Ch 104: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

In the middle of the shopping street was a concrete road with shops lining both sides.

Currently, three shops were open on the riverside, and Lu Yao turned her gaze to the shops on the opposite side, facing the mountain.

Behind them lay lush green mountains, trees dense and verdant.

A gentle morning breeze brushed by, and the row of shops seemed to stand amid clouds and a sea of forests.

Lu Yao raised her hand and pointed to a shop directly across from the nail salon. “Let’s open this one and upgrade it first.”

The system had a hunch but wanted confirmation: “What kind of shop?”

Lu Yao considered for a moment. “Lu Yao’s Little Pet Cafe.”

System: “…Are you sure? The clue is ‘Sea.’ A pet shop doesn’t have anything to do with the sea.”

Lu Yao replied, “The clue does include ‘Sea,’ but it might mean more than just water. Besides, I’m focusing on finances right now, so I’d rather not open another high-cost store.”

System: “Why is that?”

Lu Yao opened the system interface’s store owner status panel.

Owner: Lu Yao
Age: 22
Shops: 3
Employees: 28
Popularity Points: 883,500
Assets: 8.72 million
Wish Progress: 15%
Warehouse Slots: 40

(Store Map)

“Over the past month, even though profits have been stable, my assets have shrunk by over 300,000. And that doesn’t even include the costs of sourcing ingredients from the continent of Alexander. The expenses for the snack shop and blind box shop are too high, so I need to take it slow,” Lu Yao explained.

With no more to say, the system prepared to activate the stargate for the new shop location, upgrade the interdimensional space, and perform a basic renovation.

However—

System: “Insufficient popularity points; interdimensional space upgrade failed.”

Lu Yao was stunned. “Over 800,000 popularity points aren’t enough?”

Recently, she had spent popularity points quite generously, but the upgrades and renovations for the previous three shops only required around 200,000 points each. Why wasn’t it enough this time?

System: “This shop location is somewhat unique, requiring special upgrades to ensure the safety of the store owner and employees.”

Lu Yao: “…How many popularity points will it take to complete the upgrade?”

System: “One million.”

Lu Yao: “So, I’ll need to wait until the snack shop, nail salon, or blind box shop is upgraded to gain more popularity points?”

System: “Yes.”

The system was equally frustrated. It had finally convinced her to open a new shop, only for this to happen.

System Announcement: “Lu Yao’s Blind Box Shop has achieved 2 million in blind box coin revenue, beloved by customers, and has been upgraded to a six-star store. Reward: one million popularity points and a free store upgrade. The owner may freely add or change blind box categories.”

!!!

Lu Yao clenched her fist. “It’s enough.”

System: “…Just in time.”

With one million popularity points spent, the shop was upgraded to an interdimensional space accessible to customers.

Then, the renovations took another 200,000 popularity points.

The system warned that this particular world was highly unusual; all employees other than the owner would need special work badges to enter the shop.

Each badge required an exchange of 100,000 popularity points.

Lu Yao spent 500,000 popularity points to make custom collar tags (work badges) for the four kittens who would soon be working at the new pet shop. She also ordered an extra temporary badge.

With the shop upgrades and renovations, the setup time was twelve hours.

…

After rescuing the calico mother cat and her kittens, Lu Yao kept them in the nail salon initially.

Recently, the three kittens spent their mornings at the blind box shop, where the young tiger cub taught them hunting techniques.

The kittens, like Ji Feiming and Bai Jing, could only move around in the real space within the shop; they couldn’t enter the interdimensional spaces and wouldn’t wander too far.

Though the tiger cub was only the size of a palm and looked even smaller than the kittens, he held a certain authority over them. He demonstrated pouncing, rolling, and playful hunting skills in a very serious manner.

After a period of care, the kittens had grown to nearly two months old.

Each had unique coloring and personality.

The largest was a tuxedo cat with a lively personality and a talent for “pouncing” on people’s shoes, rolling over with an exposed belly to beg for treats. Lu Yao named it “Pounce.”

The second was a small orange kitten with a white chest, a slightly dopey expression, and a habit of looking pitiful. It loved eating and napping, with a round head and paws that somewhat resembled the tiger cub. Lu Yao named it “Tape.”

