Chapter 45: I Will Deal With Them

In the end, the so-called “priestess” and her “followers” did not dare to confront Zhou Yan head-on. They could only glare with hatred as Zhou Yan, having finished his provocation, turned away with calm composure.

Zhou Yan, for his part, had no interest in dealing with these suspected cultists. He made a careful circuit of the medium-sized supermarket, making a casual inventory and once again confirming the state of things inside.

Three sides of the supermarket were walled, and the fourth was a full-length glass window. One pane had a large hole in it, now blocked by a wooden board, tightly taped round and round. The inner sides of the remaining glass windows were stacked high with large bags of flour, cornmeal, and similar goods, seemingly used as makeshift barricades.

It appeared that the supermarket had once been breached by something from outside.

Zhou Yan pondered this as he shifted his attention to the people inside. There were about twenty individuals, and with his keen eye, he could tell that they were all ordinary folk—most of them disheveled and frightened, as though they had been eking out an existence in the supermarket for two or three days.

Still, Zhou Yan could see clear divisions among the group. The first was the group of twelve centered around the “priestess,” who now circulated among the remaining people, incessantly preaching the so-called will of their god.

Next was a group of four—three men and one woman, one of whom was elderly, the others middle-aged or young. They seemed more rational; when Zhou Yan met their eyes, they nodded politely in return, projecting goodwill and an apparent wish to converse.

But Zhou Yan’s greatest interest lay with a trio of youths who bore the air of scholars. One, notably, wore a white lab coat—likely a doctor or some kind of researcher.

He recalled the description he had received at the moment of his arrival in this world: an ominous realm, a clandestine laboratory where scientists, during their research, made an accidental discovery... Endless white mist then enveloped the town, centered on the laboratory...

Laboratory, scientists, research...

Zhou Yan had every reason to believe that the “laboratory” mentioned in the description was the key site for his mission. And the people most likely to know about it were now self-evident.

With this in mind, Zhou Yan strode toward the group of three, all eyes following him. The trio, seeing this “thug” with a steel pipe—the one who had just knocked down three burly men—instantly tensed, their gazes evasive.

Standing before them, Zhou Yan lowered his voice and cut straight to the point: “You three are researchers, aren’t you? Let’s find somewhere to talk.”

At the mention of “researchers,” the three exchanged anxious glances, their faces showing sudden alarm.

Zhou Yan was in no rush, merely smiling calmly at them.

After a few silent exchanges of looks, the one in the lab coat finally replied, voice trembling: “Y-yes, we’re... we’re researchers. May I ask—what should we call you, sir?”

He spoke with the strained tone of an intellectual trying to sound streetwise under threat of violence.

“You may call me Mr. End,” Zhou Yan replied with a steady gaze.

The one in the lab coat, along with his companions, quickly introduced themselves, as if fearing that a delay would earn them a beating. Unfortunately, their names were long and cumbersome, reminiscent of those in Western countries, and Zhou Yan had no interest in remembering all that. Instead, he decided to identify them by their attire: Lab Coat, Plaid Shirt, and Black-Rimmed Glasses.

Zhou Yan jerked his chin, signaling them to follow, and led the way toward the rear of the supermarket. The trio hesitated, then, nerves taut, trailed after him. At last, Zhou Yan brought them through a door in the back to the storeroom.

“I’ll be frank,” Zhou Yan began, leaning lightly against a neatly stacked pile of goods. His tone was calm. “I’m looking for a laboratory—one that studies insects.”

No sooner had he spoken than the three young men’s expressions changed drastically.

Zhou Yan’s lips curled into a half-smile. “So, I’ve found the right people, haven’t I?”

The one in the lab coat forced a smile, his face strained. “Mr. End, I... I’m not sure we understand what you mean.”

Zhou Yan gave a short, amused laugh at their poor performance.

He continued, “A secret laboratory, where an accidental discovery is made during research... Strange crystals that interact with certain insects... And in the end, a mist spreads from the lab, enveloping the town, while countless mutated insects devour every living thing they encounter...”

In just a few sentences, Zhou Yan laid out the core of an incident fit for a full-length horror film.

Hearing him so nonchalantly reveal a “secret” that even they did not fully know, the three were visibly stunned. Nervous sweat broke out on their foreheads and backs as they exchanged uneasy glances.

Zhou Yan regarded them coolly. “Tell me everything you know—and the location of the laboratory. Otherwise, I’ll share this story with everyone else in the supermarket.”

“No, Mr. End...” Lab Coat’s face turned ashen. “You can’t do that...”

His two companions looked no better, staring at Zhou Yan as though he were a demon.

Zhou Yan’s expression was calm. His right eye was closed, but the look in his open left eye brooked no refusal.

“I’m afraid you have no choice.”

Swallowing, the three exchanged looks, finally yielding with expressions of reluctant compromise. Then, haltingly, each began to recount the full truth.

...

A few minutes later, as their story ended, Zhou Yan straightened with a soft chuckle. “Thank you for your cooperation. I now know what I need. As a reward, you may each make a request.”

What the three researchers told him matched almost exactly with what he had already surmised from the earlier information. As for the location of the laboratory—what Zhou Yan most wanted to know—it was situated in a hill behind the supermarket, accessible by a small path. It made sense; this must be why these researchers had come to the supermarket for supplies.

Hearing Zhou Yan’s promise, the three exchanged a look, and Lab Coat spoke earnestly: “My companions and I do not feel safe here in the supermarket. We hope Mr. End can help us with that...”

Zhou Yan shrugged. “You mean those fanatics, don’t you?”

The researchers nodded at once.

“No problem. I’ll ‘deal’ with them.”