Apocalypse: I'm Bound to a Mobile Lottery Shop

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: You Think You Can Look at Boss Hart?

Lily Hart glanced at the crowd of onlookers. She picked up a megaphone, brought it to her lips, and shouted, "Want to eat hot pot just like him?"

Someone nodded silently. Even though they tried not to look at the bubbling, crimson-red pot, the aroma was inescapable, worming its way into their nostrils. They could even hear faint chewing sounds.

It smelled too good! The impact was overwhelming!

Even the Base Commander had probably never eaten such a rich and luxurious feast. What was this called? Hot pot?

Someone gulped, inhaling the scent of hot pot hanging in the air. They couldn’t take it anymore and shot their hand up high, responding, "Yes! I’m dying for some!"

Lily Hart took out a scratch card and held it up. Her voice was full of temptation. "Just one scratch card holds infinite possibilities. There’s nothing you can’t imagine, and nothing you can’t scratch to win!"

Everyone was skeptical. "For real? Is something this good actually possible?" they questioned.

But only the man who had raised his hand rushed forward. He was tall and skinny. He excitedly slammed his hands on the table, nearly knocking the hot pot over. Frost Shaw looked up and gave him a cool glance.

The man’s enthusiasm was instantly extinguished. He awkwardly retracted his hands and asked meekly, "Can I... Can I give it a try?"

Lily Hart said cheerfully, "Of course you can. Follow me." She didn’t forget to remind Frost Shaw, "You keep eating. The more appetizing you make it look, the better!"

Frost Shaw silently rolled his eyes. ’Even if you didn’t tell me to, I’d still be eating.’

The two of them headed to the window, one after the other. A few people followed to see what the commotion was about.

As they passed Frost Shaw, their eyes couldn’t help but dart to the table. They struggled to suppress the urge to gulp down their saliva and the impulse to rush over and take a bite.

Meanwhile, Lily Hart was explaining the rules to the man. She knew she had to make a big first impression for her business in Hope Base to succeed.

Looking pained, the man took out a Crystal Core. Lily Hart took it and stuffed it into the Lucky Cat’s mouth.

It announced, "Dale Donovan, 50 points."

Dale Donovan covered his face, feeling rather ashamed. He had always thought his name was a bit ugly, and hearing it read aloud so loudly made him even more embarrassed.

Lily Hart said enthusiastically, "Come on, pick a card and start scratching." She smiled as she beckoned, revealing a set of neat, white teeth.

Her entire being radiated a healthy, positive energy. A pure smile hung on her face, forming a stark contrast with the sallow, emaciated customers around her, who carried the stench of death.

Everyone crowded around the window, their eyes glued on Dale Donovan as he picked a scratch card.

In the crowd, a man’s gaze fell on Lily Hart. A flash of resentment crossed his eyes, and he clenched his fists, deeply envious of her healthy appearance.

He continued to stare for a while, his eyes traveling from the strands of her hair down to her slender waist. Anything lower was blocked from view by the RV.

Suddenly, he felt a tightening around his waist. A sense of crisis welled up as a deliberately lowered voice came from behind him.

"What are you looking at? You think Boss Hart is someone you can just stare at?" Frost Shaw said impatiently.

’If Lily Hart weren’t still here, I would’ve frozen this guy into an ice sculpture, tossed him into a zombie horde, and let him get eaten the moment he thawed out!’

The man forced a stiff smile onto his face and turned around, chuckling nervously. "Great... Great Hero Shaw, I wasn’t looking at anything..."

"Get lost." Frost Shaw’s brows were furrowed, his gaze sharp. His refined features were now filled with a murderous aura that seemed ready to explode at any moment.

Terrified, the man’s legs went soft and he collapsed to his knees. He then scrambled away.

You could say that there wasn’t a soul in all of Cathaya who hadn’t heard of Frost Shaw’s infamous reputation. If he was in a bad mood, he’d freeze people into ice sculptures without a second thought.

After the ice thawed, even if you were lucky enough to avoid frostbite, you’d be left with side effects like rheumatism and sensitivity to the cold.

Frost Shaw swept his gaze over the people crowded around the RV window again. ’Good. No one else has any funny ideas.’

He went back to eating with a clear conscience. But he was almost full, so he cooked the remaining ingredients, packed them up, and stored them in his Space Ring.

After cleaning up, Frost Shaw didn’t leave. Instead, he squeezed his way back to the window to get a scratch card.

Dale Donovan had carefully selected a card; the number in the bottom-right corner was his favorite.

Because he was so tall yet so skinny, he looked like a bamboo pole. He bent over the counter and began to scratch.

Lily Hart felt a pang of pity watching him. It strengthened her resolve to earn points and improve their surroundings!

"Boss, what’s this?" Dale Donovan seemed to know everyone was waiting eagerly, so he scratched quickly.

Most of the area under the coating was "Thank You, Please Play Again," but a small symbol appeared just left of the center.

Lily Hart couldn’t be bothered to look. She took the card and stuffed it into Fortune’s mouth. Soon, it opened its mouth wide and spat out a prize.

Extremely curious, everyone huddled closer. Five or six heads formed a circle, creating a rather comical scene.

It was a plain, transparent plastic bag, and it seemed to be steaming. Lily Hart picked it up to take a look.

It was a large meat pie. It was still warm, with a lightly fried, golden-brown crust. A closer sniff revealed a rich, meaty aroma.

"Here, a big meat pie. Go on, eat." Lily Hart shoved it into Dale Donovan’s hands.

Dale Donovan was flustered, stunned by the favor. He carefully opened the plastic bag, and the aroma intensified, rushing straight to his head.

He first took a small bite, revealing the meat inside. It was mixed with a faint scent of scallion. The crust was thin, the filling was generous, and it was full of juice.

The onlookers gulped, their eyes fixed on the pie, practically on the verge of lunging forward to take a bite themselves.

And wouldn’t you know it, someone actually couldn’t hold back. They stretched their neck out, and just as they were about to touch the meat pie, their body was violently flung backward.

The others jumped in fright. Dale Donovan frantically wrapped the meat pie back up and clutched it to his chest, terrified someone would snatch it.

Lily Hart reassured him, "Don’t worry, all prizes from this establishment come with a protection mechanism. No one else can take them~"

Dale Donovan looked at the person who had been thrown back, then back at Lily Hart’s incredibly friendly smile, and chose to believe her.

He then moved aside to let others have a turn, finding a corner to eat by himself. Someone tailed him, refusing to be shooed away, insisting they just wanted to smell it.

Dale Donovan was helpless. He could only squat in the corner, face-to-face with the man, and eat his meat pie.

Back at the window, with Dale Donovan’s live demonstration—and the fact that he was a member of Hope Base, lending it high credibility...

Everyone started clamoring for the "same card as Dale Donovan." Lily Hart grabbed her megaphone and announced in advance that not every scratch card was a winner.

The moment she said it, two or three people turned and left, but others remained.

If you wanted a reward, you had to be willing to pay the price. Besides, hadn’t they seen Great Hero Shaw himself getting a scratch card?

Once someone dared to be the first to try, others were willing to be the second and third.

For a moment, the area in front of the window became extremely lively, almost to the point of squeezing Frost Shaw out. Thankfully, his fearsome reputation preceded him, and no one dared to go too far.

It was also fortunate that not too many people were willing to take the plunge—fewer than twenty in total. Lily Hart had them form a proper line.

They were used to this sort of thing. Lining up was an unavoidable part of receiving supplies. The moment they heard "line up," they immediately got in formation, afraid they would miss out.