Ch 3: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

“Are you serious?” Li Shasha was in the middle of applying makeup when she stopped, her expression filled with surprise after hearing what her friend had just said.

In this world, there were no cosmetics, and makeup itself held no meaning.

Whether you were beautiful or plain, no one here would really notice.

Li Shasha was bored and didn’t enjoy going to the amusement park, so she would occasionally create makeup products as a way to pass the time, simulating the process of applying makeup.

Chen Meiyue, who was sitting across from her, nodded repeatedly, “Yes, it’s true! It’s right outside the amusement park on the 99th floor. I don’t know who the owner is, but the food they create not only has a real smell, it also has texture, just like real food. Even now, when I think about the spicy grilled wings, my mouth waters.”

Chen Meiyue and Li Shasha often hung out together, making makeup products for fun.

However, doing the same thing for decades can become tiresome. Chen Meiyue didn’t like the amusement park much either, but that day she was so bored that she let others convince her to go to the 99th-floor cinema.

While watching the movie, Chen Meiyue didn’t feel much, but halfway through, four people came in, carrying takeout boxes.

As soon as the four entered, half the audience’s attention shifted from the screen to them.

When one of them opened their box, it was like a spice bomb went off in the theater. Everyone could smell the enticing spiciness, and saliva began to form in their mouths.

On the big screen, the movie was playing a tense and exciting scene that would normally have the audience on the edge of their seats.

But at that moment, everyone’s attention was on the steaming food those four were holding, completely ignoring the film.

Someone asked where they got the food, and one of them said it was from outside the cinema. Soon, people started getting up to leave.

At first, Chen Meiyue didn’t want to join the crowd. After all, food created with illusion magic was the most fake thing. The more realistic it seemed, the more it reminded you that you couldn’t actually eat it, which made the experience feel hollow.

But those four were so annoying, pretending to eat while crying as if the food was unbelievably delicious.

After a while, some of the people who had left came back with takeout boxes, sitting down and biting into the spicy wings. They gasped from the heat, their faces covered in tears and snot, only to rush out again after finishing.

Gradually, more and more people left and returned with food.

Chen Meiyue’s companion couldn’t resist joining in. He bought two pairs of wings and a bowl of sweet soup, bringing one pair of wings for Chen Meiyue.

The moment Chen Meiyue bit into the wings, she was shocked.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten anything, but these wings tasted just like how she remembered.

The chicken skin was soft and slightly crispy, the meat tender and juicy, and the chili, something she couldn’t eat before, had become the most flavorful seasoning, continuously stimulating her palate and making her want more.

After finishing the pair of spicy wings, she immediately got up to go to the shop.

Unfortunately, she had gone too late. The shop was already closed, and several disappointed people were still lingering outside, having missed their chance to buy.

Chen Meiyue described the taste to Li Shasha in detail and invited her, “Why don’t we go together tomorrow and try it out?”

Li Shasha frowned, skeptical, “I can’t imagine illusion-made food having any real flavor. Isn’t this just some gimmick? Were you being fooled at the cinema?”

Not everyone enjoyed working at the amusement park, so some people came up with other ways to make a living, such as using illusion magic to recreate things from memories and sell them. Interesting items would easily get sold, while others weren’t as appealing.

Some even staged performances to attract bystanders.

Even in a different world, scams like these were still widespread.

Li Shasha had been scammed before.

Back then, someone claimed the makeup products they created with illusion magic were real, promising visible changes when applied to the face, and tricked Li Shasha out of a hundred years of her time.

Chen Meiyue shook her head. “I’m sure I really ate something, and I wasn’t tricked. Plus, the shop’s prices are very reasonable—only six hours for one grilled chicken wing. It’s worth checking out.”

Hearing that, Li Shasha became even more suspicious.

If it really was food with flavor, how could it be so cheap?

It was probably just a way to lure in unsuspecting customers and then overcharge them later.

Li Shasha didn’t want to willingly walk into a scam, but she couldn’t resist Chen Meiyue’s constant pleading. In the end, she reluctantly agreed to go with her to take a look, with the agreement that they would leave immediately if anything seemed off.

At the same time, similar conversations were happening in other parts of Area A. People who had eaten at Lu Yao’s snack shop were eagerly recommending it to their friends, while most of the people being recommended the shop were skeptical.

After years of development, they had successfully created illusionary subways that ran normally, and illusionary airplanes that could carry passengers into the sky.

But creating food with both smell and taste using illusions?

That seemed impossible!

…

Lu Yao marinated two large tubs full of chicken wings, bought a new large pot to cook two batches of sweet soup, and stocked her freezer with four boxes of milk.

Surely, that amount of ingredients would be enough to last the entire day.

As Lu Yao opened her shop door, she was startled.

There was already a long line outside, with Chi, who hadn’t gotten his wings the day before, at the front, and Qing standing right behind him.

Chi blinked at Lu Yao, having already taken a liking to her after the sweet lollipop she gave him. He immediately placed a large order: “Shop owner, I’ll take ten pairs of hellfire spicy wings and a bowl of sweet soup.”

