Apocalypse: I'm Bound to a Mobile Lottery Shop

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: New Member

She went on the offensive. "You’re Harrison Donovan’s brother?"

She’d only heard his name from someone else. Earlier that afternoon, people had warned her to be careful, that the Base Commander was powerful, and so on and so forth...

She was busy explaining the scratchers to customers and hadn’t paid much attention; it went in one ear and out the other.

Now, seeing the strong resemblance between their faces, it clicked. ’I bullied the younger brother, and now the older one is here for revenge?’

Hayden Donovan was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the young woman to be so audacious. He could only reply, "I am. And you’re the lottery shop owner who bullied my brother this afternoon?"

Lily Hart planted her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and said with an intimidating air, "So what if I am? You wanna fight?"

"..." Confronted by her sheer bravado, Hayden Donovan felt his own resolve deflate. ’For some reason, I’m a little intimidated.’

’Harrison is a Second-level Superpower User, yet she easily turned the tables and beat him. This woman must be Level 3 or higher...’

With that thought, Hayden Donovan suppressed his anger. He had always been pragmatic; otherwise, he never would have become the Base Commander.

He chuckled. "Hey now, civilized people don’t fight. Why don’t you just sell me a scratcher?"

Lily Hart rolled her eyes at him, finding this turn of events dull. "Sold out. Come back tomorrow."

But then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the shattered Lucky Cat on the ground. A surge of anger welled up inside her. ’That thing cost 5 points!’ Lily Hart’s brow furrowed as she bent down and picked up the small stone that had done the damage.

As she stood back up, she suddenly hurled it at Hayden Donovan, mentally controlling its trajectory.

WHOOSH— The sound of it slicing through the air shattered the silence.

"AGH—You damn bitch! I try to be reasonable, and you pull this?!" Hayden Donovan looked like he’d taken a heavy blow, doubling over and clutching his groin, his face a mask of agony.

Lily Hart couldn’t care less. ’Hopefully, that one blow is enough to end his family line!’

Sticking out her tongue, Lily Hart waggled her head at him in a taunt before pulling down her service window’s shutter, cutting off the outside world.

To ensure her own safety, Lily Hart asked, "System, is this RV tough?"

The system replied with confidence: [Don’t worry. Unless a Tenth-level Superpower User shows up, no one can get in.]

As far as Lily Hart knew, you could count the number of Tenth-level Superpower Users in the world on one hand.

She relaxed. ’There’s no way Hayden Donovan has that kind of powerful backing and is still stuck being the Base Commander in this shithole, right?’

Outside the RV, Hayden Donovan was drenched in sweat from the pain. It felt as if his groin had been ripped apart; the small stone had pierced straight through him, and blood was gushing out.

The onlookers hiding in the shadows were all stunned. They never expected the shop owner to be so ruthless, completely disregarding her target’s status as the Base Commander.

The scene immediately burst into activity. Even if the Donovan Family brothers were known for bullying the weak and fearing the strong, he was still the Base Commander and held some authority. People were always looking for ways to curry favor with him.

Someone rushed into the base to get a doctor while another grabbed a simple stretcher from the guardhouse. In a flurry of activity, they carried Hayden Donovan inside.

Lily Hart didn’t give her actions a second thought. She wasn’t the least bit worried about retaliation. ’Inside the safe zone of this RV, I’m the top dog!’

The system spoke again: [Congratulations, Host! You’ve leveled up twice in one day and are now Level 3. Your limit is still 1,000 points, though~ More new features are waiting for you to unlock~]

Lily Hart was pretty indifferent about leveling up. As long as she could sell her scratchers and eat delicious food every day, she was happy.

She opened the system’s store and ordered five books each of four scratcher types: "Big 7," "Lucky Charm," "Dragon’s Luck," and "Instant Riches."

A book contained 20 tickets and cost 2 points. She, on the other hand, sold them for 50 points a piece. ’I’m making a killing! An absolute killing!’

This was her goal for tomorrow. ’With the enthusiasm I’ve seen at Rebirth Base, I’ll definitely sell out!’

After stocking up, Lily Hart opened the home goods category, which was filled with a dazzling array of appliances and decorations.

She got up from the bed and sat up, scanning the RV. ’I’ve got a bed, and I’ve got a bathroom.’

’Should I add a kitchen? But I can’t cook. Isn’t it easier to just buy food from the store when I’m hungry?’

’A fridge? What would I even put in it? I have nothing to store.’

Lily Hart couldn’t think of anything she needed. In the end, she just bought a second-hand prize redeemer, once again in the shape of a Lucky Cat.

When the Lucky Cat appeared before her, inspiration struck. She swiped through the holographic screen, took her time choosing, and then placed an order.

Soon, a ginger cat appeared on her bed. It looked adorably plump and very cute. It was tiny, probably only a little bigger than Lily Hart’s palm.

She was meowing, seemingly a little panicked by the unfamiliar surroundings.

Lily Hart scooped the kitten into her arms and gently stroked the fur along her back, feeling a deep sense of contentment.

Right after, she went back to the store and ordered a whole range of cat care supplies.

A litter box, a cat bed, cat food, a cat tree, cat treats—she ordered all the basic necessities.

Lily Hart cleared out a corner of the RV, set up all the new items, and placed the ginger kitten in the soft, fluffy cat bed.

The kitten sniffed it, rubbed against it, and then flopped down on her back, seeming to like it.

Lily Hart couldn’t help but smile. She poured food into the bowl and set up the litter box. Standing up, she scanned the little corner and nodded in satisfaction.

She thought for a moment, then said, "I’ll call you..."

Lily Hart couldn’t come up with anything. Not wanting to give her a name so carelessly, she crouched down and petted the kitten. Her fur was silky and had a healthy sheen.

’You can tell she was well-loved wherever she was before, to have fur this soft.’

"How about... I call you Fluffy?" Lily Hart asked.

The kitten meowed a few times, making it impossible to tell if she agreed or not. Lily Hart, being very respectful of the cat’s opinion, said, "Meow once for yes, twice for no."

"Meow, meow~"

"That must be a coincidence. Meow twice for yes, once for no," Lily Hart said, refusing to give up.

"Meow~"

"!" Lily Hart gave in and decided to try a different name.

The kitten nimbly hopped out of her bed and padded over to the food bowl. She propped her front paws on the rim and stretched her neck to reach inside, a rather challenging maneuver.

The bowl was still a bit too high for the little kitten. Lily Hart grabbed a few kibbles from the bowl and held them out in her palm. "Here, kitty, you can eat from my hand."

As if she understood, the kitten gave up on the bowl, moved over to Lily’s hand, and began gently licking up the food.

Its little fluffy head buried itself in her hand. The kitten’s damp, raspy tongue licked her palm, the tiny barbs scraping lightly, which tickled.

She gently tapped the kitten’s head with her fingertip, earning a dissatisfied little grumble. ’Heh, this little one’s got quite a temper.’

The kitten ate a little and seemed full. She tilted her head back and looked up at Lily with big, moist eyes. Lily’s heart melted. "All done eating? How about some water, then?"

"Meow~" The kitten padded over to the water bowl and began drinking on her own. After she was done, she promptly returned to her bed to sleep.

Seeing how the kitten had made herself at home so quickly, Lily Hart felt relieved. She went to wash up and get ready for bed.

She ordered a few more outfits from the store, then happened to scroll past an automatic cat feeder that could dispense food and water at set times. She was instantly tempted and ordered it without a second thought.