Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 47

Thousands of people block the entrance of the supermarket, and the long queue stretches all the way into the base. Every household sends someone who isn’t working to stand in line, bringing small stools, benches, and even tents and sleeping bags.

The entire base seems to be out in full force. Apart from those with regular jobs, everyone else is here.

Elderly people can’t stand in line for that long, but they come to watch the excitement.

For them, shopping at the supermarket is a special occasion—a rare break in their otherwise monotonous lives.

Although the supermarket is large, there are hundreds of thousands of people in the base, and the supermarket has too few employees. Only a limited number of people can be allowed in at a time, causing a slow flow.

People buy things so quickly that Wu Yan and his team are exhausted just restocking the shelves.

Although the supermarket goods can be purchased from the system, they can’t be automatically restocked. Manual labor is needed to take the goods from the system’s warehouse and sort them out on the shelves.

Perhaps, like the protective shield, automatic restocking will only begin once a certain threshold of sales is met.

Cao’er and the others are also overwhelmed. They not only have to answer countless questions but also guide the customers and help Wu Yan’s team load the goods.

Everyone is working so hard that by midday, most of them lose their voices.

There are so many people that they have to shout to be heard.

Others are busy too.

Zou Ming, Chen Shu, and the others act as cashiers. They have the physical strength to manage the crowds and prevent anyone from trying to sneak out without paying.

Ye Zhou also asks Sarah to keep an eye on the surveillance footage with him to prevent petty theft.

“The rice is gone!” Cao’er shouts. “Wait for the restock!”

As soon as she shouts, Wu Qi, who is nearby, calls out, “The cabbage and tomatoes are gone!”

But the crowd doesn’t disperse. They fear that if they leave now, everything will be sold out by the time they return. So they wait near the rice bins, each carrying large bags of corn cakes, emptying their homes’ stocks.

Some even have plans to return later to buy corn flour to make a profit. But rice is the main focus.

Many young people have rarely eaten white rice in their lives.

Even when supplies are plentiful and ration tickets can be obtained, only factory workers can afford rice to improve their diets.

Yet, people’s deep-rooted craving for rice still persists.

The elders often talk about how, in peacetime, rice was the staple food for nearly every household in the south.

Rice might seem tasteless, but once steamed, the soft, crystal-clear grains seem to soothe people’s hearts instantly, making all past sufferings fade away with the steam.

Cao’er is panting. She can’t even force a smile anymore—if she tries, it would look worse than crying.

She points toward a section and says to a customer approaching, “Fresh meat is over there, frozen goods are over there, and cured products like sausages are over there.”

As soon as she finishes, another person approaches her.

Cao’er can only continue pointing, as walking through the supermarket has become a challenge with the sheer number of people.

“There are still ready-made clothes!” someone shouts.

“And shoes!”

Although the factory is still producing cloth, few make ready-made clothes. Residents have to either buy cloth and make their own clothes or hire someone to do it. The fabric is plain, dyed with only a few basic colors.

Without choice, no one cares about the beauty or quality of their clothes.

But now, with ready-made options available at low prices, many who have already purchased rice, vegetables, and meat rush to the daily essentials section.

The supermarket sells clothes by weight, and though the quality is average, there are many colors and patterns to choose from.

Just like Cao’er’s mother’s beach skirt—they are things Ye Zhou thinks would be a loss not to stock. In his original world, they would have been dead stock at the bottom of the warehouse.

“If I were hiring, I wouldn’t want soldiers.” Ye Zhou says, sipping milk tea as he monitors the surveillance. “The advantages are clear, but so are the drawbacks.”

The benefit is that soldiers follow orders, follow rules, and don’t get funny ideas—or if they do, it’s easy to weed them out.

But the downside is that soldiers would undoubtedly monitor everything once inside.

If something goes wrong, they’ll report it to Yang Guoqin.

Ye Zhou doesn’t want to be watched all the time.

Sarah nods, understanding his concerns. She turns to him and asks, “Do you want to invite the first group of children? By the look of them, they haven’t been outside the base much. They’re relatively simple.”

Ye Zhou hesitates. “They’re not even adults yet…”
Wouldn’t that be child labor?

Sarah says, “These are extraordinary times. You can’t follow peacetime laws. Giving them work isn’t exploitation—it’s helping them.” She gives an example: “In ancient times, production capacity was low. If every household waited until their children were 18 before letting them work, many people would have starved. Do you find it strange that many children became apprentices at age 12 or 13 in ancient times?” Sarah says. “You have to consider the social context.”

Ye Zhou sighs. “It’s not about whether I accept it or not. I get the reason, but the base has its own rules. People under 15 are minors and can’t work.”

