Chapter 264: Jianbing Guozi
Roman Rowe watched, his hands itching to do something, but since he lacked the skill, he could only ask, "Boss Hart, what do you want to eat? I’ll go make it!"
Lily Hart, who was enjoying the massage with her eyes closed, rolled them at him when she heard his offer. "Did you already forget we just ate at the night market? And we had dinner before that, too..."
Roman Rowe gave an embarrassed smile. He was just itching to do something. Seeing Frost Shaw doting on her made him feel a strange pang of jealousy, and he wanted to do something for her too.
’In terms of strength, he was no match for Frost Shaw. In terms of cooking, he was obviously the expert, but Boss Hart was still full. In terms of... forget it.’
’The fact was, there was simply no way for him to get involved!’
Frost Shaw discreetly pressed his lips together, suppressing the urge to laugh, and kept a steady pressure with his hands. The massage was making Lily Hart drowsy. She waved his hand away. "It’s nothing. I’m probably just sleepy."
"Then you should go up and get some sleep," Frost Shaw said.
Roman Rowe also nodded, his head bobbing as quickly as a chick pecking at rice, as if afraid Lily Hart wouldn’t see him.
After the two men left, Lily Hart glanced at her Light Brain. Owen Warren hadn’t replied to her message. ’He must still be trying to break through to a higher rank,’ she thought, so she decided not to disturb him.
Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe dragged the bodies outside to burn them again. It seemed like all they did these days was dispose of corpses.
Lily Hart watched their backs disappear into the distance, then closed up the RV and went upstairs to shower and sleep. ’I don’t know what’s wrong with me today,’ she thought. ’I’m just so tired.’
The system hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Host, the throbbing pain is because you have been using the RV’s power too frequently. Please get more rest."
As mentioned before, while the RV was invincible and had a safe zone, its functions were all controlled by Lily Hart. Within that safe zone, she could do almost anything she wished.
However, the more she used its power, the more of her own energy she consumed. During a previous zombie hoard, Lily Hart had overexerted herself and fainted.
Lily Hart mumbled an absent-minded "mhm." ’It’s not like I want to,’ she thought groggily. ’But who’s to blame when Central Command is crawling with dangers and everyone wants me dead?’
’If I didn’t fight back, I’d be the one to die.’
The system understood but was powerless to help. It wasn’t allowed to interfere too much in the affairs of the human world; its role had always been to observe from the sidelines.
Lily Hart took a shower, then unsteadily climbed into bed and went to sleep.
Nana and Lily burrowed into her arms. Cuddling the soft, warm little bodies somehow eased the throbbing in Lily Hart’s head, and she held them tighter.
She didn’t sleep well that night. She was stuck in a state of half-sleep, having many dreams that she couldn’t remember clearly. In any case, she knew they weren’t good ones.
She lingered in bed, spacing out, and only got up when her alarm rang. A glance at her Light Brain showed that Owen Warren had replied. He said he was waiting for her outside.
She replied with a simple "Mhm." She quickly rolled out of bed to brush her teeth and wash her face. The throbbing in her head had subsided significantly; if she didn’t focus on it, she could almost forget it was there.
Lily Hart went downstairs and opened the RV door. Owen Warren turned to look at her, and their eyes met.
Though he looked like the same person she’d seen yesterday, his entire aura was completely different. Today’s Owen Warren was more formidable, and the menacing air that usually lingered around his eyes had all but vanished.
Her tone lifted teasingly. "Well now, looks like someone’s leveled up, huh?"
The corner of Owen Warren’s mouth lifted in a smirk, a silent confirmation. "Mhm, I’ve reached the Tenth Rank." This rank represented the pinnacle of a zombie’s combat power, far more formidable than that of a human Tenth-rank Superpower User.
He added, "It’s all thanks to you, Boss Hart. I couldn’t have done it this quickly otherwise."
Lily Hart waved a dismissive hand. "Just give me a heads-up next time before you start sucking on my hand. I thought some stray dog had shown up," she said, shooting him a light-hearted glare.
It was a thinly veiled insult, but Owen Warren didn’t care in the slightest. He was the one who had truly benefited.
