According to Jianghai Evening News (a local newspaper in Tongcheng), seven people died in the fire in the cinema, and more than thirty people were injured to varying degrees.
A week had passed, and the cinema had been closed. It was impossible to reopen it in a short period of time. It was even possible that the cinema would be abandoned. It was already a loss to open it here, so naturally, it would not reopen with great fanfare.
As a result, the business center group was basically declared dead.
During this period, Zhou Ze did not contact Doctor Lin. Both of them had a tacit understanding not to disturb each other. They went about their own lives. However, his father-in-law and mother-in-law did call him a few times to ask why he was not coming home and how bold he was.
In the end, Zhou Ze simply blacklisted their numbers.
What was troubling him now was that the money to open the bookstore was paid by his father-in-law's family. However, Zhou Ze still could not think of a way to earn some money so that he could open a new store and be truly independent.
He could only say that the foundation that Xu Le had left for him was too poor.
A few media outlets had contacted him, hoping to interview Zhou Ze for his heroic act and promote the positive energy of the new era. Zhou Ze chose to reject them.
He was not interested in becoming famous. As the saying went, a tall tree attracts the wind. With his identity and role, if he really made himself a celebrity, there would be more uncontrollable danger.
That week, business was uneventful. The daily sales were less than 100, and the cost of rent and utilities was not enough. Zhou Ze did not care much about it.
What he cared about was that Xu Qinglang next door had not opened for a week.
Zhou Ze hired an unscrupulous locksmith to open the lock. He went in and searched, but he did not find anything like sour plum juice. The kitchen in the back room was clean and tidy.
He felt very helpless,
A man who owned more than twenty apartments and was very beautiful,
If one day he suddenly saw through the mortal world and planned to chase after the wind,
It would be very difficult for you to find him.
Because of this, Zhou Ze had a tough week.
Chili oil,
Old vinegar,
Old pepper,
He had tried high-concentration orange juice and other methods. Although he could eat some food, he had suffered greatly. It was far less effective than the sour plum juice passed down in Xu Qinglang's family.
At night, Zhou Ze squatted alone in front of the bookstore with a cigarette in his mouth. He glanced at the neighboring room from time to time, feeling miserable.
By the roadside in front of the shop, there were four or five pagoda incense sticks burning. It was set up by the people from the shopping mall. According to the customs, today was the day to welcome the God of Fortune. Even though they knew that the God of Fortune would not be able to save the shopping mall, they still had to do what was necessary.
What if a miracle happened?
Occasionally, Zhou Ze would look behind him or at the glass in front of him.
The baleful ghost of the man in the black suit was constantly being perfected. Tonight was the seventh day of his death, so it should be about time.
The probability of a malicious spirit manifesting itself was extremely small. Moreover, a normal malicious spirit would at most cause you to trip while walking or bite your tongue while eating. It would already be an impressive feat for a malicious spirit to cause you to fall ill and be on a drip for two days.
It was impossible for a malicious spirit to run amok and kill people everywhere in the movies to happen in reality. Otherwise, the world of the living would have long been in chaos.
Even Zhou Ze, who had already reincarnated, was already so low-key.
How dare those scum who did not even have a physical body come out and act cool?
This week, when he had nothing to do, Zhou Ze would read, daydream, and trim his nails. At the same time, he would see if the malicious spirit behind him had become clearer.
It felt like... nurturing. He had experienced a father's love as heavy as a mountain.
Daddy loves you.
Daddy will wait for you to grow up.
Zhou Ze could clearly sense the emotions of the person behind him. His greatest hatred was not directed at the cause of the fire, but at himself. He was resentful, angry, expectant, and waiting.
Perhaps.
In his opinion, tonight, on the seventh day of his death, was the moment of his revenge.
Because he lacked Siting.
Zhou Ze shook off the ash from his cigarette. When he took shape, Zhou Ze would tell him why the flowers were so red.
Zhou Ze did not think that he had done anything wrong to save someone. He did not think that the man in the suit hated him.
In the past, Zhou Ze had encountered a similar incident. A person drowned, and someone went down to save him. In the end, the person who saved him was grabbed tightly by the drowning person, and they drowned together.
Generally speaking, when you went into the water to save someone, you had to hug him from behind to save him. If you went up to save him from the front, it was easy for the drowning person to hold on to him as the last life-saving straw.
Of course, he could understand.
However, understanding would not be a reason for Zhou Ze to allow the man in the suit to act presumptuously in his bookstore at midnight tonight.
During the day, Zhou Ze ordered a takeout and chatted with the new delivery boy. He found out that the delivery boy who saved him last time had become popular recently. Not only did he attend various award events, but he was also praised and rewarded by the company. He now had a nickname — "The Most Handsome Delivery Boy.".
