Apocalypse: I'm Bound to a Mobile Lottery Shop

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Smash the Store

Frost Shaw paced over to Diana Sharp’s side and asked quietly, "Has Roman Rowe been here all morning?"

Diana Sharp looked at him, confused. "No, he just got back. Brother Frost, are you...?"

He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, ignoring Diana Sharp’s teasing, curious gaze. He just stood silently to the side, his eyes drifting toward Lily Hart from time to time.

Lily Hart sighed and, without batting an eye, ordered a hot pot set for ten.

Five kids, three adults. Even though there were only eight of them, they were all gluttons. ’Right,’ she thought, ’I should probably order five buckets of rice, too.’

Once the table was covered with ingredients, the eight of them sat down. All eyes were fixed on the yin-yang pot in the center, with its boiling, churning red chili oil on one side and its clear broth with corn and large pork bones floating in it on the other.

Lily Hart picked up a large helping of meat with her chopsticks and put it in. Deciding that was too slow, she simply picked up the bowl and dumped the entire thing in.

’If I don’t put in a lot, won’t it be gone after everyone takes just one piece?’

The little ones ate with expressions of pure satisfaction, their mouths stuffed and their bowls piled high. They cherished it, yet were also a little afraid, worried they wouldn’t get to eat such delicious food again for their next meal.

And Roman Rowe was a true glutton, alternating between a mouthful of meat and a mouthful of rice. If this were back in civilized times, he would have been a perfect livestreamer for mukbangs. With his looks, he could have attracted a huge number of fans.

Frost Shaw, on the other hand, was his usual self, eating quickly but elegantly. The area in front of him was spotless, unlike some people! ’The oil dripping down the side of *that* person’s bowl could be used to cook another hot pot!’

Lily Hart shot a resentful look at Roman Rowe, who was still happily stuffing his face.

If it weren’t for the fact that Lily Hart had some savings now and the mall didn’t limit her spending of points, she would have been afraid they’d eat her into poverty.

The fragrance of the hot pot traveled for miles. Zeke Lowell was leaning against a window, eating food that was hard to swallow, when a rich, meaty aroma suddenly drifted through the air.

He shot to his feet, sniffed the air, and turned around, finally locking onto the direction of the RV.

The aroma was just too rich. Zeke Lowell couldn’t resist and jumped straight down from the third floor, landing steadily. He took another few deep breaths.

"Damn, that smells good!" Zeke Lowell followed the scent, winding his way forward until he finally reached the vicinity of the RV.

The closer he got, the richer the aroma became, as if his entire body had been thrown into a world of fragrance.

He had excellent eyesight and immediately locked onto the pot on the table in the middle of the RV, certain that the aroma was coming from it.

At the same time, he began sizing up the eight people at the table. The moment he saw the first person, his heart skipped a beat.

’Is that Frost Shaw?’

Zeke Lowell opened his Light Brain and pulled up the Central Command’s official website, which prominently displayed the superpower user rankings.

The first was Leo Colby, followed by the words "Eighth Rank" and his headshot: a buzz cut, a black shirt, and a blank expression.

Further down, Frost Shaw was ranked seventh, an Ice Ability User. In his headshot, he was still wearing his black cloak, revealing only his tightly pressed lips.

’It really is Frost Shaw?’

Zeke Lowell calculated in his head. ’Is Frost Shaw the owner of this RV? How many of my men would it take to hold him down?’

He looked to the side and his heart jumped again. He quickly looked down and scrolled through his Light Brain.

Roman Rowe, ranked seventeenth! In his headshot, his blond hair was particularly striking, and his smile was wild and flamboyant.

Rumor had it the two were best friends, but there were also rumors that they had an... unspeakable relationship.

’Who the hell is the owner of this RV?!’ he wondered. But no matter who it was, he couldn’t defeat them.

Zeke Lowell was quick to accept his defeat, but he didn’t leave. He found a corner and observed quietly.

