Ch 14: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

The interview was scheduled for the afternoon, with the initial meeting arranged at a hotel in the city. In the morning, Lu Yao still had other shop matters to handle, so she told Budu to watch over the nail salon.

During the Dragon Festival, the nail salon’s designs gained a lot of attention, and more and more customers were making appointments. By the time Lu Yao arrived at the salon, it was already busy, and the staff were too occupied to step away. Only the twin fairies were accompanying Budu, reading magic books. When Budu was told to watch the inn, Merulu grabbed Lu Yao’s arm.

“Lu Yao, Lu Yao! Harold has been so annoying as acting manager these past few days. I want to go with you and have some fun!”

Puxiu chimed in eagerly, “Me too!”

They believed Harold got to be the acting manager only because they were all out enjoying the Dragon Festival, leaving him to watch the store alone. In truth, Harold was only the assistant manager. As staff gradually returned after the festival, Harold kept boasting about his temporary position, much to their annoyance.

Since Budu was still young, Lu Yao was indeed worried about leaving him alone to guard the inn, so he agreed to take Merulu and Puxiu along. With the portable warehouse upgraded, it was now possible to transport living beings for short periods, making it easy to take the twin fairies from the nail salon to the inn on time. Merulu and Puxiu, initially just trying to act cute, were thrilled when Lu Yao actually agreed.

After dropping Budu and the twin fairies off at the inn, Lu Yao finally felt at ease and headed to the snack shop.

After Spirit Festival Night, the snack shop and Qingshan Noodle House had taken a short break. Some had speculated that with more entertainment options and facilities in Dreamland, residents would rely less on the snack shop to pass the time. However, during the break, customers were practically suffering without it.

For the living, food was essential for sustaining life. For the undead, while food did not provide life-sustaining energy, it served as the best way to maintain memories and emotions. That genuine, perfect experience was something no entertainment activity could replace. After the holiday ended, business at the snack shop and Qingshan Noodle House was even busier than the previous year.

Lu Yao did a quick round of the shop, greeted the staff, and then headed to the amusement park.

…

In the office, Head Guard Bai Jian and Guard Qing were discussing something.

Bai Jian: “What the shopkeeper requested this time is tricky.”

Qing: “Then just tell her the truth.”

Bai Jian: “Do you think she might restrict the operations of the snack shop and Qingshan Noodle House because of this?”

The shopkeeper had long since completed her task in Dreamland. If she didn’t want to continue running the two small stores, she could close them to save funds.

Qing frowned. “She’s not that kind of person.”

Bai Jian shook his head. “Hard to say. The desires of the living are endless, and she’s no exception. Moreover, she’s different from ordinary living beings.”

They had seen too many living beings willing to do anything to achieve their goals.

Qing: “What do you plan to do?”

Bai Jian: “We can’t agree to her request, but when informing her, we’ll try to be tactful. I don’t want things to turn sour.”

Just as he finished speaking, a knock came at the door, and Lu Yao’s voice sounded from outside. “Head Guard, it’s me, Lu Yao.”

Bai Jian and Qing exchanged a glance.

Bai Jian: “Come in.”

Lu Yao pushed the door open and greeted the two of them familiarly before immediately asking about the response regarding the intranet setup. Bai Jian clasped his hands on the table, lowering his eyes in thought.

Lu Yao raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at Qing, and then turned back to Bai Jian. “Head Guard, please speak directly.”

Bai Jian: “Apologies.”

Lu Yao frowned, thought for a moment, and then nodded slowly. “Alright, I understand.”

Bai Jian almost didn’t react.

Lu Yao looked up again at the slightly uneasy Head Guard and couldn’t help but laugh. “Head Guard, no need to overthink it. Let me ask this: is the inability to collaborate this time due to rules, or is there another issue?”

Bai Jian shook his head blankly. “The Demon God did not specify.”

“Thank you.” Lu Yao turned to leave.

Bai Jian hadn’t expected Lu Yao to react so calmly and instinctively stood up. “You—”

Lu Yao stopped, turned back with a lingering smile. “Head Guard, I’d like to meet the Demon God tonight.”

Bai Jian: “Even if you meet the Demon God, this matter won’t change.”

Qing stepped forward. “I’m on duty tonight. You can use the ring to enter the amusement park directly, and I’ll notify someone to guide you.”

“Alright, thank you.”

After Lu Yao left, Bai Jian frowned at Qing.

Qing: “What is it?”

Bai Jian: “You’re acting strange.”

Qing lowered his gaze and remained silent.

Bai Jian shook his head. “Pointless.”

…

Leaving the snack shop, Lu Yao headed straight for the Childhood Tutoring Center to meet Zhou Yishan and X.

