MuMart was a large supermarket built into the same complex as the shopping mall, directly connected to their residential neighborhood's underground parking lot. The first basement level housed the supermarket and parking garage, while the first through fifth floors were filled with shops and restaurants. That was exactly where Lan Jin planned to spend her day: "shopping."
At the moment, the parking garage entrance and supermarket access were blocked by a large iron gate. That was to be expected—it wasn't like the store was open for business. You couldn't just walk in through the main entrance. But Lan Jin hadn't planned to use that entrance anyway. She knew there was a hidden employee passage nearby that led directly inside. Even if that door was blocked too, it had to be easier to deal with than the big metal gate.
Lan Jin switched on her flashlight and began searching near the gate. After a few minutes, she found the concealed staff passage.
Just as she had guessed, there was a small rolling shutter sealed over the entry. But compared to the heavy metal gate, this little door was nothing.
The day before, Lan Jin had already prepared for this. She had found a chainsaw in her space and prepped it with oil, just in case. If it came to it, she was ready to cut the door open. After all, she had already taken the risk of coming out—leaving empty-handed would be a waste.
But in the end, she didn't even need the chainsaw. She simply bent down and gently pushed up the bottom of the shutter. The lock snapped off with a loud crack, and the whole door shot upward with a sharp clatter.
Lan Jin looked up at the ceiling, speechless. "I didn't even use any force. What kind of cheap junk is this door made of?"
Still, the less trouble the better. She had never actually used a chainsaw before, and not needing it meant she didn't have to worry about accidentally injuring herself.
With the way clear, Lan Jin didn't hesitate. She walked straight into the supermarket. But as soon as she stepped inside, she realized the poisonous fog had already spread into every corner of the store.
Visibility inside was the same as outside—just thirty centimeters at most. The first section she reached was the snack aisle. In front of her was a row of display shelves, four tiers high, fully stocked on every level. But you couldn't see that until you were right up close. Still, being able to see it at all was enough. Collecting supplies in this fog was going to be harder, but missing this opportunity would make things even worse later on.
Even though everything was technically "free," Lan Jin had no intention of looting the whole store. She had already stocked up on supplies before the fog hit. Others deserved a chance to survive too. She wasn't a saint, but she wasn't going to be heartless either. So, for every shelf with four levels, she took from three and left one.
She continued "shopping" slowly through the store—grains and oil, ready-to-eat food, bread, dairy, nuts, personal hygiene products… touching, checking, walking, collecting. Whatever she took, she always left a third behind.
The supermarket was massive, and the poisonous fog made everything slower. By the time she finished, nearly four hours had passed.
After sweeping the supermarket, she headed upstairs to the first floor of the mall. Thankfully, there were no locked doors between the levels, or she would've had to break down another one.
The first floor sold skincare products and gold jewelry. Lan Jin first went to the cosmetics counters and collected all the unopened skincare items from the storerooms into her space. Then she moved on to the jewelry area. Even though everything was behind glass, she didn't need to touch anything. With just a glance, she pulled all the gold into her space.
That was the beauty of her space ability—no need for physical contact. Even if the display counters were locked, a single look was all it took.
After clearing the first floor, she moved on to the second, third, and fourth floors. All three were filled with clothing stores—men's, women's, and children's. She gathered a portion of the items on display and from the backrooms. This wasn't a desperate grab. She had planned ahead and was only taking a portion, just in case they were needed later.
On the fourth floor, besides clothing, there were also shoe stores. She went through the storerooms there too and collected some shoes. As for the fifth floor—it was a cinema and dining area. After so many days, anything edible up there would've gone bad, so she didn't bother going.
By the time she finished sweeping the mall, it was already 4 PM. Lan Jin passed through the parking lot on the basement level and made her way to the neighboring MuMart. This second supermarket was just as well-stocked as the first—ready meals, snacks, grains, oil, everything she needed. She took about two-thirds of the supplies, then left.
Even though both supermarkets were close to home, the whole outing had taken all day. Now, the sky was already getting dark. The poisonous fog made walking difficult, and once night fell, moving around would be nearly impossible. Lan Jin didn't hesitate—she headed straight back.
As she made her way home, she kept checking her space with her mind to see what Qiao Qiao and the dog were doing. At the moment, one child and one dog were happily playing together. Seeing that everything was fine, Lan Jin relaxed.
She didn't take the garage entrance on the way back—too time-consuming. Instead, she relied on memory and what little she could see to carefully make her way back to their building.
For the entrance gates and the front door of her building, Lan Jin smartly used the access card she had taken from that "obstacle" she found earlier. That way, if anyone came asking questions later, it wouldn't trace back to her.
Everything went smoothly. But after a full day of "shopping," climbing thirty-two floors was no joke. Lan Jin hadn't eaten or drunk anything the whole day. Exhausted and starving, she was completely drained by the time she reached her floor. Outside, the sky was already pitch black.
Even then, it wasn't over. First, Lan Jin opened the stairwell door and quickly slipped through. Because she had opened the door, poisonous fog immediately drifted in. She couldn't risk bringing that into her home.
She quickly pulled out the air filtration equipment and began drawing the fog out of the small space she was in. Once the air was somewhat clear, she moved forward. After stepping past a curtain, she turned on the filter again and pulled the rest of the lingering fog behind the curtain.
Only then did she step into her apartment.
That curtain had been installed the night the poisonous fog arrived. It was a transparent, heavy-duty plastic curtain—the kind used in supermarkets during summer to keep cool air inside. Lan Jin figured it might help block some of the fog, so she had gone through the trouble of putting it up. It had taken some effort, but today it proved very useful.
Inside at last, Lan Jin quickly stripped off her protective suit and gas mask. Once she confirmed there were no problems with her skin, she finally let the child and the dog out.
Qiao Qiao and the dog had been inside the space, but now they suddenly found themselves in the middle of the living room. Both stood there, completely confused. For a moment, they didn't move.
But when Lan Jin saw the snacks in their hands, she narrowed her eyes and asked seriously, "Qiao Qiao, where did those snacks come from?"