The warmth of being cared for by strangers made Su Cheng think that perhaps this was the reason why the happiness level in White Moon City could reach 100%.
Even people from other places can find a sense of belonging here.
But what was she thinking about just now?
Su Cheng tried to recall, but couldn't grasp the fleeting thought.
Her memory seems to have gotten worse lately, probably because she's tired. Maybe she'll be fine after resting for a while after the New Year.
She sighed and stuffed the survey form back into the trunk of the car.
After a day of delivering food, I've already received 20 positive review surveys.
She had originally planned to continue taking orders that evening, but after what happened in Yuehao Residential Complex, she decided to go home early tonight to avoid encountering any more strange occurrences.
"Buzzing--"
Su Cheng answered the phone, "Hello, Mom?"
A gentle voice came from the other end of the phone. "Is Chengcheng busy?"
"No, I'm just resting."
Do you still remember your Aunt Fangfang?
"Huh? Aunt Fangfang?" Su Cheng had absolutely no recollection of her. Did such a person even exist?
"Don't you remember Aunt Fangfang? You were so close to her when you were little, don't you really remember?"
Her mother's voice suddenly lowered, and Su Cheng detected a hint of coldness in it. She opened her mouth and subconsciously replied:
"How could I possibly remember things from my childhood so clearly?"
"That's true, children do forget a lot of things from their childhood as they grow up." The mother's voice returned to normal, tinged with a hint of melancholy.
"Mom, you didn't call to tell me this, did you?"
"Oh, right, I almost forgot the important thing. Fangfang's cousin also lives in White Moon City. She went to another city before the New Year and left her house vacant. I was thinking you could move in there; it would save you rent, and I'd feel at ease."
After losing her job, Su Cheng moved out of the company dormitory and rented a small, old apartment. The landlord, anticipating that it would be difficult to rent before the new year, is now planning to raise the rent.
She was already troubled by this, so she didn't refuse the suggestion and added the contact card her mother had given her after hanging up the phone.
Aunt Fangfang's cousin, Xiaoyun, quickly accepted Su Cheng's friend request, clearly already aware of Su Cheng's current situation.
After exchanging friendly pleasantries, I told Su Cheng the location of her house and the key.
With her housing problem solved, Su Cheng's mood improved considerably.
I opened the private message from the group owner in the food delivery order-taking group and told her that she would come over immediately to submit today's survey form.
After losing her job, Su Cheng joined this food delivery order-taking group.
Whether for part-time or long-term clients, the group owner offers low-priced electric scooter rentals. Delivery orders posted in the group command commissions slightly higher than market rates, and there are also rewards for positive reviews.
Before taking delivery orders from Yuehao Residential Complex, Su Cheng always thought this part-time job was pretty good.
Looking at the orders waiting to be received now, I feel a sense of unease.
Su Cheng shook her head and drove to the office of Manager Peng, the group leader.
Before I even knocked, I could hear Manager Peng talking to someone inside.
"You're probably hallucinating because you haven't rested well. How could a ghost order takeout? Don't be ridiculous."
"But I... but I..."
"Alright, go home and get some rest tonight. You'll feel better when you wake up tomorrow."
"... All right."
The door opened shortly afterward, and it was Zhang Xue, who was also a food delivery worker.
She was surprised to see someone outside the door, paused for a moment, then greeted them and walked away.
Zhang Xue's face was pale, as if she had just suffered a fright. There was a heavy black mist behind her, as if someone was lying on her back.
Su Cheng rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
Manager Peng called out from inside the room, "Is that Su Cheng?"
Su Cheng glanced at Zhang Xue's retreating figure and could only go into the office first.
" Manager Peng, I'm here to submit the form."
"Oh, okay. Why are you finishing so early today? You're usually the last one to finish." Manager Peng looked up and gave Su Cheng a deep look.
Su Cheng pursed her lips. The conversation between Manager Peng and Zhang Xue just now made her even more reluctant to disclose the details of the Yuehao Residential Complex order.
He simply made up a lie. "I'm a little tired today, probably because I didn't sleep well last night, and I want to go home and rest early."
"I thought you'd encountered something strange too..." Manager Peng smiled enigmatically.
"Strange thing?" Su Cheng feigned confusion.
Manager Peng stared into her eyes, finding no falsehood in them, before looking away. "It's nothing. Go back and get some rest. Keep up the good work tomorrow; you're close to reaching your target for positive reviews."
You'll receive a certificate of qualification and a bonus if you collect 50 positive feedback surveys.
For delivery drivers, the certificate of qualification is as useless as a piece of paper; the bonus is what motivates them.
"Yes, thank you, manager."
