There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

What followed was a lively gathering with toasts and laughter. Everyone was witty and humorous, and even Jeff, the boss who was questioning his life, was gradually won over and joined the festivities.

After a few rounds of drinks, a voice suddenly came from the doorway.

"Dart...shouldn't you pay me back for the wine distribution fees from these past two months?"

Suddenly, Mr. Dick, who had lost a lot of weight, appeared, still exuding the air of a fallen aristocrat and pointing out the flaws in the world. "I haven't come for drinks for the past two months. Don't try to use the old excuse that I drank the money to avoid paying your bill!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone drinking in the room instantly changed!

Jeff put down his glass and grabbed my collar. I pounced on him like a tiger and grabbed Dart's sleeve. Thomas instantly stuffed his wallet into his pocket, then, after a moment's thought, grabbed my trouser leg...

In an instant, the entire arena, except for the unmistakably drunk old Sebala, was once again in a tense standoff...

"What are you doing? A welcoming ceremony?"

Mr. Dick, with a strange expression, sat down away from us. "It's been so long since I've seen you all, why are you so enthusiastic... Your posture is quite unique..."

Chapter 588 Starving to death is a small matter, but Dick is a big one.

"Cough cough, boss, please don't choke me, loosen your grip a bit... Don't let Boss Dick see... You don't want your money to be taken away, do you..."

After I finished speaking in a low voice and finally received some preferential treatment, I said to the bewildered winery owner, "It's nothing. I just noticed that these middle-aged people here have been neglecting their exercise, so I was planning to teach them the Lightning Five-Strike Whip from the Hunyuan Xingyi Taiji School. They got a little carried away with their practice..."

Mr. Dick looked at me with a frown.

I knew this explanation wouldn't work for the situation. After all, it was something I'd made up on the spot, and it sounded incredibly far-fetched. How could it possibly convince an adult so easily...?

But to my surprise, Mr. Dick quickly looked up at me with a look of deep agreement, sighed, and echoed my offhand statement.

"You're right... Why don't you teach me too? I never imagined that as people get older, their physical condition would decline so quickly..."

(This is very wrong!)

I, along with Mr. Dart, Mr. Jeff, and Thomas the Tank Engine, stared at each other in shock.

Given Mr. Dick's personality, he would always find a way to satirize and ridicule others' shortcomings as a way to pass the time, otherwise he would feel as uncomfortable as eating without salt.

Even more remarkably, this person could accomplish the extraordinary feat of eating only salt...

"Marcus, how do you do this exercise? I've been having trouble getting strong lately, and I can't straighten up..."

Mr. Dick had already finished his drink and was speaking with a weary expression when he walked over to us, the dumbfounded conjoined twins, and asked, "Looking at this pose... should I practice like this first? Should I grab your left hand or hug your right leg?"

Recovering from our shock, the four of us instantly united as one, miraculously taking several steps back in the shape of conjoined twins!

...So what's going on?

Did I just happen to get the right script?

Why does Boss Dick, who usually speaks with sarcasm and irony, sound so world-weary today?

It will even proactively express its weakness?

In the past, he would blow away even a single gray hair on his head as if it were worth ten thousand taels of gold!

"I can't disturb you? Then you can practice first, and I'll take over later."

Seeing this, Dick returned to his seat and went back to drinking.

"Should we let go for now? I'm a little nervous about dealing with that clueless Dick on the other side..."

Boss Jeff was the first to propose a truce, as if the middle-aged man sitting in front of him was the real enemy.

So the four of us decisively reached a truce agreement, deciding to put aside our disputes and work together to figure out what Boss Dick wanted to do first.

"This guy has changed so much in just three months," said Boss Dart. "Did he receive a letter from his daughter telling him she had a grandson?"

Mayor Thomas categorically denied it, saying, "If that were the case, he would have already booked his boat ticket for the next day and packed his things to visit. How could he be so pessimistic!"

Although the boss's guess was inaccurate, the line of thought was excellent, so Jeff followed suit and expanded his thinking, joining the discussion.

