Ch 36: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Lu Yao took some time to deposit the money at the bank, putting two hundred thousand into her usual spending account and dividing the remaining eight hundred thousand across four different bank cards. After visiting five different banks, she finally arrived at the shop close to eleven.

She headed to the nail salon first, planning to buy some ingredients to take to the snack shop, then open the nail salon for the day.

As she pulled open the shop door, Lu Yao stepped back, raising her hand to shield her eyes. What was that blinding light?

“Finally, the shop’s open!”

“Is this the boss Harold mentioned?”

“The black-haired, black-eyed foreigner—this must be her!”

Once her eyes adjusted, Lu Yao lowered her hand and saw a group of teenagers about Harold’s age standing at the entrance. The blinding light had come from the neatly arranged treasure chests lined up outside.

A quick glance revealed about six or seven chests.

Hearing Harold’s name and seeing the pile of treasure on the ground, Lu Yao could guess the identity and purpose of these teenagers.

Were they here for some kind of team-building activity?

The neighbors, who had been shocked to see Harold the day before, seemed numb to it all today, staring blankly at the treasure-filled entrance of the nail salon, their eyes devoid of any reaction.

A girl in a red dress with her red hair tied into twin pigtails stepped up to Lu Yao. Her bright, wide eyes sparkled. “Boss, I want to get my nails done.”

The five or six teenagers behind her immediately echoed, “Boss, I want to get my nails done too!”

Lu Yao opened the door and said, “…Please come inside and wait.”

Their energy was overwhelming—getting their nails done felt more like they were gearing up for a fight, almost scaring her.

The teenagers entered the shop, each carrying their treasure chests. When they saw a large chest under the table that still carried the faint scent of the little black dragon, they knew they were in the right place.

Lu Yao prepared snacks and drinks, handed them a tablet, and pulled out her phone to show them the nail designs. She needed to step out to buy ingredients.

She wasn’t worried about leaving these young dragons alone in the shop—no amount of treasure in the store could compare to what they had brought. What was there to fear?

On her way to buy groceries, Lu Yao began thinking about hiring some staff. When she got busy, she at least needed someone to help greet customers.

If she could find suitable employees, she also wanted to train two or three apprentices. There was no way she could sustain the entire nail salon on her own.

At the meat stall, Lu Yao bought two slabs of magic beast meat. Magic beast meat was more expensive than regular pork or beef, but after tasting it, she knew the difference was significant, so she didn’t mind the price.

With six or seven young dragons waiting in line for manicures at the salon, she was confident the business would thrive in this world, so money wasn’t an issue. She also bought several baskets of vegetables, spending a total of five silver coins.

When she returned to the shop, the young dragons were huddled together, still browsing through the nail design options.

Dragons had a habit of being greedier than any other creature on the continent, always needing to find the best treasures and make them their own.

Even for something as simple as choosing a nail design, they had to review all the options and pick their absolute favorite.

Lu Yao paid them no mind and opened the door to deliver the ingredients to the snack shop.

The little red dragon, Tina, glanced at the door, seeing that the boss had already disappeared through it. The door carried the faint aura of spatial magic.

But soon enough, the boss returned.

Tina, clutching her treasure chest, approached Lu Yao. “I’ve chosen my design.”

Lu Yao took a look and, unsurprisingly, it was in Harold’s style.

She wasn’t surprised—no dragon could resist shiny, sparkly things.

Tina set her treasure chest aside and pulled out another pouch, pouring out a pile of rubies. “I want to use these gems to decorate my nails.”

Tina was a fire-element red dragon, naturally attuned to fire, and her favorite gemstones were rubies, whose color closely resembled the flames of the abyss.

Although she admired Harold’s glittering claws, Tina didn’t want the exact same design as him.

Dragons were not only greedy but also highly individualistic.

The things they liked had to be unique.

After hearing Tina’s request, Lu Yao quickly came up with a design idea.

Lu Yao sketched the design, and Tina took one look at it and instantly liked it.

Tina’s nails were relatively short, as if she had intentionally filed them down. Lu Yao mentioned that extending the nails a bit would improve the overall effect.

Tina shook her head, and in the next second, her nails automatically extended by half an inch. “Should they be longer?” she asked.

Lu Yao, now accustomed to such surprises, nodded. “That’s perfect.”

At that moment, two other young dragons had also chosen their designs. Lu Yao informed them that doing nails would take some time, and suggested they remember their preferred designs, go out for a bit, and come back later.

