One Third Remaining Chapter Twenty-Seven: Who Is the Thief

Every day in the world is filled with all sorts of coincidences—by chance, you meet someone; by chance, you brush past another. Some coincidences become stories, others lead to accidents.

Five minutes ago, a man in a designer suit walked into the supermarket at the crossroads. He bought seven or eight bags of seafood, ten bags of salt, and grabbed a dozen or so packs of ice.

A young woman with voluminous curls stood on a stool behind the checkout counter, busy installing a camera on the wall cabinet. She glanced briefly at the man’s purchases piled on the counter. “That’s 168 altogether. Just leave the money right there…”

The man frowned at the camera. He had chosen this supermarket specifically because it didn’t have surveillance. He took out his wallet, laid down two large bills, and said apologetically, “Ma’am, could you give me some change? I only have large notes.”

She glanced at the money, “Wait a second, let me just finish with this dumb thing.”

“Could you please help me with the change first?” the man said, feigning impatience. “My girlfriend’s called me several times already. If I don’t get there soon, she’ll lose her temper.”

“She keeps on and on… like a curse,” the woman grumbled, carelessly setting the camera down on the cabinet. She pouted as she stepped off the stool, punched a few numbers into the register, and the cash drawer sprang open. “So troublesome. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have agreed to mind the store for her.”

The man snuck another glance at the camera and tried to make small talk. “So you’re not the owner? Then maybe you should double-check the total. I bought the same things at another shop before, and they didn’t charge me this much.”

“I’m not the owner, but I work at a big supermarket downtown,” she replied, not hiding her annoyance. “I can tell the price at a glance; I won’t make a mistake. Here, your change—thirty-two.”

The man pocketed the change, ducked his head, and packed his things into plastic bags. Noticing she’d climbed back onto the stool, he cleared his throat. “Isn’t it a bit of a waste to use such a good camera for security?”

“It’s not for surveillance,” she rolled her eyes. “Some guy who makes short videos is coming over. It’s his camera. He wants to film a scene about catching a thief right here, and asked me to set up the equipment in advance. Once their actors arrive, we’ll start. That’s why it’s such a hassle…”

Realizing the camera wasn’t on yet, the man’s expression relaxed. He quickly finished packing his things, thanked her, and hurried out.

Zhu Dachang circled from the back door to the front just in time to brush past the suited man. He entered the supermarket, searched in vain for a bag of ice in the seafood section, scratched his head, and had to settle for a few bottles of mineral water instead.

At that moment, a shifty-looking middle-aged man entered the store. He wandered around, then slowly slipped back out, arriving at the checkout counter alongside Zhu Dachang.

—

The curly-haired woman finally finished installing the camera. Seeing the screen light up, she muttered, “When did this get turned on…” Clicking her tongue, she returned to the counter, eyeing the middle-aged man behind Zhu Dachang. She snorted, “So you’re the thief? You got here fast…”

A chill ran through Zhu Dachang, and the bottles slipped from his hands. His mouth went dry. “You figured it out?”

The woman stared strangely at both men. “Wasn’t there supposed to be just one? Why are there two of you?”

The middle-aged man eyed Zhu Dachang warily. “You’re a thief?”

“Uh…” Zhu Dachang swallowed. “You noticed too?”

The man spat on the floor. “Damn, I knew that bastard couldn’t be trusted…” He squinted at Zhu Dachang and declared, “Brother, what a coincidence! I’m a thief too! So, what do we do now?”

Zhu Dachang gaped at him in astonishment. “Since when are thieves so brazen?”

The woman cut in impatiently, “Hey, you two, hurry up and decide, don’t hold up my business.”

The middle-aged man glared, “You shut it. We’re just borrowing the place, stop nagging.” Then, turning serious, he addressed Zhu Dachang, “But she’s right—we need to settle this. Only one thief is allowed here today!”

Zhu Dachang’s eyes darted. He muttered, “Is this what Third Brother meant by ‘when two paths cross, the braver wins’?”

“Here’s the deal. Let’s settle it fair and square,” the man puffed out his chest. “Let’s see who’s stolen the most from this store since we walked in. Whoever has more gets to be the one and only thief today. Deal?”

Zhu Dachang awkwardly picked at his fingers. “Is that okay? I got here before you…”

“That doesn’t matter!” the man declared grandly. “If you came first, that’s your advantage. Come on, time to show you some real skill…” He pulled a handful of lollipops from his coat, then some spicy snack sticks from his pants pocket, shook himself and let a cascade of snacks fall out from all over his clothing. He looked down with satisfaction. “Well? Convinced?”

Zhu Dachang scratched his nose, sheepishly unbuttoned his coat, and gave it a shake. A clattering pile of candy tumbled to the floor, forming a small mountain. He fished around in his trousers and produced a few packets of peanuts. “Do peanuts count by the pack or by the piece?”

—

The middle-aged man’s eye twitched as he raised a thumb. “You win! I admit defeat—this job is yours…”

With that, he gave a courteous nod to the woman and left the store without another word.

The woman pointed to the heap of snacks on the floor, her tone icy. “Put everything back where it belongs, then steal it all again. When the people filming the catch-the-thief scene arrive, finish your business and get out. The real owner will be back soon, and if she finds you two messing around, I won’t be able to explain.”

Zhu Dachang stood frozen, anxiety churning in his stomach. “Wait… the people catching the thief?”

“Of course! Didn’t I make it clear?” She checked her watch. “They should be here soon. You two were supposed to arrive five minutes apart…”

Zhu Dachang quickly snatched up a bottle of water from the floor, left two coins on the counter, and bolted from the store. He circled to the back and rejoined Hou San, unscrewed the water, and gulped it down.

Hou San opened his eyes just then, sat up, and saw Zhu Dachang chugging water. His eyelid twitched, and he tried to stop him—but he was too late.

With a sputtering spray, Zhu Dachang spit the water all over Hou San. Seeing him awake, Zhu Dachang beamed. “Third Brother, you’re up! Hey, that trick really worked!”

Hou San jumped up and slapped Zhu Dachang on the back of the head. “Worked, my foot! I’ve been awake for ages!”

Zhu Dachang rubbed his head sheepishly, but just then, the sound of police sirens drifted from afar. His face paled as he grabbed Hou San and dashed for the auto repair shed. “Third Brother, let’s get out of here! Our cover’s blown—the police are coming for us! Run!”