Ch 64: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Zhong Lianjia followed the narrow cement path downhill, first noticing a row of cars parked in a shabby lot. The sight only added to his unease about this strange place.

On this desolate, seemingly abandoned street with barely a soul in sight, there was an entire lineup of luxury cars—varied models, none repeated—boldly parked by the roadside as if they were nothing more than cabbages in a market.

Continuing onward, he saw signs hanging on both sides of the path: Snack Shop, Qingshan Noodle House, Nail Salon, Blind Box Shop, Hot Spring Inn… Every single sign started with the name “Lu Yao,” giving the impression that the entire street belonged to one person.

In a location this remote, where even hailing a cab is difficult, was this kind of setup necessary?

Yet, at the very end of the road, there really was an internet café. Unsurprisingly, its sign also began with “Lu Yao.”

Standing in the middle of the narrow cement path, Zhong Lianjia clutched his phone tightly. The emergency number “110” was already entered, his finger hovering over the “dial” button.

The moment something felt wrong, he planned to turn and run, making sure to call the police as he fled.

His emotions were conflicted—half convinced this place was off, but also feeling a peculiar rush of excitement.

Maybe he really had a bit of a death wish.

“K… C?” A voice, laced with curiosity, came from behind him.

Killerclown was Zhong Lianjia’s gaming ID, and most people who knew him through games addressed him by it, or by the initials “KC.”

Zhong Lianjia slowly turned around to see a young woman standing at the entrance of the hot spring inn.

When she saw his face, her confusion and surprise gradually morphed into delight. She quickly walked toward him. “It really is you, Zhong…”

Zhong Lianjia scratched the back of his short hair and finished her sentence for her. “Zhong Lianjia.”

Bai Lu had been tidying up the inn’s guest rooms when she caught a glimpse of someone outside the window. The figure didn’t resemble any of the shopping street staff, so she stepped out to check. To her surprise, the visitor turned out to be someone completely unexpected.

She happened to be a casual fan of Zhong Lianjia.

However, Bai Lu wasn’t the type to obsess over celebrities, whether they were esports players or otherwise. For her, it was more of a trendy pastime to enjoy during leisure moments.

But encountering Zhong Lianjia in a place like this—especially right after yesterday’s major news—was still astonishing to her. “What brings you here? Could it be… you’re here to unwind?”

The shopping street in this world was only open to a select few VIP customers, so Bai Lu didn’t think beyond that.

Given Zhong Lianjia’s status as a former professional player, he shouldn’t be lacking money. Having just retired, it was reasonable for him to seek out a place like this to relax and clear his mind.

Zhong Lianjia hadn’t expected to meet someone who recognized him in such a remote area. The psychological defenses he’d built up began to dissolve. “You work here?”

Bai Lu nodded. “Yeah. Is this your first time here? Which shop did you book? I can take you there.”

It seemed she misunderstood.

Zhong Lianjia felt a bit awkward. “I’m here for the internet café.”

Without overthinking it, Bai Lu enthusiastically led him toward the café. “The new shop just opened recently. Where did you hear about it?”

“The café is hiring, right?” Zhong Lianjia asked.

Mentioning this made Bai Lu huff indignantly. “Yeah, they’ve been looking for a net manager. Two people came for interviews the other day, but neither was a good fit. Our café is clearly amazing!”

Lu Yao heard voices and stepped out of the shop. “Bai Lu.”

Bai Lu quickly walked over to her. “Boss, this is Zhong Lianjia. You’ve heard of him, right?”

Lu Yao took a good look and realized it really was the young man from the résumé. However, there was a faint weariness in his expression, a touch of despondency that hadn’t been present in his photos or videos.

“Yes, he’s the new applicant for the position,” Lu Yao said, patting Bai Lu’s shoulder and motioning to Zhong Lianjia. “Come on in.”

Zhong Lianjia walked past Bai Lu, murmuring a soft “Thank you,” without daring to meet her gaze.

For Zhong Lianjia, today had been a series of bizarre experiences. First, the suspiciously scam-like job posting for a net café manager turned out to be genuine. But the real blow was running into someone who recognized him during his fall from being a professional player to applying for a job as a net manager—a reminder of the “professional halo” he hadn’t yet fully shaken off.

Bai Lu stood frozen at the doorway, processing what she had just heard: Zhong Lianjia… applying to be the net manager at the Interdimensional Internet Café.

!!!

She pulled out her phone and immediately shared the explosive news in the employee group chat.

