Ch 9: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Lu Yao also wanted to know why he was here. The system had tricked her, claiming that only she could travel between the two worlds. How had this man ended up here?

The man was sizing her up as well, his brows furrowed. After a long pause, he spoke haltingly, “Have we… met… somewhere before?”

“You don’t remember?” Lu Yao had a strong impression of him. Just yesterday evening, she was returning from the market when this man stopped her by the roadside, pulled out a large stack of cash, and anxiously asked her to take him to the nearest bus station.

Honestly, the temptation was real, especially since she had been spending money like water recently and desperately needed to replenish her funds. Earning tens of thousands just for giving directions felt like a windfall.

But something about the man’s expression seemed off, and she suppressed her desire for easy money, gave him directions, and didn’t accept any payment.

The man thought for a moment, then shook his head. “My mind’s a bit fuzzy, I can’t remember. Could I come in and sit for a while?”

Lu Yao noticed a familiar figure behind the man and suddenly felt more confident. She stepped aside, allowing the man to walk in and sit by the window.

Bai Ming entered the shop, frowned at the man, then looked down at Lu Yao. “Who is he?”

Lu Yao shook her head. “I woke up and found him leaning against the door. He seems a bit disoriented.”

Bai Ming glanced at the man a few more times, then turned and walked out.

A few minutes later, Bai He and Bai Lu followed Bai Ming in from the amusement park.

Once inside the shop, Bai Ming pointed to the man still sitting by the window. “That’s him. Find out what’s going on and take him away quickly; we’re about to open.”

Lu Yao poured the man a glass of water and returned to the kitchen. Curious about Bai Ming bringing people over from the park, she walked back out and quietly asked, “What’s the problem with this guy?”

Bai Ming shook his head. “Probably a newcomer. After registering him, he can go.”

Newcomer? Register?

Lu Yao was confused and silently stood behind Bai He and Bai Lu.

In front of Bai He lay a black-covered book. Bai Lu started questioning the man, while Bai He flipped open the book to a blank page.

Bai Lu asked, “Do you remember your name?”

The man frowned, thought for a few seconds, and replied, “Qi Shen.”

Lu Yao noticed that after the man responded, his name automatically appeared at the top of the page in the book. There was no need to write it down. The text wasn’t in Chinese, yet it was the same as the script on the menu in the shop, and she could read it.

“Your age?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Do you remember your previous job?”

Qi Shen pointed to the large Ferris wheel outside the window. “I remember. I was the owner of that amusement park, but I can’t find my way back. Can you send me there?”

Lu Yao was startled. This situation was getting tricky.

Was she about to be exposed?

Bai He and Bai Lu glanced at the Ferris wheel outside, their expressions calm as if nothing seemed unusual.

Bai Lu’s tone was cold. “You can’t go back. Do you remember how you ended up here?”

Qi Shen shook his head. “I can’t remember. I woke up outside the shop this morning.”

Bai Lu replied, “Alright, we’ve got the gist of the situation. You’ve been registered as a resident of District A, so just settle down here from now on.”

Bai He pulled out a small booklet from beneath the black book and handed it to Qi Shen. “This is a survival guide. Please read it carefully. If you have any questions, you can ask the shop’s staff or seek help at the nearby amusement park. If there’s nothing else, we’ll be on our way.”

Qi Shen stood up, looking uneasy. “What’s going on? Are you trapping me here? I already said I want to go back. The park is just across the river. Call me a ride, and I’ll pay whatever it costs.”

Bai He and Bai Lu had already reached the door, but upon hearing this, they turned around. Bai Lu frowned and spoke coldly, “Stop shouting. Mr. Qi Shen, you’ve been confirmed as a resident here. You can’t go back.”

Qi Shen became furious. Waking up in a strange place and dealing with strange people—his workplace was clearly just across the river, and they wouldn’t help him get there. If they just gave him directions, he could get back on his own.

Bai Lu and Bai He ignored him, turning and walking away.

