Chapter 230: Must Come
Even more people were participating in the scramble this time because the news had spread.
With some selfish intent, Lily Hart had informed Base Commander Zelda Whittaker of Bloomfall Base about it.
’After all, it all comes down to how fast you can click. If they don’t get anything, they can’t blame me, hehe.’
In Central Command, Elder Shaw was wearing his reading glasses, holding his Light Brain an arm’s length away as he squinted at the screen.
Seeing there were only twenty seconds left, Elder Shaw pre-selected the fruits he wanted to buy. The moment the time was up, he started clicking like a madman!
...
[Insufficient stock. Please try again!]
[Insufficient stock. Please try again!]
[Insufficient stock. Please try again!]
In an instant, this message appeared on countless people’s Light Brain screens, but they all ignored it.
They furiously kept clicking to try again. Some were redirected to the payment page, while others were simply kicked out by the lag.
In the storeroom, Julian Lynch shouted, "I managed to get two watermelons! Two!"
The watermelons appeared right in front of him. Julian Lynch quickly stored them in his personal space, planning to share them with everyone back at the base.
He clenched his fist and threw a triumphant punch in the air, visibly excited. Lily Hart got a clear view of his bulging muscles.
Stan Sterling, the lord of the vegetable patch, felt completely unfazed. He could eat as much as he wanted, enough to make himself sick, and no one would bat an eye.
Still, he gave him a couple of perfunctory claps. "Congrats. They’ll bear new fruit tomorrow. Want me to give you some?"
’I’ll do it for the sake of you being Boss Hart’s new man.’
But in reality, Stan Sterling had no idea that he wasn’t. At least, not yet...
Julian Lynch’s eyes lit up. "Really? I can trade you Crystal Cores for them." With that, he zipped over to Stan’s side.
Stan Sterling said there was no need; they were free.
Listening to them, Lily Hart had to stop herself from speaking. ’What a silly boy,’ she thought. But she held her tongue. It was his vegetable patch, his decision.
The group walked out of the storeroom. Julian Lynch’s sausage grill was still on the table, holding ten cold sausages.
He flipped the switch to heat it up and asked the customers, who were still moping about not getting any fruit, "Want to buy some sausages?"
"Huh? Sausages? Yes, yes!" The customers hadn’t even processed it. Had such good fortune really just fallen on them?
"Huh? Me too! Me too! How much are they?" another customer asked anxiously.
They were afraid they’d miss out if they were a second too late.
Julian Lynch paused to think. The sausage grill had only cost him one and a half Crystal Cores, and the sausages had come with it.
It was basically a zero-cost venture; he hadn’t spent anything extra. He announced, "One Level 1 Crystal Core for two sausages."
The moment he said it, they all chimed in, "Me, me, me! I’ll take two!"
"Me too! Me too!"
"Anyone want to go in with me? We’ll get one each!"
Soon, the remaining ten sausages were sold out. But in the next second, fifteen brand-new sausages appeared in the machine.
Julian Lynch pocketed the five Crystal Cores. At least he was making some of his money back. Buying clothes and supplies had nearly drained all his savings.
He continued hawking the sausages, and the fifteen new ones were quickly snapped up.
Lily Hart felt a smile forming. He looked just like one of those Xinjiang lamb skewer vendors from the pre-apocalypse era.
All he was missing was a white towel draped over his shoulder and a couple of streaks of charcoal on his face for a fake mustache. Then the look would be complete.
As evening fell, the customers gradually dispersed, and Julian Lynch’s sausage quota for the day was sold out.
Satisfied, he stored the sausage grill in his personal space and bid farewell to Boss Hart.
"I’m heading out. Central Command arranged a place for us to stay," Julian Lynch said, waving to her.
Lily Hart yawned and waved back at him. Frost Shaw stood up and said, "I’ll walk with you."
The two buddies left the RV one after the other and started strolling toward Central Command.
"Where are you staying? Should we get a room at a hotel?" Frost Shaw asked with concern.
"No need. A few of my brothers came this time, and they gave us a suite. The treatment’s not bad; they even provide water," Julian Lynch said.
His tone was laced with sarcasm, filled with disdain for the people in Central Command.
"I have a feeling The Mysterious Clan is going to stir up trouble. Be careful at the meeting, don’t let them trap you," Frost Shaw warned, a hint of worry in his voice.
Julian Lynch scoffed. "When are they ever not stirring up trouble? Don’t worry, I’ll be on my guard."
The two of them talked all the way to the North Gate of Central Command. Frost Shaw watched him go inside before turning to head back.
Julian Lynch was twelve years older than him and was like a big brother; their bond was naturally different from others.
...
"Boss, prize redemption."
"Okay."
It was a conversation that had repeated countless times. Lily Hart expertly took the scratch-off ticket and inserted it into the redemption machine.
When she looked up, she saw that the customer was Rose Rhodes?!
’This troublesome woman is back again.’ Lily Hart had been feeling a bit sleepy, but now she was wide awake.
The prize was revealed: a small slice of cream cake topped with a few small strawberries. It looked absolutely delectable.
A flash of delight crossed Rose Rhodes’s eyes. It had been so long since she had seen such a sweet and lovely little strawberry cake!
She stored it in her personal space, takeout box and all, not letting anyone else get a good look.
"Congratulations," Lily Hart said mechanically.
"Thank you, Boss Hart." Rose Rhodes smiled at her, as if she had only come to play the scratch-off game.
Rose Rhodes said, "Boss Hart, Central Command is holding a meeting tomorrow. If someone invites you to attend, you must refuse."
"Huh?" Lily Hart was baffled. ’What does a Central Command meeting have to do with me?’
’But I understood the last part. "You must refuse." Got it.’
It seemed as if Rose Rhodes had only come to give her this piece of information. After redeeming her prize, she left quickly, without a moment’s hesitation.
Lily Hart was about to ask what was going on when her Light Brain vibrated twice. She looked down and saw a message from Logan Holland.
[Boss Hart, any interest in coming to a meeting tomorrow?]
She replied: [Talk normally.]
[The higher-ups specifically requested you by name to attend the meeting. This is definitely a trap. Quick, find a reason to refuse me.]
Lily Hart: [Not interested.]
[Okay...]
Back in Central Command, Logan Holland edited the chat log on his Light Brain, deleting parts until only his first message and her "Not interested" reply remained.
He then showed the screen with just those two lines to the five Directors present—three women and two men.
"I talked until I was blue in the face, but Boss Hart won’t come. She has to run her shop, she’s too busy," Logan Holland said, trying to sound earnest.
A flicker of amusement crossed Elder Shaw’s eyes, the wrinkles at their corners crinkling for a moment before he smoothed his expression.
Another male Director, named Quentin Carter, looked younger than Elder Shaw. He had a sharp, dashing air about him, appearing mature and composed.
He said, "Holland, you call sending a single message ’talking until you’re blue in the face’? Ah, youth!"
Logan Holland didn’t dare refute him, just lowered his head and kept quiet. Elder Shaw stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, if Boss Hart doesn’t want to come, then let it be."
Logan Holland was just about to breathe a sigh of relief...
"No! Boss Hart must attend this meeting!" a female Director stated forcefully.
Her name was Brian Booker. She was petite with plain features, the kind of person who would be completely unnoticeable in a crowd.
And yet, she was one of the Directors.
Even Elder Shaw’s cheerful expression vanished.