Apocalypse: I'm Bound to a Mobile Lottery Shop

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Welcome, Welcome

"Welcome, welcome! A warm welcome! Welcome Boss Hart with your lottery shop and convenience store to Bloomfall Base!"

"Welcome, welcome! A warm welcome! Welcome Boss Hart with your lottery shop and convenience store to Bloomfall Base!"

"Welcome, welcome! A warm welcome! Welcome Boss Hart with your lottery shop and convenience store to Bloomfall Base!"

The expressionless and completely unenthusiastic folk dance, paired with the stiffly formal welcoming speech, made the scene grind to an incredibly awkward halt.

Even the RV slowly came to a stop, coincidentally halting right in front of Zelda Whittaker. Lily Hart propped her hands on the table,

gaping at the scene before her. ’What is this? A welcome ceremony? It’s a little... lackluster...’

The scene fell completely silent. After a long moment, the Guardian Corps members began to clap—clapping furiously.

Paired with their solemn expressions, anyone who didn’t know better would think they were about to go on a murderous rampage...

Lily Hart couldn’t stand the awkwardness any longer and cut in, "Alright, alright, that’s enough. Just find a place for me to set up shop..."

The five little rascals in the back were doubled over with laughter, but they had enough sense to cover their mouths and try not to make a sound.

Zelda Whittaker also boarded the RV and guided it forward, eventually reaching a large plaza inside Bloomfall Base.

A bustling crowd had already gathered. ’Could they all be here for me?’ Lily Hart wondered.

The moment the RV stopped, a horde of people swarmed it, shouting and stretching their hands inside. The sheer density of the crowd, packed several layers deep, was quite a sight.

For a moment, it reminded Lily Hart of a zombie siege. She shook her head and looked at Zelda Whittaker, her meaning clear.

’These are your people, you need to get them organized!’

Zelda Whittaker laughed, picked up the megaphone from the table, and said sternly, "Form a line! No shouting, no noise! Don’t add to Boss Hart’s workload."

"Did you hear me?!" Zelda Whittaker’s tone grew heavier, her expression full of authority. The commanding presence of a leader emanated from her.

Hearing this, the crowd outside immediately quieted down and gradually began to arrange themselves into neat lines.

Only then did Zelda Whittaker smile in satisfaction. She handed the megaphone to Lily Hart. "You’re up."

Lily Hart took it and said, "This is the lottery shop. We have two games: scratch-offs and the Grand Lotto. Both cost one Level 1 Crystal Core per play."

"As for the prizes, I’m sure you’ve all heard about them: fruit, vegetables, meals, daily necessities, and Crystal Cores."

"And even!" She pointed to the convenience store next to them, raising her voice, "You can even win the convenience store!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd below. ’How much luck would it take to win that...’ they wondered.

Lily Hart waited for the cheering to die down before continuing, "That over there is the convenience store. The selection isn’t huge, but the prices are low and the quantities are good, and you can pick what you want. That’s about it."

"Everyone can come here first to register for a card. You can top it up with Crystal Cores on your Light Brain, and the points are shared between both shops~"

After she finished her introduction, the residents began to move, lining up to register for their cards.

The process was very simple and incredibly fast—just a BEEP from the scanner.

Once they had their cards, they could top up their points themselves and then head to the scratch-off game or the convenience store to purchase supplies.

Diana Sharp and Tina Jacobs helped out at the RV, guiding people who wanted to buy scratch-offs or Grand Lotto tickets.

Furthermore, Natalie Thorne and others who had bought Grand Lotto tickets yesterday came to find Lily Hart, holding their tickets. Since they hadn’t become members yesterday,

they didn’t have the software on their Light Brains, so Lily Hart had to announce the winning numbers on the spot.

"Hurry up and tell us, Boss!" Natalie Thorne urged impatiently. Behind her were dozens of other customers who had bought Grand Lotto tickets the day before.

This small group had cornered Lily Hart in a small nook, "interrogating" her.

Lily Hart held up both hands in a calming gesture. "Patience, patience. I have to look them up myself, you know."

With that, she opened the "Lily Hart’s Lottery Shop" app and checked yesterday’s winning numbers. She read them out one by one.

"5, 9, 10, 13, 27, 31."

It wasn’t just people from Bloomfall Base who had bought tickets; people from Hope Base could also buy them from the automated scratch-off machines.

A gasp suddenly came from the crowd. "Me! Me! I matched five numbers!"

The people around her shot her envious looks, though any small twinges of jealousy were quickly suppressed.

Lily Hart held the megaphone. "Congratulations, congratulations! Come on up and claim your prize!"

The person squeezed their way to the front. The lottery ticket in their hand was slightly damp with sweat. They handed it to Lily Hart, giving her a tentative look.

Lily Hart didn’t mind, as long as it was intact. Besides, the paper produced by the system was fireproof and waterproof.

Unless someone was determined to tear it, bite it, or swallow it—in that case, there was nothing to be said.

She took the ticket and scanned it on the machine. With a BEEP, Crystal Cores came clattering out of the small opening at the bottom.

The Crystal Cores clinked against each other, a sweet music that delighted everyone present.

A full three hundred Crystal Cores. The person pulled out a burlap sack to hold them, not even bothering to count, trusting Boss Hart completely.

"Me too, me too! I matched three numbers!"

"I got three too! Is there a prize for that?"

"I actually matched four! How many Crystal Cores is that?!"

Lily Hart once again took out the small whiteboard with the rules and showed it to everyone. The scene was immediately filled with gasps of astonishment.

"Come on, come on, winners over here, please. Line up to claim your prizes. For those who didn’t win, don’t be discouraged. You can still buy more over here~" Lily Hart announced.

Hearing her words and seeing a fellow base member actually receive hundreds of Crystal Cores, everyone rushed to get in line.

While waiting in line, they could watch the scene next to them: Crystal Cores clattering out, being collected, and being counted.

It was spectacular...

Everyone was wondering if they would be the next big winner.

With their hearts full of excitement, people went to buy Grand Lotto tickets, some even starting to discuss with friends and family.

How they would split the winnings if they hit the jackpot: set aside fifty for scratch-offs, buy another Grand Lotto ticket, and spend the rest at the convenience store!

The smiles on everyone’s faces were unstoppable, fueled by their fantasies, and bursts of muffled laughter could be heard one after another.

Zelda Whittaker stood in the RV, gazing at the smiles on the residents’ faces all around. She took out her Light Brain and recorded a panoramic video, also taking photos.

She casually posted them to her own account on the "Human Social Sphere," adding a caption.

[The lottery shop and convenience store are open for business at Bloomfall Base today~ Hooray~]

Every Base Commander has their own account on the "Social Sphere" to post positive and uplifting content.

As soon as Zelda Whittaker’s post went up, it shot to the top of the trending list, and the comments section immediately erupted.

[Ah, they went to Bloomfall Base? What was so great about going to Hinterland Outpost!]

[Can you come visit us at Nutwood Base? We have way more people, and our purchasing power is definitely stronger! We’re the biggest base in Rodington City!]

[And Pomegranate Base! We’re pretty great too! We’re just a little far, but you can’t leave us out!]

[What am I seeing, a whole roast chicken? That looks so damn good! I’m looking at the black milkshake in my hand and falling silent.]

(The black milkshake is the same bitter but filling black jelly that Zelda Whittaker drank before.)

[AHHH I’m going crazy! I see grapes! I want to eat them so bad!]