The young dragons refused to leave, crowding around Lu Yao, curiously watching her work.

With just a few simple strokes, Lu Yao painted a beautiful flame pattern on Tina’s nails, astonishing the young dragons.

They were usually clumsy and rarely took the time to observe such delicate work.

Lu Yao had designed flame nails for Tina, with flames extending from the tips of the nails. The flame was a gradient of silver and red, with a deep red base at the tips. She applied a fine layer of silver cat-eye polish and used a magnet to create a soft arc of light at the tips.

She meticulously shaded the flame and outlined it with fine lines. After applying glue, she dusted the flames with rose gold mirror powder, making the tiny flames flicker as if they were truly dancing on the nails.

Tina was mesmerized. It was even more beautiful than she had imagined.

Each flame was unique on every finger. For decoration, Lu Yao only placed the rubies Tina brought on the index, ring, and pinky fingers. She carefully selected gems that fit the design, used magic to shrink them to the perfect size, and attached them to the nails.

Tina’s favorite design was on her ring finger.

The magma-like red color covered only about two-fifths of the nail, not as aggressive as the flames on the other fingers. It shimmered with tiny ripples, and after applying the shiny powder, it sparkled. Several sharp rubies were scattered across the top, resembling flames leaping from magma—vivid and lifelike.

For the other two nails without gemstones, Lu Yao used fine silver chains intertwined with the red polish, creating a dazzling yet delicate layered look.

Tina held up her hands, gently swaying her fingers as delicate light reflected off the tips.

For the first time, she realized how crude dragon aesthetics were. It turned out that nails didn’t have to be covered with gemstones to be so beautiful that even a dragon couldn’t look away.

“It’s my turn! Boss, I want this style!” A blond-haired boy immediately rushed to Lu Yao, eager to have his nails done.

After witnessing a full manicure up close, they were all impatient to get theirs done.

Lu Yao glanced at the time. Tina’s set had taken three hours, and there were six more young dragons left. Even if she worked overtime, she wouldn’t be able to finish them all in one day.

She noted down each dragon’s preferred style and scheduled specific times for them. At most, she could finish three more sets today, so the remaining dragons were asked to return the next day.

But none of them were willing to leave; they crowded around Lu Yao, insisting on watching her do the manicures.

Tina stood beside Lu Yao, watching intently. The boss’s technique was so skilled and fluid that just observing her work was a joy for the dragons.

Each design brought a fresh surprise. Every young dragon had different preferences, and Lu Yao’s designs were all uniquely beautiful, perfectly tailored to the dragons’ tastes.

Si Jin arrived at the nail salon, carrying a carefully selected box of gemstones, and bumped into Harold at the entrance. His brows furrowed. “Why are you here again?”

Surely he wasn’t back to change his nails, was he?

Damn it, Si Jin had only brought one box of gemstones. Should he go back to get more?

Harold was frowning too. “I like it here.”

The two glared at each other at the door but didn’t start fighting like they used to, mostly because their hands were occupied.

When they entered the salon, they saw the boss surrounded by six or seven young dragons.

Si Jin was the first to speak. “Boss, I want to change my nails.”

Lu Yao glanced at him briefly and calmly replied, “I’m fully booked for today. How about tomorrow afternoon?”

Si Jin was devastated. It was all his fault for spending too much time picking gemstones last night.

Now he had to wait until tomorrow, but Si Jin didn’t want to wait even a moment longer.

Upon hearing this, Harold was instantly smug—Si Jin couldn’t change his nails, so he was still the flashiest dragon around.

Harold watched Lu Yao work on the nails for a while, then his hand brushed against a strange book on the table. It had both pictures and text, and it looked pretty interesting.

There was a sofa nearby, so Harold grabbed the book and stretched out on the sofa, engrossed in reading it.

The book was a comic that Lu Yao had found at home yesterday and placed in the shop for waiting customers to pass the time. Although the book was printed in Chinese, in this interdimensional space, it automatically appeared as text from the other world, so Harold could understand it perfectly.

Si Jin, meanwhile, didn’t rush to leave either. When he saw Tina’s new manicure, he felt a surge of envy.

Though it wasn’t as shiny as Harold’s, Tina’s nails were meticulously designed, with real rubies that perfectly suited her fiery nature.

…

In a tavern at a corner of Emeraldstone Town, five or six men sat together, bowls of liquor and two plates of snacks on the table.

The shifty, skinny man with rat-like eyes spoke first. “Today, six or seven kids showed up carrying treasures and went into that shop. The whole town saw it. If we grab that loot, we’ll be set for life.”

