Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 60

A few hundred small-sized zombie swarms are completely wiped out in less than two hours. Ye Zhou, wearing a face mask, ends up with the inside fogged up and sweat continuously dripping down his face. The others aren’t faring much better.

Even outside the barbed wire, no one dares remove their gear or take off their masks despite being thirsty and exhausted.

Who knows whether the plants or soil still carry “eggs” or “viruses” left behind by the zombies?

Only after being completely disinfected in the disinfection room next to the base can they be safely isolated.

Areas where zombies haven’t been are still considered safe.

“I’m so tired…” Ye Zhou feels like his arms are too heavy to lift. He doesn’t feel tired when the zombies are right in front of him. The fatigue only hits him once the zombies are down.

Chen Shu also puts away his gun and runs down the hillside. When they look, it’s already half past eleven.

The soldiers are preparing to head back as well.

This team of soldiers has gone out today and will be quarantined for three days afterward. The longest incubation period for the zombie virus is actually only one day, but the base, being cautious, mandates three days just in case of virus mutation.

No one complains.

After all, it concerns everyone’s safety and the base’s security—better to be safe than sorry.

The group trudges back, exhausted. They can drink water, but they have to use a straw to probe into a small hole under the mask, which has a thin film that automatically seals once the straw is removed.

Breathing still relies on the small purifier attached to the mask.

Ye Zhou drinks water several times but eventually gives up, finding it too much of a hassle. He stops drinking altogether.

There’s no going to the bathroom outside. He worries he might drink too much and not be able to hold it in before they get back.

He hadn’t thought he’d be this tired in the morning, but the exhaustion from going out today surpasses even the two busiest days he’s spent at the supermarket.

Not only is he physically drained, but mentally too. They have to stay alert at all times, pausing for even the slightest sign of trouble. The constant mental tension is far more taxing than physical fatigue.

By the time they reach the outskirts of the base and arrive at the disinfection room, it’s already 1:30 PM. Everyone is tired and hungry, but they still have to line up to enter the disinfection room.

Ye Zhou and Zou Ming are in the middle of the line. Ye Zhou is so tired he can barely stand, so he pinches Zou Ming’s arm and casually asks, “Can I lean on you?”

Zou Ming responds calmly, “Okay.”

Ye Zhou leans on Zou Ming’s arm, letting out a sigh of relief.

“I don’t want to go out tomorrow. I’m too tired,” Ye Zhou mutters quietly, not wanting the soldiers to hear.

Before Zou Ming can comfort him, Chen Shu turns around from the front and says, “Boss, you can’t back down. Keep going. After this mission ends, maybe you’ll actually become a sharpshooter.” Chen Shu adds, “Sometimes you have to push yourself.”

Ye Zhou sighs deeply.

He really doesn’t want to push himself. If he were still in his old life, he would never have bothered learning to shoot, let alone caring about things like riding or archery. All he cares about is making money—he loves making money.

Soon, it’s their turn to enter the disinfection room. Men on the left, women on the right. Chen Shu goes to the right, and Ye Zhou and Zou Ming go to the left.

Though it’s a disinfection room, the base doesn’t have the resources to give everyone their own private space.

They have to change out of their clothes—the ones they’ve worn will be recycled and disinfected, and those without clothes have to go to the water for disinfection.

A group of men stands facing each other, with no privacy at all.

Ye Zhou, who has never entered a public bathhouse: “……”

He knows it sounds a bit fussy, but he can’t help feeling awkward.

“Can’t I keep my underwear on?” Ye Zhou asks Zou Ming after taking off his mask.

He looks like he’s just been pulled out of the water, his hair wet, beads of sweat forming on his nose, and sweat from his temples dripping down his chin, landing on his chest.

Zou Ming looks away in a panic, saying, “It shouldn’t be possible.”

Ye Zhou sighs. “Alright. I guess no one will see me.”

With that, he steps aside to change.

The disinfection room hasn’t prepared towels for them to wrap around their waists. Compared to Ye Zhou and Zou Ming, the soldiers are already used to this kind of disinfection process. While Ye Zhou is still struggling, the soldiers have already taken off their clothes and are lining up to enter the small room for individual disinfection.

Afterward, they’ll exit through a different door.

The base has arranged accommodation for their isolation.

After undressing, Ye Zhou feels a bit embarrassed and tugs on Zou Ming’s arm. “You go first.”

Zou Ming: “… Weren’t you pretty calm in the break room before?”

Ye Zhou says confidently, “That was when it was just you. Now there are so many people. Can they compare to you?”

After all, they’ve shared a room for many nights. What secrets could possibly remain?

However, thinking about it, Ye Zhou realizes he has never seen Zou Ming completely naked. Even after showering, Zou Ming always wraps himself in a towel or puts on clean underwear before coming out. He never seems to care as little as Ye Zhou does.

Ye Zhou subconsciously glances down.

Zou Ming notices and quickly raises a hand to block him, his face flushed.

Ye Zhou, a little wistful: “Have you been working out or something?”

Zou Ming looks confused.

Ye Zhou adds, “Mine is normal! Yours is basically a genetic mutation!”

