Ch 205: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Unlike previous trailers, the sound effects in Moon Landing boomed like thunder in the optimized settings of the new equipment.

Not only the residents strolling down Song’an Street, but even those three or four streets away, heard the voice.

It was a woman’s voice, saying, “Perhaps you’ve wondered, what’s on the moon?”

Wan Baozhu, just leaving the palace and on Baohe Street two streets away from Song’an, heard the voice. She halted her carriage, lifted the curtain, looked out with a changed expression, quickly dismounted, and entered a nearby teahouse, heading straight to the second floor.

Xie Xu, Chen Yuning, and Prince Jin, dining with friends on the third floor of Gathering Harmony in South Market, heard the commotion downstairs. They rose and opened the window to look outside.

Zhang Cheng and his patrol squad, having just finished their rounds, were eating duck blood noodle soup at Granny Zhu’s stall.

Students at Song’an Academy had just been dismissed, instinctively heading toward the cinema with their school bags slung over their shoulders.

Teachers gathered their books and lesson plans, and left in groups, some heading home, others planning to have a drink with friends, while some intended to visit Rongxi Book store to find new books.

…

As that voice rang out, everyone instinctively raised their heads, looking toward the sky.

The evening sky was ablaze with rosy clouds, but the moon was absent.

The crowd regained their senses, only to hear the voice again.

“It is said that on the moon lies the Palace of the Cold Immortal, where Hou Yi’s wife resides. The fairy who secretly took the elixir of immortality and ascended, now stands under a laurel tree, holding the Jade Rabbit and shedding tears daily.”

“Is this truly the case?”

“Does the moon really house the fairy Chang’e and her adorable little rabbit?”

“Come, let’s go and see for ourselves—what is truly on the moon?”

As the woman’s voice continued, the massive screen on the second floor of the cinema suddenly lit up, and the two black boxes mounted on Chunxi Lou and Rongxi Book store came to life simultaneously.

Passersby paused, looking up at the screen.

“In Star Calendar 1980, Hua Kingdom first envisioned the Moon Landing Project, intending to take this as a starting point to launch a challenge to the moon.”

On the screen appeared men and women with features and attire resembling the two managers of the cinema, though these people were engaged in different pursuits.

Driven by curiosity about what lay on the moon, they created a ten-year project plan.

Throughout this period, they encountered countless challenges—technological, material, energy-related, and personnel-related…

Time slipped away, and ten years passed without the completion of the Moon Landing Project.

Another decade elapsed, yet the project remained unfinished.

In the blink of an eye, twenty-five years passed. The research team saw the departure of the old and arrival of the new, yet they still hadn’t succeeded in completing the Moon Landing Project.

The citizens watching the trailer on the street didn’t quite grasp the extent of the difficulty or significance of the endeavor. But the constant setbacks and passing years sparked a faint bewilderment; they instinctively wondered: Is reaching the moon really such an important goal?

Is it more important than crops, food, clothing, or marriage?

They couldn’t quite understand.

This group seemed crazy.

But no matter how many times they were knocked down, they kept rising.

Two more years passed, and the atmosphere shifted.

The citizens watching the trailer on the street felt their pupils contract involuntarily.

What was that?

Why did it seem beyond the screen?

In an instant, the image on the screen before the citizens of Liangjing extended beyond the display, transforming from a simple flat scene to a three-dimensional image visible to the naked eye.

This was a groundbreaking 3D projection screen created by Team 1041, utilizing the final “Z-series technology” combined with a temporary magic array designed by Lu Yao.

The screen on the second floor of the cinema employed the latest materials and technology, producing a 3D image with assistance from two black boxes.

In theory, the screen could project the entire trailer in 3D, but after Lu Yao’s adjustments, only the final five seconds would display a three-dimensional image.

First, the technology was still underdeveloped, and achieving the current projection effect required significant energy. The Great Wu Dynasty lacked the necessary power infrastructure; the entire setup relied solely on magic and crystal-core energy fluid.

Second, Lu Yao believed that the ultimate visual experience should be saved for the film’s official release.

