Ch 24: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

In the distant Tianji City, Ji Feirong finished watching the movie trailer and immediately purchased a “599” full-immersion holographic movie ticket.

Customers at the shopping street all possess VIP bracelets with their information embedded. For the beta test, their VIP accounts were linked to their online accounts, enabling seamless payment through direct deductions from their VIP balance.

If the account balance is insufficient, recharging and payments can be completed online.

The premiere of the film was scheduled for three days later. Ji Feirong instructed her assistant to clear her schedule, allowing for a two-day break, and planned to fly directly to Yaoguang City on the day of the event.

As the assistant was about to leave, Ji Feirong called out:
“This time, I’m going to a special place. If you’re interested, book an additional ticket.”

The assistant was surprised. Previously, Ji Feirong had only gone to Yaoguang City for Ji Dashao (the eldest young master) and never requested company.

The Ji family already had representatives in Yaoguang City, so typically, no one from the main household was sent unless it was for a special reason.

This sounded like an opportunity for promotion.

But what kind of special place in a remote city like Yaoguang, thousands of miles from the Ji family in Tianji, could deserve Ji Feirong’s attention?

The assistant paused at the door.

During the New Year, the two current family heads and Ji Dashao all returned from Yaoguang City.

Without overthinking, the assistant returned to her desk and booked two tickets.

That same day, every customer who received the beta invitation purchased a movie ticket, and all opted for the 599 full-immersion version.

Bai Zheng and Bai Jin, still captivated after buying their tickets, attempted to recharge their accounts to access VIP content, only to be informed:
“During the beta phase, paid services are unavailable.”

Bai Zheng & Bai Jin: “…”

They assumed the beta test was just a hook, and they were willing to bite, but it seemed the only purpose was to sell movie tickets.

Noticing their younger cousin Bai Lu casually scrolling through social media nearby, they managed to calm down slightly.

Bai Lu looked up, curious: “What were you two so engrossed in just now?”

Bai Jin and Bai Zheng exchanged glances. If the holographic movie was as immersive as they imagined, taking their younger cousin along wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Bai Jin turned toward Bai Lu with a serious expression:
“It’s kind of special. In a few days, your brother Zheng and I are going to see a new movie. Want to join us?”

Bai Lu, intrigued, began browsing the movie schedule: “What’s coming out soon that’s worth seeing?”

“It’s not a publicly released film. It’s… that shop owner you met before, Boss Lu. She’s hosting an event.” Bai Zheng, feeling awkward, explained in vague terms.

Just then, both Bai Zheng and Bai Jin received a message from the same account. Upon inquiry, they realized it was Bai Yi.

Bai Yi created a group chat and named it “Yaoguang City F4”, including herself, Bai Jin, Bai Zheng, and Bai Jing.

[Bai Yi]: “Here we go! Finally, we have our happy place!”

[Bai Jin]: “@Bai Yi How’d you find us?”

[Bai Yi]: “Your nicknames are the same as on WeChat. I just tried my luck, and it worked.”

The app’s contact feature includes a contacts tab where users can see the number of active accounts and their nicknames.

Since many beta participants had exchanged social contacts with Lu Yao, she cleverly used their social account nicknames as default entries when setting up the app, along with randomly generated avatars. Users could modify these details upon login.

Bai Zheng and Bai Jin, completely absorbed in VIP’s content, had forgotten about this feature, leaving an opening for Bai Yi to exploit.

[Bai Zheng]: “@Bai Yi @Bai Jing Are you guys coming to that movie?”

[Bai Yi]: “Of course! I’ve never seen a holographic movie before, and Director Fu is giving out tickets!”

[Bai Jin]: “What’s this about free tickets? I didn’t hear anything about that.”

[Bai Yi]: “Director Fu gave all the shopping street employees free tickets. Whether or not they attend is up to them. I think most will go—after all, it’s a holographic movie, and it’s free.”

【Bai Zheng: I’m so jealous!】

【Bai Jing: I’ll also be there on the premiere day. When are you guys going?】

For online ticket purchases, customers can freely adjust their movie showtimes within the time slots provided by the cinema, depending on their own schedules.

Lu Yao deliberately arranged the showtimes so that customers from the shopping street and those from Great Wu Dynasty wouldn’t overlap. The two groups had staggered schedules.

There’s about a half-day time difference between the Great Wu Dynasty and the shopping street; when it’s afternoon in the shopping street, it’s evening in the Great Wu Dynasty.

