Ch 110: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Xu Rumin fed Er xin one piece after another until there was only one slice left on the plate. He paused slightly as he picked it up, still intending to give it to her.

But just then, Er xin stood up, lifted her hindquarters, gracefully jumped off the table, and, meowing, eagerly went over to rub against the shop owner who had just come out of the kitchen.

Xu Rumin: “…”

This chubby cat was smarter than he’d thought. Xu Rumin didn’t notice the unconscious smile on his lips as he looked down and ate the “last piece” of sashimi himself, his eyes widening in surprise.

The translucent, snow-white sashimi had no fishy smell, was crisp and sweet—exactly as the little manta ray had described.

It was a shame there was only one piece left, though he still had stir-fried crab and sea urchin sushi beside him.

Each bite was incredibly fresh and sweet; Xu Rumin couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten something this fresh.

It wasn’t just the ingredients; the texture, preparation, and atmosphere all provided an indescribable freshness.

It was like a ray of light piercing through the dull monotony of his life.

He practically devoured the sea urchin and crab, gnawing every crab leg down to the bone. By the time he was done, he felt completely content and even forgot why he’d come here in the first place.

A server cleared his plates and brought him a fresh lemon tea and a small dish of crunchy plums.

Xu Rumin took a sip of tea, unwrapped a plum, and leaned by the window, gazing at the mountains and clouds outside. He realized it had been a long time since he’d paused to appreciate his surroundings.

This thought made him slump onto the table with a sigh.

He’d been here for at least half a month now and had no idea when he’d be able to leave.

The company probably couldn’t reach him and might have already fired him. This wasn’t the time for relaxation.

Er xin, meanwhile, tried all her tricks to beg for treats from Lu Yao—rolling, rubbing his leg, and showing her belly for a pet—but, unsuccessful, she disappointedly jumped back up onto the low table, squeezing herself right next to Xu Rumin’s hand.

With a soft “thud,” she lay down in front of him.

Xu Rumin carefully moved his teacup aside, looking up at Lu Yao, “Does she… like me a little?”

Lu Yao chuckled and shook his head, “She’s just full and ready to sleep. You’re sitting by the window, where sunlight sometimes streams in; it’s her favorite spot.”

Xu Rumin: “…”

Eating, then sleeping, all while choosing the perfect spot, worry-free—being a cat really was the life. Xu Rumin suddenly felt that cats lived better than people.

Someone knocked, and Lu Yao turned to leave.

Ever since Lu Yao took her in, Er xin had fully embraced the “pampered life,” living comfortably with a sleek, thick coat.

She sprawled across the table, limbs stretched out, with her plump belly and tiny pink paws facing Xu Rumin.

He glanced at a customer lying on the floor, playing with the kittens, feeling curious. He reached out to touch Er xin’s belly.

Fur layered over soft flesh, nothing particularly special in texture.

Yet he couldn’t stop himself from petting her, even feeling tempted to press his face into her fur.

So he did.

The fluffy, soft fur didn’t prick at all; there was no strange smell, only the gentle rise and fall of the cat’s breathing and her soft purring…it was surprisingly comforting.

An idea popped into his mind—maybe having a cat wouldn’t be so bad.

Even if it were a “shameless” fat cat like Er xin, her belly was pretty nice to bury his face in.

…

Lu Yao opened the shop door, and Bai Jing stood outside.

“Shop owner, I’m back.” Bai Jing had the afternoon off and skipped lunch, eager to return to the Little Pet Cafe.

He’d eaten sashimi, sea urchin, and stir-fried crab here twice before, fresher and tastier than any restaurant outside, so he’d come straight over after work.

There was only one temp badge available, so Lu Yao called Xiao Ji out to swap places with Dr. Bai.

Ji Feiming, who had just been snacking in the kitchen, came out with some crispy crab crumbs still clinging to the corners of his mouth.

Recently, Bai Jing has also enjoyed spending time at the Little Pet Cafe, sitting in front of the transparent barrier and watching the fish living under the coral—it’s genuinely fascinating.

He regrets not being able to enter this other world fully; otherwise, he would have loved to go diving with the shop owner.

Sensing Ji Feiming’s frustration, Bai Jing brought it up again as he followed Lu Yao into the shop, “Shop owner, have you reconsidered my previous proposal?”

Lu Yao had never minded him coming in to eat, drink, and pet cats, but each time he had to work around the shop’s circumstances. Sometimes, he’d come when Lu Yao was out diving, leaving Ji Feiming to manage the shop, and without a temporary badge, Bai Jing couldn’t enter.

This happened often enough that it bothered Bai Jing.

He was so fond of the shop that even if there were no cats, no food, and nothing to do, he’d feel comfortable just lying there all day.

It felt like escaping from one world to another, briefly shedding the burdens he carried.

Lu Yao had previously said she would consider it, and this time she gave him a definite answer: “Yes, I’ve made up my mind. If you’d like to visit often, the shop can accommodate you. We’ll prepare a special membership card for you, with a monthly fee of one million post-tax. If you’re okay with that, come by in a week to pick up the card.”

Currently, all her energy was spent on running four interdimensional shops, and many items needed for the shops came from her own world, which made funds tight.

