Back at the table, Zhou Zhuang sat down across from Angela—only to have his attention immediately stolen by the sudden surge of flames from the old man's grill.
The vendor's technique was absurdly flashy:
He tossed ingredients from the basket straight into the roaring fire like it was stage magic, then—before gravity even got a vote—he yanked bamboo skewers from the pouch at his waist and shk-shk-shk! threaded each piece midair. All of it happened inside the blaze, then the skewers landed onto the grill as if the fire itself was cooperating.
Zhou Zhuang couldn't help blurting out his honest reaction:
"Holy—this is insanely cool!"
Once the shock wore off, he looked at Angela and asked, thoughtfully:
"Angela, are you thirsty? Want me to grab you a drink or something?"
Angela listened to the surrounding night-market noise—chaotic, yet strangely rhythmic—then looked at Zhou Zhuang and considered for a moment.
Zhou Zhuang felt a wave of relief.
Finally—she wasn't just going to say "Whatever the Manager decides" again—
…and then she said:
"Manager, just water is fine. Please bring me a bottle of water."
"OK. No problem."
Zhou Zhuang got up and headed toward a place that looked like a convenience store.
Angela watched his departing back. Resting one hand on the cleaned tabletop, she propped her chin on her palm, quietly gazing at him—smiling faintly.
Then the old man arrived, interrupting her.
"Miss—here. This is the barbecue your boyfriend ordered. I'll place it in the middle of the table."
He set the skewers down, then scanned the area.
"Hm? Where'd that kid go?"
"He went to buy something. He'll be back soon."
The vendor waved awkwardly.
"Ah, I was just asking. Barbecue tastes best right when it comes off the grill."
After wishing her a pleasant meal, he returned to his grill.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zhuang entered the convenience store and started searching for the drinks section.
He walked left, walked right, wandered around… and eventually stood between shelves, contemplating existence.
From outside, the shop looked small—so why did it feel bigger on the inside?
At this point, it was practically approaching "small supermarket" territory.
Unable to find anything, Zhou Zhuang decided to ask a clerk… or at least a local who seemed familiar with the layout.
And sure enough—after waiting a bit—he spotted someone.
A hunched figure wearing a cap.
Small in stature—almost like a kid.
Zhou Zhuang instantly locked on like he'd found salvation and hurried over.
Once he closed the distance, he called out:
"Hey, little bro—sorry to bother you!"
The person didn't turn around.
Zhou Zhuang assumed they thought he wasn't talking to them. He was already right behind them now, so he casually put a hand on their shoulder and bent over, panting hard from the sprint.
The "kid" was actually Gregor.
He'd been feeling a little less miserable in this quiet store and was walking toward where he usually stocked up. When he heard Zhou Zhuang shouting, he assumed the guy was calling to someone else.
And since nothing followed, that assumption seemed confirmed.
Then—without warning—a hand landed on his shoulder.
Gregor's body reacted before his mind could.
He almost attacked.
But his brain snapped awake at the last second, and he used his human left hand to forcefully suppress his right arm—an arm that was on the verge of mutating into violent insectile motion.
He froze.
Because this was the first time he had ever successfully restrained it like that.
But what disturbed him more was the feeling that flashed through him in that instant—
A chilling certainty:
If I strike, I die.
That kind of premonition had barely appeared since the war.
Yet this time was worse than all of those moments combined.
It was the first time the warning was so absolute it erased even his urge to attack.
Gregor gripped his right arm tightly with his left and turned to look at the stranger who triggered that instinct—
…and saw a skinny, unathletic man leaning on his shoulder, gasping for air like he was about to pass out.
The contrast between that terrifying premonition and this weak-looking guy was almost absurd.
Zhou Zhuang, after panting a bit, felt movement through the shoulder under his hand and assumed the person had turned around. He tried to steady his breathing, then withdrew his hand and forced himself upright.
He raised one finger, trying to speak through broken breaths:
"Hah… uh… s-sorry… to… bother you…"
He coughed a few times, got his air back, and finally looked up properly.
"…Wait."
He swallowed the "little bro" he was about to say and corrected himself mid-sentence.
"Sir—could you tell me where the drinks are in this store?"
Gregor recognized the voice.
So the earlier shout had been meant for him.
…and the reason was this?
Just a simple question?
He lifted an eyebrow, surprised.
Zhou Zhuang misread the expression as annoyance and hurried to explain:
"Uh, it's my first time here, I don't know the layout. If you're not free, just point me in the right direction—I can find it myself."
Gregor understood.
Most people around here already knew what he was, which made "first time here" a believable explanation.
"Ah—no, it's fine. The drinks section is on the way to where I'm going. If you don't mind, you can come with me."
Zhou Zhuang clasped his hands together gratefully.
"Thank you—seriously, you're saving my life."
"It's nothing. Let's go."
Gregor tilted his head for Zhou Zhuang to follow, then walked forward with his cap pulled low.
Zhou Zhuang followed behind, sincerely impressed.
"Man… it's nice. I actually ran into a good person."
"If I hadn't met you, who knows how long I'd be stuck searching in here."
Gregor's mouth curled into a self-mocking smile beneath the brim of his hat.
A good person? Me?
He didn't respond—just kept walking.
Zhou Zhuang noticed the guy didn't seem like the chatty type.
In his own head, he concluded confidently:
Ah, he's introverted—just like me.
So Zhou Zhuang generously shut up and followed quietly.
....
My Patreon : patreon/RuneA
If you want to read the novel in advance, you can subscribe for early access. I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in
I upload ten novels a day, with 3 to 4 chapters per title depending on the length. If you're following a particular series, please wait your turn a little
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it