Chapter 329: Voting

Chapter 329: Chapter 329: Voting

"It’s nothing. I just hate those people. They were always bullying the base residents. Now that Sue Sutton has them, they’re in for a world of hurt!" Cynthia Whittaker said venomously.

No sooner had she spoken than another scream pierced the air. A man’s wrist had been snapped clean in two under Sue Sutton’s foot.

Cynthia Whittaker recognized him and whispered to Lily Hart, "That one’s even worse. He used to be in The Guardian Corps, but he tried to get handsy with Sue Sutton and was kicked out of the base."

Another scream of agony. Sue Sutton took a club and shattered the man’s leg.

Cynthia Whittaker continued her running commentary. "Oh, this one—he’s another disgusting piece of work. Back in the day..."

Lily Hart listened with relish. With the live action in front and the commentary at her side, it felt like watching a show. Roman Rowe had already sidled up quietly next to Cynthia Whittaker.

The confinement cell had been sealed. Though transparent, it was impossible to get in or out. It was Lily Hart who had granted Sue Sutton the authority to drag the men out one by one.

The men still inside watched their comrades being tortured, their eyes turning crimson with rage. They pounded and kicked at the transparent walls, screaming obscenities, but it was utterly useless.

They could only watch, helpless.

Lily Hart felt no guilt over their deaths. ’They got what they deserved.’

Every scream brought the excitement of the surrounding customers to a fever pitch. They were all residents of Solara Base, and most had been tormented by this gang at some point.

Some even volunteered to help Sue Sutton haul away the corpses to feed to zombies or mutated creatures.

Sue Sutton refused their kind offers, insisting that The Guardian Corps handle it personally.

Dozens of men were slaughtered in short order, until only a few remained. Sue Sutton had intentionally saved the leader for last, forcing him to watch his men die one by one.

In different ways.

The screams and pleas for mercy battered the leader’s psyche, driving him to the verge of collapse.

But his words were pure bluster, a desperate attempt to sound tough. "Sue Sutton, you ungrateful bitch! Heaven will strike you down for this! If you’ve got the balls, then kill us all!"

"That was always the plan," Sue Sutton’s voice was like ice, her piercing gaze filled with hatred. She stepped forward herself, dragged the man out, and drew the pistol she had just acquired that day.

BANG— A perfect shot, right between the eyes.

The man collapsed, falling directly toward Sue Sutton. He landed on his knees, as if in a final, kneeling apology. A crimson dot bloomed between his brows, oozing blood. It was a horrifying sight.

Sue Sutton averted her gaze and let out a long breath. It had all been resolved too easily, thanks to Boss Hart. ’I have no idea what kind of ability that is,’ she thought.

She wanted to go to the RV to thank Lily Hart properly, but she was spattered with blood, so she headed back to the base first. The Guardian Corps followed in a long, orderly column.

The customers were still reeling, caught up in the exhilaration of seeing the bandits completely annihilated.

Finally, someone broke the silence, shouting, "Those bastards deserved to die! Hell, a death like that was letting them off easy!"

"It’s a good thing we have the Base Commander! Otherwise, that gang’s arrogance would’ve reached the heavens!"

"Well, they’ve gone to the heavens now, one way or another."

"I think it was Boss Hart who made the first move, locking them all in that box. The Base Commander only came after."

"Seriously, what kind of superpower is that? It’s incredible! It just traps people inside!"

"And it’s not just that they couldn’t get out. Their attacks were useless against it, too."

By the time Lily Hart had seen the end of the show, Cynthia Whittaker had finished her commentary and had to down two glasses of water to recover.

Roman Rowe, who had heard the whole story, said resentfully, "They’re not human! They’re animals! How could they bring themselves to harm those poor little boys and girls!"

Everyone nodded in solemn agreement. In their eyes, Sue Sutton hadn’t gone too far at all.

As evening fell, the goal of 100,000 points from Solara Base had been met.

Lily Hart ordered five Automatic Lottery Machines, placed them in a neat row outside the RV, and called for those waiting in line to use the new machines.

She then spent another 500,000 points to replicate a starter convenience store, placing it right next to the original one. This immediately siphoned off a portion of the crowd.

The group inside the RV was still a little shocked by this. From their perspective, Lily Hart simply waved her hand, and five machines materialized.

Another wave, and a starter convenience store materialized.

To the customers outside, it was even more miraculous. The machines and the store seemed to appear from thin air, like a gift from a goddess—and that goddess was Lily Hart.

"I heard Boss Hart left a convenience store at Steadfast Base, too."

"We have lottery machines and a convenience store now! We’re saved! We won’t have to worry even after Boss Hart leaves!"

"It’s true. Boss Hart is just too incredible. She can conjure up anything she wants."

"If only she could leave all the shops here..."

"Be grateful! Having a convenience store is already amazing! How many other bases wish they had one and don’t!"

"I was just thinking out loud. Geez, can’t a person daydream anymore?"

Lily Hart decided to stay at Solara Base for two more days. That way, she could replicate a factory, a hot pot restaurant, or a bathhouse.

’Maybe I should let them vote on it.’ After all, these places would be for the residents of Solara Base and the surrounding areas.

She immediately created a poll on the [Human Social Sphere], limited to survivors from Solara Base. When any survivor registered an account, a unique ID string was generated for them.

The first four digits represented the base’s code, while the subsequent numbers represented the individual survivor’s code, functioning much like a national ID.

For example, the code for Central Command was 0001.

The poll’s theme was: "Which of the following shops would you like to have at the base entrance?"

The options were: A factory (can produce two hundred fast-food meals per day), a bathhouse (a place to wash your worries away), and a hot pot restaurant (Eat ’til you’re stuffed!).

A hotel (the warmth of home), and a breakfast shop (start your day off right!).

Lily Hart had written the descriptions in the parentheses herself so people could get a quick, clear idea of each option.

Voting deadline: 9:00 PM.

The moment it was posted, the poll generated a massive response on the [Human Social Sphere].

Surprisingly, the most fervent reactions came not from Solara Base, but from other bases, whose members were all lamenting, "Why not our base! When will it be our turn!?"

When Sue Sutton saw the poll, she forwarded it to her department heads, telling them to spread the word and encourage people to vote for the practical options, like the hot pot restaurant and the factory.

A few minutes past nine, Lily Hart checked the results. The hot pot restaurant came in first, with the factory in second. Both were related to food.

’Alright,’ she decided. ’Hot pot restaurant tomorrow, factory the day after.’

Both of these establishments were also fully automated and could run normally without any staff.

The next two days went by with exceptional smoothness. No more bandits appeared out of nowhere to cause trouble, only lovely, paying customers.

Sue Sutton would stop by the hot pot restaurant for a meal every now and then, but Lily Hart suspected her true intentions lay elsewhere.

The way she looked at Cynthia Whittaker was anything but innocent...

On their last day at Solara Base, Sue Sutton showed up again. After giving Lily Hart a quick greeting, she headed straight for the hot pot restaurant.

Lily Hart glanced at the time. It was almost seven, time for dinner. She sent a message to their group chat.

"Meet at the usual spot in the hot pot restaurant."