Ch 142: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Handmade desserts come in many varieties. Considering safety, ease of operation, and fun, the first day’s DIY activity focused on cream cupcakes. The process included baking the cake base, whipping cream, and decorating freely.

Lu Yao had sourced numerous video tutorials online but ultimately asked Zhou Su to record two basic instructional videos specifically for the workshop.

The first video introduced the materials and tools needed for cream cupcakes, while the second demonstrated the step-by-step process. The recipes and methods were thoroughly tested by Zhou Su to ensure accessibility and low failure rates, allowing even the least experienced customers to participate with ease.

In the operation classroom, each workstation was equipped with the necessary tools and ingredients. Under the guidance of the video tutorials, customers quickly got the hang of it, and the atmosphere resembled a cheerful kindergarten craft class.

Gan Qing and Chen You stood at opposite ends of the classroom, alternating their attention between the video projection on the blackboard and the customers. Their expressions were calm and focused.

The main joy of DIY lies in letting customers take charge of their own experience. Once the tutorial’s key points were covered, the instructors’ workload lightened considerably unless someone needed assistance.

Since the workshop’s customers were all highly self-reliant adults, and two assistants were present, Lu Yao’s tasks were far easier than during the trial period.

All participants followed the video instructions to place their prepared batter into the ovens. While the cake bases baked, they moved on to whipping cream for decoration.

At that moment, Huang Qi called for Lu Yao from the front desk, saying some guests wanted to see the shop owner.

Leaving Gan Qing and Chen You to supervise the classroom, Lu Yao followed Huang Qi to the lobby.

Waiting at the door were Xu Zhengrong and Ren You, accompanied by a young woman wearing a restraining device.

In the lobby, several registered customers glanced warily at the group.

Lu Yao also found it unusual. “What’s going on?”

Xu Zhengrong glanced around the shop, then pulled Lu Yao aside to speak quietly under the eaves outside. “Jiang Lin has woken up.”

Lu Yao nodded. “How is he?”

Xu Zhengrong replied, “Just as you said. After waking up, he spent a full day in the Quiet Room without showing any signs of further mutation. It’s as if… he never mutated at all.”

What Xu Zhengrong didn’t mention was that the church had been thrown into chaos over this. While halting mutation was rare enough, Jiang Lin had somehow reverted entirely to his previous state.

Lu Yao mused, “What exactly is the Quiet Room?”

Xu Zhengrong explained, “It’s a special room in the church. People showing signs of mutation are transferred there for final observation before being moved elsewhere.”

The church in Ghost Street originally served only to house mutated individuals. Essentially, it, like the street management office and committee, was an institution designated by Him to serve His needs.

But two or three months ago, a strange room suddenly appeared at the end of the first-floor hallway.

Church staff discovered that within this room, the progress of mutation could shift drastically: some people’s mutations accelerated, while others’ slowed down.

The room was subsequently designated as the Quiet Room. Mutated individuals were placed there for 24 to 48 hours of “rest,” after which their transfer was determined based on their condition.

However, the room’s effect was limited to delaying the inevitable. All mutated individuals were eventually transferred, and their fate remained unchanged.

But Liu Jing and Jiang Lin’s cases were entirely different—they not only stopped mutating but also recovered.

Lu Yao frowned slightly. “Where are they ultimately transferred to?”

Xu Zhengrong answered grimly, “The 13th floor of the street committee’s office building. That’s the final destination for mutated individuals—and for us, too.”

Lu Yao understood.

No wonder people avoided that building.

In simpler terms, the 13th floor was His dining table.

But then, what was the deal with the peculiar staff in the first-floor lobby?

The staff appeared to be in a state of mutation yet retained their consciousness.

The sudden emergence of the Quiet Room in the church was also intriguing.

Suppressing the cascade of thoughts in her mind, Lu Yao turned back to Xu Zhengrong. “You didn’t come here just to share this information, did you?”

Xu Zhengrong stepped aside as Ren You pushed the restrained unfamiliar woman forward.

Xu Zhengrong explained, “Her name is Du Xiao. She used to work for the North District Street Management Office and recently started showing signs of mutation.”

Lu Yao asked, “And?”

Xu Zhengrong lowered his gaze. “She stayed in the Quiet Room for two days, but her mutation progressed even faster. Her symptoms manifested as cognitive deterioration, and she was classified as a ghost entity. After discussions between Director Qin and the higher-ups, they decided to send her to the DIY workshop to see if you could help.”

Recalling the jar of “lucky candy” sent by the management office, Lu Yao had a guess. “Cognitive deterioration leading to a ghost entity classification… does that mean she would turn into one of those white ghosts if fully mutated? And the other direction of mutation would be into a golden octopus?”