"Or... what if Anzo tells Dick that she's only now realizing she's truly attracted to women? And asks her father to wish them happiness?"

Boss Dart quickly covered Boss Jeff's mouth, "Enough, enough, stop talking nonsense! How could something like this happen to Anzo! You and I both have daughters at home, wouldn't we notice if this were true?"

At this point, Boss Dart suddenly looked at Jeff with a suspicious gaze, "...You have this suspicion, could it be that it's also what you really think?"

I almost burst out laughing, but quickly pinched my thigh to suppress my laughter.

Jeff, although Karen usually acts very strong and is said to have cruelly bullied and abused Rick since childhood, her appearance and behavior are still quite normal. How can you doubt her like that?

However, it is true that if the father's role is absent or negative in the family of origin, it is easy for the daughter to be led to psychological extremes. She may seek out older men to experience fatherly love at an early age, or she may try to become a man herself and take on the dominant role in the family.

"You bear an inescapable responsibility!"

I made a accusation against Jeff out of the blue, which resulted in three other people looking completely bewildered.

Boss Jeff: (?_?)!

"Marcus, what's going on? Dart, don't laugh at me, you haven't figured anything out either!"

Thomas the Tank Engine then voiced his guess, “We’ve watched Anzo grow up since she was little, so we know her personality very well. I think she’s very quiet and reserved. Maybe she started following some new religion in the city and told her father that she planned to remain unmarried and live a lonely life, which scared him so much that he’s been getting thinner and thinner.”

Upon hearing this, Dart and Jeff, who had just been mocking each other, suddenly looked at each other in silence, then began to tremble in unison, gripping each other's hands tightly, instantly reaching a consensus.

“The city is too dangerous. I will never let Lin (Karen) go there and never come back!”

Ignoring the overprotective attitude of these two daughter-obsessed individuals, I carefully considered what he had just said. I suddenly recalled some middle-aged friends I knew who were always eager and restless when they were young.

Later, he always told me that the reason you find women interesting now is because you haven't reached that level yet. When you get to my age, you'll know that there are many things more interesting than women.

It wasn't until later that I found out he had erectile dysfunction.

I think I've heard a saying that impotence is nature's best gift to men. When a man becomes impotent, the symptoms include becoming more talkative, his tone becoming more weathered, and the fact that he used to be a quiet, lone wolf when he was young, but by the time you're in a hotel room with him and you're about to say something, he's already taken his pants off.

Now when he books a hotel room, the other person is already naked, and he starts talking about literature and the universe. He says he suddenly feels that life is very empty, and the other person says he should take his medication. He says he did, but the medication hasn't taken effect yet.

"Tsk...the symptoms are somewhat similar..."

They heard my muttering and immediately asked, "Marcus, what are you thinking about?"

When I shared my guess with them, the three men in front of me immediately wore subtle, malicious smiles and turned their gazes toward Boss Dick.

I couldn't help but complain, "What's wrong with you guys? You're all giving me that sarcastic, mocking smile!"

Mr. Dart exclaimed in astonishment, "What? I have one too?"

Jeff, Thomas, and I said in unison, "Yes!"

Then Jeff frowned and said, "Why did you say 'also'... Did I accidentally laugh too?"

I nodded to Mr. Dart, Thomas, and I, saying, "That's right!"

Thomas the Tank Engine then realized, "Could it be... that I'm smiling too?"

Jeff, Dart, and I affirmed, "Of course!"

...But according to subset classification, when the three people in front of me were criticizing each other, they all unconsciously included me in their group. Could it be that I...

"Hey, why are you all looking at me... Did I smile? I don't think so! I've studied micro-expression management!"

Before I could finish speaking, Thomas, Jeff, and Boss Dart patted me on the shoulder and said something meaningful.

“Marcus… your smile is the most outrageous one…”

…………

"Have you finished practicing?"

