Ch 6: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

【Deduct 100 popularity points to start livestreaming in three of the thirteen districts nationwide. The current livestream signal can only cover three districts. Please select the districts, shop owner.】

A grey map appeared in front of Lu Yao, marked with thirteen zones labeled from A to M. Lu Yao’s shop was located in Zone A. Surrounding Zone A were Zones B, D, H, and M, while other zones were separated by one or two districts, such as Zone C being separated by Zone B from Zone A.

Lu Yao figured it wouldn’t be that easy; to achieve the “fame” milestone, she would need to unlock each of the thirteen zones gradually. She decided to adopt a proximity-based approach, choosing the three closest zones: A, B, and D, to begin the livestream.

A storage panel appeared before Lu Yao. The small storage space currently had thirty-six slots, with the first slot holding “time” and the second slot now containing three black-winged, red-veined butterflies. She hadn’t noticed them there before.

【These are Flying Livestream Devices, included as part of the livestreaming feature. They will automatically follow you, record, capture sound, and censor sensitive content. After the livestream ends, they will return to storage.】

This feature was incredibly convenient—no need to hold a phone or equipment herself. Since the shop had just been renovated, she could livestream the new interior.

Before starting the livestream, Lu Yao had a question, “Is there internet here? Where will the residents watch the livestream?”

【No internet is required. The residents will watch it in cinemas.】

“Cinemas?” Lu Yao was puzzled, but the system didn’t offer further clarification. As the scheduled livestream began, there was a “beep,” and the three butterflies flew out of the storage, fluttering around her.

Simultaneously, in Zones A, B, and D, cinemas that were currently airing gameplay streams had a small ad banner pop up at the bottom of the screen. At first, no one noticed, but after five minutes, a few people started paying attention.

In front of Lu Yao, a transparent rectangular screen, like a phone display, showed the number of viewers and her popularity points, along with a button for viewers to send gifts.

For the first two minutes, no one joined the livestream.

After nearly five minutes, a few people began trickling in, and Lu Yao started the stream.

Text chat (similar to a comment feed) began appearing at the top of the screen.

“What’s the game’s rule? Where are the challengers?”

“It’s too bright, not thrilling at all.”

“Where are the NPCs? Where are the challengers? Why is there no sound?”

Since it was her first livestream, Lu Yao wasn’t sure what to say. She decided to walk outside and re-enter the shop, showing off the newly upgraded interior.

If any of her previous customers had been watching, they would have been shocked to see that the small snack shop had completely transformed overnight.

Lu Yao had spent popularity points to double the shop’s space. The entire layout had been changed, with new divisions for dining and kitchen areas.

Upon entering the shop, the order counter was now against the wall, where the menu, business cards, and payment code were placed. Beside the counter, a transparent glass cabinet with a preparation area below was installed. It was perfect for placing utensils and preparing drinks. The glass cabinet had a freshness function, ideal for storing fresh fruit and yogurt, and at the moment, it housed a plate of freshly washed strawberries.

Behind the glass cabinet, the wall had been converted into shelving that held a variety of glass containers and ingredients for making drinks, such as rum and fruit jams.

This area was Xingzi’s workstation. Lu Yao planned to hire another staff member so that Xingzi wouldn’t have to handle customer service alone.

Meanwhile, the number of viewers in the livestream was gradually increasing. From the initial nine viewers, it had grown to thirty-one, with comments occasionally floating across the screen.

“I’ve never seen such bright colors in a scene before—kinda refreshing.”

“This is so weird. There’s nothing thrilling happening, but I’m oddly excited.”

“The first time there’s no gameplay, just watching the scenery makes me feel peaceful. Peaceful, not boring.”

Lu Yao glanced at the comments occasionally, noticing that the viewers seemed to think this was a game stream. She still hadn’t figured out what to say, so she remained silent and continued showing off her shop.

Passing by the counter, she moved into the kitchen area. It was an open kitchen with transparent, heat-resistant glass partitions.

Above, there were pull-down bamboo blinds, which could be lowered if the chef preferred not to be watched by customers. Although the kitchen wasn’t very large, every inch of space was utilized.

There were two deep-freeze refrigerators, a half-wall cabinet for storing dishes, shelves for fresh ingredients and spices, and three cooking stations with pass-through windows. The area had everything a professional kitchen needed: stoves, utensils, and equipment.

