Chapter 228: I’m the Boss, After All~
There were so many ingredients they couldn’t all fit on the table, but Roman Rowe expertly found a three-tiered cart and started loading it up, acting as if he were in his own home.
The meal set also came with two large bottles of Coke, a large bottle of Sprite, and a large bottle of lemon tea to satisfy everyone’s preferences.
Julian Lynch... of course, wanted a bit of everything.
With everything ready, it was time to eat!
Thanks to Lily Hart’s influence, everyone was already used to delicacies like hot pot and weren’t particularly excited. This was especially true for Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe, who had just eaten their fill.
That made Julian Lynch the main force! The pot closest to him was working overtime. The flame underneath it never died down, and an entire plate of beef rolls would be fished out just seconds after being put in.
He couldn’t even dish it out in time.
After eating for a while, Julian Lynch felt about eighty percent full. He gradually slowed down, wiped his mouth, and started talking business, switching gears effortlessly.
He habitually crossed his legs, but then remembered he was in Boss Hart’s territory and immediately put them down. He peered at her through the billowing steam.
"Boss Hart, interested in a partnership?" Julian Lynch called out, afraid she wouldn’t hear him.
Suddenly, everyone fell silent and turned to look at Julian Lynch in unison. ’We’re in the middle of a meal,’ they thought, ’can’t we talk about something more pleasant?’
Lily Hart gave a faint smile. "Let’s talk after dinner." With that, she took a sip of her lemon tea. The fiery hot pot paired with the cool lemon tea was a perfect combination! So refreshing!
The table grew lively again. Outside, the customers were busy with the scratch-off tickets, consciously picking them out, paying, and redeeming their prizes all by themselves.
In other words, there was no need to attend to them at all; it was completely self-service. The only time they needed anything was to shout "Boss Hart!" when the tickets ran out, and a new batch would immediately appear.
Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, Lily Hart pressed a "Confirm Receipt" button. All the pots and bowls on the table vanished, leaving only a few greasy stains and splatters behind.
But the younger ones were quite proactive. They went to the kitchen, got rags to wipe the table, and even swept and mopped the floor. Lily Hart did have a one-click cleaning function.
However, she rarely used it, feeling it lacked a homey touch. If the younger ones were willing to clean, they did. If they felt lazy, the older ones would step up. It was only when everyone felt lazy that she’d resort to using it.
While the younger ones were busy cleaning, Lily Hart invited Julian Lynch into the storage room. After they both sat down, she didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, "So, Base Commander, what kind of partnership did you have in mind?"
"I heard that Elder Shaw was at Central Command’s South Plaza yesterday, handing out free supplies. I’d also like to purchase a batch of supplies from you, Boss Hart. Would it be possible to get the same price as Elder Shaw?" Julian Lynch asked shamelessly.
He knew Elder Shaw’s purchase price must have been very low, and from his brief time with her, he could tell that Boss Hart was a decent person.
Aside from her peculiar hobby of collecting men, she was practically flawless—beautiful, kind-hearted, and she could even do magic.
It was no issue for Lily Hart. She didn’t set the cost price; she didn’t even prepare the supplies. Her only job was to lie back and collect the money. She called for Frost Shaw.
The moment Frost Shaw entered, the atmosphere turned a little strange.
"You two... have a history? What happened between you?" Lily Hart asked, her curiosity piqued. ’There’s a twelve-year age gap between them, yet they look like they’re in the middle of a spat.’
Frost Shaw sat down next to Lily Hart, looking rather awkward. He tilted his head up and said haughtily, "Let him tell you!"
Julian Lynch wanted to laugh but held it back. He draped an arm over the back of the adjacent chair, his muscles flexing, and said with a smile, "A few years ago, I wanted him to join the Southwest Base, but he refused."
"That’s it?" Lily Hart raised an eyebrow. ’It can’t be that simple. There has to be more to the story.’
’Frost Shaw is only eighteen now. A few years ago, wouldn’t he have been just fourteen or fifteen? A mere kid.’
