Ch 211: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Lu Yao was organizing her things in the lounge, preparing for tomorrow’s trip to the palace, which required quite a few pieces of equipment. To avoid any mishaps, she planned to inscribe an anti-loss spell on each item later.

Jin Lu and Qi Wu burst in with excitement. “Boss, we’re back!”

Lu Yao, still focused on her packing, replied, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Qi Wu handed Lu Yao the signed receipt for the order, while Jin Lu carefully pulled a brown cloth bundle from his chest pocket, unwrapping it to show Lu Yao. “Boss, the master at the kiln asked us to bring you this.”

Lu Yao paused and looked up. “Is this… glass?”

In Jin Lu’s hand lay what looked like a glass lipstick tube—not as clear as the cinema’s glass doors but showing the early qualities of glass, crafted intentionally in the shape of a lipstick tube.

Jin Lu grinned and nodded. “The master came to see Moon landing at the cinema a few days ago. He said he was inspired, went back to the kiln, and worked on this day and night, trying various materials before managing to make this glass tube. He originally planned to deliver it to you himself and ask if it was similar to the cinema’s transparent walls. But after working so hard, the old man needed rest, so he entrusted us to show it to you first.”

Lu Yao picked up the glass lipstick tube and summoned the system. “Authenticate.”

[Confirmation: One instance of positive impact influenced by the cinema has been observed. Total positive feedback registered: three. Two new releases are confirmed during the mission period. Mission progress: 4/5. Please continue your efforts, Shopkeeper!]

Feeling more at ease, Lu Yao knew that once Great liang‘s Chief justice premiered tomorrow, the mission would be complete.

She examined the glass tube carefully and turned to Jin Lu and Qi Wu, saying, “It is indeed glass, similar to the material used for the cinema’s transparent walls. However, the cinema’s glass is a bit special, and it may not be feasible yet to replicate the same hardness and clarity. Still, achieving this on his own in such a short time is truly remarkable.”

It looked like mirrors might arrive sooner than expected.

Qi Wu leaned in excitedly. “Boss, could the lipstick tubes be made with this glass instead? It’s so shiny and beautiful.”

The scarcity of items always adds value, and both Lu Yao and Fu Chi preferred the current white porcelain lipstick tubes, but she suspected the people of Great Wu would adore glass packaging.

Agreeing that they could launch a batch with glass tubes to promote the lipstick and popularize the use of glass, she said, “When the master comes by, I’ll discuss it with him.”

Lu Yao put away the glass tube Jin Lu had brought back and resumed packing her equipment.

After a while, Hong Yu came to report, “A representative from the Jiang family has arrived, responding to the invitation they sent a few days ago.”

Without pausing, Lu Yao replied, “Please show them to the tearoom on the second floor; I’ll be there shortly.”

Lately, she’d been meeting with various shop owners and guests quite frequently. Meeting in the lounge was becoming a bit inappropriate, so she’d arranged a dedicated tearoom upstairs for business discussions.

Upon opening the tearoom door, she found Die Qi and Steward Jiang standing at the entrance, while Elder Jiang, Jiang Yudie, and Jiang Cheng were seated around the table, enjoying tea and snacks.

Seeing Lu Yao enter, Elder Jiang stood up immediately. “Shopkeeper Lu.”

Lu Yao quickly approached, raising her hand to stop him. “Please remain seated, sir; there’s no need for such formalities.”

Jiang Yudie and Jiang Cheng exchanged glances, both surprised. It was the first time they’d seen the elder so respectful toward anyone, and Lu Yao’s demeanor toward them today felt different from their previous encounter.

Lu Yao had long since investigated the Jiang family’s background. With a significant number of informants on her payroll, gathering intelligence was quick and reliable.

The Jiang family was like a deeply rooted tree, with its roots in Jiangnan and branches extending far, touching all corners of Great Wu.

Today’s visitor, Elder Jiang, was the former head of the family, under whom the Jiang family enjoyed its peak for thirty years. Though they retained their title as the wealthiest family, they were no longer as powerful as they were under his leadership.

However, this might have been a deliberate shift under the new head’s leadership, understanding that towering trees are the first to be felled.

When Lu Yao received the invitation card, she was slightly surprised. She had thought that after their last meeting, the Jiang family might approach her with a different attitude, but she hadn’t expected someone of this status to come in person.

