Ch 32: My Multiverse Supermarket

Long District, Xinghua Community.

Fresh from the hospital, Qu Shuyi dragged her weary body back home.

The moment she opened the door, she froze.
The apartment was nearly empty—bare walls and stripped floors, as hollow as a newly built shell.

Her wrist light-brain pinged with a new message.

[I’ve submitted the divorce request and taken what’s mine. However much you spent on that sickly mother of yours, I’ve taken the same value in things…]

Qu Shuyi’s face stayed blank as she opened the verification notice from the Marriage Administration Office. Following the instructions step by step, she completed the divorce procedure.

When it was done, her stomach growled loudly in the silence.

Her ex-husband had taken nearly everything—furniture, appliances, even the groceries. Knowing his miserly nature, she hadn’t expected him to leave her a single grain of rice.

So she had no choice but to head out and find something to eat—maybe an energy bar from a nearby shop.

Just as she stepped outside, she ran into her neighbor.

“Shuyi, you’re back! How’s your mother doing?”

Qu Shuyi forced a tired smile. “She should be discharged soon.”

In truth, she could no longer afford the massive medical bills.
Her mother, unwilling to drag her down, had insisted on signing herself out.

The neighbor, unaware of the real situation, said cheerfully, “Resting at home might be best. Oh, and a new supermarket opened beside Tzu Chi House. The food there’s cheap—I even saw fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, and eggs. You should pick some up for your mom, it’s better than those energy bars.”

“Thanks, I’ll check it out,” Qu Shuyi said politely, though she didn’t really believe it.

How cheap could “cheap” really be?
And if it was truly that affordable, why had the neighbor only bought a handful of things?

She left the community and started toward the big chain supermarket she usually went to.
But then she remembered what her neighbor had said, and curiosity made her steer her balance scooter toward Tzu Chi House instead.

From a distance, she could already see it—a new building standing in the corner beside the orphanage park, with a retro-style sign hanging out front.

[Good Life Supermarket]

There was quite a crowd outside.

The last time Qu Shuyi had seen a supermarket this busy was during the great panic-buying wave.

That rush had happened right after the disaster began, when talk of the apocalypse was everywhere and fear spread like wildfire through the communities.

It wasn’t until the city hall announced food distribution plans and the Academy of Sciences released hydroponic crop reports that the panic finally subsided.

But years had passed since then. Every day now, people starved, froze, or died of illness.

Everyone understood by now—the resources truly were running out.

Even the city hall no longer dared to claim there was “enough for all.”
And the Academy hadn’t published a single crop report for an entire year.

Supermarket prices kept rising, and even then, stores were shutting down one by one.

A supermarket closing meant one of two things: either massive losses, or a broken supply chain.
During a crisis like this, loss was unlikely—the first to hike prices were always the supermarkets.

Rumor had it that several stores’ stockpiles had dropped by two-thirds compared to previous years.

When shelves went empty, people thought everything had been bought up—but the truth was, there just wasn’t much left to begin with.

Everything pointed to the same fact: supplies were running dry.

The growing anxiety was something everyone felt, but no one dared voice aloud.
Because once that illusion of stability shattered, order would collapse—and so would the will to survive.

So people tightened their belts, rationed their food, and said nothing.

The Academy had even compressed the nutrient fluid once used for sleeping immigrants into dense “nutrition energy bars,” claiming one bar could keep a person full for most of the day.

But those bars, while filling, were tasteless and chalky. Translated on Hololo novels.
Worse, some people had allergic reactions—severe ones.

Even the bread distributed by the city now contained diluted nutrient fluid, like watering down rice to make more porridge.

Two bowls of rice that once fed two people became six bowls of thin porridge for six.
The difference was simple: one filled you, the other didn’t.

…

Qu Shuyi shook herself out of her thoughts and looked up.

Following the crowd, she squeezed her way into the small supermarket.

While waiting in line at the entrance, she overheard that this supermarket was styled after the “retro era”—even its payment system was old-fashioned.

So when she finally stepped inside, the setup didn’t shock her.

A recorded announcement played on loop through the speakers:

“This supermarket does not accept light-brain payments or Orka payments. Purchases can only be made with a prepaid membership card using store points.”

“To recharge your membership card, please visit the counter. To check out, please use the self-service register.”

“Each customer is limited to three items per day.”

“Violating the rules will result in a permanent ban from the supermarket.”

Surprisingly, everyone followed the rules obediently.

Whether choosing goods or checking out, people queued patiently. No one tried to exceed the three-item limit.

Qu Shuyi couldn’t help wondering when people had suddenly become so well-behaved—
Then the line moved, and she found herself standing at the counter.

Behind it sat a young woman with calm eyes. Zhou Li.

Zhou Li looked at her for a few seconds before asking, “What will you be using to recharge your membership card? Orka coins—or… something else?”

Her gaze flicked briefly to the light-brain on Qu Shuyi’s wrist.

She’d heard those things were extremely valuable.
Unfortunately, light-brains were bound to their owners—one person, one ID.
Even if she somehow obtained one, it would be useless.

Qu Shuyi instinctively reached into her pocket—and to her surprise, felt a few coins there.

Then she remembered.

Before she left the hospital, her mother had pressed them into her hand, saying softly, “You look so tired. Go buy yourself something good to eat. Maybe an egg.”

Eggs—seven Orka apiece.

She opened her palm. One five-Orka coin, and two one-Orka coins. Exactly seven.

Qu Shuyi bit back her tears and handed the three coins across the counter.

