Chapter 320: Branch Store

Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Branch Store

But a small window popped up, saying duplication had failed.

Lily Hart questioned the system, "[What’s the deal?!]"

The system quickly replied, "[You can only copy one shop per day! And it will be in its initial state—a Level 1 shop, not their current upgraded form.]"

Lily Hart understood. She could only create one per day, and it would be in its most basic form—the state it was in when first acquired.

The current shops had only reached their present state through everyone’s combined efforts. The factory, for example, had started with just one assembly line.

It could only produce two hundred boxed meals a day, but now, with two assembly lines, it could produce two thousand boxed meals and five hundred pounds of random clothing daily.

Take the hotel, for example. It started with only twenty rooms, but now it stood four stories tall.

The bathhouse, for instance, initially only had the men’s and women’s bathing areas open. Later, it expanded to the second floor, adding many new sections and features.

She latched onto the key point. "[So, can the copied shops be upgraded?]"

"[Yes, the upgrade process is the same. However, Host, you could also spend two million points to do it all in one go and copy their shops as they are now.]"

’Forget it... I’m broke now...’

She’d just spent five million points on the upgrade, leaving her with only five million. She needed to save some for emergencies and couldn’t just blow it all at once.

The basic version would be more than enough.

So, she chose to copy the convenience store, placing it right next to the original one. One was two stories, the other a single floor, but their exteriors were nearly identical, and their internal layouts were more or less the same.

The only difference was the floor space.

Easton, who had been slurping his noodles while looking around, nearly choked when he saw the new, basic convenience store materialize out of thin air. He couldn’t stop coughing, but he still managed to point outside.

"You—COUGH, COUGH—you guys, look! COUGH, COUGH!" Easton choked out.

Everyone followed his finger and saw two convenience stores, one tall and one short. Some had seen the convenience store in its initial, basic form, while others hadn’t, but all of them stared with their mouths agape.

So this was the new ability Lily Hart had gained from her upgrade?

It was incredible!

Roman Rowe was so stunned he stuttered, "B-Boss Hart, what just happened? That’s amazing!"

Lily Hart shrugged, affecting an air of nonchalance. "It is what it is. You saw what happened. I copied the convenience store."

In reality, seeing their shocked faces gave her a secret thrill.

’Yep, I’m just that awesome.’

Roman Rowe couldn’t wait and had already run down. He pushed open the new store’s door, and a wave of familiarity washed over him—the familiar shelves, the familiar merchandise.

There was the familiar checkout counter, and even the Lucky Cat sitting on it was identical.

’It’s like I’m back in the convenience store,’ he thought. ’No, wait, this *is* a convenience store!’

Frost Shaw also walked in, his eyes wide with amazement. His admiration for Boss Hart soared to new heights. She could actually just copy the store in its original form!

The two of them began to wander around inside. Aside from its smaller size, everything was identical to the original, and it even had a certain small, cozy charm.

Back in the RV, Lily Hart waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it’s nothing, really. Cost me a mere five hundred thousand points."

Seth’s eyes widened. ’How many boxed meals would I have to sell to make five hundred thousand points?’ he wondered silently, a flicker of hope rising that Boss Hart might copy his factory next.

But Boss Hart made no further moves, merely maintaining a faint, placid smile.

She looked pleased.

After touring "Convenience Store No. 2," Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe returned, their faces filled with shock.

Roman Rowe burst out, "Whoa, Boss Hart, it’s seriously identical! Other than the size, there’s no difference at all!"

Frost Shaw nodded silently. As the convenience store’s manager, he knew every nook and cranny of the place.

To see a copied version of it now left him utterly astounded.

Leo Colby asked, "Lily Hart, can you copy the other shops too? Or are there limitations?"

"I can only copy one per day," Lily Hart said, a hint of frustration in her voice.

’It’s still not enough. If there were no limit, I’d copy them all in a single day!’

Leo Colby nodded. "That’s still great. One step at a time. We can all start living better lives."

His words voiced what everyone else was thinking. The impact of a single shop was limited.

But if every city or every outpost could have a set of these shops...

...then no one would have to worry about food and drink anymore. They could focus solely on how to kill zombies more effectively and efficiently.

He suspected they might even run out of zombies to kill.

But that was a distant problem. When the apocalypse first broke out, nearly seventy percent of humanity had turned into zombies.

In the decade since, countless more had been infected.

The total number of zombies was simply incalculable.

Seth chimed in, his eyes full of hope, "Yeah, that would be amazing! A convenience store right outside your door with everything you need, and cheap, too!"

Everyone looked forward to that prosperous new era, hoping the day would come soon.

Lily Hart found herself swept up in their enthusiasm. Her own goal quietly expanded: ’Time to go big and get strong!’

As eight o’clock approached, Lily Hart remembered the breakfast shop needed to open.

She first bought two hundred scratch-off booklets, handed them to Diana Sharp and Tina Jacobs, and then led the group to the breakfast shop.

Spotting the customers already lining up, Lily Hart casually asked, "Hey, do any of you want to work part-time at the breakfast shop?"

A customer at the front of the line heard her, and their eyes lit up. "Part-time? Is that... is that really okay?"

"Of course," Lily Hart said. "From eight to eleven in the morning. Three hours. How does ten Crystal Cores sound?"

’I really don’t want to do it myself,’ she thought. ’My back will be killing me.’

Ten Crystal Cores was a thousand points. ’You could buy so much with that!’

The customer eagerly agreed, "Yes, yes! Of course!"

Another customer nearby asked, "Boss Hart, are you hiring anyone else? I can do it! I’m a hard worker!"

Lily Hart chuckled and pointed out a few people at the front of the line. "You’ll be paid daily, okay? We’ll rotate people tomorrow, so everyone gets a chance."

Hearing this brought a mix of joy and disappointment to the crowd, but they understood. If the same people got the job every day, it would breed resentment.

What if people felt it was unfair? This was ten Crystal Cores, after all! And for a job that didn’t involve risking your life!

Five people started work that day. Lily Hart helped out at first, stepping back to observe only after they were all familiar with the prices and procedures.

Seeing that things were under control, Frost Shaw and the others returned to their own shops to start their day.

Lily Hart kept a close eye on them, partly worried they might sneak a few bites of food, and partly afraid they’d get flustered and charge the wrong prices.

At the same time, she used her Light Brain to create a menu: Rice Noodle Rolls with Meat and Egg - 58 points, Meat Bun - 38 points, Vegetable Bun - 28 points...

The menu, designed with white text on a red background, listed every item available. She hung the square sign on the wall where it was clearly visible.

Once the menu was up, customers knew what to expect. The breakfast shop was small, with only a handful of tables and chairs. Other than the people eating rice noodle rolls, who might sit for a moment, most customers just bought their buns and left.

With things running smoothly, Lily Hart clasped her hands behind her back and ambled over to find the old man.

She knocked on his door first, waiting for him to open it before she stepped inside.

The room was small, containing little more than a bed. After opening the door, the old man went right back to lying down. A few plastic bags were scattered beside the bed—breakfast, she guessed, that he’d gotten from her shop.