Chapter 189: Greedy
Logan Holland rolled his eyes at her before closing them. He clasped the stone between his palms.
He mentally chanted the name of the item he wanted to replicate three times, and... nothing happened.
He resignedly opened his eyes and asked Lily Hart, "Why isn’t anything happening?"
Lily Hart drew on her experience and, after a moment’s thought, said, "It means you’re being too greedy."
Logan Holland was speechless. ’I got a "Replication" prize, so of course I’m going to be greedy. It doesn’t list any restrictions, so naturally, I’m going to shoot for the moon.’
He humbly asked, "So what am I supposed to do?"
Lily Hart countered, "What were you trying to make?"
Logan Holland pointed at the hotel. With a mysterious air, he lowered his voice. "You remember that plot of land out back?"
It was as if a bolt of lightning struck Lily Hart. She suddenly remembered what she had forgotten—Logan Holland had called her that very morning asking about the land.
A wry smile touched her lips. "You tried to replicate the plot of land? Talk about greedy!"
Logan Holland choked but nodded anyway, asking curiously, "What in the world is in that soil? To think it can grow normal crops!"
Lily Hart honestly shook her head. Coupled with her clear, sincere eyes, Logan Holland believed her.
"Was it Stan Sterling’s doing?" Logan Holland asked.
Lily Hart nodded.
"Was it a prize from one of your scratch cards?" It sounded like a question, but it was a statement. He already knew the answer.
Lily Hart didn’t say anything, only smiled.
This only made Logan Holland more certain of the answer. He didn’t press the issue and went back to thinking about what to replicate.
’An item to replicate... Does it have to be an inanimate object? Or can it be a living thing, too?’
’The scope is too broad. I’ll just have to test things one by one. I’ve got plenty of time, but only three tries.’
’And I’ve already used one.’
Lily Hart stopped paying attention to him as customers began to trickle out of the hotel.
Some came to buy scratch-offs, some went to the convenience store for snacks, and others headed to the bathhouse to unwind.
Logan Holland tried again. After getting no reaction, he opened his eyes in despair.
As luck would have it, he spotted Stan Sterling walking toward the RV, and his expression instantly brightened.
"You must be Stan Sterling!" Logan Holland exclaimed, grabbing Stan’s wrist.
"Minister Holland?" Stan Sterling looked hesitant, a flicker of panic in his heart. ’Why would Logan Holland know who I am?’
He glanced at Lily Hart, who was purely enjoying the show, then back at Logan Holland, who was gripping his arm tightly. He forced a polite but distant smile.
"That’s right. I’m Logan Holland, Minister of External Relations for Central Command," he said, introducing himself.
This information was all available on the Central Command’s official website, so there was no need for him to hide it.
But what he was really curious about was something else. He cut right to the chase. "That, uh, vegetable patch behind the hotel... is it yours?"
Stan Sterling grew even more hesitant, unsure of Logan’s intentions. He glanced at Lily Hart again; she still had the look of someone watching a good show.
He had no choice but to nod. "Yes, it’s mine. Is there something I can help you with, Minister Holland?" He then pulled his hand free.
Logan Holland waved his hand dismissively. The smile on his face was purely formal, lacking the easy familiarity he showed Lily Hart.
"I just wanted to ask how you manage this vegetable patch. How do you get it to grow so well? Are you interested in a position at Central Command?" Logan Holland asked.
"No, but thank you for the offer." Stan Sterling turned to leave, shooting another glance at Lily Hart as he walked past.
He saw her standing there with her arms crossed, watching him with a relaxed amusement. She was just enjoying the show, even though she had a stake in this land, too.
A knot of frustration tightened in Stan Sterling’s chest, making him feel irritable.
He quickened his pace toward the convenience store, but Logan Holland relentlessly followed. "The benefits are excellent!"
Stan Sterling shook his hand off again. "I’m not interested," he said impatiently.
