C13 The Supermarket Strategy

The supermarket was situated along the roadside, spanning two stories. The ground floor primarily offered food items, while the upper level housed daily necessities, miscellaneous goods, and some bagged staples like rice and flour. Lee Yuanhong's initial focus was on the first floor, but he knew he needed to venture to the second floor as well. His makeshift cardboard armor was far from reliable, and he was in dire need of upgrading his weapons and gear.

Upon reaching the supermarket's entrance, the group encountered the storefront's metal roll-down door, firmly closed. Lee Yuanhong was stumped; forcing it open would undoubtedly create a racket, attracting a horde of zombies and courting danger. As he grappled with the situation, a melodious voice offered, "I'll handle this!"

Turning around, Lee Yuanhong saw Lee Luoxia stepping forward. She approached the door, retrieved a small pin-like tool from her waist pouch, inserted it into the keyhole, and after a few deft movements, a satisfying "click" signaled the lock giving way.

Lee Yuanhong was astounded, half-expecting to see a TV-style lock-picking feat. The door's opening echoed loudly, snapping him back to the pressing reality. He quickly instructed Lee Luoxia, "Don't open it all the way—halfway is enough. It'll make dealing with the zombies later much easier."

Lee Luoxia complied, releasing her hold on the door. Lee Yuanhong glanced behind them; the coast was relatively clear of zombies. To ensure a safe retreat, he directed a few armed members of the group to dispatch any approaching undead. With their rear secured, he crouched down for a better view into the supermarket. It was pitch-black inside, with no visible zombie activity, suggesting any threats were likely lurking deeper within. They would have to proceed with extra caution.

The group slipped into the dimly lit supermarket. Since it was before opening hours, the darkness was not conducive to their search or safety. Spotting an escalator by the window, Lee Yuanhong decided, "We'll head to the second floor first to find some lighting. Once we're equipped to see, we'll gather whatever useful gear we can find."

Lee Luoxia gave a nod of agreement. With no objections from the group (not that any dissent from the riflemen would have mattered), she instructed Lu Yi to lead the way. She stayed close to Lee Luoxia, adopting a protective stance as if to guard her.

Upon reaching the second floor, they were greeted by the lush light streaming through the expansive French windows, a stark contrast to the dimness of the ground level. Lee Yuanhong scanned the supermarket interior but saw no sign of zombies. He turned to Lee Luoxia and inquired, "What's your weapon of choice? Let's find something that suits you."

After a moment's thought, Lee Luoxia responded, "A dagger or short knife would be ideal for their lightness and agility. But I doubt we'll find any here. Maybe a sturdy, sharp kitchen knife could suffice for now."

"Alright, let's head to the kitchenware section for weapons," Lee Yuanhong agreed with a nod. He gestured forward and rallied, "Little brothers, move out." His demeanor was the spitting image of a comical demon leader straight out of 'Journey to the West.'

Lee Luoxia caught sight of Lee Yuanhong's humorous guise and her eyebrows quivered slightly, though her expression remained mostly unchanged. She followed him towards the kitchenware section.

As they passed the clothing department, a fitting room door suddenly burst open. A female zombie sprang out, charging straight for Lee Luoxia. Caught off guard and unarmed, Lee Luoxia barely had time to react. She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest in a futile attempt to fend off the zombie's onslaught.

In the nick of time, just as the zombie was about to seize her, a loud "thud" echoed through the air. The zombie was sent flying, slamming into a nearby clothes rack and collapsing to the floor. Lee Yuanhong, with his less-than-sturdy frame, had also tumbled to the ground in the commotion.

Pinning the zombie down with the pot lid shield in his grasp, Lee Yuanhong struggled to keep it at bay, the sound of metal clanging resonating around them. The zombie had landed face-to-face with Lee Yuanhong and was now clawing frantically at his shield and the flat-bottomed pan he wore as makeshift armor.

Amidst the chaos, Lee Yuanhong called out desperately to the riflemen nearby, "Quick, give me a hand here! I can't hold it back much longer!"

Lu Yi hurried over, spear in hand, and with a fierce thrust, he plunged it into the zombie's eye socket and gave it a twist. The creature ceased its thrashing immediately.

Lee Yuanhong was sprawled across the zombie's chest, gasping for breath. If one ignored the ghastly visage of the zombie, it might appear that Yuanhong was engaged in something rather unseemly. The woman beside him, Lee Luoxia, had gone pale, clearly still shaken by the encounter. Her chest heaved as she struggled to regain her composure.

Yuanhong clambered off the zombie and inspected the heart mirror strapped to his chest, noting the myriad of scratches, much like the ones on his pan lid shield. He realized that without his meticulous habit of donning his gear before stepping out, his rescue attempt could have easily turned fatal. He exhaled deeply and turned to Luoxia, "You're not hurt, are you?"

Luoxia, now regaining her senses, nodded in gratitude. "Thank you for saving me."

Yuanhong dismissed her thanks with a casual wave. "No need for that. We're teammates, after all. And as a man, it's my responsibility to save others. Think nothing of it." He then peered at the fallen zombie and mused aloud, "This one's speed and strength were unusual. Could it have evolved? Lu Yi, check for a Crystal Core in its head."

With a simple acknowledgment, Lu Yi raised his spear and plunged it into the zombie's skull, sending a spray of blood and brain matter in all directions. Luoxia turned away, her body wracked with nausea. Yuanhong, however, studied the gory scene intently, unfazed.

As the zombie's head was shattered, a gleaming, oval Crystal Core emerged. It was a Level One. Yuanhong carefully wrapped the core in a discarded garment, wiped away the blood, and with a satisfied smile, tucked it safely into his inner pocket.

Luoxia, curiosity mingling with her discomfort, inquired, "What is that?"

