Ch 182: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

The orca briefly played with the expedition members before turning back to its companions to resume hunting.

Three orcas persistently targeted a humpback whale, taking turns to attack.

Despite the orcas’ efforts, the adult humpback whale’s size overwhelmed them, leaving them unsuccessful.

Their real target was the humpback calf. Working together, they harassed it, preventing it from surfacing to breathe, aiming to drown it.

Subsequent footage documented the orcas’ hunt, with commentary explaining their behavior.

After about two hours, the orcas successfully completed the hunt.

The theater was silent, and guests stared at the screen in stunned disbelief.

They couldn’t tell if what they saw was real or, like previous “popcorn monster” scenes, a human-staged effect. Yet, they were deeply disturbed by the primal hunting scene.

The narration continued, explaining that after killing the humpback calf, orcas don’t consume the entire carcass; instead, they eat only the soft tongue and some internal organs, discarding the rest.

The calf’s remains slowly sank to the ocean floor, becoming food for bottom-dwelling creatures.

Commentary suggested that this selective eating may stem from the orca’s biology—they, like humans, are mammals and do not frequently replace their teeth.

Once their teeth wear down, hunting and eating become difficult, so they may prefer the softer, tastier parts.

“What brutal ferocity! It’s terrifying!” a guest murmured, hands clenched, with an uneasy expression.

Someone else questioned, “What does it mean to be a mammal?”

Another guest protested, “How can we belong to the same group as these fish? That’s absurd!”

Unlike previous films, which were easier to understand, this film covered topics that felt obscure yet strangely compelling.

Die Qi was eating grilled sausage, her eyes shining with interest—it seemed quite fascinating to her.

The expedition team continued searching for blue whales, bowhead whales, great white sharks, and whale sharks, encountering schools of flying fish, dolphins, firefly squid, and even newborn seals with umbilical cords in Antarctica.

Gradually, the audience became absorbed in the ongoing exploration, their fear of massive aquatic creatures giving way to fascination.

The team headed to their final destination to observe the lifestyle of a group of sperm whales.

Here, they finally reached the scene teased in the trailer—a man diving deep into the ocean, observing giant fish standing upright.

This part raised the most questions from the guests.

These massive fish, with enormous square heads and long tails, seemed oddly proportioned, yet they could remain perfectly vertical in the water, head up, tail down.

How did they balance like this in the water? And what was the purpose of this behavior?

When the trailer first aired, it sparked curiosity, and many viewers bought tickets to find answers.

Having watched these strange creatures for almost an hour and a half, the audience was eager to discover the final answer and focused intently on the screen.

Die Qi, who had seen the trailer earlier that morning, was also filled with questions.

After witnessing many terrifying yet unexpectedly interesting creatures, thoughts stirred within her.

The man swam towards the whale group, explaining that unlike humans, sperm whales don’t need long sleep—they rest for only about fifteen minutes at a time.

When they rest, sperm whales gather in a safe area, stand upright in the water, and remain motionless, like ancient statues.

“No way, they’re just sleeping?” someone in the crowd couldn’t help but exclaim.

In recent days, people had speculated various explanations for the strange behavior of these fish, but resting had never crossed their minds.

Could they really just be sleeping?

On-screen, the man swam closer, finally reaching an adult sperm whale with a scar on its head.

He marveled—rarely had he encountered such a mesmerizing sight. Suddenly, the large whale opened its eye.

Its eyes were unexpectedly gentle and profound, unlike the fierce, terrifying image one might imagine, as if full of understanding. Accompanied by the whale song, it seemed to be sharing ancient secrets from a bygone realm.

The guests in the theater were left in silent awe, unable to utter a sound.

The expedition team returned to their ship, waiting for the whales to awaken.

One by one, the sperm whales awoke, slowly “lying down” horizontally in the water.

They moved slowly yet powerfully, swaying their tails and fins as they swam toward the deep sea.

The lights in the theater came on, ending the show abruptly and leaving the audience a bit dazed.

“That’s it?”

“Although it wasn’t as thrilling as past films, these giant sea creatures were certainly eye-opening.”

“Not thrilling enough? I’ve never seen such terrifying fish before—I couldn’t even feel my legs!”

