Ch 106: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

“What is it?” Lu Yao was very curious.

Seeing the fruit on the low table, Duo Qingmei picked up Pounce, stood up, and knelt by the table. “Can I have a bit?”

Since she had a guest, Lu Yao didn’t rush, instead turning toward the kitchen. “I’ve already eaten that. Wait a moment, and I’ll cut a fresh plate.”

A box of clean tissues and a covered container for utensils sat by the table to keep the fruit cat-hair-free.

Duo Qingmei casually shook her head, grabbing a silver fruit fork from the container, spearing a piece of melon. The chilled melon was sweet and juicy, with a rich aroma.

After finishing one piece, she quickly took two or three more. “Lu Yao, no need to cut more. This is great.”

Lu Yao brought over a glass of iced rose lychee soda and sat across from her. “Have a drink too. My shop employees made this rose-lychee jam; it has a wonderful flavor.”

It was mid-summer, the peak season for fruits from the Alexander continent, so Lu Yao had ordered plenty for the snack shop.

Qi Chen, Quan Shengju, and Mo Cheng each made their own unique jams, and while the flavors differed, each was delicious.

Some was reserved for drinks in the café upstairs; Lu Yao took some to the nail salon for the otherworldly staff and packaged some as blind box prizes in the Impermanence World. She kept a few jars here at the pet shop for guests.

Duo Qingmei took the drink. The lychee’s fruity aroma mixed with the floral scent of rose and a hint of fresh lemon, intensified by the ice.

It was absolutely delightful!

She downed half the glass in one go and turned to Lu Yao. “This is amazing!”

A warm breeze swept through the open window, and Duo Qingmei, startled, leaned over to look outside.

“Oh wow, outside…it looks like the shore?”

Inside and outside the window was a stark contrast—one side, a deep blue ocean, and the other, lush green mountains. It was enough to leave anyone in awe.

Duo Qingmei reached her hand toward the window, but a soft membrane barrier stopped her. She looked back at Lu Yao. “What’s going on with this shop? It’s underwater, yet outside the window is a view from land.”

Double Heart hopped lightly onto the table, eyeing the fruit plate. Lu Yao quickly scooped her up, holding her firmly. “First, tell me what’s going on with those fish.”

Duo Qingmei turned to the strange, belly-up fish outside the shop. “When I woke up, I was there. I think they’re just like me.”

“You mean they might all be people?”

But unlike Duo Qingmei, those fish seemed entirely listless, floating belly-up without any sign of life.

Duo Qingmei gently stroked Pounce. “When I woke up, I was at the very bottom, right beside an upside-down shark. Nearly scared me to death! But I soon realized none of them moved, hunted, or did anything. Even nearby fish usually keep their distance from that area. When they accidentally swim close, they get frightened and dart away. I think fish can sense that those who look similar but lie there so idly aren’t their kind.”

“But you’re completely different from them,” Lu Yao pointed out.

Duo Qingmei laughed, shaking her head. “I’ve been trying to find a way back. I have to return to work; there’s still so much left undone. But there’s no way out—we’re trapped in this sea. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been here as long, but after a while, if I still can’t leave, I might end up just like them.”

Drowned at sea.

Lu Yao recalled the clue. Those people who turned into fish seemed destined to drown in this ocean.

“Do you think they could come to the pet shop to play?” Lu Yao mused, looking toward the distant “mermaids” who might be her only potential customers.

Duo Qingmei, lying comfortably on the table, began teasing Pounce with a delicate feathered cat toy.

Tiny bells on the feathered tip chimed with each gentle tug, captivating both Sugar and Tape, who followed her movements left and right with rapt attention.

“I tried calling out to them; they didn’t respond at all. It’s like talking to stones,” Duo Qingmei replied.

While Lu Yao considered ways to attract these withdrawn fish, she returned to the kitchen.

The sea fish Duo Qingmei had brought couldn’t be left out for long—better to prepare them while they were still fresh.

If customers at the pet shop would bring seafood for cat-petting, Lu Yao thought she might expand the kitchen to include a large aquarium to keep the fish.

Some could be supplied to the snack shop to add seafood options for night meals. The blind box shop might even introduce seafood ingredient blind boxes, likely appealing to certain customers, and a few could be sent to the nail salon as treats for the employees.

With the pet shop in place, Lu Yao might achieve “seafood freedom.”

System: “Store owner, if you plan to eat these fish, it’s best to handle them carefully.”

Lu Yao’s heart skipped a beat. “Is something wrong with the fish?”

System: “This sea is heavily polluted and now known as the ‘Garbage Sea.’ Most deep-sea fish here have ingested plastic or chemical-laden industrial waste, making them unsafe to eat.”