At the entrance, 444 was greeting customers buying items and was surprised to see Lu Yao. “Shopkeeper, good morning.”

Lu Yao nodded and walked over to the high stool in the corner. The potted plant was still bare, showing no signs of sprouting. She reached into the protective barrier, felt the surface soil, and then turned toward the tutoring room.

Before going to the snack shop, Lu Yao had already asked Bai Yi to inform Zhou Yishan and X.

Pushing open the break room door, she saw Zhou Yishan and X sitting on the sofa, along with someone she hadn’t expected—the former researcher from the Supernatural Research Institute, Zheng Siyao.

The three of them immediately stood when they heard the sound.

Lu Yao waved a hand. “Sit. No need to be so formal.”

It had been nearly a month since Zhou Yishan, X, and Zheng Siyao last saw Lu Yao, and their feelings were somewhat complicated.

Lu Yao: “I heard you had something to discuss with me. Is Xiao Zheng here for the same reason?”

Zheng Siyao nodded. “Yes, I’m representing the Research Institute. But I also have a personal question.”

Lu Yao gestured for her to continue. “Go ahead.”

“Do you know about An Yan’s disappearance?”

Lu Yao nodded. “I’ve heard about it.”

“Do you know where he is now?”

Lu Yao shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t know.”

Zheng Siyao looked deflated.

An Yan was the identity Lu Mingxiao used in this world. Once Lu Yao’s mission ended, he would leave. The same scenario had repeated six times. His existence left traces in different worlds, but neither Lu Yao nor he would stop moving forward.

After a few moments of contemplation, Lu Yao looked up. “So, what exactly did you all want to talk to me about?”

Zheng Siyao snapped out of her thoughts, glanced at Zhou Yishan and X, then pulled a folder out of her bag.

Lu Yao took it, flipped through a few pages, and realized it was the health check report from her last visit to the research institute.

“Is there a problem with my body?”

The data all seemed normal.

X stood up and turned directly to the last page of the report.

Lu Yao’s gaze shifted slightly. “What’s this?”

Zheng Siyao explained, “Before superpowers began to wane, the institute’s equipment, combined with my colleagues’ abilities, could conduct the most detailed and comprehensive physical examinations. On the surface, your health metrics appear normal, but the final conclusion is very unusual. May I listen to your heartbeat?”

Lu Yao frowned. “What kind of explanation is this?”

Zheng Siyao admitted that at the peak of her abilities, she could distinguish people and assess their conditions through their heart sounds. However, the first time she met Lu Yao, she hadn’t heard any heartbeat—and subsequent encounters were the same.

Lu Yao tilted her head. “What are you trying to say?”

Zheng Siyao looked genuinely puzzled. “I find it unbelievable too, but the instruments don’t lie. It’s as if you… don’t have one.”

Lu Yao spread her hands. “Fine, go ahead and listen.”

Zheng Siyao stood up and leaned her ear against Lu Yao’s chest. A strong, steady heartbeat pulsed beneath the warm skin.

Straightening up, Zheng Siyao’s expression grew more confused. She took out a stethoscope and performed another careful check.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, lowering her head.

Lu Yao replied calmly, “It’s fine. If that’s all, I need to get back to work.”

Zhou Yishan and X hesitated. They had come specifically to bring this matter up, hoping it might serve as a starting point to probe whether Lu Yao was aware of her physical condition and to verify rumors circulating online about her identity.

But the shopkeeper’s reaction was indifferent, revealing nothing of her thoughts or stance.

Lu Yao asked again, “Is there anything else?”

Zhou Yishan said, “If possible, I’d like to schedule another tutoring session.”

X added, “I’d like to sign up for the Childhood Tutoring program too.”

Lu Yao replied, “You can consult with our instructors about tutoring sessions.”

Zhou Yishan pressed on, “I’d still prefer if you could tutor me personally.”

Lu Yao shook her head. “Sorry, I really have other matters to attend to today. How about we schedule it another day?”

After sending off the three guests, Lu Yao stepped out of the tutoring center. Standing under the eaves, she raised a hand to her chest. She could clearly feel the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.

Lowering her gaze in thought, Lu Yao pulled out her phone and contacted Bai Jing to schedule a medical checkup.

At the inn, Budu sat on a high stool, his silhouette radiating loneliness.

When Lu Yao walked over and saw the scene, she couldn’t help but chuckle.

The twin fairies and Heici were playing on the table, stacking blocks made of bricks and stones, while Beef Cube wagged his tail and ran circles around them.

Since they could only carry one block at a time, every time they finally managed to place one, Budu would secretly put it back where it came from, making the three of them huff and puff as they moved the same blocks back and forth.