“Their ship was quite remarkable, but it only appeared briefly, so I couldn’t see it clearly.”

“I wonder, are these giant sea creatures the descendants of the mythical Kun fish?”

“Shen, you’re overthinking it. These fish are surely like the ‘popcorn monsters’ from before, just humans in disguise.”

“But it didn’t look fake at all.”

“Why not ask the shop owner?”

As the guests filed out, they discussed various topics.

Die Qi lingered, reluctant to leave, and saw a crowd gathered at the entrance.

A clear female voice emerged from the crowd: “These deep-sea giants are not props; they are real creatures of the sea.”

“Then how does the ship move so fast? It’s a long story. Xiao Fu, give a quick explanation.” Lu Yao handed the task to Fu Chi and squeezed through the crowd, nodding slightly at Die Qi when she saw her.

Die Qi recognized Lu Yao and followed her gaze, spotting Xiao Jiu, who was supposed to be immobile, standing nearby.

Dressed similarly to Ku Ba in a light green robe and no longer wearing the black eye patch, he stood straight, showing no sign of leg injury.

Die Qi walked straight over, stopping in front of Xiao Jiu. “Weren’t you supposed to be immobile for at least six months?”

Lu Yao looked over, glancing between them before focusing on Ye Xiao. “An acquaintance?”

Ye Xiao nodded calmly. “A former colleague.”

Lu Yao: “…Oh.”

Die Qi: “???”

“Well, since you’re acquaintances, why don’t you two catch up on the side? I have some business to attend to.” Lu Yao smiled at Die Qi and turned toward the smaller screening area.

Ye Xiao also intended to follow, but Die Qi blocked him, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. “I can understand Ku Ba being here, but why are you here too? And why lie about an injury?”

“Personal matters,” Ye Xiao replied concisely.

Hongyu, stationed at the ticket counter of the small screening area, greeted Lu Yao with a bow. “Greetings, boss.”

Since receiving her new glasses, Hongyu’s performance had outshone the five new recruits, and her etiquette was even more polished than Zhu Zhu’s or Wen Jian’s.

The seven-day trial period hadn’t yet ended, but Lu Yao had already assigned her to the small screening area to handle ticketing and guest guidance.

Lu Yao nodded slightly, about to ask how things were going when sounds of crying and arguing emerged from one of the theaters.

Hongyu heard it too, her expression slightly tense.

Lu Yao tilted his head, signaling her to follow.

At the exit of Theater Three, two groups of people stood facing each other. A richly dressed woman was inside the doorway, while a group of young men stood outside. Tensions were high, faces grim, and a young girl in a yellow dress was crying quietly, wiping away tears as someone held her.

“What’s going on here?” Lu Yao called out, approaching them.

One of the young men, after exchanging glances with his companions, spoke up loudly, “We were just discussing The Search for the Deep Sea Beasts. We said the creatures in the film were fake, but this young lady from the Xie family insisted they were real, even bragging that her brother had joined a sea expedition and saw that blocky-headed giant fish himself.”

At first, Xie Wan came out of the small theater intending to change, but overheard these men discussing the topic and couldn’t resist commenting, which led them to seize on her words.

As a young lady, she was sensitive and felt humiliated by the ridicule of several men, which made her break into tears.

Her brother, Xie Xu, had been summoned by their father and couldn’t attend the premiere, leaving her accompanied by other well-bred ladies.

When someone spoke up for her, they were quickly reprimanded, told that it was improper for women to argue publicly, as it would harm their reputations if word got out.

The lead man glanced smugly at Xie Wan, who was still crying, expecting Lu Yao to affirm their claims.

Liangjing, deeply inland, only has the southern port along the Taiqian River. The ships there primarily transport river fish, with few sea products.

Those living in Liangjing have never seen the ocean.

Even the wealthiest occasionally taste seafood, mostly common fish and shrimp, often dried.

The sea beasts in the film were beyond their comprehension.

Xie Wan’s brother, Xie Xu, had spent years traveling and studying abroad, giving him far more experience than these sheltered young men of Liangjing. He had mentioned a sea expedition in one of his letters.

At the time, Xie Wan could hardly imagine the enormous creatures her brother described, but seeing them in the theater today made it real, stirring her emotions.

