Chapter 480: Scum System

Chapter 480: Chapter 480: Scum System

If you didn’t want to cook, or didn’t know how, you could just eat at another shop.

In the future, there would surely be even more places to eat, like fast-food joints, dim sum parlors, barbecue restaurants...

To satisfy everyone’s cravings... It was a beautiful thought, simply wonderful.

All five of them found themselves lost in thought, imagining this wonderful future.

Before, Elder Shaw and the others would never have dared to dream of such things. But now, Lily Hart had appeared!

They had to let their imaginations run wild, but what Lily Hart actually accomplished often surpassed even their wildest dreams.

Lily Hart asked, "All rested?"

They nodded in unison and shot to their feet. Logan Holland declared enthusiastically, "Let’s keep looking! Keep buying! Don’t stop!"

Lily Hart had no choice but to go along for the ride.

The next section was selling pots, pans, and tableware. Lily Hart had no idea why this stuff was considered home appliances.

But there had to be a reason for it, and this section was also packed with people.

The kitchenware was all neatly arranged, and every piece was exquisite.

There were ceramic and iron pieces, some with cartoon designs and others with a simple, rustic look, catering to every possible taste.

Take Logan Holland, for example. He was completely captivated by a set of cartoon-themed ceramic bowls.

He picked out several, muttering, "I’ll buy them all and take them back for Tanya to use. This one’s cute, that one’s cute too, she’ll definitely love them~"

Listening from the side, Lily Hart couldn’t help but feel a warmth spread through her. In all the time she’d known Logan Holland, he had always been a devoted family man.

Even when he was out, he was always thinking of his family. If he ate something delicious, he’d always want to bring a portion home.

Then there was Elder Shaw, who stopped in front of some traditional-style ceramic bowls and couldn’t tear himself away.

The bowls were painted with lifelike bamboo, plum blossoms, peonies, and lotus leaves.

’They look... highly toxic.’ Lily thought. ’Would it really be safe to use those long-term? And are they so beautiful you could even bear to use them?’

Lily Hart didn’t know. She preferred a simpler style; otherwise, she’d always feel like she was being poisoned.

Elder Shaw didn’t know either. In any case, he bought a full set of the traditional-style dinnerware.

It included bowls, saucers, spoons, chopsticks, cups, and more.

So it seemed everything had its own target audience.

The group reluctantly left the section. Peter Sharp was the first to speak up. "I can’t do this anymore. I’m out of money... I can’t buy anything else."

Yael Lowell also glanced at his balance. Although there was barely anything left, he still had the urge to keep shopping.

He hesitated, looking back and forth. "What should I do? I’m running low on money, too..."

Elder Shaw patted both of their shoulders. "What are you afraid of? I’ll lend you the money! Just pay me back next month."

Yael Lowell and Peter Sharp were so moved they were on the verge of tears. They readily agreed, promising to pay him back as soon as they got paid next month.

And so, the group of five continued their spree, wandering and shopping, buying and buying.

By the time it was nearly lunch, the group had wandered into the refrigerator section, which meant they were finally done!

Lily Hart breathed a sigh of relief. ’Never again,’ she thought. ’I am never going shopping with them again.’

Then again, aside from Elder Shaw, there probably wasn’t anyone else who could drag her along like this. Since it was already noon, she figured she might as well have them stay for lunch.

Hearing this, Logan Holland’s eyes lit up. "You guys get started. I’ll pop home and bring Cherie and my daughter over to eat with us."

Lily Hart gave him a thumbs-up. "You’re really something else. Alright, alright, hurry back."

Elder Shaw was already chatting with Frederick Shaw, telling him all about the things he had just bought at the home appliance store.

He said he would set up all the new appliances as soon as he got home and even asked Fred to come stay with him for a while.

Frederick Shaw held his grandfather’s arm, smiling so widely his eyes narrowed.