Lu Yao: “…”

Her dream of “seafood freedom” was instantly shattered.

Standing in frustration for a moment, she finally relented, picking up a snapper from the sink and casually drawing a magic circle over it.

It was the same spell array she’d planned to use for extracting the compass fragment. As her magic infused the fish, black sludge began to seep from its body.

The system scanned the processed snapper, surprised: “It’s clean now. No toxins or parasites—completely safe to eat.”

Lu Yao filled a bucket with seawater, using the same method to filter out the toxic substances, then dropped the purified snapper into it. She looked at her hand. “This world seems highly magical; using arrays doesn’t feel as restrictive as in the Impermanence World.”

System: “The ocean, like the earth, is brimming with energy here.”

Lu Yao squatted by the bucket, observing the fish.

It seemed, perhaps just a trick of the light, that the fish looked more vibrant, with even shinier scales.

Double Heart trotted in, meowing as she approached the bucket and spotted the fish.

With her special badge, the furry employee could enter the shop’s magical space.

Double Heart crouched by the bucket, watching the swimming fish intently, ready to pounce at any moment.

Lu Yao stood and pointed to a small corner by the refrigerator. “I’d like to expand this into a big aquarium to hold processed fish. Once we’ve collected enough, we can send some to the snack and blind box shops.”

System: “Store owner, there’s a new notification.”

Lu Yao: “What is it?”

System: “It has been detected that your popularity points are insufficient to sustain the new shop. To address this, the Popularity Points Support Plan has been activated—completing support tasks can earn you additional popularity points.”

Lu Yao: “What’s the task, and can I opt out?”

System: “The Support Plan activates automatically when your popularity points fall short. Task types are generated based on the current world’s conditions. You may choose to decline, but with insufficient popularity points, all upgrades and expansions to the shop will be indefinitely postponed. For the aquarium expansion, at least 200,000 popularity points are needed, which cannot be achieved with the current points.”

Lu Yao: “…What’s the task?”

System: “The Popularity Points Support Plan has activated the following task: collect ocean garbage to exchange for popularity points. Each gram of trash is worth 1 popularity point.”

Lu Yao was a bit surprised. The task was more reasonable than expected, but still challenging. “…You want me to dive into the sea?”

System: “Yes.”

Lu Yao turned to look at the doorway, with the vast, unknown ocean stretching beyond the transparent membrane. She was silent for a moment. “How do I do it, and how will my safety be ensured?”

The system expected Lu Yao to outright refuse and prepare to shoot down its suggestion with a rebuttal. But hearing her tone, it seemed she had already decided to take on the task.

System: “A special tool has been added to the warehouse, ensuring the store owner’s safety. Ocean waste will automatically convert to points upon retrieval.”

The ultimate task from the blind box shop had left a deep impression on Lu Yao, making her decisions faster and more resolute. Avoiding the task was pointless—action was what mattered most.

In her storage space, a wetsuit and a portable waste processor had been added.

Lu Yao went to the restroom to change. The thin black wetsuit clung to her, barely noticeable.

“Is this really safe?” she tugged slightly at the snug fabric, feeling a bit skeptical.

System: “The wetsuit’s material is special. Wearing it makes a person’s senses as keen as a deep-sea creature’s. Body functions adjust to resemble those of fish—you’ll breathe easily and swim faster. In emergencies, an invisibility mode activates to evade top predators.”

Lu Yao: “…Still feels risky.”

System: “System and store owner are bound by your wish. Should anything happen to you, the system would also cease to exist. Why would I ever place you in danger? Your constant doubt pains me deeply.”

Recently, the system had picked up some persuasive phrasing from online courses, eager to try it out.

Not wanting to call it out, Lu Yao strapped on the waste processor. “…Fine, I’m off.”

“Now?” The system had thought she was just testing the wetsuit, not expecting her to start the task immediately.

Lu Yao sent a message to Ji Feiming, asking him to come and watch the shop.

Half of the fruit platter on the table was gone, and the rose lychee soda had been emptied. Duo Qingmei was curled up beneath the low table, asleep.

Pounce had his head pressed against her cheek; they both looked peacefully asleep.

Outside, Ji Feiming received the temporary badge. Entering, he glanced at Duo Qingmei, astonished. So soon and there was already a guest? Were there really humans living in the deep sea, or was this actually a mermaid?

Noticing his fleeting expression, Lu Yao didn’t explain, simply instructing, “Look after Double Heart, the kittens, and the guest. I’ll be back soon.”

Duo Qingmei, ever alert, sat up instantly upon hearing voices. “You’re going out? Where?”

