The fierce sounds of fighting stopped as Gao Ming stepped out of the Surveillance Room. The supermarket fell silent.
That silence made Gao Ming's skin crawl. Perhaps because he had died so many times, he had developed a special intuition for death.
His hair stood on end, but he couldn't say exactly what was wrong.
Slowly bending down, Gao Ming let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He signaled for Zhu Miaomiao and the Glasses-Wearing Rookie to stay inside.
His ears twitched as he caught an unusual sound. Shifting his body, he looked toward the faint light.
Someone stood behind the checkout counter. Wet black hair clung to her face, covering her eyes and nose and leaving only her purple lips exposed.
With her forehead tilted down, she stared at the computer screen, occasionally reaching out to press something.
The woman wore the supermarket's work uniform. Her body shivered from the cold, and her skin was unnaturally pale, as though a single poke would make it fall apart.
A faint smell of alcohol drifted into Gao Ming's nostrils. Still half-crouching, he slowly shifted forward, then raised his head.
Above the shelves, an old man's head rested against the liquor bottles. His body was wedged into a ladder.
Gao Ming closed the Surveillance Room door himself. He knew Zhu Miaomiao and the other rookie couldn't help much, so it was better to keep them from coming out and getting in the way.
A liquor bottle rolled across the floor. An old woman carrying an open black umbrella walked between the shelves. Across from her stood an office woman holding a boxed meal and a drink.
Clatter...
Snacks scattered from a shelf, and a chubby little boy poked his head out. He wore a captain's hat, with a toy telescope hanging around