While aboard the Batplane, Arthur peered out through a tiny window next to him. After a while, he noticed that something was off, he asked, "Is the plane moving a bit too fast?"
"Have you ever been on other planes?" questioned Shiller.
"No, I haven't, but the planes landing in Gotham usually fly over the open sea at Brude Haven, which I occasionally get to see. I think, they don't fly as fast as this."
"Because I'm a good pilot!" Hal, piloting in the front, shouted out, while Shiller shaking his head responded, "Don't listen to him. The planes you see are about to land, hence their slow speed. Normally, they don't fly so slow, this is normal speed."
Arthur nodded ambiguously as if he understood. Meanwhile, Shiller stood up and walked over to the fridge in the cabin, preparing to find some food. The fish soup was indeed delicious, but because he doesn't like grilled fish and fish soup, he didn't eat much for dinner and was a bit hungry now.
Arthur, tilting his head, started to look around at the interior of the plane with a curious expression, he said, "This is my first time on a plane. My classmates would not believe that I could fly so high."
"And, isn't the interior of this plane a bit too luxurious?" Arthur slowly rose from his seat, only to sit back down, experimenting with the cushions underneath him, he added, "The sofas in my home aren't this soft. And, did I see a bed when I came in?"
Indeed, the entire cabin of the Batplane looked like a miniature private jet layout, concentrating the essence, not only smaller in size but also equipped with sofas, tables, chairs, a fridge, and a bed.
Just then, Hal appeared in the cabin. He stretched, yawning, "Oh Lord, it's already in the wee hours, I should be in bed sleeping… Never mind, I'll go to sleep a bit."
"Oh, there is a bed over there." Arthur pointed to a nearby bed. Suddenly, he looked frightened and turned to Hal, blurting, "What are you doing here??? Weren't you piloting the plane???"
Hal dismissively waved his hand, "This plane can fly automatically. I just set a destination, and it will automatically fly close to the target location. When it's time to land, I just have to call the control tower."
Arthur looked even more surprised, but Hal tightened his jacket and collapsed onto the bed, soon starting to snore. Looks like he was really tired.
As to why he was so tired, Shiller didn't need to guess. Of course, it's because he'd been fighting with Clark.
Initially, Shiller thought that Green Lantern and Superman had a good relationship, but in reality, their perspectives often differ. Since they're more or less equally matched, their fights sometimes escalate to the point that they fight all the way into the solar system.
Though the green lantern energy can be recovered at any time, mental fatigue can't be restored quickly. A few hours before Shiller summoned him to pilot the plane, Hal and Clark had just returned from Pluto. He only lost half-0.9 punches to Clark.
When Shiller opened the refrigerator, he found it stocked with plenty of food. By the looks of it, it was unmistakably Alfred who had packed the fridge. This butler indeed has mastered the art of living to the fullest, utilizing every bit of space in the not-so-big fridge to its brim.
The freezer compartment contained well-prepared beef, salmon, tuna, and lamb chops. The fresh layer contained a variety of vegetables for salad or sandwiches, and there were also various delicious cans of food. Moreover, these canned foods were evidently not those available in the market that are loaded with a lot of spices. These indeed looked like exclusive health cans for rich people.
The corn, cherry tomatoes, and beans were all very fresh, they must have been put there today, maybe even freshly picked this morning. There were plenty of butter, cream, cream cheese, and what was more important, there was a big piece of cheddar cheese, which looked very inviting.
Now it being late in the night, Shiller decided to make something light. So, he made a salad with lettuce, cabbage, and tomatoes, fried two pieces of salmon in olive oil, and also made two meat sandwich slices without cheese.
The plane also had a mini kitchen. Although it only had a fixed griddle and a kitchen countertop, it was sufficient to make some simple dishes.
When he served the food, Arthur was even more surprised. He swallowed and eventually couldn't resist the aroma of the grilled beef. He grabbed a sandwich and bit into it vigorously.
Shiller ate a sandwich too, then sighed, "Wow, it feels so good to be rich. The quality of this beef is completely wasted by cutting it into thin slices. Even though the beef is cut so thin, it's still tender and juicy when bitten into."
Arthur had also never eaten beef of this quality. He finished the beef sandwich in just a few bites. But when it was time for the salmon, he couldn't swallow it and just left it after one bite. Shiller noticed this and asked, "What happened, don't you like fish?"
"The quality of this salmon is not good, or rather, it's a bit un-fresh. Is it cold fresh?" Arthur asked.
