Chapter 58: Smashing the Shop!

Shen Bing strolled over to Xiao Di's side once more and asked softly, "Has Luo Mu been here all morning?"

Xiao Di looked at him in confusion. "No way, he just got back. Brother Shen, you...?"

Shen Bing felt a bizarre sense of relief. Ignoring Xiao Di's teasing and curious gaze, he simply stood in silence, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Lu Li.

Lu Li sighed and placed an order for a ten-person hotpot set without batting an eye.

There were five children and three adults—only eight people in total, but unfortunately, every single one of them had a bottomless appetite. Oh, right, she also needed to order five extra buckets of rice.

Once the dining table was covered with ingredients, the eight of them took their seats. Several pairs of eyes stared fixedly at the dual-flavor hotpot right in the middle: the bubbling, roiling spicy red oil broth on one side, and the clear broth floating with corn and large marrow bones on the other.

Lu Li picked up a large pair of chopsticks and dropped a bunch of meat into the pot. Feeling it was too slow, she picked up her bowl instead and dumped the entire portion of meat straight in.

If she didn't add more, wouldn't there be barely a single slice left for each person once they fished it out?

The little ones ate with looks of utter satisfaction, their mouths stuffed to the brim, their bowls piled high. They looked both cherishing and somewhat fearful, as if worried they wouldn't get to eat such delicious food for their next meal.

As for Luo Mu, he truly was a bottomless pit, alternating bites of meat with bites of rice. If this were back in the civilized era, he would be perfectly suited to be a mukbang streamer; with that face alone, he could easily amass a huge following of fans.

Shen Bing was as composed as ever, eating both quickly and gracefully. His spot at the table was spotless—unlike certain people! The oil dripping over the rim of that guy's bowl could practically be used to cook another round of hotpot!

Lu Li shot a resentful glare at Luo Mu, who was currently eating with great enthusiasm.

If she didn't have a bit of wealth now and if the system mall didn't have unlimited points usage, she would honestly be afraid these people were going to eat her out of house and home.

The aroma of the hotpot drifted ten miles away. Liu Zhen was leaning against a window, chewing on some barely swallowable food, when suddenly a rich, savory scent of meat wafted through the air.

He abruptly stood up, flared his nostrils as he spun in a circle, and finally locked his gaze in the direction of the recreational vehicle.

The scent was simply too intense. Unable to help himself, Liu Zhen leaped straight down from the third floor, landed steadily on his feet, and took a few more deep breaths.

"Damn, that smells incredible!" Following the scent, Liu Zhen walked forward, winding his way through the paths until he finally arrived near the RV.

The closer he got, the richer the aroma became, as if his entire body had been tossed into a world of delectable fragrances.

His eyesight was exceptional. With a single glance, he locked onto the pot resting on the table in the middle of the RV, and he was entirely certain the fragrance was emanating from right there.

At the same time, he began to size up the eight people seated around the table. The moment he laid eyes on the first person, his heart skipped a beat.

Was that Shen Bing?

Liu Zhen opened his optical computer and tapped into the official website of the Central Base, heading straight for the highly prominent Esper Leaderboard.

Occupying the first spot was Chu Lisheng, followed by the eighth-tier designation, alongside his ID photo: a buzz cut, a black top, and an expressionless face.

Scrolling down further, Shen Bing ranked seventh. An ice-type esper, the man in his ID photo was still clad in a black cloak, revealing only tightly pressed lips.

It really was Shen Bing?

Liu Zhen calculated in his mind: Could Shen Bing be the owner of this RV? Exactly how many brothers would it take to hold him down?

He glanced toward the person beside him, and another wave of shock jolted through him. He hastily lowered his head to swipe across his optical computer.

Luo Mu, ranked seventeenth! On his ID photo, a head of bright golden hair was exceptionally eye-catching as he smiled with wild, unbridled arrogance.

Rumor had it the two of them were close friends, but there were also rumors that their relationship was something unspeakable...

Just who on earth was the owner of this RV? But whoever it was, he couldn't beat them.

Liu Zhen conceded defeat quite quickly, but he didn't leave. Instead, he found a corner and quietly observed.

While inhaling the mouth-watering scent of the hotpot, he kept his spirits up and stared intently at the RV, suddenly noticing there was also a glass house beside it.