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: [OMG.JPG] I just saw Zhong Lianjia—he’s applying to be our net manager!

[Interdimensional Cinema Gesi]: What?! Zhong Lianjia retired just yesterday, didn’t he?

[Hot Spring Inn Zheng Ziyang]: [Shocked Leopard.JPG] Are you sure it wasn’t someone else?

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: I saw him in person! How could I mistake him? He even introduced himself as ‘Zhong Lianjia.’ I thought he was a customer at first, but the boss said he came to apply.

[Nail Salon Edward]: Is he really that impressive?

[Little Pet Cafe Piao Piao]: Whimper? Whimper?

[Childhood Tutoring Center Bai Yi]: At his peak, they called him ‘K King.’ He was truly phenomenal back then. I didn’t expect his career to end like this…

[Snack Shop Xiao Qie]: What do you mean? Is the shopping street somehow beneath him?

[Nail Salon Clarissa]: If he retired and still ended up at the shopping street, the man must have some extraordinary luck.

[Childhood Tutoring Center Bai Yi]: …You know, the more I think about it, you might actually be right!!!

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: Think about it this way: if K King gets the job, doesn’t that make us his seniors?

[Little Pet Cafe Ji Zhixin]: That’s not even surprising. My Uncle Ming joined the shopping street and is now just ‘Xiao Ji.’

Ji Feiming, quietly reading the chat, sighed and facepalmed. Family disgrace.

…

Cheng Ye glanced at the rapidly scrolling messages in the chat and then looked up to see Zhong Lianjia being shown around the café’s modest work area by Lu Yao. He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

If the esports legend gets hired, his title will instantly downgrade from “K King” to “Xiao Zhong.”

…

Zhong Lianjia stepped into the Interdimensional Internet Café and immediately spotted a sausage grill and a warming cabinet on the counter. He blinked, swallowing back the urge to comment.

Then he turned to survey the hall, which was smaller than his old training room. It was hard to believe this was supposed to be a modern internet café—small, cramped, with barely ten computers in total.

So, was “interdimensional” supposed to mean traveling back a decade or more?

He felt thoroughly scammed. A place like this would be lucky to offer 2K a month, let alone 10K.

Though Zhong Lianjia wasn’t in desperate need of money at the moment, even he had thought the advertised salary was outrageous when he looked at the posting again earlier that morning. Still, he had held on to a shred of hope.

The café’s patrons were also a little odd. Their outfits and styles seemed outlandish, giving the place the feel of a cosplay event rather than a regular internet café.

Lu Yao said, “The space is a bit small for now, but once business stabilizes, we’ll plan to expand.”

Zhong Lianjia interrupted, “I saw on the job posting that the salary is listed as 10K a month.”

Lu Yao nodded. “That’s correct. 10K.”

“Seriously?”

She smiled. “What, you think it’s just a pipe dream?”

Zhong Lianjia shook his head, frowning. “I don’t get it. This place…”

He wanted to say that the location was remote, the space was small, and with no events or promotions, how could they possibly have enough business to support such a salary? Could the café even make 10K a month, let alone pay it to the manager?

…

At that moment, two striking blue butterflies fluttered into the café. As they shimmered with a soft blue glow, they transformed into elegant women with wasp-waists and long legs. The pair sauntered to the counter.

“Net manager, open two computers for us,” one of them said, her voice as sweet as honey.

Cheng Ye looked up apologetically. “The café is fully booked this afternoon.”

The butterfly demons turned to Lu Yao, their voices laced with a playful charm. “Boss, this morning it was full, and now this afternoon it’s full too. Are you deliberately avoiding doing business with us sisters?”

Lu Yao gestured to Zhong Lianjia to wait and walked over to the counter. She grabbed two grilled sausages and handed them to the butterfly demons, smiling warmly. “Why would you think that, sisters? I love having straightforward and beautiful ladies like you come and play! It’s just bad timing today, but in a few days, we’re expanding the shop. I’ll reserve two spots for you then.”

The butterfly demons had only been teasing and found her response amusing. This human was sly yet refreshingly straightforward—she knew how to charm them.

Taking the sausages, they didn’t cause any trouble and leisurely wandered into the main hall to watch others use the computers.

Lu Yao returned to Zhong Lianjia and picked up the conversation where they left off. “I understand your concerns. Normally, a net manager wouldn’t earn this much. But as you’ve seen, our café caters to some rather… unique customers. The higher pay is mainly because the job comes with a bit more risk than usual.”

