Chapter 98: The Best Way to Deal With Reasonable People? Be Unreasonable!
Taken separately, the supermarket and cafeteria rules are confusing—almost nonsensical to those trying to interpret them.
But when compared side by side, their purchasing policies become clear.
Based on Zhang Yangqing’s analysis, combining Supermarket Rule 2 and 4:
Rule 2: Do not sample food randomly in the supermarket. Violators will bear the consequences.
Rule 4: Only 80 vegetarian meal packs are available for takeout today. First come, first served.
And Cafeteria Rule 2 and 3:
Rule 2: *Only 60 meat meal packs are available for takeout, but dine-in customers may eat without limits.*
Rule 3: Each person may only take one portion of meat.
He deduced:
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The supermarket doesn’t only have 80 vegetarian meals—it’s simply capping the number of customers allowed to take them out.
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There’s no purchase limit. If you can afford it and carry it, you could buy dozens of portions.
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The cafeteria, meanwhile, has unlimited meat for dine-in but strictly enforces a one-pack-per-person takeout rule.
From this, Zhang Yangqing concluded:
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Supermarket risk: If you’re not in the first 80, you might get nothing—early buyers could hoard.
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Cafeteria advantage: With strict limits, the first 60 in line are almost guaranteed a portion.
Most rule-followers would:
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Go to the supermarket themselves (since vegetarian food might be spoiled, requiring employee verification).
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Send helpers to the cafeteria (where meat is reliably fresh).
If the supermarket failed them, Plan B options included:
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Trading (tasks, bribes).
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Straight-up robbery (for those strong enough to overpower locals—though not the supernatural threats).
Zhang Yangqing, of course, had it easier:
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His inside man (Old Smoker) handled the supermarket.
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He only needed to secure meat from the cafeteria.
10:00 AM – The Queue Begins
To minimize rain exposure, rule-followers stuck to covered walkways. Many started lining up by 10 AM—yet still found dozens ahead of them. (Some die-hards had queued since 7 AM.)
The lines kept growing, stretching beyond sight. Over a hundred now.
Concerns mounted:
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Would there be a riot?
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If they couldn’t get food, they’d steal—and others might too.
Two hours of standing in the downpour was torture. Some weakened from yesterday’s rain were developing fevers.
No cure here. Unlike the last world’s hospital (terrifying but functional), this rain seemed to be the direct source of corruption.
How much rain was too much? Only the monk might’ve tested it—but even he wasn’t that reckless.
While others suffered, he was already at the haunted-looking building—its walls coated in dark, slippery moss like a “giant black octopus clinging to the structure.”
An oppressive sight. Many saw it; he was the first to enter.
Second floor:
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A burnt stench lingered, unfazed by the rain.
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Kicking open a door, he found a fire-ravaged apartment—everything charred black.
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No survivors. No clues. Just ash.
Rule 4 flashed in his mind:
“Avoid large-scale property damage (fire, etc.). Failure results in mission loss.”
Was this place a warning?
He searched several floors but found nothing usable. (Viewers held their breaths, expecting jump scares—but only got eerie silence.)
Frustrated, he left. Better to find someone who knew the truth.
11:30 AM – The Cafeteria Crowd
Hundreds packed the area. Four orderly lines stretched endlessly—all filled with well-dressed, “respectable” tenants.
Audience predictions:
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“He’ll just rob them.”
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“Classic Zhang move.”
Reality?
At 12:00 sharp, when the doors opened, Zhang Yangqing stepped to the front.
The man behind him turned livid:
“Why are you cutting?!”
Zhang Yangqing, without turning:
“Because I have no manners.”
The crowd: “…”
Stunned silence. No comebacks.
The well-spoken, rule-abiding tenants had no defense against sheer audacity.
He walked out with his meat pack moments later, leaving them speechless.
Audience Reactions:
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“I’m wheezing—since when was Zhang Tian Shi this funny?!”
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“Legendary. No morals = no moral dilemmas.”
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“The look on their faces—priceless!”
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“Why wait 2 hours when ‘no manners’ solves it in 1 minute?”
Final Lesson:
In the Rules World, etiquette won’t feed you. Sometimes, being unreasonable is the most efficient strategy.
