Chapter 216: Grandfather and Grandson
That was understandable. In this apocalypse, it was hard enough to find water, let alone tea.
She sat down as well and carefully observed the old man’s features. The more she looked, the more he resembled Frederick Shaw.
Especially his eyes—the corners tilted upward, and his mouth curved up as well.
It gave him a friendly appearance, as if he were perpetually smiling.
The old man finished his tea and slowly began to speak. "Boss Hart, I didn’t come here to make you hand over your supplies or your superpower. I came to propose a partnership with you—with your stores."
"I know you’ve launched an online supermarket app, but it’s too expensive. Many ordinary people aren’t capable of killing zombies, so they simply can’t afford it. I’m hoping to purchase these supplies at a lower price."
The old man spoke with great sincerity and earnestness, a light of conviction glimmering in his eyes.
Lily Hart didn’t press the issue, but she was inwardly inclined to agree.
’As long as I don’t lose money and still turn a profit, it’s fine. It’s just a matter of how much.’
"Do you know Frederick Shaw?" Lily Hart asked, her eyes fixed on him, not missing a single expression.
The hand the old man held his teacup with stiffened for a moment before he quickly recovered. His expression remained unchanged, betraying nothing.
"Frederick Shaw? He’s my grandson, of course! How...? Do you know him, Boss Hart?" the old man asked tentatively.
"We met once, by chance. Seeing you now, I realize you two look remarkably alike," Lily Hart said, deflecting.
’I have to figure out his attitude toward Frederick Shaw before I lay all my cards on the table.’
"Met him? Where?" The old man gripped his teacup, his hands trembling. He subconsciously hid one hand under the table, slowly trying to compose himself.
Lily Hart leaned back, feigning thoughtfulness. "I don’t quite remember. Was it in Rodington City, or Gilden?"
"It was Gilden City!" the old man said with certainty. The corners of his mouth trembled; he was having trouble suppressing his emotions.
But he quickly restrained himself, his expression returning to its usual warmth. "Boss Hart, do you remember which base it was near? My grandson... he’s been with my son since he was a child..."
His words carried the weight of a world-weary old man, filled with longing for his grandson.
"You were separated?" Lily Hart asked.
"Yes... separated. My son... he passed away a long time ago. I’ve been sending people to look for Fred, but we’ve never been able to find him..." the old man said, his voice filled with despair.
Lily Hart pressed on, "If you found him... what would you do? Keep him by your side? But your position is fraught with danger. He could easily be taken hostage to threaten you."
The old man froze. It wasn’t a question he hadn’t considered, but his longing for his grandson overshadowed all else.
"I..." He couldn’t get the words out.
Lily Hart sighed. She turned slightly to send Frost Shaw a text, then rose to refill the old man’s tea.
Soon, a knock came from the storeroom door. The old man started, quickly composed himself, and resumed his usual warm expression as he looked toward the door.
Lily Hart opened the door to reveal a young man outside. They spoke in low voices for a moment, but the old man’s hearing wasn’t good enough to make out what they were saying.
But through the gap between them, he could see... was that a child standing behind the young man? A thousand possibilities flooded his mind.
He couldn’t help but wonder. ’Is that Fred? But why would Fred be here at Central Command...?’
After a long moment, Lily Hart stepped aside, as did the young man, revealing the child.
Their eyes met, and it was as if a tremor deep in their souls resonated between them.
’He knew. This was Fred!’
’Though his appearance had changed since he’d last seen him, he was absolutely certain. That was Fred.’
The old man pushed himself up from the table and slowly rose, walking toward the boy with trembling hands. Frederick Shaw snapped to his senses, rushing forward to steady his grandfather and pulling him into a hug.
He had been eating and sleeping well recently, so his face had filled out and regained its color. He’d even grown a little. Before, he had been so skinny that at seven, he looked more like a five-year-old.
Frederick Shaw said hesitantly, "Grandpa?" His voice trembled uncontrollably, and his eyes instantly grew red.
Hearing that familiar voice, the old man’s eyes immediately welled with tears. He slowly knelt and embraced Frederick Shaw, and they cried together.
It was mostly the old man crying. He was under immense mental stress every day. Various factions were watching like hungry tigers, and Central Command wasn’t as robust as it seemed.
It was all a giant bubble, ready to pop at the slightest touch.
His grandson had been his greatest worry. He’d always wanted to find him, yet at the same time, he’d dreaded it. Now, finally seeing him, the walls around his heart came crumbling down...
Lily Hart and Frost Shaw quietly slipped out, closing the door behind them.
They went out and sat on the sofa, both sighing in unison. Frost Shaw noticed her somber mood and, after a moment’s thought, said, "I’ve seen Elder Shaw around quite a bit."
He paused, waiting for her response. She just hummed softly.
Frost Shaw continued, "He’s a resilient man, full of spirit. It feels like nothing can knock him down."
"I agree," Lily Hart said, her voice subdued.
’Back at the table, his attitude was neither obsequious nor arrogant. It was more of an entreaty.’
’He wasn’t asking for himself.’
"Which is why he proposed buying supplies from me," Lily Hart said.
"I’m fine with it. Didn’t we already give access to the online supermarket to Logan Holland’s group?" Frost Shaw said, turning to see the determined look in her eyes.
Lily Hart shook her head. "Elder Shaw says it’s too expensive. He wants to buy them at a lower price. His customers this time aren’t superpower users—they’re ordinary people."
Frost Shaw felt the same way. As long as they weren’t losing money on the deal, earning a little less was fine.
He had really spent ten years in the apocalypse. He’d seen far too many people fight to the death over food, sell their own children, or even sell themselves.
He understood how hard it was for ordinary people, who had no superpowers to hunt zombies, so he could empathize with their plight.
So he nodded without hesitation. "Alright. I’ll draw up a list of our costs for you later. You can set the price from there."
"Okay," Lily Hart agreed.
The two of them sat on the sofa in silence, giving the grandfather and grandson the time and space they needed to catch up.
About half an hour later, the storeroom door opened. Frederick Shaw emerged, his eyes red and swollen as he sniffled. He shuffled over to them.
"Lily? Frost? My grandpa said... he wants me to stay here. Is that okay?" His voice was low and tentative.
He was afraid that now that he’d found his grandfather, they wouldn’t let him stay anymore.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lily Hart put her hands on his shoulders—they felt much sturdier than before. She said with conviction, "Of course you can. You’ll always be one of us! We’re family!"
Frederick Shaw’s tears turned to laughter, but he accidentally blew a large snot bubble. It burst with a POP, splattering all over Lily Hart’s hand.
"Eww!" Lily Hart exclaimed in disgust, wiping her hand on Frost Shaw’s shirt. He stood perfectly still, serving as a proper napkin.