The burly man with a full beard said, “That woman in the nail salon is weak, just an ordinary person with no magic. Flaunting her wealth like that, she deserves to be taught a lesson.”

A tall, lanky youth stammered, “But we tried going there last night. There’s something weird about that door—it just wouldn’t open, no matter what.”

Another person added, “I think something’s off. Those kids and that shop are strange. No normal person would show off wealth like that. It could be a trap.”

The bearded man slammed his hand on the table, raising his voice. “They’re just spoiled rich kids, walking around with piles of money and no guards. They might as well have ‘easy target’ written on their foreheads. That money and those jewels are real, and if we don’t take them, someone else will. If you don’t want in, then get lost and stop wasting my drink.”

The young man, scared by the outburst, didn’t dare leave.

He knew if he tried to walk out now, he’d face retaliation, so he lowered his head and begged for forgiveness.

They had someone keeping watch and had noted down Lu Yao’s shop hours.

When there were no customers, the shop usually closed in the late afternoon.

They planned to strike just before the shop closed when there wouldn’t be many people on the street. They would break in, hold the boss and the kids hostage, steal the treasures, and flee.

After making their plans, they began imagining their successful heist, overflowing with treasures, and raised their bowls, laughing heartily at their anticipated fortunes.

…

Back in the nail salon, Lu Yao had just finished the second young dragon’s nails and was stretching, easing her sore shoulders.

[You have successfully served five customers. Progress: 4 in the nail design collection. Lu Yao’s Nail Salon has been upgraded to a one-star shop. You are rewarded with 100 popularity points, one formula for dragon-specific gemstone glue, and one drop of Starshine.]

[New task! Serve twenty customers to earn 500 popularity points, the second formula for dragon-specific gemstone glue, and three drops of Starshine!]

Lu Yao blinked, surprised. So, the glue really did have a formula. But what was this Starshine?

Only one drop? That was such a stingy reward!

Her curiosity piqued, but the third young dragon was already seated, eyes filled with eager anticipation.

Well, she’d finish the job first. She could check out the rewards after the shop closed for the night.

The third dragon was another young red dragon, this time a boy.

He had short red hair that reached his ears and a pair of sharp little fangs. His smile was adorable.

He poured out a bag of black gemstones, asking Lu Yao to design a cool and stylish manicure for him.

Lu Yao sketched a draft on paper, and the young dragon nodded in satisfaction.

She prepped his nails, applied the base coat, and was about to add the finishing touches when the shop door was suddenly thrown open. A group of burly men armed with various weapons barged in.

In an instant, over a dozen grown men took control of the nail salon, cornering Lu Yao and the young dragons. The man leading them brandished a broad blade, shouting, “Nobody move! Hand over all your treasures, and we’ll let you go!”

It was Lu Yao’s first time facing such a situation. She hadn’t expected anyone to attempt a robbery in broad daylight. And they were all armed with cold weapons, showing no fear whatsoever.

Lu Yao’s hand trembled slightly, distracted by the sudden intrusion, and the little red dragon whose nails she was working on grew tense. He turned around and roared, “You scared her!”

The robbers still hadn’t realized the severity of the situation, thinking the little red dragon was just a spoiled rich kid. They believed they had the shopkeeper and this group of children completely under control. The leader threw his head back and laughed loudly, “Hahaha! Did you hear that? The little lord is angry—don’t let him off later.”

They loved bullying these wealthy, pampered kids the most.

The robbers laughed and began to close in, eyes glued to the treasures scattered across the floor. They thought that as soon as they killed the shopkeeper and the children, all that money would be theirs.

Harold remained lying down, unmoved.

Si Jin sat cross-legged on a single sofa nearby, a treasure chest in his lap, meticulously polishing each gemstone inside.

Tina glanced at her freshly done nails, sighed, and prepared to step forward, but before she could, the four young dragons waiting for their turn suddenly stood up.

Their pupils slowly contracted into vertical slits, scales began appearing on their faces and hands, and they started walking toward the robbers. “What did you just say you were going to do?” they asked menacingly.

The robbers finally began to realize something was wrong. These kids… weren’t human?

The scales and claws made it clear who they were—dragons. The robbers’ faces paled, and though they knew they needed to escape, their limbs had gone weak, refusing to obey.

The young dragons were now fully covered in scales, and they could barely suppress their dragon breath.

Without looking up, Si Jin calmly said, “Don’t destroy the shop.”

