Speaking of Andrew's real reason for coming to Blazewood, Piper peeked over and asked curiously:
"Oh yeah, Andrew, what made you decide to come all the way to the Outer Ring to buy a bike? Wouldn't New Eridu be better?"
Andrew scoffed at Piper's question, curling his lip.
"All the vehicles in New Eridu are powered by Ether energy. In my opinion, that stuff just makes for a slightly faster electric scooter. They just have the shape of a motorcycle, that's all. Not my thing. Really not my thing."
Hearing Andrew's reply, Piper broke into a smile of agreement and said:
"I didn't expect you to think just like us folks in the Outer Ring on this~ If Burnice wasn't out on a delivery, she'd definitely be dragging you out for a drink right now."
Pausing for a moment, Piper imitated Burnice's tone, saying:
"'Ether-powered vehicles just don't have that fire! They've got none of that kick-in-the-back feeling you get from a gas engine!'"
To think that in the 'beautifully unhinged' Outer Ring, this kind of thinking was actually the norm, Andrew couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.
Exactly! Without the vibration of twisting the throttle and the roar of the exhaust, how can you even call it a motorcycle? It's just a glorified electric scooter, plain and simple.
But just then, Piper leaned in again, interrupting Andrew's thoughts. She casually scratched her long, untamed hair and said:
"By the way, Big Boss sent a message. He said he wants to meet you. Can picking out the bike wait a bit?"
Andrew was also quite interested in the old leader Caesar had mentioned, so he naturally agreed.
When Caesar heard that Big Boss suddenly wanted to meet Andrew, she was a bit confused, but she completely trusted the elder who had raised her.
She scratched her head and said with a cheerful laugh:
"In that case, I'll go wait for you in the garage. Just come find me there when you're done."
Waving a temporary goodbye to Caesar, Andrew followed Piper into a dining car parked nearby that had been converted into a bar.
As soon as he stepped up, he saw a porcine Thiren sitting on a seat. He was crimson all over, with pale fur, and a pair of super-cool sunglasses on his face.
Even with his chin completely covered by a beard, a pair of sharp tusks protruded straight out from the whiskers. But the most unique feature was his wild boar-like face.
Although this porcine Thiren was clearly old, his broad black leather jacket couldn't hide his powerful physique. His sturdy muscles bulged against the leather, and a blue bandana tied around his neck gave him the look of a western cowboy.
The man also saw Andrew stepping up. Despite his intimidating appearance, there was nothing aggressive about his expression. On the contrary, it was kind and benevolent.
And at his feet, three Thiren who looked like ordinary miniature pigs were huddled together nervously.
"Young friend, no need to be so formal. I'm just a retired old biker. It's rare that the kids are still willing to keep me company."
This was the first time Andrew had seen such a distinctive porcine Thiren in New Eridu.
But to be honest, given his getup and build, even though Andrew nodded in agreement with his words, the doubt on his face was practically overflowing.
But he was a man who'd made it to retirement, after all. His thick skin was undeniable. He paid no mind to Andrew's skepticism and continued cheerfully:
"Caesar came back yesterday and said she'd made a new friend. As her Big Boss, I had to meet him, see what you're like. So I shamelessly asked Piper to invite you over."
Hearing Big Boss's words, Andrew felt inexplicably formal and sat down across from him in the booth.
"What is this feeling, like I'm suddenly meeting the commander-in-chief?!"
For some reason, the atmosphere felt a little strange, leaving Andrew a bit bewildered.
Big Boss placed a bottle of soda in front of Andrew, then reached for the glass in front of him and took a sip.
"There aren't many friends Caesar cares this much about. Meeting you today, you're quite an impressive young man. The kids' affairs should be left for the kids to handle themselves."
For some reason, that strange 'meeting the parents' vibe from just a moment ago vanished completely, and Andrew couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Recalling the words he'd overheard from a distance, Big Boss smiled silently and raised his glass to Andrew.
"I heard what you said earlier. 'Two streams of tears for family,' huh? That's something that would make even a freedom-loving biker from the Outer Ring unconsciously pause and reflect."
Andrew picked up his soda, clinked it gently against Big Boss's glass, and took a drink as well.
"I just borrowed a line I saw somewhere else."
Big Boss nodded in approval at Andrew's nonchalant attitude.
But with the main purpose accomplished, it was now time for some casual chit-chat.
Big Boss looked at the little pigs huddled at his feet, picked them up, and introduced them to Andrew:
"Ah Cao, Ah Mu, Ah Zhuan. I've been worried about finding a suitable teacher for them. Caesar said you're from New Eridu, so you must be an educated man. How about you try letting them follow you for a while?"
Looking at the three little pigs who were like carbon copies of each other, Big Boss continued:
"The three of them are tough as nails. You can teach them however you see fit. As long as they don't die, you can do whatever you want with them. I'll pay you in Dennies for it afterward. How about it?"
Teach them?
Hearing this request, Andrew hesitated instinctively.
Before surpassing the Azure Star, he always felt he wasn't worthy of being a teacher, that teaching others would just be leading them astray.
After all, he hadn't even managed to 'surpass the master,' so how could he teach others? He had a feeling that old goat would laugh his ass off if he ever found out.
Besides, he wasn't an educated man at all! Wouldn't teaching them just lead them astray?
Noticing Andrew's hesitation, Big Boss said without a second thought:
"Don't worry, just let them follow you around. As for the rest, you can even let them fend for themselves."
Ah Cao, Ah Mu, and Ah Zhuan, who were standing nearby, immediately started to tremble. But the moment they saw Big Boss's gaze, the shaking stopped, as if they had been this brave all along.
Even though Big Boss had put it that way, Andrew still politely declined the offer.
"It's not that I mind teaching them, but I'm really not an educated person. It would be better to wait until I meet someone who is, and then hand them over to her."
Seeing the three little pigs' disappointed faces, Andrew finally relented a little.
"If they want to learn martial arts, I can teach them a few moves when I have time. But that's it."
The three little pigs nodded excitedly. Big Boss, who hadn't had high hopes to begin with, was naturally happy with this. However, the search for an academic tutor would have to continue.
After that, the two of them had a very enjoyable chat, and Andrew's understanding of the Outer Ring deepened considerably.
______
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