Now, the image that appeared before the citizens’ eyes was the manned spacecraft, completed after twenty-seven years.

They watched as the spaceship ignited, ascended, and soared into the unreachable heavens.

Wan Baozhu gripped the railing, her body nearly leaning into the air.

Could it be that these people had really done it?

Xie Xu and his companions crowded the restaurant window, pressing so tightly that it seemed the window might shatter, but no one pulled back, their faces flushed and neck veins bulging.

“What kind of sorcery is the cinema up to now?”

“Where exactly is that thing flying?”

“Surely it can’t be going to the Moon Palace, can it?”

On the snack street, soldiers, vendors, citizens near Song’an Street, schoolchildren, and teachers all gazed upward as the spaceship, named “Hope,” broke through the sky, reaching a realm they had never imagined.

Suddenly, the perspective shifted.

Everyone felt a shiver—had they truly reached it?

“Bang—”

A perfectly round, blue water-like sphere appeared before them.

“So, from the universe, the Earth is also round.”

!!!

Many people didn’t understand this image. Was this the appearance of the moon?

But why was it blue?

Where was the Moon Palace?

Where was Chang’e?

And the Jade Rabbit?

What happens next?

Strangely, in just thirty seconds, it felt as if a vast, intricate story had been told.

Although the public didn’t fully grasp the meaning, they couldn’t help being drawn in, yearning to know what came next.

Yet, some individuals caught a glimpse of the deeper meaning in the image.

“On October 10th, Moon Landing will premiere in the all-new 3D theater of the cinema!”

Wan Baozhu rushed down the stairs, lifting her dress as she ran toward Song’an Street.

For the first time in her life, the princess showed such unrestrained excitement.

From various directions, people flocked to the cinema—Xie Xu, Chen Yuning, Prince Jin, Chen Jingshan, Liu Gennong, Xie Wan, Zhang Cheng, the Chief Steward, Jiang Yudie… In less than a quarter-hour, the broad stone road in front of the cinema was packed with people.

They stared up at the cinema’s giant screen, watching the Moon Landing trailer repeatedly.

Even Zhu Zhu, Ku Ba, and Gouzi couldn’t resist running outside to join the spectacle.

In the cinema’s backstage, there was no 3D projection, but those final five seconds of 3D imagery were far beyond mere “shock” for the public.

To many keen observers, it seemed that the cinema, which had long simmered with mystery, was finally revealing its terrifying claws—unsettling, yet irresistibly alluring.

Fu Chi had set up several cameras on the first and second floors to capture this unprecedented scene from all angles.

Standing by the second-floor projection hall window, he turned to Lu Yao. “How many times has it been? And still, so many people.”

Lu Yao looked serene. “Perhaps you’ve heard, myth is the prophecy of science. Immortality, resurrection, Chang’e’s flight to the moon… Those ancient myths, brimming with imagination and romance, may have simply been born from some human desire. When an extreme fantasy extended from reality materializes before their eyes, who could resist such temptation?”

Fu Chi wanted to laugh.

Wasn’t it the same for him?

From his vantage point, he could only see part of the 3D projection, while those ancient folks below had just experienced full 3D imagery.

Adjusting his glasses, his gaze drifted idly. “If this technology could be introduced to our world, I’d be the first to invest in buying it from you.”

Lu Yao smiled wryly. “I’d love that too.”

If it were even remotely possible, she wouldn’t be struggling so tightly with finances.

The Moon Landing trailer had once again become the hottest topic in Liangjing City.

It wasn’t a particularly complex story, but the trailer hooked the public, leaving them restless day and night.

Had they really reached the moon?

What was the moon really like?

Many eagerly awaited October 10th, when Moon Landing would officially premiere.

During this time, rumors spread among the public about the new 3D screening room.

This theater was said to be unlike the ordinary ones, though the specifics were still unclear. Ticket prices for the 3D theater were, however, double that of the regular screening rooms.

Some even said that the entire experience in the 3D theater would be like the last few seconds of the trailer.

But there was no definite confirmation.

