Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 81

The dimensional box is indeed a box, about the size of an A4 file bag, and its material is difficult to identify. It isn’t cold to the touch, unlike metal, but neither is it as light as plastic. Ye Zhou touches it several times, still unsure of its composition. He can only conclude that it’s made of some special material from a different time and space.

After all, it connects to a dimensional space, so it must be made of something extraordinary.

The dimensional space is endless. No matter how many things Ye Zhou places in it, they fit with ease. There’s no need for a specific storage area either—just open the box and place the items in the opening for two minutes, and the box takes them away automatically. The time limit is likely there to avoid mistakes.

As long as items are placed directly into it, there’s no size limit for what can be stored.

Ye Zhou not only brings a seed hoe and several plowing tools but also a sturdy wheelbarrow commonly used at construction sites. It’s durable, inexpensive, and offers great value for the cost. After all, the roads here aren’t suitable for bicycles, let alone cars. In comparison, there’s a reason why the unicycle, as a human tool, is still in use in the 21st century.

The unicycle can adapt to many road conditions—whether flat, hilly, or low-lying. As long as the wheel isn’t broken, it can be used almost anywhere. It’s also easy to repair. If the locals can find suitable tire materials, replicating the unicycle wouldn’t be difficult.

After double-checking that he hasn’t forgotten anything, Ye Zhou turns to the system mall. He needs to purchase a tent more suitable for wilderness use and quickly finds one.

However, it’s even more expensive than the tents currently used by supermarket employees—eighty thousand per tent. But it’s more portable, collapsing down to the size of an A5 book, about two hundred pages thick. There’s a blue button on top—press it firmly, and the tent automatically unfolds; press it again, and it collapses back.

It’s highly advanced technology, and although Ye Zhou feels the sting of the cost, he orders five tents without hesitation. After all, they’ll be useful in the future, and it isn’t a waste to buy a few extra.

When Sarah walks into the break room, she sees Ye Zhou sitting in front of the computer, resting his chin in thought.

She doesn’t consider herself an outsider as she lays down on the sofa, glances at Ye Zhou, and asks, “Will you take me with you next time?”

Ye Zhou responds, “Of course. I regretted not taking you last time.”

After all, Sarah is the only one who can possibly integrate into this world. Others look Asian, but Sarah appears like a standard European, and she’s quite cute.

Cute people are less likely to make others feel threatened than beautiful ones.

Hearing this, Sarah can’t help but smile smugly but quickly turns it into a playful complaint. “You should have taken me last time. What’s the point of taking Zou Ming? He’s not as smart as me.”

Ye Zhou chuckles at Sarah’s self-praise. “He’s not stupid.”

Sarah falls silent. She mumbles under her breath, “It’s always like this…”

Ye Zhou doesn’t hear clearly and is about to ask when Sarah suddenly stands up, fuming. “I’m going to settle things with him!”

Ye Zhou blinks in confusion. “What? What things? Just because I didn’t take you to the cliff? Then you can talk to me about it, why go to him?”

Sarah snaps, “You don’t understand!”

With that, she runs out, leaving Ye Zhou sitting there, confused and unable to make sense of it.

Sarah storms outside. She knows Zou Ming is working out near the supermarket, and just thinking about it makes her furious.

Sure enough, as soon as she goes out, she sees Zou Ming doing pull-ups—not on a bar, but using a tree branch as a substitute.

“Zou Ming!” Sarah calls up to him.

Zou Ming lets go and drops to the ground. “What’s wrong?”

Sarah grits her teeth, her pale face twisted with malice as she glares at him. “Are you doing this on purpose? You used to be like this—always pretending to be pitiful in front of him.”

Zou Ming calmly looks at her. “I never pretended.”

Sarah’s eyes redden. “I was the one who got there first!”

Zou Ming stares at her blankly. “You treat him like your father, but I never did.”

In a flash of frustration, Sarah lunges at Zou Ming. “If you don’t treat him like a father, why do you keep fighting with me?”

She remembers vividly the dark, cold basement, the rats and cockroaches her only company. Her brothers broke her hands and feet, pulled her teeth out, and left her bloodied on the floor. She screamed and cried for help, but no one came. Her body was cut open, her internal organs spilling out, yet no one was there to help her.

As a vampire, she wouldn’t die, but she couldn’t heal, either. She stayed in that darkness, praying that someone would come. But there was no answer. No one came.

At twelve years old, she’s still a timid, powerless child, with no choice but to pray for help.

Then, one day, the basement door opens.

A man stands there holding a candlestick, his face illuminated by the soft firelight. He’s handsome and kind, and when he sees her, his eyes are filled with shock and heartache.

