Chapter 395: Celestial Citrus Base

Chapter 395: Chapter 395: Celestial Citrus Base

It was closing time, but the customers paid it no mind, continuing to go about their business.

The shopkeepers had announced they were closing several times, but the customers remained completely unfazed, as if they hadn’t heard a thing. This continued until Lily Hart sent a message to the group chat.

["Due to special circumstances today, we’ll close at midnight. I know it’s a hassle, but I appreciate everyone’s understanding."]

The shopkeepers had no choice but to follow the order and keep their businesses running.

At midnight, Lily Hart enforced the closing. Only then did the residents from the various bases depart, though reluctantly. Some even wanted to come back the next day.

Lily Hart didn’t seem to pick up on their thoughts. She just said, "Everyone should stay safe in your own bases. Don’t come over unless it’s for something important. It’s too much of a hassle, you know?"

She didn’t know if the customers would listen to her or not, but she knew one thing for sure: she really needed to get some sleep.

She usually went to bed around midnight, but today’s sudden situation had forced her to delay it.

Thankfully, she had already showered earlier. All she needed was a quick wipe of her hands and face before she could finally get into bed.

Lily Hart got ready and climbed into bed. Even though she was dead tired, she didn’t forget to select the next base.

「The next morning.」

All the shopkeepers woke up late, but they still managed to open their doors before nine o’clock to welcome the residents of the Celestial Citrus Base.

The name was supposedly because the Base Commander of the Celestial Citrus Base had a special love for citrus fruits—oranges, specifically. That was before the apocalypse, of course. Whether oranges even existed anymore was another question.

Naming the whole place Celestial Citrus Base just because he liked citrus showed some serious dedication.

This was all just gossip Lily Hart had picked up from listening to the residents.

After finishing breakfast, she perched on a high stool, swinging her legs as she eavesdropped on gossip and idle chatter, casually keeping an eye out for anyone scratching off a first-prize winner.

By noon, there was still nothing. Lily Hart figured it was because she was watching too intently.

In the past, whenever someone won a first prize or a night market machine, she was never the one paying attention. It was always Diana Sharp or Tina Jacobs who told her about it.

With that thought, she could finally eat her lunch in peace.

Sure enough, right as she was eating, the good news arrived. A customer outside was yelling, "Boss Hart! I scratched off a chestnut roasting machine!"

Lily Hart shot to her feet and quickly shoveled down two more mouthfuls of rice. All eyes were on her as Frost Shaw took her bowl and placed it on the table. The group then watched her leave the RV.

"Roasted chestnuts?" Lily Hart called out as soon as she stepped down from the RV, hoping to find the lucky winner as quickly as possible.

And just as she hoped, the winner squeezed his way out of the crowd, a warm, genuine smile on his face. The machine was already running, drawing a circle of curious onlookers.

The winner waved to Lily Hart. "Over here! Quick!"

Lily Hart followed him, squeezing through the crowd to get a look at the chestnut roasting machine. It was another large metal box, but the side facing her had a big, round opening.

Inside, thousands of chestnuts were CHURNING and tumbling with a low rumble.

The distinct, fragrant aroma of roasting chestnuts began to fill the air.

Soon, the batch of chestnuts was perfectly roasted. The tumbling inside the large opening ceased, and the chestnuts poured out like a swarm of bees, cascading into a square iron basin placed just outside the opening.

The iron basin was lined with a thick cloth to keep the chestnuts warm and prevent them from cooling too quickly.

But that was hardly necessary. Once Lily Hart and the winner agreed on a price, the chestnuts were snatched up and sold out in an instant.

Luckily, the winner had saved a full bag for Lily Hart.

Lily Hart told him where the night market was, letting him know he could set up a stall there in the evening if he wanted.

Seeing that he was receptive to the idea, she headed back to the RV, clutching her bag of hot chestnuts. Everyone else was still having their meal.

Lily Hart immediately started handing out the chestnuts, giving everyone a handful. "Come on, come on, hands out! I’ve got something tasty!"

