Chapter 293: Stinky Tofu!

Chapter 293: Chapter 293: Stinky Tofu!

She knew that getting rid of the current manager was only treating the symptoms, not the root cause. As long as The Mysterious Clan existed, there would be thousands upon thousands of managers to take their place, all of them mere puppets.

The Mysterious Clan pulling the strings behind them was the real final boss.

Still, you had to take things one step at a time.

Whether it was because Lily Hart’s willpower was just that strong or not, a lot of people had been getting weapons as rewards lately. Whenever she saw one, she made sure to recommend Elder Shaw to them.

And Elder Shaw did his utmost to recruit them, adding another layer of strength to his forces.

Just then, another cheer erupted outside. Lily Hart glanced over, guessing it was another gun or maybe a cannon. She never expected it to be a tank.

’Is this for real?’

The massive machine stood there menacingly, its cannon barrel—as thick as a human thigh—aimed directly at her RV. The sense of intimidation and pressure was immense.

Lily Hart silently rose to her feet. With a mere thought, she swiveled the cannon to face Central Command instead.

She vaguely recalled someone getting helicopter fragments once, but nothing ever came of it. Now, that seemed like child’s play. It would have been better to get the whole thing in one go.

The tank’s new owner was holding an instruction manual, studying it intently.

It was covered in dense text, though it also came with helpful illustrations. It was so well-illustrated you could understand it at a glance—yeah, right!

This wasn’t a bicycle you could just hop on and ride. The tank looked incredibly precise and well-built from the outside, to say nothing of its interior. You’d need professional training to even begin to operate it.

This was a heavyweight weapon. She immediately snapped a photo and sent it to Elder Shaw, asking if Central Command had anyone who could operate a tank and could send them over to teach.

Or, they could just recruit this person, teach them one-on-one, and have them stay at Central Command afterward.

Elder Shaw replied quickly. He was sending someone over immediately and told her to make sure this person didn’t leave.

After reading the message, Lily Hart left her RV and walked over to the person poring over the manual. As she got closer, she realized it was a woman.

She had a buzz cut, a sharp jawline, and a powerful physique. She wore a thin, ill-fitting jacket, and her arm muscles were well-defined.

’From a distance, she looked like a guy, but up close her features are softer. She’s a woman, a very tall and strong one. The kind who could probably kill me with one punch.’

"Hi?" Lily Hart said tentatively, seeing how engrossed the woman was.

The customer’s head snapped around. Seeing it was Lily Hart, her face lit up. "Boss Hart!" Her voice was a bit hoarse and gruff, making it hard to place her gender at first.

She continued, "Can you help me with this? I don’t really get it." She asked humbly.

One glance at the dense text made Lily Hart’s head spin. From what she understood, the system didn’t give out rewards that were too difficult to use.

Once an item bonded with its owner, it became simple and intuitive—a far cry from those food-making machines that required the owner to do all the work manually.

She guided her, "Try to establish a connection with it."

The customer hesitated. "Me... establish a connection... with it?" She looked incredulous. ’Is that even possible?’

"Just try it," Lily Hart said with conviction. ’As for *how* to establish a connection... that depends on personal belief. But since the reward is already hers, it shouldn’t be too difficult.’

"Okay." Trusting Boss Hart and filled with anticipation for her prize, the woman reached out and touched the tank. The silver-gray hull was cool to the touch.

Suddenly, it was as if a chord was struck within her. She heard a clear voice call out from the depths of her mind, "Master~"

She was stunned. The voice sounded like a sweet, endearing young boy, but the tank’s exterior was like that of a cool, tough guy.

’This tank has a split personality?’

She responded in her mind, and also asked, ’How am I supposed to use you?’ She even gave it a name. ’Hello, Kirk.’

Kirk replied domineeringly, "Just tell me where to shoot! It takes zero technical skill!"

’So, I control it with my thoughts?’ The woman was getting excited. ’This is perfect! I don’t have to read all these dense, stupid words.’

’No more wracking my brain trying to study. This is awesome!’

But in the next second, she heard a heart-shattering message. "The number of shells you can fire each day is limited, you know~ Don’t get too carried away~"

The woman understood; it seemed reasonable enough. If she could fire an unlimited number of shells every day, wouldn’t she be invincible? She could just blast anyone who annoyed her!

The very thought was delightful.

Seeing the smile spread across the woman’s face, Lily Hart knew she had connected with the tank. She gave her a little poke. "So? How is it?"

The woman grabbed her by the shoulders, failing to control her strength for a moment. The force of the grip pushed Lily Hart back a step, but the woman steadied her just as quickly. "Sorry, Boss Hart. Force of habit."

She sheepishly pulled her hands back, muttering an apology before eagerly answering Lily Hart’s question. "Kirk says all I have to do is point and he’ll shoot! I can control him with my thoughts."

’Kirk, is that the tank’s name? Seems they had a good chat, they’ve already picked out a name.’

Lily Hart chuckled. "That’s great. Just be careful not to have any accidents. By the way, are you interested in joining Elder Shaw’s team at Central Command?"

The woman’s eyes lit up. "I can? But... will there be a lot of rules? I kind of like my freedom..."

"Not at all, not at all..." Lily Hart launched into her pitch and successfully brainwashed her. The woman’s eyes were now filled with a yearning to join the team, as if she couldn’t wait to go out and make a name for herself.

Just then, the person Elder Shaw sent arrived. It was one of his assistants, who delivered another round of persuasive arguments, laying out all the best benefits and even offering to assign her a house.

He also promised that professionals would be there to teach her how to better operate the tank.

The woman was mainly interested in that last point. Having someone to teach her was key. Even though the tank was controlled by her thoughts, there was a big difference between being a master and a clueless amateur.

The two of them headed back to the base, overjoyed.

Lily Hart watched them go, breathing a sigh of relief as if she’d just accomplished something major.

A gasp sounded from the surroundings again. Lily Hart’s heart skipped a beat. ’Another tank? No way, right?!’

She turned around. It wasn’t a tank, to her inexplicable relief. Instead, it was a waist-high console with a round deep-fryer set in the middle.

The fryer was full of oil, and she could faintly smell the thick scent of grease.

’What is this for, frying something?’

’Fried skewers?’

The machine’s owner stepped forward. Having seen others operate their new devices plenty of times, she expertly flipped a switch. A familiar CLICK echoed.

As if by reflex, every customer nearby turned at the sound, their eyes glued to the deep-fryer.

The fryer did not disappoint. Dozens of square, black blocks of tofu materialized within it. As the oil temperature rose, they began to SIZZLE and POP.

But what followed wasn’t a pleasant aroma. It was a faint, stinky odor mixed with a fragrant scent that went straight to your head.

Lily Hart sniffed, watched, and blurted out, "Stinky tofu!"

"What’s that?" the surrounding customers asked in unison. It sounded both delicious and... stinky.

Lily Hart said, "You’ll know once you try it." With that, she stared at the deep-fryer with great anticipation.