"You ratted me out to God again?!" Lucifer could not hold back his anger.
"He praised you"
"Oh, really?...I mean, don't try to fool me!"
Shiller cut a piece of fish, ignoring Lucifer's shifting gaze, and changed the subject. "Last night, while I was packing, I called Hal. He'll pick us up when the train arrives."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow, folded the newspaper in his hand, and said, "But you were opposing my decision last night."
"As a qualified Pope, I am well concerned that my God might end up on the streets because he cannot afford his rent due to the poor business conditions," Shiller shook his head and said, "I'm really curious, you ran a bar in the best location in Los Angeles, with the densest entertainment atmosphere and highest footfall, yet managed to lose over a hundred thousand US dollars. How on earth did you manage that?"
Lucifer replied, shrugging, "It's not just humans that frequent my bar. Beings from the human realm, spirit realm, heaven, hell, everyone wants to boost my business. However, as you can probably guess, some of the incompatible races might cause a little… friction."
"How many times has your bar been rebuilt?"
"Over 6000 times."
"You really are a business genius."
Lucifer sighed, "This time in Seashore City, I'm changing my business strategy. Apart from humans, other races are not allowed inside."
Shiller put down his cutlery and rang the bell for the waiter to take away the dishes. He wiped his mouth with a napkin then said, "In fact, Hal and I have a joint venture, which I think would be beneficial for your bar business. We can discuss it together when he arrives."
"It's likely not good news." Lucifer smirked.
Soon, the train arrived. Despite its relatively primitive speed, it was still much faster than unreliable hitchhiking. By the time Shiller and Lucifer got off the train, it wasn't completely dark yet.
As soon as they walked out of the station, a man dressed in a brown leather jacket approached them. He first hugged Shiller and then shook hands with Lucifer. Shiller passed the brown suitcase he was carrying to him. With a flash of green light, the suitcase vanished.
Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Green Lantern?"
"Exactly, I am Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern of Earth's sector. Nice to meet you, Mr Lucifer." Hal nodded, leading the two of them out. Shiller looked at his travel-stained appearance and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Have you just come back too?"
"Yes, I just rushed back after hearing that you were coming. Oliver ran into some trouble. Arthur and I went over to help him."
Shiller shook his head. "What kind of trouble requires both of you to handle? Wouldn't one of you be enough?"
Hal frowned, "It's complicated. Oliver also didn't let us tell anyone else. But if there's a need for you to help, I'll let you know."
Shiller nodded without saying anything. The situation in Mexico was indeed complicated and couldn't be explained in a sentence or two. The Green Arrow's actions there were smooth. But the smoother they were, the more troubles he faced. It's likely he must have run into trouble concerning the use of force, otherwise, there would not be the need to bring along Aquaman and Green Lantern.
Hal drove an old pickup truck. Lucifer noted a messy fishing net in the back of the truck. As he climbed into the vehicle, he asked, "Are you a fisherman?"
"No, I'm a test pilot. But like many families in Seashore City, my family is involved in the fishing industry. My uncle owns several boats and most of the family members go out to sea with him to catch fish. Some also work on cruise ships and we hardly get to see them throughout the year."
Lucifer seemed interested. He said, "I've never been deep-sea fishing before. Is it true that you go out to sea during the tuna season, and that the biggest tuna caught would become the fish king at auction?"
While driving, Hal nodded and said, "It's been a long time since an American caught a fish king. The Canadians have the upper hand."
The three of them chatted casually about deep sea fishing. The car soon arrived at Hal's house. What puzzled both Shiller and Lucifer was that it was a fishery, and it seemed to have been abandoned.
"Everyone who visits my home for the first time finds it strange. But this is quite normal in Seashore City." Hal sighed and led the group forward. "During my grandfather's time, marine resources were very rich. A single haul would yield more cod than the net could hold."
"But as you all know, as the ocean ecosystem continues to be destroyed, unchecked overfishing by humans has led to the depletion of marine resources, worsening the undersea ecology and reducing the fishery output."
"By the time it reached my father's generation, the corals and marine ecology of the fishery have suffered devastating blows. They couldn't raise any fish and loses money when they cast fish fry. As a result, they had no choice but to change occupations."
"The worse a fishery is maintained, the worse its condition gets. Such a fishery can't be sold at all. It can only be declared bankrupt and repurposed. Facing this situation, the government of Seashore City can do nothing but allow the fishermen to continue living here. Hence, in Seashore City, many families live in abandoned fisheries like these."
As they went further, the scenery opened up. To their right was a pebble-ridden beach. Crystal-clear sea water overflowed onto the reefs, creating white foam. Groups of seagulls rested atop the high sections of the reef, and continuously circled in the air, landing on cliffs in the distance.
To their left was a lush forest. The forest extended to a high cliff to its left. Below the cliff were surging waves, and on top was a brightly lit lighthouse.
Hal pointed at the coastline. "Haven't you noticed? The water here is clearer than anywhere else. As a tourist spot, it's a rare sight. But to a fisherman, it is a sign of depleted fishery resources."
"The government lets us continue living here, mainly for us to maintain the area's sanitation to attract tourists. In exchange, they have waived our property tax and reduced inheritance tax. All resource-based cities will have to transform eventually. I think Seashore City is doing quite well."
Lucifer and Shiller nodded their heads. The natural scenery here did not need any embellishment and was enough to grab anyone's attention. Just from the sight of it, they could imagine the relaxation and ease of camping here.
Following a path along the beach, they arrived at two stone cottages hidden in the forest. After Hal knocked on the door, an elderly man with grey curly hair appeared.
"This is my father, Martin Jordan...Don't be surprised. I'm the second son in the family. My older brother is 12 years older than me, so my parents are rather old."