Chapter 318: Night Watch

Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Night Watch

Diana Sharp said meekly, "We’re about to run out of scratch-off tickets. I was going to ask Lily to stock up this morning, but she was busy helping at the breakfast place and I didn’t get a chance to tell her."

Frost Shaw said, "Once we sell out of this batch, we’re closing up."

"Okay," Diana Sharp agreed.

"Wait, let’s keep three or four books," Stan Sterling suddenly said.

Just in case.

Everyone else had the same thought and tacitly agreed.

Hearing this, Diana Sharp immediately got up, grabbed five books of the most expensive scratch-off tickets, and hid them away.

The current batch sold out quickly. A customer outside called out, "You’re out of stock, boss! Time to restock!"

"We’re closed for the day. Please head home," Frost Shaw answered for her.

They had closed yesterday, too, but not this early. And Boss Hart would always say, "See you tomorrow!" ’Why not today?’

So a customer asked, "Will you still be here tomorrow?"

Frost Shaw couldn’t give a definite answer and just smiled. The customers’ hearts sank, assuming Boss Hart was leaving again tomorrow and that this was just another temporary stop for her.

"Forget it, let’s go stock up on supplies at the convenience store!"

"Now you’re talking! Let’s go, let’s go, together!"

Even if they woke up tomorrow and Boss Hart was gone, seeing a full stock of supplies would make them feel at least a little bit better.

Frost Shaw and Diana Sharp returned to their seats. "What do we do now?" Frost asked.

"Wait," Owen Warren said.

’What a great idea.’

Frost Shaw urged the younger kids to go back to sleep. There was no point in them staying. Although Easton and the others were reluctant, they knew they would only be in the way, so they led the younger kids back to the convenience store.

They waited again from seven until eleven, but Lily Hart still hadn’t moved.

Owen Warren quietly yawned. A bold idea suddenly formed in his mind. Lily Hart was unconscious right now.

’No one here is a match for me. What if I just took Lily Hart right now...?’

The thought had barely flashed through his mind and he hadn’t even made a decision, but Owen Warren was already standing up. Frost Shaw and the others turned to look, all eyes focusing on him.

He took a step forward. Suddenly, Owen Warren felt an unprecedented pressure. It wasn’t coming from Frost Shaw and the others...

It was coming from the air, from the RV itself.

It was so heavy he could barely breathe. Owen Warren took a few deep breaths.

He looked at Lily Hart on the sofa. The desire churned within him, but the pressure that came with it grew even stronger.

Owen Warren averted his gaze and plopped back down on the sofa. The pressure eased significantly.

He gradually reined in the thought, slowly pushing it down.

As if in response, the pressure also eased bit by bit. He could breathe again.

Owen Warren gave up the idea, no longer entertaining such wild fantasies. Lily Hart’s power was far greater than he had imagined.

Even while unconscious, she could monitor the thoughts in everyone’s hearts.

The system, currently on an emergency patrol: ’Don’t you dare try any funny business just because Lily is unconscious! I won’t allow it!’

Leo Colby said, "Why don’t we take turns keeping watch? We can’t all go without sleep."

Frost Shaw agreed. "Right, everyone’s been busy. Let’s make a schedule. I’ll take tonight."

’We knew you had ulterior motives, you brat. You take tonight? Does that mean there’s going to be a "tomorrow night" too?’

’No way! Boss Hart needs to wake up, and fast!’

Roman Rowe said, "You have to watch the store tomorrow, too. How about I take the first half of the night, and you take the second?"

’So both of you have ulterior motives!’

Faced with so many accusing stares, Frost Shaw had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

Actually, Owen Warren wanted to say, ’If you’re all so untrusting of each other, why not just have everyone take one-hour shifts and be done with it.’

But he held his tongue. The memory of that inexplicable, terrifying pressure was still fresh...

Everyone gradually left, leaving only Frost Shaw, Roman Rowe, and Lily Hart on the sofa on the first floor of the RV.

There were three sofas on the first floor. Lily Hart was occupying the largest and widest one.

Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe took the other two smaller ones, curling up on them while hugging blankets.

Roman Rowe said quietly, "Boss Hart isn’t going to... never wake up, is she?"

"Bite your tongue!" Frost Shaw said, his face expressionless. "Can’t you say something positive for once?"

Roman Rowe immediately said, "Boss Hart must wake up soon!"

"Mmm..." Lily Hart rolled over, letting out a soft sound, and then suddenly sat up.

She blinked groggily. It was pitch black in front of her. ’Am I on the sofa?’

’What time is it? Is it nighttime?’

Frost Shaw noticed instantly, jumping to his feet and rushing to her side. "Lily Hart? You’re awake?"

"Huh? I’m awake," Lily Hart said groggily. "What happened?"

Hearing Lily Hart’s voice, Roman Rowe jolted awake too. "You’re asking what happened? Do you have any idea you fell asleep in the middle of eating hot pot?!"

"Fell asleep?" Lily Hart was puzzled. "How is that possible? That was hot pot, though."

’Friendly reminder: The load from the upgrade was too great for the Host to bear, which is why you suddenly fell unconscious.’

It was coming back to Lily Hart now. She had indeed been eating hot pot when the system said she could upgrade.

She had agreed, and then she couldn’t remember anything else. The next thing she knew, she was waking up to this scene.

’Oh, right, the upgrade!’

She quickly checked the system page to see what had changed.

The page itself hadn’t changed at all, but she had the system’s guidance.

’Host, Host! You can open a branch store now!’

Lily Hart replied, ’A branch store?’

’That’s right! For just five hundred thousand points, you can open a branch store—any kind of store, anywhere, anytime!’

Lily Hart asked, ’Isn’t that the same as the scratch-off ticket machine?’

’How is that the same! This is a whole shop! Not a machine! And it’s not just for lottery shops; you can open branches for other stores, too.’

Lily Hart praised it perfunctorily, ’That amazing? I’ll try it tomorrow.’

’You’re so cold! So heartless! So dismissive!’

Lily Hart sneered. ’Finally, it’s your turn to say that line.’

Frost Shaw waved a hand in front of her face. "Lily Hart? What are you spacing out about?"

"Huh?" Lily Hart snapped out of her conversation with the system, meeting their two worried gazes.

"I’m fine," she explained. She glanced at the time. It was already twelve.

"You two should get back to sleep. I’m going to wash up and go to bed, too." With that, Lily Hart got up unsteadily.

She wanted to be alone for a bit to properly figure out the new upgraded function.

With quick reflexes, Frost Shaw steadied her. Lily Hart clutched her head and muttered, "Sleeping for so long makes my head a bit dizzy..."

She pushed Frost Shaw away. "It’s fine, I can walk." She put her hands on her hips and tried to stand up straight, but whether it was from lying down for too long or the upgrade making her head spin, she wasn’t sure.

She plopped back down onto the sofa, waving a hand dismissively with her eyes closed. "You guys should just go." She looked like she was trying to shoo them away.

Seeing Lily Hart like this, how could Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe dare to leave? They just squatted in front of her like a pair of little mushrooms.

Lily Hart just felt exhausted, the kind of tired you get after running with a heavy pack for five or six hours and then climbing several mountains. Her breathing deepened, and she fell asleep again.

Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe exchanged a look.

Roman Rowe whispered, "She should be okay now, right? She’s really asleep this time, right? Is it from overusing her superpower?"