“I’d like to buy an egg.”

Zhou Li: …

Her lips parted, but she hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “These can recharge for 560 points. Are you sure you want to convert all of it?”

On average, one Orka coin could be exchanged for eighty points.

Qu Shuyi didn’t know how much that would buy her, but she said, “Yes, I’m sure.”

Zhou Li swiftly issued a membership card for her and said, “Go pick out whatever you want. When you’re done, check out at the self-service register. Oh, and by the way, each person can only buy three items per day.”

Qu Shuyi didn’t understand why that rule needed to be stressed—until she began shopping.

Farm Fresh Eggs (8 per box): 3 points
Golden Corn (per pound): 5 points
Fresh Cucumbers (per pound): 4 points
…

Across the aisle, two customers were nearly fighting over the last box of eggs.

“Hey, I saw that first!”

“I already got a carton ready to pack them, okay!”

Their bickering drew a third person into the fray.
Moments later, the first two teamed up and pushed the third one out of the way.

Each bought four eggs.

But that meant one of their daily three-item limits was now used up.

After some whispering, they decided each would pick one more rare item from the shelves and split everything evenly after leaving the store.

Qu Shuyi: !!!

No wonder everyone was scrambling—the prices here were unbelievably low, almost like charity.

Thinking of her neighbor’s words, she joined the rush.

*

Despite Zhou Li’s prior warning, someone still filed a report against the supermarket.

The complaints accused her of occupying public land illegally, running a business without a license, and using a “points” system to evade taxes.

The next morning—just one day after Zhou Li and her little supermarket arrived in this world—the Tax Bureau and the Bureau of Commerce arrived together in full force at Good Life Supermarket.

“Madam, please present your business license,” said one official sternly. “We’ve confirmed that this plot of land belongs to the City Administration. Do you have the proper permits for operating here?”

Zhou Li muttered to the system, “Do we… have paperwork for this?”

The system replied in its flat synthetic voice, “Show them the store’s license. We are operating legally.”

The monotone assurance somehow calmed her nerves.

“Really? That’s an Earth license, isn’t it?” she whispered, but still took down the framed document hanging behind the register.

The Bureau official scanned it with her device, glanced at Zhou Li, and finally said through gritted teeth, “The paperwork is valid.”

Then she turned on her heel and left with her team.

Next, the Tax Bureau stepped up, asking for proof of tax registration.

Zhou Li produced another document—an official tax exemption certificate.

The tax officer’s face flushed purple with frustration, but he couldn’t refute it; their system recognized the license as legitimate.

They, too, left in defeat.

Zhou Li exhaled in relief. “How is it that Earth documents work here?”

The system explained, “This is a legally compliant trade system. It never violates the Interplanetary Trade Regulations.”

“I see…” Zhou Li murmured. “No wonder I had to apply for an Interplanetary visa before each jump.”

Then she frowned. “But who exactly grants that visa? Surely not the City Administration here.”

“Of course not,” said the system. “It’s granted by the Will of the World—the consciousness that governs this dimension and influences the perception of all its inhabitants.”

“The… Will of the World?”

But the system said nothing more.

After both bureaus left, the neighborhood residents who had been waiting outside rushed in, ready to shop like the day before.

Zhou Li greeted them with a calm smile. “Sorry, the store will be closed for two days.”

The residents froze. They opened their mouths to protest, then remembered what she’d said earlier—one report equals one day of closure.

After some awkward murmuring, someone said quietly, “B-but it wasn’t us who reported you.”

“I don’t care who it was,” Zhou Li replied. “Any report that disrupts normal business will be handled according to my rules.”

The store might have passed inspection this time, but that didn’t mean she would tolerate meddling.

“Then why two days?” someone asked.

“Because there were two reports,” Zhou Li said evenly. “Even if they came together, they count separately.”

Her tone was calm but her stance unshakable.

No amount of pleading or pity changed her mind.
Eventually, the residents had no choice but to leave.

Meanwhile, others in the neighborhood—unaware of the morning’s drama—heard rumors of the mysterious new supermarket.

In a time when prices everywhere were skyrocketing, its goods were shockingly cheap.

Because of the three-item-per-person rule, people convinced their entire families to come buy together.

But when they arrived, all they saw was a cold, printed notice: CLOSED FOR TWO DAYS.

“What happened?” someone asked.

Those who knew the story spoke up all at once:

“The Tax and Commerce people came this morning.”
“Someone reported the supermarket.”
“The boss said if anyone reports her, she’ll close the shop.”
“She’s serious—it’ll be closed for two days.”
“Who would do something so despicable?”
“It must’ve been the people she blacklisted yesterday! They just can’t stand seeing others live well!”

Outside the store, the noise of angry chatter filled the air.

But none of it bothered Zhou Li, who was quietly studying upstairs on the third floor.

When she reached a particularly difficult physics problem, a thought struck her: could she buy technology from this world and bring it back to Earth?

She didn’t bother hiding the idea and asked the system directly.

The system replied, “Without a compatible energy source, they won’t function. A car without gasoline or electricity can’t run. A steam engine without coal is just scrap metal.

“No matter how advanced technology becomes, it always depends on energy.

“Most of the technology here runs on Orka. Even Blue Star’s rapid scientific progress began when the first Mia probe returned with Orka samples…”

Zhou Li said, “Even if I can’t power them, I could still keep them in storage. Maybe someday, someone in my world will buy Orka through the auction system.”

The system: ……

☢️☢️☢️