Lu Yao gently patted Budu on the shoulder. “Why are you teasing them?”

Budu snapped out of his thoughts. “Mother. Ambrose said the little fairies are overeating and can barely fly, so I thought they needed more exercise.”

At first, Lu Yao hadn’t noticed, but upon closer inspection, she realized the twin fairies, who were originally the same size as adult Nitean little people, had grown plumper from their overeating, now significantly rounder than average. Compared to Heici, the two fairies were practically 4XL.

Heici, struggling to carry a single brick, trailed behind Merulu like a wilting cabbage, clearly underdeveloped in comparison.

The twin fairies and Heici noticed Lu Yao and dropped their bricks to run over.

Lu Yao pressed her fingers gently on Merulu and Puxiu to tickle them on the table. The twin fairies clung to her fingers, giggling uncontrollably, while Heici stood shyly to the side, a bit awkward and unsure of himself.

Lu Yao released her hand. “You’re all sweaty from playing so much. Do you want to take a bath in your room? I’ll bring you some snacks afterward.”

Hearing that they could take a bath in the guest rooms, Merulu and Puxiu didn’t hesitate to agree.

Heici, who had bathed just the night before and was still clean, shook his head, opting not to go back to his room.

Lu Yao asked, “Did you catch any horned rabbits?”

Heici sighed. “It’s too cold. The horned rabbits are hiding in their burrows and won’t come out.”

He had spent the entire morning wandering near Thorn Valley but couldn’t find any prey due to the approaching ice season.

Lu Yao pondered for a moment. “Heici, would you like to work as a staff member here at the inn?”

When she had received the new task notification, she’d already started thinking about how to convince Blackthorn.

The little one was clearly younger than Monk, and perhaps because he lived alone, he had a surprisingly steady personality—neither reckless like Monk nor overly sensitive like Dada.

Most importantly…

Lu Yao recalled the moment she found him and Beef Cube, so small and lonely.

Whatever the reason, he couldn’t live with his tribe. But at the inn, he’d have the opportunity to interact with other Niteans.

Heici blinked. “What’s a staff member?”

Lu Yao explained, “Like Merulu and Puxiu, you’d help out with tasks at the inn. In return, you’d get a place to rest and food to eat.”

Heici lowered his head, his wolf ears twitching, while a blush crept up his cheeks. “Then… then can I play with Merulu often?”

Lu Yao stifled her laughter. “Of course.”

Heici tilted his head up, his eyes sparkling. “Then I want to.”

“Being a staff member means you’ll need to learn a few things. I’ll teach you gradually.”

“Okay.”

In the afternoon, Ji Feiming drove Lu Yao to the Revlon Grand Hotel.

The resumes of the three interviewees had already been sent to Lu Yao’s email, and she had reviewed them carefully.

One of the candidates, introduced by Fu Chi, was someone Lu Yao had met twice before—Assistant Zheng, who had once delivered goods to the shopping street.

Lu Yao had contacted Fu Chi earlier in the morning. He explained that Assistant Zheng had submitted a resignation request half a month ago, citing overwhelming work stress and physical exhaustion.

Fu Chi had spoken with him about the decision, but Assistant Zheng hadn’t changed his mind.

When Lu Yao posted the job opening in the group chat, Fu Chi had thought it over for a long time before finally recommending Assistant Zheng.

Fu Chi believed that his recent illness might have placed too much pressure on his assistants, resulting in their physical health deteriorating. While the workload and environment at the shopping street were relatively relaxed, similar to retirement life, the pay and benefits were decent. Fu Chi persuaded Assistant Zheng to attend the interview, thinking that if he got the position, it would allow him to recover while still earning some income.

The second candidate, introduced by Bai Jing, was a young woman named Bai Lu, a recent art graduate from a branch of the Bai family.

Her resume stated that during university, she ran an online account dedicated to sharing handmade crafts and artwork, amassing over 200,000 followers. This background perfectly aligned with the role’s requirements.

The third candidate, introduced by the Ji family, was also a young woman named Ji Qingyan.

Her resume could only be described as “impressive,” showcasing a plethora of professional certifications, a diverse range of learning experiences, and extensive work history. At the very bottom of her resume, she mentioned a personal hobby—playing with LEGO. She had even participated in LEGO competitions and won first prize.

Lu Yao wiped her forehead. Did Ji Qingyan really need to apply for a position at an inn?

In suite 305 of the Revlon Grand Hotel, the three interviewees had already arrived.

The three sat on the sofa, exchanging uneasy glances, their expressions peculiar.

A receptionist position at an inn had attracted three competitors?

It was downright absurd!

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