In the end, Anqiluo and Billy settled on a price—two thousand dollars for the new church door.
Honestly, it was cheap.
Billy would handle the installation as well, and in the U.S., labor usually cost more than materials.
After taking measurements, Billy left to prepare the wood, promising to return before evening with everything ready.
Kingpin's check had been generous—one hundred thousand dollars. Spending two thousand on a custom electric wooden door barely made a dent. The rest could count as compensation for the trouble.
Anqiluo had no issue with that.
By the time Billy returned, it was already past four in the afternoon.
Anqiluo watched as Billy and his crew—who looked more like gang members than construction workers—quickly installed the door with surprising efficiency.
Sometimes, gang members got things done faster than corporate teams.
Anqiluo didn't intend to stiff him. He took two thousand dollars from the confession money and tossed it over.
Billy caught the cash and forced a smile. "Honestly, Father, you didn't have to pay…"
"Cut it out," Anqiluo said, waving him off. "I'm not skipping the bill. Take it and go. Dinner's coming up—don't tell me you want to stay."
"Would that be okay?" Billy asked hopefully.
Anqiluo stared at him.
"…Get out."
Billy laughed awkwardly and left with his crew.
Once the door was closed—remotely this time—Anqiluo nodded in satisfaction.
Much better.
Now if Tony Stark came back, he wouldn't have anything to complain about.
As he sat down with the steak Number Six had prepared, he thought about it with quiet satisfaction.
Around this time, Matt should be arriving.
Right on cue, there was a knock at the door.
Without looking up, Anqiluo pressed the remote and opened it.
"Matt? What do you think of the new door?"
Knock. Knock.
"Meow."
He waited, but no response came. Just more knocking—and a faint cat's meow mixed in.
Frowning, he set down his fork and turned toward the entrance.
That's when he saw it.
Not Matt.
A small figure stood in the doorway.
A child.
The sun hadn't fully set yet, and the light streaming in made it hard to see clearly at first. All he could make out was how small she was.
"…Huh?"
He narrowed his eyes, stopping Number One from approaching, and walked over himself.
Up close, it became clear.
A little girl.
Four or five years old, maybe.
Her face was dirty, smudged with dust. Long purple hair hung in messy strands around her shoulders. She wore oversized, worn-out clothes that clearly weren't hers—an adult shirt that dragged on the ground. Her shoes didn't match, and neither fit properly.
In her arms, she held a dirty orange cat.
"…Hungry…"
She looked up at him with wide eyes, clutching the cat tightly.
Her eyes were purple too.
Anqiluo paused for a moment at the unusual colors, but didn't dwell on it. Rare, but not impossible.
What caught him off guard was something else.
She was… cute.
The kind of quiet, obedient kind of cute that didn't cause trouble, just stood there and waited.
And that made him frown.
What kind of parents let a kid wander around Hell's Kitchen at this hour, dressed like this and starving?
He made a mental note—
Once he found them, he was going to have a serious talk.
"Hey, where are your parents?" he asked, crouching down and gently patting her head.
Her cat hissed at him, but the girl lightly smacked it, calming it down. The cat stayed in her arms, glaring at him.
"…Hungry…"
She ignored his question, her eyes drifting past him to the half-eaten steak on the table.
She swallowed.
Anqiluo's expression tightened.
Not at her.
At whoever had let this happen.
"Come inside," he said, patting her shoulder. "Eat something first. I'll take you home after."
The cat bristled again at the contact, but didn't move.
He led her to the table.
The moment she sat down, she reached for the steak on his plate.
Anqiluo stopped her.
"That's mine," he said with a faint smile. "I'll have them make you a fresh one."
The girl hesitated, clearly reluctant, but nodded obediently.
Anqiluo looked over at Number One, who was staring at the girl and her cat with shining eyes.
"Number One. Go tell Number Six to make another steak."
Number One snapped out of it and hurried to the kitchen.
Moments later, she returned with a freshly prepared steak and set it down in front of the girl.
It was actually her own dinner.
But she didn't mind.
The girl looked like she needed it more.
Then—
In front of both Anqiluo and Number One—
The girl devoured the entire steak in seconds.
Not eating.
Devouring.
When she finished, she looked up again with the same pitiful expression.
Her cat did the same.
"…Hungry…"
"Meow."
Anqiluo's mouth twitched.
…How long had this kid gone without food?