Chapter 260: Operation Exposed?
The red light turned green. Lily Hart wrapped her hand in her sleeve and pulled open one of the round hatches.
Inside was a small drawer, and resting on it was a sweet potato, its skin roasted to fragrant perfection.
"Wow!" the machine’s owner exclaimed, her face filled with delight. ’I can’t believe I’m this lucky! I actually won the machine I’ve been dreaming of!’
Lily Hart pulled a paper bag from the side, wrapped the sweet potato in it, and handed it to the machine’s owner. "Here, give it a try."
The owner took it, not expecting it to be so hot. She quickly tossed it from her left hand to her right.
Still, she couldn’t resist breaking it in half and eagerly stuffing a piece into her mouth.
It was sweet, soft, and chewy, with a smooth texture and a hint of honey-like juice oozing out.
The flesh of the sweet potato practically melted in her mouth, and the part right next to the skin was exceptionally fragrant and caramelized.
She quickly finished the entire sweet potato and then said to Lily Hart, "Boss Hart, if you want one, please, just help yourself."
’I’d feel a little pained letting anyone else eat for free, but not Boss Hart! Eat as many as you want!’
Lily Hart chuckled and accepted without hesitation, picking out a smaller one for herself.
It was a little hot, but that’s what made it taste even better.
After a few bites, she asked the machine’s owner, "Are you going to set up your stall here? No protection fees, by the way~"
The owner was a petite but spirited woman, and her words were so full of energy that they made you feel invigorated just by listening.
"Okay, thank you, Boss Hart! In that case, I’ll treat you to roasted sweet potatoes every day~" she replied, brimming with vitality.
Hearing this, an unconscious smile spread across Boss Hart’s face. She loved people like this, so full of hope for the future, as if they could never be defeated.
The night market had successfully expanded to four stalls, but Lily Hart felt it was far from enough. Still, she knew these things took time.
She finished her roasted sweet potato, crumpled up the paper bag, and ambled over to the oden stall, ordering a piece of daikon radish to cleanse her palate.
Then she went to the next stall, takoyaki, and got two. All set. She squatted down to the side, takoyaki in her left hand, daikon in her right.
Except... she had no free hand to eat with.
’It was then she realized: people had a place to buy food, but not to eat it. We’ve got to have at least a few tables, right?’
She looked up and observed that most people just bought their food and left, rarely lingering. Of course, some did stay—the real foodies.
The kind who, after finishing one thing, immediately wanted to try the next.
Just like her.
Roman Rowe appeared out of nowhere and, with a SWISH, squatted down beside her. He took her bowl of takoyaki, speared one with a pick, and held it to her lips.
Lily Hart glanced at him, saw the devotion to serving her in his eyes, and bit down on it. "Hiss, hot."
Roman Rowe hesitated. "Should I blow on it for you?"
"No thanks." Lily Hart juggled the hot food in her mouth, managing to give him a perfunctory reply.
After finishing the food in her hands, she immediately began to ponder how to improve the night market.
’It might be small now, but I’m sure I can make it bigger and better!’
First, it needed a dedicated area and its own tables and chairs.
That was simple. She could just order a few more sets of the same tables and chairs she’d bought for the lottery shop.
As for the location... the area in front of the factory seemed a bit too small. She wandered around and ended up on the left side of the bathhouse.
There was an empty lot here. The hotel was diagonally in front of the bathhouse to the left. Standing here, she could see a corner of the lottery shop; conversely, she could see this spot from inside her RV.
’This is it,’ she decided.
As it stood, the lottery shop was the center. To its left was the hotel, to its right was the convenience store, and behind it was the bathhouse.
There was a path between the bathhouse and the convenience store leading to the factory in the back.
And now, there was a path between the bathhouse and the hotel leading to the future night market.
Except for the area directly in front of the lottery shop, she was surrounded by buildings on all sides. Lily Hart was very satisfied with this layout; everything was just a few steps away.
It was perfect for a lazy person.
But the night market was over for today. Lily Hart wandered around the empty lot a couple of times, then went to check on her vegetable patch. Seeing everything growing strong made her even more satisfied.
Just as she was about to leave, she caught a glimpse of a figure in the darkness. He was hidden fairly well, but his shadow gave him away.
’This is my territory, and I can summon the system at any time.’ Lily Hart felt bold. She tiptoed over and hid around the corner of the hotel.
The figure seemed completely unaware of her arrival.
Lily Hart crouched down. When she was just two steps away, she suddenly sped up and let out a fierce shout at the figure, "HEY!"
It startled the man, and when he saw it was Lily Hart, he instinctively tried to run.
"Freeze!" Lily Hart commanded.
Her words were law. An invisible force locked the man in place. Only his eyeballs could still dart around as he watched Lily Hart walk up to him.
His eyes widened in terror.
Lily Hart circled him twice but didn’t recognize him.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Lily Hart got straight to the point, then added, "You can talk. I haven’t cut out your tongue."
The man tried and found that he really could speak, but just because he could didn’t mean he should. He pretended to be mute, just staring with wide eyes, not making a sound.
Lily Hart frowned. "Who sent you?"
She then began counting on her fingers, closely watching his every move, every expression. "That piece of shit Chad Yates? Or the White Family? The Rivers Family? The O’Malley Family? The Shaw Family?"
When she said "the White Family," his pupils dilated for a split second. ’So it’s them...’
Just as Lily Hart was about to ask something else, she heard the system’s voice: [Host in danger. Threat has been automatically neutralized for you.]
As she heard this, Lily Hart didn’t miss the surprise and panic in the man’s eyes. She spun around and saw another man frozen in place behind her.
He was still in the posture of a desperate forward sprint, his expression resolute, as if he were charging toward his certain death.
"Well, well, you have an accomplice?" Lily Hart chuckled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She crossed her arms and walked toward the man, one step at a time.
She circled him twice as well but still didn’t recognize him. She had no choice but to stand in front of him and ask, "Were you also sent by the White Family?"
Sure enough, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, as if to say, ’How did you know?!’ There was also a hint of bitterness, as if he’d been betrayed.
Lily Hart asked again, "Here to kill me?"
In response, both men shook their heads simultaneously.
Immediately after, the system’s voice sounded in her head again. [Host in danger. Threat has been automatically neutralized. Please cherish your own life, as in doing so, you are cherishing me~]
Lily Hart was speechless. She looked behind her again, and sure enough, another person was frozen in place. She decided to just sit down cross-legged.
And wait.
She would see just how many people the White Family had sent.
「Ten minutes later...」
Lily Hart looked at the twenty people frozen in place around her. Without exception, their eyes were filled with terror. They all wanted to scream at the sky.
’Why?!’
’Why was she waiting here for us? Did someone tip her off? Is there a traitor?’
’Or was our operation exposed?’