Apocalypse: I'm Bound to a Mobile Lottery Shop

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Laurel

In just a few seconds, Zelda Whittaker arrived at the base entrance. She took a breath, restoring the dignified air of a Base Commander.

Then, she walked out of the base with calm composure. The convenience store was conspicuous—a completely transparent glass structure.

Even more eye-catching than the convenience store was the double-decker RV not far from it. Its overall design exuded a high-tech feel that was very captivating.

At the very least, it captivated Zelda Whittaker. Her gaze was fixed on it, and before she knew it, she had walked right up to the RV.

Natalie Thorne and the others were still scratching their tickets. Claire Lawson was also watching with great amusement, and about a dozen other girls had gathered around to scratch tickets as well.

The whole scene was incredibly lively. Zelda Whittaker walked forward, coming face-to-face with Lily Hart.

Lily Hart smiled at her, her gaze pure. "Hey, beautiful. Care for a scratch-off?"

Zelda Whittaker sized her up. Her eyes were clear, truly like someone appreciating beauty, not like those vile men who stared at her with disgusting, filthy gazes.

"One ticket," Zelda Whittaker said.

"One Level 1 Crystal Core." Lily Hart held up a single finger.

Zelda Whittaker took out a Crystal Core and placed it on the table. Beside them, Natalie Thorne finished scratching a ticket and let out a huge sigh.

"Boss, ’Thanks for playing’ again," Natalie Thorne complained to Lily Hart. Then, her eyes darted to the side, and a jolt went through her, making her stand up straight instantly.

She stammered, "B-Base Commander." Her eyes held a hint of admiration.

Zelda Whittaker grunted in acknowledgment. "Carry on. I’m just taking a look."

Lily Hart was a little lost in her voice. ’So cool and mature! A total "cool older sister" type!’

Her hair wasn’t long, just past her shoulders, with a slight curl to it. It was a perfect match for her commanding looks and voice!

Lily Hart was so captivated that she forgot to pick up the Crystal Core. It wasn’t until a hand waved in front of her face that she snapped out of it, slurping back a bit of drool. "Right, right."

’I’m just a sucker for a pretty face. What did I do wrong?’

Zelda Whittaker looked at the table and asked, "Can I pick any of these?" The end of her sentence rose with a melodious lilt.

Lily Hart nodded. She watched as Zelda grabbed a random ticket, picked up a small golden scraper from the box beside them, and began to scratch it with practiced ease.

Every one of her movements held the charm of a mature woman. Even in the standard-issue Base Commander uniform, she wore it differently, making it look exceptionally good.

Lily Hart propped her chin on her hand, watching her. Zelda Whittaker scratched quickly, glanced at the result, and then casually tossed the ticket in front of her. "Redeem prize," she said softly.

Lily Hart took it and saw the image of a small potted plant. Just as expected, the Lucky Cat spat out a small pot of Laurel, its leaves a vibrant green and carrying the faint, fragrant scent of soil.

She was about to offer congratulations—it seemed to be the first time anyone had won a plant—when Zelda Whittaker, along with Natalie Thorne and the others, all took a step back and assumed defensive stances.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you guys doing?" Seeing their posture, Lily Hart shielded her face with one hand and the Lucky Cat—Fortune—with the other.

Zelda Whittaker’s sharp gaze fell on the Laurel. Its green leaves swayed slightly, looking just like an ordinary plant.

But she knew that the more ordinary and unremarkable something seemed, the greater the potential for a nasty surprise. She had once paid a heavy price for being careless.

Natalie Thorne warned her, "Boss, get away from it! Plants can mutate!"

Lily Hart’s gaze slowly drifted down to the pot of Laurel. She frowned and asked the system, ’Will it?’

The system stated with certainty, "Of course not. Plants are a scarce resource in the future. Winning one indicates that this person’s luck is not bad. Furthermore, plants produced by this system have special effects~"

Lily Hart couldn’t be bothered with its rambling and quickly explained, "It won’t mutate, don’t worry."

