Emerging from the psychiatric hospital, Su Jin looked up, squinting against the sun hanging in the alien sky.
Having met with his client and concluded negotiations, the tension within him eased somewhat, yet his mind remained shrouded in a dense fog of uncertainty and layered obstacles.
He wondered whether this extraterrestrial sun might one day scorch a tumor upon his skin.
No matter!
Given the current circumstances, he was completely severed from his company. Failure to fulfill the imposed mission meant he could never return home.
Even if a tumor were to claim his life, it would be many years hence; for now, he had to prepare in advance.
Drawing out the notebooks and map given by Fu Qingdai, Su Jin strode forward.
Under the sharp gaze of the hospital's gatekeeper, he swaggered boldly out of the institution.
Reaching the street, he paused and cast his eyes toward the distance.
According to the map, Fu Qingdai resided in the "Talent Community," roughly nine kilometers from the hospital.
Taxis were available to get there.
Yet, renting a place in the Talent Community was not his immediate priority; more pressing intelligence required preliminary investigation.
After studying the map carefully, Su Jin veered right.
After a few steps, a thought struck him. From his briefcase, he retrieved a cord, tying one end to the handle and securing the other tightly around his wrist.
Covering himself with his trench coat, he continued onward.
This place was economically underdeveloped, its legal system frail. A roaming gang might easily snatch his bag—and nowhere would he have to mourn.
Though daylight bathed the streets, he deemed it wise to remain vigilant.
His destination: a large nearby market.
Whether the local food diverged greatly from Earth's fare, or was even edible, remained unknown.
At first, it was safest to consume his own provisions; then purchase small quantities of daily ingredients for overnight testing.
...
Inside the market, Su Jin moved cautiously.
The market was unremarkable, offering no particular surprises.
Yet the sight of assorted vegetables and fruits momentarily dazed him.
The good news: many vegetables appeared familiar, but some were utterly foreign.
Radishes patterned with strange motifs, enormous single-leaf greens, crimson vines...
Wandering among the stalls, Su Jin discreetly plucked leaves, inspecting them as he went, occasionally feigning conversation to glean their names.
He gathered a modest assortment to experiment with later; until the food's safety was confirmed, not a penny could be wasted.
Moreover, plant-based foods were not his primary concern—his focus was meat.
If earthly knowledge held true, unfamiliar foods should be ranked by safety thus:
Meat ≥ seeds > plants.
Large meat-producing animals generally bore muscles and fats free from toxins.
Gigantic creatures typically relied on flesh for survival, while organisms with weaker physical defenses evolved toxins to protect themselves.
Furthermore, in apocalyptic scenarios, cold storage tended to preserve meat—high in calories, and even spoiled meat carried a relatively higher safety margin—making it a reliable food source.
Still, testing vegetable safety remained necessary.
It was crucial to corroborate the safety of processed supermarket goods indirectly.
Having surveyed the vegetable section, Su Jin approached the meat and seafood area.
Rows of butcher stalls glowed under pink lights.
He couldn't help but smirk.
Unexpectedly, even in this alien world, meat sellers employed the same tactic: shining lights to make the flesh appear fresher.
Observing slabs of fatty and lean meat, alongside fierce-looking animal heads resembling bulls, he inferred the meat's safety was probably sound—a reassuring sign.
Having pilfered a few wilted leaves for his experiments and found no issues with the meat, only the seafood remained.
The aquatic section comprised an expanse of connected fish tanks.
Stopping before one, Su Jin scrutinized its inhabitants.
The fish were diverse, yet mostly ordinary, resembling common river fish.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed.
A massive gray fish twisted its body to face him directly, its broad mouth pressed against the glass.
Upon closer inspection, Su Jin trembled.
"This fish...!"
A daring undercover report from the alien seafood market:
Behold—the extraterrestrial "Big-lipped Carp"!
With a human-like mouth lined with sharp teeth, vertically oriented, it was terrifyingly unnatural.
"Hey, buddy, you've been staring a while. Want a fish? All fresh," the stall's proprietress called out warmly from behind.
"We'll even scale and knock out the teeth for free!"
"Ah?! No thanks..." Su Jin swallowed hard, waving her off.
Having toured the market, Su Jin exhaled deeply.
The food appeared tentatively reliable, though vigilance remained essential; necessary experiments had yet to be conducted.
Casting his eyes around, he pressed onward.
After about a hundred steps, he entered a pharmacy.
Two clerks lingered behind the counter, chatting idly, clearly uninterested in him.
After pausing briefly at the entrance, Su Jin headed toward the health supplements section.
Scanning the shelves twice, he picked up a conspicuous bottle of multivitamins.
Comparing it carefully with the Centrum he had previously purchased for delivery, he reflected.
Before knowing he would be teleported away by the company, aside from stockpiling food, his largest purchases had been cigarettes and multivitamins—ten large bottles of Centrum vitamins.
His thinking was simple: if thrust into an unfamiliar place, food would be one concern, but so too would vitamins and trace elements.
As a fitness enthusiast, he was well-versed in nutrition.
A prolonged deficiency in trace elements would impair athletic performance within a month.
Under intense physical strain and stress, these effects would be more pronounced.
Extended shortages would degrade bodily functions and invite illness.
Any decline in physiological function or onset of disease could be fatal.
Comparing the two supplements, Su Jin felt his anxiety abate somewhat.
Most nutrients matched, and unfamiliar components appeared somewhat recognizable, though he was no expert.
Similar species meant similar nutritional content; even without firsthand testing, food safety could be assured at ninety percent confidence.
Returning the supplement, Su Jin exited the pharmacy.
He had seen what he needed.
One last stop remained before renting at the Talent Community.
...
An audiovisual store.
Situated less than two kilometers from the market, it stood on a street corner.
Su Jin paused at the entrance, overcome by a profound wave of nostalgia.
Through the glass window, walls lined with movie boxes and simple disc sleeves came into view.
Two worlds, so strikingly alike...
He couldn't help but recall renting Lam Ching-ying films as a child—those were perhaps the most carefree moments of his youth.
Lost in thought, Su Jin pushed open the door.
The proprietor stood behind the counter and met him directly.
"Boss, do you have any disaster movies?"