Zhong Lianjia: “…”

A bit more risk? That’s putting it lightly!

Cheng Ye chimed in, “It’s true that demon customers are a little different from humans, but honestly, it’s not that bad. I’m new here too, and I haven’t had much trouble adjusting. In fact, I think it’s more fun than working in a regular company full of humans.”

Zhong Lianjia: “…”

Is this place even real?

His mind was spinning with thoughts. He felt like either the alcohol from last night hadn’t worn off, or someone was seriously messing with him.

Seeing his exhausted and hesitant expression, Lu Yao didn’t press him. “You look like you didn’t get much rest. Why don’t you sit behind the counter and take a moment to collect yourself before deciding?”

For reasons even he couldn’t explain, Zhong Lianjia followed her suggestion and sat in the rocking chair behind the counter, trying to clear his head.

A few notifications popped up on his phone—friend requests. Without thinking too much, Zhong Lianjia accepted one.

The person immediately introduced themselves as a representative from Red Apple Live and offered him a streaming contract.

Zhong Lianjia glanced at the message before exiting the chat.

These past years of gaming had been relentless. Turning something he loved into a profession—had it paid off? Yes.

Was he satisfied with how it ended? Not at all.

But did he want to go back?

Zhong Lianjia wrestled with the question. To his surprise, the answer was no.

At least, not right now.

He got up and walked over to Lu Yao. “Boss.”

Lu Yao turned. “Yes?”

Zhong Lianjia: “When can I start?”

A flicker of delight crossed Lu Yao’s face. “You’ve made up your mind?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

Lu Yao quickly prepared a trial contract, offering a seven-day probation period.

Zhong Lianjia was a little surprised. He could tell Lu Yao really wanted him to stay, but her handling of the process was unexpectedly professional.

Contract in hand, Zhong Lianjia opened his phone and replied to the Red Apple Live representative, stating that he had already found a job and currently had no plans to start streaming.

The other party was shocked and kept pressing Zhong Lianjia, asking if he had already signed a contract with another platform.

Zhong Lianjia didn’t reply.

Meanwhile, countless fans online were also waiting for Zhong Lianjia’s next move. Many assumed that after retiring, he would quickly return as a streamer.

Instead, Zhong Lianjia posted a brief farewell message: “Don’t miss me.”

Rumors swirled across the internet, but Zhong Lianjia remained silent.

…

On the second night of his new job, Lu Yao added Zhong Lianjia to the internal chat group of the shopping street.

At the time, he was working the night shift, and most staff members had already clocked out, leaving the group buzzing with activity.

[Interdimensional internet cafe Zhong Lianjia]: “Hello everyone, I’m Zhong Lianjia. Please take care of me!”

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: “Welcome, K King!”

[Interdimensional Cinema Gao Si]: “K King has really joined the shop street! Ahhhhh, so exciting!!!”

[Nail Salon Harold]: “So, this is the ‘Xiao Zhong’ everyone mentioned?”

[Childhood Tutoring Center Bai Yi]: “@Nail Salon Harold. Shh!”

[Snack Shop Chi]: “Haha, just human interactions.”

[Blind BoxShop Ji Feiming]: “@Interdimensional internet cafe Zhong Lianjia, stay humble and you’ll get used to it.”

Zhong Lianjia didn’t dare type anything else for the rest of the night.

He soon realized that every shop in the area belonged to Lu Yao, and the employees, while friendly, were… unusual.

Seeing the bizarre clientele in the internet cafe, Zhong Lianjia couldn’t help but wonder: Are the other shops just as weird?

…

A few days later, the Interdimensional internet cafe had gained considerable fame among the demons. The shop was now packed daily, with many customers waiting for a spot.

Unlike human internet cafés, demons preferred to cultivate at night, especially from midnight to dawn, when absorbing the essence of heaven and earth was most effective.

This led to peculiar scenes: powerful demons gathering outside the café in their original forms to cultivate through the night. At first light, they would transform into human shapes, file inside to play games, and grab breakfast.

The café’s breakfast menu, which originally consisted of instant noodles and starch sausages, had expanded to include items like fried dough sticks, tofu pudding, sesame balls, and pancakes.

Some customers, unable to find a seat, would simply buy breakfast and stand behind others, watching them play.

…

Smaller demons like the sparrows, Black Swallow, and Cui Yu would cultivate at night, work in Liuxian City as underlings for the demon emperor during the day to earn spirit stones, and only splurge on a visit to the café when they managed to secure a spot.