For now, this was where Bai Ming and Lu Yao worked. Eventually, she planned to hire two more people to help in the kitchen, allowing her to step back from cooking. However, since this world didn’t originally have food, she wasn’t expecting to find culinary professionals right away; she’d have to train them herself.

A few minutes passed, and the number of viewers increased to sixty-one.

“What’s the game’s code? I want to try it out.”

“Is this the kitchen? The details are amazing! If only you could actually cook here.”

Lu Yao couldn’t help but respond to this comment, saying, “Of course, I can cook here! After I show you the dining area, I’ll make some breakfast.”

“!!! The NPC talked?”

“What kind of game is this? So refreshing and honest.”

“I feel the same. The games at the park are getting too extreme and gory. I’m numb to it. This one feels healing.”

“…I’m scared the NPC will suddenly get killed by a challenger. I’m so tired of that trope.”

Ignoring the comments, Lu Yao turned and began introducing the dining area. “This is the dining area. Because the guests really liked the illusions I created, I made some adjustments.”

In the stream, viewers could see that the dining area had been expanded several times over, and there were now multiple windows.

Lu Yao had used an additional two hundred popularity points to expand the shop’s alternate space, adding four more windows for a total of five window seats.

The alternate space and the real space were like two layers: the outer layer didn’t change much, but the inner layer could be expanded infinitely. The real space outside remained the same size, and the view from all five windows was identical.

To create a distinction, Lu Yao had gone to a flower and bird market the previous afternoon, buying twenty potted succulents. She placed them on the windowsills of the alternate space, making each window look unique.

During the upgrade, she had also asked the system to add a subtle disguise, making the view outside appear slightly dimmer, enhancing the illusion that it was an artificial creation.

As the camera panned to the dining area, showcasing the window designs, the number of viewers suddenly surged from sixty to over one hundred thirty. The chat became lively, and some people even recognized the shop.

【Viewers reached a joyful 100, popularity points +10】

“Holy! Is this the snack shop? She’s the owner!”

[“Little Handsome” sent a Skull Necklace! +20 popularity points]

Lu Yao blinked, realizing that both viewer count and gifts could boost popularity points. This was getting interesting.

“It really is! Wow, there are more windows now. Does that mean I finally have a chance to sit there and eat?”

“There are five now, so it really is an illusion. I thought…”

“What are you guys talking about? What snack shop? Isn’t this a game?”

The chat became a flurry of confusion, and Lu Yao noticed the time in the top-right corner. Xingzi and Bai Ming would be arriving soon.

Eager to see the shop’s upgrades, Lu Yao arrived earlier than usual.

Bai Ming and Xingzi typically showed up right on time, often snacking on leftover ingredients before the doors opened. Today, Lu Yao wanted to make a proper breakfast, as she was getting a little tired of the usual shop food.

The chat exploded with questions about “Lu Yao’s Snack Shop.” While viewers from Zone A recognized it, those from Zones B and D had never heard of it, leading to skepticism.

“I don’t believe it. How could a place like this exist? I’d rather believe this is just a game.”

“It’s entertaining as a game, but an actual snack shop? Come on, everyone knows it’s fake.”

“Believe it or not, the snack shop is about to open, and I know I should go queue up, but I’d rather stay here—this stream is so calming.”

Lu Yao entered the kitchen, taking out the minced meat she had prepared the night before. Glancing at the tiny butterflies flitting around, she whispered, “No special skills, just making some breakfast.”

At first, the viewers thought she was going to use traditional illusions to conjure food.

But when they saw Lu Yao grab a handful of fresh, green scallions, wash, and chop them into the meat mixture, they realized something was different.

She took a clean plate, grabbed some pre-made wonton wrappers from the fridge, and began folding them with water. Her hands moved skillfully, and the wontons were wrapped quickly and neatly.

Since it was just for herself, she made her favorite kind—big and packed with meat. The wontons looked like little gold ingots as they sat on the plate.

“Holy crap, she’s a master!”

“I never expected this, but I’m totally captivated by watching her make wontons. It’s so soothing!”

“I declare this the best game content of the year! Ahhh, I want to eat it so bad!”

Lu Yao finished preparing enough for three people in under ten minutes.

She set the pot to boil, washed a handful of leafy greens, and just as she was seasoning the soup, Bai Ming and Xingzi arrived.

The two met at the door, exchanging nods as a greeting.

Bai Ming was the first to enter, but he stopped abruptly at the doorway. Xingzi gave him a nudge. “What’s wrong?”

