Chapter 89: The Hotel’s Grand Opening
So she turned her gaze to Leo Colby. After a quick mental calculation, he announced a price: "Special offer. 888 points for five days, plus a free Super Lotto ticket."
Five days would normally cost 940 points, but 888 was catchier, easier to remember, and auspicious!
And a free lottery ticket, too! Good heavens! That thing costs a Crystal Core!
One person didn’t hesitate for a second. "I’ll take it for five days!"
Lily Hart glanced over. The man looked vaguely familiar. ’He must be a regular,’ she thought, ’to trust us this much.’
The others standing by were hesitant. After all, three Crystal Cores was no small sum. "We’ll just stay for one night to start," one said.
"Alright. Take them to get checked in," Lily Hart said.
"And how do I do that?" Leo Colby asked, his tone completely matter-of-fact.
Lily Hart forgave him. ’After all, he’s new,’ she thought. ’He doesn’t know the ropes yet. And he’s handsome. It’s impossible to get angry at a face like that.’
She led the group to the hotel front desk. Roman Rowe, who had been dying of curiosity, dragged Frost Shaw along to watch.
Frost Shaw, for his part, could only curse himself for being too busy to remember to run a grand opening special for his own store. ’Hmph!’
And so, the whole crowd swarmed into the hotel lobby, making the already small space feel rather cramped.
The hotel’s main entrance was directly across from the front desk, which consisted of a slightly-too-high table with a chair.
A computer and a scanner sat on the table. That was it—a very simple setup, but that didn’t matter!
"Alright, first one, come on up," Lily Hart said, taking a seat and gesturing naturally.
’It’s my first time doing this, actually, but how hard can it be?’ All you had to do was place the guest’s Light Brain on the scanner for a moment.
Once the computer identified the person’s information, you just had to manually enter the number of days for their stay and collect the corresponding Crystal Cores.
It was simple and quick. To collect payment, you just had to place the Crystal Cores on the scanner, and they would automatically be converted into points.
Currently, points were shared between the lottery shop, the convenience store, and the hotel.
’But it’s not truly seamless yet.’ Lily Hart felt they needed a physical card to make the points genuinely universal.
’Yes! I’ll figure out how to make them later!’
The first customer’s check-in was processed successfully. His room was 201. There were no keycards; he just needed to scan his Light Brain.
"Head up the stairs. It’s the first door on your left," Lily Hart directed.
"Great, great. I’ll head on up, then." This was the customer who had opted to stay for five days, and he had indeed paid for all of them.
The hotel provided daily disposables like slippers and toothbrushes. Shampoo and shower gel were also included.
Leo Colby had bought the smallest, travel-sized versions. Each room was stocked with one set, and guests could get replacements when they ran out.
This stuff was cheap in the system’s shop anyway—a big bag cost only 10 points. Leo Colby didn’t pinch pennies on things like this.
"Did you see how it’s done?" Lily Hart asked, looking at Leo Colby. She grabbed his arm and pulled him closer.
"Sit," Lily Hart commanded. She stood beside him with her arms crossed, staring him down.
He felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine. "Mm," he answered, then looked up and called out coolly, "Next."
He somehow managed to call out with the intimidating air of a man asking, ’Who’s next to die?’
"Go on, you go!"
"No, you go first!"
"Hey, stop pushing me!"
One man was shoved forward to the desk. He gave an embarrassed chuckle and said meekly, "I... I’ll stay for one night."
It was just that Leo Colby’s gaze was far too placid. He would just stare at you silently, his eyes like the deep sea, threatening to swallow you whole at any moment.
"Alright," Leo Colby said. He pointed at the scanner, his words concise. "Put your Light Brain on it."
The man immediately pressed the Light Brain on his wrist to the device. In an instant, his personal information appeared on the computer screen.
Leo Colby typed in the number of days, then simply looked at the man. The man was confused for a second, then realization dawned. He fumbled and pulled out four Crystal Cores.
The man let out a huge sigh of relief. ’Jeez, if I hadn’t been so quick on the uptake, was he going to throw me out?’
"Room 202," Leo Colby stated flatly.
"Right, right, right." The man immediately scurried upstairs.
Just then, he bumped into an acquaintance from Room 201 who was on his way out. The man’s heart leaped into his throat. "What’s wrong?" he asked immediately. "Is there no water or power? Was the tour just a scam? Or are they rationed?"
The guest from 201 shot him a look. "What are you talking about? It’s on 24/7, use whatever you want! I’m just popping down to the convenience store to grab some instant noodles."
"Oh, that’s good, that’s good." The guest in 202 was clearly the jumpy, overly cautious type.
He watched the guest from 201 head downstairs before finally using his Light Brain to open his own door. The first thing he noticed was how bright and spacious it was.
The bed was made with a solid black four-piece linen set, which didn’t feel oppressive at all under the bright lights.
He did a lap around the room, eventually stopping in front of the faucet. He cautiously turned the knob just a tiny bit.
Clear tap water trickled out, dripping bit by bit onto his dry palm.
As if it were a priceless treasure, he licked his palm clean, refusing to waste even a single drop.
The rest of the customers waiting downstairs finished checking in. All of them booked single rooms for just one night, likely wanting to test the waters first.
Lily Hart seized the opportunity to create a group chat named "Lottery Shop - Nutwood Base Division" and added the new guests.
She told them to feel free to invite their friends and family. The previous three bases—Flowerblossom, Hope, and New Life—were in a separate group chat.
At the moment, only twenty single rooms and twenty double rooms on the hotel’s second floor were open. The next section would only unlock once all rooms were occupied and the cumulative revenue hit one hundred thousand points.
A single room could house up to two people. Eight of the twenty single rooms had now been rented, leaving twelve available.
Leo Colby had also spent five thousand points to unlock a "One-Click Cleaning" function. With the press of a button, a room’s linens and sanitation would be completely refreshed.
Each use cost one point, which was far better than Leo Colby having to break his back cleaning everything himself.
Actually, no, he wouldn’t do it. If the function didn’t exist, he’d just hire someone.
Seeing this, Frost Shaw grew envious. He poked around in his own management software and found a "One-Click Restock" function.
But unlocking it cost ten thousand points? ’Why is it twice as much as his?!’ Below, there was a line of small print.
Because stocking products requires categorization, price labeling, etc., this function is more expensive. If this is an issue, please do not activate.
Frost Shaw fumed for a moment. ’Fine, I won’t activate it! I’ve got plenty of helpers anyway!’
"Let’s go, let’s go, time to eat! I’m starving," called Lily Hart, a true warrior in the battle against hunger.
Leo Colby was still sitting perfectly straight in the chair. He didn’t move when he heard her. Lily Hart went to pull him up. "Come on, let’s go eat."
"Me too?" Leo Colby asked, slightly surprised. ’I get to eat at the table with them this soon?’ he wondered. ’I thought it would take a few more days.’
Lily Hart looked at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "What else? You gonna stay here and eat air?"
’I’ve always treated everyone equally,’ she thought. ’They’re my valued employees, so of course they have to eat well, drink well, and sleep well!’
With that in mind, she added, turning to Leo Colby, "Go ahead and pick a room for your own bedroom, alright? You can decorate it however you want, as long as you’ve got enough points."