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The lighting in the fresh meat section was dimmer than in other areas of the supermarket.

Old light bulbs hung from the ceiling, their glass casings covered in a thick layer of dust. The constant crackling of electricity emanated from them, and the intermittent light and shadow fell on the Butcher's stiff body, shattering the movements of his knife.

Knock knock, knock knock.

The monotonous sound of chopping meat echoed endlessly, without the slightest pause, like a pre-programmed machine, rooted in this deathly silent space.

Lu Heng stood a few meters away, his fingertips gripping the Bronze Hunting Blade tightly, his entire body tense and on guard, his gaze fixed on the eerie Butcher before him.

Watching the other person's numb, repetitive movements, his chaotic thoughts suddenly calmed down, and he inexplicably thought of the butchers in the supermarkets of the old world.

He calmed down and carefully deduced the reasoning.

Anyone who sells goods at a stall is likely to find difficult customers annoying.

I'm annoyed by people repeatedly rummaging through the shelves, picking and choosing, being overly critical; I'm annoyed by people who hesitate, standing in front of the counter for ages, wanting to choose this item one minute, then changing their mind the next, and finally leaving empty-handed, wasting their time and energy.

The more Lu Heng thought about it, the colder his heart became.

The bizarre supermarket before me operates on a complete set of human commercial rules: entering requires making a purchase, checking out, and paying, all in accordance with the logic of the old world.

This strange Butcher likely follows the same habits.

Procrastination, hesitation, and repeated probing are most likely taboo here.

In this bizarre system, customers who don't follow the rules are the ones who need to be eliminated.

I can't gamble, and I don't dare to gamble.

Having grasped this crucial point, Lu Heng instantly abandoned any thoughts of testing the waters or observing from the sidelines. Rather than engaging in a stalemate and risking unknown dangers, it was better to completely align with the normal shopping logic of the supermarket and act in accordance with the rules.

This is currently the only reliable way to break the deadlock.

He suppressed his nervousness, stepped forward steadily, and moved swiftly and decisively without the slightest hesitation or delay.

His gaze swept over the dark, mushy mess of meat on the cutting board, finally settling on the conspicuous treasure chest on the ground.

The treasure chest was ancient and heavy, without any keyholes or patterns, which looked jarringly out of place in the meat area filled with the smell of raw blood.

Lu Heng took a deep breath of the cold, stagnant air, bent down, and steadily lifted the treasure chest.

The box feels cool and dry to the touch, without any sticky stains, and is heavy and solid, showing no signs of anything strange.

He then casually picked out a piece of fresh meat that was neatly shaped and dark in color from the edge of the cutting board.

The entire process was decisive; there were no pauses or repeated browsing, demonstrating the customer's attitude of quickly selecting and immediately making a decision.

Having done all this, he faced the Butcher in front of him, his voice calm and without a trace of panic.

"Mark."

The word "simple" perfectly encapsulates the single process of a supermarket meat stall.

He knew perfectly well that for fresh meat in supermarkets, the only mandatory step was printing price tags and labeling them with machines; the rest—cutting, trimming, and packaging—were all extra services.

Human nature is unpredictable, and the unpredictable is even more so. Unnecessary actions only increase variables; only the most basic and essential rules and procedures will never go wrong.

Lu Heng gripped the Bronze Hunting Blade tightly with all five fingers, his arm muscles slightly tense, ready to swing the blade in defense at any moment.

My heart was pounding violently in my chest, the thumping sound exceptionally clear.

This is a high-stakes gamble. It's a gamble that you've figured out the strange logic behind these behaviors, and a gamble that these conventional shopping rules will work in this bizarre space.

In the dim light, the boning knife, which had been moving up and down continuously, suddenly stopped.

The noisy thumping sounds vanished instantly, and the entire meat area fell into a deathly silence, instantly filled with a sense of oppression.

The tall, stiff Butcher's body slowly turned, its head shrouded in shadow, facing Lu Heng.

There were no eyes, no expression, yet a silent scrutiny emanated from him.

Lu Heng subdued his aura, his entire body on high alert, and with a slight exertion of force at his fingertips, the blade was already poised to strike.

The next second, an unexpected scene slowly unfolded.

The Butcher raised his stiff arm, picked up the small coding machine on the side, his movements mechanical yet precise.

He ignored Lu Heng and did not launch any attack. Instead, he raised his hand and neatly attached a price tag to the piece of fresh meat.

Without pausing, the coding machine landed directly on the surface of the Wooden Treasure Chest in Lu Heng's hand.

Click.

A slight clicking sound.