Bai Ming silently stepped aside, and Xingzi gasped as she saw the shop’s transformation. “Oh my gosh!”

The shop had completely changed overnight.

Hearing them, Lu Yao looked up and greeted, “You’re here! I’m just making breakfast, it’ll be ready soon.”

Curious, both Bai Ming and Xingzi walked over. “What did you do, boss?” they asked.

Lu Yao suddenly remembered, whispering, “Oh, I’m live-streaming right now. Do you mind being on camera? I can keep your faces out of the shot.”

“Live-streaming?”

Both were surprised to hear that Lu Yao was streaming.

By then, the water had boiled. Lu Yao blanched the greens and set them aside before adding the wontons to the water. Within a few minutes, they floated to the surface—thin-skinned, plump, and utterly adorable.

She scooped them out, placing them into bowls of clear broth, topped them with white pepper and scallions, and set a small dish of chili oil on the side. The aroma was irresistible.

“Why are you just standing there? Breakfast is ready,” Lu Yao said, placing chopsticks and soup spoons on the bowl edges, urging Bai Ming and Xingzi to eat.

Snapping out of their trance, the two picked up their bowls and followed Lu Yao to a table by the window.

Outside, the early spring scenery was chilly, while inside, a bowl of hot, steaming wonton soup was waiting, fragrant and enticing.

By now, the number of viewers had exceeded five hundred, and people were furiously sending gifts.

[Received one skull necklace from “Little Handsome.”]

[Received one spider lily from “Little Diao Flower.”]

[Received ninety-nine spider lilies from “Meow-Chan Loves Fish.”]

…

“Whoa! The wontons are steaming! They look so delicious.”

“Boss, I’m heading to your shop right now—I need to try those wontons!”

“Hurry up and eat! I’ve been waiting for this moment—go on, eat!”

Lu Yao scooped up a wonton, blew on it gently, and took the first bite plain, without dipping it in the chili oil.

【The live stream is about to end. Spend 100 popularity points to extend the live stream. Do you want to extend?】

Since the shop was about to open and she wouldn’t be able to focus on the stream, Lu Yao decided, “No extension this time, we’ll continue later.”

In the small screening rooms of the cinema, hundreds of viewers were glued to the screen, waiting to see Lu Yao eat that wonton. It was as if watching her eat would let them taste it, too.

Suddenly, the screen went black.

The audience erupted in chaos.

“Hey, admin, come quick, something’s wrong with the stream!”

“Please hurry! I was just about to taste those steaming hot wontons!”

“Ah—what’s happening? Where are the park admins? Fix it now—I need that wonton!”

…

While the confused viewers who thought it was a game were lamenting, those from Zone A who had already visited Lu Yao’s Snack Shop quietly left the cinema, rushing to the 99th floor to the shop.

That wonton soup? It was torture to even think about!

…

Inside the snack shop, Lu Yao bit into a wonton. The meat filling was mixed with ice cubes, dried shrimp, minced ginger, and scallions, making it juicy and bouncy, leaving a fresh, fragrant taste in her mouth. Paired with the peppery broth, it warmed her up instantly.

After eating three plain wontons, Lu Yao picked up another, dipped it in her secret chili oil, and savored the spicy kick, which brought a whole new experience of warmth and flavor.

Bai Ming and Xingzi sat on either side of her, mimicking her as they ate their own bowls of wonton soup.

The soup had a mild flavor compared to the explosive spiciness of the roasted wings and pig trotters, but it had its own lingering charm. Before they knew it, they were hooked, eating one wonton after another.

Midway through, Xingzi finally remembered to ask, “Boss, why does the shop look so different?”

Lu Yao replied, “Since everyone loves the window seat, I thought I’d expand the place. Worked on it all night, and this is how it turned out. Pretty good illusion, right? Now no one has to fight over the window spot.”

Lu Yao was doing her best to maintain her “illusion master” image. Bai Ming and Xingzi exchanged a glance over her head, silently agreeing not to expose her. She was trying hard, after all.

Both of them accepted her explanation with a tacit understanding and were ready to use the same story when customers asked.

Meanwhile, those who had watched the live stream in Zones B and D were in a state of despair.

Their minds were completely consumed by that bowl of steaming wonton soup, sprinkled with white pepper and green scallions. They could almost smell the aroma, but no matter what, they couldn’t actually taste it.

Wait!

A viewer had mentioned in the chat that the shop was on the 99th floor in Zone A!

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