Upside Down Grocery Shop - Chapter 15

Su Ran returned empty-handed, feeling frustrated. This Bear-Taming Clan was proving to be far more difficult than he had imagined, and now, with so many hostages involved, he was even more cautious about making any rash moves.

“Reconsidering his options,” sounded nice, but truthfully, he just had no idea what to do.

When Su Ran returned to the Upside Down Grocery Shop, someone was already waiting at the entrance.

“Zhang Haisheng?” Su Ran hadn’t expected this person to come here.

Zhang Haisheng smiled, his face showing traces of sorrow, but now there was something different in his expression. “Boss Su.”

“What’s up?”

“Something important.”

“Come on in, then.”

Once inside, Zhang Haisheng no longer appeared as nervous as he had before. Instead, he grabbed a bottle of cola from the store and gulped it down in one go, letting out a hearty “Ahh!”

Su Ran watched him silently. A two-liter bottle of cola without a single burp—just how thirsty was this guy? “That’ll be five bucks.”

Zhang Haisheng smiled, sat beside Su Ran, and played with the empty bottle in his hands. “I used to really like cola. But Haiqing always told me it was bad for my health, so after that, I pretty much stopped drinking it.”

Su Ran didn’t interrupt, just listened quietly.

“Tingting took after me—she loved cola too.” Zhang Haisheng smiled nostalgically, lost in memories. “Every time we went out, she’d sneak a small bottle. Then, when we got back home, we’d lie to Haiqing together.”

After that, silence settled in. Zhang Haisheng kept smiling, but his grip on the empty bottle tightened. “Boss Su, I want to go and find them!”

Su Ran was startled. “Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how hard it is for someone to even exist? Life is a gift that the heavens bestowed upon you. Can you understand that?”

“Do the heavens understand how difficult it is for me right now?” Zhang Haisheng’s eyes were filled with anguish and despair, utterly devoid of hope or a future. “Boss Su, I’ve thought it over, so don’t try to persuade me otherwise. I came here to ask you for a favor.”

Su Ran sighed. “Go on.”

“I can’t just sit by and watch the murderers who harmed Haiqing and Tingting roam free. I’m just an ordinary person; I might not have the power to deal with that cult, but…” Zhang Haisheng looked at Su Ran. “I know you’re no ordinary person, Boss Su, and I know you can do this. So, I want revenge!”

Listening to Zhang Haisheng, Su Ran took a deep breath. “Are you sure? Once you take this step, there’s no going back. You won’t regret it?”

“To hell with regret!”

“Alright!” Su Ran stood up. “I have a way, but it will require you to give up everything—your three souls and seven spirits, a hundred years of life, and even your flesh and blood.”

“I’ll give it all to you!”

Su Ran was silent, extending his hand. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.”

Zhang Haisheng smiled. “Thank you.”

Moments later, Su Ran stared blankly at the empty bottle on the ground, watching a wisp of Zhang Haisheng’s spirit drift toward the circus. His grip tightened on his blade.

All around the Upside Down Grocery Shop, people were watching Su Ran, waiting to see his next move. Yet, two days passed with him simply sitting there, watching the people come and go on the street.

The surrounding shops were puzzled. Had this guy turned over a new leaf? He was opening his store earlier and closing it later than everyone else, like he was desperate for money—or maybe looking for a girlfriend.

Every move Su Ran made was under the watchful eye of the Bear-Taming Clan. But Su Ran’s stillness made Black Bear restless. He had anticipated Su Ran storming in solo, even hoping for it—he was fully prepared to deal with him in such a scenario, with no escape in sight for Su Ran. But this… what on earth was Su Ran up to with his inaction?

Jiangnan Villa.

“You’re telling me Su Ran hasn’t made a single move?”

“Yes.”

“What is this guy up to? Is he going to give up halfway again?”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“This is strange. Su Ran should understand what we meant. With us helping him from the shadows, he should’ve gone all out by now.”

“Maybe he has something else in mind?”

“This guy’s getting harder to read.”

The third day.

Su Ran rose, carefully placed the empty bottle beside him, smiled, and grabbed a black umbrella before stepping outside.

As soon as Su Ran moved, everyone around him moved too.

Black Bear felt a wave of unease. “We’re leaving!”

The woman beside him exclaimed, “But there’s only one day left! If we leave now, all our work will be wasted.”

Black Bear hesitated. Su Ran had indeed cornered him. Leaving now would mean losing everything, and the day of his rebirth would be indefinitely delayed. He knew the longer they stayed, the greater the risk.

But staying was dangerous too. Su Ran’s approach this time didn’t bode well.

A clown came in to report, “Su Ran has arrived.”

Su Ran stood in front of the circus tent. It had been two days, and the place was even more packed with people than before. Yet, none of them had left. Their spirits were visibly waning, and some were already collapsing from exhaustion. Yet, despite everything, they kept laughing, drinking, and mindlessly moving—worse off than puppets.

Su Ran smirked. “By now, even if you tried to arrest me, I doubt you’d have the strength left.” He opened the black umbrella and disappeared from sight.

Underneath the black umbrella, no one could see him. Even Black Bear had relied on his nose to track down Zhang Tingting and Zhang Haisheng in the past. Su Ran might not be able to fool Black Bear’s sense of smell, but slipping past the others was a breeze.

With the black umbrella over his head, Su Ran walked step-by-step through the crowd, like a ghost in the night.

Black Bear let out a roar, and a gray bear beside him rose up on its hind legs, snarling as it charged forward.

No sound. No fight.

Just a moment later, a massive bear head rolled in, scaring the tamer and the clown.

The gray bear was dead, but there was no sign of Su Ran.

Black Bear sniffed the air. “Su Ran, I underestimated you.”

“Yes, you did. You underestimated everyone,” Su Ran’s voice echoed, and at some point, he was already standing behind Black Bear, blade in hand, umbrella cast aside. He stared at Black Bear. “I gave you a chance before. You didn’t appreciate it. Today, none of you are getting out alive!”

The beautiful animal trainer stepped forward. “Watch this!”

With a loud whistle, the ground trembled as roars of bears filled the air, like an army charging.

Su Ran’s face darkened. “This cheap illusion again? Maybe I’d buy it if you were in peak form. But now? I’d say pulling a third bear is already a stretch.”

In an instant, Su Ran appeared in front of the animal trainer and swung his blade.

She couldn’t dodge it, her eyes filled with terror as life left her. The surrounding noises ceased, with only some confused barking and roaring in the background.

The clown, filled with terror, tried to draw his gun.

But Su Ran’s blade was faster—his fingers and the gun were sliced off in one motion, blood spurting as he collapsed with a scream, silenced quickly.

Black Bear watched as the animal trainer and clown fell, unmoved, as if they were nothing more than weeds rather than human beings.

Seeing Su Ran’s terrifying figure, the others charged forward, their faces devoid of fear, driven by pure, beast-like instinct to kill and devour Su Ran.

“Annoying,” Su Ran muttered. He had no desire to waste his energy on small fry. Fixing his gaze on Black Bear, he raised his blade and advanced.