Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 58

When the knife in his hand pierces the zombie’s brain, Ye Zhou completely collapses.

He fails to convince Zou Ming to stay in the supermarket. Instead, he gets talked into leaving and follows the group outside the protection of the barbed wire.

Small groups of zombies are scattered across the vast land, with some still hanging on the barbed wire. Ye Zhou, along with the others, finishes off the zombies.

These zombies, unable to move, don’t require guns or bullets to deal with.

Ye Zhou himself is a little confused—how did he end up out here?

Though, admittedly, what Zou Ming says makes sense—he needs to train himself. Who knows what kind of more dangerous plane he might end up in someday? Relying on others can never compare to relying on yourself.

Looking at the brain matter smeared on his knife and smelling the stench wafting from it, Ye Zhou’s emotions are in turmoil. He is on the verge of a breakdown.

“What’s wrong?” Zou Ming, noticing that Ye Zhou is in a daze after finishing the kill, walks over to ask. “Are you scared?”

Ye Zhou shakes his head slightly. “No, I’m just a little confused.”

Confused about why he agreed to come out in the first place.

Wu Yan and his team in the supermarket are all armed with pistols. Even if Wu Yan and his crew can’t handle things, there is still Sarah.

Sarah is the strongest person at the supermarket. Ye Zhou has full confidence in her. Though she looks harmless—small and unassuming—no one would suspect that she is a vampire who has lived for over 400 years.

And Sarah doesn’t want to leave the supermarket. She isn’t accustomed to using guns or knives. Her most effective weapons are her own fangs and claws.

Let her bite zombies? She thinks it’s disgusting and doesn’t want to.

With Zou Ming around, Sarah isn’t worried about Ye Zhou’s safety, which is why she is content to stay behind in the supermarket.

Ye Zhou also doesn’t think Yang Guoqin will try to loot the supermarket while he’s gone—Yang Guoqin isn’t an idiot. He should know that the supplies at the supermarket are fixed. If he wants more, he’ll need to trade with Ye Zhou.

With Ye Zhou, he has a steady stream of goods.

Without Ye Zhou, all he’ll have is what’s already on the shelves.

Even the dumbest person can do the math.

Zou Ming hands Ye Zhou a bottle of water. “Drink some water and walk slowly. If you can’t keep going, let me know.”

Ye Zhou waves his hand dismissively. “I’ll be fine. You can’t stop everyone just because of me.”

Compared to these experienced fighters, Ye Zhou has a better sense of his own physical limits.

In his original world, he could be considered “strong and healthy.” He is lean, but he has muscles even without his shirt on.

He isn’t as fit as athletes or soldiers, but he is better than the average person.

But now, he isn’t comparing himself to the average person.

Ye Zhou sighs. “If I go out every day, I think I’d be reborn within a month.”

Chen Shu approaches. “That’s a good thing, boss. When I first started practicing shooting, I was terrible. I was mocked every day. But now, I’m a sharpshooter, right?”

Ye Zhou raises an eyebrow. “Sharpshooter? You must be pretty good in your home plane.”

Chen Shu’s lips curl slightly, but he keeps his tone neutral. “I’m just average. I win first place in every competition. I haven’t gotten second place in years.”

Ye Zhou: “How long have you been practicing?”

Chen Shu thinks for a moment. “Maybe seven or eight years? I’m not sure. I started with a bow and arrow before moving to spears, so I had a foundation.”

“Is it easy to practice?” Ye Zhou asks, eyeing his hands. “If I started practicing now, how long would it take to see results?”

Chen Shu shrugs. “Boss, as long as you’re not on your home plane, time doesn’t pass the same way. Don’t worry about it. I know several bosses who’ve completely stopped going back to their own worlds. They don’t want to age—they just want to live longer.” Chen Shu gives a shy smile. “Even for me, I now spend more time in the system than back home.”

Who wouldn’t want to stay young if they could?

Ye Zhou doesn’t need Chen Shu to explain. He can feel it himself. In the Daliang Dynasty, people age very quickly. Even though food and living conditions have greatly improved, people still have short lifespans.

People in their forties look like they’re in their sixties by modern standards.

During their escape from the famine, the physical toll has been suppressed by sheer willpower. But in a safer environment, once people have enough to eat, their aging can’t be hidden anymore.

But since coming here, Ye Zhou has noticed that the aging of everyone has suddenly stopped. Even with all the exhaustion over the past days, their recovery is faster than it would have been back in the Daliang Dynasty.

Even if Chen Shu hadn’t pointed it out, Ye Zhou can guess the reason.

“I really envy you,” Ye Zhou sighs. “You can return to your original plane after your contract ends, unlike me, who doesn’t know when I’ll unlock my own world.”

He has even sworn to the computer that, once he returns to his original world, he will work diligently for the system.

But the computer is just a machine. No matter how much Ye Zhou tries to reassure it, the computer never responds.

