Plane Supermarket Plane 2: Luoyang Base C3
The two people standing in front of Ye Zhou both had thin and weak figures. Although they were soldiers, apart from their clothing, there was no trace of the aura associated with peace-era soldiers. They lacked the vigor that instantly conveyed a soldier’s spirit. They weren’t strong, at least not appearing as physically fit as Chen Shu and Zou Ming.
In their eyes, there was a heavy, lingering sense of death, as if they were no longer alive.
Ye Zhou couldn’t help but worry. He was concerned that in this extreme environment, nobody would be willing to engage in “business” with him. What if someone attempted to raid him?
With only a handful of people in his store, it would be impossible to defend it!
His options were limited. Either he had to purchase weapons, or he had to hire help.
The former option meant that his employees in the store had no prior experience with firearms, and they would require time for learning and training.
But Ye Zhou still had to be cautious of their potential ill intentions. Even though the likelihood was minimal, Ye Zhou felt it was better to exercise caution. He had only one life, and there was only one way back home.
As for the latter option…
It seemed even more dangerous than hiring employees. Whether the recruits would turn out to be a boon or a bane, Ye Zhou had absolutely no clue.
If they didn’t kill him but instead forced him out of the supermarket, it would be tantamount to death.
Ye Zhou exhaled slowly, making a concerted effort to appear serious. He fixed his gaze firmly on the woman’s eyes and spoke with a slightly tough tone, “You have two hours to explain the current situation to me.”
The woman had a lot of questions in her mind, but after hearing these words, she immediately recollected their current predicament. So, she concisely explained, “The zombies have been besieging the city for nearly three months. Our supply lines have been severed, and while we have guns, we’re out of bullets and medication. We also don’t have grenades or such things. Tanks can still run, but we’re out of shells, and they make for an easy target with their size and noise.”
“Our base is situated on an important route leading to the rear. If the base is breached, the zombies will pour down this path, and the rear is likely to fall as well,” the woman explained with a clear and logical manner. “We need ammunition and medication.”
Ye Zhou asked her, “Can you make the decisions?”
The woman hesitated for a moment, realizing that she likely couldn’t make the ultimate decisions. Although she was in the vanguard camp, the vanguard camp was merely a frontline unit, not a command authority. They were all soldiers, so how could they take charge?
But in the present moment, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, “I can!”
Ye Zhou nodded slightly, saying, “I have bullets and medication, but I can’t just give them to you for free. I need you to exchange something of equal value.”
Both of them looked up suddenly, their eyes filled with disbelief as they stared at Ye Zhou, but soon their heads hung in dejection.
How much ammunition could a supermarket possibly store?
It was like a drop in the ocean compared to the zombie horde.
The man asked, “What do you mean by an equivalent exchange?”
Ye Zhou replied, “Among all of you, I don’t suppose gold, silver, or jewelry hold much value now. I don’t want those things, at least not for the time being.”
“Boss, we’ve brought the stuff,” came the voice of Wu Yan and the others from outside the door. They had been knocked on the head before coming, and when there were outsiders, they couldn’t call Ye Zhou ‘Immortal.’
Wu Yan and his group could understand this well. The Immortal “traveling incognito,” not wanting to be recognized by ordinary people, was quite normal!
The woman watched as several sturdy men carried in a few wooden boxes, and it wasn’t just a few boxes. They are still moving out of the wooden boxes.
One of the men lifted the lid off one of the wooden boxes.
Inside, it was packed with bullets.
And each box of ammunition contained a different caliber, not only the commonly used 5.56 and 7.62 but also .45 caliber and 12 gauge. It was an assortment that could be described as having everything you might need.
Ye Zhou wasn’t just providing goods. He was also “showcasing” his firepower.
If there were only a few people in his store, why would he stockpile so many bullets?
He had now even learned how to use smoke grenades.
If others couldn’t discern his true strength, they wouldn’t readily make a move against him.
Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy ensures victory. That’s how everyone thought. So, don’t let others know, don’t allow them to figure you out.
Ye Zhou’s extravagant display left the two of them dumbfounded.
Even if the rear supply lines were restored, there might not be this much ammunition available.
Ye Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. Although the guns in the system were expensive, the ammunition was cheap. It felt like it was practically given away for free.
“Everything is here. What do you have to exchange?” he asked.
Ye Zhou clasped his hands together, supporting his chin. He looked coldly at the two people before him. “This is a supermarket here. we don’t engage in loss-making deals.”
·
“General! There’s news from the front lines!” A soldier in uniform dashed down the corridor, his face a chaotic blend of excitement, worry, fear, and ecstasy. Multiple emotions intertwined on his face, making his expression appear particularly fierce.
The man referred to as the general gazed at the monitor, his eyes fixated on the supermarket at the center of the screen.
Ever since this supermarket strangely appeared, the base had been plunged into a state of equal parts terror with the approaching zombie horde.
