Chapter 212: New Online Supermarket
He immediately placed an order for a bottle of mineral water and a cup of instant noodles. When he saw the three-digit total in points, he was so moved he wanted to cry. ’It’s so much cheaper than the base’s exchange center!’
After the payment went through, the purchased items appeared right in front of him. Yael Lowell shot up from his chair, grabbing the bottle of mineral water and kissing it several times.
He twisted open the cap and, GLUG GLUG GLUG, chugged down half the bottle. Only then did it finally start to feel real. ’It really works! Online shopping with home delivery!’
’A godsend! A massive godsend!’
Yael Lowell bombarded Lily Hart with several voice messages. He also took a picture of the half-full bottle of mineral water and an untouched loaf of bread, sending the photos to Lily Hart.
In her RV, Lily Hart unsuspectingly opened the voice message. A loud voice, as if shouting right next to her ear, yelled at her nonstop. She instinctively turned off her Light Brain.
After a moment’s recovery, she chose the voice-to-text option.
Good grief. In the sixty-second voice message, more than half was just excited screeching, and the rest was an incoherent stream of thanks mixed with some wonderful fantasies.
"As long as it works. Go ahead and spread the word."
’That should keep the convenience store from being swamped with people from morning till night...’
’Actually, the fast food could also be sold in the online supermarket, but with only a thousand servings total, it’s better to prioritize the customers lining up in person for now.’
A long line had also formed in front of the new scratch-off ticket machine. The area around the lottery shop was prosperous and bustling, with everyone getting along harmoniously.
Though people were jealous and envious of the prizes others won, everyone knew it was impossible to snatch them. You couldn’t even lay a finger on them!
So they gave up any ideas about robbery. Something stolen could never compare to a prize you won yourself. That sense of accomplishment and satisfaction was simply off the charts! You’d want to announce it to the whole world!
After getting through Yael Lowell’s several excited sixty-second voice messages, Lily Hart sent a message to Stan Sterling, asking him to come to the RV when he had a moment.
She suddenly had an idea: to develop the "Online Supermarket" into a mini-program, something like the "Meituan" from the civilized era.
People could use it to shop for instant noodles and fruit. Later, they could even buy fast food or day passes for the bathhouse.
They could also use it to book rooms at the Dawn Hotel in advance. Other than buying lottery tickets, it would combine almost all the features of her various businesses.
’Of course, it would have to be rolled out step by step. The biggest problem is that I have too few stores. It would be amazing if I could open a chain later on, with a branch in every city, or even every base.’
’Then no one would have to worry about going hungry anymore! Once people are well-fed, their spirits will be enriched, and they can start rebuilding human society!’
’What’s the point of all this constant fighting, killing, and scheming!’
As Lily Hart lost herself in these fantasies, a gratified smile spread across her face. Her eyes curved into crescents as she gazed into the distance, a look of profound longing in them.
When Stan Sterling arrived, this was the tranquil, idyllic scene that greeted him.
He paused, not wanting to disturb the moment. Only when her gaze fell upon him did he allow a smile to grace his lips. He then slowly approached her. "What is it? You needed something?"
"Sit." Lily Hart, lounging on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, patted the spot beside her.
Stan Sterling obediently sat down, his hands resting on his knees. With his hair hanging tamely over his forehead, he looked just like a well-behaved schoolboy.
Lily Hart thought for a moment, then decided to be direct. "You were sent to get close to me by Auspice Base, right?"
"...Yes."
’Stan Sterling knew she’d known for a long time.’
’They had been in a state of mutual deception all along.’
He scrambled to explain, "But I’ve never hurt you. I only sent them some pictures of the scratch-off tickets, the convenience store, and the inside of the hotel."
"When they asked me things after that, I didn’t answer. I pretended the mission was going poorly," Stan Sterling added, the words tumbling out of him as if he were afraid Lily Hart wouldn’t believe him.
Before saying this, Stan Sterling had turned off his Light Brain. It had a monitoring system built into it.
"I know." Lily Hart nodded, her expression gentle. Her calm demeanor inexplicably gave Stan Sterling a great sense of security.
Stan Sterling said with a sense of resignation, "They injected us with some kind of drug. We have to take an antidote every month..."
Lily Hart recalled the bizarre incident where he had harmed himself. It was because he hadn’t taken the antidote on time. He had looked like he was in absolute agony.
She couldn’t help but ask, "So, this month...?"
Stan Sterling shook his head weakly. "It’s fine. I can get through it. Anyway, Boss Hart, was there something you called me here for?"
"When was the last time they contacted you, and what did they ask?" Lily Hart questioned. She still couldn’t bring herself to trust Stan Sterling completely.
’After all, his life is in their hands.’ At the same time, she asked her System, ’Do you have an antidote?’
After a moment of searching, the System replied, "I do, but it’s a little expensive. And it’s not a targeted antidote; it’s a general-purpose detoxifier. I’ve scanned his body—just one dose will flush his system completely clean!"
Right now, there was one thing Lily Hart had in abundance: points.
She glanced at her points total. The cost was trivial to her, so she bought it. A small vial of green liquid, housed in a clear, pristine test tube, appeared in her hand.
Lily Hart grabbed a clean glass, poured the green liquid into it, and handed it to Stan Sterling. "This is an antidote," she said. "It can flush the toxins from your body, but on one condition—"
Before she could finish, Stan Sterling snatched the glass. Without a word, he downed it in one gulp. When he was done, he met Lily Hart’s astonished gaze.
"No matter the condition, I accept," Stan Sterling said firmly.
"There aren’t any conditions. Just take good care of your little vegetable patch. When the crops are ripe, we’ll sell them in the online supermarket. The most important thing is that you trust me, completely. Don’t let them use you anymore. You’re free," Lily Hart said earnestly.
As Stan Sterling listened, he felt a prickling in his nose, and his eyes began to redden. At a loss, he lowered his head, his hair falling forward to hide his face.
’He had thought Boss Hart would say something like: ’I’ll give you the antidote, but you have to work for me. You’ll be a double agent, feed me their intel, and sabotage them from the inside...’
’He would have gladly accepted all of that. He might even have felt that his skills were finally being put to good use.’
’But he had never imagined Boss Hart would tell him that he was free...’
A small flame ignited in Stan Sterling’s heart—a flame that burned for Lily Hart. He had wanted to escape the clutches of Auspice Base for a long time. He would do anything for her!
But he didn’t say this, burying the vow deep in his heart. When he looked up again, he had already composed himself.
"Okay," Stan Sterling said sincerely. "I’ll manage the vegetable patch well and make it grow the biggest and best fruits and vegetables. You can have them to eat, or do whatever you want with them."
The faint glisten of tears was still visible in his eyes, but Lily Hart didn’t point it out. She just nodded earnestly to show she understood.
"In that case," Lily Hart offered, "if you want to keep staying at the hotel, I’ll give you an employee discount. If you’d rather move to the convenience store, I can have Frost Shaw set up a room for you."
She had already subconsciously started thinking of him as one of her own.
Stan Sterling thought for a moment. "I’d better not move." ’Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe don’t have a good impression of me,’ he thought, ’so it’s best we don’t get in each other’s way.’
"Alright." Lily Hart understood.
Having settled the most important business and confirmed his loyalty, Lily Hart and he began tinkering with the online supermarket, adding the fruits and vegetables from his little patch to the store.