Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 56

“Aren’t those the people from the supermarket?”

People inside the base pause to watch as the group marches past. Almost everyone has been to the supermarket at least once—some go there daily.

A good number of residents have even turned a profit into their livelihood. They line up early every morning, buy cornmeal, go home, and make corn cakes with the exact weight and appearance as the ones from the supermarket. When placed side by side, the differences can’t be detected by the naked eye.

Everyone is curious how the supermarket cashiers can always tell the difference.

There have been cases where people try to pass off base-made corn cakes as supermarket-made ones. But once exposed, they fly into a rage, cause a scene in the store, and end up thrown out and blacklisted—never allowed back in again.

Whether or not they manage to get others to shop on their behalf afterward, the event serves as a warning: the supermarket can identify the source of the corn cakes. If you want to make a profit, fine—but don’t try to pass off fake goods.

Although people don’t fully understand it—they’re all just corn cakes, right? Why are some labeled “supermarket-produced” and others “base-produced”? What’s the difference? Could it be that base-made corn cakes are somehow more fragrant?

The residents can’t figure it out, but they don’t dare try again after hearing about the bans. So when they pay for their corn cakes, many admit that theirs are made from supermarket corn flour.

Ye Zhou notices many people looking at him. He feels a bit embarrassed and wonders if his hair is sticking out of place.

He hasn’t slept well the night before, and when he gets up that morning, a few strands of hair won’t stay down. They curl up, and he’s only able to wet them down. He wonders if they’re curling again now.

Someone runs over from a distance and grabs Chen Gang by the arm before he can even speak. Eyes wide, the man forces Chen Gang to stop in his tracks—he’ll have to catch up later.

Chen Gang recognizes the man—his former colleague. They’ve worked odd jobs together for a while.

“What’s going on?” Chen Gang asks, not enthusiastic. He has a pretty good idea of what the guy is going to say. Since he started working at the supermarket, all sorts of people—people he hasn’t dealt with in ages—have come to ask for his help.

The former colleague takes a couple of deep breaths, turns his head to glance at Ye Zhou and his group leaving, bites his lower lip, and asks, “You work at the supermarket?”

Chen Gang doesn’t deny it. “You just realized? I thought you already knew.”

The former colleague frowns. “Why didn’t you tell me about this great opportunity? I’ve been keeping an eye on your job situation.”

Chen Gang chuckles. “Keeping an eye on my job?” He laughs lightly. “Well, I’ll keep an eye on it for you too, so I’ll know when the boss is hiring again.”

The former colleague grows anxious. “Isn’t the supermarket business doing well? How can there be no openings? It’s tough to find a job these days. Can you talk to your boss?” His tone is desperate. “I’ll give you my salary for the first six months if you can get me in.”

Chen Gang is taken aback. Well, well—seems like everyone has the same idea, but this guy is even more stingy than he was. He’s willing to give Zhou Wen a year’s salary back then. Now that’s what he calls spending a little to catch the big fish.

“Sure,” Chen Gang says casually. “I’ll ask about it for you when I get the chance.”

The former colleague sighs. “There are fewer and fewer corn cakes on the market now. Even if the stuff you exchange at the supermarket is made into finished products, it doesn’t get much in return. Everything’s losing value,” he adds with a sigh.

Chen Gang frowns. “Wait, are you saying the supermarket caused inflation at the base?”

The former colleague shrugs. “Now, aside from corn cakes, nothing else is worth much. My wife makes rice candy, and we can trade it at the supermarket, but it’s barely enough to cover the cost.”

Chen Gang responds dryly, “Oh, so you think you’re making too little.”

The former colleague doesn’t pick up on the sarcasm. “Go back and talk to your boss. Corn cakes are getting fewer and fewer. Can’t we raise the price back to fifty?”

“I can’t make that decision.” Chen Gang looks ahead, barely able to see the backs of Ye Zhou and his group. He quickly adds, “Don’t always try to take advantage. Thanks to the supermarket, every household has surplus food now. So what’s wrong with earning a bit less? No one complained when we were eating corn cakes before that we were making too little. Don’t be too greedy, or you might end up looking like a fool. If you think you’re not earning enough, maybe try selling your—”

Before Chen Gang can finish, he stops himself and quickly catches up with the group.

He mutters under his breath, “I don’t understand why they always want to take advantage of others. Supermarkets are meant to make a profit, not hand out charity. And the prices they’re offering right now? What’s the difference from charity? If that’s not good enough for them,” Chen Gang curses again, “Sell your ass and no one’d even want it!”

“Who’s selling their ass?” a female voice asks right beside him.

Startled, Chen Gang looks around but doesn’t see anyone at first.

Sara says, “I’m right here.”

He looks down and lets out a long breath. “You’re like a ghost. You almost scare me to death.”