Lu Yao calmly stated, “Miss Xie is correct; deep-sea giants do exist. They’re not fake.”

The expressions of the men in the aisle darkened instantly. The lead man, recalling rumors he’d heard, sneered, “You’re a woman, naturally biased toward women. Today is different; real is real, and fake is fake. No matter how you try to defend them, we won’t believe you.”

A lady supporting Xie Wan spoke up, “You claimed you wanted the shopkeeper’s verification. Now that the shopkeeper has supported Wan Wan’s words, you accuse her of bias. Do you have any sense of honor?”

“Chen, don’t be so bold. This shopkeeper is clearly biased. Forget it, we won’t stoop to argue with women. If you think it’s real, then it’s real.” The lead man snapped open his folding fan, lazily shook it twice, and turned to leave.

Lu Yao sighed, “You speak so confidently. Have any of you been to the seaside?”

“We haven’t been, but have you?” A young man accompanying the fan-wielding man retorted with a tone of disdain.

Lu Yao nodded, “Yes, I have. I not only went but also dived into the sea and saw the giant beasts from the film.”

“Nonsense! What proof do you have?” The young man was visibly unconvinced.

Lu Yao rubbed the phone in his pocket, hesitated, and then said softly, “I don’t have proof on hand, but I’ve been to the sea. If you want proof, wait a few days. On Mid-Autumn Festival, you may come by the store for a look.”

The fan-wielding man smirked, “Then we’ll wait for the young shopkeeper’s proof.” He laughed mockingly, leaving with his group of young men.

The remaining group of young ladies blushed in anger, with Xie Wan still sobbing uncontrollably.

Lu Yao glanced at her, “Don’t cry. You were right, Miss Xie. They simply lack perspective and have no sense of the vastness of the world.”

Miss Chen looked at Lu Yao with concern, “Do you have a plan to clear this up?”

Lu Yao reassured her, “Let me keep it a mystery for now. The answer will be revealed on Mid-Autumn Festival.”

…

The Search for the Deep Sea Beasts exceeded expectations. After the premiere, discussions of the deep-sea creatures, novel shipbuilding techniques, and the breathtaking scenery spread through the city’s taverns and teahouses.

Those who hadn’t seen it doubted the existence of such creatures and were skeptical of the ship’s speed without manual effort. Meanwhile, those who had seen it were at a loss for words to convey the splendor they’d witnessed, repeatedly urging others to watch it.

The film quietly gained immense popularity as a curiosity, with every screening on premiere day sold out, even overshadowing the concurrent release of The Little chef.

After closing in the evening, Lu Yao called all the staff to gather in the break area.

Today was payday and also marked the end of the seven-day trial period for the five newly hired employees.

Lu Yao first distributed the monthly salary to the veteran employees. Except for Fu Chi, each received two taels of silver.

The new hires watched eagerly as Zhu Zhu and the others pressed their fingerprints to receive their wages, their eyes lighting up with excitement.

Once they officially started, they would receive the same monthly silver.

After calculating the accounts and setting down his pen, Lu Yao turned his attention to the five newcomers’ wages.

At that moment, Captain Zhang Cheng of the patrol guard led four officers straight in, asking loudly, “Boss, where is the thief?”

The five waiting to receive their wages paled upon hearing this.

Lu Yao raised her chin slightly. “It’s among these five.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Jinxiang dropped to her knees, kowtowing repeatedly. “Boss, I’m innocent!”

Lu Yao tapped her finger on the glass tabletop, speaking calmly, “Aunt Zhao, I haven’t even said anything yet. Why are you shouting?”

Zhao Jinxiang’s shoulders trembled, her forehead pressed to the ground, stammering, “I… I…”

Lu Yao interrupted her, “It’s not a big deal. Recently, a batch of sausages, popcorn ingredients, several pounds of sugar, packets of fruit juice powder, and some other items went missing from the storeroom. Who took them? If you confess and return the stolen items, I won’t pursue it further.”

After Gouzi discovered the storeroom had missing supplies, more items continued to disappear in the following days—eight bags of hotdog sausages, three pounds of popcorn ingredients, three pounds of sugar, four bags of fruit juice powder, and ten popcorn tubs.

Hong Yu stepped forward and bowed, “Boss, I assure you, Hong Yu didn’t take anything.”