For shopping street customers, the available showtimes range from 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

The Yaoguang City F4 chatted happily in their group for a while and agreed to meet at the shopping street on the premiere afternoon.

Bai Jin looked up at Bai Lu and said, “Bai Jing-ge is going too. If you want to come, we can let the boss know in advance.”

Bai Lu, recalling her previous interview experience, hesitated to decline.

However, hearing that Bai Jing would also be there made her waver.

“I was pretty rude last time. Would it be awkward if I showed up at the store again?”

Bai Zheng, straightforward as ever, replied, “You’d just be a customer. Lu Yao wouldn’t give you a hard time.”

Bai Jin noticed Bai Lu’s lingering concerns and tugged on Bai Zheng’s sleeve, signaling him not to push too hard. Turning to Bai Lu, he said, “No worries at all. If you don’t want to go, it’s totally fine.”

Meanwhile, Fu Chi finalized the two guests he decided to invite: a well-known producer, Du Mingyan, and a famous director, Feng Xiang.

Both were personal friends of Fu Chi and highly influential in their respective fields.

Lu Yao obtained their contact details and asked Fu Chi to call and inform them first.

After confirming everything, Lu Yao planned to use the internal system to contact the customers.

With the new internal network system in place, expanding the customer base had become much more efficient. There was no longer a need to bring people physically to the shopping street—everything could now be handled online, saving time and effort.

Feng Xiang had just finished speaking with Fu Chi on the phone. As he hung up, he wondered why Fu Chi, after six months of rest, had suddenly gone off to shoot a film, keeping the project shrouded in mystery. Fu Chi didn’t even disclose the genre, only saying that a preview would soon be pushed to Feng Xiang’s phone.

No project involving Fu Chi had surfaced online recently, and even the movie title wasn’t mentioned. How was it supposed to be pushed to him?

The next moment, a strange message popped up on his phone—a golden gift box tied with a ribbon.

【You have a new movie trailer. Would you like to watch it?】

In the top-left corner of the pop-up, a 30-second countdown timer began ticking down.

Feng Xiang hesitated. Could this be the trailer Fu Chi mentioned? It seemed suspiciously like some sketchy online ad.

As the countdown dwindled from two digits to one, Feng Xiang lazily tapped “Yes.”

The gift box burst open, revealing a small screen.

Feng Xiang’s frown deepened as he watched the trailer. A documentary? About opening a cinema in ancient times? Was this a joke for kids?

The title, Conversations Across Millennia: The People of Liangjing and the Cinema, sounded more like an academic thesis than a movie title. It practically screamed “box office flop.”

Still, he had promised Fu Chi to attend the premiere. When another prompt appeared on the screen, Feng Xiang resignedly clicked “Yes” again.

Before he realized it, a new app named Lu Yao’s Shopping Street appeared on his phone. To log in, he had to sign an unusual “confidentiality agreement.”

The terms were vastly different from the standard disclaimers he’d encountered before. Some clauses seemed almost childish, but after ensuring there were no traps in the wording, Feng Xiang cooperatively signed it.

His role was listed as “Visitor,” which restricted access to most features of the app. The only active feature was the “Contacts” section, where a small chat window displayed his holographic movie ticket.

Holographic?

Feng Xiang frowned.

Could it be that Fu Chi had lost his mind, indulging in such flashy, over-the-top gimmicks?

Feng Xiang couldn’t hold back his thoughts. He immediately exited the app and dialed Fu Chi’s number.

Busy.

He waited a few minutes and called again.

Still busy.

Feng Xiang put away his phone.

Forget it. He’d be seeing Fu Chi in a few days anyway. By then, he’d have a serious conversation with him—starting with recommending a change of rehab center. Half a year of rest, and not only was Fu Chi’s spirit unhealed, but his brain seemed to have deteriorated as well.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, the person keeping Fu Chi tied up was none other than the other invited guest, Du Mingyan.

Like Feng Xiang, she had received the movie trailer via her phone.

Du Mingyan, with her sharp instincts, immediately sensed something unusual—not just with the trailer but also the method of its precise delivery.

She called Fu Chi right away. Unable to divulge much, Fu Chi simply asked her to follow the instructions and log into the shopping street app as a visitor.

After some back-and-forth, both guests successfully obtained holographic movie tickets for the cinema.

However, both Feng Xiang and Du Mingyan couldn’t shake a sense of unease about the upcoming screening and agreed to discuss it with Fu Chi in person when they met.