The group clearly didn’t believe her. They had seen too many instances of mutated plants and animals harming people, and they couldn’t help but be on high alert.

Lily Hart reached out and stroked a leaf of the Laurel, running her finger smoothly down its cool, slick surface. "See? Totally harmless."

Natalie Thorne relaxed her guard slightly. Lily Hart continued, "Really. If you don’t believe me, feel it for yourselves."

Mutated flora and fauna wouldn’t allow humans to touch them; they had their own pride.

Zelda Whittaker watched as the shop owner’s slender, pale hand toyed with the Laurel’s leaves, even bending one and letting it spring back.

It really did seem completely harmless, just an ordinary little potted plant.

Zelda Whittaker stepped forward and cautiously pinched the tip of a leaf. It was cool to the touch.

Now that she was closer, she could smell a faint, fresh scent. The leaf swayed gently, as if waving at her.

Zelda Whittaker suddenly felt a fondness for the pot of Laurel. She picked it up, examining it from all angles, and found it more and more pleasing to the eye.

Lily Hart encouraged her, "See? How could something so cute mutate?"

With the coming of the apocalypse, plants, animals, and even humans had undergone mutations. There was almost no living greenery within the base.

’It wouldn’t be bad to keep a pot on my desk,’ Zelda Whittaker thought.

She thought about putting it in her storage space but remembered that it couldn’t hold living things. She had no choice but to hold it in her arms. "Boss Hart, that’s some superpower you have," she said to Lily Hart.

Lily Hart didn’t explain. ’They can think whatever they want.’ She pointed to the side. "We also have a convenience store. You can go take a look if you’re interested."

Zelda Whittaker’s entire reason for coming out was to check on these two shops that had become wildly popular online and, if possible, to recruit them.

She held the Laurel in her arms. The topmost leaf tickled her chin slightly, so she lowered the pot a little.

She didn’t have to walk far to see the convenience store. There weren’t many people inside, but the shelves were completely surrounded.

Zelda Whittaker walked closer and saw a little girl standing at the entrance, holding a Lucky Cat identical to the one at the lottery shop.

She stopped in front of the little girl, crouching down to her eye level. "What is this for?"

Diana Sharp blinked at her and explained, "The items inside are all purchased with points. One Level 1 Crystal Core can be exchanged for 50 points. This is the converter."

Of course, Lily Hart had taught them this script to prevent them from being clueless if asked.

Zelda Whittaker took out a few Crystal Cores and, following Diana Sharp’s instructions, stuffed them into the Lucky Cat’s mouth. She heard the girl say, "Alright, your account now has 150 points. Welcome, please go inside and shop."

She stood up and walked in, feeling a strange sense of excitement. Another little girl offered her a shopping basket. "You can take one if you need it."

She refused. ’I’m just here to look, I don’t intend to buy anyth—’

’Instant noodles! The taste of my childhood! I’ll take five packs!’

’Ah, bottled water. It looks so clean. I’ll grab two bottles to drink back at the base.’

As she walked, her arms quickly filled with products until she couldn’t even hold the Laurel anymore. Seeing an opportunity, Sunny Sharp (another little girl from Deepfrost Courtyard) slipped a shopping basket to her.

Zelda Whittaker smiled and took it without the slightest hint of embarrassment, as if she wasn’t the same person who had refused it ten minutes earlier.

As she wound her way past three aisles of shelves, Zelda Whittaker’s mood grew heavier, and questions kept popping into her mind.

’Where is all this stuff coming from? As far as I know, there are no factories producing snacks in the post-apocalyptic world.’

’But they even have expiration dates and look so fresh. You can see inside some of the transparent packaging... it’s real food, exactly like it was before the apocalypse.’

’Could it be that Boss Hart’s superpower is really... conjuring supplies?’