Elder Jiang studied Lu Yao, a faint smile creasing his deeply lined face, and his weathered eyes showed a curiosity and appreciation beyond his years. “I always thought that after a lifetime of experiences, knowing countless people and being indifferent to the ways of the world, I’d be hard to impress. Yet, even at my age, here I am, meeting someone like Shopkeeper Lu. Truly, the younger generation is remarkable.”

…Was that supposed to be a compliment?

Lu Yao was taken aback, momentarily unsure how to respond.

Nearby, Jiang Yudie, Jiang Cheng, and the steward by the door all struggled to maintain their composure. Even the current head of the Jiang family had never received such high praise from the elder. Only Die Qi seemed unsurprised; of course, her shopkeeper was the best.

Lu Yao dipped her head slightly, tugging at a strand of hair. “You probably didn’t come here just to compliment the younger generation, did you?”

Elder Jiang laughed heartily. “So straightforward—so very straightforward. Perhaps I’ve grown old enough to dislike beating around the bush. Xiao Lu, I watched Moon landing at your cinema a few days ago.”

Lu Yao straightened, propping one hand on the table, leaning forward in a listening posture.

Elder Jiang’s deeply etched wrinkles seemed to gather toward the center of his face, like wind-carved lines on sand, but his eyes were still bright and lively. “That film was outstanding, truly remarkable. No matter the era, only a select few can lead the way. One benefit of age is a bit more wisdom, and I feel there’s a stirring in the air. Sadly, I’m too old to be among those leading the way, but when I think about it, maybe being an old, unsightly stepping stone isn’t so bad.”

At these last words, a trace of unmistakable regret and unfulfilled desire appeared on his face, though his tone remained gentle and resolute.

Lu Yao’s fingers tightened slightly as she offered a faint smile. “Without those uniquely shaped stones creating a path upward, how could there ever be a flame to lead the way? Take Moon landing, for instance. The astronaut’s success wasn’t just due to one or two research teams. Without the accumulated taxes of countless citizens over the years, how could they have moved forward so boldly? So, there are no ‘unsightly stepping stones’—only a solid foundation built from countless fragments.”

A loud “crack” interrupted them as Jiang Yudie accidentally dropped her teacup, looking slightly flustered. “I’m sorry; I lost my grip.”

Elder Jiang seemed unfazed, his gaze fixed on Lu Yao. Suddenly, he covered his eyes and burst out laughing, “Truly remarkable, the younger generation is indeed remarkable!”

Die Qi cleaned up the broken pieces and replaced Jiang Yudie’s tea.

Jiang Yudie looked at Lu Yao with a complicated expression, her hand slowly clenching under the table. In that moment, she thought of someone else—someone who once said something similar to Elder Jiang. But back then, she hadn’t given as brilliant a response as Shopkeeper Lu.

Even Jiang Cheng was stunned. This woman really had nerve.

Elder Jiang was a unique soul, spending his days in Liangjing immersed in the wonders of the cinema, marveling at films, modern bathrooms, dryers, claw machines, strange foods, lipstick…so many new and unusual things. Yet his purpose remained unchanged: he was determined to partner with the cinema to start a paper mill.

The Jiang family would establish a new paper mill in Liangjing focused on producing sanitary paper, with Lu Yao providing the technology in exchange for a 50-50 profit split. Additionally, the Jiang family’s entire network and resources would be at her disposal.

Lu Yao felt a surge of passion—an intense and boundless human obsession with exploring the unknown. To gaze far and discover new things, then relentlessly pursue knowledge—wasn’t that the essence of it all?

She readily signed the contract with the Jiang family.

For Elder Jiang, making paper seemed to have become a newfound joy in life. As soon as the contract was signed, he immediately got up, announcing he would leave the city to start building the new paper mill. Without Lu Yao’s final approval, he hadn’t dared to proceed.

Elder Jiang, Jiang Cheng, and the steward left first, but Jiang Yudie remained seated.

When only Lu Yao was left in the room, Jiang Yudie finally spoke up: “Lu Yao, let me ask you this—if a woman wanted to hold the reins of power over the world, what would you think of it?”

Lu Yao clasped her hands together, her expression calm. “Why not?”

Jiang Yudie’s gaze flickered, and she exhaled deeply, her voice low yet firm: “Is that all? So dismissive?”

Lu Yao spread her hands. “What would you rather hear? That it’s impossible? Treasonous?”

Jiang Yudie was momentarily at a loss for words.

Lu Yao stood up. “There’s nothing new under the sun. If you encounter something you can’t make sense of, try reading more; you might just find the answers you seek. I apologize—I still have some matters to attend to.”

