Ch 93: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Ji Qingyan informed Lu Yao that the entire building above the parking garage was owned by the Shen Corporation.

The Shen family’s influence in Yaoguang City was evident.

After parking the car, they took the elevator up.

Situated in the city center, the commercial building itself was a rare and highly valuable location, and its grand, opulent interior reflected its prestige.

When they stepped off the elevator, the lobby was quiet in the afternoon, with only two receptionists diligently at work.

Lu Yao walked up to the desk. “Hello, we have an appointment with Mr. Shen Pingjin to discuss a collaboration.”

The receptionist looked up, first noticing Lu Yao, but then her gaze was drawn to the two people behind her.

Out of professional habit, Ji Zhixin and Ji Qingyan had prepared for their outing by researching Shen Corporation and its history, as well as changing into formal attire to project professionalism and confidence for the negotiations.

Both were tall and lean, dressed sharply in suits, and their imposing presence made Lu Yao, standing in the middle, appear like a fresh graduate.

Although Lu Yao had also dressed formally and applied light makeup, the two people behind her exuded such an overwhelming aura with their serious expressions that they overshadowed her entirely.

The receptionist blinked, momentarily stunned, before regaining her composure. “May I ask if you have an appointment?”

Lu Yao nodded and was about to respond when an elevator in the distance opened, and a man in a tailored suit stepped out.

His gaze swept the lobby and landed on Lu Yao. He immediately strode over. “Miss Lu.”

It was none other than Shen Pingjin.

Lu Yao greeted him. “Mr. Shen, we were just about to head upstairs.”

Shen Pingjin, exceedingly polite, exchanged a few pleasantries before explaining that he had come down specifically to escort them. The four of them then turned and entered the elevator together.

As the elevator doors closed, the receptionist, still in a daze, slowly came back to her senses.

What just happened?

The president himself came down to greet them—what’s the deal with that student-looking girl?

..

In the elevator, Shen Pingjin pressed the button for the 29th floor.

Inside the conference room on the 29th floor, three people were already seated: two young men around Shen Pingjin’s age and a woman in a white business suit.

The man in the ash-gray striped suit idly tapped the conference table. “This is rare. He actually remembered our little neglected game.”

The woman in the white suit smiled. “He even said he’s bringing in a collaboration and rushed to call people over. But where’s the supposed partner?”

The young man in the black hoodie set down his phone. “He even personally went downstairs to greet them. Seems like this partner must have some clout.”

The woman in white scoffed. “Who cares what clout they have? I’m not interested in collaborating. Honestly, that little neglected game of ours should have shut down long ago. Who still has time for it?”

The man in the black hoodie dramatically wailed, “Do you have to be so harsh on our precious baby? It’s bad enough we ignored it for years, but now you want to ‘kill’ it?”

These three were Shen Pingjin’s college friends. Coming from similar privileged backgrounds, they had founded their gaming company together during their university days.

After graduation, Shen Pingjin, the man in the ash-gray suit, and the woman in white had returned to their respective families to inherit their businesses, leaving the black-hoodie-clad friend to manage the game company.

For him, the game was a dream born in their student years, a relic of their youth. He couldn’t bring himself to let it shut down completely.

The conference room fell quiet for a moment until the man in the ash-gray suit suddenly spoke. “I wonder which company had the keen eye to unearth our baby from the depths of obscurity?”

The woman in white replied, “I heard they’re not looking to collaborate on our baby but are instead commissioning Shi Yan’s team to develop a new game.”

Shi Yan—the name of the young man in the black hoodie—sighed when he heard the conversation. “It’s hard enough to keep our ‘baby’ running. Where would we find the time to make a new game?”

The man in the ash-gray striped suit commented, “Maybe the other party’s intentions aren’t focused on the game.”

Shi Yan asked, “Then what are they focused on?”

The man shook his head. “I haven’t met the collaborators. How would I know? Since Old Shen set this up, he must have an idea.”

Shi Yan sighed. “Honestly, I didn’t expect you all to show up.”

For most of them, this collaboration wasn’t a priority. They were simply busy with their respective lives and hadn’t seen each other in a while. Since they all happened to be in Yaoguang City, it was a good excuse to meet an old friend.

As for the collaboration itself, all of them were seasoned negotiators. Any minor disagreement could serve as a graceful exit.

At that moment, the meeting room door opened. Shen Pingjin stood at the entrance, inviting Lu Yao and her group in.

