Ch 203: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

The taxi stopped at the intersection. Gao Si got out first, followed by Gao Meng, Liu Tang, and Wen Bin, who stood on the roadside, looking confused.

Liu Tang pointed at the row of stores down the narrow path. “That’s not where we’re supposed to work, is it?”

In the desolate outskirts, there was little sign of life. Far off in the distance, a row of small, vacant buildings was nearly hidden in the overgrown valley, making the four of them feel uneasy.

Gao Si took out his phone, checked the location, and started down the narrow path. “Let’s go check it out.”

“This place is so deserted. Are you sure this is where we’re working?” Wen Bin looked uncomfortable. He took a few steps, then stopped. “Gao Ge, maybe you should call Chen Jie and double-check. What if she gave us the wrong address?”

Gao Si continued down the path. “Since we’re already here, let’s go see.”

Wen Bin hesitated, then said bluntly, “Gao Ge, I’ll be honest. Someone contacted me a couple of days ago asking me to join their team. They’ve got plenty of work lined up. I didn’t agree right away because I thought things here might stabilize. But looking at this place, I’m not going. Count me out.”

Gao Meng and Liu Tang looked uncertain but didn’t say anything.

Their team had always struggled to secure stable work since its formation. This kind of situation wasn’t surprising, though they hadn’t expected it to happen after finally finding a potential stable job.

Gao Si tried to persuade Wen Bin, explaining that Chen Yutong had emphasized the uniqueness of this job opportunity. It was worth at least meeting the boss before making a decision.

However, Wen Bin, seeing the desolate, abandoned street below, found it laughable. He turned and headed back toward the main road without looking back. “I’m done. You guys go.”

He crossed the street from where they’d gotten out and faced the remaining three with an expressionless face.

A taxi happened to pass by, and he raised his hand, got in, and left.

Gao Meng and Liu Tang looked at Gao Si, their expressions helpless and uncertain.

Gao Si shook his head and motioned to the two of them. “I trust Chen Jie; let’s go see.”

Gao Meng and Liu Tang agreed. After all, they were already here; they might as well take a look.

What if they’d ended up in the wrong place?

Maybe the actual office was in a building in the city, and Gao Ge’s map had just led them astray.

The three of them followed the side path into the shopping street. Suddenly, Gao Meng tugged on Gao Si’s sleeve and shouted, “Ge, look! A whole row of luxury cars over there!”

Gao Si and Liu Tang looked over, equally stunned.

There, in the middle of the wilderness, were four or five luxury cars parked side by side — an unusual sight.

They soon noticed that this small, run-down street had four or five shops with brand-new, clean signs, as if they were genuinely open for business.

All the shop names had the prefix “Luo Yao,” yet no customers were around, making the street feel eerie even in broad daylight.

Liu Tang grew uneasy. “Gao Ge, this place feels kind of creepy.”

Just then, Ji Feiming stepped out of the blind box shop and noticed Gao Si and his companions standing on the road, looking hesitant. He approached them. “Can I help you?”

Gao Si explained their purpose, and Ji Feiming went into the cinema to call Fu Chi out.

Now, Gao Si and the others were sure they had the right location. The person who invited them was here, on this very street.

Fu Chi studied the three of them as he walked over slowly. “Weren’t there supposed to be four of you?”

Gao Si looked slightly embarrassed. “Our colleague had some family matters and returned to his hometown. So it’s just the three of us.”

Fu Chi didn’t mind; three people or four didn’t make much difference as long as they could work. He explained, “The shop owner is away, but you can come with me to sign the contract first. There’s a film waiting to be edited.”

Knowing Gao Si’s team was coming, Luo Yao had left the contract details with Ambrose.

Before becoming a necromancer, Ambrose had been a human for decades and was well-acquainted with the contracts Luo Yao drafted.

To avoid frightening the three humans, the necromancer disguised himself, appearing as he did when he was human.

Hearing from Fu Chi that three humans would be coming to sign contracts, the nail salon staff were curious to watch. Mumu transformed into a little boy resembling Luo Yao, while the twin fairies hid in the necromancer’s clothes.

Gao Si and the others found themselves muddled as they signed the contract.