Lu Yao had started considering expanding the shop and adding more machines, but there was a recurring issue—demon customers struggled to use the keyboards.

While playing games involved only a few keys and could be mimicked mechanically, things became complicated when they wanted to communicate with other players. They didn’t know how to type and had to frequently call for help, which affected their experience.

Although the mortal realm’s universal script was somewhat common, demon, magic, and cultivation realms each had their own unique writing systems, none of which were compatible with the café’s keyboards.

Expecting demons to learn an otherworldly language just to browse the internet was clearly unreasonable.

After discussing it with Cheng Ye, Lu Yao decided to modify the keyboards and create a custom input method that suited the residents of the mystical continent. Ideally, it would also support multiple world languages.

Cheng Ye would handle the keyboard modifications, while Lu Yao focused on gathering language data.

She made several trips to BaiXian Town with Harold, where they purchased dictionaries, historical texts, and popular storybooks—enough to cover most of the mortal realm’s common vocabulary.

However, BaiXian Town was too remote and lacked comprehensive resources on demon and magic languages or the cultivation world’s complex terms.

The nearest city, Liuxian City, had once been a mortal settlement but was now under the jurisdiction of the demon emperor. Over the centuries, the number of demons residing there had surpassed that of humans.

Lu Yao planned to visit Liuxian City for better resources.

While packing supplies, Wuling approached her at the counter. “You’re going to Liuxian City?”

Lu Yao nodded. “It’s said to be a demon city. Do humans need special permissions to enter?”

Wuling frowned. “Knowing it’s a demon city, you still want to go?”

Lu Yao replied with determination: “We need to solve the keyboard issue. To do that, I must learn more about the demons. Liuxian City is the nearest demon hub, so I have no choice.”

Hearing this, Wuling’s expression darkened. Recently, he’d been deeply engrossed in Dreams of Jianghu, gaining recognition for his stellar PK skills.

However, his inability to type remained a constant source of frustration.

Sometimes, after winning a duel, he’d encounter sore losers who would open chat windows to hurl insults. Unable to respond, he’d have to call a café assistant, but by then, the other player would have finished cursing and blocked him.

Wuling hesitated for a moment before fixing his gaze on Lu Yao. “I can take you to Liuxian City, but you must listen to everything I say once we’re inside.”

Lu Yao asked, “What about bringing my brother along?”

Wuling shook his head. “I’ll only take you. Your brother seems neither demon nor human nor cultivator—he’s an anomaly. Bringing him into Liuxian City will immediately alert the Demon Bureau.”

Lu Yao nodded. “Alright, I’ll leave it to you then.”

Wuling stepped closer and lowered his gaze. “In return, I want five boxes of those seafood mooncakes, twenty beef sandwiches, and a ten-day supply of strawberry boba orange drinks.”

The little flower demon’s hidden foodie nature had clearly been awakened by the café’s snacks. Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, and when we get back from Liuxian City, I’ll treat you to some things you haven’t tried yet.”

The two agreed to depart for Liuxian City at dawn the following day.

…

Demons were most active at night when their powers were strongest, while their presence was more subdued during the day.

When the shopping street staff learned that Lu Yao was going to a demon city, they quickly flooded the group chat with shopping requests.

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: “Boss! Help me check if there’s a slimming pill available. As long as it works, I’m willing to pay up to five figures in soft girl coins.”

[Hot Spring Inn Ji Qingyan]: “Boss, can you get me a Qiankun Bag? My budget is up to seven figures.”

[Interdimensional Cinema Gao Meng]: “Ugh, these filthy rich ladies make me so jealous! Boss, if there are sugar-coated haws in the demon realm, please get me a skewer. But no more than ten yuan!”

[Nail Salon Harold]: “[Angry.JPG] Why can’t I go with you? Can that little flower demon Wuling be trusted?”

[Lu Yao]: “@Nail Salon Harold. It’s all about blending in. Your identity stands out too much here. Don’t worry, I have dragon scales and the key. If there’s danger, I’ll call you.”

[Little Pet Cafe Leilei]: “Lu Yao, bring back something tasty!!!”

[Little Pet Cafe Piaopiao]: “Tasty snacks!!! Lots of them!!!”

[Lu Yao]: “Got it. I’ll bring some back.”

…

That morning, a light rain had left a thin mist over the mountains.

Wuling stood outside the café, conjuring a spell with his fingers. A peach blossom sprouted from his arm.

