Chapter 87: I Accept
He tried to enter her Sea of Consciousness, but to no avail. He could only cross half of this bridge; the other half was not open to him.
’So this is what she meant by "you can’t refuse"?’
Leo Colby now had a concrete understanding. It was as if the two of them had some kind of contract, one that he couldn’t break.
At the same time, he also grew interested in her—or more specifically, in her ability.
"Hello?" Lily Hart waved a hand in front of his face. Leo Colby snapped out of his daze and met her clear eyes.
"I accept," Leo Colby said softly, his eyes glinting with the thrill of exploring something new.
Lily Hart beamed. "Let’s go take a tour then!" She then scampered back to the RV.
She instructed the two little ones to watch the lottery shop and to find Frost Shaw or Roman Rowe if anything happened.
Then she scampered back to Leo Colby’s side. Her ponytail had come loose from running and was dangling uncomfortably, so she casually pulled out the tie, letting her hair fall free.
She gestured toward the hotel for Leo Colby, then spun around dashingly. "Let’s go! We’re heading in!" Her hair was silky and soft, like the finest satin.
The two of them entered the hotel, one after the other. The lobby was about the same size as the first floor of the RV—not spacious, but not cramped either, and very bright.
It was just completely empty. There was nothing inside.
To the right of the entrance was a staircase leading to the second floor. The first floor could be taken in at a glance, and there really wasn’t much to see, so the two of them headed up the stairs.
It opened into a long corridor that stretched so far they couldn’t even see the end. Normally, this might bring to mind stories about haunted hotels.
But this one was bright, with wood-grain floors and a natural wood-themed decor. A faint, sweet, fruity scent hung in the air, which was wonderfully refreshing.
Rooms lined both sides, numbered 201, 202, and so on...
Lily Hart casually pushed open the door to Room 201. The first thing that caught their eye was an entire wall of bright, sliding glass doors. The room was much more spacious than the lobby.
A bed sat in the center, flanked by nightstands. Along the wall by the door were a wardrobe and other storage units.
Further in, the bathroom was on the left. It had a separate wet and dry area with a showerhead and was very clean and tidy.
Sliding open the glass doors revealed a semi-enclosed balcony and a kitchen. The most basic facilities like a water heater and air conditioner were present, but it was all just an empty shell. Things like bedsheets, slippers, and bath towels were missing.
But Leo Colby was more interested in something else. He stepped past Lily Hart and casually turned on a faucet in the kitchen.
GUSH... Clear, transparent water poured out as if it were free, flowing into the clean sink, the two reflecting each other.
Startled, he quickly shut it off. He hadn’t expected to see water so clean and clear, seemingly endless and inexhaustible.
He looked at Lily Hart, slightly astonished. ’What is her background?’ he wondered. He had been to the Central Command, but even Cathaya’s best base couldn’t afford to use water so extravagantly.
Everyone’s daily use was rationed. Superpower users had a relatively larger allowance, which increased with each rank they ascended, but even that had its limits.
"This water?" Leo Colby asked cautiously.
’She’s not going to let me use it and then demand tens of thousands of Crystal Cores, is she? Well... I could afford it, I guess.’
Lily Hart wasn’t concerned. "Use as much as you want." ’Aren’t all hotels like this? It’s not like renting an apartment where you have to pay for utilities.’
He suppressed his shock and casually flipped a switch on the wall. CLICK. The light overhead turned on. Now there was both water and electricity.
Leo Colby couldn’t help but wonder, ’How many Crystal Cores would it cost to stay in a room like this for one day?’
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he quickly suppressed it. ’Do I really want to live such a mundane life, just working for someone? But then again, what’s so bad about it?’
’Water, electricity, food, and drink, all without any danger. No need to face all that scheming and backstabbing.’
’Isn’t that what I hate the most?’
After running through these thoughts, Leo Colby made up his mind. He looked at Lily Hart and said, "Boss Hart, here’s to a pleasant partnership."
Lily Hart smiled back at him and extended her hand. "A pleasant partnership indeed." ’Partnership? He’s clearly going to be working for me,’ she thought, but decided not to correct this minor detail.
They shook hands, officially sealing the deal.
Leo Colby, much like Frost Shaw, was a man of few words. Perhaps it was because after ten years in the apocalypse, there were so few people worth talking to that, over time, he simply lost the desire to speak.
Lily Hart respected their personalities and took the initiative. "Check your Light Brain and see if there’s a new app on it."
He did as she said and looked. A new app, "Lily Hart’s Hotel," had appeared on his home screen. He tapped it, and an image of a two-story building popped up. Zooming in, he could see the layout of the lobby and every room on the second floor.
He could even manipulate the layout through the Light Brain. He tried long-pressing the bed in Room 201, dragging it slightly to the right, and then tapping "confirm"...
The two of them watched, wide-eyed, as the actual bed shifted a few centimeters to the right.
Leo Colby was shocked once again. ’This superpower... it has to be the most badass in the world...’
"I understand now," Leo Colby said.
He lowered his head and studied it for a moment. Many of the icons on the page were grayed out and unclickable, but there was one that looked like a store. He tapped it and confirmed his suspicion.
It sold bedding, daily necessities—basically, anything you’d find in a hotel or guesthouse was available for purchase here, though there was no food.
Moreover, the prices were low and the quality was good.
Leo Colby tried to recall hotels from the civilized era. The bedsheets always seemed to be white, but that felt a bit impersonal.
Lily Hart leaned in to look too. As they browsed, she spotted a few four-piece bedding sets she liked—one with a pale yellow checkered pattern, and another with a light green floral print.
Her choices were based entirely on her own preferences—very light and fresh. They looked so soft and inviting, the kind that would lift your spirits just by sleeping under them.
Leo Colby, on the other hand, favored a more minimalist style: solid black and light gray, with no patterns at all. They were, however, quite timeless.
When he tried to place the order, an "insufficient balance" prompt appeared. Leo Colby looked at Lily Hart and asked tentatively, "Should I pay?"
Lily Hart raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, looking like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course. It’s your hotel. If you don’t pay, who will?"
’That makes sense, but she’s taking an eighty percent cut of the profits...’
One four-piece set was 10 points, which wasn’t too expensive, especially since things like this were no longer in production in the apocalypse.
Leo Colby found the option to top up with Crystal Cores in the app. He pulled out several dozen Crystal Cores from his storage space, which clattered noisily onto the floor.
’Looks like he’s rich,’ Lily Hart thought.
He then aimed his Light Brain’s infrared sensor at the Crystal Cores. Once the cores vanished, the top-up was complete. Leo Colby looked at his balance, which had instantly jumped to four digits, and felt a sense of relief.
He then ordered the eight bedding sets they had picked out, totaling 80 points.
After that, he bought some daily necessities like disposable toothbrushes, slippers, and bath towels. These were even cheaper, and since he bought them in bulk, the price was even better.
As for what came next, Lily Hart didn’t involve herself. ’After all, the hotel is being handed over to Leo Colby to manage. It wouldn’t do for me to worry too much. I just have to wait for my cut of the money each month.’
Lily Hart went downstairs, left the hotel, and had just returned to the RV when a group of people crowded around to ask questions.