Belle rarely woke up naturally, but today was different. As she slowly opened her eyes and realized she was in a beautiful hotel room, she felt a wave of excitement. She quickly jumped out of bed, eager to head downstairs to grab some breakfast.
This was truly happiness!
Waking up naturally, with the opportunity to go downstairs and buy food! With running water and electricity, and no need to worry about zombies!
Belle felt this trip was well worth it. She only regretted not bringing her father along sooner, suffering a few days of hunger unnecessarily.
Speaking of her father, he was still snuggled under the soft blanket, sleeping soundly.
Belle carefully opened the disposable toiletries, gently pushed open the door, and went to the shared sink to freshen up.
Since her father was still asleep, it was a perfect opportunity for her to get downstairs and buy breakfast before it sold out!
Grabbing her card, Belle hurried to the first floor. When she arrived at the machine and saw no one was around, she was worried that the boxed meals might be sold out. But to her relief, they were still available.
She happily purchased two breakfasts for 15 points.
How wonderful, they hadn't sold out yet!
Wait a minute, why are people coming in and out over there?
Curious, Belle walked over and, with a glance, was infuriated.
How could there be a restaurant here! And the prices are so cheap!
She stomped her foot in frustration. She had already bought breakfast!
Fuming, Belle ran back upstairs. She pushed open the door to find Tucker just getting up and handed him the breakfast she had bought.
Tucker had slept deeply last night, the best sleep he'd had since the apocalypse began!
Seeing his daughter offer breakfast, he praised her with delight, quickly unwrapping the packaging. When he saw the warm buns and egg-filled pancakes, he exclaimed and started eating immediately, not even bothering to wash up first.
Belle, feeling extremely frustrated, picked up a bun and complained, "Dad, you don't know, there's a restaurant on the first floor with all kinds of breakfast options, and the prices are reasonable. We should have eaten downstairs."
Tucker, with his mouth full, shot her a glance. After swallowing a few bites, he shoved the remaining breakfast into her arms, "Give me the card. I'm going downstairs to check."
Belle wanted to say more, but he snatched the card from her and slammed the door behind him.
Belle: ...
Tucker rushed downstairs and stopped abruptly when he saw Charlotte. He adjusted his clothes, then walked up to her with a confident stride, clearing his throat.
He waited for Charlotte to greet him first, thinking he could gain some leverage.
But Charlotte just glanced at him coldly and continued her work.
Annoyed that his plan didn't work, Tucker decided to scout the restaurant.
Unexpectedly, there was a robot at the entrance, and the laser from its stomach didn't look decorative to Tucker.
Through the robot, he saw a row of fresh food openly displayed on trays.
Isn't she afraid someone will steal it?
Finding it unbelievable, Tucker thought the owner was a fool.
He came up with a plan, using Belle's card on the robot.
Once inside, he planned to eat a lot without paying to teach her a lesson!
"Beep, beep, not authorized. Entry denied," the robot scanned his face, turning its light red.
"This is my daughter's card! I'm her father; why can't I use it?" Tucker laughed in disbelief, arguing it was the first time he'd heard family cards weren't interchangeable.
Then he heard a female voice from the speaker, "One card per person, orderly entry, please do not..."
"Are you kidding? Is this the service attitude of your hotel? Where's the manager? Bring them here!" Tucker yelled loudly, glancing at Charlotte with obvious intent.
On the sofa, Charlotte put down the remote, visibly annoyed.
So troublesome, dealing with issues first thing in the morning. If only there were a manager to handle this.
Charlotte stood up, not bothering to smile.
"Is there a problem, sir?"
Seeing the boss arrive, Tucker was pleased, replying with a sarcastic tone, "What's the issue? I want to know why I can't use my daughter's card. Forcing customers to get separate cards? Is this how your boss operates? Aren't you afraid of being shut down?"
He was confident, recalling someone once said he had a commanding aura, especially when angry.
Charlotte simply wanted to say, "Nonsense."
His eyes were small and narrow, creating a comical appearance with his double chin.
Charlotte snorted, stepped forward, and pointed sharply, "Before you start trouble, read our rules carefully. Don't mess with me, or you won't know what hit you!"
Realizing he was just an ordinary person without powers, and not in his home base, Tucker decided to back down and look at the rules.
Rules... No fighting... No... Killing...
Seeing a line about a tour of a level-five zombie zone, he widened his eyes.
Is this a joke?
He scrutinized Charlotte, doubting her small stature but feeling wary.
Just then, Belle arrived.
Already anxious, seeing the tension between them, she sighed and stepped in to ease the situation.
"Good morning, Charlotte," Belle smiled and waved.
Seeing his chance, Tucker continued smoothly.
"Dear, Charlotte said each person needs a card, right? Get me one too. You didn't tell me before, and I made a fool of myself!" He patted Belle's shoulder and bought a 100-point card.
"Charlotte, I have a card now. Can I go in?" Tucker shouted to Charlotte, waving the card.
Charlotte waved dismissively without turning around, allowing him to enter.
Cursing inwardly, Tucker entered successfully and circled the dining area.
Noticing no kitchen, he wondered where the fresh meals came from.
Seeing other customers enjoying their food reassured him it wasn't poisoned. After all, he was a leader at the base, a person of status.
Unable to find any clues, Tucker decided to proceed cautiously.
He inserted his card, retrieved a tray full of delicious food, and decided to eat heartily without paying!