Just then, Xingzi arrived and, noticing Qi Shen, asked knowingly, “A newcomer?”

Bai Ming glanced at Lu Yao but remained silent, nodding.

Lu Yao, curious about the “life guide” booklet in front of Qi Shen, circled around to sit across from him. “Can I take a look at that life guide?”

Qi Shen furrowed his brows, pressing the black-covered guide under his hand and sounding impatient. “Get me an iced Americano.”

Bai Ming walked over, pulling Lu Yao to her feet, his tone more impatient than Qi Shen’s. “We don’t have iced Americano. We’re about to open. If you have nothing else, you should leave.”

Qi Shen stared at Lu Yao for a while before noticing the color of her clothes, and the jumbled images in his head started to form a coherent picture.

His eyes widened as if some realization dawned on him. With clenched teeth, he spat, “It’s you! I remember now, we met yesterday.”

Lu Yao, pulling her hand from Bai Ming’s grip, gestured for the two to prepare for the store’s opening.

She sat back down in front of Qi Shen, her tone still gentle. “Yes, we met. What happened afterward? How did you end up here?”

Qi Shen sneered. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re the one who brought me here. Now tell me—who sent you, and what do you want?”

Lu Yao frowned, feeling there was no way to communicate. She glanced longingly at the life guide under Qi Shen’s hand, then stood up. “It wasn’t me. You came here on your own. We’re about to open, so maybe you should calm down first.”

Lu Yao headed into the kitchen, while Qi Shen, still agitated, stood up and tried to escape through the window. Though it was clearly open, an invisible, solid barrier seemed to block the way. No matter how much he pushed or slammed into it, he couldn’t break through.

Frustrated, Qi Shen stormed out of the shop, only to find the scenery outside unfamiliar, with an unsettling strangeness that was nothing like the world he knew.

He took the elevator down to the ground floor, but the surroundings there were just as alien.

Two hours later, Qi Shen returned to the small eatery, defeated.

It was now peak business time. The three staff members were busy, and no one noticed him standing at the door, a mix of irritation and confusion on his face. He had a hundred questions for Lu Yao.

Outside, the line of customers stretched all the way to the elevator. How could this place have such a booming business? Weren’t there any other places to eat? Why were they all crammed in here?

In the queue, a boy excitedly told his brother, “It’s almost our turn! Ever since the live stream last night, even more people have been coming to the shop.”

“Hmm,” Du Chen replied with just a single word, standing calmly in line. It had been ages since he had done something like this, and he found it oddly refreshing.

Plus, he knew the long wait would end in a reward—real food, not some artificial illusion.

That reward gave him all the patience in the world.

Qi Shen’s sharp instincts picked up on something strange. His eyes landed on the two brothers at the front of the line, and when he recognized Du Chen, his pupils constricted in fear. His voice trembled, “You… How are you… here?”

Du Chen looked up, noticing Qi Shen. A knowing look flashed in his eyes as he casually asked, “New here?”

Du Chen hadn’t recognized Qi Shen, but he had seen that look of recognition many times before.

Sometimes, when failed challengers ended up in this world, they’d encounter the NPCs who had tormented them in the games.

Many NPCs used terrifying, sanity-draining forms when entering the games. During the early stages of his soul-loss syndrome, when Du Chen was irritable, he had spent a period entering games without using a disguise—showing his true form.

From Qi Shen’s terrified reaction, it seemed he had witnessed that form before, and the memory clearly left a deep scar.

Qi Shen stumbled back three steps, his expression filled with utter terror, legs trembling like jelly.

Du Chen reached out to steady him, speaking calmly, “Don’t be afraid, you’re just like us now.”

“Just like…?” Those words hit Qi Shen like a death sentence. After a few seconds, his face drained of color as realization set in.

Meanwhile, Du An entered the shop and called out, “Brother, it’s time to order.”

Du Chen let go of Qi Shen and turned to enter the eatery, a subtle excitement glimmering in his eyes. The shop owner was far more interesting to him than a failed challenger.