It had been mostly blocked by the RV, which was why he hadn't noticed it earlier. Stealthily, Liu Zhen shifted to a different spot to squat down.

Now, he had a clear view of both the RV and the convenience store. With his keen eyesight, channeled by a tiny sliver of his internal energy, he could see everything inside the convenience store crystal clear.

If seeing wasn't believing, seeing this certainly shocked him out of his wits.

Liu Zhen leaped straight up on the spot, rubbed his eyes, and then concentrated his gaze once more.

Cursing foully, he muttered, "Holy shit, is that bottled water? And do they seriously have instant noodles too?"

Excitedly, he spun in a circle right where he stood. Abandoning his quest to smell the food, he turned around and headed back to his stronghold, looking entirely full of bravado and ambition.

...

Inside the RV.

After polishing off a round of hotpot, Lu Li felt thoroughly satisfied. Across from her sat the pleasing-to-the-eye Shen Bing, and right beside her was the equally pleasing-to-the-eye—though far less pleasingly mannered—Luo Mu.

Coupled with the low murmurs of conversation among the little ones, it briefly transported Lu Li back to her "past life," reminiscent of scenes during the Lunar New Year when peers gathered together for a meal.

After finishing the hotpot, it was time for the obligatory daily nap. Lu Li purchased two sets of bunk beds for Shen Bing and the others so they could rest comfortably in the convenience store during midday, before heading back to their rented courtyard in the back village come evening.

The afternoon business hours went quite smoothly. With Luo Mu cracking jokes on the side, time passed swiftly.

However, the revenue couldn't quite compare to half a day at the Hope Base, entirely because the Blooming Base had a smaller population, and the surrounding survivors still harbored some distrust.

That didn't matter, though. Lu Li was brimming with confidence; sooner or later, everyone would fall under the banner of her lottery shop!

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. As the sky darkened, the nighttime zombies grew exceptionally active, prompting everyone to pack up early and head home to their respective dwellings.

Lu Li called out for the group to whip up a casual stir-fry, then dismissed them. For some inexplicable reason, she felt exceptionally drowsy today.

After quickly washing up, Lu Li collapsed onto her bed, played on her optical computer for a bit, and drifted into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, Xiao Di and Zhan Ting subconsciously softened their footsteps, washing up as quietly as possible.

Little Deer and Naimiao nibbled on their cat food while letting out soft mews, seemingly discussing something amongst themselves.

Over in the village, Liu Zhen's three-story stronghold.

The first floor was packed to the brim. A sweeping glance revealed a sea of bobbing heads, all of them expertly masking their faces with black cloth.

Liu Zhen stood at the very front, his face covered in black cloth, wearing all black as if he meant to melt into the night itself.

He raised a hand slightly, then pressed it downward and turned to walk outside, followed by dozens of men dressed in night-crawling black outfits.

And to give credit where it was due, their footsteps were remarkably light, their movements synchronized. If one didn't look closely, they truly wouldn't be noticed.

The group arrived near the RV in utter silence. Aside from the still-illuminated searchlights of the Blooming Base, everything else was pitch black.

"Two o'clock direction," Liu Zhen said in a lowered voice, the instruction passing from person to person down the line.

Lightening their footsteps, everyone advanced toward the two o'clock direction, successfully reaching the front of the convenience store.

They crept stealthily up to the glass, gazing at the tantalizing commodities inside until they nearly drooled.

"How are we playing this, Boss?"

"Smash it!" Liu Zhen declared ruthlessly.

The men surrounding the glass house instantly whipped out tools such as hammers, shovels, and trowels.

At Liu Zhen's command, every weapon in their hands rose simultaneously and smashed down hard against the glass.

With a resounding crash, the glass panes on all four sides shattered instantly, breaking into countless tiny fragments that clattered noisily onto the ground.

Liu Zhen swept his arm outward. "Brothers, rush in and grab the goods!" With that, he charged inside leading the charge.

Gazing at the fully stocked shelves, every single man felt his eyes turn red with envy and his heart race with excitement.

There was no need to fight over things; Liu Zhen possessed a spatial ring. With a sweeping wave of his large hand across the shelves, the entire inventory was sucked straight into his spatial storage.