Sara casually replies, “I’m not a person anyway.”

Chen Gang: “…”

So they really are aliens?

He carefully explains, “Just someone I knew before. Wanted me to help him out.”

Sara makes a noncommittal “oh” and loses interest.

Chen Gang wipes the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling uneasy. He can’t figure Sara out. She seems to be everywhere, and her maturity is beyond her years. It’s almost as if she’s an adult trapped in the body of a little girl.

Actually, aside from Wu Yan and a few others, he can’t understand Zou Ming, Chen Shu, and the rest. They seem to exist outside of this world, interacting with others as if they’re outsiders.

The more he thinks about it, the more cautious he becomes. He doesn’t dare make any mistakes, afraid that one wrong move could result in being kicked out of the supermarket—or worse. He doesn’t want to know their secrets. He doesn’t want to be involved.

After walking for more than two hours, Ye Zhou grows tired. The base is huge, and the streets are so confusing. Even with someone leading the way, he feels disoriented.

“I think I’ve seen enough of the base for now. No need to continue wandering,” Ye Zhou says to the driver who’s following them. “Let’s stop here. Can you bring a few cars over to pick us up?”

The driver, assigned to him by Yang Guoqin, usually works at the supermarket and returns to the base at night. He eats with Wu Yan and the others but doesn’t actually work. Yang Guoqin covers his food expenses just to ensure Ye Zhou has a car when he needs it.

Ye Zhou can’t help but feel grateful for Yang Guoqin’s thoughtfulness.

The driver quickly nods. “Please wait a moment. I’ll bring the car over and pick up a few people.”

Ye Zhou nods. “Okay, thank you for your hard work. I’ll treat you to hot pot tonight.”

The driver smiles at Ye Zhou and turns to drive off. He doesn’t have to walk back; he can just go to the nearest military affairs office to pick up a car.

Ye Zhou and Zou Ming are the first to get in.

Chen Shu volunteers to stay behind. She carries a pistol and remains on guard, watching for any potential threats.

Zhou Yuanhe initially wants to get in the car but, for some reason, decides against it at the last moment.

As they sit in the car, Ye Zhou lets out a long sigh and says, half-joking, “I really should exercise more. I’m tired after walking for more than two hours. If I were a local, I’d probably have collapsed by now.”

Driver: “…”

Zou Ming: “Are you sure? Should I call you early in the morning to go for a run?”

Ye Zhou quickly declines. “Forget it. You’re the one who gets up at five in the morning to run. You should go do it on your own.”

Five o’clock! Even the chickens aren’t awake that early!

Ye Zhou looks out the window. They’ve already driven out of the city and onto the flat land beyond. Mountains surround them, but he doesn’t see any river. He asks, “Is there no river around here?”

The driver replies, “You have to turn ahead. There’s a river.”

Ye Zhou asks, “What if there are zombies in the river? Can we still use the water?”

The driver responds, “You can’t use the water directly, not even groundwater. It has to be disinfected and boiled first, just to be safe.”

Ye Zhou nods. “That’s good. It’s safer that way. By the way, you work in the military. How’s the salary?”

The driver smiles, feeling like Ye Zhou is no different from his own nephew. Though still cautious, he’s not as tense. “The pay’s just okay. We won’t starve, though. Before the supermarket, we could barely get by,” the driver recalls. “My wife was a cleaner, and our combined income was enough, but there was never anything left over.”

Ye Zhou says, “I thought military salaries were much better.”

The driver shakes his head. “Didn’t they have a collective salary cut before? The military was the first to get cuts. Officers had the biggest reduction, and soldiers the least. General Yang’s a good man, with a good heart.”

He goes on as he mentions Yang Guoqin: “When Luoyang Base was first renovated, no one wanted to come here. Everyone knew it was on the front line, but General Yang was the only one willing to come. Now, all the residents at Luoyang Base are following him.”

The driver adds, “Exactly. Some bases are a total mess. They’re so short on people that no one has time to deal with anything, no matter how outrageous it gets. I wouldn’t go to a place like that even if it were safe. The zombies aren’t the worst part—it’s the people. If I get bitten by a zombie, that’s just bad luck. But if I get betrayed by my own people, how’s anyone supposed to accept that?”

He lowers his voice. “A few times, supplies from the rear were intercepted by those bases. The general held back. What else could he do? Can’t exactly start shooting our own people.”

He lets out another long sigh.

Ye Zhou: “…”

Is this guy just venting? Or is he seriously trying to get sympathy?

If it’s the latter, then he’ll just nod and let it go.
But if it’s the former…

Ye Zhou really is starting to think about helping Yang Guoqin more.

It’s not just for Yang Guoqin—it’s for the residents and soldiers working hard at the base.