Deep Within the Living-Chapter 4: Shopping

The bus sped along the dedicated lane at 150 km/h.
For most residents, buses were the primary mode of transport and one of the fastest ways to travel around the city. Due to the Corner Law, subways simply did not exist in this urban area.
The meeting spot chosen by the class monitor was the city’s largest supermarket—a place Luo Di had only visited once, five years ago.
≮ Next Stop: Terminal Supermarket (Front Plaza). This station is a high-density platform. The doors will remain open for ninety seconds. Please disembark in an orderly manner. ≯
Outside the window, a colossal landmark building came into view.
The supermarket's exterior featured a dynamic projection lighting system, providing constant illumination while broadcasting cutting-edge product advertisements non-stop. Each entrance bore the supermarket’s iconic logo: “A Brain Placed Inside a Shopping Cart.”
The bustling front plaza made Luo Di uncomfortable. It had been ages since he’d been in such a crowded place outside of school. Hastily, he dialed the class monitor’s number.
Almost simultaneously, a familiar voice called out from the side, accompanied by a slender arm waving enthusiastically in the air.
“Luo Di!”
Today’s class monitor was dressed in a white T-shirt with a cute bunny printed on the chest, paired with snug athletic pants and white sneakers.
The other members of the Social Practice group stood nearby. Among them was a male classmate who had been frequently absent from class recently.
This boy ranked third in sports within the class, just behind Luo Di and the class monitor, though he consistently held the top spot in academics.
He wore custom-made glasses with over 500 degrees of correction, a casual shirt, and sports-friendly cropped pants. At 183 cm tall, he was clearly the all-rounder type—both athletic and studious. This was none other than Gao Yuxuan, the vice class monitor of Class Five.
Luo Di rarely interacted with his classmates and wasn’t particularly familiar with Gao either. In two years of high school, they had exchanged fewer than ten sentences.
That said, Gao himself was a bit of a loner and an oddball. He enjoyed spending free periods reading in remote stairwells or on deserted rooftops.
As for the final member of the group, she was the class monitor’s friend from another school.
She had long, light-blonde hair framing a pair of emerald-green eyes, and her pale skin seemed almost luminous. Her outfit matched the class monitor’s in style—she wore a short-sleeve shirt with a cartoon of a fierce dog on the chest, paired with athletic shorts.
In contrast to the class monitor’s slender legs, this white girl’s legs were noticeably more muscular and defined. To top it off, she was the tallest among the four of them.
As Luo Di approached, the class monitor introduced the others with enthusiasm.
“Our Vice Monitor Gao doesn’t need much of an introduction, right? Gao Yuxuan had been recovering at home but made an exception for me to join this Social Practice event,” she said with a grin.
Luo Di exchanged a polite nod with Gao Yuxuan.
The class monitor then turned toward her friend from the other school.
“Anna Ivanova, currently enrolled at the best high school in our city. While her grades there are only average, they’d absolutely be top-tier at our school. Honestly, Luo Di, you’re probably the only one who could outperform her in athletics.”
Anna had already stepped closer, scrutinizing this seemingly ordinary young man. In flawless Russian, she said, “You’re the Luo Di who beats Wen in sports? Want to arm wrestle?”
Before Luo Di could refuse, the class monitor quickly stepped between them.
“Anna~ don’t scare away the teammate I worked so hard to recruit! You two can get competitive later, once you’re more familiar with each other. For now, we’re on a tight schedule—let’s go pick up the essentials for this Social Practice trip.”
Anna, clearly disappointed at missing out on an arm-wrestling match, marched ahead, flexing her biceps dramatically as she went.
Terminal Supermarket (T.S.M)
The entrance to the supermarket featured security checkpoints akin to those at a smart airport. Every customer had to pass a scan to enter. The scanners also identified the wristbands worn by individuals and retrieved their recent psychological s.
For the four students, this was no trouble. They had biweekly psychological evaluations at the school infirmary, making the process straightforward.
After clearing security, they were immediately approached by a manager dressed in a sleek tailcoat. He headed straight for the class monitor, Wu Wen.
“Honored VIP customer, how may I assist you today?”
“No need, thank you. Just enable the express checkout lane for us when we’re ready to pay.”
“Understood. I won’t disturb you further. We’ll monitor your movements, so simply wave at any camera if you need assistance.”
Luo Di watched the interaction in silence. Rumor had it that Terminal Supermarket memberships weren’t available for purchase and that the member base was extremely exclusive.
The class monitor deftly grabbed a large shopping cart and reminded the group, “We have three hours to shop. Let’s grab the essentials first!”
【Outdoor Supplies - Wilderness Survival Equipment Section】
This section offered everything one might need for camping or survival in the wilderness.
Luo Di, unsure of the practice’s specifics, silently observed as the others selected items.
“High-Intensity Flashlight,” “Portable Lamp,” “Windproof Lighter,” “Matches,” “Portable First Aid Kit,” “Backpack with Tool Kit.”
At first, the items seemed fairly standard.
That was until Vice Monitor Gao Yuxuan picked up a standard-issue field knife, and Anna chose a tactical axe bearing a military insignia.
The class monitor, however, skipped over any weapons and instead turned to Luo Di at the back of the group.
“Luo Di, why aren’t you picking anything? I told you, all expenses related to the practice are on me—don’t feel shy.”
“It’s not that. Are these weapons for dealing with wild animals?”
“Exactly! Oh, I haven’t explained the specifics of this ‘practice’ yet. It’s a brand-new type of Social Practice that isn’t even covered in our textbooks. It might even become mainstream in the future.”
The class monitor hopped lightly over to Luo Di, stepping close enough to speak directly into his ear. Standing on tiptoe, she leaned in, her warm lips almost brushing against his ear as she whispered.
Her voice, soft and smooth, slipped into his ear like the delicate touch of a baby’s fingers massaging it.
“Since we’re all top students, I asked my dad to pull some strings and get us into a high-difficulty ‘innovative practice.’ One of the city’s research institutes is running an experimental program tailored for exceptional young people.”
"This project effectively simulates scenarios involving anomalous events. Don’t worry—these simulated events are far less dangerous than the real thing, and the institute has everything under precise control. There’s absolutely no risk to our lives.”
“Simulated anomalies?” Luo Di asked, unfamiliar with the concept.
“Exactly. Recently, some top students have been participating in these practices privately. It’s a huge boost for college applications.”
“What’s the difficulty level?”
“Anywhere between three stars and full stars—it depends on our ‘lottery draw’ at the time. So, Luo Di, hurry up and pick a self-defense tool that suits you.
“If you haven’t had much training in this area, I’d personally recommend the field knife we practice with during P.E. It’s a reliable choice.”
“Got it. I’ll browse around on my own for a bit.”
Temporarily splitting off from the group, Luo Di’s lips twitched faintly. Upon learning that the practice involved simulated anomalies, a suppressed thrill from deep within his mind began to surface.
He even considered pre-ordering a custom mask but realized there wasn’t enough time.
Since the practice involved confronting simulated targets, his thoughts naturally gravitated toward iconic slashing weapons from movies. He paused in front of a machete on display.
As Luo Di reached out to grip the handle, the sudden roar of an engine came from behind him.
He turned his head instinctively, and his pupils froze and constricted in an instant. The excitement buried within his gaze seemed to leak out like pus from a wound.
His eyes locked onto a special section within the supermarket.
[Chainsaw Section]