Chapter 248: Takoyaki
Chad Yates’s fake smile vanished. He couldn’t help but let out a deep breath, mulling over how to respond.
Before coming, he had done a deep dive on Lily Hart. ’How to put it... she was a woman of many contradictions, with major double standards.’
Both kind and ruthless.
During a corpse tide, at such a critical and dangerous time, she could take in so many survivors and protect them from harm.
But she had repeatedly rejected Central Command’s invitations, as well as their requests for supplies.
’She was impossible to figure out. What kind of attitude was he supposed to take with her?’
Chad Yates glanced at the others seated at the table. They were all basically just watching the show, eager to see him make a fool of himself but also hoping to see Lily Hart yield.
He forced a smile, though it was rather stiff. "You jest, Boss Hart. My life isn’t worth much..."
Lily Hart nodded very seriously. "It’s quite valuable. If you’re willing to die on the spot, I’m willing to give the research institute a small pinch of soil."
’That’s right, just a tiny pinch. Absolutely no more. That’s all it’s worth!’
Her expression was extremely serious and her tone was utterly sincere. Her large, sparkling eyes stared at him without blinking.
Chad Yates’s smile froze again. ’This... is she serious? How can she speak so audaciously...’
’Isn’t she afraid of everyone dogpiling on her and cursing her out?’
But when he met her clear, sincere eyes, he saw not a single hint of a joke. She wasn’t afraid of being cursed out at all.
"Are you willing, Chad Yates?" Lily Hart asked again.
She was so serious, it was as if she were asking, ’Are you willing to marry me and enter the tomb of matrimony?’
Chad Yates was stuck. He couldn’t say yes, and he couldn’t say no...
The research institute’s director was also mortified. ’This... I’m the one who started this topic. Manager Yates isn’t going to come after me later, is he...?’
His mind raced, and suddenly, DING! An idea struck him.
He said, "Boss Hart, I’m willing, I’m willing! I’m willing to give my life for Central Command!"
Lily Hart turned to him and said calmly, "Alright. Then you can die."
Then she stood up, patted the nonexistent dust off her clothes, and made to leave. "You can come get the soil tomorrow, but you’ll have to bring a head to trade for it, okay?~"
The end of her sentence tilted up slightly, as if she were saying something mundane like, "Remember to eat, okay?~"
The Director: ’This isn’t how it was supposed to go in the script! Wasn’t she supposed to take the olive branch? Why is she pressing her advantage?!’
Lily Hart turned and left, leaving behind a crowd of onlookers with priceless expressions on their faces.
Once she was completely out of the conference room, Elder Shaw also got up and left. He couldn’t be bothered to clean up this mess for them.
The director stammered, "M-Manager Yates, are we really supposed to trade a head for the soil?"
He was especially fond of his own life and wouldn’t dare. Saying he was willing had just been a moment of impulse, an attempt to make a good impression.
Chad Yates shot him a glare and growled in a low voice, "If someone’s going, it’ll be you. Don’t drag me into it, you useless dog!"
The director flinched and didn’t dare say another word, trying his best to shrink and become invisible.
"Meeting adjourned!" Chad Yates swept his gaze over everyone present. Not a single one of them had dared to speak up just now.
He was furious. He kicked his stool over and stormed out.
After Chad Yates left, everyone else dispersed, gathering in twos and threes to talk.
Logan Holland found Yael Lowell. Their eyes met, and they both sighed at the same time over this damn Central Command and the Mysterious Clan.
"What are we supposed to do now?!" Yael Lowell said, worried.
’It feels like everything could fall apart at any moment. Then again, could things really be any worse than they were ten years ago?’
Logan Holland shook his head. ’How would I know? This is a fight between bigwigs. Small fry like us don’t get a say.’
Since they both had the day off, they decided to go to the lottery shop to play some scratch-offs, and then head to the bathhouse for a good scrub.
Just to relax.
They’d been on edge day in and day out, too tense to let their guard down.
The two of them ambled over to the lottery shop and saw that it was packed with people.
Who knew how long they’d have to wait if they queued up properly? So, banking on his good relationship with Boss Hart, Logan Holland pulled Yael Lowell along, and the two of them squeezed onto the RV, grinning sheepishly at Lily Hart.
Lily Hart: ’I turn my head and see two not-so-young faces.’
’What can you do? Just have to smile back.’
"Sit wherever," Lily Hart offered. She was quite generous with her friends.
Logan Holland and Yael Lowell made themselves at home and sat down, meeting her probing gaze.
Logan Holland quickly waved his hands and explained, "We just have the day off and came out to relax a bit."
Lily Hart nodded, glancing at the two of them. "You’d better be. Want a scratch-off?"
Without waiting for an answer, she casually pulled out two of the most expensive ones and tossed them over.
Logan Holland accepted them with a grin and expertly started scratching. Yael Lowell, who hadn’t done this much, was a bit clumsy.
Unexpectedly, it was Yael Lowell who won a prize. He looked at it from every angle and even took a couple of pictures with his Light Brain.
Only then did he reluctantly stick it into the Lucky Cat to redeem it. A flash of white light later, a case of mineral water appeared before them.
Yael Lowell gleefully opened it and handed a bottle to Logan Holland, saying generously, "Here, have a drink. It’s on me."
He gave another bottle to Lily Hart. Even though she didn’t lack for anything, it was the thought that counted.
Lily Hart didn’t refuse and accepted it with a smile.
After both of them had taken one, Yael Lowell stored the case of mineral water in his space.
But his hands were still itching for more. "I want to scratch another one. Should we get more?" Yael Lowell said, looking at Logan Holland.
Logan Holland was tempted too, mostly because he wanted to win a good prize with his own hands. "Let’s do it!" he agreed instantly.
They each bought two more, but came up empty-handed... Yael Lowell, looking unconvinced, declared, "Again!"
Two more tickets, and still nothing. Logan Holland wanted to call it quits, but Yael Lowell was still raring to go.
This time, he didn’t pick one himself. Instead, he looked at Lily Hart with pleading eyes. "Boss Hart, could you pick one for me?"
"Oh, they’re all the same," Lily Hart said, though she still casually grabbed one for Yael Lowell.
’But deep down, he was still hopeful. On one hand, he felt it wasn’t so mystical, but on the other, he thought the boss ought to have some special treatment.’
"Holy shit! I won!" Yael Lowell shrieked.
"What is it?" Logan Holland immediately leaned in to look, then reflexively chided, "Hey, you’re a grown man. Can you not be so jumpy? You’re scaring people."
’Great. Can’t see a thing.’
’But it didn’t matter. Boss Hart knew everything.’
Lily Hart took it, and without even a glance, fed it directly into the Lucky Cat’s mouth.
’The prizes are all weird and wonderful. How could she possibly know everything?’
A beam of white light flashed. The eyes of all three were fixed on it, waiting for it to fade.
Soon, a machine appeared on the table. It looked a bit like that oden machine.
Except instead of a nine-square grid, it had neat rows of semi-circular wells.
Five layers, six rows—with a total of thirty-six wells. Based on Lily Hart’s experience...
’This is a takoyaki maker.’
’Why has the system been giving out so many machines lately? Could it be the author is running out of prize ideas?’
Logan Holland and Yael Lowell looked it over from all sides but couldn’t figure out what it was for.
Lily Hart, however, expertly flipped the switch. Hearing a familiar "CLICK," she smiled in satisfaction.
Then, she confidently put her hands on her hips, raised a single eyebrow, and said, "Just you wait."