Doomsday Grocery Store – CH265

Chapter 265

After finalizing the plan, Zhou Qi found Tang Sheng and Tang Xueyun to discuss it with them.

The couple naturally agreed.

Only those who have lived there can truly understand how harsh the living conditions are in the base. More than ten thousand people are cramped into a space of over 20,000 square meters, with areas left for farming and waste disposal. It’s easy to imagine how bad the living conditions are.

Most people can only stay inside the buildings every day. If they want to go outside, they must avoid peak times, otherwise the streets will be so crowded there won’t even be space to stand.

During trade, many people didn’t want brown rice and wheat. Tang Sheng could actually understand this, because these two foods need to be processed before they can be eaten, unlike compressed biscuits that are much more convenient.

Although the Guardian Barrier now allows for expansion, it’s still difficult to return to a normal living standard in the short term.

Given the circumstances, relocating the more vulnerable pregnant women and elderly to the relatively comfortable Desolate City home seemed like a good choice. Plus, the Desolate City Haven also needed experienced obstetricians and nurses.

However…

“They might not want to come with you,” Tang Sheng said.

After all, they were going to an unknown place, and now that the base had a glimmer of hope, most people probably didn’t want or dare to leave with Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi shrugged nonchalantly, “I’ll just take the people who are willing to come.”

He could take at most thirty people, and with over ten thousand in the base, there would surely be some willing to take a chance.

“Okay, then list the conditions,” Tang Sheng said.

The couple soon left to consult with Mo Chengfei and find suitable candidates.

Mo Chengfei knew Dark Moon was leaving, but he didn’t expect him to take people with him. Initially, he thought he would take some people with awakened abilities, but when he saw the list of conditions, he was stunned.

Why were all the people being taken pregnant women and elderly?

Mo Chengfei, who had originally felt pained, relaxed. Although he was a bit skeptical, since Tang Sheng offered payment, he quickly agreed.

That evening, they found 53 people.

There were 21 pregnant women, two of whom brought family members—one brought her husband, and the other brought her mother.

Out of the remaining 30 people, 5 were obstetricians and nurses, and 2 were elderly who had worked in obstetrics.

The other 23 people were all over 60 years old. Among them were a carpenter, a cement worker, a retired steel factory worker, chefs, drivers, farmers, and even two highly skilled traditional Chinese doctors.

Since so many people were involved, Mo Chengfei didn’t explain the specific details when gathering them.

After all, with over ten thousand people in the base, what if everyone wanted to leave with Dark Moon? What would he do?

As a result, those who were called had somber faces along the way, and some with weaker spirits couldn’t help but cry.

They thought they had been abandoned.

Among the fifty or so people, Li Suqin, who could photosynthesize, was one of them.

Her husband, Li Yu, stayed by her side. Although he didn’t meet the conditions, he insisted on following, and after hesitating for a moment, Mo Chengfei didn’t ask him to leave.

There was a pessimistic atmosphere in the group. Just as some people were about to cry out in desperation…

They saw the sign for Peace Grocery Store, Shop No. 13.

“Why are there so many?” Tang Sheng was surprised to see almost double the number of people.

“There were too many eligible candidates, so I picked the best,” Mo Chengfei smiled foolishly. “Maybe some people didn’t want to leave?”

Tang Sheng looked at the people behind him, all with gloomy faces, and nodded understandingly.

“Come in.”

Mo Chengfei wanted to follow but was stopped by Tang Sheng. “Mo, help me with the trade.”

“Okay, okay,” Mo Chengfei agreed reluctantly, watching as more than fifty people were led away by the powerful hero.

Li Suqin and Li Yu helped each other, walking at the back of the group, realizing something was wrong.

Could it be… the base wasn’t planning to abandon them? What were they being gathered for?

Everyone went silent as they were led to the second-floor hall, where a figure in a black cloak was already waiting for them. It was someone they all knew—Dark Moon!

Zhou Qi didn’t waste time and went straight to the point. “I’m about to leave for a new world, and I’ve gathered you here to ask—who is willing to go with me?”

Everyone looked at each other, and finally, an elderly man tremblingly asked, “I don’t understand why Lord Dark Moon has chosen us? What is this new world?”

Zhou Qi couldn’t help but give him an approving glance—though his mask blocked it.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he said, “You’re probably very curious about where the Peace Commerce Association’s supplies come from, right?”

Indeed, the Peace Commerce Association had always been able to provide a steady supply of food and barely managed to keep over ten thousand people from starving. The sheer amount of supplies made it impossible not to attract attention.

Of course, everyone’s guess was that the guild had awakened an enormous space ability before the apocalypse and had seized several food warehouse factories to store so much material.