Mr. Dick was startled when he suddenly noticed the four of us walking towards him with half-smiles. He had just snapped out of his daze.

Mr. Dart discreetly returned to the bar and poured him a drink. "Dick, don't be too discouraged. These things happen naturally. You can't deny that you're getting old."

Mr. Dick frowned as he took the drink, then noticed Mr. Jeff sitting next to him. A rare hint of sympathy flickered across his usually shrewd face. "Yes, don't be too sad. I have some medicine; come pick it up tomorrow..."

Wait a minute! Why do you have medicine there?! What have you been through?!

Mr. Dick, feeling unwell, shook off his hand. "No need, it's just a minor ailment. I've already seen Dr. Dort and taken the medicine. It just takes some time to recover, and it might have some aftereffects..."

Thomas exclaimed in surprise, "You actually went to Dortmund for medical treatment!"

Mr. Dick, completely bewildered, said, "That's right, is there a problem with seeing a doctor?"

Thomas the Tank Engine's eyebrows shot up. "Dortmund doesn't know anything about this! You need to go to a major federal hospital! What if you suffer long-term consequences!"

Mr. Dick was a little embarrassed by his neighbors' sudden concern and said, "Mayor, I know you mean well, and Dort also told me there would be side effects, and problems would frequently occur if I didn't pay attention to the usage method... but it's not as serious as you're saying..."

Thomas roared, "How could you give up on yourself like this! Have you even considered Anna's feelings! I'm giving you a call; you must go to the best hospital in the federal government for treatment!"

Without saying another word, he wrote down a string of numbers and stuffed it into his hand.

...Thomas, something's not right with you either. Why do you always keep this kind of phone handy? Is it really not some old army doctor's phone number that you copied from a telephone pole?

Mr. Dick was increasingly puzzled, so he asked Mr. Dart, who seemed the most normal on the outside, "What's wrong with you guys today? I don't remember putting lead powder in this batch of wine as a sweetener. What kind of poisoning have you been given?"

Mr. Dart, ever the considerate man, didn't expose him and cleverly changed the subject, "Dick, didn't you go brewing wine recently? How's it going?"

At this point, Mr. Dick, who had been mentally shaken upon entering, finally remembered his purpose.

"Yes, yes, yes! Brewing wine! I came here today to collect a debt, and you guys almost distracted me and confused me!"

He slammed his fist on the table. "Give me the money I earned from selling alcohol these past few months, I need it urgently to brew more! Don't give me the runaround at this crucial moment! If you don't pay me today, I'll take the TV from this tavern, dismantle the wooden planks, and even use the new footstool I bought to pay off my debt!"

I was completely terrified listening to this, but I still managed to ask the question that had been bothering me: "Foot stool? What foot stool?"

Mr. Dick said matter-of-factly, "It's the footstool under this table! Dart, when did you buy it? It's soft yet firm, the perfect height, and it even feels like genuine leather. Let me see if the color suits my floor..."

As Mr. Dick spoke, he looked down at his feet, then his face turned pale for a moment. He immediately looked up at Mr. Dart, trying to appear calm, as if the topic had never been brought up here.

...What footstool! That's old Sebala's head! 100% genuine human skin! If you really like it, take it!

"Mr. Dick, are you drunk...?"

I've completely lost hope in this room full of drunkards. It seems like they've all become unreliable since they came in. Luckily, I'm the pillar of strength who firmly upholds moral principles, otherwise this place would have turned into a black hole of depravity for these drunkards.

"Boss, are you sure your illness is serious? You've lost a lot of weight. If anything seems wrong, you should do as Thomas said and go to the city to see a doctor as soon as possible. If your kidneys are damaged, it can't be repaired..."

Before I could finish my persuasion, Boss Dick had already stood up from his seat and said, "Hurry up!"

"My kidneys are fine! What are you talking about?!"

The four of us exclaimed in unison, "Then where did you go wrong?!"

Boss Dick roared, "It's a back injury!"

The four of us said skeptically, "Don't hide your illness from the doctor..."