Chapter 449: Making Friends?

Chapter 449: Chapter 449: Making Friends?

By now, some of the smarter people had already gone to check the first claw machine. After searching for a good while, they couldn’t find a single trace of an apple doll.

This guy had hoarded them all!

As for the second claw machine, there were a few left, but the other apple dolls were already dispersed among the various customers.

Alas, it seemed no one would be getting the apple tree from the second machine—not unless someone was determined enough to collect the dolls from everyone who had one.

But clearly, no one had the nerve for that at the moment.

The moment it was known that fifteen dolls could be exchanged for an apple tree, anyone who had one would surely jack up the price. They’d be impossible to get without paying a hefty sum.

Despite this, some people still went for the apple dolls.

Go big or go home!

The machine’s owner rubbed his hands together, a little envious of the guy. That was a whole apple tree! Not only could you eat the fruit yourself, but you could also sell it for money!

The best of both worlds!

Martin Lee admired the beautiful apple tree for a long moment before coming to his senses. He picked an armful of apples and happily trotted over to give them to Lily Hart.

He picked another two for the machine’s owner as a small token of his gratitude.

The owner could have refused his request, but he had agreed and brought all the apple dolls to the top of the pile.

The owner was overjoyed, not having expected to get a share for himself. For a moment, he couldn’t even bring himself to eat them.

’But that’s okay, I can make my own money now and buy fruit! But where would I even buy it?’

’There’s that daily fruit flash sale, but it’s impossible to get anything. I really wish there was a fruit shop,’ the owner fantasized.

After admiring the apple tree, Lily Hart went back inside and curled up on the sofa again.

Jay-Jay was lying at her feet, having a staring contest with the two cats, Lily and Nana.

Both sides seemed to be wondering, ’Why would Master keep a disgusting creature like a cat/dog!’

While the animals were having their staring contest on the floor, Lily Hart was zoning out on the sofa, thinking these claw machines were rather interesting.

’It could be a huge success.’

’I have no idea what the system is thinking, giving out such surprising rewards.’

Just as she was thinking about this, it was time for dinner. Frost Shaw and the others came upstairs, and Jay-Jay smelled the scent of unfamiliar people.

It immediately started barking, "WOOF WOOF WOOF!" The sudden noise startled everyone.

Roman Rowe leaned back, asking in surprise, "Where’d this dog come from?"

Jay-Jay stood up, its snow-white fur rippling with the movement, and stared at Roman Rowe with its big, round eyes.

"Hi?" Roman Rowe tentatively held out a hand in greeting.

"Woof!" Jay-Jay responded, then haughtily flopped back down at Lily Hart’s feet.

’Other than my master, I won’t be nice to anyone!’

Lily Hart smiled and stroked Jay-Jay’s head. ’These animals are so intelligent, they’re almost human,’ she thought.

Roman Rowe sidled up to Lily Hart and asked, "Boss Hart, where’d you find this dog?"

Frost Shaw, who was passing behind them, silently stopped and perked up their ears, clearly curious as well.

Once she got started on the topic, Lily Hart became a torrent of words. She recounted how the machine owner had won the claw machine from a scratch-off, how she had then won the puppy dolls, and how after collecting three, she had exchanged them for a real dog...

Finally, she pointed at the obediently lying Jay-Jay. "And that’s him, the puppy doll!"

All three of their gazes snapped to Jay-Jay, and they nodded thoughtfully.

Roman Rowe smacked a fist into his palm, a sudden thought striking him. "Hey, I have a doll, too! I wonder if they can be friends!"

"That’s right, you have the little bear doll! Hurry and bring it over so they can become friends!" Lily Hart said.

The two of them were as excited as parents insisting their children become friends and compare heights.

The mental image made Roman Rowe want to laugh, and he quickly pulled the little bear doll from his pocket.

Lily Hart was speechless. "You just carry it in your pocket every day?"

"Yeah, I’m afraid of losing it." Roman Rowe placed the little bear doll on the coffee table, taking care to set it in a sitting position.

Once it was settled, he patted its head. A moment later, the little bear doll’s eyes flashed with light.

As if instantly imbued with a spirit, the little bear doll stood up.

Its eyes swiveled, and upon spotting its master, it slowly raised its arms.

Roman Rowe gently pushed its arms down. "Whoa now, not in front of everyone. I’ll give you a hug when we get home, okay? This is Jay-Jay. Why don’t you two be friends?"

Lily Hart added, "And this is Little Bear. You two..."

Jay-Jay: "WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

Little Bear remained silent, unwilling to engage. Seeing this, Jay-Jay plopped back down.

’Hmph! If it weren’t for my master, I wouldn’t have even bothered greeting you, you stupid bear!’

Roman Rowe and Lily Hart exchanged a look, then quickly rationalized, "Well, they’re different species. This is perfectly normal, perfectly normal."

And so, Roman Rowe picked up the little bear doll, comforted it for a moment, and tucked it back into his pocket.

Lily Hart also gave Jay-Jay a comforting pat on the head, and it affectionately nuzzled her hand in response.

Seeing this, the two little cats grew jealous and, as if competing for affection, launched themselves like furry cannonballs into Lily Hart’s hands.

The impact made Lily Hart’s heart melt. She used both hands to pet them all—two cats and one dog—making sure no one was left out.

In the kitchen, Frost Shaw and Leo Colby were busy preparing dinner.

After dinner, it was nearly closing time, but Lily Hart noticed the customers showed no signs of leaving.

She couldn’t help but hurry them along. "The shop is closing now! Everyone, please leave promptly!"

One of the braver customers spoke up, "Boss Hart, it’s too cold outside. Could we possibly spend the night here?"

Someone next to them chimed in, "We promise we won’t be any trouble!"

"Yeah, that’s right! We’re just looking for a place to sleep. It’s just too cold out there..."

Lily Hart was confused. "Huh? Why don’t you all go to Central Command? They provide meals, bedding, and supplies to keep warm."

One customer said hesitantly, "Well, it’s still a ways off, and we don’t want to walk in the cold wind..."

Another customer, counting on Lily Hart’s soft heart, tried to persuade her. "Yeah, Boss Hart, please just let us stay for one night. We definitely won’t be any trouble..."

But Lily Hart thought, ’If I let them stay one night, they’ll ask for a second. That’s not a long-term solution.’

’With a great place like Central Command available, why wouldn’t they go there?’

’Is it because they think it’s too far?’

Lily Hart thought it over. She had no idea when the disaster would end, and if she made an exception once, it would set a precedent that would be hard to break.

’I can’t take them in.’ She also didn’t want to wake up and see a crowd of people lying around outside her door.

She moved the high-speed rail station, placing it about fifty meters from the lottery shop.

"If you really have to, you can make do at the high-speed rail station for the night. There’s heating inside," Lily Hart said.

She just couldn’t accept the idea of a crowd of people lying scattered all around her RV.

It had happened before, but those were special circumstances where she had no choice. Now, she had options.

The survivors, seeing the station appear, certainly had no objections. A place to shelter from the wind and rain was enough—heating was an incredible bonus!

And so, they joyfully rushed toward the high-speed rail station.

Sure enough, it was just as warm inside as the area around the lottery shop! They each found a spot and sat down on the floor.

It was so warm inside that they wouldn’t feel cold even without many layers.

’Finally... we can get a peaceful night’s sleep...’