Sarah nods. “…I forgot.”

The two exchange a look.

“Right—we could have them work part-time, like work-study. We just don’t pay them,” Ye Zhou suddenly says.

Sarah looks at him, speechless for a moment.

She hadn’t expected her boss to turn into a capitalist so quickly—he doesn’t even want to pay wages now.

Noticing Sarah’s expression, Ye Zhou quickly adds, “Not like that. I don’t mean no payment. We can cover their meals. Housing is optional. Instead of cash, we give them goods of equivalent value. In fact, it’s similar to the other employees. Although they have points, they can only use them in the supermarket.”

Sarah understands now. “That works. But I don’t know when those kids will come back, or if they’ll even be allowed out again.”

Ye Zhou doesn’t worry about that. “If they can’t come out, we can go in. I haven’t been to the base yet, and I’m curious about what it looks like inside.”

He is curious about the difference between the base and the cities in his world before the apocalypse.

Perhaps it isn’t much different?

After all, the technological level in this world before the collapse is similar to his own world.

“I think I can make a lot today.” Ye Zhou says lightly. “The turnover in the first week might be high, but it will eventually stabilize.” Ye Zhou adds, “I’m not too optimistic, though. I’d be happy if I could make hundreds of thousands a day.”

Since the base often has no electricity, high-priced electrical appliances like microwave ovens and induction cookers are left untouched.

Some people ask if the supermarket sells generators—but, of course, they don’t.

Even if they did, where would they buy fuel?

The supermarket doesn’t sell solar generators either.

“How long will it take before we can go in?” The people still waiting in line stare at the customers exiting with their large bags. Their eyes are red with envy. “They bought so much—will there be anything left when it’s our turn?”

“Yes! They should buy less! What will we do if everything is gone by the time it’s our turn?”

The people behind them glare at them.

The customers leaving the supermarket shout, “They’re not out of stock! They’re restocking constantly! It’s just a bit slow!”

“Why are you looking at me? I didn’t buy much! Someone bought 800 kilograms of rice!”

The crowd erupts. “800 kilograms?! How long will it take him to finish it?”

“Is he crazy?!”

“Can he really finish that much?”

“Why isn’t the supermarket enforcing purchase limits?!”

They all assume the supermarket is run by the government, with official supplies in short supply. If there is no limit on purchases, the people at the front will buy it all, leaving nothing for those behind.

“Where is that person?” Someone asks through gritted teeth.

The customer who bought 800 kilograms of rice is standing at the back door of the supermarket. He doesn’t dare leave through the front. To avoid attention, he wears a mask. He hands Zhou Wen a cigarette and says, “Buddy, I’ll just wait here. My friend is on the way. I’m not keeping all this rice for myself,” the customer sighs. “I have many relatives and friends. My wife still works in the Changfeng Base factory. I plan to bring some to her when the convoy leaves. The kids are with her too.”

Changfeng Base is much safer than Luoyang, after all, as it isn’t on the front lines.

Zhou Wen takes the cigarette. He has seen others smoke but never tried it himself. The boss has told them that cigarettes aren’t good, but he is still curious.

Zhou Wen puts the cigarette in his mouth, lights it—and realizes he has no idea how to smoke.

Customer: “How did you get this job? Were you a soldier before?”

Zhou Wen shakes his head. He isn’t great at socializing, so after thinking for a while, he says, “No, the boss hired us.”

He will always remember that The Lord Immortal gave him food to survive.

That meal is enough to save his life, and The Lord Immortal never treated them as slaves, so Zhou Wen wants to repay him in any way he can.

The customer is stunned. “It’s not an official job?!”

He is so shocked that he doesn’t even notice the cigarette fall from his mouth. He grabs Zhou Wen’s hand excitedly. “Brother, is your supermarket hiring?! Can you talk to your boss for me?! As long as I can get a job, I’ll give you my first three months’ salary. No, one year’s salary—one year’s salary! Brother, I have elderly and children to care for! I still don’t have a stable job! Are you married? I can introduce you to someone. A lot of people in my building are still single! Do you like men or women? Or transgender?”

The customer is enthusiastically ready to play matchmaker for Zhou Wen right then and there.

He would happily send Zhou Wen to the bridal chamber right then and there.

Zhou Wen is dumbfounded. He awkwardly says, “I’m a man, and I already have…”

Before he can finish, the customer interrupts: “I know you’re a man! What’s your orientation?!”

Zhou Wen: “…”

Orientation? What’s that?

He knows he’s a man, but now the guy wants to set him up with other men?

Is he some kind of monster?