Late Night Bookstore - Chapter 26

According to the Jianghai Evening News (Tongcheng’s local newspaper), seven people perished in the cinema fire, and more than thirty others sustained injuries of varying degrees.

A week had passed. The cinema had been shut down, and reopening it in the near future seemed impossible. It was even likely that the cinema would be abandoned altogether, as it had already been operating at a loss. Naturally, there would be no major efforts to reopen it.

As a result, the entire business complex had essentially declared its demise.

During this time, Zhou Ze hadn’t made further contact with Dr. Lin. Both parties had maintained a tacit understanding of not interfering with each other’s lives. However, Zhou Ze’s in-laws had called several times, questioning why he hadn’t come home and accusing him of being too bold.

In the end, Zhou Ze simply blocked their calls.

What troubled him now was that the money to open the bookstore had come from his in-laws. Zhou Ze felt awkward taking help from them, but he still hadn’t figured out a way to make some money to reopen the store and achieve true independence.

Frankly, the foundation that Xu Le had left him was terrible.

Several media outlets contacted Zhou Ze, hoping to interview him about his heroic deed, aiming to promote the positive energy of the new era. Zhou Ze declined all of them.

He wasn’t interested in gaining fame. As the saying goes, “The taller the tree, the more wind it catches.” With his identity and role, becoming a public figure would bring more uncontrollable risks.

This week, business had been quite slow. The daily sales revenue didn’t even reach 100 yuan, which was insufficient to cover the rent and utility costs. Zhou Ze, however, wasn’t overly concerned about this.

What concerned him was that the neighboring store, run by Xu Qinglang, had been closed for a week.

Zhou Ze hired a shady locksmith to open the door for him. After searching inside, he couldn’t find any sour plum juice or anything similar. The kitchen in the back was clean and tidy.

It was quite frustrating.

After all, when a man with over twenty properties, who also happens to be good-looking, suddenly decides to renounce the world and pursue a carefree lifestyle, it’s really hard to track him down.

Thus, Zhou Ze had quite a rough week.

He tried various methods like chili oil, old vinegar, dark soy sauce, and high-concentration orange juice. While these helped him manage to eat a little, they all left him in misery, nowhere near the effect of Xu Qinglang’s ancestral sour plum juice.

At night, Zhou Ze squatted alone outside the bookstore, smoking a cigarette and occasionally glancing at the neighboring store, feeling a sense of melancholy about life.

In front of the shop, by the roadside, four or five incense towers were burning. This was done by the people from the mall, following the custom of welcoming the God of Wealth. Even though they knew that the God of Wealth couldn’t possibly save this shopping center, the rituals still needed to be performed.

Who knows, maybe a miracle could happen?

Occasionally, Zhou Ze would glance at the glass behind him or in front of him. The vengeful ghost of the man in the black suit was becoming more defined. Tonight marked the seventh day after his death, so it should be about time.

The process of a vengeful ghost forming into a tangible shape was a highly improbable event. Besides, regular vengeful ghosts could at most make you trip while walking or bite your tongue while eating. If they could give you a minor illness that required a couple of days on an IV drip, that was considered the work of a powerful vengeful ghost.

The kind of vengeful ghosts that went on rampant killing sprees like those in the movies simply didn’t happen in reality. Otherwise, the living world would have been thrown into chaos long ago.

Even Zhou Ze, who had been resurrected by borrowing a body, remained low-key.

How would those wretches without even a body dare to show off?

During this week, whenever he had some free time, Zhou Ze would read books, daydream, trim his nails, and occasionally check if the ghost behind him was becoming clearer.

It felt somewhat like… nurturing. He was experiencing a kind of fatherly love.

Daddy loves you. Daddy will wait for you to grow up.

Zhou Ze could clearly sense the emotions of the ghost behind him. His greatest resentment wasn’t directed at the cause of the fire but at Zhou Ze himself. He was filled with hatred, anger, anticipation, and patience.

Perhaps, in his view, tonight, the seventh day after his death, would be his moment of revenge.

With this thought, Zhou Ze flicked the ash from his cigarette, waiting for the ghost to take shape. Zhou Ze planned to tell him why flowers are so red once he fully formed.

Zhou Ze didn’t think he did anything wrong by saving lives. He also didn’t think the man in the black suit was wrong for hating him.

In the past, Zhou Ze had encountered a similar situation: someone was drowning, and another person jumped in to save them, but the rescuer was grabbed tightly by the drowning person, and they both ended up drowning.

Generally speaking, when rescuing someone from the water, you had to approach from behind. If you approached from the front, the drowning person might see you as their last hope and hold on desperately.

Of course, Zhou Ze could understand this.

But understanding didn’t mean he would allow the man in the black suit to wreak havoc in his bookstore at midnight.

Earlier that day, Zhou Ze ordered takeout and chatted with a new delivery guy. He learned that the heroic delivery guy from before had recently become famous. He had been attending various award ceremonies and had even been recognized and rewarded by his company. He now had the nickname “The Most Handsome Delivery Xiao Ge¹.” He was still delivering food, but now he streamed live while doing so and had become quite popular.

While drinking old vinegar and eating his meal, Zhou Ze casually checked Weibo and saw that the delivery guy had made it onto the trending topics.

A week had passed since the incident. From the initial processing and summary of events to the current spread of positive energy and encouragement, the topic had reached its peak in terms of attention and discussion. The impact of this incident had not only spread across Tongcheng but had gone nationwide.