Over in the kitchen, Yael Lowell and Peter Sharp rolled up their sleeves to help.

After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Besides, they were all so close that the distinction between host and guest didn’t really exist.

Since there were so many people, Lily Hart suggested they have hotpot, which was much more convenient.

In no time, the kitchen was bustling with people. Some prepped the ingredients, some washed vegetables, some arranged the platters, and some prepared the dipping sauces.

Everyone had a job to do.

The ingredients were all readily available and only needed a little prep, so they were able to start eating quickly without much of a wait.

The table was a bit small, but they could just about squeeze in, so everyone sat packed closely together.

There were three divided pots: one with a spicy and tomato broth, one with a spicy and plain broth, and one with a spicy and mushroom broth.

The spicy broth was the most popular, so they had three of them to make it convenient for everyone.

At first, everyone was completely absorbed in eating, oblivious to the world around them.

They focused on filling their stomachs first before starting to chat. Elder Shaw broke the silence. "Boss Hart, how long do you plan on staying at Central Command this time?"

Lily Hart didn’t know either. Her original plan had been to leave once the extreme cold disaster was over.

But the main issue was, no one knew when that would be! That was the biggest problem.

She honestly voiced this thought, and varying degrees of disappointment flashed across the faces of Elder Shaw and the others.

With Lily Hart gone, their happiness would take a major hit.

She sipped her soda, looking at them in confusion. "Why the long faces?"

Suddenly, it hit her. She knew she’d forgotten something important.

’I haven’t been copying the shops! I’ve been here for so many days! I haven’t copied a single one!’

’Damn it!’

’I’ve wasted so many days for nothing.’

’But luckily, there’s still time. I have to at least copy all the important shops before I go.’

So she voiced this new thought, and the expressions on Elder Shaw and the others changed in an instant.

Their despair immediately turned to delight.

Elder Shaw suggested, "Then let’s do it one by one! Leave a clone of each shop before you go!"

Lily Hart nodded in complete agreement. "What a coincidence, that’s exactly what I was thinking."

Starting from scratch.

Hearing this, the group felt relieved. This meant that Lily Hart would have to stay for at least another ten or twenty days!

That wasn’t a short amount of time.

With their minds at ease, they dug into the hotpot with renewed vigor. Logan Holland downed several more pieces of meat in one go.

This even gave Easton and the other little ones a sense of urgency. They stopped eavesdropping on the adults’ conversation and started eating furiously.

Logan Holland wasn’t just eating for himself; he was also piling meat and vegetables onto his wife’s and child’s plates.

He was shameless and knew Lily Hart wouldn’t mind, so he ate to his heart’s content.

By the time the hotpot meal was over, everyone was completely satisfied. They had even added a second round of meat partway through.

How could they not be satisfied?

After the meal, Lily Hart began to wonder when someone would finally win a food market from the scratch-offs.

But as the sun began to set, no one had won it yet, and she was growing disappointed.

She went to interrogate her system. ’[You said that as long as my conviction was strong enough, anything was possible! You liar!]’

’[You’re so vague, I think you’re a trash system,]’ Lily Hart said resentfully.

System: *I’m so innocent. I’m speechless. What kind of host is this!*

It remained silent, which only made Lily Hart press harder. ’[Give me a timeframe. When will it show up?]’

’[I don’t know...] ’ the system said weakly. ’Telling the host outright would be against the rules...’

’Last time with Stan Sterling, it was because he was right there—the timing, the location, and the people all aligned perfectly.’

’This time... it’s a bit far off. For an impatient person like Lily Hart, telling her the exact time would only make the wait more agonizing.’

Lily Hart huffed and dropped the subject. ’I guess I’ll just have to strengthen my conviction.’

After all the meat she’d been eating, Lily felt she should probably take a break for a few days, so she decided not to try summoning a new shop.

Closing up shop, washing up, and going to bed was a smooth, practiced sequence. She was out like a light the moment her head hit the pillow.