Chapter 302: Those Who See It Get a Share

Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Those Who See It Get a Share

She thought back carefully. The petite girl in the middle was Brian Booker.

To Brian Booker’s left was a man with a square face and ordinary looks, but he carried a slight air of authority.

To her right was another woman with a round face and a neat, chin-length bob.

’These three seem to be the leaders of Central Command. What are they doing here? They can’t possibly be here just to buy scratch-off tickets, can they?’

Just as she was thinking, a message came in from Elder Shaw. "The three leaders left Central Command early this morning and are headed your way. Be careful."

"Okay," Lily Hart replied, then sat down at her desk and started observing the trio’s every move.

The three of them queued up behind the machine, one after another, looking for all the world like they were just there to buy a scratch-off ticket.

But the line in front of them was long, and the three of them weren’t in any rush, just slowly inching their way forward.

By the time Lily Hart started eating her breakfast, it was finally Lena Corbin’s turn at the front of the line.

Following Steven Gibbs’s instructions, she successfully bought two scratch-off tickets from the machine, then stepped aside to wait for the others.

Steven Gibbs and Brian Booker also bought two scratch-off tickets each, and Lily Hart’s gaze followed them all the way.

She watched the trio find a spot and start scratching. After a moment, she could vaguely make out a smile spreading across Brian Booker’s face.

Steven Gibbs and Lena Corbin, on the other hand, looked a little disappointed and angry. From their lip movements, it looked like Steven Gibbs was saying, "Why?! I didn’t get anything?"

Lena Corbin asked, "Brian Booker, what did you get?"

And as for Brian Booker, her lips seemed to form the words, "I’m not telling you!"

’I wish I could stand right in front of them and hear everything clearly,’ Lily Hart thought. ’From this distance, I can only get the gist of it. It’s all guesswork.’

Next, the three of them got back in line to redeem a prize. Of course, only Brian Booker was actually redeeming anything; the other two were just tagging along.

It was another long wait in line. By the time Lily Hart had finished her breakfast, Brian Booker was only just done redeeming her prize.

It looked like a piece of fruit—no, a whole box of it.

Brian Booker’s face was beaming. She couldn’t resist opening the container to eat one right then and there. Seeing the envious looks on the others’ faces, she reluctantly gave them each one.

Lily Hart could see clearly now. It was a box of Holy Daughter Fruit. Brian Booker was being ’very generous,’ giving them one each.

Then she ate one herself before putting the rest away in her dimensional space, apparently planning to savor them later when she got back.

Unsatisfied, Steven Gibbs went and bought two more tickets. Seeing Brian Booker win a prize, Lena Corbin grew envious and bought two more for herself as well.

Having won a prize and gotten a taste of victory, Brian Booker wanted more. She bought two more tickets, and the three of them returned to their spot to scratch.

Lily Hart’s eyes followed them. ’Sure enough,’ she thought, ’no one can resist the charm of a scratch-off ticket.’

This time, both Lena Corbin and Brian Booker won prizes—one got fruit and the other, vegetables. Steven Gibbs still came up empty-handed, which only made him more determined.

He was the first of the three to ever even try a scratch-off ticket, so how could he be the one not winning now!

So the three went to redeem their prizes and, while they were at it, bought a few more. They went back and forth like this until noon, when Steven Gibbs finally scratched his first winner of the day!

It was a big apple. Steven Gibbs thought about the Holy Daughter Fruit Brian Booker had won, and the lush green cabbage Lena Corbin had gotten. He was still not satisfied!

But this sort of thing was pure luck; it didn’t care whether you were satisfied or not.

Steven Gibbs’s eyes darted around, then he pointed at the RV. "Why don’t we go over there to scratch?" he said to the other two. "We can pick our own. It’s not like the machine, which is just random."

Brian Booker lowered her voice. Mindful that he was also a leader, she cursed softly, "Are you crazy?"

Lena Corbin also frowned. "What if Lily Hart finds out it’s us?"

