Ch 91: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Yu Shu caressed the small celadon bottle in her hand and noticed something off about Lu Yao’s expression. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yao put down her phone and smiled faintly. “I just saw a contact who happens to be a former customer of mine.”

Yu Shu was surprised. “A customer? Are you saying one of these contacts is also your customer?”

Lu Yao nodded. “Yes, it was last year.”

Curious, Lu Yao later searched online but didn’t find much information. However, through the internal network and the amusement park’s database, she accessed the life records of that customer.

Any amusement park player who entered through a Phantom Ring would have their life records archived in the park’s system.

The customer who bought a ring from her last year turned out to own several media-related businesses and was also the CEO of a gaming company.

He had started the company with his classmates during college and developed a game that had been running ever since. While the game wasn’t mainstream, it was highly praised within its niche community, particularly for its art style and design.

Yu Shu’s connections in Yaoguang City were extensive. Among the contacts she shared with Lu Yao were investors, top industry professionals in gaming, and even a renowned artist who had recently left a major company.

Lu Yao looked up the last artist’s portfolio on a popular forum. The style was intricate, whimsical, and strikingly beautiful—both detailed and dazzling.

There was some gossip online about why the artist, known by her alias “Meixue,” had resigned, but Lu Yao only skimmed the rumors before closing the page.

She decided to reach out to Meixue. Lu Yao admired her work, though she wasn’t sure someone of such renown would be interested in her small operation.

As for Bai Lu’s interest in contributing as an artist, Lu Yao kept it in mind.

She didn’t doubt Bai Lu’s talent but recognized that Bai Lu was a recent graduate and lacked experience. It would be ideal to have seasoned professionals in the team to maintain industry standards.

Lu Yao didn’t have much time or room for trial and error. She aimed to mitigate risks during the early preparation stages.

Since Yu Shu was skilled in investments, Lu Yao didn’t hold back, seizing the opportunity to glean advice from her.

The two talked until late into the night. When they parted, Lu Yao handed Yu Shu a Beauty Pill.

“Take this after the effects of the Cleansing Pill wear off. It’s great for brightening the skin and smoothing imperfections—better than any cosmetic treatment, and it has no side effects.”

The Beauty Pill wasn’t available on the internal network and had only been sold to staff members at a discounted price. Those who had taken it raved about its effects.

For instance, Gao Si and Liu Tang from the post-production team had acne before taking the Cleansing Pill. Gao Si was also slightly overweight. After using the Cleansing and Beauty Pills, their acne cleared up, their skin glowed, and Gao Si’s figure even became more proportionate. Their coworkers jokingly called them “baby-faced high schoolers.”

Yu Shu listened with amusement, a smile spreading across her face.

Neither she nor Lu Yao liked unnecessary pleasantries, understanding each other without words.

…

Upstairs, Yu Shu checked on Zheng Ran, who was sound asleep, showing no signs of discomfort in the unfamiliar bed.

She poured herself a glass of hot water and settled into the rattan chair on the balcony.

Three moons hung upside down in the night sky. Holding the water cup, Yu Shu stared outside in a daze for a while before taking the Cleansing Pill from the celadon bottle and consuming it.

…

The next morning, Lu Yao arrived at the Internet Cafe early.

Cheng Ye approached her to discuss his upcoming surgery, scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

Beforehand, he wanted to take some time off to visit his home and prepare.

The weather had gotten hotter, and Cheng Ye had been in a rush when he moved, so he needed to go back for some belongings. After the surgery and recovery, he also planned to find a new place to live.

While the office at the shopping street was decent, he felt awkward staying there since none of his colleagues lived nearby.

Lu Yao approved his leave and immediately arranged for Ji Feichen to cover his shifts for a few days.

Since they hadn’t found a suitable new net manager yet, Lu Yao decided to hold off for now. The current staff was sufficient, and she planned to try hiring someone locally in the Floating World Continent later.

…

Ji Feichen arrived the following day after the short meeting.

A new shelf had been added beside the cafe’s snack counter, specifically for storing deliveries.