Jiang Yudie’s face flushed slightly, feeling as though she’d been subtly criticized for reading too little.

Seeing her expression, Lu Yao sat back down. “As for what you mentioned, there’s a huge difference between ‘thinking’ and ‘doing.’ If you’re merely asking my opinion, I’d say it’s an incredibly difficult path. But whether she just ‘wants’ to do it or is already ‘doing’ it, she’s extraordinary.”

Lu Yao had a strong suspicion of who Jiang Yudie was referring to.

Jiang Yudie fell silent, pondering to herself. Lu Yao had Die Qi watch over her, allowing Jiang Yudie to leave at her own pace whenever she was ready.

…

After verifying the equipment for her visit to the palace and inscribing each piece with an anti-loss enchantment, Lu Yao returned to the Shopping Street.

She first stopped by the snack shop to meet with the specialized technicians from the Dreamland technical department to learn about the principles and application of advanced illusion magic.

The head of the tech department explained everything meticulously, and Lu Yao followed his instructions, practicing illusion magic. By the third attempt, she’d mastered the technique.

The head technician was astonished. “I heard from the chief that you’re not one of the departed?”

Lu Yao nodded. “I don’t really understand it either, but it didn’t seem that difficult. I’ve already learned some basic illusions and a bit of magic, so maybe it just came naturally?”

The head technician still found it baffling. For a living person to learn basic illusions was one thing, but to pick up advanced illusion magic was almost unheard of.

Unsure how to explain, Lu Yao took out the finger bone from the Demon God. “The Demon God gave me this bone fragment before. I was told this makes me one of His half-avatars. Could that be part of the reason?”

The head technician was taken aback. “That… actually explains a lot.”

Now with a clear understanding of the mechanics of advanced illusions, Lu Yao’s ideas became more focused. She and the head technician quickly finalized a prototype.

Meng Qin, a skilled machinist from the snack shop, took over regular coordination with the tech department, while Lu Yao headed to the Pet Cafe to catch up with 1041’s team.

Just as she finished discussing the latest developments in the “Z-series technology” with 1041’s team, Jiu Hua arrived.

She pushed a stack of manuscript paper in front of Lu Yao. “The first phase of the story outline is done. Take a look, and let me know if there’s anything to revise.”

One had to admit, Teacher Jiu’s professional skill was truly impressive.

In just a few days, Jiu Hua had completed a third of the script outline.

As Lu Yao reviewed the script, Jiu Hua sat beside her, and they discussed and revised it together. They worked until the store closed in the evening and then stayed two more hours, going through two drafts until they were finally satisfied.

After leaving the pet cafe, Lu Yao delivered a copy of the script to Dreamland’s film department.

Once the script landed in the hands of the right director, Lu Yao would return to discuss it in more detail.

With the two major tasks of the script and holographic technology sorted, Lu Yao let out a sigh of relief, deciding to take a quick walk along Shopping Street to unwind before heading to the nail salon for some rest.

Passing by the post-production team’s office, she noticed someone was still inside. She knocked on the door. “Liu Tang, why haven’t you left yet?”

Liu Tang immediately stood up. “Boss, I was waiting for you.”

Lu Yao was puzzled. “Waiting for me? Is something up?”

Was he planning to quit?

Clutching the hem of his shirt with both hands, Liu Tang took a deep breath and blurted out, “Boss, I’ve seen you before, in a game.”

Lu Yao looked him up and down, drawing a blank. “What game? I don’t play games much. You must be mistaking me for someone else.”

Liu Tang replied, “The Park. I didn’t expect to run into you again.”

Lu Yao scratched her head, feeling her luck had taken a strange turn. First, Fu Chi discovered Qi Chen, and now she’d hired a Dreamland player on Shopping Street.

The system chimed in, enjoying the scene: “What are you going to do now?”

Lu Yao stayed silent, and Liu Tang continued, “It has to be you. I just wanted to say thank you. If it weren’t for you that day, I probably wouldn’t be here anymore, let alone working at Shopping Street.”

“Thank you, Lu Yao.” Liu Tang forced himself to stay calm, though his heartbeat pounded like a drum.

Lu Yao frowned apologetically. “I’m sorry, I really don’t remember. I think you’ve got the wrong person. It’s late, and this area doesn’t have easy access to taxis, so get home safely.”

She truly had no recollection.

Liu Tang was certain that Lu Yao was the female player he had met on his third entry into Dreamland. He understood her reaction; she might not have noticed him at the time, but he felt compelled to say it out loud, finally feeling a sense of relief after doing so.

