Apocalypse: I'm Bound to a Mobile Lottery Shop

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Please, Let Me Work

In the photo, the sunset cast a soft, gentle glow, bathing the RV and convenience store in its lazy light.

In front of the RV, circles of customers gathered. Some were taking big bites of peaches, while others were stuffing bright red apples into their shirts.

Even more ridiculously, someone was squatting in a corner, cradling a boxed meal and devouring it like a storm. Who could resist such a sight?

Every face overflowed with a contented smile. If you didn’t know better, you’d never guess this was the apocalypse.

And in the bottom-right corner of the photo was Lily Hart, her hands braced on a tabletop as she smiled at whatever was in front of her, the dimple on her cheek faintly visible.

The sunset washed over her, shrouding her in a faint halo and adding a radiant glimmer of hope.

After posting, Roman Rowe shut off his Light Brain and went back to his noodles. He had another container at hand, and he alternated between the two. This was the life.

He quickly finished both containers of instant noodles, then ran up to Frost Shaw. "I’m not leaving! I want to stay here!"

"Get lost." Frost Shaw remembered Boss Hart’s words—she didn’t want to see Roman Rowe.

Roman Rowe grabbed one of his arms and whined shamelessly, "I won’t, I won’t! I’m going to stay here and eat instant noodles for the rest of my life!"

Frost Shaw frowned and impatiently pulled his arm free. "You took on Winnie Lowell’s job."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Who the hell is she? I’ll go find her tonight and give her the deposit back."

Only then was Frost Shaw satisfied. He didn’t want anyone to hurt Boss Hart—not even Roman Rowe, his friend of many years.

Seeing he said nothing, Roman Rowe knew he’d agreed. But a second later, he heard Frost Shaw’s cold voice.

"Still not happening. You need to leave. Boss Hart doesn’t want to see you." Frost Shaw started pushing him out.

"Frost Shaw, you’re ditching your bro for a dame! I’ll go apologize to Boss Hart myself!" Roman Rowe deftly sidestepped him.

Before Frost Shaw could react, he was already sprinting toward the RV, glancing back to stick his tongue out with a taunting "bleh!"

Frost Shaw chased after him with a sigh. He had to stick close, terrified Roman Rowe would say something stupid again.

"Boss Hart!" Roman Rowe had learned his lesson this time. He stood outside the RV, calling out to her with a silly grin.

Lily Hart shot him a sidelong glance. "What are you doing here again?" Her face was a mask of impatience.

Roman Rowe’s smile didn’t falter. "Boss Hart, let me stay and work for you! I’m a really hard worker!"

"Not happening. What if you try to kill me again?" Lily Hart refused flatly. "Get lost, or I’ll be the one killing you."

The words were barely out of her mouth when Frost Shaw rushed over and started dragging Roman Rowe away. "I’m getting rid of him right now!"

His fate sealed, Roman Rowe was unceremoniously dragged away. Lily Hart dusted off her hands. ’He wants to work for me? In his dreams.’

As eight o’clock approached and Lily Hart was about to close up, Leo Colby appeared again: buzz cut, calm eyes, simple clothes, silent demeanor.

The moment Lily Hart saw him, she gathered the few scattered scratch-off tickets from the table, tidied them into a stack, and placed it in front of her.

Sure enough, Leo Colby picked up the stack. He could tell how many there were with a single glance and moved to take out his Crystal Cores.

Lily Hart picked up a scanner and aimed it at Leo Colby. With a single "BEEP—", she had, in effect, issued him a membership card.

Leo Colby gave her a baffled look and spoke his first words to her. "What for?" If he hadn’t sensed the device was harmless, he would have crushed it in his hand already.

"Check your Light Brain," Lily Hart said curtly.

"No." Leo Colby refused. After paying the required Crystal Cores, he put away the new scratch-offs. He then pulled a stack of used ones from his storage space. His eyes flickered around, but he didn’t see Fortune.

Lily Hart said smugly, "Sorry, kiddo, you’re behind the times. Our store has an automatic scratch-off redemption machine now. Go use that to claim your prizes."

She jutted her chin toward two machines standing a few meters away.

Leo Colby walked over. There were instructions on the screen, so he just followed them. He scanned the tickets one by one, and prizes would occasionally pop out from the slot at the bottom.

Once all the scratch-offs were scanned, Leo Colby collected his rewards, turned, and left without a backward glance.

Lily Hart’s eyes widened. Staring at his perfectly round buzz cut, she muttered, "Now this guy’s got character! I like it!"

Frost Shaw walked over with Easton, having only vaguely heard the last three words. He asked instinctively, "Like what?" He glanced at the man’s receding figure. ’He looks familiar.’

Suddenly, alarm bells went off in his head. ’Isn’t that Leo Colby? The expert who’s been number one on the leaderboard for years! I heard he’s already an Eighth-rank Superpower User, but no one knows his true strength.’

’A guy that incredible likes scratch-offs?’

That’s right, the Cathayan Superpower User Leaderboard was filled with all the big-name, High-level Superpower Users. People like Roman Rowe, Frost Shaw, and Leo Colby were all on the list, and all within the top twenty.

It was a leaderboard introduced by the Central Command to motivate everyone to train hard. Making it onto the list came with rewards in the form of Crystal Cores and supplies.

It was also updated daily, with a headshot next to each name, which was why everyone recognized Frost Shaw despite him being a loner.

Lily Hart shook her head. "It’s nothing." She looked away from the street and toward the two youngsters. "You must be hungry after working all afternoon, right?"

"Not hungry! I can keep going!" Easton said, full of enthusiasm. This was way more fun than being back in their little courtyard!

"I’m okay, too," Diana Sharp added, shaking her head.

"B-Boss Hart." A weak voice came from outside. The four people inside the RV looked over in unison. It was Myer Nash.

The wounds on his face and body had clearly received some basic treatment. His entire head was wrapped up like a mummy, and his voice was muffled. All traces of his earlier arrogance were gone.

"Your compensation Crystal Cores." Myer Nash placed a large burlap sack on the ground. Not daring to face their scrutinizing gazes any longer, he turned and fled.

Frost Shaw hauled the sack of Crystal Cores inside. Without even glancing at it, Lily Hart just said, "Put it in the warehouse."

This was a new area on the first floor that had been added after the Level 4 upgrade, perfect for storing items.

Meanwhile, Myer Nash limped away from the RV’s vicinity. Just as he turned into a narrow alley, someone clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him off like a dead body.

"MMMPH, MMMPH, MMMPH—" Myer Nash struggled, his eyes wide with terror.

After being dragged for some time, they finally stopped. Myer Nash was thrown violently to the ground. Before he could even react, a group of people swarmed him, punching and kicking.

"Who are you people? What right do you have to beat me!" Myer Nash yelled, refusing to accept his fate.

"You f*cking stole our Crystal Cores, and you’re asking who we are?"

"You dare steal my Crystal Cores? You must have a death wish!"

"You’ve got some nerve, huh?"

Myer Nash didn’t dare to say another word, desperately covering his head with his hands. The Crystal Cores he’d used to compensate Lily Hart had all been stolen, robbed, or scammed. He had even taken a loan from a loan shark.

But compared to the loan sharks, Myer Nash was even more terrified of Lily Hart’s unknown and horrifying methods. He was scared to death...

...

「Inside Hope Base’s Core Area.」

In a dark, narrow alley, a flash of blond hair was particularly conspicuous. Roman Rowe repeated impatiently, "Miss Lowell, I can’t take this job. Find someone else!"