Ch 10: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Lu Yao took a step back, her eyes filled with confusion. “Mobile game or PC game? Sorry, I don’t play games much.”

Zhuang Liang stared deeply at her, seemingly observing her closely.

The man in the police uniform, standing behind Zhuang Liang, stepped forward with a furrowed brow, his expression filled with exhaustion and impatience. He flashed his credentials and pulled out a photo. “I’m Qi Jue, a special forces officer with the city’s Third Bureau. Do you recognize the man in this photo?”

Lu Yao took the photo, and after a moment, she looked up. “I ran into him on the street yesterday. What happened to him?”

Qi Jue asked urgently, “Are you sure?”

Lu Yao glanced at the photo again. The man in the suit was Qi Shen, and she nodded. “Yes, I met him on the street. He asked me to take him to the nearest bus stop. I thought he looked a little off, so I declined.”

Her story matched the surveillance footage he had seen, and there was no indication of her being involved with Qi Shen. She didn’t seem suspicious, but with so few leads, Qi Jue had decided to come and see if anything might turn up.

After hearing her account, Qi Jue dismissed the idea that Lu Yao had any connection with Qi Shen. Disappointed, he retrieved the photo from her hand.

As Lu Yao adjusted the coffee she was holding, she casually asked, “What happened to him?”

Qi Jue replied, “He’s missing.”

After that, he lost interest in her and turned to leave.

Zhuang Liang, who had been observing Lu Yao the whole time, spoke up with a slight hesitation in his long, narrow eyes. “Is the snack shop down the street yours, Miss Lu?”

Lu Yao, not fond of Zhuang Liang’s gaze, frowned slightly and replied with a simple “Yes.”

Zhuang Liang paused for a moment, glancing again at the coffee in her hand. Just as he was about to say something else, Qi Jue’s phone rang.

“You found him? Where? We’ll be right there.” Qi Jue hung up and called Zhuang Liang to follow as they hurriedly left.

Watching them go, Lu Yao asked the system, “What did they say on the phone?”

【They found Qi Shen’s body.】

Lu Yao froze, her whole body going cold.

She stood outside the snack shop for half an hour, gathering herself before finally pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Bai Ming was nowhere to be found, and the only person left in the shop was Qi Shen. He was sitting by the window, his head turned toward the scenery outside, seemingly lost in it. When he heard the door, he looked over and immediately stood up to approach her. “What took you so long?”

Lu Yao, having mentally prepared herself, calmly handed him the coffee. She extended her other hand. “The life guide.”

Qi Shen fished the black booklet out of his pocket and handed it to her before returning to his seat by the window with the coffee. He took a sip and frowned slightly. “The ice has melted.”

“There’s ice under the counter. Help yourself.” Lu Yao casually pulled up a chair and sat down.

The Life Guide was palm-sized, with a black cover that felt cold and smooth to the touch. When she opened to the first page, her eyes widened.

“Welcome to the Land of the Dead—Dreamland.”

“Only the dead may enter.”

Lu Yao’s heart raced as she read, though deep down, she had already started to suspect something like this.

If her earlier feelings had been vague, hearing that Qi Shen had died confirmed it for her.

This was a world of the dead. Beyond the endless passage of time, nothing else truly existed. Everything was sustained by illusion.

Once she realized it, it didn’t seem quite so terrifying.

Lu Yao found herself accepting it more easily than she had expected.

The guide was surprisingly well-made. It included maps of the thirteen districts, subway routes, instructions on how to find housing quickly, and tips for mastering illusions…

Oh, she found something interesting.

Lu Yao had always been curious about “illusions,” mainly because she feared making a mistake someday. Since she couldn’t ask Xingzi or Bai Ming directly, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn in secret.

Qi Shen, who had been watching her for a while with his chin propped on his hand, finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Can you actually understand that?”

Lu Yao nodded. Since they were alone, it seemed like a good opportunity for a deeper conversation.

Qi Shen had met her in the real world, so she figured it was time to untangle this misunderstanding.

Lu Yao was about to say something when Qi Shen suddenly crossed his arms, his face filled with disdain. “What exactly are you? A monster, a vengeful spirit, a witch, an alien?”

“…” She suddenly lost the urge to talk to him. She hadn’t even complained about him being a newbie ghost, and here he was, looking down on her first.

The sky outside was growing darker, and Lu Yao didn’t want to spend another night in the shop. She handed the Life Guide back to Qi Shen and waved him off. “Sorry to disappoint you, I’m just an ordinary person. I’m closing the shop now.”

…

Returning to her small rented apartment, Lu Yao took a shower and lay on her bed, pulling out her phone to search for “The Park.” A bunch of results popped up, but none of them were about the “The Park” game that Zhuang Liang had mentioned.

She still didn’t know exactly what kind of game it was, but she had a feeling that the search results weren’t right.

Sitting up, she picked up the business card Zhuang Liang had given her. After hesitating for a moment, she threw it into the trash.

Sometimes curiosity needed to be restrained. With the Dream Fulfillment System already on her back, she had enough on her plate and didn’t need to invite trouble.

–

The next day, Lu Yao arrived at the shop early to prepare the filling for the new wontons she was going to offer.

When she opened the door, Qi Shen was standing outside. She was a little surprised. “You’re still here?”

Qi Shen looked at her calmly. “I want to work at your shop.”

Lu Yao: “Huh?”

Qi Shen: “In exchange, I won’t reveal your secret.”

Lu Yao: “…”

This morning, on her way to the shop, Lu Yao had seen the news.

Qi Shen’s body had been found in pieces at an abandoned construction site in the suburbs. The murderer had not yet been caught.

