Chapter 474: Home Appliance Store

Chapter 474: Chapter 474: Home Appliance Store

Lily Hart glanced at the yogurt. It was only about the size of her palm; she could finish a bottle in five gulps, tops. ’This is nothing,’ she thought. ’I could drink ten of them!’

After lunch, Lily Hart started to get drowsy. She curled up on the sofa, watching them shuttle back and forth between the dining table and the kitchen.

It made her even drowsier.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and she fought to keep them open. Just as she was about to drift off, she faintly heard Diana Sharp’s voice. "Looks like someone won the grand prize. Should we get Lily?"

Tina Jacobs glanced back at the dozing, clearly exhausted Lily Hart. "Let’s not bother her."

’Not bother me? How could they not?’ She had to be there to witness the founding of every single shop!

Lily Hart’s eyes snapped open. She scrambled off the sofa so quickly it startled everyone. Frost Shaw rushed forward to steady her, worried her legs might have fallen asleep and she would stumble.

She shook off Frost Shaw’s hand and dashed to the table. "What grand prize? Where is it?"

Diana Sharp pointed to a woman holding a small card, a dazed look on her face.

The woman tentatively raised her hand. "That was me... It says... an appliance superstore."

Lily Hart’s eyes lit up. "An appliance superstore?" she repeated, her excitement growing. "So, a place that sells appliances? This is great!"

Seeing Lily Hart’s bright, open smile, the woman’s own lips curved into a small smile. She nodded. "Yes, it sells appliances!"

"I’ll be right there," Lily Hart said. Then her figure vanished, and in the blink of an eye, she reappeared right in front of the woman.

The woman jumped, startled, but quickly composed herself. She couldn’t help but study Lily Hart up close; it was her first time being so near Boss Hart.

’Wow, her skin is perfect. Not a single flaw or pimple. It’s so fair and smooth.’

The woman felt a pang of envy. Finally recalling the matter at hand, she asked expectantly, "So, can I redeem my prize now?"

"Of course!" Lily Hart chirped. She took the small card and slipped it into the Lucky Cat’s mouth.

A flash of white light burst forth. Next to the giant apple, a massive building shaped like a French door refrigerator materialized.

Lily Hart craned her neck to look up. It had to be as tall as three RVs—a truly gigantic refrigerator, and it even looked a little like the one in their kitchen.

The building’s exterior was a sleek silver-gray, giving it an understated, premium feel.

A medium-sized glass door was set into the base. It didn’t look out of place and was quite unobtrusive. Lily Hart eagerly pulled the woman inside with her.

A blast of warm air greeted them the moment they stepped inside. The woman froze in the doorway, gazing dazedly at the interior.

It wasn’t just one floor—it was a four-story building, complete with escalators, regular elevators, and a freight elevator for transporting goods.

However, they could also see a faint mist shrouding the escalator leading to the second floor. The woman walked over curiously and reached out to touch it.

No matter how she tried, she couldn’t pass through it, her hand only meeting a cool, damp mist.

Lily Hart explained from behind her, "You’ll probably have to upgrade the shop to unlock the other three floors."

"Oh..." The woman nodded, not quite understanding. The two of them began to wander around the first floor.

The first floor was vast, stretching out so far it seemed to have no end.

It was divided into countless interconnected sections, creating a sprawling network of displays.

For instance, the area directly across from the entrance was the refrigerator section, with dozens of units arranged in neat rows.

Ample space was left between them, allowing customers to walk around, open the doors, and inspect them closely.

If a customer liked one and wanted to buy it, they would use their Light Brain to scan a QR code on the appliance and complete the payment.

Trying to take a refrigerator without paying was impossible—you couldn’t even leave the section, let alone get out of the store.

An adjacent section sold air conditioners: floor-standing units, wall-mounted models, in both low- and high-power variants.

Better yet, every appliance in the superstore had two power modes it could switch between.

Plug-in electrical.

Or unplugged, powered by Crystal Cores.

’It’s as if they were tailor-made for the apocalypse. After all, it’s not like we have running water or a power grid...’

The more they explored, the more impressed they became. The store sold everything from large appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners down to the smallest kitchen essentials like pots, pans, and even insulated thermoses.

It truly had everything you could possibly need.

The only drawback was its sheer size. A single lap of the floor would easily rack up ten or twenty thousand steps.

Fortunately, there were benches in various corners for tired shoppers to take a break.

Lily Hart even spotted several vending machines selling bottled water and other beverages.

They were linked to the convenience store, so customers had a place to sit when tired and something to drink when thirsty.

Case in point: Lily Hart was now sitting on one of those benches, taking small sips of water.

’She knew it. Shopping was exhausting.’

’If the first floor is this comprehensive, what could possibly be on the floors above?’

’Probably the same as with the Spa Center—just more space. The sections for certain large appliances would be bigger.’

After exploring the entire first floor, the two of them ended up back in the refrigerator section.

"This place is huge," Lily Hart remarked. "I suggest you put a floor plan at the entrance. Otherwise, it feels like a maze; it’s too easy to get lost."

The woman nodded, couldn’t agree more. If it weren’t for Boss Hart’s good sense of direction, they would have been completely lost.

She made a mental note of Boss Hart’s suggestion before timidly voicing a request of her own.

"I... I heard it’s possible to live in the staff dorms? Is that true?" she asked, her eyes full of hope.

"Of course! You’re one of us now," Lily Hart affirmed. "Here, I’ll add you to the shop owners’ group chat."

She first added her to the main shop owners’ group chat, then led her to the staff dormitory.

Lily assigned her a room, and the two of them stood inside the bright space.

"If you’re missing anything," Lily Hart said, "you can ask me, or you can just grab it from the appliance superstore yourself."

The woman nodded eagerly. ’So that’s allowed?’ she thought.

Suddenly realizing Boss Hart didn’t even know her name, she hurriedly introduced herself. "My name is Yvonne Hale. Thank you for everything, Boss Hart."

She even performed a deeply ceremonial bow, which a surprised Lily Hart had no choice but to accept.

Lily smiled and helped her up. "There’s no need to be so formal. We’re all family here now."

Hearing this, Yvonne Hale felt her nose tingle. ’Family? I have a family now...’

Seeing her reaction, Lily’s heart softened, and she reached out to gently pat Yvonne’s head.

Yvonne Hale lowered her head with a shy smile, her hands twisting the hem of her shirt a little self-consciously.

"I’ll head back now," Lily Hart said. "You get some rest. You can just open up tomorrow morning."

Yvonne Hale stood in the doorway and watched her go. After taking a few steps, Lily turned back.

"Oh, and as an employee, you need to take care of yourself," Lily said patiently. "The factory has warm clothes; you can just mention my name to get some. As for food, you can eat at any of the shops here. There’s an employee discount."

She could tell Yvonne Hale was a bit introverted and the type of person who would be too shy to ask for things she needed.

That’s why Lily had to spell everything out; otherwise, Yvonne would probably just suffer in silence.

Yvonne Hale’s eyes, already brimming, turned red. The tears she had been holding back finally broke free.

’Who would have thought? In this cold, cruel apocalypse, there was actually someone who cared if you were warm and fed.’