Chapter Seventy-Two: An Interview?

Just as Wang Zixuan returned to the supermarket, he caught sight of Wan'er stepping out after finishing her shopping. Wan'er paused for a moment, shook her head, and quickly walked past Wang Zixuan. He lingered where he stood, a meaningful smile playing at his lips.

Wang Zixuan thought, “To have found this place means the time has come. Wan'er should return now.”

With that, he entered the supermarket. That night, Wan'er found an email in her inbox—sent from no address. Against an eerily dark backdrop, there was a single word: Return. The message announced that Store No. 444 was hiring a clerk, with requirements that seemed almost absurd: a doctoral candidate or graduate from the top universities, minimum height of one meter seventy-five, sweet appearance, strong social skills, proficiency in at least two forms of martial arts, and so on. Wan'er was dazed as she read through the list.

Do supermarkets really demand such high qualifications these days? The more she read, the more it felt as if the conditions had been tailored for her. She paid it little mind at first—the requirements were far too unrealistic. Who with those credentials would choose to work at a supermarket? Yet the next day, another email arrived, nearly identical to the previous one. Again, she ignored it. But this continued for ten days. For reasons she couldn’t explain, each new message deepened her curiosity about that supermarket.

A sense grew within her that she ought to apply for the job—that working there was somehow right. This feeling became increasingly urgent. By Saturday morning, unable to suppress it any longer, she made her way to Store No. 444. The supermarket seemed both familiar and strange. She felt as though she had been there before, though she knew she never had.

What was happening? Entering the supermarket, she found that what had seemed a spacious storefront was, inside, much smaller than expected. As she stood lost in thought, a store attendant approached her with a smile.

“Hello, is there anything I can help you with?” the attendant asked.

Wan'er smiled shyly. “I’m here for the job interview.”

“You must be Wan’er. This way, please,” the attendant replied.

Wan'er was momentarily stunned, then suddenly frightened, turning as if to flee.

She had decided to interview on a whim and had never told the supermarket her name—let alone her nickname.

Yet, for reasons unknown, her body wouldn’t obey; she simply followed the attendant. This only heightened her panic.

Could the supermarket be a front for some cult? Otherwise, how could she lose control of her own movements? Reaching a hallway deep on the second floor, the attendant knocked on the manager’s office door.

“Who is it? Come in,” came Wang Zixuan’s voice from inside.

The attendant opened the door and ushered Wan’er in, collecting a talisman from behind her as she did so—a subtle gesture, but one Wang Zixuan noticed at once. He said nothing.

Wan’er was even more terrified now; the moment she entered, her limbs regained their freedom. This was unmistakably supernatural. As the thought struck her, tears sprang to her eyes and she began to sob aloud.

“Pull yourself together,” Wang Zixuan snapped. “A woman—always crying at the slightest thing. Is that proper?”

Wan’er ignored him, continuing to cry. Since nothing could be fixed, why bother worrying?

Wang Zixuan, strong-willed by nature, disliked tears—especially from women. He believed that crying, acting spoiled, or playing cute diminished a woman’s strength and was deeply irritating.

Seeing her unable to stop, Wang Zixuan lost patience and used a bit of magic, shouting, “Stop it right now!”

It worked instantly; the crying ceased abruptly. At last, the world was quiet.

“You’re Wan’er, aren’t you? Take a moment to calm yourself. In a while, you’ll be shown around to get familiar with everything. Start work tomorrow night.”