It’s the first time Sarah sees someone look at her with such emotions. Even her mother never looked at her that way.

Her mother always looked at her with disgust and regret, as if she regrets giving birth to a child with human blood.

But this man… he treats her like she’s priceless.

He takes her broken body in his arms, disregarding the dirt, and gently stuffs her internal organs back into her. He holds her close, as if she’s not the dirty little vampire but his most cherished treasure.

In that warm embrace, Sarah closes her eyes, feeling safe for the first time in her life.

She knows she’s safe.

Though she doesn’t know who he is, she instinctively knows—this man will protect her.

To Sarah, this man is everything—her brother, her father, her protector.

And that’s why she hates Zou Ming, the person who makes her feel as though she’s fighting for his approval.

That hatred lingers, and even though she’s learned to control it before, it’s always there, simmering under the surface. In front of the man, she pretends to get along with Zou Ming. But once out of his sight, her mind is filled with thoughts like “How do I kill Zou Ming without leaving a trace?”

Zou Ming doesn’t hold back—he throws the charging Sarah aside without hesitation. She quickly gets up and pounces again. They soon fall into an intense scuffle, though neither uses their full strength: Sarah doesn’t bite, and Zou Ming doesn’t draw his gun.

The employees soon notice the commotion. However, none of them thinks it’s a real fight—they assume it’s just a “sparring” match.

As soon as they finish their work, the employees grab melon seeds and peanuts and sit on the steps outside the supermarket, eagerly watching the “fight.”

“Who do you think will win?”

“Sarah! She’s a monster—how could anyone beat a monster?”

“I think Zou Ming will win. He’s so big, after all!”

“Remember the guy Sarah bit to death before? He was just as big. Didn’t seem to help him much.”

The employees crack melon seeds and joke among themselves. If they weren’t so afraid of gambling, they might even place bets.

When Ye Zhou steps outside, he’s greeted by this lively scene. Sarah and Zou Ming are sparring, and the employees are debating who will win. Ye Zhou, though a bit nervous, feels relieved. He doesn’t sit with the employees but stands at the door, observing.

He can tell that both Zou Ming and Sarah are holding back—they’re not trying to kill each other.

Seeing that, Ye Zhou decides not to intervene.

“Boss, who do you think will win?” Chen Shu comes over with two bottles of soda, even inserting a straw for Ye Zhou.

Ye Zhou takes the soda, smiling as he says, “Thanks.” Then, he answers, “Sarah? After all, she’s a vampire.”

Chen Shu smiles back. “That’s not necessarily true. She’s not a pure-blooded vampire, and her abilities are limited. Her growth rate is slow. She’s over 400 years old, but still looks like a child. It might take over a thousand years for her to look like an adult. And after coming here, she won’t grow anymore. Boss, do you know why they’re fighting?”

Ye Zhou nods. “I know a little. It’s probably because Sarah is upset. She was angry that I didn’t bring her last time. From her expression, she seems to think Zou Ming was the cause of it.”

Ye Zhou starts to step out to stop Sarah and explain, but now it seems unnecessary.

Watching the fight, Ye Zhou isn’t worried. Both Sarah and Zou Ming know how to hold back, and the match is quite entertaining.

Zou Ming’s punches and kicks are powerful. He seems to anticipate every move Sarah makes, while she is fast, her leaps barely a blink of an eye. Watching them, Ye Zhou even pulls out his phone to record the video. He plans to review it later, hoping to learn something from it.

He’s learned some fighting techniques from Zou Ming, but without practical experience, he’s not sure how good he is now.

“Boss, do you want some snacks? I’ll go grab some,” Chen Shu says. She finds the scene interesting and goes to fetch some snacks. Afterward, she moves two plastic chairs and sits down with Ye Zhou on the steps to watch.

Chen Shu comments, “I don’t know much about fighting or martial arts, and I can’t use core strength either. I’ve hit sandbags before, like Zou Ming, who leaves holes in them. But when I try, the sandbag just shakes—I can’t make a hole like he does. If Zou Ming really fought, one punch could probably break his opponent’s ribs.” Chen Shu’s voice tinged with envy. “If I had his skills, I wouldn’t have to practice shooting so hard.”

Ye Zhou is full of confidence. “One day, I’ll be able to do it too.” He adds with a sense of relief, “I thought Zou Ming and Sarah didn’t get along, but I didn’t expect their relationship to be so good. They know how to hold back when they fight.”

Chen Shu raises an eyebrow. “Really? I can’t tell. I don’t see any good relationship between them.”

Really. I’m not seeing it.