Chapter 22: Friend Request

"Oh, Shen Bing?" Lu Li asked while adjusting the orientation of her light screen.

She had received two friend requests. Their distinct styles made it immediately clear who they were from. Chen Zhi’s profile picture and username were both a bit greasy, yet they represented the most sincere of wishes: a pink lotus flower with the four characters "World Peace" underneath, which was also his username.

Shen Bing’s profile picture, on the other hand, was an iceberg—a massive block of ice, white ice and blue sea, shimmering under the sunlight like a giant gemstone. His username was equally simple: just the single letter "B."

"Fits his 'mature man' persona perfectly," Lu Li noted to herself.

She suddenly realized she hadn’t set her own profile picture or username yet; it was likely still on the default settings. Clicking into her homepage, she found exactly that: a stiff, cartoonish figure and a string of code.

Lu Li immediately grabbed Lu, the cat, and snapped a flurry of photos. She picked the cutest one, set it as her avatar, and changed her username to "Lu."

She gazed at her updated homepage with satisfaction, a smug smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Reluctantly, she closed her light-brain. *No, focus! Must work hard!*

Shen Bing had been watching her light-brain, witnessing her switch avatars and names. In his mind, he couldn't help but replay the scene of her pouncing on the cat to take those close-up shots.

It was incredibly warm and endearing. A soft, involuntary smile touched Shen Bing’s lips, though it was so faint and hidden beneath his hat brim that no one noticed.

The cat, finally released, shook its head, groomed its fur, and hopped onto the table. It landed right on the scratch-off ticket Shen Bing was working on. Man and cat locked eyes; the cat’s eyes were large and a pale, amber yellow.

"Meow," the cat said. *[Hello, human.]*

Shen Bing didn't understand, so he simply extended a finger and tapped the cat’s paw to signal for it to move. The touch was soft and squishy.

The cat didn't budge. Instead, it turned to look at Lu Li. Receiving the signal, she didn't even look up as she casually remarked, "She says hello."

"?" Shen Bing was filled with confusion. *Wait, she can understand cats?*

It didn't seem entirely impossible; he had heard of such ability users, but wasn't Boss Lu’s ability supposed to be these scratch-off tickets?

Unable to make sense of it, Shen Bing gave a small nod toward the cat and whispered, "Hello."

Shen Bing’s hand remained on the table. The cat lifted a paw and rested it on the back of his hand, but immediately recoiled with a start.

"Meow, meow..." *[This human is so cold, so cold...]*

Lu Li, busy attending to others, acted as the translator. "She says you're very cold."

Shen Bing didn't respond, merely pulling his hand back and tucking it into the wide sleeve of his cloak.

The cat jumped off the table and soon returned with something in its mouth. Shen Bing looked closely: it was an oval, milky-white sphere, small enough that it likely fit in the palm of his hand.

"Meow, meow, meow!" *[Here, to warm your hands.]*

The cat dropped the item, meowed a few times, and nudged it forward with its paw.

Lu Li leaned over and translated, "She says it’s for warming your hands—because your body is like an ice cube. I added that last part myself."

Shen Bing’s lips curled upward, and his eyes softened with a hint of warmth. He reached out to take it; it was indeed warm, much like a hand warmer.

"Thank you," Shen Bing murmured, his voice so low that a busy Lu Li didn't hear him.

The cat preened, looking proud with its head held high and its tail flicking back and forth with spirit. Shen Bing had a feeling he understood what it was saying this time: *Don't mention it! It’s only what a big sister should do!*

*Just like its owner,* Shen Bing thought. He gently patted its paw and returned to his scratch-off.

He always occupied the best spot by the window, and no one ever dared to challenge him. Today, however, a man walked in—wearing a black tank top and black cargo pants, with a buzz cut and sharp, handsome features. He looked to be around thirty.

But his mouth was set in a downward line, his expression so cold and indifferent, as if the whole world owed him five million.

Upon arriving, he shoved Chen Zhi aside, stood next to Shen Bing, placed a red crystal core on the table, and began scratching his tickets without a word.

Chen Zhi, having been pushed, was about to snap, but then he saw the blindingly bright red crystal core on the table...

*I’ll endure it,* he told himself. *I’ll go to the table outside! Fine! Are you satisfied now!*

Shen Bing, busy scratching, felt the new presence beside him, radiating an intense, prickly heat. He glanced over and his expression tightened; he felt annoyed by the man's brazen lack of respect for Boss Lu.

Lu Li, however, remained oblivious. She happily picked up the red crystal, holding it up to the sunlight.

*If gray is Level 1 and yellow is Level 3,* she wondered, *what level zombie did this red one come from?*

Thinking of zombies brought to mind the first day she arrived in this apocalypse, when she had accidentally scared away a small zombie.

The zombie market was vast; she had to find a way to tap into it. But they didn't seem to need food—did they just survive on photosynthesis and live forever?

*How do I do business with that?*

As a flurry of chaotic thoughts flashed through her mind, she pulled herself back to reality. She dropped the red crystal into the mouth of the Lucky Cat, which immediately blared, "Li Gao, 250 points!"

"Pfft..." Shen Bing couldn't help but laugh.

Two pairs of eyes snapped toward him, but Shen Bing kept his hat pulled low, as if it were a barrier blocking out the world.

Lu Li nodded to herself. *So red means a Level 5 zombie. Another powerhouse.*

Li Gao didn't look back. With an air of impatience, he grabbed five scratch-off tickets, picking one of each type. Apparently, he had heard of the lottery shop’s reputation and come looking for it—just look at how familiar he was with the rules.

This made things much easier for Lu Li. Eighty percent of her customers were regulars now. The few newcomers, guided by the veterans, quickly became regulars themselves, leaving Lu Li feeling a bit bored.

She sat on her high stool, resting her chin on her hand, watching them scratch.

Because of the heavy, oppressive pressure radiating from the "Great Buddha" Shen Bing and the new "Great Buddha" Li Gao, only those two stood at the window. Everyone else either used the tables in front or found corners of their own, though it was a bit hot.

Seeing them wipe sweat from their brows as they scratched, Lu Li felt a pang of guilt. *They came to my shop—why should they have to suffer like this!*

The System spoke: [Once you reach Level 4, you can set the temperature inside the safe zone to whatever you like.]

Her ambitions soared, but she realized she was still nearly 50,000 points away from Level 4 after selling her current inventory.

Soon, Shen Bing finished his five tickets and handed them to Lu Li for redemption. As expected, they were all food: ready-to-eat boxed meals, fruit, mineral water, and even a buffet voucher.

The Lucky Cat broadcasted the prizes loudly, triggering a wave of cheers from the crowd outside.