"Name your terms. Whatever you want, just ask. We’ll do our best to accommodate you," Logan Holland persisted.
’Even though I’m in External Relations, every time we have a meeting, the dejection on the faces of the researchers is just too obvious.’
’I’ve heard them complain so many times: the seeds aren’t viable, the water is too full of impurities, the soil is barren.’
’In short, they can’t grow a thing.’
’That’s why I know just how valuable that little plot of land is. As a member of Central Command, I have to make this happen.’
He followed him all the way to the convenience store, buzzing in Stan Sterling’s ear like a mosquito. "Come on, just name your price. Everyone has desires, everyone has demands."
"Just tell us. Whether we can meet your demands is our problem, but you can’t just say nothing. How are we supposed to know if you don’t even ask?"
Stan Sterling pressed his lips together, not wanting to speak. If he could, he would have shut his ears as well.
By the time Stan Sterling finished his shopping and left the convenience store, Logan Holland still hadn’t given up on his sales pitch.
Stan Sterling finally reached his breaking point. "Lily Hart is in on it too. Go talk to her."
’I knew it,’ Logan Holland thought. ’Lily Hart had to be involved in this somewhere!’
’But between Stan Sterling and Lily Hart, Lily is obviously the harder one to convince. Otherwise, she would’ve been at Central Command ages ago.’
So, Logan Holland continued to chase after Stan Sterling. Stan, for his part, had lost his appetite for whatever he’d been planning—maybe buying a scratch-off or checking on the garden.
He was in no mood and headed straight back to his hotel room, only to have Logan follow him right to his door.
"Hey, don’t go! Let’s sit down and have a proper chat—"
SLAM! The door was slammed shut, cutting off Logan Holland’s incessant chatter.
Undeterred, Logan Holland decided to take a stroll over to the vegetable patch. The more he saw, the more astonished he became.
He had no idea how long they’d been growing, but the watermelons were already the size of a fist, their yellow-green stripes winding across the surface.
’And this... is this a cucumber? It’s longer than my hand! And the peach and pear trees, they’ve already borne fruit!’
’Every single fruit is bigger than my fist, and they all look perfect. They look like you could pick them and eat them right now.’
Logan Holland couldn’t help but gulp. He was a bit baffled. ’Has no one else discovered this place? Or if they have, how come no one’s stolen anything?’
’Since when is everyone so well-behaved?’
He wandered back to the lottery stall. There were only a few customers, and Lily Hart still looked as serene and unbothered by the world as ever.
When Lily Hart saw him approach, she gave him a friendly smile before leaning back in her chair again. She knew he hadn’t managed to persuade Stan Sterling.
Logan Holland climbed into the RV as if he’d done it a hundred times and sat down next to Lily Hart. "Stan Sterling said you have a stake in that vegetable patch."
’That kid,’ Lily thought. ’He sold me out just like that.’
The smile on Lily Hart’s face didn’t falter. She nodded. "That’s right. So?"
Her casual retort shut him down.
Logan Holland sighed and switched tactics, trying a personal appeal. "Just come visit Central Command. At least there’d be more customers than here, right?"
"Nope. More customers means more work, and that sounds tiring." Lily Hart shook her head and popped a piece of watermelon into her mouth.
Logan Holland was... speechless.
’What else could he possibly say? The woman had zero ambition. All she wanted to do was sell her scratch-offs.’
Logan Holland commandeered a lounge chair for himself and started to sway gently. A soft breeze drifted by every now and then.
The gentle breeze was making him sleepy. He was starting to understand why Lily Hart had no ambition.
’When you already have the most incredible superpower in the world and absolute strength to back it up, why would you wear yourself out?’
’Isn’t it better to just kick back and enjoy life?’
’Why bother wading into the muddy waters of Central Command?’
Logan Holland put himself in her shoes for a moment and found that he felt much the same way. He sighed again. If only he could be Lily Hart!