Chapter 270: The Little Green Shop
Sierra was surprised to see Nathan Thorne show up so suddenly. "How did you find us?"
"I just ran into Captain Grant. He told me you were over here, so I came straight away."
As Nathan Thorne explained, he looked around the shop.
"You guys are so fast! You’ve already opened a fruit and vegetable shop in no time at all. If you could move this quickly before the apocalypse, making money would’ve been a breeze. But it’s the same now. With a shop like this, you can earn a ton of Contribution Points..."
As he was speaking, Nathan Thorne saw the sign behind the counter.
When he saw the exchange rates on the sign, Nathan Thorne shook his head. "These prices... they’re just too generous. Anyone less scrupulous would be making way, way more than you."
Yvonne Shelby laughed along. "I just wanted something to do so I wouldn’t be idle all day. I wasn’t thinking about how many Contribution Points I’d earn. Besides, I think these prices are quite fair."
"See? This is why I say you’ve got a good heart, Aunt Shelby!" Nathan Thorne continued to praise her. "Those unscrupulous types can never earn enough. But—"
Nathan Thorne’s tone changed. "I know you set these prices out of kindness, Aunt Shelby, but at the same time, you need to be careful about one thing."
"What is it?"
"There aren’t many other shops selling vegetables, fruits, and grains like this, but there are a few. Your prices are so much lower than theirs that when they find out, they’re definitely going to come looking for trouble. We’re not afraid of them, but we should still be prepared so we’re not caught off guard."
Yvonne Shelby’s expression turned serious after hearing his warning. "I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be careful."
Sierra and Jayce also thanked Nathan Thorne.
Even though Hector Grant had said he’d have people keep an eye on the shop and prevent anyone from causing trouble.
Still, Nathan Thorne’s warning came from a good place, so it was right to thank him.
Nathan Thorne’s eyes went wide. "What’s all this? We’re friends, aren’t we? You don’t need to thank me over and over. If you keep it up, I’m actually going to get mad!"
Seeing Nathan’s glare, Jayce clapped him firmly on the shoulder. "Alright, since you put it that way, we’ll stop being so formal! But we appreciate the thought. Now, how about you hurry up and help us make a sign?"
"No problem. What do you want to name it?"
Jayce didn’t speak, just looked at Yvonne Shelby.
It was Yvonne Shelby’s shop, so she should be the one to name it.
Yvonne Shelby thought for a moment. "Let’s call it... The Little Green Shop."
In this apocalypse of endless yellow sand, most people’s favorite color had become green.
A name like that was fitting for the times.
"You got it!" Nathan Thorne readily agreed. "Leave it to me!"
For Nathan Thorne, making a sign was indeed a very simple matter.
It only took him a few minutes in total, and a sign appeared above the shop door.
Staring at the four words on the sign, Sierra rummaged through her personal space and, sure enough, found a can of green paint.
After painting the word "Green" in green, Sierra then drew some green vegetables beside it.
The plain, unremarkable sign instantly came to life, becoming much more eye-catching.
Sierra had just climbed down from the ladder when people already started walking over.
The newcomers’ eyes were filled with curiosity. Once they stepped inside and saw the shop brimming with fresh, dewy fruits and vegetables, their own eyes began to shine.
Not only was there a rich variety, but most importantly, the prices were low!
Those who had only meant to take a quick look instantly forgot their original intention and immediately started picking out the fruits and vegetables they wanted.
Yvonne Shelby was instantly swamped.
Seeing so many people, Nathan Thorne wanted to go up and help but was stopped by Jayce.
Nathan Thorne looked at Jayce, confused. "What’s wrong? Why aren’t you helping? And why are you stopping me?"
"It’s not that we don’t want to help, and I’m not trying to stop you. But we all have our own duties. We can help for a bit, but we can’t be here all the time. It’s better to let my mom handle it herself from the beginning. She needs to get hands-on, understand the flow, and learn how to manage it. If she really gets overwhelmed, she’ll know to hire someone. Don’t forget what my mom used to do for a living."
Hearing this, it finally dawned on Nathan Thorne.
Yvonne Shelby was no ordinary person.
She was a big-shot CEO who had managed thousands, even tens of thousands, of employees with perfect efficiency.
How could she possibly fail to manage a small shop like this?
Nathan Thorne watched patiently from the side for a moment. Sure enough, despite the crowd, Yvonne Shelby remained perfectly organized, showing no signs of panic.
One person tried to use the crowd as cover to stir up a little trouble, but was quickly shut down by Yvonne Shelby’s commanding presence.
Seeing the new customers automatically form a line, Nathan Thorne could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Aunt Shelby really is amazing!" Nathan Thorne praised sincerely. "I was worrying for nothing."
"You meant well," Jayce said, patting Nathan’s shoulder. "My mom and I both appreciate it."
"Come on, between us, do you really need to say that?!"
Jayce smiled, changing the subject. "When you saw Captain Grant, did he tell you about the decision Sierra and I made?"
"He did!" Nathan Thorne nodded. "And I told Captain Grant that my decision is the same as yours. I didn’t decide this because of you two—it’s what I was planning to do all along. I was worried that if you decided otherwise, we might not see each other as often. I never expected you’d make the same choice. This way, we can all stick together. This is really great!"
Nathan Thorne’s joy wasn’t an act; it was completely genuine.
It’s not easy to find friends you truly click with.
Especially in the apocalypse, where it’s even harder.
If Sierra and Jayce had really decided to leave Subterra, he probably wouldn’t have gotten over it for a long time.
But now, everything was fine. Sierra and Jayce had decided to stay, so they could all remain together!
’If only Dominic Crawford were with us, too!’
At the thought of Dominic Crawford, Nathan’s expression grew complicated.
"I heard something else, too."
Seeing Nathan hesitate, Sierra grew curious. "What is it? Just spit it out. Why are you hemming and hawing? That’s not like you at all!"
Nathan was the type who couldn’t keep things to himself. For him to be this conflicted, it had to be something serious.
"I heard... that Dominic Crawford is working for the Hughes Family now..."