Upside Down Grocery Shop - Chapter 20

It was past 2 a.m., and the shop was still open, its neon sign blazing bright but not a customer in sight.

Looking at it, Li Xiaotong couldn’t help but think of those eerie scenes in TV dramas. Her skin tingled with goosebumps, and she felt an eerie chill.

“Maybe… we should head back,” she murmured. Every fiber in her body screamed that this place wasn’t exactly friendly.

“Look how scared you are! With Lin Xiu and me here, you can feel a hundred percent safe.”

Su Ran was about to go up to the door, but a burly man suddenly blocked his way. In a rough voice, he said, “Sorry, you can’t go in!”

Su Ran sized up the man—muscular build, rugged face, eyes glaring with a fierce expression, and dark skin. “Hey, buddy, are you from Africa?”

The man’s face darkened. “You’re from Africa! Your whole family is from Africa! This is a healthy, sun-kissed tan, okay?”

Sun-kissed? More like sunburned.

“Get out of here,” the man grunted, pushing Su Ran aside. “This isn’t a place for people like you.”

Lin Xiu was visibly annoyed hearing this. A real snob.

But Su Ran shrugged. “Oh? And what kind of people are allowed in here, then?”

“We only serve three types,” the big guy boasted, as if guarding this place were the holiest job in the world. “Beauties, rich folks, and special people.”

“So beauties and rich folks, that’s easy enough to understand, but special people?” Su Ran chuckled.

“Special people have unique abilities—basically, people with superpowers, like Superman, Iron Man, Spider-Man, got it?” He then waved Su Ran away dismissively. “Not that you’d understand. Move along, move along.”

Su Ran looked him over. This guy was a riot. Superpowers, really? “Well, I’m a special person!”

“You?” The man gave him a quick up-and-down glance. “If you’re a special person, I’m the Jade Emperor!”

But a second later, he went slack-jawed as Su Ran conjured a flicker of flame on his hand. “Whoa!” He looked ready to swallow his tongue. “You really are special! Hey, could you teach me?”

“Nope. That’s a secret.” Su Ran strolled right in.

Of course, Li Xiaotong slipped in, too.

“Hey, scrawny guy!” The big man stopped Lin Xiu in his tracks. “Don’t think that just because you’ve got a beat-up guitar, you’re some big musician! You’d better show me something cool, ‘cause I don’t want any of that boring music stuff.”

Lin Xiu said, “I’m a rich guy.”

“Hah! You’re a rich guy?” The big man squinted at Lin Xiu. “You’re decked out in dirt-cheap junk that wouldn’t add up to more than 200 bucks on Taobao, and you’ve got the nerve to call yourself rich? If you’re a rich guy, then I’m Jack Ma!”

Lin Xiu was so irritated he almost started coughing. This guy…

Meanwhile, Li Xiaotong was laughing. The big man might look rough, but he was pretty amusing.

Lin Xiu simply waved 20,000 bucks cash in front of the big guy’s face.

Immediately, the big guy’s expression transformed into a wide grin. “Alright, this way, sir!”

Geez!

If it weren’t for his reputation as a proud Shushan Sword Immortal, he’d stomp this guy into the ground and rub it in for good measure.

Su Ran eyed the big guy. “How much do you make here?”

“What, you planning something?” The big guy shot a look at him. “I’ll have you know, I get 1,500 a month, so don’t even think about poaching me!” He turned up his nose, done with them.

Su Ran just chuckled. Interesting dude.

Once inside, it was clear this shop was way fancier than Su Ran’s. Despite the name on the sign,Upside Down Grocery Shop, the refined décor, the antique vases, the hanging scrolls, and the lavish wine and food made it feel more like a luxury hotel.

Li Xiaotong was immediately captivated. She looked around, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. “Scammer, this place is so much better than your shabby shop. Compared to this, yours is like my middle school snack stand.”

Su Ran sighed, wanting to argue, but she wasn’t wrong.

Clack, clack, clack—heels echoed on the floor, and a stunning woman appeared. Her figure and aura were flawless; her features were sharp and beautiful, though she didn’t smile, maintaining a frosty expression. She glanced at the three of them and said coolly, “What can I help you with?”

Su Ran stepped forward. “Miss, is this shop also called theUpside Down Grocery Shop?”

The woman gave him a brief, disdainful glance. “The sign is huge. You can’t see it?”

“Heh, so what do you sell here?”

She kept up her aloof demeanor, talking to him without making eye contact. “Anything you can name, I have it.”

“So impressive. May I know the owner’s name?”

The woman seemed used to people like Su Ran, whose obvious intentions toward her beauty didn’t phase her. She gave him a dismissive glance. “I am the owner. My name is Su Ran. You may call me Boss Su.”

Su Ran?

Not only was the shop name the same, but even the owner’s name matched.

Lin Xiu and Li Xiaotong exchanged looks. This was getting strange.

Su Ran extended a hand politely. “Oh, what a pleasure to meet you, Boss Su. My name is also Su Ran.”

The woman didn’t intend to shake his hand, her eyes implying she found him dirty. But when she heard his name, she hesitated and looked at him directly. “Well, well, what a coincidence that is, sharing the same name and all.”

“Indeed,” Su Ran said, eyeing the lavishly decorated shop. “There’s more of a coincidence, you know. Want to guess what?”

“What?”

“I also own an Upside Down Grocery Shop.”

The woman looked surprised, her normally expressionless face finally showing something new. She glanced at Su Ran, saying, “That truly is quite the coincidence.”

Su Ran didn’t say more, leaving her to wonder.

Lin Xiu stepped up. “Boss, I hear you’ve got everything. I wonder, do you have a Duanlong Stone?”

At the mention of Duanlong Stone, the woman’s expression darkened as she glared at Lin Xiu, her gaze icy and sharp. “Who are you?”

“I seem to recall that Upside Down Grocery Shop’s policy is to never inquire into a customer’s background or name, unless the customer chooses to share.”

The woman shot a glance at Su Ran, then Lin Xiu. “Apologies. The shop is closed for the night. Please leave.”

Su Ran stood up. “Alright, if the boss doesn’t want us here, I suppose we’ll just look elsewhere.”

Li Xiaotong glanced at the woman. Beautiful, with a perfect figure, but clearly a bit unhinged.

The three of them left quickly, which left the big guy at the door a bit puzzled. People usually stayed inside much longer and came out beaming, but this group looked far from pleased.

He stole a glance at his boss and noticed something was off with her too.

The woman watched Su Ran and the others leave, her expression still dark. Then she turned and headed to the back, slamming the door shut.