Apocalypse: I'm Bound to a Mobile Lottery Shop

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Auspicious Grand Opening

Yesterday, she’d bought nineteen books of scratch-off tickets. Only three were left, and the "Big 7" variety had sold out completely.

It was clear that even with Crystal Cores, people in the apocalypse couldn’t get enough to eat. Their love for food was pure and unadulterated!

So, brimming with confidence, she bought another fifteen books of "Big 7s," plus three books each of the other three varieties.

With all her preparations complete, she sat on a high stool waiting for customers to arrive, chin in hand, her eyes fixed on the crowd passing by.

She didn’t even have to hawk her wares anymore. The moment her RV appeared, it was like a magnet, and the crowd automatically flocked to it.

She was in the middle of her work when Frost Shaw arrived. He asked eagerly, "Are we opening soon?"

Lily Hart spared a moment to reply, "Yeah. Go ahead and summon the convenience store."

Frost Shaw: "How do I summon it?"

Thinking he was being dense, Lily Hart grabbed his wrist, tapped open his Light Brain, and had him unlock it with a facial scan.

She scrolled to "Lily Hart’s Convenience Store," where there was a conspicuous launch button. Caught off guard by her grip on his wrist, the touch felt scorching hot to him.

Before he could even process the sudden contact, Frost Shaw saw a flash of white light beside the RV.

It always made such a brilliant entrance. Once the white light faded and everyone got a clear look, a series of gasps erupted from the crowd.

It was a transparent glass building, allowing a clear view of two display shelves inside. Some nearby customers had been busy with their scratch-off tickets.

One of them pressed close to the glass and gasped in disbelief, "Is... is that instant noodles?"

As soon as he said that, everyone swarmed over, pressing against the glass to see. "That can’t be sausage, can it? Is that the corn-flavored kind?"

"Bottled water! That’s bottled water! It looks so clean! I’d kill for a sip!"

Similar cries of shock rippled through the crowd. Supplies that were readily available before the apocalypse were now nearly impossible to find.

Items like instant noodles and bottled water were considered strategic resources. To buy them, you needed a hefty amount of Crystal Cores and the right connections.

Therefore, the sight of such neatly arranged, fresh, and clean supplies inside the glass building undoubtedly captured everyone’s attention.

Lily Hart let go of Frost Shaw’s hand and rubbed her own against her clothes, unable to resist a complaint. "You may be a walking block of ice, but you should still dress warmer."

Before Frost Shaw could respond, she shot him a meaningful look and whispered, "Go on, now’s the perfect time for the grand opening."

Seeing him standing there as if he’d grown roots, she teased, "What are you still spacing out for? Scared to go alone? Or do you need your big sis to give you some courage?"

Frost Shaw said weakly, "I have social anxiety." There were too many people; he didn’t dare to squeeze in.

As a natural extrovert, Lily Hart didn’t quite get it, but she respected his feelings. She hopped down from the RV and led Frost Shaw through the crowd.

The onlookers, seemingly aware that the convenience store was connected to Lily Hart, parted to form a path for them.

Lily Hart walked through the center of the parted crowd. On both sides were faces filled with smiles, looks of adoration, anticipation, and admiration.

Her mood suddenly lifted. She was beginning to understand what it felt like to be trusted by so many people. It was a sense of security she had never experienced before.

It was the kind of confidence that made her feel she could do anything, knowing there were people who would have her back.

’No wonder everyone wants to be at the top,’ she thought. ’Being admired feels amazing, like all their energy is flowing right into me.’

Lily Hart walked right up to the convenience store entrance. Upon scanning its owner, the glass doors slid open automatically.

She stood at the entrance, spun around, and with a flourish, whipped out a party popper. With a small twist...

POP—POP— A few loud pops, and a shower of silvery ribbons shot into the air, spinning and dancing as they fell.

The sunlight caught them, making them look like a sky full of glittering stars. The party popper instantly brought the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

The crowd started whooping and cheering, their faces full of excitement as they looked at her. Standing there in the sunlight, she looked like a savior.

Once the excitement died down a little, she pulled Frost Shaw forward and announced, "This is a new convenience store I’ve opened. We’re selling snacks and bottled water, so feel free to come and buy whatever you need. You all know Frost Shaw, right? He’s the second boss, and he’ll be in charge of managing it."

Beside her, Frost Shaw stood as stiff as a Door God, holding a Lucky Cat in both hands.

If not for the cover of his black cloak, the bright red tips of his ears would have been in plain sight for all to see.

Lily Hart nudged Frost Shaw and whispered, "Hurry up and say something."

Frost Shaw cleared his throat twice to build up his courage, then said with forced composure, "That’s right, I’m the second boss, Frost Shaw. Please, come in and shop!"

Lily Hart had taught him that line yesterday. In the apocalypse, no one went "shopping" anymore; they just "bought things."

The crowd was already raring to go. They followed Lily Hart and Frost Shaw inside.

The convenience store wasn’t large, and in an instant, it was packed to the gills. The people deeper inside were all crowded around the shelves.

Each item was marked with a price. For example: sausage, 25 points; instant noodles, 75 points; bottled water, 88 points.

Someone asked, "What are these points?"

Frost Shaw had been squeezed out the door. Hearing the question, he had to shout, "One Level 1 Crystal Core can be exchanged for 50 points! Come to me if you want to make an exchange!"

Immediately, some people started pushing toward Frost Shaw, while others tried to get to the shelves to look at the goods. For a moment, it was like two opposing tides crashing into each other.

"Dammit, what’s with all the pushing? You in a hurry to die or something?!"

"Who are you talkin’ to? Your breath stinks this early in the morning. Did you forget to brush your teeth?!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop pushing, will you? Honestly."

Frost Shaw had sharp hearing and quick reflexes. The moment he saw people starting to cause trouble, he twitched a finger and instantly froze them into ice sculptures.

This was no joke. Even though he was underage, his power was undeniable: he was the world’s only Seventh-rank Ice Ability User.

The two troublemakers were frozen solid, their cursing expressions perfectly preserved. Everyone else instantly backed away, creating a small clearing around them.

Frost Shaw controlled the frozen figures like marionettes, moving the ice sculptures out of the convenience store and placing them outside to "sunbathe."

The rest of the crowd fell silent, standing as quiet as mice. They had always known about Frost Shaw’s fierce reputation.

But because of their recent interactions, they had let their guard down, thinking he had become friendly and approachable.

How could that be possible! It was all an illusion!

He was still the same old Frost Shaw who would freeze you into an ice sculpture at the slightest disagreement.

Lily Hart squeezed through the crowd to smooth things over. "Please, continue browsing! As long as there’s no trouble, everyone is welcome!"

She wore a warm smile, her faint dimples showing, looking even more radiant in the sunlight.

One played the bad cop, the other the good cop, and just like that, the crowd was placated. ’Boss Hart is the kind one, after all...’ they couldn’t help but think.

Lily Hart saw that there were simply too many people. The small convenience store was packed like a can of sardines.

She leaned close to Frost Shaw. They both stood with their arms crossed, looking at the convenience store with serious expressions.

"We need to limit the number of people," Lily Hart said. "Fifty at a time. Otherwise, no one can even see the prices on the shelves."

Frost Shaw agreed unconditionally. He was only halfway through a nod when a megaphone was shoved in his face.

Lily Hart gave him another meaningful look. "You’re the second boss. You do the organizing."