Now, he was still delivering takeout. He was doing live broadcasts while delivering takeout. He was very popular.
Zhou Ze casually scrolled through Weibo while gulping down the vinegar. He was surprised to see the delivery man in the trending topic.
It had been a week since the incident happened. From the initial handling and summary to the current development and promotion of positive energy, it was the hottest and most popular time. The influence of this incident was not only in Tongcheng, but also in the entire country.
At 11 pm, Zhou Ze was watching a movie while watching the man in the suit slowly becoming more solid. The movie was called "Demon Cop". It was a film made by Director Lin Chaoxian a few years ago, starring Wu Yanzu and Zhang Jiahui.
The door of the bookstore was pushed open. A delivery boy in a delivery uniform walked in with a selfie stick in his hand.
"This is a bookstore that I often visit. I always come here to read books after I'm done delivering takeout. It's not for the knowledge, I just like to read."
The delivery boy took down a copy of Wen Tiejun's "Eight Crises" from the shelf.
The book was about the recent economic crises in China. The delivery boy opened the book and sat on a plastic stool. He started reading the book with great interest.
Zhou Ze remembered he had finished two installments of "Battle Through the Heavens" the last time he was here.
"Alright, that's it for today. I'd like to read some books in peace. Everyone, get some rest too. Thank you for your company," the delivery boy bowed at the phone screen.
A bunch of cards, airplanes, and rockets popped up on the screen. The popularity of the book was indeed terrifying.
After turning off his phone, the delivery man closed the book in his hand. He stretched lazily and looked at Zhou Ze.
"Boss, let's go have some supper, it's my treat."
Zhou Ze shook his head and pointed at the computer screen.
"What are you watching?"
The delivery boy came closer. He looked at the screen and said with a smile, "I've watched this movie before, it's' Demon Cop ', right?"
"Mm," Zhou Ze nodded. He glanced at the time on the bottom right corner of the screen. It was almost midnight.
The baby behind him could not wait any longer.
"No reporters interviewed you?" the delivery boy asked.
Zhou Ze shook his head.
"Actually, you should have accepted the interview, it would have helped your bookstore a lot."
"I like the quiet," Zhou Ze pretended to be insincerely.
Money was important, but his life was more important.
"Let's watch the movie later," the delivery boy seemed to have hit it off with Zhou Ze. After all, they were teammates that had gone into the fire together.
Some people...
Appreciated each other.
"Did you know, 'Demon Cop' is based on a real case? I think the main character in real life is called Xu Bugao," Zhou Ze said.
"Heh, I didn't know that," the delivery boy smiled shyly, "It's just a movie, who would pay attention to that?"
"Mm, that's true," Zhou Ze turned off the computer and stretched, "It's already so late, what do you want to eat?"
"Whatever."
"I'll order some takeout, then."
"No, let's go out, it's my treat. What's so good about takeout? Let me tell you, some of the kitchens are unsightly, and some don't even have physical stores. They just rent a run-down house and do it themselves. Tsk tsk, I don't dare to eat it."
"I see," Zhou Ze nodded, "By the way, do you know what happened to Xu Bugao?"
"Won't I know if you tell me?"
"He killed his colleagues, took their money, and started living a carefree life. He even participated in a TV show. He likes to be in the limelight and become famous."
Zhou Ze rubbed his nose, "He's a very complicated person, he really enjoys being on camera."
The delivery boy fell silent for a moment. He did not continue the topic, but asked, "Boss, are you going for supper or not?"
"I don't want to go. Didn't you see how many pagoda incense sticks there are in front of my shop? I've been smelling them for the whole day. I've lost my appetite."
The pagoda incense sticks were huge candles that were taller than a normal person. They were stacked in layers like pagodas. They were thick and could burn for a long time.
"Hehe, your shop doesn't smell at all."
The delivery boy pointed at the central air conditioner above Zhou Ze's bookstore, "Over here, it should be the air purifier, right?"
"Mm, it was installed together with the air conditioner. I have a habit of spraying some air freshener in the bookstore. After all, I have to create a reading atmosphere. I don't provide coffee or pastries, so I can only provide some nice smells."
"So, you're still not giving me face," the delivery boy pretended to be angry, "We've been through life and death together."
Zhou Ze raised his hand and said curiously, "That's why I've always been curious about something."
"What is it?"
"That day, I didn't smell anything at all. In my shop, it's very difficult to smell anything outside. It's almost impossible. How did you smell the fire that day?"
The delivery boy was startled. His expression turned unnatural, but he did not think it was a big deal. He said, "I've had a good nose since I was young. My grandma said I have a dog's nose. I found snacks hidden at home when I was young. It's pretty accurate."
"Do you know what day it is today?" Zhou Ze asked.
"What day?"
"The seventh day."
"The seventh day?"