The three already seated adjusted their previously casual postures and turned their attention to the newcomers.

When they saw the young woman leading the group, the trio exchanged a glance, silently assuming she was some romantic interest of Old Shen’s.

But then their gaze fell on the two people accompanying her. Both the woman in white and the man in the striped suit raised their eyebrows slightly.

After everyone was seated, Shen Pingjin briefly introduced both parties.

Lu Yao gestured for Ji Zhixin to take out the proposal. She gave a concise presentation of her ideas.

Shi Yan interrupted, “Why did your company choose ‘Time Traveler’?”

Time Traveler was the game Shen Pingjin, Shi Yan, and their two other friends had created during their university days.

It was an incredibly intricate travel adventure game combining elements of journeys, food, outfits, and gacha mechanics, packed with numerous features.

Different choices during the journey would lead to unique scenery and ultimately different endings.

Many of the game’s scenic spots had been based on real locations, with the realism and detail of the scenes being highly praised by players.

Having played the game herself, Lu Yao had been most impressed by its lifelike settings and the authentic yet unexpectedly mundane travel experiences it offered.

She had even speculated that the game’s creators must have visited these locations in real life.

The meticulous attention to detail deeply resonated with her.

Shi Yan hadn’t expected Lu Yao to have actually played their game, let alone speak so enthusiastically about its finer points.

…

Lu Yao’s preparation paid off. The meeting went smoothly, with the previously disinterested woman in white and the man in the striped suit remaining largely silent.

Shi Yan, meanwhile, became deeply engrossed in a heated discussion with Lu Yao and Ji Qingyan.

…

Lu Yao concluded, “The game’s setting will be based on the Floating World Continent, where the world is divided into six realms: humans, cultivators, demons, devils, spirits, and the underworld. The character classes will include humans, ghosts, celestials, spirits, demons, and devils.

The game will focus on multiplayer online battles, requiring at least six battle maps, as well as a community system.

For players who prefer less competitive gameplay, there will be life-simulation features like gacha and outfit customization. We’ve also gathered extensive resources for map and scene design…”

Shi Yan interrupted, “Aren’t there too many elements?”

Trying to incorporate everything runs the risk of losing focus and ending up with nothing substantial.

Lu Yao, her imagination running wild with possibilities, realized she was overextending and took a moment to calm down. “Apologies.”

Shen Pingjin had remained quiet throughout the discussion between Lu Yao and Shi Yan.

While Shi Yan was unaware that the park could turn illusions into reality, Shen Pingjin fully understood that these game scenes weren’t just for ordinary players—they were for enriching the gameplay in the park.

If Lu Yao’s ideas were implemented, the park’s NPCs and players would face brutal conflicts, making the park’s games even more terrifying in the future.

A sense of helplessness washed over Shen Pingjin.

He knew an earth-shattering secret, yet there was nothing he could do about it. Instead, he might even be unwittingly aiding Lu Yao in her plans.

As the meeting drew to a close, Lu Yao’s phone suddenly rang.

After taking the call, she seemed to encounter an urgent matter and left alone.

She left the follow-up discussions to Ji Zhixin and Ji Qingyan to handle.

The meeting ended, and the guests departed.

Shi Yan nudged the man in the ash-gray striped suit next to him. “Weren’t you the one saying we shouldn’t collaborate? Why didn’t you say a word just now?”

The man in the ash-gray suit glanced at him. “I saw you chatting more enthusiastically than anyone else!”

Shi Yan scratched his head and smiled innocently. “That proposal was actually pretty interesting, and they really did their homework. There was a ton of material—it’s clear they put in a lot of effort.”

The woman in the white suit was silent for a moment before turning to Shen Pingjin, seated across from her. “What’s Lu Yao’s background? Why does she have people from the Ji family with her?”

Those two weren’t just nobodies. One of them was the famous Ji Dashao from Ji family.

There had been rumors last year that his leg had healed, but no matter how much the gossip spread, Ji Zhixin never made a public appearance. Later, some said the rumors were false.

The woman in white hadn’t expected to run into the eldest Ji in Yaoguang City.

As for Ji Qingyan, she had also seen her at a banquet once, accompanying Ji Feirong.

Shen Pingjin, looking profound, simply replied, “A fateful connection.”

The man in the ash-gray suit, the woman in white, and Shi Yan all looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Huh?”

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