Over the next two days, real-time monitoring showed the internal network system stabilizing, and employees and customers participating in the beta test gradually grew accustomed to it.

The movie trailer also premiered on the large ad screens at the cinema. While the documentary, centered on Liangjing’s citizens and its cinema, might not seem immediately compelling, the participation of many local fans—especially in street interviews—drew interest.

Liangjing’s residents were deeply honored by the prospect of appearing on the big screen. The film, tied closely to their daily lives, naturally struck a chord.

Within half a day of its trailer release, tea houses, taverns, and markets across Liangjing were abuzz with discussions.

“Are you going to see that new cinema film?”

“Of course! Boss Lu even filmed me on the street back then. I might even make it to the big screen.”

The person across the table chuckled. “You? With your mumbling, how could you possibly make it into the movie?”

“I’m telling you, don’t underestimate me! They called it a ‘street interview.’ I don’t get it, but Boss Lu even paid me a few coins, saying my clip might be used.”

…

At Aunt Zhu’s duck-blood vermicelli stand, a group of customers was also chatting.

“That documentary—are you going to watch it?”

“Definitely. We can’t afford advertising, and Boss Lu isn’t going to film just us. But the whole street’s in the trailer; I bet our shop will show up!”

“So, will you watch the cheap screening or the expensive one?”

“The cheap one. As long as we can see it, that’s enough. Why pay extra for some immersive experience when we can just walk out onto the street?”

The diner burst into laughter.

Beyond the ordinary residents, prominent figures like Eunuch Wan Baozhu, Xie Xu, Prince Jin, and other aristocrats and noblewomen were also eagerly anticipating the film.

They had already noticed the significant changes the cinema brought to Liangjing’s everyday life but never thought these transformations would be captured in a movie.

As the saying goes: “A mirror of bronze to dress neatly; a mirror of antiquity to learn history; a mirror of men to understand right and wrong.”

The new movie trailer was like a moving mirror, reflecting Liangjing City and its people’s lives. It offered the chance to refine, reflect, and understand.

With the internal network and cinema plans settled, Lu Yao shifted her focus back to the inn.

…

On a sunny day, Lu Yao carried a bamboo basket on her back and set out with Budu, Heici, and Beef Cube for a little outdoor exploration.

The area around the inn looked barren after the thorny bushes were cleared.

Lu Yao planned to plant some flowering trees and greenery during the favorable Sunshine season. However, she wasn’t sure if directly transplanting plants from other worlds would work, so she decided to explore the local environment and vegetation on the Nitean Continent first.

This time, she chose to head behind the inn.

Behind the inn lay a gentle slope that gradually steepened into a rugged hillside as it rose.

The snow along the path was melting, and beneath the thin layer, tiny green buds the size of rice grains were emerging.

Heici, perched on Lu Yao’s shoulder, spotted the budding greens, slid down her clothes, and, with Beef Cube, ran over, squatting to pluck the tiny buds and stuffing them into their cheeks until they were puffed up like balloons. Finally, Heici turned to Lu Yao and called out, “It’s delicious! Lu Yao, come try it!”

Lu Yao and Budu carefully approached, mindful not to step on the budding vegetation, and squatted beside Heici and Beef Cube.

“What is this?” Lu Yao asked.

Heici handed her a small handful, urging her to try.

Unable to refuse, Lu Yao picked up one and took a small bite. It burst with fresh, crisp juice in her mouth, sweet and tender.

Heici looked up at her expectantly, smiling as she reacted.

“What’s so funny?” Lu Yao asked, puzzled.

Heici shook his head and started running uphill, Beef Cube following behind with quick, short breaths.

Their small figures scurried ahead, but Lu Yao and Budu easily caught up in a few steps.

Halfway up the mountain, the terrain grew rocky, with bare, tall trees standing straight and gnarled like stern sentinels.

The sound of rushing water reached Lu Yao’s ears. She bent down, picked up Heici and Beef Cube, and followed the sound.

Budu trailed steadily behind her.

The closer they got to the water, the lusher the vegetation became. Delicate branches and vibrant green leaves surrounded them, and yellow flowers bloomed in clusters from cracks in the rocks.

The sound of water grew louder until a narrow stream, just wide enough to fit her foot, appeared. Pink and white blossoms floated down the current in clusters.

Lu Yao knelt to scoop up some water. The moment her fingers touched it, her brow arched in surprise.

It was warm.

Hot spring water.

Finding a hot spring on the mountain was excellent news.

Energized, Lu Yao continued upstream with her companions.

