Chapter 206: Convention
But since it was almost time for lunch, Lily Hart heated up five meat buns.
One for herself, and two for each of the two kids.
The savory aroma of the meat buns wafted through the air. The customers squeezed into the front row sniffed at it greedily. The more they smelled it, the more vigorously they scratched their tickets, wishing they could scratch up something to eat themselves!
The result, of course... was that they didn’t.
There were too many customers for Lily Hart to keep track of. Her eyes grew tired, and she entered a go-with-the-flow state, standing up to take a 360-degree video, which she casually posted online.
「Central Command, Core District.」
Inside a standalone villa, Rose Rhodes sat lazily on the sofa, looking at the dense crowd of faces on her Light Brain. Some were happy, some were sad.
"This Lily Hart," Rose Rhodes’s lips curled slightly, a stray curl of hair brushing past her ear, softening her features. "It’s as if she thinks she isn’t making a big enough scene already."
In another villa, the sound of shattering glass, CRACK, CRACK, was accompanied by vicious cursing.
"Damn you, Lily Hart! Cutting off my livelihood! Destroying my peace! Where the hell did she come from!" a man snarled, grabbing a glass and hurling it to the floor.
The people waiting on him were already used to this. They just bowed their heads low, not daring to get on his bad side when the atmosphere was so tense.
"Alex, that Lily Hart posted another video."
Alex Shaw’s gaze shifted to the man’s Light Brain. A sea of heads, the brand-new interior of an RV, and several pristine buildings in the surrounding area.
"Let’s go. We’re going to pay her a visit," Alex Shaw said, walking out. His men followed.
Lily Hart was completely oblivious to all this. She was leisurely eating the dishes Roman Rowe had cooked. Today’s lunch was stir-fried pork, braised prawns, and more...
Except for Seth and Frost Shaw, who were too busy to get away, and Owen Warren, the zombie who never joined the fun, everyone was present.
"Central Command really is full of people with money. Just two hours here is equivalent to a whole day at Auspice Base," Lily Hart remarked, stuffing a piece of meat into her mouth.
Outside, a circle of people just stood there watching them eat.
Their mouths were watering nonstop, their stomachs rumbling. Those who had scratched off food prizes were lucky; they could eat on the spot. Those who didn’t could still go queue up at the factory for a meal.
But they heard that the factory only sold two hundred meals a day, and they were already sold out.
Failing that, they could go to the convenience store and buy a cup of instant noodles to fill their stomachs. Before Lily Hart arrived, they had never imagined life in the apocalypse could be like this!
It was simply too joyful! Too blissful!
Mommy doesn’t have to worry about me going hungry anymore!
When Rose Rhodes came out of the main gate of the base, she was greeted by the sight of a massive crowd. With the lottery shop as the epicenter, a dense sea of people surrounded the few buildings.
The crowd radiated out for several hundred meters.
She was a bit stunned. Seeing it in person was even more shocking than seeing it on a small screen.
She walked forward but had no idea where to even step. There were too many people; squeezing in was impossible. ’Won’t this cause a stampede?’
But after careful observation, Rose Rhodes discovered that the crowd was surprisingly organized and disciplined. It seemed they were in lines? It was just that there were so many people.
The lines were a bit crooked, and there were many of them, forming concentric circles around the lottery shop. Amidst the congestion, there was a strange sort of order.
’I didn’t expect this. This Lily Hart has a few tricks up her sleeve.’
After studying the lines for a moment, she found the end of one and got in, only to hear the people in front of her discussing...
"I heard someone scratched off a deluxe fruit basket."
"Huh? Really? Is that something we’re allowed to have?"
"Would I lie to you? The guy was so happy, his eyes practically disappeared from smiling."
The speaker was casual, but the listeners paid close attention.
Several lines were packed together, and as soon as everyone heard, they all started chattering excitedly.
Some remained calm on the surface, but their hearts were already in turmoil. A deluxe fruit basket—that was something they wouldn’t even dare to dream of.
"Hey, I’m telling you, it’s not just deluxe fruit baskets!"
"What else is there? Something even better than that?"
The long-term scarcity of resources in the apocalypse had stifled everyone’s imagination. Or rather, they didn’t dare to imagine. How could something so good possibly happen to them!
"Hot pot! Do you know what that is? Have you ever had it?"
"No."
"Then there’s no point talking to you."
"Come on, tell us. Did someone scratch off a hot pot? Like, they won a pot?"
"A hot pot set! With meat and vegetables! All of it fresh!" the person said excitedly.
"How do you know?"
"It’s all over the web! Don’t you guys check your Light Brains?"
Then, the person opened their Light Brain and found a video on the "Human Social Sphere." Through the gaps between the people, Rose Rhodes saw...
A woman sat at a large dining table, a bubbling yin-yang hot pot in front of her. Next to it were plates of thinly sliced fatty beef, fatty lamb, and headless shrimp.
There were also succulent green vegetables she couldn’t name, stacked in transparent tubs, their vibrant green a feast for the eyes.
’All of this is from a scratch-off ticket? This superpower is far too powerful... Even The Mysterious Clan is extremely wary of it...’
It really was a feast of meat and vegetables. The woman’s hair was a little messy, and she ate with great relish, but her movements were unhurried. ’Does she not have a time limit?’
A lot of people could be seen gathered around the table, all drooling over the ingredients, yet no one was trying to snatch the food. It was too strange. ’When did everyone become so reserved?’
Just as Rose Rhodes was thinking this, someone in front of her asked, "According to custom, shouldn’t people rush up and try to grab it? How are they holding back?"
The person playing the video on their Light Brain couldn’t help but shoot him a look. "You think people don’t want to? Or don’t dare to? It’s because they *can’t*! The moment they touched the table, their bodies were sent flying!"
Rose Rhodes’s heart went cold. ’Lily Hart even thought of that?’
Inside the RV, a hundred meters away, Lily Hart let out a huge sneeze. "What’s going on?" she wondered aloud. "Is someone cursing me, or are my allergies acting up...?"
"Boss Hart~"
Logan Holland’s familiar voice came from the RV’s doorway. Lily Hart looked over, not forgetting to finish the last shrimp in her bowl. "What is it?"
’It’s definitely nothing good.’
After finishing his meal, Roman Rowe collected the bowls and chopsticks, threw them into the dishwasher, and came out of the kitchen carrying the packed meal for Frost Shaw. He came face to face with a beaming Logan Holland.
He couldn’t help but shoot him a look. ’Smiling so shadily. He’s definitely up to no good.’ He felt the urge to stay behind with Lily Hart, but he knew she definitely didn’t need him.
Roman Rowe reluctantly left the RV, looking back again and again. His reluctance made Lily Hart laugh. She waved her hand to shoo him away. "Hurry up and go. Any later and Frost Shaw will starve to death."
"..." Roman Rowe’s heart sank. ’When did she start caring so much about Frost Shaw!’
He turned and left, his slightly faded blond hair swinging in a wild arc through the air.
Behind him came Lily Hart’s warm and clear voice, "Minister Holland, have a seat."
Logan Holland sat down next to her and gave her an apologetic smile. He subconsciously glanced at his already turned-off Light Brain before saying with relief, "Boss Hart, do you know about the existence of The Mysterious Clan?"
"Go on," Lily Hart said with a single raised eyebrow, looking thoroughly uninterested.