Chapter 18: Liu Wenchun

Lu Li smiled with satisfaction and began to attend to her customers.

The process of scratching the cards was agonizing, but the moment a prize was revealed, the joy was unparalleled. A steady stream of onlookers came to see what the commotion was about, and once they were drawn in, they found it impossible to leave—at least not without a few fewer crystal cores in their pockets.

By late morning, Chen Zhi and his group finally arrived at the Hope Base. There was no need to search; they simply headed for the most crowded spot at the entrance. They hurried over and, quite obediently, lined up at the end of the queue.

Lu Li had been busy all morning and was starving. Just as she was planning to close up shop for lunch, she spotted a familiar face.

"Chen Zhi? You all came too?" Lu Li asked in surprise, feeling inexplicably guilty for some reason.

Upon hearing the name, Shen Bing, who had been focused on his scratch-off, instantly lifted his head. He looked at the newcomers, a sense of crisis rising within him.

Chen Zhi and his companions were panting and drenched in sweat, but seeing the familiar RV and Lu Li brought them immediate relief. Catching his breath, Chen Zhi couldn't wait to say, "Boss, give me a few scratch-offs!"

Lu Li smiled. She hadn't expected her scratch-offs to have such magnetic appeal that people would travel thousands of miles just to play. She agreed readily, "Of course, of course."

Since there wasn't enough space for everyone to lean against the service window, Chen Zhi’s group leaned against the side of the RV, scratching away with great difficulty. Lu Li watched them with a mix of pity and gratification. She checked her point balance and the remaining daily allowance. Having skipped breakfast, she still had a full thousand points left. She began browsing the mall while continuing to serve customers.

To save time, she quickly ordered several sets of second-hand tables and chairs; they were a steal. Each table came with four chairs, enough for four people, and she bought five sets in total. Once the order was placed, Lu Li immediately manifested the five sets and arranged them in front of the RV. She matched the tables and chairs, forming the five sets into the shape of a pentagram. There was no need for manual labor; a few simple taps on the light screen made the process quick and convenient.

Before the crowd could even react, five sets of clean, neatly arranged tables and chairs appeared before them. Lu Li picked up a megaphone and announced, "Everyone, stop standing. Go ahead and sit down to play."

The crowd snapped out of their daze. They had no time to ponder how the furniture had appeared out of thin air; they only knew that if they didn't move, someone else would snatch the seats!

Twenty spots aren't many, but they aren't few either, and the area in front of the window suddenly cleared by more than half. All twenty seats were filled instantly. To Lu Li’s surprise, Shen Bing remained as immovable as a mountain. Did this guy just prefer to scratch while standing? Lu Li couldn't be bothered to care; there were no seats left anyway.

As noon approached, Lu Li’s stomach began to rumble. Shen Bing was still scratching away at the table, with only the board separating them.

"If you're hungry, go eat," Shen Bing said without looking up, his voice muffled by the brim of his cap. It was a normal tone, lacking his usual forced depth, and carried a touch of youthful purity and innocence. Just hearing that voice revealed he couldn't be very old, but in the apocalypse, that wasn't an advantage—it was a reason for others to attack you.

Lu Li shook her head, placed both hands on her stomach, and rubbed it comfortingly. "Don't be hungry, little tummy. I'll take care of you as soon as I finish this wave."

Shen Bing heard every word. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, only to quickly flatten again.

The rush lasted until one o'clock, the hottest time of the day, when everyone retreated to rest. Generally, from one to three was the hottest period and also when the base was at its busiest, as people preferred sleeping to fighting zombies. Lu Li also just wanted to sleep rather than sell scratch-offs, even though she was in a temperature-controlled RV and couldn't feel the heat. But she had to eat!

The people from Hope Base headed back one after another, leaving only Chen Zhi’s group of about a dozen people, who were still stubbornly scratching away. They were full, but they were addicted. Having heard that Shen Bing had scratched a hot pot feast, they were green with envy!

Lu Li cleared the scratch-offs from the table and said sternly, "That's the last one. No more!"

They had no choice but to comply, finishing up quickly. Some wailed, while others beamed, "I finally scratched a piece of fruit!"

After redeeming their prizes, just as Lu Li was about to pull down the shutter to enjoy a meal, an discordant voice cut in.

"Hey, the young lady has arrived! Move aside, all of you!" The tone was grating, arrogant, and high-pitched. It was a girl dressed in a white dress and leather shoes, her hair draped behind her, looking like a pitiful little fairy. Behind her followed four men with stern expressions, wearing identical uniforms with the words "Hope Base" engraved on their shoulders.

Lu Li couldn't help but laugh. Who could understand the hilarity of hearing game character dialogue spoken by a real person? She had to admit, the accuracy was ninety percent.

That laugh was the fuse. The girl who called herself "the young lady" immediately darkened her face and demanded, "What are you laughing at?!"

The four bodyguards behind her shouted in unison, "What are you laughing at!" The volume was so deafening that Lu Li recoiled. What a pair of human megaphones.

Lu Li replied calmly, "I'm laughing at you."

The girl stared at her in disbelief, finally taking the time to size her up. From her hair to her waist, she was impeccably clean. There wasn't a trace of the apocalypse's suffering on her; instead, she looked like someone from the peaceful era her father often spoke of. Jealousy flared in her heart. Why should she be this clean, tidy, and healthy?

The girl felt slighted. Her eyes darted to the RV—brand new, without a speck of mud or dust. Recalling her father’s old, tattered RV that required major repairs every few days, she was consumed by rage. Not even the base leader had a brand-new RV; where did this commoner get one? Why should she have it? What contribution had she even made to the base?

The girl put her hands on her hips and commanded imperiously, "Give me your RV, and I will forgive your rude behavior."

Lu Li’s eyes widened. Had she heard correctly? This person wanted her RV the moment she arrived, and so brazenly? She looked at Shen Bing and caught his eye; he nodded, confirming she hadn't misheard.

Fine, fine, fine.

She mimicked the girl’s posture, hands on her hips. "Why should I give it to you? Who do you think you are?"

Before the girl could answer, as if that question had triggered a keyword, the four bodyguards spoke in unison: "This young lady is the only daughter of Liu Hongtao, the leader of Hope Base: Liu Wenchun!"

They emphasized the title "Leader of the Base" heavily.

Lu Li understood. The girl was the leader’s only daughter—it sounded very impressive. But what did that have to do with her? She was just an ordinary civilian selling scratch-offs.

She said "Oh" with utter indifference.