Li Chunhua followed quickly, “Chunhua didn’t take anything either.”

Zhou Youfu also insisted he hadn’t taken anything from the store, loudly protesting his innocence.

Chen Xiaoliu, his head lowered and face briefly twisted, muttered, “I didn’t take anything either. We’re new here and don’t spend much time in the break room, let alone the storeroom. If there’s anyone suspicious, it isn’t us. Please, boss, judge fairly.”

Hearing this, Gouzi realized the comment was aimed at him. Since he managed the snack bar and regularly accessed the storeroom, it would be easier for him than others to take things unnoticed. He grew anxious, stepping forward to speak, but Ku Ba stopped him.

Lu Yao, unimpressed, instructed Fu Chi to activate the security footage.

The staff was unaware that surveillance covered the lobby, corridors, and ticketing area, sparing only the washrooms and theaters.

The footage appeared on the large display in the break area, clearly revealing the thieves and their methods from the first day the storeroom was robbed until today’s closing.

It showed Zhao Jinxiang and Chen Xiaoliu, who already knew each other, scouting the place on their first day at the cinema.

On the second day, Chen Xiaoliu acted as a lookout while Zhao Jinxiang sneaked into the break room to take items when no one was around.

Although there was no surveillance in the break room, the entrance was covered, logging everyone’s comings and goings.

After stealing from the break room, Zhao Jinxiang hid the items in her skirt, wrapped them in burlap, and stored them in the cleaning room across from the washroom, gradually smuggling them out piece by piece.

Though they acted secretly, Zhao Jinxiang’s work area overlapped with Zhou Youfu’s, who often entered the cleaning room. He soon noticed her stealing food from the store.

To keep him quiet, Zhao Jinxiang offered him half of the stolen goods, which he accepted without reporting her.

From then on, each time Zhao Jinxiang stole something, she gave Zhou Youfu a share, and occasionally, Zhou Youfu helped cover her actions.

Zhao Jinxiang, Zhou Youfu, and Chen Xiaoliu turned pale. They had assumed the young boss was naïve and trusting, never suspecting they were already caught in a trap.

Realizing she had long possessed evidence and was only now confronting them, they broke out in cold sweat, their legs weakening.

In fact, stealing the items had already fulfilled their mission, but the cinema’s benefits were too good, and the boss had promised to pay them even during the trial period. The three delayed day after day, waiting to take their monthly wages before slipping away.

Zhang Cheng waved, and four officers stepped forward, preparing to drag the three away.

Lu Yao stopped them. “Hold on; there’s one more.”

Zhang Cheng’s gaze shifted between Hong Yu and Li Chunhua, unsure whom Lu Yao meant.

Hong Yu stood straight, calm and composed, confident that the boss wouldn’t mistake the culprit.

Li Chunhua, standing two steps behind Hong Yu, lowered her head, expression steady yet tense.

A new video appeared on the advertising screen, even clearer than before, showing the view from the break room entrance slowly shifting to the street—every noon, Li Chunhua would leave for a while, leisurely crossing the street to a noodle shop, only to return shortly after.

Li Chunhua’s lips turned pale, just as she was about to defend herself, the screen displayed another new clip.

This perspective was strange, with flickering light and no visible figures, but various sounds could be heard, as if on a busy street.

After a while, a hand reached into view, the surroundings brightened, and a middle-aged man’s face appeared on the screen.

Li Chunhua’s voice sounded, “This is sugar, better than any other place’s—whiter and sweeter. I didn’t dare take too much.”

The man accepted it with a pleased tone, “No wonder the cinema’s popcorn tastes the best. This sugar is different from what we use. I’m out of corn kernels, and I still haven’t recreated the flavor. Try to bring more.”

The video stopped there.

Li Chunhua looked at Lu Yao in disbelief, as though seeing a monster. “You’re not human!”

Zhang Cheng and his men were stunned, feeling a chill creep over them.

The evidence was undeniable, but the method of gathering it was unnervingly precise.

Lu Yao gestured to Fu Chi, “Xiao Fu, explain to the officers.”

Fu Chi replied, “…Yes.”