The nail salon employees and customers were all dressed in cosplay costumes. Although Gao Si and his team couldn’t identify the characters, several of the cosplayers were so attractive that they couldn’t look away.

Liu Tang gave Mumu an extra look as he left the salon, making Mumu shyly hide behind Edward.

The editing department wasn’t merged into the cinema itself. Instead, Luo Yao used additional popularity points to renovate a small adjacent shop, furnishing it with computers and furniture. Half of the space was partitioned off with soundproof glass as an office for Gao Si and his two colleagues, while the remaining area was set up with sofas, a refrigerator, a small kitchen, and a restroom for the shop staff to use as a break room. Xiao Ji, Xiao Xiao Ji, Xiao Fu, and Susu could come to rest and play here whenever they wanted.

Liu Tang and Gao Meng were thrilled when they saw the workstations.

They hadn’t expected such a pleasant working environment, equipped with the latest devices and complete with a tea room, smoking area, rest area, fridge, air conditioning, and kitchen — everything they could need.

Apart from signing a rather detailed confidentiality contract, the salary and benefits that Chen Yutong had outlined were fully met and even exceeded what was originally discussed.

Gao Meng nudged Liu Tang, “This place is really nice. Should we call Wen Bin back?”

Liu Tang glanced at Gao Si, who also seemed pleased with the office setup.

While remote, it was quiet and perfectly suited to their work needs.

Gao Si, overhearing the suggestion, shook his head. “Fu mentioned earlier that the confidentiality agreement is just for the three of us — they’re only hiring three.”

Liu Tang and Gao Meng nodded, understanding it was a done deal.

They had already signed the confidentiality agreement.

Liu Tang then voiced another concern, “This place is actually pretty nice for work, but it’s so remote. Where are we going to get lunch?”

Gao Meng pointed out, “There’s a snack shop across the street.”

Liu Tang replied, “Eating there every day could get old. And I doubt the food’s great, being in such a secluded area.”

Fu Chi chuckled, “No need to worry. The shop provides breakfast and lunch for employees, and meals will be delivered during mealtime.”

The three of them were even more amazed.

Free meals? This was like a dream job!

Fu Chi added, “Every shop on this street belongs to Luo Yao, but unless you’re given permission, it’s best not to wander around, especially to that snack shop at the street’s entrance.”

Gao Si and his team didn’t quite understand, and Fu Chi didn’t elaborate further.

He knew by now that the snack shop connected to the Underworld.

Initially, the three hadn’t planned on starting work right away, but the shop street’s atmosphere was too appealing.

Fu Chi then handed them the source material for Moon Landing Project and mentioned discussing the editing details and making a trailer soon, so they couldn’t refuse.

After organizing things, Fu Chi returned to the cinema.

The three of them began working, and during the day, Wen Bin called once, mentioning he was packing up and preparing to leave.

At that moment, the three were busy editing and discussing the trailer details. They had previously rented a small studio apartment together, where they lived and worked.

Now that Wen Bin was leaving, they’d need to figure out the rent and how to split up the furniture.

Gao Si took the call and told Wen Bin he could take whatever he wanted, and they’d sort out the rent and living costs after work that evening.

Wen Bin was surprised to hear they were actually working there and felt relieved he had other options.

Hanging up, Wen Bin hummed a tune as he packed.

…

By the time Luo Yao returned from Night light City, it was close to noon.

However, over at the cinema, it was already closing time.

She had no time to check on the editing team and went straight to the cinema.

The screen she brought back from Night light City had three parts: the main screen, two auxiliary stereoscopic black boxes, and a main console.

Standing at the cinema entrance, Luo Yao looked up at the second floor and instructed the system to measure distances.

The main screen would be placed on the cinema’s second floor, while the two black boxes needed to be positioned symmetrically, one on each side.

After some consideration, she found only Chunxi Lou and Rongxi Bookstore suitable for this setup.

Both shops had second floors and were right next to the cinema.

Carrying a basket of fresh seafood she’d just picked up from the pet cafe, Luo Yao went to negotiate with Le Han and happened to encounter Shopkeeper Rong, who were both enjoying tea on the second floor.

