Chapter 13
Happy Supermarket
[Host...] The system's voice was a little weak. Although it knew it was a low-level dungeon, the scene was still a bit exciting.
Shi Mo didn't even frown; he just stared at the stain, as if assessing the "efficiency" of this rule. It was too crude, too lacking in aesthetics.
"Go...get out of here quickly!" Manager Sun shouted hoarsely, trying to suppress his discomfort.
The eleven survivors, burdened with deep psychological trauma, staggered out of the blood-soaked break room. They had just returned to the store—
"Ding-dong—"
The glass door at the supermarket entrance slid open slowly with a crisp yet unsettling sound.
The first "customer" walked in.
It was an old lady pushing a shopping cart, her hair was gray and neatly combed, and she had an overly standard, stiff smile on her face.
She walked slowly, and the wheels of the shopping cart made a grating, teeth-grinding creaking sound.
Everyone held their breath, watching her intently.
The old lady strolled around slowly, finally stopping at the beverage section. She picked up a bright red bottle of "Happiness" juice, looked at it, and then turned to Li Li, who was wearing pajamas and was closest to her.
"Employee," the old lady spoke, her voice dry as if she were rubbing sandpaper, her smile unchanged, "this bottle of juice is expired."
Li Li's face turned deathly pale as she recalled Xiao Min's tragic state and Rule Two. Zhang Hao, standing beside her, gripped her hand tightly.
"Smile! Say that line quickly!" Manager Sun urged in a low voice.
Li Li trembled all over, forcing out a smile that looked worse than crying, her voice trembling with sobs: "Okay, okay... I'll serve you right away..." She reached out her trembling hand, trying to take the bottle of juice.
But the old woman abruptly snatched the juice back, her smile vanishing instantly, replaced by a venomous, ferocious expression: "You hesitated! You're afraid of me?! You think I'm lying to you?!"
"No! I didn't! I..." Li Li retreated in terror, bumping into the shelf.
The old woman's mouth suddenly opened wide, splitting to a degree that no human could possibly achieve, revealing a dense array of swirling serrations! She grabbed Li Li's arm with astonishing strength!
"Brother Hao! Save me!" Li Li screamed in agony.
Zhang Hao tried to rush forward, but Wang Hu held him back tightly: "Do you want to die together?!"
To everyone's horror, the old lady dragged Li Li and shoved her into her seemingly ordinary shopping cart! The moment Li Li's body entered the shopping cart, it seemed to be compressed and twisted, and her screams stopped abruptly.
The old lady closed her mouth with satisfaction (returning to that stiff smile), pushed the shopping cart which was noticeably heavier, and continued walking forward with a "creak, creak" sound, as if nothing had happened.
"Xiao Li!!!" Zhang Hao roared in despair and collapsed to the ground.
The remaining ten people felt their hearts sink to the bottom. Rule Two: not only could they not argue, but even a slow response or an unnatural expression could trigger death!
"Ding-dong—"
The second customer came in.
It was a mother holding a little boy's hand. The mother was pale and had empty eyes, while the little boy was holding a dirty ball, a strange smile on his lips, staring straight at the crowd.
"Employee!" the mother exclaimed, pointing to the snack section. "My son wants those 'Happiness' brand rainbow candies, but they're all gone!"
The closest one this time was Wang Hu, the burly man with the tattooed arms. He jumped, almost reflexively forcing a ferocious "smile," and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Okay! At your service right away!" Then he rushed towards the warehouse like a startled rabbit.
Fortunately, he found the stock in the warehouse and, panting, carried it out to restock the shelves. The mother, expressionless, took a bag, led the little boy away, and left. Wang Hu collapsed to the ground, drenched in cold sweat.
"Restock! Look at rule three!" Liu Wei suddenly shouted, pointing to the shelf where the rainbow candies had just been taken.
The empty space seemed to emanate a dark aura, and a tall, blurry shadow in a security guard uniform began to gather nearby.
Old Wu reacted the fastest, immediately picking up other "happiness" products from the side to fill the void, and only then did the shadow slowly dissipate.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but their mood grew even heavier. Not only did they have to deal with strange customers, but they also had to constantly be on the lookout for restocking!