Ch 190: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Ji Zhixin lost his temper?

Most of the shop assistants on Shopping Street aren’t the type to cause trouble. Even Harold, after going through so much, has learned restraint—while he talks big, he never actually clashes with staff or customers.

Could it have been a difficult customer?

The Little Pet Cafe rarely encounters troublesome clients, and even in cases where guests are assertive, Ji Zhixin is more than capable of handling it. Besides, with the seal guardians there—as divine envoys of the Deep Sea Goddess—they would never allow any disturbances in the Eden sea.

Unable to imagine who could upset Ji Zhixin, Lu Yao messaged Zhou Su for details, but Zhou Su wasn’t sure either. She only mentioned that Ji Zhixin came down from the fishing room, started working on his computer, and soon after, his face darkened, and he accidentally broke a water glass.

Piaopiao also looked very distressed.

Unable to get useful information, Lu Yao didn’t delay. She asked Fu Chi to keep an eye on the cinema, then headed over to the Little Pet Cafe.

Upon entering, she saw Piaopiao resting its chubby fins on the counter, its round eyes looking at Ji Zhixin with worry, making high-pitched “wu wu” sounds.

Ji Zhixin sat in the corner, his brows furrowed, visibly in a bad mood.

With few customers in the restaurant, Lu Yao sat down and got straight to the point, “Feeling overwhelmed?”

Ji Zhixin looked up, then slowly shook his head, “It’s nothing. I can handle it.”

Lu Yao poured him a cup of warm water and placed it by his side, “What’s the issue? Let’s talk.”

Her gaze was steady, leaving no room for refusal.

Though her tone wasn’t harsh, Ji Zhixin knew he couldn’t avoid her. “There’s a problem with the copyright purchase channels. That series we initially received a quote for suddenly said it’s not for sale.”

Lu Yao blinked, “Is that all? If they’re unwilling to sell, forget it. We have plenty of alternatives; we’ll just select another.”

Ji Zhixin’s brows remained knitted, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes, “I’ve messaged all the options on the backup list, but they’ve all responded the same: ‘not for sale.’”

Lu Yao’s expression turned serious, “Someone doesn’t want us to buy?”

Ji Zhixin’s brow furrowed, his eyes sharp, “This is my issue. Don’t worry about it; I’ll handle it.”

Only the Ji family could pull something like this. It’s possible it could be someone he once offended, taking advantage of his current situation, but that seemed unlikely.

Lu Yao could guess Ji Zhixin’s train of thought. “This isn’t just your responsibility. I won’t let you shoulder all this pressure alone.”

“You don’t understand the Ji family, nor the business world,” he replied, his tone even and without disdain. “Shopping Street is indeed unique, but outside of it, you’re just an ordinary person.”

Ji Zhixin spoke factually, but Lu Yao felt only a faint stir within her rather than offense.

It was as if something just on the edge of her understanding was trying to break through. A flash of an image, fleeting and impossible to grasp, crossed her mind.

Ji Zhixin regretted his words instantly; this was an issue he had brought upon himself. “Apologies. If you trust me, please let me handle this.”

After a moment of thought, Lu Yao shook her head, “This isn’t about trust. The cinema can’t afford downtime, so I can’t wait. I’ll handle the copyright acquisition; you handle matters within the Ji family.”

Ji Zhixin felt a complex mix of emotions, a familiar powerlessness that took him back to before his arrival on Shopping Street.

Lu Yao stood up and walked toward the door, “Before inheriting Shopping Street, I was an ordinary person too. Perhaps the reason the Street’s power doesn’t extend to this world is for moments just like this.”

Ji Zhixin froze, raising his hand to scratch his head as he suddenly realized his loss of composure.

Lu Yao stood by the road, her gaze sweeping over the snack shop, the nail salon, and the blind box store as she waited for the call to connect. “Sisi, it’s me.”

It had been a while since Shen Sisi and Lu Yao last spoke, so she was pleasantly surprised by the call. “Yao Yao, long time no see! Do you need something?”

Lu Yao didn’t waste time. “Yes, I do. I’m working on something recently…”

During her university days in business, Lu Yao built up quite a network, primarily among wealthy women and young heiresses, as well as some senior professionals across various fields. Over the past few months, she had been so focused on managing Shopping Street that she had lost touch with these former contacts.

But when it came to business, there was no need to hold back. Connections between people often start small—an insignificant moment here, a minor opportunity there—until they form an intricate web.

The Shen family had investments in the entertainment industry, and Shen Sisi was a dedicated fan herself. Upon hearing that Lu Yao was looking to buy some film rights, she agreed without question, promising to get back to her soon.

After hanging up, Lu Yao turned back to the cinema to find Fu Chi.

When Fu Chi heard that Ji Zhixin was facing pushback from his family, he sighed, feeling a twinge of sympathy. The once-grand eldest son of the Ji family really had fallen from grace. After hearing Lu Yao’s request, he agreed to temporarily take over some of the copyright acquisition tasks.

Once she had coordinated with Fu Chi, Lu Yao left the cinema and headed straight to the snack shop.

In truth, dealing with this issue didn’t require complicated methods. By now, Shopping Street could operate without relying entirely on this world. Even if suitable films weren’t available here, there was always the Eden Sea or Dreamland, which was already preparing its own film projects.

But Cinderella had been a devoted employee, and this incident had undoubtedly dealt him a blow.

Sensing Lu Yao’s turbulent thoughts, the system couldn’t help but emerge. 【What are you plotting?】

“Actually, I was planning to exchange popularity points for a voice for Mumu.”

