Chapter 462: Random Soup

Chapter 462: Chapter 462: Random Soup

The first pot held the corn and pork rib soup Lily Hart had been thinking of.

Fresh, golden corn kernels rested at the bottom of the pot, along with sections of chopped pork ribs. The mix of the two ingredients was actually quite pretty.

The second pot was carrot, corn, and pork rib soup. When Lily looked over, she thought the color of this soup was even better. So vibrant! ’It must be delicious!’

The third pot was coconut chicken soup. The coconut meat was sliced into thin white pieces that tumbled gently as the soup simmered, slowly releasing its clean, sweet fragrance.

The aroma made Lily feel a little hungry, even though she had just eaten breakfast not long ago.

There were six pots in total, each with a different soup. Lily and the machine owner stood in front of the machine.

As if by unspoken agreement, they both fell silent, simply inhaling the fragrances wafting from the six pots.

"It smells so good..." Lily sighed unconsciously.

Her greatest loves in life were good-looking men and women, delicious food, and cold, hard cash.

She was completely powerless against these three things.

Hearing this, the machine owner thought Lily was hinting at him and quickly agreed. "Once it’s ready, we’ll each have a bowl."

Lily nodded in wholehearted agreement, subconsciously patting her stomach.

’Her little tummy was in for another treat.’

One by one, the six pots lit up with green lights, indicating that the soups inside were ready to be eaten.

Lily immediately pulled two bowls and two spoons from her space, handing one set to the machine owner.

The owner understood instantly. He started by ladling a bowl of the corn and pork rib soup for each of them.

He made sure to pick out the best ribs for Lily—the kind where the meat was so tender it fell right off the bone and was easy to eat.

He also chose the most perfect, plumpest kernels of corn for her. The best of everything went to Lily first.

As for himself, he wasn’t picky. Just having something to eat was enough—and besides, it was meat!

Lily accepted the bowl with satisfaction, then promptly pulled out two chairs and a table.

She gestured for him to sit down and eat. The soup was fresh out of the pot and piping hot; what was the sense in standing around holding it?

The machine owner was stunned. He hadn’t expected such good treatment and felt a little overwhelmed by the favor, sitting down gingerly.

Since Lily had just eaten breakfast, she wasn’t terribly hungry, so she elegantly scooped up the soup with her spoon, one small sip at a time.

She finished off the few ribs and then gnawed on half a cob of corn.

’That should be enough. Have to save some room for the next soup, right?’

As the machine worked, the aroma it released gradually attracted other customers.

They stared eagerly, and Lily couldn’t help but notice their intense, obvious gazes.

The machine owner didn’t see a thing. He was completely engrossed in his food, totally oblivious to the world around him.

Lily kicked the machine owner. When he looked up at her with a baffled expression, she flicked her eyes toward the space behind him.

The owner glanced back and was met with the pleading gazes of a group of customers.

It was a sudden realization. He immediately stood up, pulled a stack of disposable paper bowls from beneath the machine, and grabbed a pack of disposable chopsticks.

"Come on, come on! If you want a certain soup, just line up in front of it."

The owner was a loyal patron of the night market himself, so he was already familiar with these little sales tricks and got the hang of it right away.

The other customers understood perfectly and immediately formed lines in front of the soups they wanted.

The owner served them in order, one bowl per person, trying his best to include meat and other ingredients for everyone.

On a cold day like this, getting a mouthful of hot soup in your belly? You can’t put a price on that.

Enough said. Those who know, know.

Lily slowly finished her bowl of soup while watching the owner bustle about energetically.

The soup in the six pots sold out quickly, and he was thoroughly satisfied, having made a hefty profit.

Then he flipped a switch, and the dregs remaining in the six pots vanished.

In their place, new soups appeared—pork stomach soup, chestnut chicken soup, mushroom soup...

Customers who hadn’t gotten any before lined up again. Lily wanted to try the mushroom soup, so she served herself a bowl.

’Wow, every single mushroom is so savory! This is amazing!’

Alternating between bites of mushroom and sips of broth, Lily quickly finished the bowl and let out a satisfied burp.

’I can’t eat any more. Lunch is in two hours, after all...’

Seeing how happily busy the owner was, Lily decided not to disturb him. She had planned to go back to her RV and laze around.

But then she saw the bar’s doors wide open and, as if drawn by an unseen force, she found herself walking toward it.

As she walked, she thought, ’I have to move this bar. Otherwise, it’s going to tempt me into drinking heavily every day.’

She kept walking until she reached the counter, and upon seeing Linnie Shaw, she blurted out her idea.

Linnie Shaw, of course, had no problem with it. Where the bar was placed was ultimately Lily’s decision.

So, move, move, move it went, until it was next to the courier station, which Lily mentally categorized as "practical."

The shops across from it were all "edible," like the bubble tea shop, the cake shop, the hot pot restaurant...

Lily clapped her hands in satisfaction. ’There, that’s better. Now I won’t be tempted.’

In truth, its location had absolutely no effect on how often Lily visited the bar, but that was a story for another time.

Linnie Shaw was pleased as well. It made her feel like she was truly a part of this place.

She invited Lily, "Want to come in and sit for a bit?" Her face was still cold, making her look a bit fierce and grumpy.

But Lily knew she just had a deadpan expression, and the invitation was exactly what she’d been hoping for.

She gladly accepted.

Lily followed at Linnie Shaw’s heels to the bar. "Give me your best drink!"

Linnie Shaw flipped through the drink menu. "The best? We don’t have that. How about the most expensive one?"

"That works too." Lily waited patiently, watching as Linnie Shaw expertly began to mix a drink.

Her movements were so fluid and graceful that Lily was momentarily stunned.

"Whoa, have you been practicing in secret?" Lily asked, amazed. ’Don’t tell me you stayed up all night just practicing bartending?’

The corner of Linnie Shaw’s mouth lifted in a smirk. She didn’t deny it.

She was the bar owner now, so of course she had to practice. She couldn’t rely on the robots for everything.

There would be times when the robots got too busy, and she would have to step in. Knowing how was better than not knowing.

So Lily pulled up a high stool and sat down to chat with her.

"Are you a superpower user?" Lily asked.

"Yes. Seventh Rank," Linnie Shaw said calmly, her hands still unhurriedly shaking the cocktail shaker.

When a drink with a pink-to-orange gradient was placed in front of Lily,

she gasped in admiration. ’What a beautiful color! It looks like a sunset.’

Lily first took a few pictures with her Light Brain to save, then picked up the glass and took a small sip.

’It’s as delicious as it is beautiful. The flavor is indescribable—it goes straight to your soul.’

She took several more sips in a row, downing more than half the glass in an instant.

Linnie Shaw suddenly remembered what happened yesterday. After one drink, Lily had passed out on the bar and slept there without moving.

’Could it be that Lily... is a lightweight?’

She thought it was very likely. Just as she reached out to take the glass away, she saw Lily down the rest of it in one gulp.

Her heart skipped a beat. She nervously glanced up and, sure enough, was met with Lily’s dazed eyes.

Linnie Shaw’s vision went dark. ’You’ve got to be kidding me. How can you drink like that when your tolerance is so low?’

Lily raised a single finger and tapped it on the bar as the familiar dizzy feeling washed over her.

"Another round!" Lily demanded imperiously, then picked up the empty glass and tried to pour from it into her mouth.

But it was an empty glass. How could anything possibly pour out!