Mecha Star Wars.

Chapter 1440 Exchange
Lin Fan had only ever seen children like this in movies.

His hair was matted together, mixed with dust and unknown debris, like withered weeds covering his head.

On her dirty little face, streaks of black marks slid down her cheeks, obscuring her original skin color. Only a pair of timid eyes reflected a glistening tear in the darkness.

The clothes were tattered... they weren't even clothes, they looked like rags picked up from somewhere and haphazardly wrapped around the body. They were covered with holes of all sizes, with loose threads of varying lengths hanging from the edges. Two thin, frail arms emerged from the larger holes, barely secured by a knot tied at the waist.

The small, tattered cloth hanging around the child's emaciated body made his head appear exceptionally large.

The crevices under his outstretched fingernails were filled with black mud. He wasn't even wearing shoes, walking barefoot in the sticky mud. His toes gripped the ground tightly, but his hands remained outstretched, his eyes filled with longing for food.

Lin Fan considers himself a germaphobe. But at this moment, he couldn't feel any negative emotions towards such a dirty child.

Is this the living condition of the lowest-class people in Anniemo?
Although he didn't see anyone along the way, Lin Fan could hear constant noises coming from the houses on both sides.

Those hiding inside the house were watching cautiously, clearly wary of their arrival.

How did this child manage to escape?
The rustling sounds around them all disappeared after the child spoke, as if someone had pressed the pause button on this place.

Could it be a bait to test the waters?

Before Lin Fan could decide, Antonio, disregarding everything else, kicked Bonnie's shin.

"Sigh, food!"

All three of them were penniless; only Chitose and Bonnie could make a living from this.

Since entering the loess area, Qian Sui had been slumped on Lin Fan's shoulder like a stretched-out plush ornament, even closing her eyes. She had immediately activated "Do Not Disturb" mode. Seeing this, Bonnie didn't dare say another word.

Besides, what's in Chitose's pocket...

While he can certainly be relied upon in critical moments, those are matters of life and death.

As for trivial matters like eating and drinking... let's not even talk about whether Qian Sui has the habit of saving food. Even if it does, and it's willing to share, given its usual tastes, it's highly likely that Lan Bingru would find it hard to eat.

Lin Fan and Antonio can go for long periods without eating or drinking without any problem, but Lan Bingru cannot.

Bonnie, on the other hand, had already revealed all her secrets when she self-destructed the space button on the spaceship to prove her innocence.

There was not only food, but plenty of it.

Orcs expend more energy than ordinary people, and after walking continuously since disembarking from the starship, Bonnie quickly became hungry.

How could she not offer tribute to the Emperor when she eats?

As it turned out, whether it was because she wasn't hungry or because she was wary of other people's food, Chitose just wasn't interested.

Bonnie was just happy that she could save the most expensive food for herself, but before a second had passed, Antonio intercepted it and gave it to Lan Bingru.

Lan Bingru and Bonnie had a long-standing feud, so she took Bonnie's things without any guilt and even deliberately smacked her lips in front of Bonnie.

Bonnie was furious, but she didn't want to appear too petty in front of Chitose, lest she seem stingy—it was just a piece of food, after all…

In short, Bonnie's feud with Antonio and Lan Bingru only deepened.

She wanted to cherish Lin Fan, who had never shown her any ill will. She felt a strange fear, but Lin Fan, who had never meant her any harm, became her only option for closeness. Even when trying to avoid someone, she would stay close to Lin Fan, just so she wouldn't suddenly attack her like Antonio had.

"Ouch!" Bonnie winced in pain, almost pressing herself against Lin Fan's back, and said irritably, "No!"

It's only right that her things go to Qian Sui! If Lin Fan wanted them… well, it's not impossible to give them to him, but giving them to such a filthy brat is worse than throwing them away…

"I told you, not a single word you tell is true!" Antonio took a big step forward. "Are you going to give it to me or not? Don't force me to take action!"

Bonnie turned around and saw Antonio's hand coming toward her head, so she quickly tightened the knot on her headscarf.

"Here you go! Get lost, I'll take it myself!"

That bastard! How could I have been so blind as to fall for him?
Bonnie carefully pried the terminal space button out of her gloves and cuffs, took out a fist-sized ball of something that looked like crushed oatmeal and some orange stuff, and tossed it over there.

The child's big eyes were fixed on the dark figure being thrown over. He moved his body, ready to rush over and pick it up immediately, only to see the food he had been dreaming of being caught in mid-air.

"No rush." ​​Lin Fan lowered his hand, revealing the dumpling in his palm. "Wash your hands first before you eat."

"Yes, yes!" Lan Bingru had been holding back, not daring to overstep her bounds, but she couldn't hold back any longer. She conjured several streams of water in her hand and washed all the exposed skin of the child. "Wash it clean before you eat, so that the dirt won't be swallowed and the child won't have a stomachache."

The water briefly obscured the child's view, and it nervously took a step forward, trying to emerge from the water, afraid that the food would disappear in that short time.

Lan Bingru has a solid foundation in basic skills, so cleaning is just a matter of moments.

By then, the child had revealed a fair and delicate face. Seeing that Lin Fan was no longer stopping him, he eagerly rushed into her palm, cupped the dumpling in both hands, stuffed it into his mouth, and wolfed it down.

"Hey, eat slowly." Lan Bingru was afraid the child would choke, so she put some water near the child's mouth. "There's water over there, you can drink it. Eat slowly."

"Heavens above!" Antonio sighed upon seeing this. "How long has it been since they last ate? What a tragedy!"

“That’s right.” After washing Lin Fan’s hands, Lan Bingru looked at the child again. “It’s just that his hair and clothes are a bit difficult to deal with… It’s making me a bit obsessive-compulsive.”

In just a few gulps, the child, with his neck stiff, swallowed the food. He glanced at the water beside him but didn't dare drink it, and continued to look at Lin Fan and the others.

"Want another one?" Lin Fan half-squatted down, placing the back of his hand on his shoulder. "Do us a small favor, and we'll give you another one, how about that?"

Bonnie looked at the upturned palm and knew it was asking for food. She pouted, but still reluctantly gave it to her.

The longing in the child's eyes was instantly replaced by defensiveness, and he took two steps back.

"Don't be afraid." Lin Fan smiled, handing over what looked like bread. He tore open the packaging, and the aroma of food instantly wafted out. "It's nothing serious. We want to get to the transport station, but we can't find the way. Do you know the way back?"

The child swallowed hard several times, his heart battling between desire and wariness, but in the end, desire prevailed.

"I... I know the way." His eyes darted around, his face showing apprehension and hesitation.

“Good boy!” Antonio squeezed to the front and squatted down next to Lin Fan, giving him a friendly smile. “You take us there, and this is yours.”

The child's gaze darted back and forth between the food and Lin Fan and the others: "You, you're going there, are you planning to leave by car?"

“Yes, we want to go somewhere else and need to leave by vehicle from the transport station.” Lin Fan smiled and took two steps forward, continuing to extend his hand. “As long as you bring us there, I can give you this right away.”

"But..." the child hesitated, then finally gritted his teeth, "If the car doesn't come, can I still have some food?"