Chapter 507: Completion

Chapter 507: Chapter 507: Completion

’Hehe, so what if Frost Shaw’s ears turned red or Lily Hart’s clothes got wrinkled? None of that matters. Lily Hart praised me!’

A smile spread across Stan Sterling’s face, and he gazed at the dumplings with a silly grin.

Roman Rowe picked up a dumpling, examining it from all sides. He couldn’t help but ask, "Cooked well? Isn’t this just a normal dumpling?"

’I really can’t see what’s so special about these dumplings. It’s not like they were homemade; they’re just from the market.’

’Aren’t they just boiled and scooped out? Is that really worthy of praise?’

Roman Rowe secretly decided, ’Tomorrow, I’m going to cook dumplings too!’

Lily Hart shot Roman Rowe a look. "Eat them or don’t. Enough with the pointless chatter."

"Hmph," Roman Rowe grunted. He really couldn’t see what was so great about the dumplings.

Stan Sterling snickered and popped another dumpling into his mouth. ’Mmm, so delicious,’ he thought.

Lily Hart didn’t eat too many. After all, she’d already had rice noodle rolls, so a few dumplings just to taste them was enough.

After breakfast, Lily Hart went to Central Command alone to install the research institute.

The Research Institute Installation.

Elliot Chapman was so looking forward to this that he’d gotten up bright and early, originally intending to go to the lottery shop to pick up Lily Hart.

But he was afraid Lily Hart would think he was too desperate, like some greenhorn kid who’d never seen the world.

So, he just paced back and forth at the Central Command gate closest to the lottery shop.

’Huh, is that Boss Hart?’ Elliot Chapman’s eyes lit up, and he stopped his anxious pacing.

He squinted for a better look. It really was her. He hurried forward to greet her.

"Boss Hart, long time no see!" The pleasantry Elliot Chapman blurted out made both of them freeze.

’Stupid mouth, what are you saying? We just saw each other yesterday!’ Elliot Chapman laughed awkwardly.

Lily Hart ignored his comment and changed the subject. "What are you doing here?"

Elliot Chapman smiled. "Just taking a walk. You know, for digestion." In reality, he had come without even eating breakfast.

Not that there had been anything to eat...

Lily Hart nodded and said earnestly, "Indeed. ’Walk a hundred steps after a meal and you’ll live to ninety-nine.’ It’s a good habit. Keep it up."

Elliot Chapman couldn’t keep up the charade any longer. "After we got back yesterday, we decided on a location for the research institute," he said quickly. "I’ll take you there."

"Okay," Lily Hart agreed, following him.

They had only been walking for a few minutes when Elder Shaw called, asking if she had arrived and offering to send someone to get her.

Lily Hart had a habit of using speakerphone, so Elliot Chapman heard everything clearly. He immediately felt a pang of shame.

She gave Elliot Chapman a strange glance. ’If the system hadn’t indicated he had no malicious intent...’

She also knew Elliot Chapman was solely dedicated to his research; otherwise, she would have started to suspect he was leading her somewhere else.

"No need to send anyone," Lily Hart said. "I ran into Director Chapman at the main gate, and he’s taking me. Just wait for us there."

There was a pause of a few seconds on Elder Shaw’s end, followed by a light chuckle. "Alright. See you in a bit."

Lily Hart continued following Elliot Chapman. She knew he was just being impatient, but she didn’t call him out on it.

Elliot Chapman breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, ’Boss Hart is so understanding.’

After walking for nearly ten more minutes, Lily Hart asked, "Are we there yet?"

Elliot Chapman shook his head and explained, "The research institute is going to be large, and we might need to expand it later, so we chose a rather remote location. It’s far from any of the other zones."

’Central Command is massive.’

Lily Hart was already tired of walking, but from the sound of it, they were less than halfway there.

She remembered that her reward for reaching the Sixth Rank was a vehicle.

’But for now, I’ve only unlocked the high-speed rail option. Maybe buses and subways would be useful too?’

’A place like Central Command is perfect for a bus or subway system. Walking everywhere every day would be exhausting.’

But this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. She pulled out two electric scooters.