He broke off a small branch and tucked it into Lu Yao’s hair.

In an instant, her plain attire transformed into a pink gown, and her hair grew long, tied up with a pink ribbon.

The peach blossom complemented her delicate face, making her appear vibrant and radiant.

Wuling frowned at the lotus-shaped earring dangling from Lu Yao’s left ear. “This thing can’t be disguised? It looks out of place. Take it off.”

Lu Yao reached up to touch the earring. “I’ve grown used to wearing it. I’d feel uneasy without it.”

Wuling sighed. Though the peach blossom suited her, the lotus earring disrupted the harmony of the look.

He crafted another spell, and golden specks of light surrounded Lu Yao.

Her pink gown transformed into a white one, with golden lotuses embroidered on the hem, sleeves, and collar. The golden specks shimmered faintly as she moved.

The peach blossom in her hair turned into a jade lotus, and the ribbon became white silk. A delicate emerald-green lotus-shaped earring now adorned her right ear.

This human woman could appear charming in pink and coolly elegant in white. Wuling felt his effort was worth it.

He extended his sleeve to Lu Yao. “Let’s go.”

…

BaiXian Mountain, Hengze Sect

Jiang Yan and the apprentice stood at the mountain path’s entrance, gazing toward the shadowy side of the hills.

Apprentice: “Third Senior Brother, hasn’t the demonic energy on the mountain been thicker these past few days?”

Jiang Yan: (nodding) “The southeastern skies are heavy with clouds that refuse to disperse—there must be a gathering of demons.”

Apprentice: “So… are we still going up the mountain today?”

Jiang Yan, frail since childhood with poor spiritual roots, had found a modest talent only in alchemy. His cultivation was weak, and he lacked combat skills—so much so that even dealing with mischievous sparrow spirits required gentle tactics.

If they encountered a powerful demon in the mountains, neither he nor the apprentice could put up a fight.

With the sect’s other disciples away on training missions, Jiang Yan was left alone at the sect, with nowhere else to go.

Initially, Jiang Yan wanted to suggest they return, but upon seeing the worry on the apprentice’s face, he changed his mind. Adjusting his basket, he stepped forward.

Jiang Yan: “We’ll go up. The herbs are nearly gone. If we don’t go today, we’ll have to go tomorrow—we can’t avoid it forever.”

…

Lu Yao followed Wuling into Liuxian City.

The legendary city of demons was far livelier than BaiXian Town.

Shops lined both sides of the streets, with endless covered bridges and waterside pavilions stretching into the distance. To Lu Yao’s surprise, the city featured many interconnected canals densely filled with blooming lotus flowers.

Regardless of the season, the lotus flowers were in full bloom, visible from every corner.

Even more striking was the prevalence of lotus motifs on the decorative beams and doors of restaurants and shops.

Lu Yao’s outfit, adorned with lotus embroidery, her jade lotus hairpin, and lotus-shaped earrings, naturally drew attention as she walked through the city.

Wuling, noticing her curiosity, remarked, “Do you know the origin of this city’s name?”

Lu Yao blinked. “‘Liuxian’ sounds like it’s about keeping an immortal here. Could it be named after someone who loved lotus flowers?”

Wuling raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. “Not entirely correct, but not far off either.”

He began to recount a story in his flat, emotionless tone—a tale of love between a demon and an immortal.

Three centuries ago, a lotus fairy descended from the heavens to endure her tribulation. She met a demon in this very city.

Smitten by the fairy, the demon tore out his heart, offered his demon core, and planted lotus flowers throughout the city to win her favor—causing a massive uproar that shook the entire city.

Their entanglement spanned a hundred years, but in the end, the fairy ascended back to the heavens, leaving behind a city filled with lotus flowers and an empty shell of a town.

The name “Liuxian” (“keep the immortal”) symbolizes the demon’s futile attempt to keep her heart—and her presence.

Lu Yao: “Did the fairy ever say she liked the demon?”

Wuling blinked in confusion. “How would I know such private details?”

Lu Yao: (chuckling) “Pardon my bluntness, but from your description, this doesn’t sound like mutual love—it’s clearly unrequited!”

Wuling tilted his head. “What’s the difference?”

Lu Yao: “That demon must’ve been an impressive one to stir such a commotion. Who was it?”

Wuling turned away abruptly. “Didn’t you say you wanted books? Hurry up.”

Lu Yao hurried after him. “You won’t even say the name? The worst thing is someone who leaves gossip half-finished!”

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