Chapter 90: Logan Holland
He nodded in agreement, and the group headed to the RV. Diana Sharp and Tina Jacobs were still diligently standing guard.
Even though the gates of Nutwood Base were still shut tight, some of the customers who had run off earlier had trickled back to try their luck with the scratch-offs.
Night fell, and with most people having finished scratching their tickets, Lily Hart announced it was time to close up shop.
After boarding the RV, Leo Colby found a seat without being told. Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe sat across from him, their gazes meeting in mid-air.
An inexplicable tension hung in the air, thick with an unspoken challenge, like the calm before a thunderstorm.
Roman Rowe leaned close to Frost Shaw’s ear and whispered, "You think this guy only came along because he saw he could get free food and drinks by following Boss Hart?"
After all, that was his own reason for joining, and he was now a devoted follower. The food was just that good!
"You think everyone’s as shallow as you?" Frost Shaw shot him a look, clearly unconvinced.
’He must have some other motive!’
Frost Shaw decided he would keep a close eye on him and see what tricks he was up to.
Lily Hart finished up a few small tasks and headed over to sit down. Instantly, all three pairs of eyes focused on her.
As she moved, Lily Hart walked toward the dining table and asked, "What should we eat today? To celebrate Leo Colby’s arrival, how about some hot pot?"
Following the principle of proximity, she sat down next to Frost Shaw. She then heard the person beside her let out a quiet sigh of relief.
’Huh? What’s he sighing about?’
"Great!" Roman Rowe was the first to respond. He wasn’t picky anyway; he’d say yes to anything.
"Alright!" Lily Hart vaguely sensed the atmosphere was a little off, but being her usual oblivious self, she couldn’t put her finger on it. She decisively placed an order for a twelve-person hot pot set.
Soon, the ingredients and two partitioned hot pots appeared on the table, which was nearly overflowing. A three-tiered cart next to it was also piled high with food.
Leo Colby couldn’t help but swallow. It was a purely physiological reaction—his mouth was watering, and he couldn’t control it...
How many years had it been since he’d had such a lavish hot pot feast?
Even though he was an Eighth Rank Strong Person, number one on the superpower user rankings, resources were scarce these days. With the soil and water contaminated, raw power was useless!
For the second time, Leo Colby felt that following Lily Hart was the right choice.
The pot boiled, the ingredients went in, and they were fished out once cooked. The group was already well-practiced in the art of eating hot pot.
Only Leo Colby seemed a little unfamiliar with the process. But, being proud, he pretended he knew what he was doing, simply grabbing whatever everyone else did.
The people around the table chatted occasionally, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. Leo Colby had a strange feeling.
Just a few days ago, he was outside the RV watching them eat, feeling a pang of envy. Today, he was sitting here eating with them.
’How times have changed, and so quickly.’
After the hot pot was finished, Lily Hart stretched contentedly, patted her stomach, and began to slip into her usual post-meal food coma...
She glanced absentmindedly toward the gates of Nutwood Base and sighed. "I wonder how they’ll deal with that Jason Lynch situation."
"Suspended from duty pending investigation, or thrown in prison," Leo Colby said flatly.
"They still have prisons in the apocalypse?" Lily Hart asked in surprise.
Frost Shaw joined the conversation. "Of course. There are always vicious criminals. They call it prison, but it really means becoming a guinea pig for The Central Research Institute."
Roman Rowe shrugged. "Those old geezers don’t see you as a person. They’ll run every kind of experiment on you."
Lily Hart thought about it and goosebumps broke out all over her skin. But then she remembered it was Jason Lynch they were talking about. ’Good,’ she thought. ’He deserves it.’
A satisfying thought. The wicked always get their comeuppance.
After a bit more chatting, Lily Hart shooed them away. "Alright, alright, everyone go home and get some sleep."
Everyone obediently stood up and headed out, not wanting to disturb Lily Hart’s rest. Only Frost Shaw remained, unmoving.
When only he and Lily Hart were left in the RV, Frost Shaw finally spoke. "Be careful of Leo Colby."
"Oh," Lily Hart replied.
’Though I really don’t think there’s anything to be careful about. He’s just a powerful, handsome guy who doesn’t talk much.’
’So what?’
’Men are just passing clouds in my life.’
Frost Shaw: ? ’She agreed so easily. As long as she knows what she’s doing. I’m just afraid that pretty-boy face of Leo’s will charm Boss Hart away.’
Seeing Boss Hart spacing out, he got up and went back to the convenience store. The moment he stepped inside, Roman Rowe pulled him into a room.
"Dude, if you like Boss Hart, can’t you just say it? It’s painful to watch!" Roman Rowe said, shaking him frantically.
The question stunned Frost Shaw. He let himself be shaken without resisting. He had never even considered saying it out loud...
Even now, with Roman Rowe pointing it out so directly, he didn’t dare to think about it. It was better to maintain the status quo.
He was afraid that if he confessed, he wouldn’t even have the chance to work for her anymore. No, that wasn’t right. He’d probably keep working.
But their relationship would probably never be the same. He didn’t know if she’d be embarrassed, but he would definitely die of embarrassment himself.
He shook his head violently, broke free from Roman Rowe’s grip, steadied himself, and said firmly, "I can’t!"
Roman Rowe looked at him with utter disappointment. "You... you... fine, don’t say it then! I’m done trying to help you!"
"Who asked you to help?!" Frost Shaw retorted stubbornly, turning to leave and presenting Roman Rowe with his defiant back.
「A peaceful night passed until dawn.」
Lily Hart opened for business as usual. The customers who had slept in the hotel felt refreshed and invigorated!
It had been so, so long since they’d had such a comfortable, indulgent hot shower, and so, so long since they’d slept in such a soft, spacious bed!
You could toss and turn as much as you wanted, with no one to scold you or tell you what to do. You could do whatever you pleased in your own room!
It was amazing!
The survivors, who had been repressed for years by the numerous rules of the bases, found true liberation in the hotel!
They wished they could live there forever! But that would require a lot of Crystal Cores! And so, they arranged to go out and kill zombies first thing in the morning.
They didn’t forget to buy a scratch-off and a lottery ticket to boost their luck for the day and prepare for tomorrow’s potential fortune!
Lily Hart smiled sweetly at them and said, "Be careful, and come back safe~" That way, they could keep staying at the hotel and keep buying scratch-offs.
The gates of Nutwood Base were still shut tight today, likely because they were still dealing with the Jason Lynch matter. As a result, the lottery shop didn’t have many customers.
Lily Hart was even considering that if this kept up, she’d have to move her business to another base tomorrow.
She could always leave behind an "Automatic Scratch-off" machine anyway, so it wouldn’t stop her from continuing to make money off Nutwood Base.
Nearing noon, the gates of Nutwood Base slowly opened, and a slightly old sedan drove out.
The car slowly came to a stop in front of the RV, looking utterly dwarfed by comparison. The window rolled down, revealing the face of a middle-aged man.
His expression was serious and stern, with a few too many wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. But his gaze, fixed on Lily Hart, was surprisingly gentle.
Lily Hart was sprawled over the counter. She gave him an extroverted wave and called out, "Hey there! Care for a scratch-off? One can change your life, two can change your destiny~"
He opened the car door and got out. Dressed in casual clothes, he was clearly a man who paid attention to detail; his overall appearance was very clean.
He seemed somewhat out of place amidst the gray, dusty surroundings as he walked step by step toward the RV.
A few burly men then got out of the sedan, following half a step behind him.
The man’s name was Logan Holland. He strode up to the RV, his eyes taking in the neat stacks of scratch-off tickets on the counter.