Everyone was curious about every new food item won from the scratch-offs, assuming they would all be delicious. At her announcement, they immediately put down their bowls and chopsticks, holding out their hands in reverent anticipation.

By the time Lily Hart finished handing them out, she was only left with about a handful for herself.

She sat down to peel one but found it hadn’t been scored. She turned it over and over, unable to find a good place to start.

She was just about to ask if there was a more dignified way to open them than just using her teeth...

Suddenly, a hand appeared on her left, and another on her right.

She glanced to her left, then her right. Both Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe had managed to peel a perfect chestnut and were now holding them out for her to try at the same time.

Neither man was looking at the chestnuts or at her. They were staring each other down.

Lily Hart couldn’t be bothered with their little standoff. She simply took both chestnuts, popped them into her mouth, and started chewing. CHOMP, CHOMP. They were delicious—incredibly soft and tender with a pleasant, mealy texture.

They made for an excellent after-meal snack.

Seeing this, Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe immediately broke their stare-down and started peeling more chestnuts as if their lives depended on it. PEEL, PEEL, PEEL.

Lily Hart watched them to see how they did it. ’Oh, so it’s just brute force,’ she thought. ’That’s no fun. I’m going to find a proper technique!’

After fiddling for a while, turning one over and pressing it from different angles, she finally found a quick way to crack them open.

You just had to find the flat bottom of the chestnut—usually a single point—and press down hard. It would crack open, but it was hard to get a whole kernel out this way. Most of them crumbled.

Lily Hart didn’t mind, happily eating the broken pieces. Just as she finished the few in her hand, she looked up to see Frost Shaw holding out a palmful of perfectly peeled chestnuts to her.

’Wow...’

Looking at the little pile of chestnuts, Lily Hart couldn’t help but feel a surge of happiness. She began picking them up one by one, and Frost Shaw held his hand perfectly still, a gentle smile on his face as he watched her.

Roman Rowe watched this, grinding his teeth in frustration. He glanced down at his own pile of chestnuts, which was nearly gone because he couldn’t resist eating them himself. ’Ah, forget it. I’ll just eat the rest of them myself!’ he thought.

’It’s not like Boss Hart is hurting for chestnuts anyway.’

’Seriously, isn’t Frost Shaw tempted at all? I think I only saw him eat one! Who has that kind of self-control? These are fragrant, hot, roasted chestnuts we’re talking about!’

Roman Rowe fumed internally, stuffing another chestnut into his mouth. He had to admit, they were delicious—so soft and mealy.

After the chestnuts were gone and the dishes were cleared away...

Lily Hart remembered something she’d meant to do yesterday. "How about I give you guys a haircut? Look how long everyone’s hair is getting!"

Roman Rowe was slightly incredulous. "Huh? You? Do you even know how, Boss Hart?"

Of course, she didn’t.

"It’s fine! There are tutorials online. A quick search brings up a ton of them!" Lily Hart said confidently, though she herself wasn’t sure where this confidence was coming from.

’Is this a good idea?’ Roman Rowe thought. ’She’s not planning on using us for practice, is she?’

Even Frost Shaw was a bit skeptical. "Why don’t we wait until someone wins a barbershop? We can all get proper haircuts then."

Lily Hart stroked her chin thoughtfully, then declared with firm resolve, "Nope! Who’s first? Sit right here!"

She pointed to a stool in front of her, then ordered a complete haircutting kit online. It had all sorts of scissors, plus clippers, combs, and everything else.

It had everything one could possibly need, but Lily Hart had very little idea how to use any of it.

She picked up each tool and looked at it, thinking they all looked more or less the same. ’Whatever. Time to look up a tutorial!’

By the time she looked up from her Light Brain, her eyes glazed over from information overload, she found Owen Warren sitting on the stool. The others had all gathered around to watch the spectacle, apparently eager to see what level of "skill" Boss Hart possessed.