The third kitten, the weakest when rescued, was a round-faced, tabby cat with white paws, known for its affectionate and clingy nature. Lu Yao named it “Sugar.”

Lu Yao hadn’t raised cats before, so she didn’t know why the kittens from the same litter looked so different. But their appearances were all quite adorable—soft, fluffy, and irresistibly cute.

Unlike her kittens, the calico mother cat had a dignified, almost boss-like presence. With two heart-shaped patches on her head, Lu Yao named her “Double Heart.”

Double Heart typically lounged in the nail salon, spending her days napping by the window. She didn’t mind the kittens being taken to the blind box shop for half the day and sometimes roamed outside, always returning by dusk.

The custom name badges Lu Yao ordered allowed the cats to work in the new pet shop once they wore them.

The next morning, the shop upgrade was complete, and a large sign featuring a paw print had been hung up.

Lu Yao planned to visit the shop first, then bring the cats over.

As she was about to open the door, a Cadillac and a Porsche drove into the shopping street from the main road, parking in the side lot.

Ji Feiming and Bai Jing each stepped out of their cars.

“Good morning, store owner.” Ji Feiming had heard about the new shop opening and had been eagerly anticipating it since yesterday, curious about where this new shop would lead. He had arrived fifteen minutes earlier than usual.

Bai Jing nodded slightly in greeting as he approached Lu Yao, having come to give Luo Huian his fluids. Now, seeing a new shop across the street, his curiosity was piqued.

Lu Yao nodded back. “Morning.”

Ji Feiming eagerly asked, “Store owner, may I come in and take a look at the new shop?”

Opening a new shop was always like opening a mystery box, and now was the moment to “unbox” it.

Lu Yao wasn’t sure what to expect this time, but given the system’s unusual setup, having an extra person might not be a bad idea.

She handed the temporary badge to Ji Feiming. “Put this on. Follow closely, stay calm, and don’t make a fuss no matter what you see.”

The badge, like the cats’ collar tags, had a small silver nameplate with Lu Yao’s name. It was adjustable and could be worn like an elastic band around his wrist.

Ji Feiming took it, thinking that after seeing the terrifying black dragon, there wasn’t much left that could shake him.

Bai Jing was also curious, but with only one temporary badge available, he’d have to wait until Ji Feiming returned. So he went to the blind box shop to check on “Little Fatty” Luo Huian.

Lu Yao opened the pet shop door, and a cold, damp, slightly salty mist greeted her.

Hesitating for a moment, she stepped inside, where her feet were immediately submerged in icy seawater that soaked into her shoes and chilled her to the bone.

Was this shop actually in the sea?

She had originally assumed the pet shop’s location might be near a beach or coastline, but she hadn’t expected to be wading through water right from the entrance. This truly was a “Drowned Sea.”

Once she fully entered the shop, Lu Yao found herself momentarily speechless.

The shop sat on a flat, circular seabed. The outer walls were transparent, soft membranes, allowing a clear view of the underwater world outside.

Where light reached, dark green seaweed swayed, corals moved gracefully, and schools of fish glided through as if she were in an underwater forest.

It was both wondrous and unsettling.

A couple of steps up from the entrance was a dry, white sand area just past the line where the seawater had pooled.

The shop’s edges seemed to blend seamlessly with the underwater world surrounding it.

Walking up onto the white sand bank marked the true entrance into the pet shop.

The interior was simple for now, with just a three-level cat climbing frame, two low tables, and a few lazy beanbag chairs for lounging. A hidden kitchen and bathroom for the cats were indicated by small signs on the transparent walls.

Ji Feiming followed closely behind Lu Yao, his shoes also getting wet. Seeing how calm she was, he forced himself not to back away.

Entering the shop, he gaped in awe at the reachable ocean view. “Is this shop really underwater?”

Lu Yao turned to him. “It appears so.”

Ji Feiming leaned on the transparent, soft membrane wall, peering out and fretting. “All I see are fish—how are we supposed to attract customers?”

The funniest part was that the store owner planned to bring cats here. Would fish really be interested in cuddling cats?

Lu Yao also looked out. In the distance, a massive shadow was slowly approaching the pet shop, drifting leisurely past the top of the store.

As it swam by, the enormous shadow nearly engulfed the entire shop.

Lu Yao frowned. “This transparent wall is an issue. I heard cats have a fear of large objects, and they might be terrified staying here.”