Xu Zhengrong nodded.

Lu Yao studied Du Xiao for a moment, her expression turning subtly awkward.

The young woman had a pair of innocent, clear eyes that bore an uncanny resemblance to her newly hired female shop assistant, Chen You…

A sudden ominous premonition flashed through Lu Yao’s mind, and she quickly turned and headed back into the shop.

As she walked through the hallway, startled exclamations came from the second operations classroom. She paused and pushed the door open.

Inside, all the guests had gathered around two central workstations. Chen You and Gan Qing stood slightly closer to the group, observing from the back.

Lu Yao rapped on the doorframe twice, drawing everyone’s attention. She then saw the scene at the two workstations.

During the cake-baking period, the guests should have been following the steps to whip cream and prepare fruits for decoration.

However, the left workstation was covered with colorful “doughs,” while the right workstation had whipped cream spread out in vibrant layers across a plastic kneading mat, creating a bright mosaic of yellows and purples. It was surprisingly artistic.

One guest held a spatula and continued drawing patterns on the mat, sighing theatrically, “It’s been two years since I last touched a paintbrush. I’m rusty.”

Across from him, another guest was kneading fondant with great enthusiasm. “Mine’s almost ready. I’ll sculpt a few wives later.”

Lu Yao: “…”

This was a creative direction she hadn’t anticipated.

Seeing Lu Yao, the two were unfazed, directly stating they had come for the craftsmanship. Having paid for the session, they argued that whether they painted with baking materials or sculpted “wives,” they shouldn’t be criticized.

Lu Yao replied, “Technically, yes. But since today’s theme is baking, I’d appreciate it if you showed some respect for the food.”

The guest painting with whipped cream casually responded, “It’s all just data anyway. There’s no real waste, so what’s the harm in playing around?”

The others nodded in agreement.

Data? What did they mean?

Lu Yao recalled something Jiang Lin had said during the trial period—he had casually mentioned that the fireworks display was recreated using holographic technology, speaking as though its existence was commonplace.

If that were true, it could only mean this world had also developed holographic technology.

However, Lu Yao hadn’t seen any shops in Ghost Street using such technology.

Caught in thought, Lu Yao momentarily didn’t respond.

Standing among the guests, Song Wen couldn’t help but speak up, “The food in this shop might not be data.”

The guest who had been painting sneered, “If it’s not data, are you telling me this is actual food?”

Song Wen glanced at Lu Yao, his tone tinged with curiosity. “It sounds strange, but I think it really is. If you don’t believe me, just taste it.”

The onlookers, intrigued, hesitated only briefly before returning to their stations. One dipped a spoon into the whipped cream they had prepared earlier. The sweet, creamy texture melted on their tongue like a cloud, its subtle dairy aroma fresh and vivid—completely unlike the overly artificial and additive-laden foods of Ghost Street.

Xu Zhengrong stood at the door, growing increasingly uneasy.

They had originally intended to keep the discovery under wraps for further investigation, but the unique nature of this shop was impossible to conceal.

On just the first day of official operation, the extraordinary quality of its food had been exposed.

The spectators and mischief-makers fell silent, turning their attention toward Lu Yao.

Lu Yao smiled faintly. “It’s one of our selling points—an ultra-realistic DIY experience.”

The guests: “…”

After a long pause, subtle changes appeared on their faces. When they turned back to the cakes baking in the ovens, their once-apathetic eyes now glimmered with genuine anticipation.

The guest who had been painting with cream abandoned his artistry and started eating the whipped cream with a spatula. As he indulged, his movements became wilder, until he gave up entirely and began scooping directly from the bowl.

The guest working on a fondant cake paused their kneading to call out to Lu Yao, “Boss, add two more portions of materials—no, make it five!”

The others quickly followed suit.

“Boss, I’ll take one more portion—no, two portions!”

“Same here, two more portions for me!”

“Three portions for me!”

Despite having prepared thoroughly, Lu Yao’s stock of materials was entirely depleted in under five minutes. Sixty-six portions were snapped up by the guests, who shelled out extra to buy them.

No one was slacking or fooling around anymore. They dove into mixing batter and preparing for the next wave of cake bases with feverish enthusiasm.

Lu Yao could understand their sudden excitement. But with so many materials purchased, the resulting cakes would likely exceed what they could eat immediately. Fortunately, her storage had a supply of specially designed takeaway boxes from the snack shop—just one ghost coin per box, offering both preservation and eco-friendliness. She decided to offer these to the guests later.

Gan Qing and Chen You returned to their posts at the far corners of the classroom. Having an inkling about their origins, Lu Yao avoided leaving them unsupervised for too long. She stood at the classroom doorway, resuming her earlier unfinished conversation with Xu Zhengrong.

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