Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 16

It is rare for the computer to “find its conscience.” Ye Zhou is amazed by the rich bodyguards after flipping through just a few pages. Although the photos of these bodyguards all look like regular people, clicking on the picture reveals details about their age, gender, race, personality, and hobbies.

Yes—race.

But this “race” isn’t the kind Ye Zhou is familiar with.

When he flips to a photo of a little girl, he clicks on it out of curiosity. As soon as the information appears, he is shocked by the other person’s age.

The girl looks no older than ten, with a chubby, round face. Maybe it is a filter, but her skin looks too pale, her eyes are large, and her pupils seem a little red. She grins at the camera, and her fangs are quite noticeable.

Four hundred and twenty years old?

Ye Zhou: “…”

At a glance, her race is listed as “vampire.”

Ye Zhou swallows his saliva.

Besides vampires, there are also werewolves, magicians, cyborgs, and some labeled simply as “people,” which from the race name alone are obviously aliens.

Finding a real human among them is actually the hardest part.

Ye Zhou’s worldview is shattered.

This is all allowed?!

But fortunately, hiring a bodyguard requires signing a contract, which guarantees the safety and interests of both the employer and the employee.

In other words, Ye Zhou doesn’t need to worry about the hired bodyguard turning against him.

No matter what the bodyguard’s personality is, at least they won’t harm him or rob his supermarket. And no matter the situation, they won’t abandon him and run away.

These individuals can’t be interviewed. After Ye Zhou finds one he likes, he simply clicks to hire them, so he can only judge the cost-effectiveness based on the few words in the description.

The most expensive bodyguard has a monthly salary of two million. Ye Zhou immediately gives up on that one after seeing the price.

No matter how capable this person is, whether they could be worth a hundred or even ten thousand, Ye Zhou can’t afford it.

There are also lower-priced ones, like the vampire girl, who only costs three thousand yuan per month. But the price is so low that Ye Zhou doesn’t dare hire her, fearing her ability is proportional to the cost. He needs a bodyguard, not a child.

Three thousand yuan doesn’t seem like it would get him a competent person.

And what do vampires usually eat? He can’t save people while she drinks their blood, right?

That wouldn’t work either.

Ye Zhou can only search for bodyguards in the mid-range price range.

He prefers “human” bodyguards since they would be more compatible with him. It would be best if they were Chinese, but if not, then at least Asian, and they must speak Chinese.

This narrows his options.

But the fewer choices make things simpler.

Ye Zhou only looks at bodyguards in the mid-price range who have Asian faces. However, while the summaries list the race, they don’t include nationality.

Now, he has to rely on his instincts.

It takes Ye Zhou three hours to narrow it down to three options.

After another hour of deliberation, he finally settles on two.

Three people are too expensive, but two feel just right. He can hire security guards, chefs, and doctors when he makes more money.

“Shouldn’t there be a summoning ceremony?” Ye Zhou leans back in his chair after clicking the hiring button.

He is just curious about how the bodyguards will arrive at his house.

“What do we do?” Li Si trembles all over as he delivers the report.

Even with the magic weapon given by The Lord Immortal, the fear that ordinary people feel toward bandits is still deeply ingrained in their bones.

These people are monsters who kill without blinking an eye and have no regard for human life.

Li Si has only killed chickens a few times in his life. The chickens at home are raised for eggs to exchange for salt, and they are only slaughtered when they are sick or old and can no longer lay eggs.

Wu Yan is also scared, but he forces himself to speak. “Don’t be afraid. Let’s wait and see after they leave.”

It is difficult to bypass the situation now, unless they go back, but there is nothing behind them.

To complete The Lord Immortal’s instructions, they have no choice but to go south.

“They are just ordinary people, after all,” Wu Yan reassures them. “We have immortal magic tools, so why should we be afraid of them?”

These words barely comfort the employees, who still look nervous.

Li Si whispers, “Why are there Huang bandits here? Huang bandits are so powerful. Shouldn’t they have gone south a long time ago?”

Chen Liu suddenly speaks up, “I’ve heard from old hunters on the mountain that the Huang bandits never harm the elderly, women, or children. They only kill corrupt officials and landlords who are rich and unkind.”

Li Si glares at him, “If Huang bandits were that easy to talk to, how could they have such a fierce reputation?”

“Those words must be made up by the hunter to deceive you!”

Chen Liu retorts, “How do you know the Huang bandits are really as the rumors say? Maybe it’s because they only kill corrupt officials that they’ve earned such a fierce reputation?”

“Enough!” Wu Yan scolds in a low voice. “No matter whether they are good or bad, we can only hide now. We’ll wait until they leave, and then we’ll catch up. We all came out here together. The last thing we need is infighting.”

Li Si and Chen Liu stop arguing, though neither is convinced by the other. Both think they understand the situation better.

Wu Yan pulls Chen Liu aside and quietly asks, “Have you ever… considered joining them?”

He has heard in Chen Liu’s words that he defends the Huang bandits. He is either a Huang bandit himself or wants to be one.

Chen Liu doesn’t hide it. He says confidently, “If the Huang bandits didn’t accept the elderly and the young, I would have gone to the mountains long ago!” He exhales deeply and finally speaks out, “A few years ago, my parents almost starved to death! My family grows wheat. After the autumn harvest, the court sent people to collect grain. We grow grain ourselves, but we almost starved. Why? Those corrupt officials should have been killed long ago!” Chen Liu’s eyes redden as if he has relived that time.

