Ch 143: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

The church seems to view the DIY Workshop as a miraculous mental rehabilitation center. Whenever they find someone with potential for recovery, they want to send them here for treatment.

Lu Yao paused for a moment, deciding to explain her approach to handling Jiang Lin’s case.

“On my first day in Ghost Street, I briefly experienced a moment of ‘losing myself,’ but I quickly regained clarity. In my opinion, losing oneself means humans begin to lose their correct perception of self, gradually believing they are no different from those things. So when Jiang Lin showed signs of mutation, I repeatedly tried to restore his accurate sense of self-awareness. Judging from the results, this approach wasn’t wrong. However, the DIY Workshop is merely a place offering guests DIY experience services, not a treatment center. I’m afraid it can’t help you solve your problem.”

While the divine pearls and divine tears indeed have the power to suppress “Him,” Lu Yao didn’t mention this. She wanted to avoid confusing the shop’s primary business focus.

She wasn’t against saving lives, but her initial purpose in opening this store in this world was to locate and rescue the Dream Fulfillment System.

Following the usual rules, her shop couldn’t deviate from its main business. She could only offer assistance to those around her within the scope of achieving her primary goal.

Without any updates on the system’s status, Lu Yao preferred to focus her efforts on running the shop. Besides, she had confirmed through Jiang Lin that the way to break free from losing oneself was to consistently correct the affected individual’s perception. This didn’t necessarily have to happen at the DIY Workshop.

Xu Zhengrong, however, shook his head. “No, we’ve already tried all possible methods. Awakening a person’s self-awareness isn’t as simple as you make it sound. It must happen in this workshop.”

This place might be the only connection between Ghost Street and reality. However, the church needed substantial evidence to confirm this theory, so they started by sending over a spirit body known for their mild temperament.

Xu Zhengrong sincerely looked at Lu Yao. “How about this—we’ll take care of Du Xiao ourselves and let her participate in your shop’s activities. You don’t need to do anything special for her.”

Lu Yao sighed, a bit helpless, but eventually agreed. “Currently, I’m the only instructor in the shop. The next session likely won’t start until the afternoon. If you’re certain about participating, please register at the front desk.”

Xu Zhengrong thought of the new receptionist at the DIY Workshop, his face turning pale. He glanced at Lu Yao but couldn’t bring himself to say anything, reluctantly turning to leave.

Lu Yao stood at the door for a while before returning to the second operation classroom.

The cake bases had already finished baking, and the guests were decorating them with cream, colorful fruits, and jams.

Song Wen approached Lu Yao to buy some disposable paper cup boxes.

He and his grandmother were making nostalgic one-yuan paper cup cakes from his childhood. Using freshly baked fluffy cake as the base, they spread jam in the middle, added fresh fruit for layers, sealed it with cream, and began decorating with piping.

Compared to the simple floral cream cakes of his childhood, the ones Song Wen and his grandmother made were far more refined. Their designs included vibrant flowers, adorable cartoon characters, and intricate fruit patterns, filling an entire table.

Meanwhile, the guest who had been painting with cream earlier was at it again. This time, they carefully sliced the cake base into one-centimeter-thick sheets, spread jam and fruit, rolled it up, and decorated it as a “personalized Swiss roll.”

Another guest, who had spent a lot of effort making fondant, wasn’t to be outdone. Although fondant was time-consuming, they produced several simple yet charming mini fondant cakes, garnering widespread praise.

When the session-ending bell rang, the classroom was filled with an overwhelmingly sweet aroma.

The guests were remarkably self-managed, making it a smooth session for Lu Yao. The class was nearly over.

Lu Yao clapped her hands to draw attention. “The activity is over. You’ve all put a lot of effort into creating such beautiful and delicious desserts. The shop has reserved half an hour for tasting. You’re welcome to exchange and sample each other’s creations. We’ve also prepared three drinks to pair with the desserts. Please help yourselves.”

The guests paused briefly before a burst of cheers filled the classroom, as though they had just won a battle.

“Strawberry cream cake for a cupcake trade!”

“I want a slice of the wisteria Swiss roll.”

“Uncle, can I buy that North Star mini cake from you?”

Song Wen purchased a large box with handles from Lu Yao and traded for several cakes he was interested in. Translated on hololonovels. He packed the remaining cakes in the box.

The creations of Song Wen and his grandmother, the fondant master, and the guest with the custom Swiss rolls were the most popular in the classroom. However, since most guests had bought extra materials in their excitement, there were plenty of desserts left over.

