USDA Excellent.
The marble patterns are evenly distributed like a work of art, and the bone handle is neatly trimmed.
Su Wei picked up a piece and weighed it in his hand.
It weighed a full three pounds.
"I'll take this one."
He took five pieces in one go.
Emily stood to the side, watching Su Wei toss these unlabeled, weight-based luxury meats into her shopping cart, and felt her breath catch in her throat.
" Su Wei..."
She tugged at Su Wei's sleeve, her voice very low.
"Tomahawk steak? They're sold by the ounce! Five pieces? We don't need that..."
"Since you're treating, you can't skimp on the food."
Su Wei interrupted her, her tone as indifferent as if she were buying potatoes.
"Although Black doesn't say it, his teeth are a problem at his age. Tomahawk meat is the most tender; as long as it's cooked properly, it doesn't require much chewing."
He then pointed to several other boxes of short ribs.
"These are for Aruk. That guy likes to gnaw on bones; these sinewy parts are to his liking."
Su Wei pushed the cart forward.
Fresh rosemary, thyme, and basil leaves.
A whole bag of brown mushrooms, asparagus, and sweet corn.
There were also two large blocks of Parmesan cheese and a whole bottle of balsamic vinegar from Italy.
Finally, he arrived at a unique area.
Most of the food here is imported from Asia.
As someone with a true Chinese palate, Su Wei certainly wouldn't give up these things.
In particular, he had already figured out the most suitable course of action for today.
hot pot!
In such chilly weather, this is the perfect choice.
Therefore, good hot pot seasoning is very important.
Luckily, there really is one here.
Su Wei immediately initiated a sweeping campaign.
Everything was for that dinner.
The shopping cart is already piled up like a small mountain.
The baguette on top wobbled precariously as the wheels rolled.
Emily gave up trying to dissuade her.
She followed behind Su Wei, looking at the back of that man who used to meticulously calculate every penny for gas, and suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.
She remembered Su Wei from before; she always looked at the yellow discount tags first when buying things.
But now, he only cares about quality.
A small queue formed in front of the cashier.
After the older woman in front of him finished counting her coins, paid, and left, Su Wei pushed the small mountain of coins over.
The cashier was a young girl who had been casually chewing gum, but she stopped chewing when she saw the cart full of expensive ingredients and high-end drinks.
"Drop."
"Drop."
The barcode scanners were clicking away rapidly.
The numbers on the screen were jumping rapidly.
Emily stood to the side, watching the final number settle at $1486.50.
The ingredients for one dinner cost an average blue-collar worker half a month's salary.
Without any hesitation, Su Wei gently tapped the black bank card against the sensor area.
"Drip"
Payment successful.
"Do you need help pushing it out, sir?"
The cashier became exceptionally enthusiastic, even offering several large, extra-thick shopping bags.
"Need not."
Su Wei lifted the two heaviest wine chests with one hand and gestured for Emily to take the lighter vegetables.
The two walked out of the supermarket.
The Raptor lay silently under the streetlight, its black paint reflecting a cold gleam.
Su Wei opened the baffle in the rear compartment.
The damped tailgate slowly descended.
He pushed the heavy wine crate to the back and covered it with a net to prevent it from slipping on the mountain road.
Next came insulated boxes filled with meat, and finally vegetables and fragile items.
The supplies, once placed into the spacious back compartment, even appeared somewhat empty.
Su Wei stood at the back of the vehicle, looking at the boxes that filled the corners.
A long-lost, fulfilling feeling rose from my stomach and quickly filled my chest.
That's a sense of security.
Alone, the greatest fear is not wild animals, but scarcity.
It's like opening the refrigerator and finding only a bottle of expired milk, or having only half a bag of biscuits when a blizzard seals off the door.
That anxiety once tormented him, keeping him awake all night.
But now, looking at the Raptor fully loaded with supplies, he felt exceptionally satisfied.
"Bang."
Su Wei closed the tailgate with a heavy thud.
"Get on the bus."
He tilted his head slightly at Emily.
The return journey felt exceptionally pleasant.
The Raptor's LED headlights illuminated the road ahead and also lit up the swirling snowflakes.
Emily sat in the passenger seat, holding the unopened bottle of red wine in her hands, her fingertips gently stroking the bottle.
The ambient lighting inside the carriage was set to a warm orange, creating a striking contrast with the chilly snowy night outside.
" Su Wei."
She spoke suddenly, her voice very soft.
"How?"
Su Wei stared straight ahead, his slender fingers lightly tapping the edge of the steering wheel in rhythm with the music.
You seem... completely changed.
Emily turned to the side and looked intently at his profile.
"The way you picked out the meat at the supermarket, the way you swiped your card... it was like you'd been living like this for a very, very long time. I'm not just talking about money, I'm talking about... that sense of confidence."
Su Wei used to always have a sense of tension, as if he was always ready to face the next heavy punch from life.
But now, that feeling is gone, replaced by a sense of control.
It was as if as long as he was there, this wilderness could not harm anyone.
Su Wei's hand on the steering wheel paused slightly.
Confidence.
This was given by the system, by the millions of dollars, and even more so by the professional hunter's license in my hand.
But he didn't want to explain.
People always change.
Su Wei's voice was steady, blending into the deep engine noise.
"Before, I only thought about how to survive; now, I want to live a more decent life."