But… was that really the case?

“Actually, Peace Commerce Association belongs to the Commerce God Church, and all these supplies are gifts from the great Commerce God.”

“As for why you were chosen?”

“Because the mission of the Commerce God Church is to save lives and help the poor and weak, so that everyone can earn water, food, and a place to survive through their own labor.”

“Except for the most vulnerable pregnant women, each of you has a special skill, qualifying you to join me in the new world.”

“In the new world, the followers of the Commerce God have established a new human settlement and need people like you to help build it.”

“This is not compulsory; you can choose to stay or leave.”

Zhou Qi finished speaking and fell silent.

The people present showed a mix of confusion and shock.

The Commerce God Church? The Commerce God?

They knew the Peace Commerce Association’s origins were not simple, but they never expected it was behind a religious organization.

Could this… be a cult?

However, thinking back to the feats of Pillow Hero and the powerful heroine, as well as Dark Moon’s actions, they began to calm down.

Without the Peace Commerce Association, there wouldn’t be this base. And now that the mutant creatures had evolved the ability to reproduce, they might have already been parasitized by the mutants if not for them.

Their lives had been saved, so what did it matter if it was a religious organization?

In their country, religious freedom had always been a right. Before the apocalypse, many of them had been Buddhists or Taoists.

Moreover, the apocalypse had arrived. As long as the religion was doing good deeds and helping the suffering, there was no need to oppose it.

However…

“Where exactly is this new world?” the elderly man who had spoken earlier asked again.

“It’s another world under the rule of the Commerce God,” Zhou Qi replied calmly.

Everyone began to feel uneasy again.

This other world… could it be some Western paradise that they could only reach after death?

“This world is also going through an apocalypse, but it’s much better than this one. It’s in its early stages, and it needs people like you. You can also have a better life there, but…”

Zhou Qi paused and said, “For a long time, you won’t be able to come back.”

“This period could be one or two years, or even ten or twenty years. You need to be prepared.”

“So this new world… could it be another planet?” someone asked, their imagination running wild.

Zhou Qi paused, then nodded, “You can think of it that way.”

Then he said no more.

“You have ten minutes to think. Those who want to go, stay; those who don’t, leave.” He placed a clock on the table.

“Ten minutes later, no regrets in your decisions.”

The atmosphere in the room immediately grew tense.

Soon, someone gathered the courage to ask, “Lord Dark Moon, is there any mutated species in this new world you speak of?”

“No,” Zhou Qi shook his head.

Everyone’s eyes brightened, especially the pregnant women.

No mutated species meant they wouldn’t be parasitized, which was a good thing for both them and their unborn children.

Moreover, there were obstetricians and midwives accompanying them. This didn’t seem like they were being led to a sacrificial fate… maybe it was worth taking a chance?

Of course, among the 21 pregnant women, some were still timid and fearful. Five left in less than three minutes, and another seven or eight elderly people followed suit.

These elderly people, all with gray hair, weren’t unwilling to live a better life, but the thought of possibly not returning for decades… made them hesitate.

Leaving their homeland was difficult. Although the world had many problems, didn’t they have a sliver of hope now?

When the final ten minutes passed, 38 out of the 53 stayed.

Just as Zhou Qi was about to announce the countdown was over, another figure hurriedly entered.

It was an elderly man. Seeing that Zhou Qi hadn’t pressed the button yet, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He had reached the door and noticed no one had stopped him. People who had come out with him had also easily left the Peace Grocery Store. He decided to change his mind.

At 61 years old, he’d probably still be alive in 20 years, but to go to another planet… When would there be such a chance again?

He had seen the actions of the Peace Grocery Store and Dark Moon over the past few days and knew they weren’t up to anything evil. So at the last moment, he chose to take a chance.

In the end, 39 people stayed.

This number exceeded Zhou Qi’s expectations, but he didn’t ask the extra nine to leave. After all…

They now had two storage spirit bags.

Including him, there were 40 people, and two spirit bags were enough to carry them.

Zhou Qi looked at the group and didn’t waste words. He said directly, “Now, please sit down.”

At his command, the 39 people in the room sat down, eager to hear from the mysterious Dark Moon. Zhou Qi then took out a music box.

This music box was a new item drawn by Tang Yu’an during Zhou Qi’s absence.

As Zhou Qi turned the handle, soothing music filled the room. Soon, everyone began to feel sleepy and eventually closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.

This music box played various tunes, and this particular lullaby caused everyone except the user to fall into a deep sleep, making it much safer and more efficient than using tranquilizers.