Feeling he had said all he needed to, he turned to leave. But after just a few steps, he turned back. "If you need anything in the future, just say the word. Don’t hesitate."
’Not that she’d ever hesitated, of course. She was always ordering me around.’
Lily Hart smiled and agreed, watching as Owen Warren returned to the bathhouse.
Her goal for the day was to get the night market established! ’I hope more people win food-making prizes,’ she thought. ’That way, even if there’s no lottery shop, they won’t starve to death.’
She was busy buying tables from the system’s shop when she heard someone exclaim, "AHHHHHHHH—IT’S JIANBING GUOZI!"
’Jianbing guozi?’ Lily Hart’s head shot up instantly, as if she could already smell the savory aroma of the crispy crepe. She imagined its rich layers and complex texture, filled with egg, sausage...
"Who? Who won a jianbing guozi?" Lily Hart asked, her voice filled with excitement.
She scanned the crowd, looking for the winner. Everyone knew that this kind of prize required Lily Hart to personally handle it—to "consecrate" it, so to speak—before it could be used properly.
The crowd parted, revealing the person standing in front of the automatic lottery machine.
When she saw the text on the prize clearly, Lily Hart’s eyes widened in surprise. "It’s not a jianbing guozi? It’s a jianbing guozi *machine*?!"
It was a young woman. The machine only came up to her waist. "Y-yes," she said timidly. "It’s a machine." It had wheels on the bottom, and she started pushing it over.
Everyone was curious and cooperative. When she started pushing it crookedly, a few people reached out to help guide it and keep it from hitting anyone. The machine successfully arrived in front of the RV.
Lily Hart vaulted over the counter with one hand and landed in front of the machine.
Four large characters on the front spelled out: Jianbing Guozi.
On top was a large, perfectly round, flat griddle for spreading the crepe batter. Beside the griddle was some counter space for tools and seasonings.
It was clean and tidy. Lily Hart had always loved watching people make jianbing guozi. The crepes were perfectly round, fried to a crisp, and smelled heavenly.
For anyone with a touch of OCD, it was an absolute godsend!
She expertly flipped the switch. A smile graced her lips only when she heard the familiar CLICK.
The machines produced by the system were always simple to operate. You basically just had to flip a switch, or it might even grab the food when it was done and put it in a bowl for you. In short, it was designed to be as thought-free as possible.
Then, everyone watched as a small puddle of thick, pale yellow liquid appeared on the griddle, followed by what looked like a small spreader.
The tool smoothly spread the liquid as the griddle began to turn, forming a large, thin, round crepe. A moment later, an egg materialized in mid-air.
It tapped lightly against the edge of the counter and cracked open onto the crepe. The spreader moved again, spreading the egg to cover every inch of the surface.
Next, it sprinkled on chopped green onions and other toppings before flipping the crepe. The machine then brushed sauce onto the other side, added a crispy cracker and other delicious fillings, and folded it up neatly like a blanket.
And just like that, a finished jianbing guozi emerged!
It even slid itself into a paper bag and placed it in the pickup area. Incredibly advanced and intelligent.
The machine’s owner was starting to drool, but then she saw Boss Hart staring intently at the finished product. ’The machine is mine now,’ she thought, ’so the first one should go to her!’
"Boss Hart, you try it," the woman said, picking up the paper bag and handing it to Lily Hart.
Lily Hart’s eyes curved into a smile, but seeing how much the owner also wanted to eat it, she politely declined a couple of times. When the woman insisted, however, Lily Hart gave in and took a bite.
The texture was incredible, and every bite was packed with fillings. Lily Hart devoured it in no time. She gave a thumbs-up. "Amazing! It’s delicious!"
The machine’s owner felt relieved. If Lily Hart said it was delicious, then it had to be good.
The machine began making a second one, which went to its owner. Just as it was about to start a third, she swiftly switched it off.
She asked, "Boss Hart, can I set up a stall at the night market, too?"
Lily Hart nodded vigorously. "Of course you can!" ’This is perfect!’ she thought. ’That makes five stalls now. Things are really moving in the right direction!’