Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 35

“Have some water.” Cao’er’s mother hands the paper cup to the man. She’s calmer now, no longer eager to show off that she has become a disciple of the Lord Immortal. After handing over the cup, she quickly walks away to help Wu Yan and the others sort the wooden boxes.

There are still too few people in the supermarket. Everyone is busy. If the elderly are in poor health, the Lord Immortal tells them not to work, but the rest have to keep going, barely managing with the available manpower.

The man takes the cup and stares blankly at Cao’er’s mother’s back.

So this is the Immortal’s dwelling… nothing about it resembles anything he has ever seen.

Even the cup in his hand feels weightless.

“Is this made of paper?” he asks the person next to him in a low voice, holding the cup carefully with both hands, afraid to drink from it. “Why isn’t it leaking?”

The person next to him can’t answer, hesitates, then says, “The Lord Immortal used magic, so naturally it doesn’t leak.”

Gao Sheng, also holding a cup, is amazed and now fully convinced that immortals exist in this world.

Not everyone believes what Lin You said at home, including Gao Sheng, who initially thought Lin You was being hysterical.

Everyone believes in immortals, gods, and Buddhas—including the emperor.

But the large, long-established families have always harbored doubts about tales of immortals.

If immortals truly exist, why have there been no verifiable signs for thousands of years? The so-called sightings always turn out to be scams, with no real evidence.

And if the emperor is a true dragon, why do dynasties still fall?

Does that mean the emperor’s son is not a true dragon?

But no one dares to voice these thoughts. Even when they do, it’s only taught privately to their children.

Gao Sheng looks up at the lights in the distance. They’re arranged in rows, making the vast immortal cave brighter than the outside world. The people here dress strangely. They look like ordinary folks but carry themselves differently.

There’s no hesitation in their actions. Even the women move like the wind. Their once-hunched backs now stand straight.

No one treats him differently, as if he’s just another commoner—not the son of a noble family.

This makes Gao Sheng feel uncomfortable.

“These are all good things.” Wu Yan finally smiles after checking the last few boxes.

When he first saw the jade and gemstones, his heart skipped a beat—immortals might not care about mortal treasures, but that’s because they are considerate of human poverty and hardship. Still, that doesn’t mean mortals should try to take advantage.

Wu Yan takes out a string of agates, polished into perfectly round pieces with excellent craftsmanship. He smiles and says to Chen Liu, “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

Chen Liu shakes his head. “No. Why? Is it valuable?”

Wu Yan says, “This is called agate. I’ve heard it’s used only in the imperial palace. Forget commoners—even poor royal relatives probably haven’t seen any.”

Chen Liu is surprised. “There are poor royal relatives?”

Lin You quickly replies, “The emperor’s family has lots of relatives. Who doesn’t have a few poor ones?”

Chen Liu’s eyes widen. He never imagined the emperor’s family could have poor relatives. So maybe they’re not as untouchable as he thought.

Lin You adds to Wu Yan, “Brother Wu really knows his stuff. I personally escorted this agate over thousands of miles as an offering to the Lord Immortal. The rest is just extra.”

He’s shocked to realize jade and gemstones are probably nothing more than common stones to the Lord Immortal.

If immortals don’t distinguish between noble and humble when it comes to stones, then agate might not be worth much either?

Agate is so precious that the Lin family managed to collect only this much over two entire dynasties.

There are three boxes in total. To make the quantity seem smaller, they added new jade and gemstones as padding.

Lin You doesn’t care for formality. He sits on the ground next to Wu Yan and sighs, “I should’ve brought some gold and silver earlier.”

Wu Yan comforts him, “The Lord Immortal doesn’t use gold and silver.”

Lin You sighs again. “My parents wanted me to bring some calligraphy and paintings, but I thought the Immortal would just see them as children’s scribbles…”

Wu Yan: “…”

This Young Master Lin really dismisses everything.

“Agate.” Ye Zhou has already lost hope in what Lin You brought. Jade isn’t valuable, so agate shouldn’t be either. After all, though agate has been admired throughout history, it’s never been particularly expensive.

When Ye Zhou picks up a string of agate to scan, he’s already bracing for the system to give him a low price.

He sighs absentmindedly at the cashier, wondering how to leave this plane.

There’s no one else around now, and it seems like staying longer won’t help him save any money.

Though he wants to leave, Ye Zhou has too many concerns.

His martial arts skills are probably too weak. He’s only survived in this plane thanks to caution and the protection of the gods. He’s also been lucky—most of the powerful beings were gone by the time he arrived, and the first people he met were Cao’er and her daughter.

