Ch 22: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

The Little Canteen at the Edge of the World

“So where exactly is this place? At least give us an address!”

The passengers on the train were like people watching the third episode of a suspense drama, waiting tensely for the climax to reveal the truth.

Snap—

Commercial break.

Someone turned to the person who had just spoken: “You said you know where this is, where?”

Quite a few people were still glued to the screen, but a bit of their attention shifted to the person being asked.

The young man replied, “It should be that snack shop on the 99th floor of District A’s amusement park.”

“Snack shop?”

“You can actually eat the stuff there? Like the people in the video?”

The young man scratched his head, frowning, “I don’t know. This shop is insanely popular. I went with my friends several times, but it was always sold out and closed. We were planning to go again today, but I didn’t expect to see its ad on the train.”

The snack shop had collaborated with the train conductor. Its food was already hard to get, and now it might be even harder.

The more the young man thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

The crowd began to stir.

“99th floor, should we go check it out?”

“Could it be fake?”

“I’m going! I want some food!”

“Was that last clip real? Can the food there cure Soul Loss Syndrome?”

“Soul Loss Syndrome is incurable, even the amusement park can’t fix that.”

“How do you explain the reaction of the patient in the video then?”

No one suspected it was an actor, because a person experiencing soul energy depletion, nearing the brink of soul death, was not something that could be faked.

Yu Cai and Mo Cheng exchanged glances, both intrigued.

This snack shop seemed interesting—they wanted to check it out!

As the discussion grew livelier, a new scene suddenly appeared on the small screen, with two large red characters at the top—Easter Egg.

Below that was a line of small text—We sneaked a peek at the staff meal from the snack shop. It’s a bit long, so hit me if it’s hard to watch!

The cheeky tone practically oozed from the screen.

In the next moment, Gao Yang’s finely chiseled, handsome face appeared.

“The train conductor! He’s going to eat there too?”

“The conductor personally on camera—this place must be big deal.”

When the train first burst onto the scene, the massive sensation it caused wasn’t any less than the current hype about the snack shop.

Gao Yang was famously known in the Dreamland as the “Father of the Train.”

The elevator doors opened, Gao Yang stepped out first, and the camera once again focused on the snack shop standing ahead.

As the camera slowly zoomed in, the crowd finally saw the full view of the snack shop—a bright and fresh-looking two-story building.

It was like a small boat floating on a gray ocean, clear and eye-catching.

Above the door, a large blue sign displayed five white characters—Lu Yao’s Snack Shop.

It was nearing dusk, and the shop was closed.

Gao Yang walked up and knocked on the door. It opened, and a purple-haired young man appeared at the entrance, “You’re early.”

Noticing the equipment behind him, he frowned slightly, “Still holding the camera up? You’re filming while eating too?”

Gao Yang said, “I just want to document my friendship with the shop owner, is filming not allowed?”

The purple-haired youth replied, “Wait a moment, I’ll go ask.”

The passengers found it amusing that the train conductor obediently stood at the door, waiting.

A moment later, Xiao Qie reappeared, pulling the door open. “The shop owner is still busy, feel free to sit wherever.”

Gao Yang entered and headed straight for the kitchen, with the camera capturing the entire interior of the snack shop from his perspective.

In the kitchen, Lu Yao was filleting fish, with Quan Shengju assisting by her side.

Due to the number of people, she had bought three large grass carps. She had the vendor at the market help remove the bones, and now she was filleting the fish herself.

Bai Ming, Xingzi, Qi Shen, and Xiao Qie, who had just returned after closing the shop door, lined up by the window, curiously watching.

Gao Yang silently joined them, his gaze falling on the shop owner’s hands.

The camera naturally zoomed in on Lu Yao’s hands.

Her hands were smooth and white like jade, with faint blue veins visible under her skin through the lens. Her slender, delicate fingers expertly handled the knife as she swiftly and precisely sliced the fish, the evenly thick fillets quickly piling up in a large white porcelain bowl.