Inside the kitchen, Lu Yao busied herself. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her, an almost imperceptible gaze. She glanced around, but all the diners seemed focused on their meals, none looking her way.

After about two hours, the shop’s supplies ran out, and Lu Yao had to close early once again. Some customers, having waited for a long time without getting food, started to complain.

“Can’t you prepare more food, store owner? Maybe hire more staff? If I keep missing out on your meals, I’ll go mad.”

Lu Yao, ever patient, nodded and responded kindly, “We’re currently hiring. Once we find the right people, we’ll consider expanding the shop. I apologize for today, though. We’ve prepared some fruit—those who didn’t get a meal can get a free piece from Sister Xingzi.”

The customers hadn’t expected such a sincere response, and though they felt a bit guilty, they gratefully accepted the offer of fruit, finding it sweeter than anything they could conjure themselves. Happily, they left the shop.

In a corner by the window, Du Chen sat silently, watching Lu Yao with keen interest. He found her fascinating, and the idea of scaring her might be even more fun.

Before he could act, Bai Ming stepped in between him and Lu Yao, giving Du Chen a warning glance. Du Chen chuckled, raising his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. It seemed he had been under surveillance all along.

As the customers dispersed, Qi Shen finally entered, still unsettled by Du Chen’s presence. He quickly averted his eyes, pretending not to see him.

He approached Lu Yao, who was still in the kitchen, with a complex expression. “Come here.”

Lu Yao pointed at herself, confused. “Me?”

Qi Shen nodded. “Yes.”

Lu Yao stepped out, and as soon as she did, Qi Shen grabbed her hand. He held it for a moment before letting go, looking both surprised and perplexed. “You’re warm… how is that possible? You’re—”

Before he could finish, a loud thud echoed as Qi Shen clutched his head, squatting down in pain. Du Chen had appeared out of nowhere, giving him a sharp knock on the head.

With ease, Du Chen lifted the groaning Qi Shen by the scruff of his neck and smiled at Lu Yao. “This newcomer’s a bit rude. I’ll take him to the park for some ‘lessons.’”

The mention of the “park” seemed to flip a switch in Qi Shen’s mind. He stiffened, struggling fiercely, “No, I don’t want to go to the park! Please, don’t take me there. I’ll read the life guide, I promise!”

Du Chen, finding the situation dull, released him with a bored sigh.

Just then, a loud knocking echoed through the shop. The door was wide open, but no one else reacted.

Lu Yao realized it must be someone knocking from her own world. Two men stood outside—one of them in uniform. After waiting for twenty minutes without a response, they left reluctantly.

Half an hour later, all the customers were gone, and Xingzi had finished her shift.

Qi Shen stubbornly refused to leave, and Bai Ming volunteered to stay behind.

Lu Yao wanted to leave for the night but wasn’t comfortable with the idea of leaving Qi Shen alone with Bai Ming.

Seeing Bai Ming wouldn’t budge, Qi Shen finally looked at Lu Yao, speaking more politely than before. “I want some coffee. Can you figure something out for me?”

Perhaps after everything that had happened that day, Qi Shen had become more docile, his tone far more respectful.

Lu Yao, initially ready to refuse, noticed the life guide in his hand. A thought crossed her mind. “I can try, but only if you give me the life guide in exchange.”

Qi Shen nodded. “Deal.”

Lu Yao ran to the nearby mall to buy the coffee Qi Shen requested. When she returned, two unfamiliar men were standing at the shop’s entrance.

She stopped, instantly on guard.

The more striking of the two men, who had a refined appearance, glanced at the coffee in her hand before stepping forward. “Hello, are you Miss Lu Yao?”

Lu Yao replied cautiously, “Who are you?”

The man handed her a business card. “My name is Zhuang Liang. I run a museum in the city. I’ve come to speak with you about something.”

“What is it?”

“Before we get to that, Miss Lu, let me first ask—are you familiar with a game called ‘The Park’?”

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