Shiller nodded, to which Arthur explained, "I like fresh salmon, and prefer raw salmon slices. I don't use wasabi like others, but I prefer to accompany it with the Fisherman spicy salsa characteristic of Brude Haven, the flavor will blow your mind."
"If I get the chance, I must try it." After eating a bite of fried salmon, Shiller didn't know if it was psychological, but he felt that the salmon wasn't that tasty.
After a while, Hal woke up, not because he was really awake, but because he was awakened by the aroma of Shiller's cooking. But when he woke up, the two of them had already finished their midnight snack. He had no choice but to go to the fridge and find some food to cook.
"When it comes to preparing seafood, you guys are all novices," Hal said while working at the cooking counter. "Where is the most famous seaside city in the world? It's my hometown, Seashore City - the best seaside tourist city in the world..."
"Nonsense, Brude Haven is the best..." Arthur objected. Yet, the energy in his voice faltered because Hal was actually speaking the truth. Seashore City could be described as a luxurious version of Brude Haven, far superior to the small coastal town.
This is a globalized tourist city, with cuisine, scenery, and culture all at a global top-notch level. It also has the north coast's longest and purest coastline. The city is quite large, with diverse, comprehensive facilities. The development of its tourism industry is also at the forefront in the United States.
"I haven't been back to California State for a long time." Hal said as he dealt with the beef, "To me, this name has become somewhat unfamiliar. If you were to go to the west coast, you would understand that it's entirely different from the east coast."
"Life there doesn't have such high-paced rhythms. It's leisurely, romantic, filled with charm. Whether it's the beaches or deserts, the people or landscapes, everything there is the best."
"Your hometown is in California?" Arthur asked. He truly did not know that Seashore City was in California, thinking it was one of the East Coast Cities.
"Definitely. I was kind of surprised when I heard Shiller was heading to California. But I have to say, you've made a fabulous decision. Where I come from, people say that you must visit Seashore City if you have more than ten days of vacation. Failing to do so would be wasting your holiday time."
When Hal spoke of his hometown, he was impassioned. It's apparent that he was more attached to his birthplace than Arthur was. He explained, "Back then, the west coast's economy was not developed enough. People would always remember Los Angeles when thinking of this place."
"However, after the gold rush, people realized that besides Los Angeles, there is a city on the west coast that is a lost gem—my hometown, Seashore City. It has the most beautiful coastline, the most beautiful sunshine, palm trees, and beaches."
"The food there could definitely rival Los Angeles'. After we land, I must take you to my favorite Takin Restaurant. Their sea bass meal could make you swallow your tongue..."
Upon saying this, Hal served the beef he just fried and the cooked beans soup. Then he took two toasted slices, paired them with cheese, and sandwiched the beef and beans in between and took a big bite.
"This method of eating is quite unique, does it also come from Seashore City?" Shiller asked.
"Sort of. I prefer call it the pilot meal, as pilots from my place love to eat this way. Mainly because fried beef and beans are easy to preserve, and taste good. You should try."
Shiller took a spoon and tasted the bean soup, the taste was indeed quite good, just a little bland. But consider that pilots indeed need to control their diet and can't consume too much oil and salt, the taste was pretty good.
After the trio had their fill, they began to doze off on the sofa. The city's flickering lights blurred into orange-red under the drooping night curtain outside the plane, much like mixed paints thrown onto a deep blue starry sky backdrop.
When Shiller opened his eyes again, the city outside the plane window was already within sight; Hal was nowhere to be found. Leaning over, Shiller saw him controlling the plane in the cockpit, suggesting that they would be landing soon.
Arthur was right; the Batplane was much faster than normal passenger planes. In just a while, Shiller could already see the control tower's indicating lights. The moment the plane landed, Shiller began clapping.
Hal walked out of the cockpit and looked at Shiller, asking, "Why are you clapping? I didn't do anything..."
"I am thanking you for not doing anything."
After saying that, Shiller picked up his luggage and exited the plane, followed by Arthur. As they exited the plane, Shiller felt a wave of heat hit him. Even though it was only April, Seashore City, with its lower latitude, was already very hot.
Just as Shiller stepped off the plane, he could hear the control tower staff discussing, "Who's the big shot this time, decorating their private plane like this? I've seen ones painted like tigers and lions, but not one painted like a bat…"
"Who knows? Some people like tigers in this world, some like lions, and it's not surprising that someone likes bats, right?"
Shiller heard a suppressed voice coming from behind say, "No, that's really strange."
Shiller turned around and replied, "Not strange at all. What's strange is the person disguised as a bat."
At this moment, Arthur, who was walking at the back, shrugged his shoulders and said,
"Let's get going. I can already smell the sea breeze."