother?"
"Huh? No mom? This is such a flimsy setup!" Curious Joseph protested vehemently. "You have to have a mom, right? Otherwise, where did I come from?"
"So who do you think should be the mother?"
The little boy tilted his head, and for some reason, he started imagining a blond man dressed as a woman. He felt the height difference was a bit incongruous, so he gave up the fantasy: "Oh well, if I don't have a mother, I don't have one!"
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the man drove the car off the main road, leaving the little boy increasingly bewildered: Where were they going? Could it be some kind of hunter's hut or something?
However, upon arriving at their destination and seeing their "home," the little boy's vision went black:
This isn't a house at all, it's a motorhome!
"Get out of the car, we've arrived," the man said with a smile, quite pleased with the shocked expression on his son's face.
The little boy ran out of the car and circled the RV once:
This is a trailer caravan, meaning it's just a "house" with wheels at the bottom. If you want to move it, you'll need to connect it to a vehicle that provides the power, which is naturally that big pickup truck!
"How is it? Not bad, right?" the man asked, unloading his luggage.
"Brother Hino, we're not here to camp, are we?" the little detective complained.
“Joseph, don’t break character. I’m Arthur Ferris now, your father,” the man said seriously. “But you can also pitch a tent and camp outside when the weather is nice.”
“Yes, Dad…” The little boy sighed deeply, helped carry the luggage, and moved into the RV.
In return for the hospitality shown to him and his father during their stay in Japan, Akai arranged accommodation for them.
However, he couldn't find a suitable house in these deep mountains and forests, so he towed this car over.
"Flexible, comfortable, and convenient, it's the perfect choice for us who are just staying for a short time."
Arthur is quite satisfied with this place.
Actually, Akai also helped them get their visas. Akai had asked, "Who is that child?"
The answer is: a helpful assistant who is important to the plan.
Akai did not press the matter further.
"Joseph, are you hungry? I'll make dinner."
The little boy hummed in agreement, sat on the bed, and asked, "Dad, what are we here for?"
"Can't Joseph guess it?"
The young detective frowned: "Could it be something like poaching?"
"That's not right! You can look around for something nearby," the man suggested.
"Nearby?" The young detective checked the satellite map. "Could it be this military base?"
"No, it's not that exaggerated. But we do need to be careful, because it could cause quite a bit of trouble."
"So what exactly is the mission?" The young detective continued studying the map, then suddenly spotted a new target. "Could it be the prison? Are there people from an organization that are interested in there?"
"good."
"So Bourbon's going?" The little detective suddenly realized he'd been tricked. "Hey, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"You were the one who insisted on coming!" the man said innocently. "I warned you that this is a seriously illegal act."
The die is cast, and the young detective has no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.
The man smiled and served a freshly baked pizza: "Here, eat first! Replenish your energy and get some rest. You need to be well-rested to work properly!"
"So, we really want to?" the little boy asked, clinging to his last glimmer of hope.
The man nodded seriously and gave the answer for the other person: "Yes, we're here to break them out of prison."
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