She called out to Elliot Chapman, who was trudging ahead with his head down, "Director Chapman, do you know how to ride an electric scooter?"

Elliot Chapman turned around, stunned. ’Her spatial storage is that big?’ he thought. ’It can actually hold two electric scooters?’

Of course, Lily Hart had just bought them on the spot.

This reminded Lily Hart of something. ’I wonder if the car dealerships sell electric scooters and bicycles?’

’They seem pretty practical.’

Her mind just had a way of wandering.

Elliot Chapman snapped back to reality. "I do, but it’s been a long time. I can give it a try."

"Don’t worry," Lily Hart encouraged. "As long as you know how, it’s all muscle memory."

As she spoke, she hopped on, twisted the throttle, and zipped a circle around Elliot Chapman.

Elliot Chapman got on, feeling a sense of security with both his feet still on the ground.

He first tested to see which side was the throttle and which was the brake.

Once he had a feel for it, he twisted the throttle, and the electric scooter immediately lurched forward in a series of wobbles.

He felt a flicker of panic, but he kept his expression neutral, his hands gripping the handlebars in a death grip.

Luckily, the roads in Central Command were wide, and there was hardly anyone around.

Elliot Chapman wasn’t afraid of falling, just of crashing into someone. Once he picked up a little speed, the ride actually smoothed out.

Lily Hart sped up to ride alongside him. "You lead the way."

Thanks to the electric scooters, they picked up speed and arrived in less than five minutes.

From a distance, they could see Elder Shaw and three others craning their necks, looking as if they were waiting for the stars and the moon to appear.

Still on her scooter, Lily Hart waved at them with a strange sense of excitement. "Hi!"

(A dangerous maneuver. Please do not imitate.)

Once they both came to a stop, Elder Shaw asked in amazement, "Where did you get these electric scooters?"

It was phrased as a question, but the gazes of the entire group were already fixed on Lily Hart.

"They’re mine, they’re mine," Lily Hart said modestly. "That one’s a gift for you, Director Chapman~"

’They were cheap in the System Shop anyway.’

Elliot Chapman was overwhelmed, waving his hands in refusal. "I can’t possibly accept this! It’s too valuable, Boss Hart!"

Elder Shaw said, "If Lily Hart is giving it to you, just accept it. It’s fine."

Lily Hart finally smiled. "Oh, right. After we install the research institute, there’s something else I need to discuss with you all."

She said it with such a serious tone that everyone in the group nodded in agreement.

Elder Shaw pointed to a vast, empty plot of land that stretched as far as the eye could see. There were no other buildings around; it was obviously a remote location.

"This is the spot," Elder Shaw said. "It’s far from the residential zones, which makes it easy to manage."

"Okay." Lily Hart naturally had no objections to their chosen location.

She opened her Light Brain, found the research institute she had purchased the day before, long-pressed the icon, and dragged it out.

A beam of white light flashed, and within it, the research institute took form.

When the white light faded, the group finally got a clear look at the entire research institute.

A few words came to mind: high-tech, futuristic, minimalist. It was the ideal research institute straight from Elliot Chapman’s dreams.

The research institute complex was fully equipped. It had a laboratory building, an office building, dormitories, a cafeteria, a small gym, sports courts, and a convenience store.

Researchers could stay inside for weeks at a time without ever needing to leave; it had everything.

Beyond these amenities, the equipment—the part Elliot Chapman cared about most—was also comprehensive.

Given that it was the apocalypse, the research institute was also specially designed to meet the era’s needs—it was incredibly sturdy.

It could withstand attacks from Sixth or Seventh Rank mutated plants, animals, or zombies.

It also had specialized containment areas for mutated plants, animals, and zombies, from which escape was impossible.

The landscaping was also nice, perfect for researchers to come out and relax their eyes after spending long hours in the lab.

Elliot Chapman was thoroughly satisfied. He dragged the other five on a tour of the entire complex, praising this and that along the way.

He was the expert, so if he was this satisfied, Elder Shaw and the others were naturally even more pleased.

After the group of six finished the tour, their legs felt ready to fall off. The research institute was truly massive.