Cao’er and her mother aren’t particularly noble, but they’re full of vitality and eager to seize any chance to survive.

Whatever Cao’er’s mother’s intentions in disciplining the refugees, she ends up helping Ye Zhou a lot.

It’s rare to meet someone with clear vision—someone who knows what should and shouldn’t be done.

Everyone here is an ordinary person. They don’t have noble character, broad knowledge, or sharp intellect. They just try their best to adapt, to perform well, to be recognized, and to live long in this immortal cave.

Ye Zhou fears he won’t be able to take them with him when he leaves.

If he leaves them behind in this now-deserted place, how will they survive?

If he turns his back on them, Ye Zhou knows his conscience will never rest easy.

Strictly speaking, their relationship is one of mutual benefit. They provide labor; he gives them work and wages.

They don’t owe each other anything.

Ye Zhou has never fully understood the concept of responsibility.

But now, he feels responsible for them.

At the very least, he should make sure they have a way out before he leaves—ensure he won’t have to worry about their safety or fear that, because of his identity as an “immortal,” they’ll end up imprisoned or tortured by those with ulterior motives.

Ye Zhou sighs. He never imagined he’d have such troubles.

He looks at the agate that vanishes from his hand, then glances at the screen.

Agate x1
Revenue: 162,340

Ye Zhou: “…”
Ye Zhou: “!!!!”

Just a bracelet?!

So valuable?!

Ye Zhou’s pupils tremble in shock. He can barely contain his excitement.

Lin You, I misjudged you. You’re actually a good person—you came to give me money!

Suddenly, Lin You’s previously gloomy face becomes downright handsome in Ye Zhou’s eyes.

Agate is that valuable in this plane?

Ye Zhou never expected agate to hold such worth in other planes. In his own world, it can’t even compare to jadeite or nephrite.

So the best solution is to sell it to the system in this plane.

Turns out, the system isn’t just a scammer.

When you take advantage of the system, it’s only fair to give it a chance to profit too.

Ye Zhou returns to the break room with a joyful expression on his face. He knows he looks a little too happy, so he quickly shuts the door behind him.

“Very valuable?” Zou Ming immediately guesses what’s happened when he sees Ye Zhou’s face.

Ye Zhou grins and nods enthusiastically. “Three boxes in total. How much do you think they’re worth? Maybe even more. I’ve already been thinking—I’ll get a few machine guns. Maybe some sniper rifles too. Do you know how to use a sniper rifle?” he asks.

Zou Ming nods. “I do, but I don’t like waiting too long. Snipers need patience, and I’m not very patient.”

Ye Zhou nods. “Then I’ll hire a bodyguard and a doctor. If I hire a doctor, I’ll need to buy medical equipment. I didn’t check the prices before, but I hope it’s not too expensive. I feel like I’m going to spend all my money again.”

Though he says this, Ye Zhou’s expression is relaxed. He sits down beside Zou Ming, his voice quieter now, a little uncertain. “I’m worried about the local employees when I leave. Can they come with me?”

Zou Ming doesn’t answer right away.

He stays quiet for a long time before finally saying in a soft voice, “If they’re registered, then yes. If you register them in the system and go through the proper hiring procedures, you can take them with you.”

Ye Zhou doesn’t expect that. But he notices something in Zou Ming’s expression and instinctively lowers his voice, asking cautiously, “You look… not very happy about this…”

In fact, he looks a little sad.

Zou Ming doesn’t explain. Instead, he says, “Minors can’t register, but if you register them as a family member, you can take them with you.”

Ye Zhou says, “The system’s more humane than I thought.”

A heavy weight lifts off Ye Zhou’s chest. He feels much more at ease.

But then Zou Ming adds, “If they don’t have any family, then minors can’t be registered or taken along. They must be direct blood relatives.”

Ye Zhou nods. “That’s fair. Prevents interdimensional human trafficking.”

Zou Ming leans back on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling light in the break room. He says calmly, “Yeah. It’s better this way.”

Ye Zhou senses there’s more behind his words, but seeing Zou Ming’s expression, he knows the other man doesn’t want to elaborate—so he doesn’t ask.

Everyone has things they don’t want to share. Why dig into someone’s wounds just to satisfy your curiosity?

Ye Zhou asks, “Do you think there’s a chance to come back here in the future?”

Zou Ming looks at him. “I thought you wouldn’t want to come back.”

Ye Zhou scratches the back of his head. “I wanted to leave when I first got here, but now I think I might want to come back sometimes after I leave.” He smiles at Zou Ming. “Isn’t that just how people are?”