Qing peeked out from behind him, “I’ll also take ten pairs of hellfire spicy wings, a bowl of sweet soup, and five boxes of iced milk.”

The crowd began to stir, especially those further back in the line: “You guys are going hard! Will there be anything left for us?”

“Seriously? We’ve been lining up since early morning, and now you’re ordering ten pairs each? Does the shop owner even have enough stock?”

“Shop owner, I have a disease where I’ll die if I don’t eat spicy wings. Please, just one—no, two pairs would do!”

Lu Yao still had her ongoing task to “serve 100 customers,” and she knew slow and steady business was the key. After thinking for a moment, she put up a sign in front of the stall: Limit of two pairs of hellfire spicy wings, one bowl of sweet soup, and one box of iced milk per person.

Chi deflated like a punctured balloon. Two pairs weren’t nearly enough to satisfy him.

But there was no other choice—the shop’s items were in high demand.

Not wanting to miss out, Chi quickly added iced milk to his order, which he hadn’t originally requested.

Almost everyone in the line followed suit, ordering two pairs of wings, a bowl of sweet soup, and a box of iced milk.

Chen Meiyue and Li Shasha were further back in the crowd. When it was their turn, Chen Meiyue ordered the full set, like everyone else.

Li Shasha, still doubtful of the shop, only ordered one pair of wings and a bowl of sweet soup.

Chen Meiyue, her eyes filled with eager anticipation, stopped Lu Yao and asked, “Shop owner, can I have the extra wings she didn’t order?”

Lu Yao shook her head. “No, I’m so sorry.”

Chen Meiyue lowered her head in disappointment, “Alright.”

She then tried to persuade Li Shasha to buy another pair of wings to max out the limit.

Li Shasha was convinced this was part of the shop owner’s trick—limiting the quantity to create scarcity and push her spicy wings through hunger marketing, tricking people into buying more without realizing it was all just air. The shop owner made a guaranteed profit.

Her friend had already fallen into the trap, but Li Shasha was determined to stay clear-headed.

Besides, even if these wings were as good as Chen Meiyue claimed, she could just buy more later if she liked them—there was no need to buy too many at once.

Chen Meiyue was on the verge of tears.

Li Shasha had clearly been burned before and was now overly cautious, but she’d regret it once she tried the wings.

Chen Meiyue and Li Shasha decided to eat in the shop. Outside the entrance, there were four or five folding tables, all occupied. The only available seats were at the table where Qing and Chi were sitting.

The aura these two gave off was overwhelming, and it was obvious to any observant person that they were guards from the amusement park.

Frequent visitors to the park and cinema had a natural fear of the amusement park guards, and most weren’t keen on sitting with them.

Chen Meiyue and Li Shasha didn’t visit the amusement park often, so they had no preconceived notions. Seeing an empty seat, they sat down immediately.

Chen Meiyue couldn’t wait to grab a spicy wing and start eating. She closed her eyes in satisfaction—the flavor was exactly as she remembered, spicy and fragrant.

Seeing how blissful Chen Meiyue looked while eating, Li Shasha grew slightly curious. Could it really be that good?

She could definitely smell the aroma, but she still couldn’t imagine how something conjured from thin air could taste warm and delicious like real food.

Instead of eating the wings first, Li Shasha turned her attention to the steaming bowl of sweet soup.

The rice wine dumplings were beautifully made—round dumplings about the size of her thumb, mixed with small pieces of fermented rice, red goji berries, and jujubes floating in the bowl. The round, white dumplings looked comforting just by sight, and the sweet fragrance mixed with a hint of fermented wine was a scent Li Shasha particularly liked.

She scooped up two dumplings and drank them with some sweet broth. The rich sweetness spread from her tongue to her stomach, filling her with warmth.

For a moment, Li Shasha was stunned, then quickly started drinking spoonful after spoonful of the sweet soup.

In less than two minutes, the bowl was empty, leaving only a few remnants.

She picked up the bowl and scraped the ginger and rice bits from the bottom, finishing every last drop.

As she put the bowl down, she noticed Chen Meiyue watching her. Embarrassed, she lowered her head and wiped her mouth with a napkin to cover it up. “Why are you staring at me?”

Chen Meiyue smiled, “I told you I wasn’t lying, right?”

Li Shasha, her face flushed, nodded. She was already starting to regret her decision. The sweet soup was so good—surely the wings couldn’t be bad.

After taking a bite of the wings, she looked up and saw the line in front of the stall stretching all the way to the elevator and even curving around toward the amusement park. She wished she could turn back time just ten minutes so she could have listened to her friend and the shop owner and bought two pairs of spicy wings.

By then, the first batch of marinated wings had sold out, and Lu Yao went back inside to fetch another batch she had prepared.

Upon returning, she found that the first pot of sweet soup had also been ladled clean. She placed the wings on the grill and went back inside for more soup.