The online shopping system was simple: customers exchanged spirit stones with the net manager for cash, which was deposited into their virtual wallet. They could use this to shop on any platform, with all purchases delivered to Ji Feichen’s family villa.

Ji Feichen handled forwarding the packages to the Internet Cafe.

When customers exchanged spirit stones for cash, they had to leave contact information—most used Sound Transmission Jades, which functioned like smartphones, allowing users to connect with each other by exchanging names.

When a package arrived, the Internet Cafe staff contacted the customer via Sound Transmission Jade and provided a pickup code.

With more than a week before the online shopping service officially launched, Ji Feichen had little to do. He still came to the shopping street daily, spending some time at the Internet Cafe before heading to the hot spring inn to keep Budu company.

In the afternoon, Xiao Ji clocked out, and the two of them headed home together.

Lu Yao had initially wanted to get Ji Feichen a delivery truck, but her maximum budget was 100,000 spirit stones. The small utility vehicle she had in mind was promptly rejected.

Ji Qingyan had explained that such a “cheap little truck” wouldn’t even be allowed into their residential community.

Lu Yao: …Another day of having her imagination limited by poverty.

…

Cheng Ye’s surgery and recovery would take at least a week. Normally, that wouldn’t be enough time.

However, Lu Yao had purchased a good stock of healing pills in Ni City. As long as the hospital allowed Cheng Ye to be discharged, he would recover almost immediately upon his return.

By then, the preparations for the game project should also be nearly complete, ready to launch.

After some thought, Lu Yao decided to entrust the Internet Cafe’s operations primarily to Cheng Ye and Zhong Lianjia, as they were the cafe’s core employees.

For the game project, Cheng Ye would serve as the primary lead, while Zhong Lianjia would oversee day-to-day tasks for the Six Realms of Floating Life initiative. Staff from other stores could assist if they had free time.

Once the daily affairs of the Internet Cafe were arranged, Lu Yao messaged Ji Zhixin, asking him to reach out to the contacts Yu Shu had introduced the previous night.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao contacted the former customer who had purchased a Phantom Ring from her, to explore potential collaboration.

…

Yaoguang City, a corporate office building.

Shen Pingjin was in a meeting when a notification popped up on his phone.

He glanced at it briefly, frowned slightly at the sender’s name, and hesitated before opening the message.

After replying, several more messages quickly appeared in the chat window.

Moments later, Shen Pingjin interrupted his subordinate’s report, grabbed his phone, and walked out of the meeting room.

…

Lu Yao.

Since they had exchanged contact information, this was the first time she had reached out.

Her message was concise and direct. After introducing herself, she attached a project proposal and asked if he was interested in taking a look.

Shen Pingjin was slightly surprised by Lu Yao’s purpose in contacting him—it was unexpected.

He still kept an eye on the amusement park forums and knew the speed and pricing at which Lu Yao sold Phantom Rings. She didn’t seem like someone who would approach him for investment.

But after reading the proposal, Shen Pingjin found it even stranger. She wasn’t looking for investors—she was seeking a collaborative team.

Few outside the industry knew that Shen Pingjin owned a game company.

Then again, considering Lu Yao’s other identity, it wasn’t entirely surprising.

Why had she suddenly decided to develop a new game and specifically sought his partnership?

Could it be that the amusement park was dissatisfied with the current game models and wanted to try something fresh?

As a semi-retired amusement park player, Shen Pingjin suddenly felt a sense of caution about Lu Yao’s approach, making it difficult for him to reject her outright.

…

When Lu Yao received Shen Pingjin’s invitation to dinner, she was surprised at how smoothly things were progressing.

However, for this collaboration, Lu Yao’s approach was to plan the game project as a standard development initiative. There was no need to reveal the existence of the shopping street.

If officially launched, this game would just be a normal online game.

Lu Yao planned to visit Shen Pingjin’s company in the afternoon, accompanied by Ji Zhixin and Ji Qingyan.

She sent a message to inform the two about the afternoon itinerary. Then, turning around, she noticed Zhu Ying, Danxi, Wen Rong, and Guanzhong still in the lobby. Judging by their expressions, it seemed they hadn’t just arrived that morning—they must have stayed overnight.

