Wos looked at the two living, breathing cartoon characters in front of him, feeling a mix of every emotion at once.
Tom and Jerry just stood there, staring up at him with wide eyes, as if asking, “Hey, buddy, what’s going on here?”
“Um… can you guys understand what I’m saying?” Wos asked tentatively.
Tom and Jerry looked at each other, then nodded in perfect sync.
“Holy crap! You really can!” Wos was so excited he almost jumped.
“As long as we can communicate, that’s good. If we couldn’t understand each other, we’d be completely screwed.”
Tom reached out a paw and pointed at the run-down room around them, then at Wos, his eyes full of confusion.
He was asking the three questions of the soul: Where is this?
Who are you?
How did we get here?
Wos took a deep breath and gathered his words.
“Here’s the thing. I don’t know how to explain it either. I just transmigrated into this world, and then suddenly some kind of Summoning System awakened and summoned you two here.”
Jerry scratched his little head, completely baffled.
“I know this sounds ridiculous, but that’s how it is,” Wos said with a bitter smile.
“I have no way to send you back to your original world either, and I can’t even…”
He shouted at the top of his lungs, “System! Come out, System! Give me an explanation!”
The room was dead silent.
There was no response at all.
“See? This garbage system summons you and then plays dead. It has zero after-sales service.” Wos spread his hands helplessly.
“I’m really sorry to you both. I’m a victim here too.”
Tom walked over and gently patted Wos’s leg to comfort him.
Jerry also hopped to Wos’s feet and gave him an encouraging look.
The sight warmed Wos’s heart.
“You guys are great. As long as you don’t blame me, that’s enough. Looks like the three of us can only rely on each other in this world.”
Tom and Jerry exchanged a smile and nodded at the same time.
Even though they had suddenly arrived in a strange world, having a human friend was better than facing it alone.
“I swear in the name of God!” Wos suddenly raised his right hand, his expression solemn.
“From now on, if I have a bite of food, I’ll never let you two go hungry! We’re partners, not master and servants! You’re not my pets, we’re equal friends!”
Tom was so moved that his eyes grew a little misty, and he hurriedly wiped the corners of them.
Jerry was also touched by the sincerity, and his tiny body stood up perfectly straight.
“Grumble~~~”
Suddenly, Tom’s stomach let out a loud rumble.
“Grumble~~~”
Right after, Jerry’s little belly refused to be outdone and rumbled too.
The two little ones instantly turned red in the face.
Tom rubbed his belly sheepishly, and Jerry wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.
“Hahaha! You’re hungry, right?” Wos immediately sprang into action and started searching through all his clothes and pants pockets.
“Wait, let me see how much money I have left…”
Left pocket, empty.
Right pocket, still empty.
Shirt pocket, not a single coin.
Wos’s face gradually turned pale.
“No way… was the previous owner this poor? (￣’i￣;)” He kept searching, even taking off his socks to check them.
Finally, in the small back pocket of his jeans, he felt a crumpled bill.
“Found it!” Wos pulled out the bill like a treasure.
When he looked closely, it was fifty dollars.
This was all he owned in this world.
“Well, it’s not much, but it’s enough for a decent meal for us.” Wos put the bill away.
“Wait for me, you two. I’ll take a shower and change into some cleaner clothes first, then I’ll take you out for something delicious!”
Tom and Jerry nodded eagerly, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Wos walked into the small bathroom and looked at the unfamiliar face in the mirror.
White, blond hair, blue eyes, not bad-looking at all, but right now his head was covered in blood and he looked like a serial killer.
He turned on the faucet.
Luckily, there was still hot water.
“The previous owner got shot in the head, yet I came back to life. This system really is amazing,” Wos thought as he washed his hair.
“But since I’ve transmigrated, I have to live well. The Marvel world is dangerous, but it’s full of opportunities too. At least I have Tom and Jerry by my side now.”
After the shower, Wos put on the cleanest outfit the previous owner had, a black T-shirt and blue jeans.
They were a little faded, but at least he looked like a normal person.
“Let’s go, partners!” Wos walked out of the bathroom full of energy.
“Today, let’s get familiar with the surroundings first, and fill our stomachs while we’re at it!”
Tom and Jerry followed on his left and right, and the three figures walked to the door together.
When he opened the door, outside was a dim hallway with peeling wall paint, and the air was filled with the smell of mildew and the stench of unidentified liquids.
The building looked like it had been neglected for years, and everything about it reeked of poverty and decay.
“Hell’s Kitchen really lives up to its name,” Wos sighed.
They went down the stairs, and when they passed the first floor, Wos saw the fierce-looking landlord from earlier, a pot-bellied, bald middle-aged man sitting on the couch watching TV with a beer bottle in his hand.
When the landlord saw Wos, he immediately glared at him.
“Kid, don’t forget what I said! Three days!”
“I know, I know, don’t worry!” Wos nodded and bowed repeatedly, then quickly walked out of the apartment building.
People came and went on the street, but most of them were in a hurry, and few were willing to linger.
Most of the buildings here were old, graffiti was everywhere, and suspicious figures could occasionally be seen loitering in the dark alleys.
Tom and Jerry stayed close to Wos, curiously taking in this unfamiliar world.
Though the environment was a bit lousy, everything was fresh and new to them.
“Let’s find a place to eat first.” Wos looked around.
“There should be a cheap and tasty little place around here.”
After walking a few blocks, they finally found a small restaurant that looked fairly clean.
A sign reading “MomsKitchen” hung at the entrance, and through the glass window, the interior looked simple but cozy.
“This is the place.” Wos pushed open the door, and a bell rang out with a crisp sound.
There weren’t many customers in the restaurant, only a few tables of people dining quietly.
A kindly middle-aged woman walked over with a professional smile on her face.
“Welcome, sir. How many in your party?”
“Just one,” Wos answered.
The waitress glanced at the two little ones behind him, a bit puzzled.
“Are you sure it’s just one? The cat and the mouse behind you… are they your pets?”
“Um, they’re my partners. Does your restaurant not allow animals inside?” Wos asked carefully.
“No, not at all. As long as you can keep them from running around, we’d welcome even a tiger here!”
The waitress said it half as a joke, then led them to a small table in the corner.
After Wos sat down, Tom and Jerry each hopped onto a chair.
The waitress was surprised to see how clever Tom and Jerry were, then handed the menu to Wos.
“What would you like?”
Wos quickly scanned the menu.
The prices were reasonable enough.
“One signature burger combo, plus two small burgers and three colas.”
“Sure, one moment, please.” The waitress wrote down the order and turned to leave.
“So, excited?” Wos asked in a low voice.
Tom and Jerry nodded excitedly, their eyes full of anticipation.
In their world, it was a rare experience for animals to sit in a restaurant and have a proper meal.
Luckily, this was Hell’s Kitchen.
Otherwise, no restaurant would be willing to let animals in.
Compared to gang shootouts and drug deals, animals in a restaurant were truly a trivial matter.
Soon, the food arrived.
Fragrant burgers, golden fries, and ice-cold cola made it feel like paradise.
Wos pushed the two small burgers in front of Tom and Jerry.
“Come on, dig in!”
Tom picked up his burger, sniffed it first, then carefully took a bite.
Instantly, his eyes lit up, and he started wolfing it down.
Jerry refused to be outdone.
Although the burger was a bit big for him, he gnawed at it with all his effort, a look of satisfaction all over his little face.
Seeing his two little partners eating so happily, Wos felt very happy too.
Even though life was tough right now, at least they were together.
“Eat slowly, don’t choke,” Wos reminded them gently.