The black rings from the amusement park alone couldn’t sustain the expenses of four shops; she had to find a way to earn more.

She had thought about Bai Jing’s proposal for a long time. With a confidentiality contract, it was feasible to host customers from this world.

The fee was system-calculated, as the Little Pet Cafe was an interdimensional establishment, similar to the amusement park.

If the shop were to open to guests from another world, the shop owner would need to have full control.

Without hesitation, Bai Jing replied, “I can accept that.”

He was even ready to pay the full amount upfront.

With this card, he wouldn’t have to alternate the temporary badge with Ji Feiming and could visit the Little Pet Cafe anytime.

Exchanging 100,000 popularity points for a special membership card, Lu Yao, who had just upgraded the deep-sea aquarium, would need to scavenge again to gather enough points for the card. Hence, she set the card pickup for a week later.

Lu Yao took a 200,000 deposit.

All four kittens were busy entertaining customers, and Bai Jing ordered seafood as he sat down to wait.

As Lu Yao brought out his food, he couldn’t help but comment, “Aren’t there a bit too few cats in the shop?”

“Yes, I’ve been considering bringing in a few more.” Lu Yao nodded.

Once her tasks were complete, she also wanted to introduce some new types of furry animals, which she’d been researching.

“I know someone who runs a cattery. If you need any recommendations, I can introduce you,” Bai Jing offered.

Lu Yao shook her head, “Pedigree cats are pricey, aren’t they? I was thinking of taking in a few stray cats, ones with the right temperament. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll ask you.”

There were indeed many strays in the area, and the shop owner’s idea was quite reasonable.

Er xin’s whole family had once been strays, but now they were lovable and capable, cherished by customers.

Bai Jing didn’t press further, focusing instead on savoring the seafood, eagerly anticipating the membership card he’d receive in a week.

…

[Successfully served ten guests, mission complete! Reward: 1,000 popularity points, +1 type of furry animal.]

[New mission: Serve 100 guests, reward: 20,000 popularity points, A-grade skill Mind Reading (Animal Version)!]

As one guest departed, the system notification finally sounded.

Having completed the second mission, Lu Yao let out a sigh of relief—she could now introduce a new type of furry animal.

But what exactly was mind reading?

And specifically for animals?

System: [With this skill, under certain conditions, the shop owner can hear the thoughts of small animals.]

Lu Yao: “…So that’s how it is.”

Her calm reaction caught the system off guard.

The system had expected the shop owner to be thrilled about the skill.

[You don’t seem very excited?]

Lu Yao: “…It’s not that. Actually, if you observe carefully, most of a small animal’s behavior is easy to understand. I think the current level of connection is just right. If I could understand them even more deeply… I worry I wouldn’t be able to go through with certain things… Like, I already plan to get Er xin neutered, and I’ll do the same for the other three once they’re grown. If I heard their thoughts, I might not be able to go through with it.”

System: […Oh. Well, you’re not the one performing the surgery, as long as the vet can go through with it, it’s fine.]

“…” Lu Yao was speechless.

The system was getting increasingly blunt.

Lu Yao changed into her wetsuit in the restroom, preparing for another solo dive to collect trash from the sea.

She was going to make that million!

With Xiao Ji away, Qingmei would have to look after the shop.

This time, Lu Yao planned to dive alone. She knew the surrounding area well by now and wanted an immersive “scavenging” experience.

As usual, she swam in the direction of the reclusive fish school.

Behind the fish school lay a massive pile of underwater trash, where she often found larger items worth a lot of popularity points in one go.

However, the “mountain” was enormous, rivaling the nearby coral reefs, and Lu Yao only picked around its edges.

Collecting trash and watching her popularity points increase always felt oddly satisfying.

Unconsciously, she swam farther out, beyond the usual boundaries she and the little manta ray explored.

It wasn’t until her body began to feel stiff and less flexible that Lu Yao realized she’d ventured too far.

She slowly turned to head back, when suddenly, a dark shadow loomed overhead.

A hunting shark had drawn close, observing her from the shadows for an unknown amount of time, its size large enough to completely overshadow her.

Lu Yao had once described Qing’s teeth as shark-like, comparing them to Bellflower’s teeth.

But now, seeing a real shark, she realized that Qing and Bellflower’s teeth seemed tame in comparison. The shark’s sharp, menacing teeth were terrifying with just a single glance.

The awe inspired by this deep-sea predator was overwhelming.

The shark was a top predator in the ocean depths, nearly at the pinnacle of the deep-sea food chain, ruthless with a history of attacking ships and humans.

Her already stiff body turned even colder, and she was about to call the system to activate a special camouflage mode.

In the distance, she heard a sound—it seemed a large school of fish was approaching.

The shark was still unwilling to give up, lurking and preparing to attack.

Suddenly, a colossal fish, even larger than the shark, swam in from the side, its powerful tail striking the shark’s belly and pushing it away.

Then, more large fish arrived, skillfully avoiding Lu Yao as they focused their attacks on the shark.

The once-mighty shark immediately turned tail to escape, abandoning any notion of fighting for food.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Thingyan: Lemme guess, that colossal fish is the red eyed guy 😂😂😂