Recently, to accommodate Zhong Lianjia’s work schedule, the group often came to the Internet Cafe in the afternoons, played until midnight, and left. Rarely did they stay up all night, neglecting their cultivation.

At this rate, the Internet Cafe might actually hinder their ascension.

Lu Yao walked up behind them. The usernames on their screens were unfamiliar, likely accounts Zhong Lianjia had given them.

Suddenly, the leopard demon Wen Rong threw his headphones down angrily, his face contorted with frustration. “What the hell! This is impossible to play! Is that ADC a complete idiot? Bot lane is a disaster, they farm like they’re begging for scraps, and they keep spamming for help! The enemy’s already geared up—how the hell are we supposed to win?!”

Lu Yao: “…”

They hadn’t mastered the game yet, but they’d certainly learned the language.

Zhu Ying, buying equipment after returning to base, glanced at Wen Rong’s screen and shook her head. “This isn’t going to work. Bot lane is dragging you down—you can’t carry them.”

Wen Rong exploded, “I’ve been losing all night! Ranked matches are impossible—every team is full of idiots!”

Lu Yao: “…”

From her limited gaming experience, Wen Rong exhibited classic beginner symptoms: I could carry, but if I didn’t, it must be because my teammates are idiots!

Silently observing, Lu Yao noticed that Zhu Ying’s performance was visibly superior to the others. She preferred playing mid-lane alone, with steady farming, good awareness, and seamless coordination during team fights. Her kill rate was high, and her anti-gank awareness was particularly strong.

In contrast, Wen Rong, Guanzhong, and Danxi were far more volatile, completely unlike their calm demeanor during practice sessions.

Each played on their own account, winning one game and losing two, getting so angry they pounded the table, then calming themselves with deep breaths before queuing up again. Watching them, Lu Yao couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity and suggested, “Why don’t you try queuing as a four-stack?”

Four-stack?

They hadn’t considered that.

In recent days, they’d been focusing on basic training. Wen Rong and Guanzhong had tried duo-queue with Zhong Lianjia, but Zhu Ying and Danxi, being newer, hadn’t even heard of duo-queue.

Lu Yao explained, “You all happen to cover four different roles.”

Wen Rong played jungle, Guanzhong took the top lane, and Zhu Ying played mid.

Danxi seemed versatile in the bottom lane but often struggled with poor random teammates.

Playing together would let them share information and coordinate better, making things easier. However, such teams also risked facing coordinated opponents in four or five-stacks.

With Zhong Lianjia already off work, the two demons and two devils, lacking their guiding star, decided to take Lu Yao’s suggestion and try a four-stack.

It was early morning, so it took them a while to find a match.

Lu Yao pointed out, “Judging by their usernames, three of them share the same prefix. They’re likely queuing as a team like you. The last two usernames are connected, so they’re probably a CP.”

Dan Xi asked, “What’s a xi pi?”

Zhu Ying, well-versed in such matters, quickly answered, “It’s not ‘Xi Pi,’ it’s CP. In cultivator terms, it’s similar to Dao companions. It can also refer to people who aren’t Dao companions yet but have mutual feelings for each other.”

In the scripts of both demons and devils, there is no character for “CP,” so the system doesn’t translate it, displaying the original text instead.

When foreign text appears, a small speaker icon pops up in the bottom right corner.

Zhu Ying, having encountered this before while browsing forums, knew that clicking the speaker icon would play a mechanical pronunciation of the text.

As an avid drama fan, Zhu Ying had seen this term many times and had already absorbed and understood it.

Wen Rong, however, was irritated. “Why do people even need Dao companions to play games? Do they have to show off like that?”

Danxi commented, “If they’re duo-queuing, they’ll likely go bot lane. Just gank them a few times, and that’ll be that.”

Guan Zhong added, “Nothing’s more annoying than clingy lovebirds. The best outcome would be making them cry.”

Lu Yao remarked, “Don’t underestimate them. They’re a coordinated team just like you, sharing information and planning ganks. Be cautious.”

As they spoke, the game map loaded.

