Chapter 82: Grow Bigger and Stronger, Achieve New Glory
Lily Hart curiously craned her neck to get a better look, leaning in for a closer inspection. "Not shaking at all," she said, puzzled.
Roman Rowe: ... He fell silent, plopped onto a chair, and hollered, "I want to eat!"
"Eat, eat, eat." Lily Hart was starving too. She quickly placed an order for something they could eat right away and would fill them up.
That something was Zenthor-style stir-fry. It went so well with rice that you could eat a ton of it and get full in no time.
Lily Hart was hungry enough to eat a horse. In a flash, she ordered fifteen main dishes—things like Chili-Fried Pork, Yongzhou Blood Duck, and Stir-fried Beef... The portions were huge.
She also ordered four buckets of rice, thinking it would surely be enough. Who would’ve thought that Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe would polish off one bucket just between the two of them...
Lily Hart was shocked but understood. She consoled herself, ’They’re still growing.’ She also reminded herself, ’They’re my employees.’
’As the boss, it’s perfectly normal to treat my staff to a good meal. I need to be a generous boss.’
’Bloodsucking capitalists are the worst!’ Lily Hart brainwashed herself and ordered two more buckets of rice.
The customers still scratching their lottery tickets outside the RV caught a whiff of a fragrant aroma. A few more sniffs and they started sneezing.
It was pungent, yet irresistible. The customers couldn’t help but stop scratching their tickets, trying to find the source of the scent.
Their gazes quickly settled on the RV’s interior. It was too easy to spot, too conspicuous. The side of the vehicle was open, and the inside was brightly lit.
Eight people were seated at a table, all of them devouring their food like a whirlwind. Just watching them was enough to make one’s appetite surge. They looked like they hadn’t eaten in eight hundred years.
A customer gulped. ’I’m the one who feels like I haven’t eaten in eight hundred years!’ He couldn’t help but step forward, wanting to see what they were eating.
When he got a clear look, tears streamed down his face. He sniffled, his breath catching in choked sobs.
Through tear-blurred eyes, he took a picture of the ten dishes on the table. They had only just started eating, so the dishes were still mostly intact.
It was a complete feast for the senses. He used his Light Brain to take a picture, wanting to save it forever.
Lily Hart looked up and her eyes met his tear-streaked face. It was hard to ignore. "Um, what’s wrong?" she asked. "Didn’t win a prize?"
She was about to encourage him, tell him it was normal, and was even planning on using Frost Shaw, that lucky winner, as an example.
But to her surprise, the man’s composure completely shattered. His crying grew louder as he choked out, "N-no, it’s nothing... I just saw this food... and it made me miss home! BOO HOO HOO!"
He cried with such sorrow it was heartbreaking to see and hear. His sobs drew over the few remaining customers.
They looked like they were comforting him, but they were actually sneaking glances at the food on the table, secretly gulping down their saliva.
’It smells so good, just so, so good! A perfect spread of Zenthor cuisine! Who could possibly resist!’
Lily Hart froze on the spot. His crying had made her a little homesick, too. She was from Zenthor, which was why she had a particular love for its cuisine.
She immediately asked the System, "Do I still have a chance to go back?"
The System was silent for a long time. Just as Lily Hart was about to give up, it suddenly spoke: [Yes, Host.]
Lily Hart wanted to ask for more details, but the man started crying loudly again, his grief spreading to the other customers, who also looked dejected.
It passed from one person to the next, casting a heavy mood over the scene. They were probably all cursing this damn apocalypse in their hearts.
The man cried, "When the apocalypse broke out, I was eating with my parents. I had just taken one bite! Just one! And a zombie burst through the door!"
Talking about it made him both sad and angry. He regretted not eating a few more bites of food; he’d never get to eat it again.
He also regretted failing to protect his parents, watching helplessly as they breathed their last in the zombie’s jaws.
The people around him started chattering amongst themselves. "Tell me about it. I was watching a movie with my girlfriend, and suddenly everyone around us turned into zombies. I barely escaped with my life."
"What about your girlfriend?" someone asked.
"She’s waiting for me back at the base. It’s too dangerous out here; I wouldn’t dare let her come out," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Everyone sighed in unison. "Sigh..."
If it weren’t for a bite to eat, for the sake of survival, who would be willing to risk their lives outside the base?
Watching the sighing group, Lily Hart felt a bitter taste in her mouth. ’We’re all fellow human beings...’
’But what can I do? The only thing I can think of is to make my business bigger and stronger!’
’Expand to every base, and offer the survivors another lifeline.’
’I’m just an ordinary person. This is all I can do. If I can just do my part well, that’s already amazing.’
After a good cry, the man felt much better. He sniffled and said, "I’m okay. Thank you." Then, he gave them a solemn bow.
Lily Hart shifted slightly to the side, watching him with a complicated expression. The Zenthor cuisine was just the last straw; he just needed an outlet for his emotions.
Once he’d let it all out, life still had to go on. The apocalypse wasn’t going to end.
The small group gradually dispersed, returning to scratch the rest of their tickets. A minute later, that same man cried out in surprise.
"What... what did I just win?!" The man held the scratch-off ticket high with both hands, his voice filled with excitement.
His heart was pounding. His intuition told him this was no ordinary prize. He eagerly ran over and stuffed the ticket into the Lucky Cat.
Soon, Fortune spat out a small card. Everyone’s eyes immediately focused on it.
The man, thrilled, picked it up and read the words aloud in a low voice, "’Meal Box Voucher... Twenty Uses!’"
His volume shot up as he read the last part, his face beaming, all traces of his earlier sadness gone.
"Congratulations, congratulations." Lily Hart was still eating, but she looked up to offer him sincere congratulations. The other seven also congratulated him.
The scene was strangely comical. They were still holding chopsticks and bowls, probably with mouths full of food.
A few of them had their backs turned and had to twist around, but they all chimed in unison, "Congratulations, congratulations! Congrats on winning!"
It reminded Lily Hart of certain 21st-century restaurants where all the waiters would shout a greeting when you walked in, when they served certain dishes, and without fail, when you left after your meal.
It was hilarious. Lily Hart let out a snort of laughter, and the others looked at her in confusion again.
"It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Do you want to redeem your prize now?" Lily Hart changed the subject, asking the man.
"Yes, yes, yes! I’m starving!" the man said impatiently, but he didn’t know what to do.
Diana Sharp was the closest. She stepped forward to guide him. He just had to feed it into the Lucky Cat’s mouth and wait a moment.
Since it was a voucher, he couldn’t choose his dishes—they would be random—but the man was already more than satisfied.
He took his meal box, found a spot, and started eating. Someone sidled up to him, sniffed the air, and stared at the food. "Bro, you selling?"
It was three meat dishes and one vegetable dish, served with a bowl of soup and a big chicken leg. It looked and smelled amazing, the portion was generous, and it was enough to fill up a grown man.
The man’s mouth was stuffed full of rice. He shook his head, mumbling, "Mmph mmph... not selling."
Seeing how heartily he was eating, the other guy couldn’t stop swallowing his own saliva. He couldn’t resist reaching out to grab it, trying to snatch a handful of food.
But the moment he touched the meal box, he was sent flying. Lily Hart wasn’t surprised. ’They probably don’t mean any harm,’ she thought. ’They’re just that desperate for food.’
The man eating the meal watched him fly back several meters, then swallowed the food in his mouth with a GULP.
He immediately sped up, shoveling food into his mouth. He even felt his chopsticks were too slow and was tempted to just use his hands.