Chapter 103: Level 5
After lunch, Lily Hart watched the stream of customers and the main gate of Nutwood Base. It was about time to find a new base to settle in for a while.
By her rough estimate, she had been at Nutwood Base for about eight days, and her current cash balance was four hundred thousand.
Hehe. Lily Hart couldn’t help but laugh out loud. ’With those ten scratch-off machines, I must have earned a total of five or six hundred thousand points, right?’
Lily Hart took a look and, sure enough, it was over six hundred thousand. She immediately converted it to cash. Her balance flickered, and the number became seven digits long.
She said excitedly, "System, quick! I want to upgrade!"
The system offered a friendly reminder, "The scratch-offs will undergo a major overhaul after you reach Level 5~"
Though excited, Lily Hart hadn’t let it go to her head. She asked cautiously, "What kind of overhaul?"
"First, due to a sharp increase in demand for Crystal Cores in the future world, the scratch-offs will be divided into three price tiers: 50, 100, and 150."
Lily Hart thought, ’Isn’t this even better? I’ll be able to get two scratches for a single Crystal Core!’
The system continued, "Second, the rewards for each price tier will be limited to a specific range. For example, the 50-point tier will only yield daily necessities like combs, toothbrushes, pillows, and clothes... The probability of winning is about 60%."
"The 100-point tier can yield food, but only ready-made meals like fast food, breakfast, noodle soup, and so on... Hot pot and barbecue are out of the question; those are in a higher tier. The probability here is also 60%."
"The 150-point tier can yield fruits, vegetables, seeds, saplings, and vouchers for hot pot and barbecue. Of course, this tier also contains many other unexpected goodies~ The probability of winning is 70%."
The long explanation echoed in Lily Hart’s mind as she quickly did the math. ’If that’s the case...’
’Then it’s gotten more expensive. Before, a single Crystal Core could get you anything, but now it takes three Crystal Cores to have a shot at everything. The barrier to entry is higher.’
’But the probabilities are higher, too. For those who are dead set on getting fruits and vegetables, isn’t this actually a good thing?’
She was going to upgrade one way or another. Lily Hart asked, "Are there any other requirements to upgrade to Level 5?"
The system said, "I’m not a heartless system, you know. A Crystal Core used to be worth 50 points, right? Well, now it’s worth 100. The future world discovered that the energy contained in Crystal Cores is incredibly powerful, and now they urgently need large quantities for research."
Lily Hart was starting to get it. "Alright, let’s upgrade."
"Congratulations, Host, on reaching Level 5. More exciting features await your discovery~"
After a brief dizzy spell, Lily Hart came to her senses to find that the RV had once again undergone a massive transformation.
First off, the space had doubled in size again. The central area was particularly spacious—you could probably fit six or seven mahjong tables in it.
Other than its size, however, not much else seemed to have changed. It was still open on all four sides, with countertops extending inward from each opening.
The driver’s seat and storage room were still there, but... was that a staircase? Unsure, Lily Hart walked over to take a closer look.
It was. No more taking the "elevator" to get upstairs. A smile touched Lily Hart’s lips. ’Well, any change is a good change.’
She opened her Light Brain and looked at her balance, which had suddenly been cut in half. All 500,000 points had gone to the upgrade.
For a moment, she felt like she was the real wage slave here.
But it didn’t matter. She was earning points at an incredible rate now—the kind of woman who could rake in several hundred points a minute.
Going up to the second floor, she discovered a new walk-in closet. It was filled with clothes of all styles: little floral dresses, jeans and T-shirts, camisoles, trench coats, and more.
There were even formal evening gowns. The system was remarkably thoughtful, though she’d likely never get a chance to wear them.
No girl could say no to such beautiful clothes. She changed into a short skirt that ended just above her knees, showing off her long legs.
Her skin was already fair, but the light green skirt made it look as smooth as cream with a rosy glow. With her hair let down, she was an undeniable beauty.
Lily Hart skipped cheerfully down the stairs, step by step. Her hair bounced up and down with her movements like a jellyfish. Frost Shaw happened to be walking over just then and looked up to see the sight.
Dressed in her light green skirt, she hopped and skipped with the joy of a forest sprite. Frost Shaw looked up and stared, completely entranced.
It took Diana Sharp nudging him with her elbow to snap him out of it. "Brother Frost? Brother Frost? What are you staring at? I know Boss Hart is easy on the eyes..."
Before Diana Sharp could finish, Lily Hart was right in front of them. Having vaguely heard her name, she asked, "What are you two talking about?"
They both shook their heads in unison, their lips sealed.
Lily Hart rolled her eyes at them and turned to walk away. Her skirt flared out like a blooming flower, and a faint, sweet fragrance lingered around her.
Frost Shaw lowered his head, his fists clenching slightly as he forced himself to regain his composure. When he looked up again, his usual boyish look was back in place.
Lily Hart stood behind the lottery machine, entering numbers for the customers. Man or woman, nearly every single one of them had a compliment for her.
They called her beautiful and radiant, as bright as a flower blooming in the apocalyptic wasteland.
Taking advantage of the large crowd, Lily Hart announced the new rules for the scratch-offs, which would take effect the following day. She also wrote up the rules and sent them out to all the group chats.
That being the case, Lily Hart decided to stay at Nutwood Base for one more day and leave for the neighboring city the day after tomorrow.
At dinner, Lily Hart announced her decision. It sounded like she was opening a discussion, but it was really just a notification. After listening, Leo Colby silently raised his hand. "What about the guests at my hotel?"
’Hmm, good question.’
After a moment’s thought, Lily Hart said, "Go back and ask. For those looking to extend their stay, make it clear we’re moving to another city. If they’re still willing to renew, they can come along. If not, just have them check out."
Leo Colby agreed. It was the only viable solution.
’He’d just follow her,’ Frost Shaw thought, completely unfazed. ’Wherever Boss Hart went, he would go!’
Roman Rowe, on the other hand, finished a large bowl of soup and asked excitedly, "Which city are we going to?"
Lily Hart opened a current map of Cathaya. They were in Rodington City, part of the Central Cathaya Region. Nearby was another city, Gilden City. ’The name sounds nice,’ she thought. ’Let’s go there!’
"Gilden City," she announced.
Roman Rowe clapped his hands excitedly. "Yay!"
Lily Hart looked at him, puzzled. "Are you familiar with it?"
"Nope," Roman Rowe replied.
Lily Hart rolled her eyes at him. "Then what are you so excited about?"
Roman Rowe was simply thrilled they were going somewhere new. ’Finally, I don’t have to see this damn Nutwood Base anymore!’ The thought alone made him feel utterly delighted.
After dinner, Lily Hart bought and set up five "automatic scratch-off" machines outside the RV. She informed the remaining customers that she would be moving on the day after tomorrow.
If they still wanted to buy scratch-offs, they could use the machines. To purchase items from the convenience store section, they could use the mini-program she had shared in the group chats.
It was all quite convenient, really, but a wave of groans and complaints still arose. They couldn’t believe the good times were ending so soon—Boss Hart was leaving.
One girl started sniffling, then couldn’t hold back quiet sobs. Her shaking shoulders stood out in the crowd. Lily Hart glanced over; the girl’s face looked familiar.
She had come every single day, even at the very beginning when Nutwood Base’s gates were sealed. Her luck had been pretty good, too, which was why Lily Hart remembered her.
Lily Hart couldn’t stand seeing other women cry; it just broke her heart.
She beckoned the girl over. "What are you crying about?"