…

By evening, in a desolate mountain near the Black Mountain Wasteland, a group of terrified men huddled against a rock wall, trembling so hard they couldn’t even speak.

Four enormous dragons, each the size of a small mountain, surrounded them, lightly swaying their tails, causing the ground to shake violently.

A young golden dragon glared at the leader of the robbers. “He’s the one who wanted to steal our treasure.”

The young green dragon nodded. “He also threatened the shopkeeper.”

The young blue dragon added, “He made fun of Gagaga, too.”

Gagaga was the little red dragon getting his nails done earlier.

Finally, the young purple dragon said in disgust, “I don’t feel like eating humans. Just throw them into the poison gas marsh.”

The robbers were completely petrified.

That shop was terrifying—were they all dragons?

…

Back in the nail salon, Lu Yao had just finished Gagaga’s nails. The last young dragon who had escorted the robbers out had just left, and she was ready for a short break.

After completing three gemstone manicures in a row, if not for her extensive experience, she would have been completely exhausted.

Lu Yao walked over to the sofa and nudged Harold with her foot. “Move over, I need to sit.”

Harold begrudgingly scooted a bit, allowing Lu Yao to sit down. She leaned back against the cushions, closed her eyes, and tried to relax.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. Lu Yao frowned slightly.

Harold tossed aside his book and stood up, walking over to the door.

Five or six men, armed with short knives, were about to force their way in. The leader, a burly man with a full beard and a ruddy face from drinking, had his hand raised, ready to push the door open.

Harold, clearly irritated, growled, “Is this never going to end?”

With that, he grabbed the bearded man with one hand, swung him in the air, and tossed him across the street.

The burly man hit the ground and collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.

The remaining five men were paralyzed with fear, instantly sobering up. All thoughts of their previous plans vanished from their minds.

With dragon breath emanating from him, Harold’s face darkened. “Get lost!”

After that day, no one in Emeraldstone Town dared to target the nail salon again.

Rumors began to spread around town that the shop owner was keeping a group of dragons, with some even claiming that the owner herself was a dragon.

Lu Yao: … Whatever.

…

Lixiu, Elvi, and Fisa traveled through the night, finally making it back to Emeraldstone Town from Onorton City.

As soon as they arrived, Lixiu and Elvi noticed a new rumor circulating in town—people were actually debating whether the nail salon owner was a dragon.

Fisa frowned and looked at Lixiu. “Is the shop owner a dragon?”

Elves and dragons were both highly self-centered beings, though elves focused on inner peace and freedom, paying little attention to worldly matters. Dragons, on the other hand, caused chaos simply due to their immense power and reckless behavior.

Some elves greatly disliked the dragons’ rough and unruly ways. Upon hearing that Lu Yao might be a dragon, Fisa began to hesitate about visiting the salon.

Lixiu shook her head. “The shop owner is human. Something must have happened in town, but I guarantee, she’s definitely not a dragon.”

Fisa remained skeptical.

Lixiu decided to take her directly to the nail salon. Once they met the shop owner, Fisa would realize that Lu Yao couldn’t possibly be a dragon.

Elvi had already planned to visit the salon, so the three of them headed there together.

When they arrived, they found the nail salon oddly quiet, with even the surrounding shops appearing deserted.

A woman selling fruit nearby recognized Lixiu and immediately called out, “Oh, don’t go to the nail salon! The owner is a dragon, it’s terrifying!”

Elvi raised her hand and pushed open the salon door. “I’m going in. Are you two coming?”

Lixiu hurried after her. “Wait for me.”

Fisa hesitated for a few seconds but eventually followed them inside.

Inside the shop, Lu Yao was doing Si Jin’s nails, surrounded by a group of young dragons.

For some reason, these dragons, despite having their nails done, refused to leave.

Even the ones who had finished their nails yesterday had returned again today.

Harold was there too, occupying the large sofa and asking Lu Yao to find him some new comic books.

With the salon overcrowded with dragons, strange rumors had spread all over town, and no regular customers dared to come in. Lu Yao was feeling a bit defeated by it all.

When Lixiu saw Lu Yao, she immediately brightened up and greeted her excitedly, “Boss, I’m back!”

A! Real! Regular! Customer!

And! A! Returning! One!

Lu Yao’s spirits lifted, and she asked warmly, “How was your trip?”

Lixiu nodded and pulled Fisa along. “See? The boss is just an ordinary person. How could she be a dragon?”

Fisa: “…”

The boss was indeed an ordinary human, but the ones surrounding her… they were all dragons!

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