The neat white price tag was firmly affixed to the center of the box.

Lu Heng's pupils contracted slightly, his heart filled with speechlessness and bewilderment.

It's reasonable for meat to be labeled, but even a strange treasure chest that appears out of nowhere needs to follow supermarket shopping rules and have a price tag affixed to it.

Absurd, and bizarre.

But the huge weight that had been hanging over my heart suddenly lifted.

He made the right bet.

After finishing labeling, the Butcher completely stopped what he was doing, put the labeling machine back in its place, and didn't look at Lu Heng again. His burly, stiff body slowly moved to a bench in the corner of the meat stall, sat down straight, and remained motionless, completely returning to being a lifeless statue.

My tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and my back was already covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Lu Heng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his tense shoulders completely relaxing.

We've safely passed this hurdle.

Once the rule is triggered, the entire process of product selection and labeling is completed.

According to the crimson rules seen upon entering, completing the purchase means gaining the right to leave.

He glanced down at the fresh meat and treasure chest in his hand, which had neat price tags, and confirmed that there was nothing unusual. He then steadily walked towards the Checkout Counter at the supermarket's main entrance.

In the dimly lit corridor, the overhead lights still flickered, and countless Human Head Monitor protruded from the ceiling, still watching his every move.

Silence throughout, surveillance throughout.

He quickly stood in front of the Checkout Counter.

The stiff doll remained in its original posture, its empty eye sockets fixed on him, its cold gaze never wavering.

Shopping complete. The final step is payment.

Lu Heng hesitated for a moment.

He was in this newly formed wasteland, and had never come into contact with the local currency, so he didn't have any common money on him.

After a brief moment of thought, he raised his Wristband Space and took out the Black Iron Tier Zombie Essence that had just been dropped by the Zombie Cat he had killed.

This is the core material of the strange beasts in these ruins, containing energy, and is currently the only scarce item that can serve as "currency".

He gently placed the Zombie essence on the Checkout Counter's counter.

The lifeless Cashier Mannequin suddenly stirred.

Mechanical, stiff fingers slowly rose, sweeping across the items on the counter. The next second, the coin dispenser under the Checkout Counter slid open, dispensing several unfamiliar metal coins with strange patterns.

This is your change.

Looking at these completely unfamiliar coins, Lu Heng suddenly felt a sense of unease.

Should we leave a tip?

This is a strange creature, and its intentions are even more unpredictable. What if this Cashier Mannequin harbors resentment because it didn't receive a tip, and plots a deadly attack? It would be a losing proposition.

Playing it safe is the best approach.

He casually picked out two unfamiliar coins from among a few and gently placed them on the corner of the Checkout Counter as a tip.

Be neither greedy nor stingy, observe proper etiquette, and leave no hidden dangers.

After completing all the procedures, without pausing for a moment, Lu Heng turned around and sprinted towards the supermarket exit.

He didn't want to stay a second longer than the puppets behind him, the Butcher in the meat section, and the eerie surveillance throughout the room.

The instant I rushed out of the fence, the invisible barrier that had imprisoned everything vanished.

The door, which was always half a step away, is now completely open and unobstructed.

The evening breeze carried the unique dusty and pungent smell of the ruins, while the blinding natural light bathed me.

He successfully escaped the eerie supermarket.

The moment Lu Heng stepped out the door, he stopped, panting heavily as his tense nerves finally relaxed.

Sunlight fell on the tagged fresh meat in my hand, making the dark texture of the meat look even more eerie.

Countless bizarre tropes from novels flashed through his mind in an instant.

A bizarre supermarket, an unknown Butcher, a fresh meat section—there are never any normal ingredients to speak of.

The origin of this piece of meat is unknown. It has no characteristics of prey and no normal meat texture. Could it be human flesh?

This mere guess sent a churning through Lu Heng's stomach, a strong feeling of nausea rising in his throat.

Without the slightest hesitation, he tossed the strange piece of fresh meat, which already had a price tag, onto a pile of rubble by the roadside.

Regardless of its value or whether it's a special material, anything tainted by strangeness or that makes people uncomfortable will not be kept.

His palm held firmly only the treasure chest with the price tag.

After pausing briefly to catch his breath, Lu Heng looked back at the tightly closed supermarket doors behind him.

The interior remained deathly silent, concealing endless, unknown dangers.

His brief experience of being trapped for just over ten minutes allowed him to fully grasp the eerie terror of this territory.

It doesn't involve physical violence, but only adherence to rules and regulations. One wrong step can lead to utter ruin.

Fortunately, he won his gamble.