Ji Feiming turned around, rubbing his goosebumps. “Forget cats; even I have a fear of large things! Was that a shark that just swam by? Is this shop really safe? If there’s a leak or a breach by a fish, it’d be terrifying.”

The system immediately chimed in: “Rest assured, the shop’s high upgrade costs went mostly to safety measures. Though the walls appear thin, they are incredibly durable and won’t be damaged.”

Lu Yao replied, “That’s good, but the cats might still be scared. Is there a way to address that?”

System: “For 40,000 popularity points, we can upgrade the cat employee badges. With the upgraded badge, cats will perceive the large sea creatures as smaller, with none appearing larger than a human. Shall we proceed?”

Seeing her remaining popularity points dwindling, Lu Yao reluctantly chose to upgrade.

She hadn’t raised many animals before, but last night, while researching ocean-related information, she read about seal pups stranded on shores that died from stress after being surrounded by people taking pictures and touching them.

Cats are often timid, and most of hers were still young kittens prone to stress. Small animals can be more fragile than one might imagine, so this upgrade was essential for the mental well-being of her employees.

Ji Feiming had been uncomfortable upon entering the shop, yet after standing there for a while, he felt a calming stillness. It was so quiet here.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Bai Jing had arrived.

Ji Feiming stepped out, handing over the temporary badge.

Strangely, upon leaving, his previously soaked shoes were completely dry.

Lu Yao stood at the entrance. “Ji Feiming, could you bring Double Heart over? I’d like to see how she reacts first.”

Bai Jing took the badge without asking questions and walked directly into the shop, his shoes immediately wetting as he stepped inside.

He frowned, quickly moving up to the white sand bank and soon realized he was in an underwater forest.

A scallop with a wide-open mouth drifted past him with a funny little hop.

Lu Yao waited at the door, taking Double Heart from Ji Feiming, ensuring her badge was securely on her neck, and gently carried her into the shop.

Bai Jing was leaning against the soft membrane wall, captivated by a school of snapper swimming by.

Double Heart, who had been pampered in the shop recently and now had a thick, glossy coat, slipped nimbly from Lu Yao’s arms, meowing as she roamed around, exploring her new environment.

After wandering a few rounds, she noticed the fish outside and froze, her round eyes filled with curiosity mixed with a bit of caution, but she didn’t show any extreme fear. It seemed the badges were working.

Reassured, Lu Yao brought in the three kittens as well.

Tape and Sugar were a bit nervous, hiding in a small nook on the cat tree, too timid to come out.

Pounce, braver than the others, rubbed against Lu Yao’s pant leg, rolling over and begging for attention with practiced ease.

Lu Yao went to the kitchen to prepare some cat food that even the kittens could eat. When she returned with the food bowl, she found Bai Jing lying on the floor, holding Double Heart in his arms while Pounce licked his hair.

“You’re still here?” Lu Yao asked.

Dr. Bai usually had his hands full with his hospital, so it was rare to see him relaxing in the shop, a luxury made possible only by his connection to Ji Feiming and his regular visits to administer fluids to Little Fatty.

Bai Jing petted Double Heart’s soft belly as an unknown school of fish drifted overhead. “It’s too relaxing here. Petting cats like this is nothing like a regular cat café; I want to stay a little longer.”

Being a doctor was a high-pressure job, and Bai Jing’s family background was on par with Ji Feiming’s. Besides regular patients, he also had to handle special clients like Lu Yao, making his stress levels even higher.

Usually, he sought stress relief at cat cafés, escape rooms, or thrill rides at amusement parks, but none of those came close to the peace he felt here.

Lu Yao set the cat food in the feeding area, and both Pounce and Double Heart, seasoned eaters, left Bai Jing’s side to eat.

Looking a bit disappointed, Bai Jing sat up, braced himself on the floor, and squinted up, murmuring, “Is there something floating up there?”

Lu Yao, who was coaxing Tape and Sugar out of their hideaway to eat, replied casually, “What else could it be? Besides water and fish, there’s nothing outside.”

Bai Jing tilted his head, peering intently. The distance was a bit far, and parts of the ocean were shadowed, making it hard to see clearly. “Store owner, come take a look. Is that really a fish? It looks… odd.”

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