The General immediately imposed a news blackout. He was aware that the existence of this supermarket must not be revealed to the public, as it would only lead to greater panic.
No one had any clue about the true nature of this supermarket.
Is it a real, a mirage, or maybe a trap set by evolved and mutated zombies?
The base had reached a life-and-death juncture, and there was no room for any threats.
“What news?” The General stood up.
The soldier took a deep breath and said, “Vanguard Camp’s A365 has entered that supermarket.”
“She… she said the supermarket can provide us with ammunition, but on one condition…”
The General furrowed his brows tightly. “What’s the condition? Don’t leave me hanging!”
The soldier replied, “The condition is that we can exchange with an equivalent value.”
“Did they mention who operates that supermarket?” the general inquired.
The soldier shook his head. “Time is running out, and they didn’t talk about it with us.”
The General pressed his lips together, realizing that no one could truly tell what kind of place this supermarket was. Was it the work of aliens? Or perhaps people from the future?
But for now, their primary concern was the zombies.
Even if the supermarket turned out to be their enemy, they had to deal with the zombies first. Otherwise, even if the supermarket didn’t exist, once they were overrun by zombies, the fate of the supermarket would become inconsequential.
“With what can we make the exchange?” the General asked.
The soldier shook his head. “They only mentioned equivalent exchange, but didn’t specify what exactly. They said not to offer things like gold and silver, which are worthless in the base.”
The General pursed his lips and said, “Then let’s go with corn cake.”
Although the general didn’t want to admit that in the current world, paper currency had lost its purchasing power, he had to acknowledge this uncomfortable truth. The most stable currency at the moment was corn cakes.
“Inform the logistics,” the General rubbed his temples. “Send some over as a trial.”
“If anything goes wrong, it’s on me.”
In this critical moment, he had no choice but to take a gamble.
Regardless, they had to secure the base first.
The General looked at the surveillance camera once again. Beyond the barricade of barbed wire, the zombies were on the verge of climbing over. The electrified barbed wire was the base’s second line of defense, and the electrical current had the power to electrocute a living person in an instant, leaving them charred. It could also disrupt the zombies’ brains.
For dealing with small groups of zombies, and even medium-sized zombie waves, it was more than sufficient. Especially since they had built the barbed wire twenty meters high.
But the zombies were endless. They came in unending waves, braver and more death-defying than the bravest of warriors. They used their own bodies to clear a path for their comrades behind, with one corpse stacking upon another. Either they would break through the barbed wire or climb over it.
Humans seemed so fragile in the face of zombies. Without medicine, even a minor wound could lead to tetanus. Humans appeared to be in a constant state of retreat, as if they were destined to fall.
The General wiped his face. He couldn’t retreat. If the base couldn’t be defended, he would have to send the scientists from the base away. Most of the vehicles from the base had been dispatched to transport supplies. At the last moment, he’d have to face survival or demise with the base.
As for that supermarket… whatever it might be, if it could truly provide ammunition…
Whether it was an alien conspiracy or a future business, he had no choice but to accept it.
The General took a deep breath.
–
“Corn cakes?” Ye Zhou was baffled.
What value could corn cake possibly have?
Even if corn cake could serve as a currency in this plane, a single piece of corn cake certainly wouldn’t be worth much. Just scanning them one by one with a barcode scanner would likely wear his arm out.
After witnessing the supermarket’s stockpile of ammunition, the woman became even more cautious in her speech. She was very curious about Ye Zhou’s identity but didn’t dare to ask directly. So, she cautiously said, “If we were to convert a single piece of corn cake into pre-apocalypse currency, it would be worth around fifty or more.”
Ye Zhou sighed in resignation. He wasn’t particularly angry.
He had been prepared for the fact that he might not make any money.
After all, providing them with ammunition was also a means of safeguarding himself.
Without these soldiers, without the base, how could he deal with so many zombies on his own?
It would be better to just shoot himself, a quicker path to the afterlife.
Ye Zhou’s expression of helplessness appeared to the woman as irritation and disgust. She attempted to play the sympathy card, saying, “Although our base is on the front lines, there are over five hundred thousand ordinary citizens living in the base. Even if we exclude those of us in the military, there are still over three hundred thousand, and they are all the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled.”
“Once we’re overrun, they will…”
Ye Zhou turned his head slightly. Of course, he sympathized with them. They were all human beings. He hadn’t become so callous as to only care about business.
But he couldn’t reveal his cards in this situation, so he coldly replied, “I’m here for business, not charity. You don’t need to tell me these things.”
The woman realized that her attempt to gain sympathy had failed and continued, “My name is Zhang Yao, and he is He Zihao. We both belong to the Vanguard Camp. I’ve been in the service for six years, and since the zombie crisis began, it has already been thirty long years.”
But Ye Zhou didn’t respond to her, nor did he say his own name. His heart was racing but his face bore no signs of it. Instead, he maintained an air of composure.
Cart after cart of corn cakes was brought over.