The wind has swept through the wheat fields, golden and abundant—a rare bumper harvest.

He had made plans at that time. He paid the taxes, kept a year’s worth of rations, built a small house, and thought he could get married.

But then the grain collectors came.

They took most of the family’s grain, and the remaining rations weren’t even enough to last until the next autumn.

Chen Liu pants as he speaks, “Later, I heard from an old hunter that the Huang bandits are short of people. As long as I was willing to go up the mountain, they would help me settle down. The Huang bandits don’t kill good people, they don’t harm the elderly or children. Compared to the imperial court, the Huang bandits are more like the real court!”

Wu Yan looks at him, but he doesn’t see any sign of deceit on his face, so he asks again, “How sure are you?”

Chen Liu replies, “Completely sure.” Chen Liu speaks urgently: “Those rumors about the Huang bandits killing people are just stories. If the Huang bandits were really so vicious, how could they leave any survivors?”

Wu Yan frowns, thinks for a long time, and then looks at Chen Liu. “Let’s head over first.”

Chen Liu begs, “Brother Wu, let me go. I’ll go and tell them!”

Wu Yan asks, “Talk about what? That we have the help of an immortal and want to save good people? And then what? Bring them back with us? If they turn out to be criminals, what would the Lord Immortal think of us?”

Chen Liu: “They definitely aren’t criminals!”

Wu Yan looks away from him. “That’s not for you to decide—unless you’re an immortal who knows all things and can see into people’s hearts.”

Chen Liu is still unwilling to give up. “If they are bad guys, I’ll hit my head and die!”

Wu Yan is frustrated. “You don’t even recognize them, but you think they’re good people just because they’re wrapped in yellow belts?” He doesn’t understand where Chen Liu gets his confidence from. “Even if they weren’t bad guys before, what about now?”

Chen Liu speaks desperately, “Brother Wu! I’ve been to the mountain!”

Wu Yan is shocked, his eyes widening. “You’ve been a Huang bandit?!”

Chen Liu realizes he has let something slip, but now that the words are out, there is no taking them back. He grits his teeth and nods.

“When my parents were starving to death, I went up the mountain,” Chen Liu says bitterly. “The court wanted to kill our family, but the Huang bandit, the one rumored to have killed countless people, saves our lives. After that, I work with the Huang bandits. My parents only tell the villagers I’m an apprentice in the town.” He sighs. “I can’t leave my parents during the drought, so I come back home.” He places his hand on his chest. “I stay in the mountains for three years. You can’t just become a Huang bandit if you want to—they all swear oaths before—”

Chen Liu continues, “The chief makes strict rules. We don’t rob common folk. We don’t rob landlords who treat their tenants well. We don’t rob the elderly or women. We don’t rob honest and upright officials. We only rob the bullies who exploit the villagers, the rich and corrupt officials who are unkind.”

Wu Yan can’t help asking, “Do you know the person next to the fire?”

Chen Liu nods repeatedly. “I know them. They’re all brothers who swore an oath to Lord Guan with me. Brother Wu, they’ve never harmed good people. They’ve saved lives!”

“Chen Liu, it’s not that I don’t believe you,” Wu Yan says, patting his shoulder. “But this matter is serious. There are only five of us, and the brothers who came out have never fought with others. No matter how much you guarantee, they’re bandits after all. People who have killed cannot be called good people.”

Chen Liu says quietly, “They killed evil people.”

Wu Yan says sternly, “Their hands are stained with blood. They’re involved in murder!” Wu Yan purses his lips. “The Lord Immortal can forgive you and save you. I’m not an immortal. I can’t make that decision.”

Chen Liu doesn’t know how to respond. His eyes fill with tears. “Brother Wu, they’re really not bad people…”

When he was at his lowest, it was those brothers who shared their rations and encouraged him to take them back to his parents.

The first time he worked, it was also because the brothers saw his fear and told him to hide in the back, but he didn’t miss a single share afterward.

Chen Liu’s body sways, and suddenly he collapses to his knees, kneeling in front of Wu Yan with a “thump.”

“Brother Wu, Brother Wu! Save them! Give them my rations! Don’t take them back! Give them my rations!” He cries softly. “I’ve never been to school, I don’t understand the rules, but I know they saved me. The saints say that a drop of water should be repaid with a spring, and if I don’t repay them, I’m not a human being!”

Wu Yan hurriedly pulls him up. “Don’t kneel! I promise you. Wait until it gets darker, then you can throw your rations over. But you’re not allowed to recognize them, and you can’t take them on the road! Chen Liu, it’s not that I’m heartless, but we can’t afford to gamble.”

He knows Chen Liu isn’t lying, but they have nothing themselves. Everything they have relies on The Lord Immortal. How could they afford to be generous to the bandits?

Letting Chen Liu share his rations is the most Wu Yan can do. If these people are good, then Heaven will protect them. But their hands are stained with blood, and Wu Yan can never take them back.

Chen Liu wipes his tears and stands up. “I know.”

Everyone has their own destiny, and it cannot be forced.