A soldier in front overhears and turns to watch the scene unfold. But since Zou Ming is already covering himself, the soldier just clicks his tongue. “Bro, what’s there to cover? Want me to show you mine?”

Zou Ming’s mouth twitches. “No thanks. Don’t want to see it.”

Soldier: “……”

Never met a guy this shy before.

Thankfully, the awkwardness doesn’t last too long. They’re not real soldiers, so no one goes too far with the teasing.

As it nears his turn, Zou Ming asks Ye Zhou to go ahead of him.

Ye Zhou doesn’t object.

When the glass door in front of him opens, Ye Zhou steps inside, then turns and looks at Zou Ming. “I’ll go in first and wait for you outside.”

Zou Ming nods. “Okay.”

Ye Zhou enters the glass room. There’s water on the floor, but he stands barefoot and doesn’t slip.

A fully equipped staff member comes in, holding a water pipe. Ye Zhou doesn’t know what kind of water it is, but it has to have some disinfecting properties.

“Lift your neck and arms,” the staff member instructs.

Ye Zhou obeys, raising his head and arms.

The staff shouts again, “Spread your legs a little, don’t close them so tightly.”

Ye Zhou: “…”

It feels a bit like he’s being teased—but he knows it’s not.

So he continues to follow the instructions. Once every nook and cranny has been rinsed, the staff member says, “There’s a shower outside, but wait until the water dries off your body before using it. Just wash your hair. Don’t use anything on your body—we didn’t provide soap or anything anyway.”

Ye Zhou: “Okay, got it!”

After exiting through the other door, Ye Zhou immediately sees the shower room. Thankfully, it’s a private stall and not a communal bath—now that would be outrageous.

Inside, Ye Zhou begins washing his hair. The disinfectant on his body seems to be a special skin disinfectant, so he’s careful not to let it touch his skin. He only washes his hair, wipes the water off his head afterward, puts on the clean clothes prepared by the base, and leaves the shower room.

As soon as he opens the door, he sees Zou Ming coming out from the opposite side.

Zou Ming isn’t wearing a shirt yet—just a pair of shorts.

Ye Zhou gives Zou Ming’s body an appreciative look.

Even though it’s not the first time he’s seen it, Ye Zhou still thinks Zou Ming’s physique is practically perfect.

The guy has eight-pack abs. Ye Zhou is green with envy.

“Are we getting quarantined too?” Ye Zhou walks over to him.

Zou Ming speaks in a low voice, “I spoke with Yang Guoqin. We don’t need to quarantine with the soldiers—we can go back to the supermarket.”

“But during store hours, we’d better not leave the break room.”

Ye Zhou frowns. “Maybe we should quarantine anyway. We’re going out again tomorrow anyway.”

Out of a sense of responsibility, Ye Zhou figures that while the virus might not be a threat to them, what if one of the locals gets infected after contact with them?

Then they’d basically be walking biohazards.

Zou Ming: “I’ll go tell them.”

He walks over to the staff and has a brief conversation, after which both turn to glance at Ye Zhou.

Seems like it’s all settled. Zou Ming waves him over.

Ye Zhou quickly walks over. The staff member keeps a respectful distance and says, “Our quarantine rooms are two people per room now. Used to be one per room, but space is limited. Just squeeze in a bit.”

The staff adds, “You’re both men, nothing to be shy about.”

“There’s no bathroom or shower in the rooms. If you need to use them, just tell the volunteer outside.”

Ye Zhou: “……”

It feels a bit like being in prison.

But Ye Zhou doesn’t complain. For safety’s sake, these things have to be done.

Staff: “Follow me.”

They walk through a long corridor and finally come to a hall filled with tables and chairs. Chinese fast food is available in the hall.

However, they can’t eat directly in the hall. They have to tell the volunteers, who will bring the food to their rooms.

“I’m not very hungry right now. Do you want to eat something before resting?” Ye Zhou asks Zou Ming.

Zou Ming: “I’m not hungry either.”

Seeing that they aren’t staying to eat, the staff leads them to their room.

When the isolation rooms were built, the zombie virus was probably not as strong as it is now. They’re solidly built and very large, almost like a hotel. Though not as luxurious, the environment is much better than Ye Zhou had imagined.

While there’s no TV or bathroom in the room, the space is large enough that they won’t feel suffocated even if locked inside.

The only thing Ye Zhou is dissatisfied with is how narrow the two beds are.

They’re even narrower than the bed in his university dormitory.

Ye Zhou thinks he won’t sleep well on this bed and will probably fall off it constantly.

These two beds are barely wide enough to lie flat on. To turn over, one would have to move in place or risk falling off.

“How do we sleep on these?” Ye Zhou looks at Zou Ming, completely baffled.

Zou Ming: “Just push the two beds together.”

Ye Zhou: “…But the area for one person is still this small.”

Zou Ming: “We can add the sofa to the side. If we push everything to the wall, it should be enough.”

Ye Zhou’s eyes suddenly widen. “That makes sense! Let’s do it.”

They’ve been sharing a room for so long, so sleeping in the same bed doesn’t seem like a big deal to Ye Zhou.

Besides, Ye Zhou doesn’t mind sleeping with someone of the same sex.

As for whether Zou Ming minds—he probably doesn’t either.