Frowning, she asked, “What can you do?”

Qi Shen responded, “I used to run an amusement park, so I know a lot about customer psychology. I’m good at managing staff and planning new projects. If you want to learn how to run a business, I can teach you everything I know.”

Lu Yao thought for a moment. “Alright, trial period for seven days. For now, help me mix the wonton filling. We’re opening soon.”

Qi Shen: “…”

This wasn’t what he had expected.

In the kitchen, Qi Shen took off his suit, rolled up his sleeves, and diligently pounded the meat mixed with ice cubes.

By eight o’clock, Bai Ming and Xingzi had arrived. With them was a purple-haired teenager, about fifteen or sixteen years old.

Xingzi pushed the boy in front of Lu Yao. “Boss, this is Xiao Qie.”

Xiao Qie used to work as a ticket taker at the cinema and was a colleague of Xingzi’s.

When he heard the snack shop was hiring, he came over to apply.

Lu Yao, out of conscience, hired Xiao Qie, thinking it was lucky she had recruited Qi Shen earlier. Otherwise, it would have been awkward to have all her staff poached from next door.

At the office that morning, the head guard Bai Jian found a familiar resignation letter lying on his desk. It was the third one that month.

With a grim expression, he read the letter and then walked over to the window, where he saw the purple-haired ticket taker, who had just resigned, now busy greeting customers at the snack shop.

“…”

Bai Jian crushed the resignation letter in his hand, seething with anger.

That damn snack shop!!!

With two more people on staff, things were much easier.

Lu Yao had expected Xiao Qie to be competent, but she hadn’t anticipated that Qi Shen would be just as capable.

Despite looking like a pampered man, Qi Shen was surprisingly adept at both serving customers and assisting in the kitchen.

The newly launched wontons were especially popular, and by noon, they were sold out.

For the staff lunch, Lu Yao prepared a pot of dry-fried chicken. Tender chicken pieces, chopped into small chunks, were marinated with spices and then deep-fried before being stir-fried with potato strips, lotus root slices, and green pepper chunks. It was savory, spicy, and perfect with rice.

There was also a pot of boiled sliced beef. At the bottom of the pot were bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms, topped with tender slices of beef. Crushed chili peppers, green and red Sichuan peppercorns, and minced garlic were sprinkled on top, followed by a drizzle of sizzling hot oil, releasing a fragrant, spicy aroma that was irresistible.

Next came Mapo Tofu, spicy century eggs with roasted peppers, and poached greens.

On his first day at work, not yet officially hired, Xiao Qie wanted to leave a good impression on the boss. He daintily picked up a piece of chicken, and after one bite, his hidden appetite burst forth, revealing all his sharp teeth.

The chicken was tender and fell right off the bone, coated in a delicious glaze. It wasn’t as fiery as the spicy grilled wings but had a rich flavor that blended perfectly with the fresh vegetables. The layers of flavors were complex, and with one bite, you could easily eat half a bowl of rice.

The boiled sliced beef was soft and tender, spicy, numbing, and flavorful. The crisp vegetables soaked up the chili oil and tasted even better than the meat.

Both the Mapo Tofu and spicy century eggs were perfect with rice, and the five dishes were generous and bursting with flavor.

Xiao Qie’s attempt at restraint lasted only a second before he joined the frenzy of grabbing food.

Beside him, Xingzi and Bai Ming were even more enthusiastic, their mouths practically reaching their ears from grinning.

In less than twenty minutes, all five dishes were wiped clean.

Leaning back in his chair, rubbing his stomach in satisfaction, Xiao Qie sighed, “When I saw the boss’s livestream the other night making Bai Ming’s welcome dinner, I knew I had to join. The employee meals are amazing!”

Flashing a set of sharp shark-like teeth, Xiao Qie’s grin made Qi Shen nearly drop his bowl in surprise, reacting even more dramatically than Lu Yao.

As Bai Ming and Xingzi relaxed, thoroughly stuffed, Qi Shen quietly kept his head down, only daring to pick at the poached greens in front of him, not daring to reach for anything else.

Qi Shen: I often feel out of place with my colleagues because I’m just not as “wild” as they are. (In the most literal sense.)

After lunch, it was time to close the shop. Xingzi, Bai Ming, and Xiao Qie cleaned up the table.

Qi Shen called out to Lu Yao, “You’re not opening for the afternoon?”

Lu Yao nodded. “We’re out of ingredients.”

Qi Shen frowned, giving her a disapproving look, like a teacher frustrated with a lazy student. “You’re wasting an entire afternoon and evening by not operating.”

Lu Yao lay back, totally unbothered. “I’ve already put in my best effort.”

Qi Shen shook his head. “No, it’s not enough. We could serve breakfast in the morning, lunch at noon, and then a late-night snack menu in the evening. During the afternoon break, we could offer afternoon tea by reservation.”

The former amusement park owner was clearly still in business mode. Lu Yao dragged him to a corner and whispered, “Brother, do you know what people here use to pay for food?”

Qi Shen answered, “Time?”

Lu Yao nodded. “Right. Do you know how much it costs me every day to buy ingredients? I just graduated and don’t have much money, and in this world, time is the only currency. At this rate, I’ll be drained dry in no time.”

Qi Shen thought for a moment before suggesting, “…How about you take my money? I used to have some wealth, and while I can’t give you everything, you can take five million.”

Lu Yao: “…”

Brother, you’ve already been broken into pieces. How am I, an ordinary person, supposed to legally and reasonably get your five million?

Lu Yao realized Qi Shen had seriously misunderstood something.

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