The filleted fish was then washed with beer and salt to remove the fishy smell and enhance the tenderness. After draining the water, she added a bit of salt, starch, and egg whites, mixing everything evenly to prepare it for cooking.

Lu Yao’s movements were quick and fluid. She heated oil in the pan, stir-fried the fish bones to make a broth, strained it, added the fish fillets, and scooped them out in one smooth sequence.

At the bottom of a clay pot, she had already laid out boiled bean sprouts and green bamboo shoots. The fish fillets were placed on top, followed by minced garlic, dried chili peppers, and both green and red dried Sichuan peppercorns.

Lu Yao then pulled a vacuum-sealed bag of fresh Sichuan peppercorns from the fridge. The round peppercorns had a fresh green color, and as soon as the bag was opened, the crisp numbing aroma spread through the air.

She took out half of them, washed them clean, and added them to the fish fillets. Then she poured sizzling hot oil over everything—sizzle—

As the steam dispersed, the hot oil was still bubbling in the black clay pot. The vibrant red chilies and green peppercorns perfectly accented the tender, white, slightly curled fish fillets beneath, and the explosive fragrance seemed to waft straight to their noses.

Lu Yao casually grabbed a handful of chopped scallions, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds, sprinkling them on top, then pushed the clay pot to the window. “Boiled fish is ready, let’s eat.”

Throughout the carriage, the sound of people swallowing could be heard. The boiled fish looked incredibly delicious.

This shop’s food wasn’t some kind of illusion—it seemed to be made with real ingredients.

And the shop owner’s cooking technique was so skillful that simply watching her cook was a pleasure.

Four long tables had been pushed together to form a large table, and the massive pot of boiling fish only occupied one corner. In the center was an electric grill surrounded by a variety of washed and prepared ingredients ready to be grilled—fresh shrimp, beef, beef brisket fat…

Fish wasn’t enough; they were going to have barbecue too.

This was way too luxurious!

Outside, stars seemed to twinkle, and inside, everyone gathered around the table.

Gao Yang was the first to pick up a piece of fish. The fish was tender and smooth, and as soon as it touched his tongue, it melted, releasing a burst of fresh flavor combined with the spicy and numbing aroma of the oil-seared peppers. It was both refreshing and satisfying.

Xiao Qi and Ren Min couldn’t stop eating, shoveling one piece of fish after another into their bowls.

This fish was just perfect. Despite the heavy use of spices and seasonings, the strong oil and spice didn’t overpower the original flavor of the fish. The texture was crisp and tender, and the fragrance filled the air.

The employees were a bit more refined than the three guests, but they weren’t any slower when it came to eating.

At first, there was polite conversation, but soon only the sound of clinking utensils and slurping filled the air.

Round after round of grilled food disappeared from the grill, and the massive pot of fish was slowly emptied as well.

…

The Easter egg was indeed long, almost half an hour.

At the end, the train conductor and his two colleagues stumbled out of the snack shop, leaning against the walls, their ears and faces flushed red.

In the middle of the meal, they had gotten a bit carried away and even opened some alcohol.

The final frame finally revealed the name and address of the snack shop.

Passengers: “…”

The carriage was dead silent, as if everyone was unmoved by the content of the Easter egg.

The strange silence lasted for a few minutes until the train suddenly came to a stop.

This was a transfer station with two lines—one leading to District A and the other to neighboring District C.

When the doors opened, the passengers seemed to snap out of a trance and frantically rushed toward the doors.

“Move! I need to get off!”

“I’m transferring to District A, I’m going to the snack shop on the 99th floor!”

“Don’t push! I need to get off too!”

Mo Cheng and Yu Cai barely managed to get off the train, only to be stuck at the platform entrance, unable to take a single step forward.

Normally, the train station wouldn’t be this crowded at this time, but now, everyone had a clear destination in mind—Lu Yao’s Snack Shop on the 99th floor of District A.