Although the individual value of corn cakes isn’t high, they had no choice – they were given too many!
Through the window, they watched as the soldiers unloaded the goods.
Bags of corn cakes were unloaded through the supermarket’s back door. Ye Zhou didn’t immediately instruct his employees to move them inside. Instead, he personally checked each bag to ensure they were free of rot and mold before allowing the soldiers to haul them in to replace the subpar corn cakes. Then, he had the soldiers escort Wu Yan and the others out, loaded with ammunition.
This whole process was nothing short of heart-pounding for Ye Zhou. He remained vigilant, ready for the soldiers to rush into the supermarket and take control, his hand firmly gripping his gun.
The soldiers had received orders to exchange ammunition, not to control Ye Zhou.
However, Ye Zhou knew well that this situation wouldn’t last.
After all, they were currently facing a common enemy, and in the eyes of the natives, the greatest threat was still the zombies, rather than his strange supermarket.
Once they achieved victory, driving back the zombies and securing their safety, Ye Zhou’s supermarket would no longer be safe.
After the soldiers left with the ammunition, Ye Zhou turned to Zou Ming and the others and said, “What should we do next? Once the zombies retreat, the base will undoubtedly come looking for trouble. When they realize the firepower of the supermarket, they’ll likely take action.”
Even he couldn’t be sure whether he would make the same choice if he were in their shoes, facing a shortage of resources.
In a twist of fate, what might be seen as a misfortune, given the grand backdrop, was considered a blessing by many.
Sarah spoke up suddenly, “It’s not like we can only travel one way between planes. If they dare to take action, we can just go back.”
Ye Zhou was taken aback for a moment, looking at Sarah. It was the first time he found Sarah to be so clever, and himself, quite stupid.
Exactly! If they try to attack him, can’t he just fight back and run if necessary?!
Now, he had a good amount of money in his account, and plenty of points he could exchange. Besides this place, he could return to the Da Liang Dynasty or go to that other continent.
With this in mind, Ye Zhou felt much more at ease.
He gazed at Sarah, saying, “Thank goodness for you. I would never have thought of this on my own.”
He once believed himself to be a poor guy, just starting out in the interplane business, unaware that he had already obtained the means to protect himself.
Sarah smiled, “The goal is for you to do business, not to put your life on the line. After a few jumps, they won’t dare to mess with you.”
Ye Zhou nodded, saying, “You’re right. After all, I still need to earn enough money here to buy a protective shield.”
Without a protective shield, he will always feel unsafe.
He wondered how much money he could earn in this plane by using corn cakes as currency.
While Ye Zhou grew more relaxed, his employees became increasingly tense.
Wu Yan and the others relied entirely on their trust and loyalty to the Immortals to avoid finding a hiding place.
“Their eyeballs have fallen out!” Zhou Wen shouted, his face turning a shade of blue. “And yet, they can still move!”
After they finished their tasks, they stayed inside the warehouse. The warehouse’s windows were situated high, preventing them from seeing the zombies outside, which helped ease their fear.
Although the female employees didn’t go outside, the men’s descriptions made it clear that they were currently surrounded by monsters.
“Are they monsters?”
“Nonsense! Since when do monsters have rotting faces?”
“Aren’t they skinwalkers? Who knows, they might be searching for people to skin!”
“Those people who came to help with the heavy lifting, are they soldiers? Surprisingly, there are even female soldiers!”
The female employees were curious, “Women can be soldiers too?”
“It doesn’t make much of a difference, looking at them,” Wu Yan commented. “They’re all taller than me.”
He had no idea how people here could be so tall! Back where he came from, he was already considered tall!
But here, everyone was tall, towering over him by at least a head.
Even the women looked stronger than him.
“Speaking of which, the Immortals also hired a female worker, and her arms are thicker than my thighs!”
The women exclaimed in shock, “It goes to show, in the eyes of the Immortals, there’s no real difference between men and women.”
“Or maybe, Li Gu1 has vision!”
They looked at Cao Er Niang, who was currently observing the Cao Er with a repeating crossbow in hand.
After hearing their words, Cao Er Niang didn’t boast as she used to. Instead, she calmly replied, “Now that we’ve joined the Immortal, we can’t just live as we did before. We need to achieve something as well!”
“We can’t always rely on the Immortals to protect us; we must protect him too! Otherwise, we’ll just be a burden!”
She wanted to learn how to use this crossbow, even hoping that when a crisis arrived, she could stand in front of the immortal to shield him.
I started reading “The rescue of the tragic villain is in progress.” (拯救悲情反派进行时) It is also a qt with different MC/ML won every arcs annnd im loooving it!! If you like Top’s pov, QT then that might be for you !
Please buy the raws to support the author if you can.
If there are any mistakes/error, feel free to comment it down below.
18
- Li Gu = Cao Er Niang if you forgot; also author used 夌姑 líng gū instead of 李 lǐ from previous chapters, but i think this is typo from their part so I kept it as Li Gu [↩]