"A Crystal Core," Yuanhong explained. "It's full of energy. It's what humanity will rely on for evolution in the days to come."

"Evolution?" A spark of intrigue flashed in Lee Luoxia's eyes.

They had dispatched the zombies with a significant ruckus, yet the silence around them remained unbroken. It appeared there was only one zombie on the second floor. The supermarket uniform it wore suggested that an employee, bitten by a zombie, had fled upstairs to hide, only to turn into one themselves.

The recent ordeal seemed to have softened Lee Luoxia's guard towards Lee Yuanhong, much to his quiet delight. The classic tale of a hero rescuing a damsel might just be his to claim, signaling a potential turnaround for his once downtrodden fate. With a confident gesture, Lee Yuanhong led the way forward.

In the kitchenware section, Lee Yuanhong realized he didn't actually need to find any new equipment; the kitchen knives were no match for his trusty climbing pick. However, upon noticing the scratches on his chest and the battered frying pan he wore, he decided to head straight for the wok section to make a selection.

Ten minutes later, both Lee Yuanhong and Lee Luoxia had chosen their gear. Lee Luoxia now wielded a watermelon knife. Unsharpened, yet sufficient to fend off a zombie's claws, and several pointed kitchen knives hung from her waist. Lee Yuanhong regarded these merely as backup weapons, sparing them little thought.

Lee Yuanhong then turned to Lee Luoxia, "Shall we find some food first to regain our strength? Afterward, we can head downstairs to search for flashlights, batteries, and backpacks. By the way, do you need any specific food items?"

Lee Luoxia gave a slight nod, replying, "Yes, I'll need some milk powder."

Puzzled, Lee Yuanhong was left with a mental question mark. Milk powder? Was she planning to care for a child?

The group pressed on, each person now equipped with a powerful flashlight and a sizable backpack, their armed appearance growing increasingly incongruous.

Having refueled upstairs, they were ready to make their way back down. As they approached the escalator, several shadowy figures staggered into view. Clearly, the commotion above had roused the zombies below. Lee Yuanhong promptly instructed everyone to fall back, positioning Lu Yi and Lu Er to guard the second-floor exit. With only two zombies able to ascend at a time, the fight was manageable. However, with the number of zombies below uncertain, charging in blindly could spell disaster.

The zombies below had caught the scent of the living and, in their excitement, they charged up the stairs with a chorus of roars. But to the well-fed gunmen, they were nothing more than easy prey. A rapid succession of gunfire later, five zombies lay strewn across the assault path, all level zero with meager combat strength.

Once the zombies were dispatched, Lee Yuanhong instructed Lu Yi to cautiously lead the way as they resumed their journey to the first floor. This time, no zombies ambushed them, but Yuanhong remained vigilant, meticulously advancing and sweeping his flashlight into every nook to ensure none slipped through.

The supermarket was vast, and it took over twenty minutes to comb through the ground level. Any warehouses within would have to wait; Yuanhong's priority was elsewhere. They soon reached the supermarket's rear exit.

The back door, designated for loading and unloading, was flanked by three van trucks, one mid-unloading. Nearby lay several dismembered bodies, the area awash with blood. Such a sight barely registered to the battle-hardened Yuanhong, but the beauty at his side turned ashen, barely suppressing the urge to retch.

Yuanhong's attention turned to the driver's cabin of a van truck, its door ajar on the driver's side, empty and unstained. The keys dangled in the ignition, evidence of a hasty escape. As he surveyed the scene, a loud clang erupted from a nearby vehicle. Yuanhong peered over to find a zombie trapped inside the last truck, clawing at the window, its pale, twisted face a mask of frenzied excitement as it howled. Trapped by the seat, it could only flail helplessly, the glass unscathed.

Concerned about drawing unnecessary attention, Yuanhong ordered two riflemen to silence the creature. With the driver's window open, Lu Yi dispatched the zombie with ease, restoring tranquility to the scene.

After the brief skirmish, Lee Yuanhong initiated a scavenging operation. Several trucks were loaded with beverages, ham sausages, and bagged food items—these were the supermarket's bestsellers, hence they were restocked early each morning. As fate would have it, the apocalypse struck just then. Yuanhong directed three riflemen to unload the ham sausages, packaged food, and instant noodles, piling them up, while he sent another two to guard Lee Luoxia as she searched for baby formula, under the guise of time efficiency.

Taking advantage of Luoxia's absence, Yuanhong covertly activated his watch's spatial feature and began transferring the neatly stacked food into the space. With six cubic meters still vacant and three minutes remaining before the space closed, Yuanhong, ever the pragmatist, saw no point in squandering this opportunity. Sending Luoxia away was a subtle manifestation of his cautious nature; in this new world, trust was a luxury and caution the currency of survival.

Once the bulk of the goods were secured, Yuanhong instructed the riflemen to fill their backpacks with instant noodles and ham sausages, a ruse to mislead any onlookers. They then regrouped and headed back to the supermarket to reunite with Luoxia.

There, Luoxia was crouched in the baby formula aisle, packing her bag with three or four canisters of formula and a selection of children's snacks. This confirmed Yuanhong's suspicion that she was a mother, stirring an inexplicable discomfort within him. What was the cause of this unease?

As Luoxia continued to load her bag, Yuanhong wasted no time. He made his way to the canned goods section, cramming cans into his own bag and, while Luoxia was distracted, stealthily stashed several boxes of canned food into his spatial reserve. Once both their backpacks bulged with supplies, Yuanhong approached Luoxia and remarked, "Is that enough? Overpacking will slow us down. There will be other chances to stock up."

Luoxia nodded, rose to her feet, and followed Yuanhong towards the exit. As they passed the bread section, she couldn't resist adding a few loaves to her already brimming bag.