The situation was similar in other Districts. Everyone who had seen the train advertisement was curious about the snack shop and wanted to check it out immediately.

District K.

In areas without access to the amusement park, the residents were more dependent on the train than others. Normally, more people would take the train for leisure compared to other zones.

In the morning, the small screens on both sides of the train suddenly lit up, almost instantly attracting the attention of all the passengers onboard.

Meng Qin sat near the door, his elbow resting on the armrest, brows slightly furrowed, staring intently at the screen without blinking.

Scenes of Xiao Qi and Ren Min eating, the vibrant spring view outside the window, and the four-person group on the second floor leisurely enjoying afternoon tea… all these fresh and lively images caused a strong reaction among the passengers, yet Meng Qin just watched quietly, motionless.

It wasn’t until the segment where a Soul Loss Syndrome patient ate food from the snack shop that the laziness in Meng Qin’s eyes faded, and he quietly straightened up in his seat.

Could the food from this shop really cure Soul Loss Syndrome?

The live broadcast signal didn’t reach this area, and with District K lacking both an amusement park and a cinema, it was almost isolated from the outside world, with information severely limited.

Most passengers, after watching the advertisement, were left confused, unsure whether this was a game livestream or if there really was such a shop.

It wasn’t until after the Easter egg finished playing that they seemed to understand something, and nearly everyone prepared to transfer to District A to check it out.

Before the subway station became completely paralyzed, Meng Qin quickly got off the train and headed in the opposite direction, rushing toward District J.

The situation in District J was similar to District K—too many people transferring, and the platforms were overcrowded.

Luckily, his destination wasn’t far—Meng Qin was headed to the only amusement park in District J.

This amusement park was exclusively for patients with Soul Loss Syndrome, though visitors were allowed.

After signing in at the entrance, Meng Qin walked into the park.

He first searched the park but couldn’t find the person he was looking for, then checked the cinema opposite the park.

After searching both places thoroughly without success, he stood in the middle of an open space, looking lost, his expression heavy with pain.

“Meng Qin, what are you doing here?”

A gentle female voice came from behind him. Meng Qin spun around, and upon seeing the person, he let out a breath of relief. “Ning Yun, you’re still here.”

He had searched everywhere but couldn’t find her, and had feared that she was already…

Ning Yun walked slowly toward him. “I was sunbathing on the rooftop. Why are you here so suddenly?”

Meng Qin didn’t answer directly but instead asked, “Are you feeling any better?”

Ning Yun smiled faintly and shook her head slowly.

She was very thin, but her smile was beautiful.

Just like… like the little row of succulents he had just seen on the train—resilient yet cute.

Ning Yun said, “Games that are too easy don’t help, and the ones that are too hard I can’t stand. I feel sick as soon as I go in. I’ve watched a lot of livestreams, but they haven’t worked.”

She also wanted to get better, to stay with him forever, but once you had this disease, there was no cure.

Her symptoms were still mild for now, but it wouldn’t be long before she was completely consumed by it.

Meng Qin took a step forward and grabbed her hand. “Don’t push yourself anymore if you can’t handle it. I’ve found a place where you don’t need to go into the park, and it can make you better. Come with me.”

Ning Yun, confused, pulled at him. “How could there be such a place? Is it a sanatorium?”

Meng Qin shook his head, eager to get her out. “You’ll know when we get there, but we need to hurry—many people are heading there too.”

Meng Qin led Ning Yun out of the amusement park, drove a black sedan out from a nearby warehouse, and took her straight to District A.

The sedan was something Meng Qin had personally created, as in this world, the train was usually a more convenient mode of transportation, and he rarely drove.

Today was an exception. The train station had long since become overcrowded, and to get Ning Yun to the snack shop as quickly as possible, he chose to drive.

He felt incredibly fortunate that when he had brought Ning Yun to the amusement park, he had also prepared a new place to live nearby and even bought a car.

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