The system, feeling strangely distanced from her lately, thought she might have a task for it, and couldn’t help feeling a hint of excitement. 【…What are you looking for?】

Lu Yao: “How many popularity points would it take to get a healthy pair of legs?”

The system was shocked. 【You want to help Ji Zhixin recover his legs? It’s impossible—this world hasn’t opened the Stargate. Aside from you, no one here can sense my presence, and divine power can’t be used in this world.】

Lu Yao: “Divine power? You’re a god?”

The system quickly backtracked. 【…Just wish power! I’m just a little system that listens to wishes and helps people fulfill their dreams.】

Ignoring the diversion, Lu Yao pursued her question. “So how much would it cost?”

The system meekly fiddled with its fingers, reluctant to start another cold war and lacking confidence as it replied. 【Originally, he was healthy, but due to contact with certain anomalies, he lost his legs. There’s an unspoken karmic link involved here. Even if you exchange for an item from me, it would be in vain for him.】

“So it’s possible then? Name the price,” Lu Yao insisted.

The system took a deep breath. This person just won’t quit! It grumbled, resigning itself to the inevitable. 【Five hundred thousand points.】

“Just fifty points?” Lu Yao was shocked by the system’s sudden generosity.

The system roared, 【Five hundred thousand points!】

Lu Yao tilted her head, rubbing her ears forcefully. “Speak normally; you nearly made me deaf.”

The system fell into a sullen silence, feeling inexplicably stifled.

After finishing her conversation with the system, Lu Yao slipped on the magic ring gifted to her by the Demon god, directly teleporting herself into the Dreamland.

An NPC, busy chasing players, stopped abruptly upon seeing Lu Yao and greeted her, “Store Owner, what brings you here?”

It was an NPC she hadn’t seen before.

Lu Yao took a mooncake from her pocket and handed it over, “I’d like to see Lord Demon God. Could you guide me?”

The NPC took the mooncake, happily squeezed it, then turned around, dragging a long tail, and said in a soft voice, “The entrance to the divine realm is over there. I’ll lead you.”

After her meeting with the Demon God, Lu Yao returned to the Little Pet Cafe to find Ji Zhixin. She searched around and finally found him sitting at the end of the pier behind the fishing room.

The young man sat at the edge of the pier, legs dangling as he swung them back and forth restlessly.

Lu Yao approached him from behind and remarked in a casual tone, “Caught Cinderella slacking off.”

Ji Zhixin had just finished handing over some work to Fu Chi and wasn’t in the best of moods.

“Did you find them?” Lu Yao asked.

Ji Zhixin nodded, “Yes.”

“Honestly, I’m a bit annoyed myself.” Lu Yao crouched down beside him, her tone even.

Ji Zhixin replied, “I’ll handle it to your satisfaction.”

Lu Yao extended her hand, revealing a simple, dark ring resting on her palm. “Wear this when you go.”

The ring had the same material as the magical ring, with no decorations, but if you looked closely, you’d notice a soft golden glow faintly shimmering on its smooth band.

Ji Zhixin was startled and looked up at Lu Yao.

Her expression was gentle, her gaze clear.

Ji Zhixin realized he had lost his composure again and lowered his gaze. “What is this?”

Lu Yao took his hand and placed the ring in it. “Consider it a little counterstrike from the Shopping Street against those in power.”

Having completed her instructions, Lu Yao was about to return to the cinema. She took a few steps, then stopped. “With this, you won’t need a wheelchair anymore. Cinderella can finally clock out on time, too.”

Ji Zhixin turned sharply.

Lu Yao was already walking away.

His heart pounded wildly as he stood up, sprinting after her, “Store Owner, are you saying…”

Lu Yao responded, “Try it on and see.”

The two of them went to the Little Pet Cafe down in the deep-sea branch, and Ji Zhixin put on the ring, then slowly stepped out the door.

From then on, everything went smoothly, like a dream. He could walk, jump, and run normally.

The five years in a wheelchair, five years of enduring humiliation, suddenly felt like a distant dream.

Ji Feiming emerged from the Blind Box Shop, holding his phone, only to see Ji Zhixin running, jumping, and yelling in the middle of the street. He nearly dropped his phone in shock.

The call was still active, and a woman’s voice came from the other end, “Is that Zhixin? What is he doing?”

Ji Feiming replied, “It’s complicated. You’ll have to call him yourself later to ask. I’ve got things to take care of.”

Hanging up, Ji Feiming walked over to Lu Yao, “Store Owner, what exactly did you do for Zhixin?”

While others might not understand, he knew that Ji Zhixin’s legs were entangled in karmic causality.

Lu Yao gazed silently at Ji Feiming, her expression clearly saying, “Isn’t it obvious?”

Ji Feiming glanced at Ji Zhixin, who was still overjoyed, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I mean, what price did you pay?”

The system’s voice chimed in, irritated: 【A measly five hundred thousand popularity points and two hundred years.】

By leveraging the magic ring’s ability to connect to this world, it became a vessel for her to channel wish energy and make a trade with the Demon God, creating a ring specifically for Ji Zhixin. Such a convoluted approach, yet she had thought of it and executed it.

Only Lu Yao could hear the system’s voice.

She shook her head. “It’s a small thing.”

Ji Feiming was awestruck; this “small thing” was far beyond what most people could accomplish.

Back when he was the God’s envoy, he couldn’t bear to see the most promising young member of his family waste away, so he had secretly prayed to the divine on Ji Zhixin’s behalf. But even the gods couldn’t sever the karmic entanglement tied to Ji Zhixin’s legs.

After calming down, Ji Zhixin finally noticed Lu Yao and Ji Feiming watching him. His face flushed, and he walked over to Lu Yao respectfully, “Store Owner, I’d like to request leave to return to Tianji.”

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