While sniffing the fragrant hot pot aroma, he focused his attention on the RV. Suddenly, he noticed a glass-walled room.

It was mostly blocked by the RV, so he hadn’t noticed it before. Zeke Lowell stealthily moved to a new squatting position.

Now he could see both the RV and the convenience store clearly. With his eyesight, and by circulating a bit of his energy...

...he could see everything inside the convenience store with perfect clarity. He wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t looked, but one look gave him a huge shock.

Zeke Lowell jumped up right where he stood. He rubbed his eyes and focused his gaze again.

He cursed out loud, "Holy shit, is that mineral water? And are those fucking instant noodles?"

He spun around twice in excitement, no longer paying attention to the aroma. He turned and headed back to his base, a look of grim determination on his face.

...

Inside the RV, Lily Hart was very satisfied after the hot pot meal. Across from her was the delectable Frost Shaw, and next to her was the also-delectable-but-with-terrible-table-manners Roman Rowe.

The quiet chatter of the little ones made Lily Hart feel as if she had returned to her "previous life," to a scene of friends her age gathering for a meal during the New Year.

After the hot pot, it was time for the mandatory daily nap. Lily Hart bought two bunk beds for Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe.

This was so they could get some rest in the convenience store at noon. At night, they would return to a small courtyard they had found in the urban village behind the store.

Business in the afternoon went very smoothly. With Roman Rowe joking around and making witty remarks on the side, time passed quickly.

However, her revenue didn’t even match half a day’s earnings at Hope Base. This was entirely because Bloomfall Base had a small population, and the surrounding survivors were still distrustful.

But it didn’t matter. Lily Hart was confident. ’Sooner or later, everyone will become a loyal customer of the lottery store!’

Time flew by, and the sky grew dark. The zombies would be especially active at night, so everyone went back to their respective homes early.

Lily Hart had a simple stir-fry with the others and then sent them on their way. She didn’t know why, but she was particularly sleepy today.

After quickly washing up, Lily Hart flopped onto her bed, played on her Light Brain for a bit, and then fell into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, Diana Sharp and Tina Jacobs subconsciously lightened their steps and began to wash up quietly.

Lily and Nana ate their cat food while meowing softly to each other, as if they were discussing something.

「In the urban village, at Zeke Lowell’s three-story base.」

The first floor was packed to the brim. As far as the eye could see, there was a sea of heads, all of them skillfully masked with black cloth.

Zeke Lowell stood at the very front, his face masked with black cloth and his body clad in black clothes, as if he were trying to merge with the night.

He raised his hand slightly, then lowered it. He turned and walked out, followed by dozens of men dressed in night gear.

One had to admit, their footsteps were quite light and their movements were synchronized. If you weren’t looking closely, you really wouldn’t have noticed them.

Just like that, the group arrived silently near the RV. Apart from the searchlights of Bloomfall Base, everything was pitch black.

"Two o’clock," Zeke Lowell said in a low voice. The command was passed down the line from one person to the next.

Everyone lightened their steps and advanced toward the two o’clock position, successfully arriving in front of the convenience store.

They tiptoed to the glass and peered inside, their mouths practically watering at the sight of the incredibly tempting products within.

"What’s the plan, Boss?"

"Smash it!" Zeke Lowell said viciously.

The men surrounding the glass room instantly pulled out tools like hammers, iron spades, and shovels.

At Zeke Lowell’s command, everyone raised their weapons simultaneously and smashed them down hard on the glass.

With a loud CRASH, the glass on all four sides shattered in response, breaking into countless small fragments that fell to the ground with a CLATTER.

Zeke Lowell waved his arm. "Brothers, charge in and grab the goods!" With that, he led the charge and rushed inside.

Looking at the fully stocked shelves, everyone’s eyes turned red with envy and jealousy, their hearts pounding.

There was no need to scramble. Zeke Lowell had a Space Ring. He swept his large hand over a shelf, and the entire thing was sucked into his space.