Lu Yao opened the shop door, and the salty, damp sea air wafted in.

Turning, she replied, matter-of-factly, “Into the ocean.”

Ji Feiming spun around, shocked. Why was she suddenly diving into the sea? The decision felt hasty.

“This is too dangerous,” he managed to say, trying to dissuade her.

Over their time working together, he’d come to know that she rarely heeded such advice.

As expected—

“You’re going to check on the fish school?” Duo Qingmei, surprised, couldn’t imagine what would prompt Lu Yao to act so decisively.

Glancing at the strange cluster of fish floating nearby, Lu Yao shook her head. “Mainly going out to collect trash. If I swim over there, I’ll take a look.”

Duo Qingmei looked at her for a moment. “Let’s go, I’ll go with you.”

Lu Yao: “Not staying to pet the cats?”

Duo Qingmei shook her head. “Cats can wait. You’re unfamiliar with this area, so I’ll show you around first. There’s quite a bit of trash in this sea, especially in that direction—there’s practically a mountain of garbage over there.”

She pointed toward the direction where the cluster of inert fish floated.

Having another person along did seem wise, so Lu Yao nodded. “Thank you.”

System Notification: “Successfully hosted one customer. Initial task completed. Popularity points +10. Store upgraded to one-star status. Keep up the good work, store owner!”

New Task: “Host ten guests, reward 1,000 popularity points, and add a new pet category!”

As the door opened and closed behind them, Duo Qingmei stepped out of the shop, and the task prompt chimed again. When they reappeared outside, Lu Yao was accompanied by a manta ray.

Ji Feiming rubbed his eyes in disbelief, ensuring he hadn’t seen wrong.

The customer who had just stepped out was now a baby manta ray.

“…” This world was anything but simple.

Following a fish into the ocean, the store owner clearly had nerves of steel—something Ji Feiming could only envy.

Pounce and Sugar were napping, while Tape, who had been entertaining himself with a ball, noticed Lu Yao outside. With furrowed little brows, he padded after her for a few steps, mewing pitifully.

Lu Yao turned and gently tapped on the soft membrane.

Tape, looking forlorn, let out a plaintive meow and extended his fluffy paw to high-five her through the wall.

After playing with him for a bit, she turned to set off, where the manta ray, Duo Qingmei, was waiting.

The system’s wetsuit was indeed exceptional. She didn’t need a breathing apparatus and could breathe freely in the water, moving with ease like a fish.

Noticing Duo Qingmei, Lu Yao’s eyes flickered, and she pointed at her chest. “Why do you have a scar?”

She hadn’t noticed it before, but here in the water, she could clearly see the small cross-shaped wound on Duo Qingmei’s abdomen. It was a bright red mark that hadn’t scabbed over, yet it wasn’t bleeding either.

Duo Qingmei swam in circles around her, opening and closing her mouth soundlessly, but somehow Lu Yao understood her.

“I don’t know either. It was there when I woke up. It doesn’t hurt, so I just ignore it. Come on, let me show you around.”

This part of the sea was littered with trash—plastic bottles settled on the seabed, tangled fishing nets draped over coral, and glass jars that had become makeshift homes for octopuses.

Lu Yao, equipped with a back-mounted device and a mechanical claw, continuously picked up the debris.

System Notifications:

• “Plastic bottle, 18 grams, popularity points +18.”
• “Milk carton, 10 grams, popularity points +10.”
• “Colored glass bottle, 50 grams, popularity points +50.”

The little manta ray swam ahead, spotting a cluster of sea urchins crawling leisurely over the coral reef. She excitedly turned back to Lu Yao. “Store owner, there’s a sea urchin buffet over here!”

Noticing that Lu Yao was busy collecting trash, she swam back and nudged Lu Yao’s lower back with her head, pushing her forward. “There are so many sea urchins over there; let’s catch some to take back for us to eat.”

Being a seafood lover herself, Lu Yao eagerly sped up.

These sea urchins probably needed some purifying too, but with magic at hand, it would be easy and safe to handle.

Without realizing it, they had drifted near the inert fish cluster. The allure of the sea urchins on the seabed distracted both Lu Yao and the manta ray, making them oblivious to their surroundings.

Lu Yao happily spent 1,000 popularity points to exchange for gloves and a small basket from the system, diligently collecting sea urchins from the seabed.

Duo Qingmei lightly flicked the sea urchins with her long tail, bouncing them into Lu Yao’s basket.

Unbeknownst to them, some of the belly-up fish nearby began to stir, slowly rolling their eyes to glance sideways at the noisy pair on the seabed.

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