"That’s not it at all! He kidnapped me and tried to force me to join the Southwest Base! Luckily, I managed to escape on my own!" Frost Shaw accused.
"What kidnapping? I just dragged you to the Southwest Base to hang out for a bit," Julian Lynch retorted.
Frost Shaw’s eyes bulged. "Nonsense! You call that dragging? You might as well have trussed me up like a turkey!"
Their voices grew louder and louder, as if they were about to start a full-blown argument at any second. Lily Hart simply propped her head on her hand, watching the drama unfold like an amused bystander.
But soon, Julian Lynch relented. "Alright, alright. You got away in the end, didn’t you? It’s not like I kidnapped you a second or third time~" ’So this is his tough-guy tenderness?’
"Hmph!" Frost Shaw snorted. "That’s because I’m amazing!"
Julian Lynch watched him with a doting expression, the way one might look at a bratty kid. ’Isn’t he, though? He only just became an adult.’
"Oh, right. Boss Hart? You called me in for something?" Frost Shaw remembered the reason he was there and asked in a serious tone. But the tips of his ears were slightly red; he clearly felt he had just acted childishly in front of her.
"Julian Lynch wants to purchase supplies at the same price as Elder Shaw. What are your thoughts?" Lily Hart stated plainly.
"I have no objections," Frost Shaw said. ’Business is business, and personal is personal.’ Although he had a bit of a grudge against this big jerk Julian Lynch, he wouldn’t make things difficult when it came to something like this.
Julian Lynch was about to exclaim in delight but caught himself. He looked at Frost Shaw suspiciously. "You... you’re in charge of the supplies?"
Frost Shaw gave another haughty toss of his head. "I’m the manager of the convenience store!" He said it with such confidence and pride that it made Julian Lynch want to go see this store for himself.
The three of them quickly finalized the price, delivery time, and transportation logistics.
Once everything was settled, Julian Lynch eagerly dragged Frost Shaw away, looking for all the world like an eagle snatching up a chick.
Even though Frost Shaw was well-built himself, he looked rather slender next to Julian Lynch.
Julian Lynch efficiently hustled Frost Shaw out of the storage room. Draping an arm over his shoulder that seemed heavy enough to make him stoop, he asked, "So where is this convenience store of yours?"
Frost Shaw pointed casually. "Right there."
"Let’s go!" Half-dragging, half-pushing, Julian Lynch got them to the front of the convenience store. He looked up at the storefront. "Whoa, you’ve done a nice job with this place, huh?"
Frost Shaw pursed his lips. "Good thing I didn’t join your godforsaken base. Otherwise, would I be living this good life?" Only when he was with Julian Lynch did he really act like an eighteen-year-old.
"True enough." Julian Lynch sighed inwardly. ’If only I had a convenience store like this.’
’People at the Southwest Base wouldn’t be starving to death every day...’
The two of them walked into the convenience store. Julian Lynch, a man who wouldn’t flinch if a mountain collapsed before him, almost lost his composure. ’This is... this is too many supplies!’
’I want to pack it all into my spatial storage! It’s all mine, all mine!’
He suppressed his primal urge and asked Frost Shaw, "Is all of this yours? Where did the supplies come from? Did Boss Hart magic them into existence?"
"To be precise, the convenience store itself was a prize from the scratch-off tickets. I purchase the products inside and then put them out for sale," he explained honestly.
Julian Lynch sucked in a sharp breath, unconsciously tightening his grip on Frost Shaw’s shoulder. Frost Shaw shrugged him off, saying with a look of distaste, "You’re heavy!"
Julian Lynch paid him no mind, placing his hands back on his shoulders, his voice filled with a hint of excitement. "Doesn’t that mean you can get as many supplies as you want?"
"In theory, yes," Frost Shaw said cautiously. But he had always limited his purchases from the shop, afraid that buying too much might have a negative impact on Lily Hart.
Though Julian Lynch didn’t understand all the intricacies involved.