After leaving the office, Su Cheng rode her electric scooter back to her rented apartment to discuss the lease termination. Then, she quickly packed her belongings and headed to Xiaoyun's house.
Xiaoyun has now left White Moon City, and the house she left behind is in Red Moon Garden.
Red Moon Garden is a retirement community. The navigation map shows pictures of greenery, and the environment is much better than my previous rental.
After checking the navigation, Su Cheng's stomach rumbled. She had been so busy all day that her stomach was about to give out.
"Let's just go to the supermarket and buy some food to tide us over."
Entering the supermarket, there were still quite a few people, especially middle-aged and elderly people gathered in the New Year's goods shopping area.
Su Cheng walked towards the snack section, wondering whether to indulge in instant noodles or bread tonight, when she turned around and saw a middle-aged man with an unnatural expression.
His expression was strange, seemingly a mixture of excitement and wariness.
Something's off about this person.
Su Cheng drew her conclusion with just one glance.
She followed him curiously, keeping a distance to see what he was up to.
The man looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he reached for the most expensive chocolate, which then disappeared from his hand.
"..."
Su Cheng's expression froze slightly. So blatant?!
The man's excitement intensified as he ran his fingers across the shelves, storing more food into his alternate dimension.
Although I don't yet understand how to retrieve things from another dimension, I can pack them up and then go back to study them slowly.
A thought inexplicably flashed through his mind: I can't miss this opportunity to stockpile supplies!
He didn't linger on any one shelf; he only took a little from each shelf so that no one would easily notice the reduction in quantity.
Su Cheng took her cup of instant noodles and watched as the man ransacked every shelf before brazenly walking out.
The food disappeared into thin air, and the sensors at the door didn't go off.
Having anticipated this, the man slowly revealed a smile. Since fate had given him a golden touch, perhaps he was the protagonist of this world.
"Sir, please pay the bill." The cleaner at the door stopped the man.
"What? I didn't buy anything!" The man's expression changed slightly, and he confidently pulled out his pockets to prove himself.
"Sir, please pay your bill." The cashier at the front desk reminded him with a smile.
The man glared at him, refusing to admit it. "I didn't buy anything. If you keep slandering me, I'll sue you!"
"Sir, if you don't wish to pay, please return the goods; otherwise, we'll need to conduct a body search." The cashier approached the man, a hint of expectation hidden in her smiling eyes.
"Search then!" The man gritted his teeth; he refused to believe they could find anything.
"If you don't find anything, hmph, I guarantee you'll be fired and kicked out!"
"Of course, please come this way."
The two cashiers led the man toward the restroom.
Su Cheng, who had been observing from behind the shelf, slowly followed.
The three of them went into the men's restroom, while Su Cheng stood in the corridor pretending to wait for her friends.
She listened intently and could clearly hear the sounds coming from the men's restroom.
"I already said I didn't check my pockets! If I really took something, where could I hide it? You're slandering me like this, you have to compensate me for my emotional distress..." the man continued to curse angrily.
Then clothes fell to the ground, and a belt clattered to the floor. The man's voice suddenly changed, as if he finally realized something was wrong, "No, why are you taking my clothes off! I wasn't hiding anything in them, let me out!"
"Since it wasn't hidden in his clothes, it might be in his stomach..." the cashier said with a calm suspicion.
"You! Are you all insane! Let me go! Help—" the man roared furiously, pleading incoherently, "I confess, I have superpowers! I secretly put something in another dimension..."
This was followed by a agonizing scream, "Aaaaaaah!!"
"There's nothing in its belly..." the cashier murmured in confusion.
"Hmm, it might be hidden in its mouth," another cashier guessed.
The man's scream turned into a muffled groan as a pair of hands were shoved into his mouth.
Those hands were groping inside the throat and esophagus.
It went deeper and deeper until they pulled out the stomach...
His eyes were bulging out of their sockets, and the pain made him wish he could die immediately!
He wanted to return all the food from the alternate dimension, but he hadn't fully mastered it to begin with, and now, gripped by fear, he found it even harder to sense...
Blood spread across the ground.
The strong smell of blood made Su Cheng's heart skip a beat; the man had been killed so suddenly, without any warning.
Was the danger of death due to stealing, or was it because of exposing another dimension?
A series of dark fragments flashed through her mind, all of them bloody and horrific scenes she had witnessed before...
"Hmm? Are you going to the restroom?" The cleaning lady came in, bent down, and placed the "No Entry" sign on the door of the men's restroom.
Su Cheng snapped out of her daze. "I'm waiting for my friend. Didn't she say she was in the restroom? Did I make a mistake...?"
"There's no one in the women's restroom," the cleaning lady said gently.
"I must have made a mistake." Su Cheng scratched her head in sudden realization and quickly left the restroom corridor.