Zhou Qi turned all 39 people into statues and stored them in the spirit bags, then left the second floor to bid farewell to Tang Sheng, Tang Xueyun, and Tang Yuxin, who were waiting on the first floor.

“Uncle Tang, Aunt Tang, I’ll leave the 13th shop to you.”

“Don’t worry, we will raise the level to 25 as quickly as possible and reunite with you soon!”

“We will take care of An’an too!”

Seeing the trusting look in Tang Sheng’s eyes, Zhou Qi inexplicably felt a bit guilty. He paused briefly before nodding in agreement.

Then he entered the storage spirit bag, petrified, and sealed off his senses.

Tang Xueyun placed the storage spirit bag into a drifting bottle and sealed it. She closed her eyes, and the familiar dream sea appeared in her mind. She placed the bottle inside.

When she woke up again, she immediately notified Tang Yu’an.

At the attic of the Peace Grocery Store, Tang Yu’an had been waiting. As soon as he received the message, he pressed the accelerator.

As flashes of light appeared on the window, his heart raced, and he hurriedly opened the window to take the drifting bottle out.

He pulled out the two spirit bags and saw they were filled with statues.

Tang Yu’an immediately recognized Zhou Qi’s.

Tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly used his spiritual power to transfer him out and eagerly called, “Brother Qi, Brother Qi, wake up!”

Under his gaze, Zhou Qi’s petrification gradually lifted.

Tang Yu’an removed the mask and looked at Zhou Qi’s familiar face, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

“Brother Qi, you’re finally back!”

Zhou Qi cupped his face, studied it carefully, and couldn’t help but say, “You’ve lost weight. Haven’t you been eating well?”

“I have, I have been eating well…”

Tang Yu’an sniffled, looking at Zhou Qi gently wiping his tears. Unable to hold back, he pouted.

“Brother Qi… I missed you so much.” He hugged Zhou Qi and buried his face in his chest.

Zhou Qi took a deep breath and tightly hugged him back. Although they hadn’t been apart for long, it felt like a lifetime.

Finally, he had returned.

“An’an…”

After a while, Zhou Qi spoke, a question that had been on his mind for a long time.

On the day he left, after he was petrified, An’an…

But when Tang Yu’an looked up at him, Zhou Qi gazed into his clear, bright eyes and subconsciously changed the subject.

“Let’s first settle the people in the storage spirit bags.”

“Okay!”

Tang Yu’an wiped away his tears. Brother Qi was back by his side, and they would have plenty of time together. For now, it was more important to focus on work.

He informed his parents that they were safe, then left the grocery store with Zhou Qi and went outside to the RV.

Tang Yu’an had already driven the RV back and was now on the road from Lin Hai Town to Jufeng Mountain.

Once they were ready, Zhou Qi waved his hand, and the 39 statues appeared on the highway. He lifted their petrification one by one.

Then he returned to Tang Yu’an’s side and took out the music box again.

With a chime, the 39 people sitting on the ground all woke up simultaneously.

They looked at the snowy landscape outside the road and the unfamiliar surroundings, their eyes widening in terror.

Where was this place? Weren’t they just at the Peaceful Grocery Store 13th shop? How had they ended up here in the blink of an eye?

They felt like they were dreaming, but the bone-chilling wind told them this was no illusion.

“Clap—”

Zhou Qi clapped his hands, drawing their attention.

Only then did they realize that in addition to the unfamiliar environment, three figures stood before them. They all wore the same cloaks and masks, standing in front of a huge RV.

Their familiar Dark Moon was standing beside one of them.

This was Tang Yu’an, wearing a mask of the Sun God, with a third cloaked person beside him.

That person was a robot in disguise, wearing a silvery mask and silently standing there.

When the group looked over, Tang Yu’an raised his hands and announced loudly, “Welcome to the new world! You will start a new life here!”

Under their frightened gaze, light radiated from his hands.

“Great Commerce God, please bless these lost lambs, giving them the strength for a new beginning!”

As the blinding light enveloped them, the 39 people felt an unprecedented sense of peace and stability.

When the light dissipated, they were surprised to find that they had all become clean, their old wounds from the escape now healed!

The person wearing the golden mask withdrew his hand and said, “Nice to meet you. I am the most loyal follower of the Commercial God—Twilight!”

Then he waved his hand, and pieces of paper with the word “Peace” printed on them appeared in the air, landing precisely in each person’s hand.

The paper felt warm to the touch, bringing them comfort.

Tang Yu’an looked at the map and pointed to the end of the road. “Go, your new home is ahead. Walk there with your own feet and create your brilliant future!”

The group stared in confusion at everything happening before them, dizzy from the golden-masked man’s actions.

Could there really be a Commerce God?