On the night the Moon Landing trailer was released, Rongxi Book store and Chunxi Lou discreetly hosted several high-profile guests, though they seemed to leave empty-handed in the end.

The next day, Harold appeared at the cinema.

Lu Yao introduced him to the other staff, saying, “This is Harold, my younger brother. He’s also our cinema’s tech expert, here today to help upgrade the 3D screening room on the second floor.”

Harold, with his long hair tied in a high ponytail and a few strands seemingly streaked with silver, strangely won Ku Ba’s favor, and they exchanged a few words now and then.

The other staff were curious about Harold, though they observed him discreetly, unlike Ku Ba’s bold friendliness.

Fu Chi was also surprised. He had always thought Harold was an employee at the pet cafe.

So he could cross through time and space, and he was from the nail salon side.

No wonder he was so skilled.

Harold was indeed there to help upgrade the 3D screening room.

Lu Yao had removed ten seats, reducing the capacity of the hall from fifty to forty.

After another spatial upgrade to expand the 3D theater, she widened the spacing between seats to an arm’s width to improve the viewing experience.

Harold’s task was to install mini black boxes from Night light City and carve a large magic array into the floor, enhancing the realism and texture of the 3D projection.

Although holographic technology hadn’t reached its most refined form, boosting the experience in the 3D theater using the original “Z-series technology” and magic was quite manageable.

With two days left until Moon Landing’s official release, Lu Yao went to Rouge House daily, where she and Su Su had managed to mix two lipstick shades.

Su Su had initially struggled to find inspiration, so Lu Yao suggested she visit the cinema to watch a few films. Sure enough, Su Su made progress after that.

The kiln factory and carpenter had also sent over samples of the lipstick tubes and bases. Though there were minor issues at first, repeated adjustments didn’t solve them.

Lu Yao gathered everyone at Rouge House for a small meeting, and the next batch of samples met the requirements.

After discussing with Madam Xu, Lu Yao placed an order for 200 full-size lipstick tubes and 200 mini sample tubes.

…

On October 9th, a large five-story ship docked at the northern market pier.

The head steward carefully assisted an elderly gentleman with silver hair and a slightly plump build off the ship.

Jiang Yudie and Jiang Cheng stood nearby, bowing respectfully. “Greetings to the Old Master.”

The head steward had sent a letter back, expecting only a reply, yet here was the Old Master himself in Liangjing, making everyone somewhat uneasy.

The old master of the Jiang family, with white hair, a rounded frame, and a dignified, weathered face, brushed off the head steward’s assistance. “Where is this cinema? Take me to see it.”

The Jiang family trio hadn’t anticipated the Old Master’s urgency; he insisted on heading straight to the cinema, forgoing rest at the estate.

Ever since the Moon Landing trailer was released, the three Jiang family members had felt an increasing unease.

The cinema’s young owner had a background far more mysterious than they had imagined.

On the journey, the Old Master had mentioned encountering ships bound for Jiangnan; everyone was talking about the cinema in Liangjing.

Having heard much along the way, he felt he had to see it firsthand.

Unable to dissuade him, they arranged a carriage and hurriedly traveled from the northern to the eastern market.

Along the way, the Old Master lifted the curtain, observing, “The streets aren’t like they were a few years ago.”

The head steward hesitated before quietly responding, “The change is recent—only in the past few months since that cinema opened.”

However, they soon found the carriage unable to move further.

Despite Moon Landing’s trailer having been out for days, crowds still came to watch it daily, and with the film’s release tomorrow, many were also inquiring about tickets.

With no other option, the head steward asked the driver to lift the curtain.

Sitting by the door, the Old Master gazed at the Moon Landing trailer in the distance, his pale eyes fixed on the cinema’s direction. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “It’s as impressive as they say!”

The crowds made it impossible to proceed, so the Old Master, feeling tired after watching the trailer, asked to return to the estate.

…

On October 10th, as soon as the curfew lifted, people began to fill the streets.

Before long, a line had formed outside the cinema.

The announcement from the day before had spread word: the premiere of Moon Landing would be in the 3D theater, with only forty tickets available, first-come, first-served.

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