Chen Shu smiles. “What’s there to envy? My situation isn’t perfect either. It’s supposed to be a peaceful era, but the gap between the rich and the poor is huge, ridiculously so. If you’re unlucky enough to reincarnate at the bottom, there’s basically no chance to rise. The only way is to join the army. I joined the military at twelve,” Chen Shu says, taking a sip of water.

Ye Zhou’s eyes widen. “Twelve years old?! In peacetime, isn’t that a little extreme?”

Chen Shu chuckles. “It’s different—soldiers get good benefits. When I was twelve, I already looked twenty. I was about 1.8 meters tall, so I pulled some strings and faked my way in. Every time I win first place in a competition, I get a reward. Let’s not talk about me,” Chen Shu continues with a smile. “Let’s talk about Zou Ming. His world is even crazier. Instead of going back, he’s better off following you.” Chen Shu grins. “The boss won’t treat us unfairly, right?”

Ye Zhou: “If you want a raise, just say it directly.”

Chen Shu laughs.

Ye Zhou: “Don’t worry. I’m going to raise your salary anyway.”

Just as Ye Zhou finishes speaking, a shout comes from nearby: “Zombies are coming! Get ready! Hold your guns!”

The water bottle in Ye Zhou’s hand drops to the ground, and he looks in the direction the shout came from—A small zombie horde is approaching!

Ye Zhou swallows hard, instinctively taking two steps back and hiding behind Zou Ming.

When Ye Zhou moves behind him, Zou Ming’s lips curve upward.

Chen Shu: “Boss, you can’t do this! To truly exercise, you must first overcome your fear. Don’t think of the zombies as zombies. Just treat them as walking rotten meat. Doesn’t that make you feel better?”

Ye Zhou: “…That actually sounds even more disgusting.”

“Alright, boss, follow me.” Chen Shu steps forward and grabs Ye Zhou’s wrist. “I’ll teach you how to ambush. It’s safe and efficient.”

As they move, Chen Shu throws a glance at Zou Ming.

The look seems to say: “See how good a friend I am? I’m personally teaching him how to ambush. This is my livelihood.”

Zou Ming, not wanting to make it too obvious, doesn’t stop them. “…”

Chen Shu leads Ye Zhou to a hillside, where they crouch behind a tree. Chen Shu whispers, “When picking a location, you must first determine if it’s safe and figure out which direction the wind is blowing. Boss, you’ll use my sniper rifle this time. Let’s go. I’ll show you how.”

Ye Zhou, feeling a bit pressured, hesitates. Chen Shu is a woman, and he doesn’t want to admit that he is inexperienced in front of her, so he nods. “Okay, I’ll give it a try.”

Chen Shu: “The most important thing for a sniper is patience.”

Under her guidance, Ye Zhou lies flat on the ground, looking through the scope. He whispers, “I think I’m quite patient.”

I didn’t smash the computer, so that should prove I have patience, right?

Chen Shu smiles. “Do you see them?”

The sniper rifle’s scope can also serve as a telescope. Ye Zhou adjusts the rifle until he can clearly see Zou Ming and the other soldiers.

When the small group of zombies first appears, Zou Ming and the soldiers haven’t used their guns. They are trying to avoid making too much noise, which would attract more zombies from behind.

Ye Zhou watches Zou Ming closely.

It is the first time he has seen Zou Ming use a knife—more specifically, a dagger.

This dagger had been brought by Zou Ming himself. Ye Zhou watches as Zou Ming moves through the zombies like a swift, silent predator. His movements are steady and ruthless, as though he has eyes in the back of his head. With a quick swipe of his dagger, he pierces the zombie’s forehead, then immediately jumps back, leaving the creature behind him empty-handed.

Zou Ming isn’t only focused on himself. In less than five minutes, he has cleared the zombies from blind spots, making sure the other soldiers are safe.

He is expressionless, his movements graceful yet deadly—like a phantom who appears out of nowhere.

Most of the soldiers who came out are facing outdoor missions for the first time. While they are good at dealing with zombies trapped behind barbed wire, they struggle when faced with zombies in direct combat.

Especially in this world, where zombies move as quickly as humans and possess great strength.

To fight them, you need not just power, but also stamina and agility.

Ye Zhou stares at Zou Ming and whispers, “He’s so handsome.”

Chen Shu, clearly unimpressed, replies, “Close combat is handsome? I think hitting the target every time is what’s truly impressive. Boss, try it. Aim for the zombie’s head over there.”

Ye Zhou adjusts the rifle until the crosshairs are aimed at the zombie’s forehead.

In that moment, Ye Zhou feels like he has entered a strange, almost meditative state. The disgusting zombies and the world around him seem to fade away. His focus is entirely on “hitting the forehead.”

Even when Chen Shu speaks, her voice sounds distant, as if coming from a far-off place.

Chen Shu whispers, “Don’t worry. Just aim and pull the trigger. You won’t hit your own people, boss. Trust me.”

At her words, Ye Zhou almost immediately pulls the trigger.

The sniper rifle, equipped with a silencer, lets out a faint “bang.”

Ye Zhou doesn’t feel any recoil.

He anxiously watches the zombie he aimed at.

Will it fall?

Has he missed?

Is he really made for guns?