Chapter 4: Shopping

Page 1/3

The bus sped along the dedicated lane, reaching a speed of 150 km/h.

Most residents relied on buses for transportation, making it one of the fastest ways to travel within the city. Moreover, due to the "Corner Law," the city had no subway system at all.

The squad leader had chosen the city’s largest supermarket as the meeting spot—Roddy had only been there once, five years ago.

“<Next stop: Terminal Supermarket (Front Plaza). This is a high-density platform; door opening time will be extended to ninety seconds. Please disembark in an orderly manner.>”

Outside the window loomed a massive landmark building occupying a vast area.

Its façade employed a dynamic projection lighting system, providing continuous illumination while non-stop displaying advertisements for cutting-edge products.

Each entrance bore the supermarket’s emblem—the “Brain Placed Between Shopping Carts.”

The bustling front plaza made Roddy uneasy; apart from school, it had been ages since he had been to such a crowded place. Hastily, he dialed the squad leader’s number.

Almost simultaneously, a familiar voice came from the side, accompanied by a slender arm waving back and forth in the air.

“Roddy!”

Today’s squad leader wore a white T-shirt with a cute rabbit printed on the chest, paired with tight-fitting sports pants and white sneakers.

The other members of the practice squad stood beside her.

Among them was a male classmate who had been frequently absent lately. His physical education grades ranked third in the class, just behind Roddy and the squad leader, but he consistently topped the academic subjects.

Wearing custom glasses with over 500-degree prescriptions, a casual shirt, and sporty cropped pants, he stood 183 cm tall—a clear all-rounder excelling in both sports and academics, and also the vice squad leader of Class Five.

Roddy rarely interacted with classmates and was equally unfamiliar with this vice leader; they had exchanged fewer than ten words in two years of high school.

Of course, the vice leader himself was somewhat reclusive and eccentric, often retreating to the deserted stairwell or rooftop to read during free periods.

The other teammate was the squad leader’s friend from another school.

With long, light-golden hair framing emerald-green eyes and pale skin, she wore a matching short-sleeved shirt with the squad leader—a cartoon fierce dog on the chest—and sporty shorts.

Compared to the squad leader’s slender legs, this Caucasian girl’s legs were noticeably more muscular and robust.

Notably, she was the tallest among the four.

As Roddy approached, the squad leader enthusiastically introduced everyone.

“I guess I don’t need to say much about our Vice Squad Leader Gao Yu Xuan, right? He was originally recuperating at home but agreed to join this practice just to give me, the squad leader, some face.”

Page 2/3

Roddy exchanged a glance with Vice Squad Leader Gao and nodded politely.

The squad leader then turned toward her out-of-school friend.

“Anna Ivanova studies at the city’s top high school. Her grades are only average there, but compared to our school, she’s definitely among the best.

I think only Roddy here can outrun her in PE.”

Anna had already stepped closer, scrutinizing the seemingly ordinary young man. In perfect Russian she said, “You’re Roddy, the one whose PE scores are even higher than Wen’s? Want to arm wrestle?”

Before Roddy could refuse, the squad leader stepped between them.

“Anna~ don’t scare away the teammate I worked so hard to bring here. Let’s get to know each other first. We’re on a tight schedule, so let’s hurry and buy the essentials for this practice.”

Anna seemed a bit annoyed at missing the arm wrestling but walked ahead, flexing her biceps continuously.

Terminal Supermarket (T.S.M.)

At the entrance stood a security checkpoint akin to those in smart airports; every customer had to pass inspection to enter. The scanner would also identify their wristbands and retrieve the recent valid “psychological report.”

As students, the four underwent psychological checks at the school clinic every two weeks, which was quite convenient.

After passing security, a manager in a tailcoat promptly approached Squad Leader Wu Wen.

“Honored VIP customer, how may I assist you today?”

“No need, just open the fast checkout lane for us when we’re ready.”

“Understood. We will monitor your movements closely. If you need assistance, just wave at the surveillance camera.”

Roddy watched silently. Rumor had it that membership at Terminal Supermarket wasn’t simply bought with money—members were very few.

The squad leader skillfully pushed a large shopping cart and reminded them, “We have three hours for shopping. Let’s start with the essentials.”

[Living Supplies – Outdoor Survival Equipment Section]

Here, one could find everything needed for camping and survival.

Roddy was uncertain about the practice details and didn’t know what items suited outdoor activities, so he quietly observed what others picked.

“Long-lasting high-lumen flashlight,” “Portable lantern,” “Windproof lighter,” “Matches,” “Portable first aid kit,” “Backpack with toolset.”

At first, these were all relatively normal items.

Then Vice Squad Leader Gao picked up a standard combat knife.

Anna chose a tactical axe marked with a military logo.

Page 3/3

The squad leader didn’t select any weapon for self-defense but looked at the last squad member.

“Roddy, why aren’t you choosing anything? I told you, I’ll cover all expenses related to the practice. Don’t be shy.”

“Wait, are these cold weapons meant for fighting beasts?”

“That’s right! I forgot to tell you what kind of ‘practice’ this is~ No wonder you never beat Xiao Gao in academics.”

The squad leader stepped lightly beside Roddy, tiptoed, and whispered close to his ear. Her warm breath almost touched his skin.

Her words flowed softly, like a baby massaging his ear.

“Since we’re all top students, I asked my dad to arrange a high-difficulty ‘new type of practice.’ A research institute in our city is running a project for outstanding youth.

This project can effectively simulate scenarios involving [Anomalous Events].

Don’t worry, these simulated events are much less dangerous than the real ones, and the institute’s precise controls ensure our safety.”

“Simulated anomalies?” Roddy had never heard of such a thing before.

“Yes, recently some elite students have been doing this privately. It greatly helps with college admissions.”

“How difficult?”

“Between three and five stars, depending on the ‘lottery result’ we get then. So, Roddy, hurry and pick suitable self-defense gear.

If you haven’t trained extra for this, I personally recommend the combat knife we practice with in PE.”

“Hmm, I’ll browse on my own for now.”

Roddy temporarily left the group, a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth. Learning that the practice involved simulated anomalies, a deep excitement began to well up inside him.

He even wanted to custom-make his own mask but time was short.

Since the practice involved combat against simulated targets, Roddy immediately thought of the same kind of slashing tools used in movies. He paused before a machete.

Just as he reached out to grab the handle, the sudden roar of an engine came from behind.

Turning around, Roddy’s pupils instantly fixed and contracted. The excitement hidden in his eyes drained out like pus.

His gaze landed on a special counter inside the supermarket:

[Chainsaw Section]