Half an hour later, standing at the entrance of "Happiness Home," the city's largest chain supermarket, Zhang Shaozhong began to regret it.
He originally thought that there would be fewer people on a weekday afternoon, but he underestimated the "eye-catching" ability of the two big shots.
Ling Qingxue was still wearing a plain white dress. Although the material was ordinary, her aloof and otherworldly temperament and stunning beauty made her look like a fairy who had stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting, completely out of place in the noisy environment around her.
Ye Meier went even further, insisting on wearing jeans and a short-sleeved top that accentuated her curvaceous figure, with a smug smile that seemed to say, "I'm going to inspect my territory," drawing stares from passersby.
Zhang Shaozhong felt like he was under immense pressure, as if he were being stared at by two moving spotlights.
First challenge: Automatic door.
As you approach the entrance, the transparent glass doors sense your presence and slide open with a "whoosh".
"Um?!"
Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier took a half step back almost simultaneously, adopting a defensive posture.
A barely perceptible chill condensed at Ling Qingxue's fingertips, while a glint of purple light flashed in Ye Meier's eyes.
"What organization is this?!"
Night Enchantress gave a low shout, watching the door that "moved on its own" warily.
Zhang Shaozhong was terrified and quickly lowered his voice, "Don't move! This is an automatic door! It opens when it senses someone! It's very common! It's not a trap! Relax! Relax!"
As he spoke, he forcibly pulled the two tense bigwigs inside.
As Ling Qingxue passed through the door, she cautiously scanned it with her divine sense to make sure there were no fluctuations in spiritual energy before she relaxed slightly.
Ye Meier tapped and knocked on the door frame, muttering, "Interesting, this mechanism is quite well hidden."
Second challenge: Handcart.
Upon entering the supermarket, Zhang Shaozhong wanted to push a shopping cart.
As soon as I grabbed the handrail of one vehicle and pulled it out, another vehicle automatically followed (the kind of vehicles that are connected together like in a supermarket).
"Huh? A mother-and-child chain car?"
Night Enchantress perked up again, "This design is ingenious; a single movement affects the whole body."
She tried to pull a car, just like Zhang Shaozhong, but she pulled too hard and almost knocked over the whole row of cars, making a loud crash that attracted even more attention.
Zhang Shaozhong covered his face, quickly steadied the cart, and whispered, "My dear sister, be gentle! This is a shopping cart for carrying things, not a weapon!"
Ling Qingxue became interested in the car's wheels, watching them steer nimbly, and commented, "This thing uses the power of rolling wheels to save time and effort; the wisdom of ordinary people should not be underestimated."
The third stage: the merchandise area.
The real "Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden" model is only just beginning.
• Puffed Food Section: Ye Meier picked up a bag of potato chips, squeezing it so hard it made a rustling sound, her face full of surprise: "What is this? Why is there so much air in it? The picture on the packaging is quite tempting."
She tried to open the packaging with her fingernails, but Zhang Shaozhong stopped her in time: "These are potato chips! They're for eating! You have to pay before you can open them!"
Ling Qingxue stood in front of rows of colorful drinks, looking at the fruit patterns printed on them, and asked in confusion, "Why are the juices in this world so vibrant in color? Could it be that illusion magic has been added?"
She picked up a bottle of orange juice and examined it closely under the light, seemingly trying to determine if it contained any spiritual energy.
Live fish swam in the tank. Ye Meier's eyes widened: "Why is this fish confined in a glass case? Are they selling live animals? That's quite novel."
She even tried to reach out and poke him, but Zhang Shaozhong grabbed her arm.
Seeing the processed chicken and pork wrapped in plastic wrap, Ling Qingxue frowned: "The corpses are handled so cleanly, without a trace of blood. The culinary skills of this world have reached a state of perfection?"
Faced with a dazzling array of shampoos and shower gels, Ye Meier picked up a bottle and shook the liquid inside: "There are so many kinds of shower shampoos? 'Deep Repair', 'Radiant Color Protection'? What's the difference?"
She opened the bottle cap to smell it, and Zhang Shaozhong broke down again: "Don't smell it! Don't taste it! Just look at it!"
Zhang Shaozhong felt like a broken record, constantly repeating:
"This is XX, you can't touch it/can't open it/can't eat it, you have to pay!"
His forehead was constantly covered in sweat. He not only had to answer the two big shots' bizarre questions, but also had to endure the curious, surprised, and even idiotic stares of the surrounding customers and sales staff.
"Look at that guy, he brought two girls dressed in cosplay to the supermarket?"
"Wow, she's so good-looking! Is she an internet celebrity filming a video?"
"This behavior is strange. Is there something wrong with it?"
Zhang Shaozhong wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Fourth level: Elevator.
The supermarket has two floors; you need to take an escalator to go up and down.
This has become a new challenge.
Standing in front of the running escalator, Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier both hesitated.
"Why are these stairs moving on their own?"
Ling Qingxue stared warily at the constantly rolling steps.
"Could it be some kind of teleportation array?" Ye Meier asked eagerly.
Zhang Shaozhong had no choice but to demonstrate himself. He stood on the escalator and turned back to call out to them, "Just come up, stand firm and hold on tight!"
Ling Qingxue learned quickly. Although her posture remained elegant, her body swayed slightly the moment she stepped up, but she quickly regained her balance.
Ye Meier, on the other hand, was rather reckless. She jumped up directly, but lost her balance and stumbled forward, almost bumping into the person in front of her, which drew a gasp.
Going downstairs was even funnier. Ye Meier looked at the disappearing steps beneath her feet, feeling a little dizzy, and gripped the handrail tightly.
"Going down like this is a bit scary! Kid, what if this thing suddenly stops?"
Zhang Shaozhong said helplessly, "Don't worry, big sister, it's perfectly fine!"
Finally paid!
Finally, carrying large bags and small packages, as if he had fought a tough battle, Zhang Shaozhong, along with two big shots who were still enthusiastically discussing "automatic stairs" and "scanning mirrors," escaped from the supermarket.
Back home, Zhang Shaozhong collapsed onto the sofa, feeling utterly exhausted.
Ye Meier excitedly examined the "spoils" she had brought back, especially the bags of potato chips and cola: "Kid, hurry up! Open these... potato chips for me! I want to taste what this stuff full of 'air' tastes like!"
Ling Qingxue picked up a "World Geography Atlas" she had bought on the side, and said thoughtfully, "The supermarket was overflowing with goods from all over the planet. The logistics were so advanced that it was beyond imagination..."
Zhang Shaozhong waved his hand weakly: "Find out the food yourself, the instructions are on the packaging... Let me rest for a bit, just a little while..."
He closed his eyes, and the curious gazes from the supermarket, the exclamations of the two bigwigs, and his own constant explanations and apologies seemed to still echo in his ears.
It's necessary to show them the world, but the process... is just too exciting.
Zhang Shaozhong has already begun to consider whether he should choose to make his next purchase late at night, or... just buy it online?
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