At 11 p.m., Zhou Ze watched as the man in the suit slowly became more defined while he also watched a movie. The movie was “That Demon Within²,” an older film by the famous director Dante Lam, starring Daniel Wu and Nick Cheung.

The door to the bookstore was pushed open, and the delivery guy, wearing his uniform and holding a selfie stick, walked in.

“This is a bookstore I frequent. After finishing my deliveries every day, I come here to read. It’s not for learning anything in particular, I just enjoy reading.”

After speaking, the delivery guy pulled a copy of Wen Tiejun’s “The Eight Crises³” from the bookshelf.

This book discussed China’s various economic crises in modern times. The delivery guy had opened the book and sat on a plastic stool, engrossed in it.

Zhou Ze remembered that the last time he came, he had been reading “Battle Through the Heavens” and had finished two volumes.

“Alright, the livestream ends here for today. I want to quietly read for a while. You all should rest early too. Thank you for keeping me company today,” the delivery guy said, bowing to the camera.

The screen filled with virtual gifts—membership cards, planes, rockets—showing just how popular he was.

After turning off his phone, the delivery guy closed “The Eight Crises”, stretched, and glanced at Zhou Ze.

“Boss, let’s go out for some late-night snacks. It’s on me.”

Zhou Ze shook his head and pointed at the computer screen in front of him.

“What are you watching?” The delivery guy leaned in and, after seeing the screen, laughed. “I’ve seen this one. ‘That Demon Within’, right?”

“Yeah,” Zhou Ze nodded while glancing at the time in the bottom-right corner of the screen. It was almost midnight.

The “baby” behind him was getting impatient.

“No reporters interviewed you?” the delivery guy asked.

Zhou Ze shook his head.

“You really should have accepted. It would have helped your bookstore’s business a lot,” he said.

“I prefer peace and quiet,” Zhou Ze responded insincerely, pretending to be aloof.

Money was important, but life was more important.

“We can watch the movie later.” The delivery guy seemed to get along with Zhou Ze. After all, they had charged into the fire together to save lives.

There was a kind of mutual admiration, a bond forged by shared danger.

“Did you know? ‘That Demon Within’ was based on a true story. In reality, the main character’s name was Xu Bugao,” Zhou Ze remarked.

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” the delivery guy replied, sheepishly smiling. “I just watch movies for fun. Who pays attention to that kind of detail?”

“Yeah, fair enough,” Zhou Ze agreed, turning off his computer and stretching. “It’s late. What do you want to eat?”

“Anything will do.”

“Then I’ll order takeout.”

“No, let’s go out to eat. My treat. What’s so good about takeout? Let me tell you, some restaurant kitchens are disgusting, and some businesses don’t even have a physical location—they just rent a run-down place to prepare food. Honestly, I don’t dare eat that stuff.”

“Really?” Zhou Ze nodded. “By the way, do you know what happened with Xu Bugao?”

“Well, now that you’ve told me, I do.”

“He killed his colleagues, stole money, and then lived freely. He even participated in TV shows, enjoyed being in the spotlight, and loved fame,” Zhou Ze said, touching the tip of his nose. “A very complicated person. He loved being in front of the camera.”

The delivery guy paused for a moment and didn’t continue on this topic. Instead, he asked, “Boss, are you coming for a late-night snack or not?”

“I’m not in the mood. Didn’t you see how many incense towers are burning outside my store? I’ve been inhaling the smoke all day. It’s completely ruined my appetite.”

Incense towers are large, multi-layered incense sticks shaped like pagodas. They are thick and burn for a long time.

“Haha, there’s no smell in your store at all,” the delivery guy pointed to the central air conditioner above the bookstore. “This thing is probably also an air purifier, right?”

“Yeah, it’s installed with the air conditioner. I also like to spray some fresheners in the store to create a reading atmosphere. Since I don’t offer coffee or snacks, the least I can do is provide a pleasant scent.”

“So, boss, you’re really not going to do me this favor?” The delivery guy playfully pretended to be upset. “We’ve been through life and death together, after all.”

Zhou Ze raised his hand curiously and asked, “There’s something I’ve always wondered.”

“What is it?”

“That day, I didn’t smell anything. In my store, it’s nearly impossible to smell anything from outside. So how did you smell the fire that day?”

The delivery guy was stunned for a moment, his face looking a bit unnatural. But he didn’t dwell on it and replied, “I’ve had a good nose since I was a kid. My grandma used to say I had a dog’s nose. When I was little, I could always find where the family hid snacks.”

“Do you know what day it is today?” Zhou Ze asked again.

“What day?”

“The seventh day.”

“The seventh day?”

“Yes, the seventh day… of the seven who died in the fire.”

TL Notes:

1. Xiao Ge – It means “little brother”. In everyday use, however, it has a broader meaning. It’s often used informally to refer to a young man, typically someone who provides a service or is in a casual, working-class job, like a delivery driver, waiter, or shop assistant. It conveys a sense of familiarity and respect, but in a friendly, non-formal way.

2. That Demon Within (魔警) is a 2014 Hong Kong crime thriller directed by Dante Lam, starring Daniel Wu and Nick Cheung. The film follows the psychological unraveling of a morally conflicted cop after he saves the life of a notorious gang leader. It’s known for its dark themes, exploring guilt, morality, and inner demons.

3. The Eight Crises (《八次危机》) is a well-known book by Chinese economist Wen Tiejun. The book examines eight significant economic crises in modern Chinese history, analyzing the underlying causes, impacts, and implications for China’s future development. It provides an in-depth look at China’s economic reforms and crisis management over the decades.