Chapter 140: Bathhouse Grand Opening
This image of someone doing a good deed without seeking recognition was burned into Logan Holland’s mind. He resolved to learn this rare quality from Boss Hart.
Frederick Shaw was happily eating his noodles, completely unaware that his fate’s trajectory had been altered in just a few words.
Logan Holland said goodbye to Lily Hart, promising to see her again. Lily Hart waved back, telling him to be safe.
She hoped he would make it back in one piece for their next meeting.
Frost Shaw arrived just in time for the informal farewell. He gave a perfunctory wave and sat down to wait for his food.
Lily Hart watched Logan Holland enter the hotel, then sat down next to Frost Shaw and let out an involuntary sigh.
"What’s wrong?" Frost Shaw asked immediately, turning to look at her with concern. His reaction caused the whole table of little brats to whip their heads around and stare at Lily Hart.
They all scrambled to ask, "Lily, are you okay? What’s wrong?"
Frederick Shaw didn’t say a word, but the worry in his eyes was impossible to hide. For a moment, Lily Hart’s heart was warmed.
’Coming to this strange world wasn’t a total loss. At least I’ve gained these friends...’
Lily Hart smiled and shook her head. She didn’t plan on telling anyone Frederick Shaw’s identity; it was better to keep it to herself.
Frost Shaw looked away, clearly not believing her claim that nothing was wrong. But if Boss Hart didn’t want to talk, he wasn’t going to press her.
"Hi~! My dear little darlings, what are we having for breakfast this morning?" Roman Rowe’s cheerful voice drifted over, growing louder as he approached.
Easton obediently replied, "Shredded pork noodles~ And fried eggs~"
Roman Rowe darted over, plopped down next to Frost Shaw, and unceremoniously snatched the untouched bowl of noodles from in front of him and began to eat.
"You..." Frost Shaw was exasperated, but also used to this. He instinctively looked toward Lily Hart, his bright eyes full of pitiful appeal.
"Roman Rowe, you’ve gone too far!" Lily Hart chided him perfunctorily before pushing Leo Colby’s bowl over to Frost Shaw.
Frost Shaw immediately broke into a smile. Leo Colby, arriving later: ’...Isn’t anyone going to speak up for me?’
Breakfast ended amidst laughter and cheerful conversation. Frederick Shaw looked around, but no one asked who he was or gave him any questioning glances.
It was as if he had been living there for a long time and had blended in completely. The feeling made Frederick Shaw relax.
The next second, the hair on his skin stood on end. He gripped the glass in his hand tightly, his gaze fixed on a single direction.
’It’s the Zombie King.’
He had changed his clothes today. Dressed in a black shirt and black pants, he stood two meters tall, lean and muscular, a perfect mannequin.
Though he appeared to be taking a leisurely stroll, his speed was actually quite fast. In the span of a few breaths, the Zombie King had arrived at the bathhouse entrance.
He used his fingerprint to unlock the main doors, pulling them both open. The lights inside turned on in response, instantly illuminating the entire lobby.
Lily Hart walked over to discuss today’s grand opening with him. Both acted as if yesterday had never happened.
"Do we need an opening ceremony? Or should we just open for business?" Lily Hart asked.
’It seemed her previous two businesses hadn’t had much of a grand opening ceremony. She had just casually opened the doors and started operating.’
The Zombie King paused to think. "What kind of opening ceremony?"
Lily Hart rolled her eyes. "Isn’t it whatever you want it to be? Or you could check the Light Brain to see if there’s a service for it."
The two huddled together to look into it, and sure enough, they found something: a full-service grand opening package. It had everything from decorations to a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"This one." The Zombie King picked the cheapest option, which only cost 888 Crystal Cores. It was cheap, but it had all the essentials.
Lily Hart read through the product description. It would have been considered basic in the 21st century, but in the post-apocalyptic world, it was quite extravagant.
It even included a dragon and lion dance performance, flower baskets, balloons, and an inflatable arch.
Very thorough.
"Okay," Lily Hart agreed.
The only problem was, the Zombie King didn’t have any Crystal Cores...
It’s safe to say he’d never had to worry about things like Crystal Cores before. In the past, whatever he wanted, a High-level Zombie would deliver it right to him.
But now, he needed Crystal Cores. He couldn’t very well have his High-level Zombies go out and slaughter low-level zombies for their cores, could he?
A flash of inspiration struck him. He closed the Light Brain, stood up, and said, "I’m stepping out. I’ll be back in half an hour."
Lily Hart was confused but watched him go. She didn’t remain idle, either, and started to wander around the bathhouse.
The buffet was restocked daily with fresh food and fruit. It would be refreshed as soon as the clock struck midnight, ensuring no food was ever left out overnight.
She grabbed some sliced watermelon and a small bag of Tiger Fang Crisps, then found a sofa to sit on and eat.
「Half an hour later.」 The Zombie King returned as promised, looking absolutely triumphant. It was obvious something good had happened.
Lily Hart watched as he opened his Light Brain and, without hesitation, ordered another all-in-one grand opening package—this one for 1,888 Crystal Cores.
’Oh? Did a little trip outside completely change his perspective on money?’
After the order was placed, a series of white lights flashed before their eyes, and the two of them were instantly moved outside the bathhouse.
They could only watch as a white mist rose and enveloped the bathhouse, completely obscuring it from view.
A minute later, the white mist dissipated, revealing a completely transformed bathhouse. Two stone lions now stood guard on either side of the entrance.
They were tall and imposing, each with a round iron ball in its mouth.
Two rows of human-height, vibrant and festive flower baskets lined the entrance. Not only that, but a red carpet had also been rolled out, stretching from the main doors all the way to their RV.
The sound of gongs and drums began to swell as two dragon and lion dance troupes appeared out of thin air. They were incredibly skilled, leaping and prancing about.
They would occasionally leap right up to the spectators for a close-up, and Lily Hart felt she had never seen a better dragon and lion dance, not even back in the 21st century.
The sound of firecrackers—CRACKLE, POP—was mixed in with the music. White smoke filled the air, and the faint smell of gunpowder hung over the scene.
The scent filled the nostrils of every onlooker.
Gradually, the crowd grew larger. No one knew what was going on, but everyone loved a good spectacle.
Waves of cheers and applause rose from the crowd as the Zombie King, disguised as a normal person, walked around with a basket, tossing out candy.
This was also included in the package: two baskets filled to the brim with all sorts of candy that children were sure to love.
"It’s candy!"
"It’s sweet!"
Someone who caught a piece popped it in their mouth immediately. After tasting it, they shouted out, sparking another wave of cheers.
It was accompanied by rowdy shouts of, "More!" "Throw some more!" "Over here!"
Easton and the other little brats joined the crowd, scrambling to grab candy. It didn’t matter if they didn’t get any; the fun was in being part of the excitement.
Once the Zombie King had tossed out all the candy from the two baskets, the dragon and lion dance performance concluded.
Someone recorded the entire event and excitedly posted it online, eager to share the experience with everyone.
Frederick Shaw had also joined the fun in the crowd. He’d collected a pocketful of candy and was beaming with delight.
He planned to go back and share them with Zom. ’Zombies can eat candy, right?’ As he was thinking this, he bumped right into someone.
Frederick Shaw instinctively clutched his pocketful of candy and looked up warily. ’He looks familiar... I think he knows Lily...’
’That time I was the bait, Lily came chasing after me with this guy trailing behind her. He looks devious and flashy—not a good person, that’s for sure.’
He walked around the man and continued toward the RV. He carefully unwrapped a White Rabbit creamy candy, popped it in his mouth, and gave it a small lick.