Upon hearing the message from his assistant, Le Han immediately invited her up. Surprised to see the basket, he asked, “Shopkeeper Lu, what’s this for?”

Luo Yao stepped closer, lifting the soft cloth covering the basket. “Just some fresh seafood for you to enjoy.”

As her portable storage couldn’t store live items, the shrimp, crabs, and fish were already dead by the time she brought them, but their colors were still vibrant, the fish eyes clear, and the gills bright red.

A foodie at heart, Le Han could tell at a glance these were freshly caught.

He asked in amazement, “Shopkeeper Lu, where did you find such fresh seafood?”

Luo Yao spun a tale, mentioning an “old friend,” then turned to Shopkeeper Rong with a smile. “I have a basket for you too, Shopkeeper Rong, but I haven’t had time to deliver it to Rongxi Bookstore yet.”

Shopkeeper Rong, assuming it was just polite talk, smiled and didn’t think much of it. But the seafood looked undeniably fresh.

In his younger days, he had seen such fresh fish only in coastal fishing villages in the south.

They both noticed the improbability of her “gift from a friend” story, but they had learned not to judge anything associated with the cinema by normal standards.

Then, Luo Yao explained her plan to borrow space in their shops to install certain equipment for a larger screen on the cinema’s second floor.

Finally, Shopkeeper Rong believed Luo Yao’s offer of the seafood was genuine.

Le Han and Shopkeeper Rong exchanged a look and agreed to help without much hesitation.

Luo Yao proposed renting both shop spaces long-term to house the black boxes.

That night, just before curfew, she placed the black boxes in the second-floor rooms of Chunxi Lou and Rongxi Bookstore, closest to the cinema, adjusted their positions, and set up magical barriers.

After completing these tasks, she returned to the cinema just as curfew began.

In the quiet of the cinema at night, only a row of warm yellow lights illuminated the second-floor lounge.

Sitting on the floor, Luo Yao took out a handful of little black dragon scales from her pocket, spreading them out around her.

She wanted to make one final attempt to help the little black dragon lock onto this time-space coordinate.

When the night grew still, she prepared to install the large screen on the second floor.

Although she had pre-etched a magic array on the screen, she was still nervous, especially since she had to avoid the patrolling night guards.

If only Harold were here, it would be much easier.

Harold, over at the nail salon, faintly sensed the presence of the dragon scales and could feel them being gently stroked, which tickled him.

After multiple attempts, he finally succeeded on the thirteenth try in locking onto the coordinates of the Great Wu Dynasty.

The massive black dragon tore through the night sky, its tail coiling behind the cloud layers, with its giant head partially visible above the clouds.

It seemed the little black dragon had grown somewhat.

Tonight was supposed to be a full moon.

However, shadows covered the moon, and amidst flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, a sudden downpour began.

Luo Yao stood by the second-floor window, waving to the little black dragon, calling softly, “Harold, over here. Come down quickly.”

The black dragon coiled twice in the clouds before transforming into human form and leaping through the second-floor window of the cinema.

After marking the location with magic, Harold wouldn’t need to maintain his dragon form to return in the future.

Using magic, he dried his clothes, then took a tour around both floors of the cinema before beginning his work, a hint of envy in his voice: “Your place is getting fancier by the day.”

Compared to this, the nail salon seemed insignificant.

Luo Yao poured him a cup of hot milk. “Have something to drink; you’re soaked from the rain.”

A dragon’s resilient body would hardly be troubled by a bit of rain and wind. But Harold said nothing, taking the cup and downing it in one gulp before extending his hand toward her. “Hand over the screen. Let’s get it installed so I can go back and sleep.”

Outside, the rain poured heavily, pounding against the roof tiles like a relentless, oppressive curtain pressing down on the city.

In the imperial palace, within the emperor’s sleeping quarters…

Emperor Wu abruptly awoke, his eyes filled with pain and shock.

After a long moment, he gathered his thoughts, listening to the heavy rain, and sat up, confusion in his eyes.

This… was his bedchamber?

From behind the curtain, Qin Mingde stood, hunched, and softly asked, “Your Majesty, are you awake?”

Emperor Wu was startled again, his mind in turmoil.

Hadn’t he passed away?

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