Chapter 259: Secret Report
’Could they be... a couple? No, that can’t be right...’
’And why did the rabbit doll bite Lily Hart’s finger?’
A tangle of questions coiled in Ash O’Malley’s mind. He just needed one loose thread to unravel the whole mystery.
Frank O’Malley, beside him, didn’t dare touch Lily Hart’s finger. He just leaned in for a closer look and saw it had indeed healed. He grinned. "It’s good that you’re okay. But wow, you heal really fast~"
Lily Hart brushed it off with a laugh. "That’s just how superpower users are."
Frank O’Malley might believe her, but Ash O’Malley didn’t buy it at all. His brother was naive, not a complete idiot.
The two brothers sat for a while longer. Just as Ash O’Malley was about to get up and take his leave, a cheerful voice called out, "Boss Hart, what’s for lunch?"
It was Roman Rowe, hopping cheerfully up the steps into the RV.
The moment he stepped inside, he spotted two people sitting across from Lily Hart. Both were rather handsome. He immediately straightened his posture, and the smile vanished from his face.
He plopped down next to Lily Hart and asked in a low voice, "Why are they here?"
’Aren’t those the two O’Malley brothers? Are they here to cause trouble again?!’
He tried to make himself look more intimidating. "What are you two here for again?"
Frank O’Malley said, confused, "I was just about to leave. What’s with the hostility! You think you’re so great just because you have a little bear doll? Well, I have a rabbit doll now!"
As he spoke, he pulled the rabbit doll from inside his shirt. He’d stuffed it away in a panic after it bit Lily Hart, but now he could pull it out again to show it off.
Roman Rowe froze for a second, then he too pulled out his little bear doll, slamming it onto the table where it sat firmly. "I have one too!"
Frank O’Malley also slammed his rabbit doll onto the table, making an even louder THUMP. "So do I!"
The doll had barely landed before Ash O’Malley snatched it away. He grabbed the doll with one hand and his foolish brother with the other, urging, "We’re going. Boss Hart, we’ll be on our way now~"
’If they stayed any longer, he suspected the two of them would actually start fighting.’
As they were about to exit the RV, Ash, busy pulling Frank along, nearly collided with Frost Shaw, who was just coming up the steps. Frost Shaw stepped aside to let the two of them pass.
Afterwards, Lily Hart, Roman Rowe, and Frost Shaw watched the O’Malley brothers leave.
Frost Shaw asked, "Why were they here? Are you all right?" His worried gaze scanned her from head to toe.
Lily Hart shrugged and held up her hands. "Don’t worry. I’m perfectly safe inside the RV." She had said this many times, and Frost Shaw and the others knew it was true.
But they still couldn’t help worrying that she might run into danger.
The three of them sat down, and Roman Rowe immediately asked, "What were they here for? And that kid is way too lucky, he actually won a doll, too."
He looked furious. After all, from his perspective, the O’Malleys were the enemy.
Lily Hart interjected at the perfect moment, "But his only has three stars of attack power. Yours has five."
Roman Rowe’s anger vanished instantly. His eyes sparkled as he asked, "Really? Hehe, my little bear is stronger after all!"
Lily Hart nodded in confirmation.
Noon arrived, and it was time for lunch again. While everyone at the lottery shop ate cheerfully, the atmosphere at the O’Malley residence was far more oppressive.
The entire family sat at a large round table. No one spoke. They all ate in silence, only taking food from the dishes directly in front of them.
Not that there was much food to take...
Frank O’Malley ate quickly, finishing his meal in just a few bites. He stood, pushed in his chair, and addressed each of the elders in turn. "Great Elder, Second Elder... Fifth Elder, I have finished eating. I’ll be leaving now."
The Great Elder grunted in acknowledgment. "You may go."
Frank O’Malley obediently excused himself, frantically trying to catch Ash O’Malley’s eye as he left. But Ash didn’t see a thing; he was focused on his meal.
’Even though the food tasted like sawdust.’
After finishing his own meal, Ash O’Malley also performed the same ritual of excusing himself from the table before returning to his room.
His mind kept replaying the events in the RV. ’What was the reason for all of it?’
’The rabbit doll didn’t seem like the violent type. Could it be interested in Lily Hart’s blood? And that zombie from before was interested in her blood, too.’
’It’s normal for a zombie to be interested in human blood. But why the rabbit doll?’
’He suspected Lily Hart’s blood was different. At least, it had a different effect on zombies and animals...’
But he had no way to prove it, so he had to put the matter aside for the time being.
Though he couldn’t prove it, he was almost certain that Lily Hart’s blood was different from others’. And this was something no one else could ever find out.
Especially not the other three major families.
He got up and went to find Frank O’Malley, who was in the middle of a conversation with the rabbit doll.
Ash O’Malley held his hand out to the rabbit’s mouth. There was no reaction. He said to Frank, "Can you hear what it’s saying?"
Frank O’Malley listened carefully to the voice in his mind before shaking his head. "She’s not saying anything, but I can feel her disgust."
Ash O’Malley was speechless. He silently pulled his hand back.
’Looks like the rabbit doll isn’t interested in just anyone’s blood,’ he thought. ’It’s probably only drawn to Lily Hart’s.’
...
Lily Hart didn’t think much of the incident. She just assumed the rabbit doll was like any other animal, and her blood held a fatal attraction for all flora, fauna, and even zombies.
Therefore, it was only natural for it to take a bite.
’Hadn’t Owen Warren himself come flying over from the bathhouse because of it?’
Speaking of Owen Warren... Lily Hart scanned her surroundings but couldn’t find any sign of him. ’Where did he go?’
Frost Shaw noticed her searching and volunteered, "I went to the bathhouse to get him, but I didn’t see him. He probably went out."
"Mm," Lily Hart replied, then looked down to send Owen Warren a message, telling him to come over as soon as he got back.
Meanwhile, Owen Warren was... in a small house far, far away from Central Command, completely absorbed in his training. He was just one step away from breaking through to the Tenth Rank!
...
「Night fell. Inside Central Command.」
"Manager Yates, this is the latest secret report from The White Family."
"Mm. You’re dismissed." Chad Yates took the letter and opened it unhurriedly. The more he read, the more alarmed he became. He sat back in his chair, stunned, and didn’t move for a long time.
He muttered to himself, "Lily Hart, zombies... blood?"
...
「Outside the lottery shop. The night market.」
Even though there were only three machines and the prizes were limited, a long line of people had still formed.
Lily Hart chewed on a roasted sausage, thinking, ’It would be great if we had more snacks. But it seems like most snacks can’t be made with just one machine.’
Just as she was thinking this, an excited customer ran over. "Boss Hart! I won a roasted sweet potato machine from a scratch-off!"
"What? Quick, bring it over here! We’ll set it up with the others!" Lily Hart was ecstatic, waving him over. ’Ask and you shall receive,’ she thought. ’This system really knows what’s up. It really, really knows.’
The machine was quite large, about as tall as a person, and looked a lot like the ones Lily Hart used to see on the roadside back before the world changed. It was a big, square, iron box.
The front had dozens of small, round holes where the sweet potatoes were meant to be roasted. But as Lily Hart fiddled with it, she couldn’t find any place to put charcoal.
’It’s probably electric,’ she figured, ’but it doesn’t need to be plugged in.’
Lily Hart flipped the switch. A familiar CLICK sounded, followed by a low RUMBLING from within. About five minutes later...