Chapter 249: The Feeling of Coming Home
Hearing her say that, the two men stared at the machine in anticipation, eager to see what it could do.
Soon, a whitish-yellow batter began to appear at the bottom of the round molds. Yael Lowell’s jaw dropped in amazement.
Lily Hart let out a soft "Pfft..." and chuckled. ’He looks so unworldly.’
Sausage grills and oden cookers had already appeared before this, so she wasn’t the least bit surprised by a takoyaki maker.
Half a minute later, pieces of octopus tentacles appeared in the batter of each mold, distributed evenly as if an invisible pair of hands were controlling them from above.
Soon, shredded cabbage and diced onions were sprinkled into the molds. The invisible hands went to work, as if holding two picks.
They flipped the ingredients in the molds into upright half-spheres, and another layer of batter was added. Now, all that was left was to wait a moment...
In a dazzling display, they became little round balls! They were plump and utterly adorable.
A "DING..." signaled that they were ready. The three of them had watched the entire process, completely astonished.
Lily Hart had at least seen the sausage grill and oden cooker before, but their operation was relatively simple—just put the ingredients in and let them cook. This one, however, had several steps. ’Could a machine really do all this on its own?’
All she could say was: ’Nice.’
But she quickly snapped out of it. Grabbing a disposable bowl and chopsticks, she picked up two for Logan Holland and two for Yael Lowell, then happily took two for herself.
She didn’t forget to grab two each for Diana Sharp and Tina Jacobs as well. That was exactly ten given out, leaving twenty in the pan.
She remembered the takoyaki she used to eat. ’They would add ketchup and other sauces, right? And shredded seaweed? Pork floss? Bonito flakes?’
Her memory was a bit hazy, and Lily Hart couldn’t quite recall. She searched around the machine and, to her surprise, found them all there, lined up right beside it. There was a whole row of everything.
She picked up the ketchup and squeezed two lines over her takoyaki, then added some pork floss and seaweed. She was just about to ask if they wanted any.
When she turned around, she found they had already finished...
Lily Hart didn’t bother and just started eating.
Yael Lowell came over for a closer look and asked in amazement, "Boss Hart, why do you have red sauce on yours? And what’s this stuff?"
Seeing that he was about to ask about every single topping, Lily Hart quickly stopped him, pointing a finger toward the side of the machine. "Hey, hey, hey, over there!"
Yael Lowell went over and saw that it was true. He had been in such a rush to eat that he hadn’t noticed at all. He decided to have another one. ’No, better make it two.’
He picked up two more and, copying Lily Hart, squeezed on some ketchup, sprinkled on shredded seaweed, pork floss, and bonito flakes. Basically, he added a bit of everything that was there.
Logan Holland sidled over, watching with eager eyes. Yael Lowell asked tentatively, "You want one?"
That was the very sentence he’d been waiting for. With swift hands, he grabbed one and added all sorts of toppings too. It was definitely better than eating them plain; the layers of flavor were incredibly rich.
As soon as Yael Lowell finished eating and looked up, he caught sight of the customers outside staring longingly. He immediately went to ask Lily Hart, "Boss Hart, when people won these kinds of prizes before, what did they usually do with them?"
"As far as I know, they always eat their fill first, then sell the rest. That’s because you don’t just get one batch a day. After this batch is gone, it’ll automatically refresh. Get it?"
Yael Lowell was amazed. "It refreshes automatically? I wonder how many times my machine can refresh."
Lily Hart didn’t know either, but that didn’t dampen Yael Lowell’s excitement. He quickly sold off the remaining takoyaki, limiting it to one or two per person.
He wouldn’t sell any more than that; it was nice for everyone to get a taste.
Watching him, Lily Hart couldn’t help but fall into thought. ’There’s a sausage grill, an oden cooker, and a takoyaki maker now. I wonder what’ll show up next.’
’I feel like we could open a small night market!’
’Hey, that’s not a bad idea, is it? I could gather everyone who’s won these prizes, set aside a separate area, and let them set up stalls.’
’I wouldn’t take a single cent of the money they earn, either. It would all be theirs.’
’Most importantly, it’d be close by, so I could buy whatever I want to eat. That’s my real goal, hehe.’
No sooner said than done. Lily Hart found the owners of the sausage grill and the oden cooker. After she explained her idea, both of them immediately agreed, saying they could be ready at a moment’s notice.
Actually, before Lily Hart approached them, they had also thought about setting up stalls to sell their food. But they were afraid of being bullied, disliked, or envied.
In short, they had a lot of worries. Lily Hart coming to them was the perfect solution. ’With Boss Hart around, this business is sure to be a success!’
Having received a satisfactory response, Lily Hart went to find Yael Lowell and ask if he wanted to set up a stall.
"I’d like to, but we can’t come out very often. We usually have to stay inside the command center," Yael Lowell said, troubled.
"That’s no problem. I’ll find someone to watch the stall for you." Lily Hart pulled Diana Sharp over. "It won’t be for long, anyway. It’s just collecting money, and you close up shop once you’re sold out. She’ll be perfectly fine."
Yael Lowell nodded repeatedly. "That would be perfect."
Once Lily Hart confirmed that all three would set up stalls, she went off with her hands behind her back to scout for a location. She wanted to see where the best place to set up would be. After wandering around, she found that the area in front of the factory was spacious and had a lot of foot traffic.
’When the time comes, the three of them can have their backs to the factory, lined up in a row. Machines in front, people in the back. Not bad, not bad at all. Perfect!’
Having quickly decided on the location for the stalls, Lily Hart brought the three of them over to familiarize themselves with the spot, telling them to open for business at seven in the evening sharp.
The owners of the sausage grill and oden cooker quietly raised their hands. "Boss Hart, can we start tomorrow? We already used up today’s quota in the early morning."
Lily Hart remembered. They had both won their prizes in the wee hours and had been so eager that they sold everything on the spot.
She fell silent for a moment. "Alright, then you two come over tomorrow at seven in the evening, on the dot, and start business. Sound good?"
The two of them nodded eagerly. They hadn’t expected such a great opportunity. They could both eat well and earn money—it was the best of both worlds.
With that matter settled, Lily Hart leisurely prepared to head back to her RV. The sky was growing dark, but a steady stream of people still flocked to the lottery shop.
The number of people going in and out of the convenience store and the bathhouse grew with each passing day.
Lily Hart’s arrival had single-handedly revitalized the lifeless Central Command, especially this large area outside the main base.
Previously, once night fell, everyone would stay inside the command center, and those stationed outside would be hugging their blankets, getting ready for bed. But now, things were different.
The nightlife was just beginning. Those with no money would scratch a lottery ticket. Those with some money would browse the convenience store. And those with even more money would go to the bathhouse for a good scrub.
It was a one-stop service, guaranteed to leave you satisfied.
Many high-ranking leaders from Central Command would also come out in disguise, discreetly entering the bathhouse just to completely relax for once.
And you had to admit, the moment you stepped into the bathhouse, it really felt like you were back to spending money in a civilized era. Here, no one discussed zombies, factions, future developments, or The Mysterious Clan with you.
The aunties and uncles working there would only ask: "Is the pressure okay? How’s the water temperature? Is this alright? Want me to go a little lighter?"
They would even show concern. "Have you been too tired lately? Your shoulders are so stiff. Don’t overwork yourself. Here, let me give them a good massage for you."
It always felt a bit like coming home...