Upside Down Grocery Shop - Chapter 33

The chubby kid hadn’t realized he’d been targeted by Su Ran, the proverbial wolf, and gleefully clutched the bag as he dashed into a dimly lit alley. Under the weak glow of a streetlamp, he carefully opened it. Apart from a phone and some spare change, the rest was just a bunch of useless cosmetics.

“What rotten luck,” he muttered, staring at the measly amount of cash, “Nowadays, people are so stingy, no one even carries cash anymore. How am I supposed to survive like this?”

The phone was useless to him, the cosmetics even more so. There were bank cards, but he couldn’t use those, and while the bag might have been valuable, he couldn’t care less.

“Chubby, quite a haul you’ve got there.”

Su Ran suddenly appeared, grinning mischievously like a big bad wolf eyeing Little Red Riding Hood.

“You crook! What are you doing here?”

Startled, the chubby kid hurried to stuff the cash into his pocket.

“Spill it—where’d you get that bag?”

“I… I picked it up.”

“Don’t give me that crap. I’ve been wandering these streets for over ten years and haven’t even picked up a single hundred-yuan bill. And you? In just a few days, it’s either money or bags. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“I’m serious! I really found it. If you’re unlucky, that’s on you!”

The chubby kid pressed down on the cash in his pocket as though his life depended on it. The last time Su Ran and Li Xiaotong tricked him, promising a hundred bucks and three hotpot meals, he’d ended up empty-handed. There was no way he’d trust them again.

“Not talking, huh? Careful, or I’ll beat you up.”

Su Ran narrowed his eyes. This chubby kid was getting bolder. If he didn’t teach him a lesson, he’d forget who’s boss.

“Crook! What about my money and the three hotpot meals you promised?”

“I recall promising two meals.”

“You went back on your word, so the price has gone up—two meals become three!”

Su Ran rolled his eyes. This kid was getting good at business negotiations.

Meanwhile, Li Xiaotong had picked up the bag from the ground. Inside was a smaller pouch containing an ID card, some bank cards, and business cards.

“Zhao Feifei, General Manager of Jixiang Media Company. Looks like she’s got money.”

After comparing the ID with the business cards, it was clear the bag belonged to this Zhao Feifei.

“Chubby, where exactly did you find it?” Su Ran asked, his tone sharp.

“Over there,” the kid pointed toward a direction, “there was someone lying on the ground. The bag was next to them, so I took it.”

“Someone lying down? A dead person?” Su Ran smacked the chubby kid on the head. “How many times have I told you not to take things from dead people?”

“They weren’t dead! It was a drunk guy—a man!” The chubby kid yelled, trying to wriggle out of Su Ran’s grasp but failing miserably.

“A drunk man?” Li Xiaotong sorted through the items on the ground. “But this is a woman’s bag. Looks like we need to take a look.”

Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Su Ran! Look!”

Su Ran turned to see Li Xiaotong holding a rectangular gift box, intricately designed, clearly meant for storing expensive jewelry. But inside was a flying sword—lifeless and resembling a piece of scrap metal—exactly like the one Li Xiaotong had.

Well, well, talk about serendipity. They hadn’t even needed to search; fortune had just dropped it into their laps.

Li Xiaotong tucked the sword away. “Looks like we’ll have to pay this Zhao Feifei a visit.”

“Chubby, how much money did you take?”

“Not much, just eighty yuan.”

“Hand it over. We split it fifty-fifty.”

Unbelievable. Taking money from a kid? Where’s your dignity, Su Ran?

Even Li Xiaotong felt secondhand embarrassment. The chubby kid, on the other hand, fired back, “Su Ran, where’s your sense of honor?”

“Cut the crap. Half for me, half for you. You still owe me money.”

Li Xiaotong couldn’t deal with it anymore and dragged Su Ran away. If they stayed any longer, the chubby kid might actually attack him.

“Let’s go find that drunk man,” she said.

Only after watching the chubby kid leave did Su Ran follow her.

It wasn’t hard to find the guy. Soon enough, they spotted someone matching the description.

Indeed, it was a drunk, reeking of alcohol mixed with vomit and urine—a truly repulsive stench.

The man lay unconscious on the ground, blood on his head, with broken glass from a liquor bottle nearby. It looked like someone had smashed the bottle over his head. Whether he was knocked out or simply drunk was unclear.

There were no useful clues. He was just a drunk, not even a particularly good-looking one.

“Should we call the police?” Li Xiaotong asked. A person lying on the street in the dead of night wasn’t exactly ideal.

“Let’s just be good Samaritans and let the cops handle him.”

With the Zhao Feifei lead in hand, there was no need to aimlessly wander the streets anymore. Once morning came, they’d head to Jixiang Media Company to find her.

Feeling reassured, Li Xiaotong slept soundly that night.

Su Ran, on the other hand, sat on a small stool outside, staring at the sky. He pulled out a piece of paper and lit it.

Watching the ashes, he muttered, “If I weren’t so lazy, I wouldn’t even bother talking to you people.”

He kept watch through the night—whether out of habit or because someone else had taken his bed was unclear.

The next morning, before Li Xiaotong could wake up fully, Su Ran hollered that the sun was already high.

No chance for a lie-in. “Can’t you let people live?”

Su Ran didn’t care whether she’d had enough sleep. “Didn’t you want to find Zhao Feifei? If you want to stay and sleep, I’ll go alone.”

“You’re not ditching me!” Li Xiaotong jumped out of bed.

Jixiang Media Company

The company was newly established on the 26th floor. Other than its name, Su Ran and Li Xiaotong knew absolutely nothing about it—not exactly thorough research.

At the entrance, a pretty receptionist greeted them politely. “Hello, may I ask what brings you two here?”

“We’re here to see Zhao Feifei, the general manager,” Su Ran said.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No. Just tell her we’re here to return something. If she’s free, she can come get it. If not, we’ll leave.”

His tone was as bold as ever.

Even Li Xiaotong couldn’t help but admire him. It was her first time seeing someone act so casual about visiting a company.

The receptionist was momentarily stunned. Most visitors without appointments would wait patiently, not daring to complain. But this guy? He was practically ordering Zhao Feifei around.

“Alright, I’ll check with her,” she said, dialing the phone. She repeated Su Ran’s words verbatim.

To her surprise, after a brief pause, Zhao Feifei told her to let them in.

Su Ran grinned. “See? VIP treatment wherever I go.”

“Keep dreaming,” Li Xiaotong scoffed.

They knocked and entered the general manager’s office. Zhao Feifei glanced at them briefly. “What can I do for you two?”

When Li Xiaotong saw Zhao Feifei, she was stunned by her beauty, elegant demeanor, and the unique charm of a strong, mature woman.

Su Ran whispered, “She’s a woman. Stop drooling.”

Snapping out of it, Li Xiaotong wiped her mouth—though there wasn’t any drool—and shot him a glare. “Are you Zhao Feifei?”

“Yes, I am. What do you need?”

It was the second time Zhao Feifei had asked.

Li Xiaotong pulled the bag out from her backpack. “Is this yours?”

Zhao Feifei glanced at it, her expression shifting from surprise to alarm. Her face darkened as she looked at them.

“What do you want?”

“Huh?”

Li Xiaotong was confused. Something about Zhao Feifei’s reaction seemed off.

Su Ran, however, caught on.

“Don’t misunderstand. Don’t get worked up. We have nothing to do with that drunk guy, and we’re not here to extort you. We came for two reasons: one, to return your bag, and two, because of this.”

Su Ran held up the intricately designed gift box.