The plants near the hot spring thrived even more. The path felt like stepping into a hidden paradise.

After about 200 meters, they came upon two thick flowering trees standing on either side of the stream, their branches covered in pink and white blossoms. Petals fluttered into the water with the breeze. Behind the trees, a natural hot spring basin formed by rocks emitted steam, with only a small stream of warm water trickling out through the stones.

“This is truly a beautiful spot,” Lu Yao exclaimed.

Heici slid off her shoulder, discarded his fur wrap, and grabbed a leaf to use as a makeshift umbrella before leaping into the warm pool with a splash. Soon, he was floating on the leaf, his two pale buttocks bobbing above the water.

Beef Cube hesitant around water, stood on a rock, anxiously squeaking.

Heici, clearly experienced with hot springs, flicked water off his ears and shouted to Lu Yao on the shore, “Lu Yao! Bath time!”

Lu Yao took off her shoes and socks, rinsed her feet at the edge, and then sat on a rock, dipping her legs into the pool.

The water was slightly hotter than expected but incredibly relaxing.

Unfortunately, Budu couldn’t join in and sat at a distance under the flowering trees.

Lu Yao picked up a fallen flower from the stones and placed it in Heici’s leaf boat. The pale pink blossoms piled up like a small mountain before Heici swiped them into the water, where they floated and drifted.

After soaking for a while, Lu Yao pulled out a lunchbox prepared by Xiao Zheng from her bamboo basket and placed it on her lap.

Inside were two types of sandwiches: one filled with egg spread, tender steak, and vegetables; the other with sweet corn, ham, and vegetables.

Lu Yao, Budu, and Heici shared the sandwiches, while Beef Cube contentedly crunched on a single freeze-dried dog treat.

Spring day, hot springs, and an outdoor meal.

The three humans and one wolf enjoyed the warmth of the season, unaware that midway up the trunk of one flowering tree, a hollow concealed a tree-dwelling couple of little people.

The tiny couple, having endured the long, harsh ice period, were just about to venture out to forage under the pleasant weather. However, early that morning, they discovered big humans near their home. Trembling with fear, they stayed hidden in the tree, cautiously observing.

After finishing their meal, Lu Yao and her group packed up to leave.

Before departing, she circled the flowering tree several times to memorize its features, planning to transplant a few smaller ones around the inn.

In addition to this flowering tree, she intended to relocate other flowering plants she had spotted along the way to the inn’s surroundings. Once the weather warmed up, the inn would be surrounded by a vibrant sea of blossoms.

While Lu Yao was circling the tree, the little people hiding within nearly wrapped themselves into cocoons out of fear.

Once the humans finally left, the couple lay against the trunk, recovering from their terror.

When they could no longer see the humans in the distance, they cautiously climbed down and noticed corn kernels scattered near the hot spring pool.

Back at the inn, Heici proudly carried a large bag of freshly picked buds—the tiny green shoots he had shared with Lu Yao earlier—and presented them to Yuanwei and Zhu Zhou.

Jing Qingyan and Xiao Zheng also received a small handful to taste.

Their first reaction was to snap photos and post about it: “A springtime gift from our native colleagues—super sweet!”

Lu Yao sat on a small stool by the door, sorting through the seedlings in her basket.

She had dug up a few plants on the way back and planned to test-plant them around the inn.

While handling the seedlings, she noticed the calamus saplings stored in her portable warehouse and had an idea: could these tiny plants be grown as well?

However, the calamus saplings were different from the other plants. They were unusually short and small, almost like miniature versions. Most flora on the Nitean Continent was not of this diminutive size.

They were so small that planting them casually by the roadside would risk them being trampled.

Lu Yao decided to prepare small flowerpots for them, like those used for succulents, making them easier to care for.

Busy days flew by, and soon it was the premiere of Conversations Across Millennia: The People of Liangjing and the Cinema.

Late that night, Fu Chi arrived promptly at the cinema. Lu Yao was already there, and a line of eager moviegoers stretched out from the entrance.

Lu Yao patted Fu Chi on the shoulder. “Director Fu, this is a blockbuster hit in the making!”

In the Great Wu Dynasty, the New Year celebrations were still ongoing. Rumor had it that foreign emissaries had come to the capital to present gifts, and the streets were occasionally dotted with people in exotic clothing.

Standing at the front desk for a while, Lu Yao recognized several familiar faces among the crowd. Sure enough, a few individuals in foreign attire were also queued up to buy tickets.

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