Having shared what he’d been holding in, Liu Tang packed up and prepared to leave. “Boss, I’ll be heading home, then.”

Watching Liu Tang’s retreating figure, Lu Yao shook her head.

A player was a player, after all. With that kind of experience, he should be more resilient than the average person. His work was good, and with the confidentiality contract in place, there shouldn’t be any issues.

This was something worth sharing with the Dreamland side; the NPCs actually enjoyed hearing interesting player stories.

…

The next day, at the cinema, Great Liang’s Chief Justice premiered as scheduled. The historical suspense and crime-solving storyline, grounded and intriguing, drew crowds to line up for tickets.

After the premiere, many patrons left the theater with expressions of frustration or furrowed brows, shaking their heads repeatedly.

“Who’s the killer? Why couldn’t they just show the whole case? How am I supposed to survive the next five days?”

“Exactly! We were so close to solving it, and then it ended. Now we have to wait for the next screening to find out the truth—it’s infuriating!”

Standing in the hallway, Lu Yao listened to the patrons’ complaints, smiling like a crafty merchant.

Passing by, Fu Chi couldn’t help but shake his head. “Such cheap amusement.”

Great Liang’s Chief Justice had a total of thirty-six episodes, with over ten cases of various sizes. Lu Yao had the post-production team rearrange and edit it, making sure each screening ended at the crucial point of a case resolution. Each subsequent screening would solve the previous case and then set up the next, creating a cycle.

Lu Yao dismissed his remark lightly. “What’s wrong with that? These five days will give the audience time to analyze clues, discuss details, and try to guess the culprit like a puzzle game. The next screening will be like checking their answers. Isn’t that fun?”

After a brief moment of thought, Fu Chi had to admit it did sound enjoyable.

Some of the boss’s ideas might seem shallow at first, but upon reflection, they always held a certain logic.

Just then, another patron walked by, grumbling.

“I’ve never been so anxious in my life. Not knowing who the killer is—how am I supposed to sleep?”

“I actually have a theory; the killer might be…”

“He’s not the one. That guy was at the tavern drinking; both the lady boss and the server can vouch for him. I think the killer must be…”

…

[New System Message]

“Successfully screened three new films, observed three positive effects influenced by the movies. Mission accomplished! Awarded 300,000 popularity points, +2 additional 3D screening rooms!

Due to overwhelming popularity and customer approval, Lu Yao’s Interdimensional Cinema is now upgraded to a five-star cinema. Awarded 500,000 popularity points, special item ‘Key of Time and Space’ +1. Keep up the good work!”

After completing her patrol of the screening area, Lu Yao returned to the lounge just in time to receive the system’s notification. The additional 3D halls and upgraded star rating were welcome news, but what exactly was the “Key of Time and Space”?

System: “To put it simply, it’s a one-time-use item allowing a single instance of time-space travel.”

Checking her storage, Lu Yao found the Key of Time and Space resting in one of the slots. It had a somewhat cartoonish design, silver lines forming an unevenly shaped key with scattered dots of various sizes along each line.

A one-time time-travel tool—what an intriguing prize!

Lu Yao inspected the key for a while, waiting for additional guidance, but nothing came, so she asked, “No new task yet?”

Just as she finished speaking, another notification sounded:

[Ultimate Task Activated]
“The Emperor of the Great Wu seems to be deeply troubled, unable to eat or sleep well. Please use the resources available in your cinema to help alleviate the Emperor’s worries. Task completion will determine if you can proceed to the next world. Good luck, store owner!”

Lu Yao pondered this ultimate task. “So, no time limit?”

System: “That’s right.”

Lu Yao: “And the task is to relieve the Emperor’s worries using a movie?”

System: “More or less.”

Lu Yao: “Then what’s the purpose of the newly awarded item?”

System: “Store owner is encouraged to determine the best timing for the item’s use. The system will assess its appropriate usage.”

Lu Yao: “And how will the task’s success be judged?”

System: “The Emperor’s satisfaction level will be a key factor.”

Lu Yao smirked, raising a thumb, “Impressive—truly impressive!”

The system feigned ignorance of her sarcasm: “Aren’t you supposed to head to the palace? Good luck.”

It was indeed getting late. Lu Yao quickly gathered herself, ready to depart.

Outside, Harold and Ye Xiao were prepared, holding the carriage steady by the entrance. This journey to the palace now carried a new and important objective: discovering the Emperor’s hidden troubles.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️