He brought out the equipment normally used for capturing film footage and demonstrated it to Zhang Cheng’s group. “She was indeed careful and left no traces even on the store’s surveillance. It was sheer luck we discovered her theft…”

While sorting through materials, Fu Chi had noticed one camera consistently recorded Li Chunhua stepping out briefly at noon but didn’t reveal anything suspicious. He mentioned it to Lu Yao as a mere observation.

After learning of the storeroom thefts, Lu Yao showed no reaction on the surface but secretly marked the supplies, ensuring that any stolen items would leave evidence.

As for the recording equipment, it was based on the same technology used in film production.

Fu Chi explained the basic principles as simply as he could, though Zhang Cheng and his men quickly grew dizzy and gave up trying to understand. Eventually, they just took the four thieves back to the yamen.

The next day, the trial results were posted.

Caught red-handed with the stolen goods, the four thieves were sentenced to thirty strikes each, with a public notice issued citywide.

Two groups had orchestrated the theft. Chen Xiaoliu and Zhao Jinxiang were employed by the Changyang Restaurant in the western market. Part of the stolen supplies had been kept for personal use, while the rest was sold to Changyang Restaurant, making it unrecoverable.

The person behind Li Chunhua was the owner of the noodle shop, who also ran a candy store in the southern market. Fascinated by the cinema’s popcorn technique yet unable to replicate its flavor, he learned the cinema was hiring and sent one of his maidservants to apply. In the end, only Li Chunhua passed the interview.

When Chen Xiaoliu and his companions initially heard that they would only receive a few blows as punishment, they secretly felt relieved.

They hadn’t spent their seven days at the cinema in vain, after all. Watching Gouzi make popcorn, hotdog sausages, and drinks countless times, they thought they could replicate the business once they recovered, using similar ingredients.

The three had also secretly stashed away a large quantity of supplies, intending to sell imitations with a 70-80% match in flavor at a lower price, creating a new source of income.

However, after crawling out of the yamen, sleeping, and waking up, Chen Xiaoliu opened his eyes to an empty mind.

He remembered working at the cinema and even stealing supplies, but he couldn’t recall where he had hidden the stolen items, the layout of the cinema, or even how the food was made. Any attempt to think about it brought a splitting headache and waves of nausea.

The other three experienced the same thing—they had forgotten all details of the cinema and were left with persistent headaches and nausea.

Some time later, the four finally recalled that they had signed a strange agreement upon joining the cinema. Remembering the shop owner now filled them with dread, keeping them awake at night.

Meanwhile, the manager of Changyang Restaurant and the noodle shop owner remained unaffected, using the stolen supplies from the cinema with a clear conscience.

One day, as they used up the last of the supplies, they found a dark, glossy gem at the bottom of a bag.

Both men became infatuated with the stone, often holding it, growing more enamored with it each time they looked at it, which rekindled their greed for the cinema.

From that day on, however, they were haunted by nightmares, chased relentlessly by evil spirits that would not let them wake, tormented nightly until dawn.

As their minds grew clouded, their businesses began to decline…

…

The cinema put up new recruitment notices for hiring again.

Fu Chi was disheartened—all four hires had turned out to be spies, while the one person the boss had selected turned out to be reliable.

The lobby manager began to doubt his abilities and vowed never to handle HR tasks again.

While Lu Yao was organizing the storeroom, the system chimed in: “The managers of Changyang Restaurant and the noodle shop have drawn the attention of the Demon god.”

Lu Yao paused, “What’s going on?”

She hadn’t acted against them yet, as the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, and there were too many things to handle.

System: “Don’t you remember you carry a demon god’s finger bone?”

Lu Yao nodded, “Of course I remember.”

System: “The demon god has no patience for those blinded by greed. Perhaps they found your pace too slow.”

Lu Yao grinned, “If the demon god takes action, it saves me the trouble.”

The system felt an unspoken discomfort.

Though subtle, the connection between the shop owner and the demon god was indeed growing closer.

At that moment, Hong Yu opened the door and entered. “boss, the owner of Yuguizhai is here and says he has important business to discuss.”

Yuguizhai was one of the most famous pastry shops in Liangjing, with its main store on Yuzhu Street.

Having tried their pastries before and been impressed, Lu Yao was intrigued by the visit. She turned to leave, “Invite him in.”

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