【Congratulations on serving 100 customers! Task complete. You’ve earned 100 popularity points.】

【Lu Yao’s Snack Shop is now extremely popular. Upgraded to a two-star shop. Three new dishes unlocked.】

【You have a new task: Serve 1,000 customers. Reward: 1,000 popularity points.】

【You can hire an employee for 50 popularity points. Would you like to hire?】

As soon as she entered the shop, a series of system notifications rang out.

Exhausted, Lu Yao poured herself a glass of water and sat down to go through the messages.

The task completion was expected.

As for the new dishes, she would think about them later that evening.

The new task could start right away.

The last message made her pause for a moment. The shop did indeed need some help.

It would be challenging to find the right employee, considering all the food was conjured through illusion magic. However, it was clear she couldn’t handle the workload alone—she hadn’t slept well in days.

With increasing customers and new dishes to prepare, the job was becoming too overwhelming.

The noise of waiting customers outside urged her back into action. After finishing her water, Lu Yao stood up and confirmed her decision to hire an employee.

【50 popularity points deducted. One employee position added. Job advertisement posted.】

Lu Yao pushed a fresh pot of sweet soup out to the stall, but the customers were growing impatient.

She wiped the sweat from her brow and immediately resumed grilling the wings and packing the orders.

Two hours later, the second batch of wings had sold out, and only a little sweet soup remained at the bottom of the pot. Lu Yao let out a long breath, “Sold out. We’re closing for the day. Come back tomorrow.”

She had been so focused on her work that she hadn’t noticed her surroundings. When she finally looked up, most of the customers had left—except for one person still standing in front of the stall.

The young man had striking silver hair and looked like he had stepped straight out of a manga. He was incredibly handsome, with radiant red eyes that sparkled with light. He smiled at Lu Yao and said, “I’ll have a bowl of sweet soup.”

Lu Yao scraped the bottom of the pot and poured out what was left, which was barely enough for half a bowl. She gently explained, “This is all I’ve got left, and it’s cold.”

The young man said, “I don’t mind.”

Alright then.

Lu Yao held the half bowl of sweet soup, about to hand it over, but then stopped herself. “Wait a moment, let me heat it up for you.”

She felt bad about serving cold food to a customer.

Lu Yao returned to the shop, grabbed a small milk pot, and decided to throw in a couple of eggs.

She poured the sweet soup into the pot and placed it on the still-warm grill, cracked the eggs into it, and added a bit more sugar.

A few minutes later, a bowl of steaming hot rice wine soup with eggs was ready.

With the shop nearly empty, the young man had casually chosen a table and sat down.

Lu Yao brought the enhanced sweet soup to him. “I added some eggs; it’s not quite like what I sell, but enjoy it on the house.”

The silver-haired youth took a sip and smiled, his eyes curving. “It’s very sweet.”

Lu Yao nodded, then went back to packing up her stall.

The young man, Bai Ming, slowly sipped his sweet soup, his eyes never leaving Lu Yao.

Just as she was finishing up, he finished his soup as well. He pushed the bowl aside and called out to her, “Shop owner, I’m here for the job interview.”

The recruitment ad had worked wonders; it hadn’t been long, and someone was already here for an interview.

Lu Yao sat down in front of him. “Where did you see my job ad?”

Bai Ming pointed to the left. “I saw it posted at the entrance to the amusement park, so I came over.”

He had actually torn the ad down, ensuring no one else saw it.

Lu Yao thought to herself, That’s pretty direct, but her desire to hire someone was strong. She didn’t dwell on the details and began asking simple questions: “What’s your name? How old are you? Do you have any work experience? The work here is pretty straightforward, but it can be tiring.”

She still wasn’t sure how employees were paid in this world—probably in time as well? She’d have to ask Xing about that later.

Bai Ming seemed to have prepared answers: “My name is Bai Ming, I’m 22 years old. I used to work at the amusement park but just left my job.”

“What kind of job did you do there?” Lu Yao was a little curious.

Bai Ming answered casually, “I was a guard.”

Lu Yao frowned. Did he mean security guard? Or maybe a gatekeeper?

Suddenly, a voice roared from the distance, “Bai Ming! What the hell are you doing here instead of guarding the amusement park?” The voice, full of fury, grew closer, and the speaker teleported to the snack shop in the blink of an eye.

The newcomer, Bai Jian, wore an angry expression. He glanced at Lu Yao briefly before turning to glare at Bai Ming with hatred.

Qing and Chi had just come out of the amusement park with Bai Jian.

Chi glanced at Bai Ming and asked, “So, he’s the new guard?”

He looks young for a guard, Chi thought. If someone this young could be a guard at the 99th-floor amusement park, he must be pretty powerful.

Bai Jian nodded. “Yeah, he just started. Still not settled in. I’ll be keeping a close eye on him for now.”

Lu Yao, looking a bit confused, shot a questioning look at Bai Ming: What’s going on? Didn’t you say you quit?

Bai Ming stood up calmly and walked over to Bai Jian. “Chief, I’ve decided to quit. My resignation letter is already on your desk.”

Bai Jian’s face twisted into an expression of disbelief. “What? I didn’t hear you—say it again?”

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