Steven Gibbs, however, looked completely unfazed, brazenly declaring, "What’s there to be afraid of? We’re just going to buy a scratch-off ticket. Our intentions are pure."

’He had a point...’

But the two sides were always at odds. Being discovered by Lily Hart buying scratch-off tickets here would be strange. It would be like declaring war and admitting defeat at the same time.

Brian Booker didn’t want to go.

Steven Gibbs tried to persuade her. "It’s fine. She might not even recognize us. How many times have we actually met? Don’t flatter yourself."

’That did make sense, didn’t it?’

Seeing their resolve waver, Steven Gibbs immediately seized the opportunity, getting oddly excited. "Let’s go, let’s go! No time to waste, we’ll have to queue up over there too!"

The two of them, still bewildered, were pushed forward by him. Before they could even react, they were already just a short distance from the RV.

Brian Booker stopped in her tracks and turned to leave. "What are we even doing? This will be too embarrassing if we get caught."

Steven Gibbs grabbed her. "It’s fine!" he coaxed. "Don’t be such a stick-in-the-mud." Lena Corbin, her interest now piqued, grabbed Brian Booker’s other arm.

She joined in the persuading. "Exactly! The feeling of buying from the machine and buying them in person must be different. Besides, it’s crowded outside the shop; they won’t necessarily see us."

Brian Booker glanced at the RV and saw no one inside, just two little girls sitting on high stools selling scratch-off tickets. She relaxed a little.

Her mind at ease, her body went slack, and she allowed herself to be dragged the rest of the way.

The trio found a corner spot and huddled over a book of tickets to make their selection. Someone next to them grumbled, "Hurry it up! Stop being so picky. If it’s meant to be yours, it’s yours."

Steven Gibbs shot back, "What kind of talk is that? Sometimes, the right choice is more important than hard work!"

Lily Hart watched the entire scene from inside her RV and found it inexplicably hilarious. ’Saying you won’t come, but here you are. Your body betrays your words. And now you’re taking it so seriously.’

She took a few steps closer, careful not to leave the cover of the visual shield, and watched the three of them up close.

Suddenly, Brian Booker felt a chill on the back of her neck, as if someone was staring at her. She looked up toward the RV but only saw neat and tidy tables, chairs, and a sofa.

There was no one inside, but her intuition was usually spot on.

’I’m probably just a little on edge being on Lily Hart’s turf. It’s just my imagination,’ Brian Booker reassured herself. She pushed the thought aside and went back to picking out her scratch-off tickets.

The three of them each picked a few tickets with numbers they liked, then moved aside to scratch them so they wouldn’t hold up the people behind them.

Just as Steven Gibbs had hoped, his luck changed the moment he got there. He won a whole case of mandarins—a full thirty of them, heavy in his arms.

Through the round holes in the cardboard box, you could see the mandarins inside. Each one was plump, their fragrance was rich, and their delightful orange-yellow color was enough to make your mouth water.

Brian Booker and Lena Corbin looked over, the meaning in their eyes perfectly clear: ’Share one with us.’

Steven Gibbs... was, of course, unwilling!

But then he remembered how Brian Booker had shared one of her Holy Daughter Fruits with him. If he didn’t share now, he’d look incredibly petty.

’The Holy Daughter Fruit was sweet, sure, but it was tiny. These mandarins of mine are as big as a fist! He wasn’t about to give them one each. At most, the two of them could share one!’

With that thought, Steven Gibbs reluctantly opened the box. His eyes locked onto the smallest one, which he pulled out and handed to Lena Corbin. "Here. You two can share."

Brian Booker rolled her eyes at him, snatched the mandarin, broke it in half, and gave one half to Lena Corbin. ’Stingy bastard,’ she cursed inwardly.

Steven Gibbs took one for himself and stored the rest in his dimensional space. He was just starting to peel it when a voice came from behind him. "Where’s mine? Everyone who sees it gets a share!"