In the first five minutes, both sides were looking for opportunities to make plays but hadn’t managed to find one.

Since queuing together, Danxi’s performance in the bot lane had significantly improved.

This time, she was playing ADC, and her support was much better than usual, helping manage the wave, harassing opponents, and demonstrating strong anti-gank awareness.

By midgame, the teams were still evenly matched until a pivotal fight at the river.

With perfect coordination, Wen Rong, Zhu Ying, and Guanzhong managed to kill the opposing mid-laner, jungler, and support while securing the dragon. From there, the advantage tilted in their favor.

Lu Yao quietly listened to their communication and observed the game’s progression. She took out her notebook to jot down notes.

She noticed that demons, devils, and humans truly had different mindsets.

When playing solo, they adhered to Zhong Lianjia’s tactical lessons.

But once they grouped up, they seemed to temporarily disregard conventional strategies and instead instinctively explored the battlefield.

Once they acquired the right information, their eyes, perception, and gameplay became astonishingly precise. Their synergy in voice communication was seamless, and their team fights were fierce yet precise.

After gaining the upper hand at the dragon’s pit, the four-player squad pushed aggressively. In the second team fight, they stormed the high ground and secured a beautiful victory.

The moment the crystal exploded, Wen Rong threw off his headset, slammed the keyboard twice, and shouted, “This is f***ing awesome!!!”

Guanzhong pounded the table with both hands, howling loudly like a primitive beast.

Danxi, embarrassed, scooted closer to Zhu Ying to hide.

Lu Yao winced. “…Calm down. The table is about to collapse.”

Wen Rong finally settled down and glanced at Lu Yao.

Lu Yao felt vaguely offended.

The demon’s amber eyes sparkled with clarity and surprise, as if silently saying, “I didn’t expect the Elder to be useful for once.”

Having discovered their “true way” of playing games, the group enthusiastically queued up for another match.

…

During this time, Jiao Niang and Zhong Lianjia worked the night shift while Lu Yao and Ji Feichen covered the day shift while Cheng Ye was away.

To gather material for her tasks, Lu Yao decided to continue spectating.

Suddenly, a group of sparrow demons returned from outside, chirping excitedly and flitting around Lu Yao. Even their favorite games couldn’t distract them. They landed behind her, trying to push her out the door.

Recalling her conversation with them the previous night, Lu Yao asked, “Did you find it?”

The lead sparrow perched on her palm and tilted its head, trying to nod but instead poked her hand with its sharp beak, leaving a shallow scratch.

Startled, the sparrow quickly folded its wings in guilt. “…”

The sparrow demons had endured many hardships recently, bullied by just about everyone in the shop.

Even when serving as lackeys for the Demon Emperor in Liuxian City, they were still mistreated. Unable to shapeshift yet, they could only endure.

However, they loved gaming too much to leave the Internet Cafe despite the bullying.

All the spirit stones they’d earned as lackeys were saved in the birdcage Lu Yao had prepared for them, waiting for the day they could shapeshift.

When that day came, they imagined themselves sitting in a row at the computer stations, ordering instant noodles, water, and sausages from Lu Yao, finally living their best lives.

Unaware of the sparrow demons’ grand ambitions, Lu Yao was only focused on completing her tasks. She still had no idea where to find a half-demon under a hundred years old.

It was said that half-demons and half-devils were highly taboo in the Floating World Continent. Their mixed bloodlines were considered weaker than purebloods, and they were often seen as complex and fragile.

Neither parent’s clan was usually willing to accept them.

Half-demons and half-devils often had difficult lives and rarely revealed themselves to others.

Lu Yao offered cultivation-enhancing pills as a reward, tasking the sparrow demons with finding a half-demon.

If they succeeded, they were to bring the half-demon to her, and in return, she would give them a bottle of pills once the task marker was lit up.

They had just agreed on this arrangement yesterday, and now they claimed to have found one.

Lu Yao felt skeptical.

The sparrow demons were crafty—what if they were trying to trick her for the pills by bringing just any demon to fool her?

Still, with her task progress stagnant, Lu Yao decided to follow them, albeit with some doubt, to see for herself.

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