They set aside some of their creations to enjoy in the store, while packing the rest into boxes to take home.

On Lu Yao’s workstation sat twelve uniquely shaped cream pastries, each gifted by a different guest.

Faced with a dozen pairs of expectant eyes, Lu Yao took a sip of her coffee, smiled faintly, and said, “I’ll enjoy them during my lunch break.”

The guests casually looked away, sipping their drinks as they began sampling and exchanging each other’s cakes.

“Wow! My chocolate cake pairs perfectly with coffee!”

“First time making desserts, and I nailed it! Am I a genius?”

“Two years… I can’t believe I’m eating authentic strawberry cake again. I’m crying!”

Lu Yao sat quietly in a corner, drinking her coffee, listening to the guests’ cheerful chatter. Yet, the doubts in her mind only grew.

The pleasant half-hour flew by. The guests left the shop in a lively buzz, most carrying boxes marked with the DIY Workshop’s logo.

That morning, Lu Yao had only served twelve guests, but the waiting area in the lobby was already filled with over a dozen more.

Comparing this with her previous store-opening experiences, the rapid success of the DIY Workshop felt like rocket propulsion. Lu Yao couldn’t help but feel satisfied.

To ensure smooth afternoon operations, Lu Yao spent her lunch break in the warehouse with Gan Qing and Chen You, preparing materials.

The day before, she had upgraded and expanded two storerooms across from the three operation classrooms, adjacent to the restrooms—one for storing crafting materials and the other for equipment.

What was initially meant to be a day’s supply of materials had been purchased entirely by the morning guests. Afternoon preparations meant extra effort and overtime work.

Gan Qing and Chen You weren’t talkative, leaving Lu Yao as the sole speaker in the warehouse. She guided them on sorting materials and weighing quantities.

Though the origins of the new staff remained unclear, they proved efficient workers, quickly picking up the tasks.

Once they were trained, Lu Yao stopped speaking, pulled out a chair, and began organizing ingredients.

After about forty minutes, Chen You went to the restroom, leaving Lu Yao and Gan Qing alone in the warehouse.

Focused on her tasks, Lu Yao didn’t notice when the warehouse door swung ajar, leaving only a narrow gap that allowed a thin beam of light to streak across the floor.

The noises from outside grew faint, and the warehouse space began to subtly distort. The air thickened with the salty, metallic scent of the deep sea. A thick, slick, pale-golden tentacle silently rose behind Lu Yao, curling and writhing as it sought to ensnare its prey.

Lu Yao paused mid-task, slowly lifting her head. Her gaze fell on Gan Qing, who was quietly working.

“Don’t take your shoes off in the warehouse,” she said flatly.

“…” Gan Qing’s eyes were almost entirely black, with barely any whites visible. His tall, looming frame exuded a somber intensity. When he stared silently at one spot, the air around him seemed heavy with an oppressive stillness.

Lu Yao raised her right hand, and with a soft gesture, conjured the Regulation Rod from thin air.

She raised the blade of the staff and swung it backward in a reverse sweep, blocking the tentacle curling toward her. Wrinkling her nose, she remarked sincerely, “The smell is a bit strong.”

Gan Qing’s pitch-black eyes rotated slowly, his brow furrowing in confusion, then flaring in embarrassed anger. A second tentacle lashed out at Lu Yao’s head with incredible speed.

Lu Yao quickly leaned back, narrowly dodging the strike. With a firm swing, she brought down the Regulation Rod, slicing off Gan Qing’s first tentacle.

Gan Qing’s eyes widened slightly. He stared blankly at Lu Yao for a moment before raising the second tentacle again.

In less than half a minute, the pale-golden, suction-cup-covered tentacles, soft and elastic like rubber bands, lay scattered across the floor.

Gan Qing slumped into a chair, his limbs limp, his gaze vacant, as a puddle of water pooled beneath him.

Lu Yao crouched on the ground, poking the springy chunks of flesh with her staff. “Can this be eaten?”

Gan Qing’s eyes rotated slowly, his gaze at the store owner a mix of complexity and resignation.

Suddenly, strange singing drifted in from outside. A saccharine voice repeated the same melody over and over, oddly hypnotic. Then came several faint thuds, as if heavy objects had fallen.

Lu Yao set aside her curiosity about Gan Qing and swiftly rose, heading toward the door.

As her footsteps faded, Gan Qing tilted his head back, slumping deeper into the chair. He slowly closed his eyes and exhaled silently.

What a terrifying woman.

Still, Chen You had succeeded.

In Ghost Street, no one could defy that one.

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