Chapter 324: "Observing the People’s Condition

Chapter 324: Chapter 324: "Observing the People’s Condition

Lily Hart swallowed her water, set down the glass, and then nodded. "I am."

"AHHHH!" The woman let out a series of shrieks and excitedly grabbed both of her hands.

Lily Hart: ’Huh?’

She tapped open her Light Brain with one hand, her expression ecstatic as she messaged someone. "Everyone, get over here! It’s really Boss Hart!"

Lily Hart nodded in agreement. "That’s right, I’m the real Boss Hart."

The woman happened to capture this sentence in her voice message. The moment she sent it, the chat page was instantly flooded.

The woman gripped Lily Hart’s hand tightly. "Don’t you go anywhere, Boss Hart! Our people are on their way!"

For some reason, that sentence gave Lily Hart the same sense of urgency as "Freeze! The police are on their way!"

She nodded solemnly. "I won’t go, but you have to let go of my hand first." Lily Hart flashed her a smile.

The woman smiled back, her chapped lips stretching into a grin. "Boss Hart, you’re so beautiful..." she murmured, almost unconsciously.

"Thank you, thank you. How about some breakfast?" Lily Hart, a little embarrassed by the sudden compliment, quickly changed the subject.

"Breakfast?! They sell breakfast here? What kind?!" The woman excitedly glanced around.

Her gaze locked onto the huge, red-backed menu on the wall. It was packed with a dizzying array of items, each followed by a price.

At the very bottom, a note specified that one Level 1 Crystal Core was worth 100 points, and so on for other levels.

It was so dazzling that she had no idea what to choose.

But just reading the names made everything sound delicious.

She had been so focused on staring at Boss Hart that she hadn’t noticed where she was or what her surroundings were like.

"I... I... In that case, I want ten meat buns! Ten vegetable buns! And ten zongzi!" the woman declared extravagantly.

Her Space Ring had a preservation effect, so she wouldn’t have to worry about breakfast for the next week!

Lily Hart chuckled and stood up, gently shaking the hand that was still gripping hers. "Okay to let go now? I need to go get your buns."

The woman finally snapped out of it and quickly let go, apologizing, "Sorry, Boss Hart. I just got too excited."

With that, she followed right behind Lily Hart to the steamers outside the shop and watched as she effortlessly lifted a stack down.

Lily expertly bagged the requested food, carefully sorting each type.

She had no airs about her at all, as friendly and approachable as a close friend you’d known for ages.

"Here you go." Lily Hart handed the bags over, then pointed toward the lottery shop. "You can buy scratch-off tickets over there. Feel free to try your luck."

The woman paid for her food first, then followed Lily’s gaze and nodded furiously. "I’ll definitely go!"

But then she just stood there, staying close to Lily Hart and staring at her nervously, looking for all the world like she was afraid Lily would run off.

Lily Hart sighed. "I’m not going anywhere. I expect to be at Solara Base for two or three days."

The woman asked again, her eyes full of hope, "Really? Two days or three?" She glanced at her Light Brain as she spoke.

She was syncing this amazing news with her group chat.

"It’s true! Let’s make it three days, then!" Lily Hart declared, her tone a mixture of solemnity and nonchalance.

Not five seconds later, WHOOSH—a whole crowd of people arrived. They were all women, each with her own unique look and demeanor.

The one thing they all had in common, however, was the resilience in their eyes and their barely concealed excitement. They quickly surrounded Lily Hart.

The first woman, who had a round face, made the introductions with a hint of pride. "This is Boss Hart, this is her breakfast shop! Hurry up and buy something—you can save it for tomorrow. And that’s the lottery shop with the scratch-off tickets!"

Despite having met less than ten minutes ago, the woman was acting like they were old friends. Lily Hart played along, nodding to the crowd.

"The menu is over there," Lily Hart said, pointing to the wall. "Just let me know what you’d like."

As the women perused the menu, Lily Hart was struck by a sudden idea. "Would any of you be interested in a job? A part-time gig here at the breakfast shop, for instance?"

Upon hearing this, they exclaimed, "R-Really? Can we? We would love that!"

Lily Hart paused, then smiled. "I haven’t even told you the pay. It’s ten Crystal Cores for three hours of work a day."

"That much?! Of course we’re willing!"

"Exactly! We don’t even make that much killing zombies all day!"

The round-faced girl asked, "With so many of us, can we all work here?"

Everyone stared at her nervously. Lily Hart shrugged and said confidently, "Of course. It’s just..."

She did a quick headcount—twelve women in total. "I only need six people today. How about the other six come tomorrow?"

"Okay, okay!" they all readily agreed, spontaneously selecting six people to be today’s part-time staff.

Lily Hart gave them a quick rundown of the procedures, telling them not to worry if they forgot the prices—the menu was right there for them to check at any time.

Soon, more customers who had gotten the message rushed over. When they saw how cheap and delicious the breakfast shop’s food was, they couldn’t resist buying something to try.

And after one taste, they couldn’t resist even more. They got back in line, ready to buy extra to eat for lunch or dinner.

Seeing that everything was running smoothly, Lily Hart turned and went to knock on Old Man Keaton’s door.

No one answered for a long time. But Lily Hart knew he was inside, so she sighed and called out, "There are six employees today! Remember to pay them."

A groggy "Oh!" came from inside.

Shaking her head, Lily Hart walked away. ’That old man is such a handful!’

The lottery shop started getting customers, too. Most of them had already seen guides and tutorials online.

There was no need for Lily Hart or her staff to explain anything. They were all quite proficient as they started to pick their tickets, pay, and scratch!

If they won, they redeemed their prize. If they lost, they would sigh, and those with more Crystal Cores would just keep scratching.

Those whose pockets weren’t lined with Crystal Cores would browse the convenience store for a bit before heading to the factory outlet to buy a boxed meal for lunch.

The more people shopped, the better their moods became and the wider their smiles grew.

All along the way, people were exclaiming in amazement.

"Why didn’t Boss Hart come to Solara Base sooner!"

"How am I only finding out now that a paradise like this can exist in the apocalypse?!"

"Why can’t Boss Hart just get her own planet and take us all with her?"

"Why can’t Boss Hart stay in Solara Base forever? I would follow her for the rest of my life, boohoo..."

Lily Hart also took a tour of her shops, including the hot pot restaurant.

She was, in her own words, "checking on the well-being of her people."

Seeing everyone having a good time playing, shopping, and eating made her happy too.

This was especially true at the hot pot restaurant. Steam billowed from every table, mingling with the endless sounds of laughter, cheerful chatter, and enthusiastic slurping and munching.

It was like a beautiful symphony—the symphony of making a lot of money today.

Lily Hart leaned against the cashier’s counter, chatting with Cynthia Whittaker. "Everything okay? Anyone causing trouble?"

Cynthia Whittaker sat in her chair, chin propped in her hands, her big eyes filled with stars as she gazed adoringly at Lily’s profile.

At her words, Cynthia shook her head and grinned foolishly. "Everything’s fine, Boss Hart. And even if there were trouble, I could handle it. I am a Seventh-rank Superpower User, after all. Hehe. Plus, this shop is amazing! It helps me deal with all sorts of things!"

"Good. Just let me know if any problems come up," Lily Hart said. She went up to the second floor for a quick look, and only after confirming that everything was in order did she leave, feeling at ease.