Ch 147: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

The first time Lu Yao ate the candy given to her by Cai Yuxing, she became suspicious.

She had previously worked with 1041 of Nightlight City and Harold to redevelop Z-series technology, later known as holographic technology. She was very familiar with projection defects caused by data loss due to inaccurate sampling.

Most of the snack shops on Ghost Street looked delicious, and their enticing aroma could be smelled from far away, but the food itself tasted bland and flavorless.

Visuals are the most direct way to transmit information to the brain, and smells are relatively easy to capture as molecules. Combining visuals with aromas to create the illusion of a perfect sensory experience isn’t difficult.

However, replicating food’s taste and authentic texture with holographic technology is significantly more challenging.

The initial version of the holographic screening room at the Interdimensional Cinema had to rely on special props to enhance the experience, including tools to reinforce the perception of food’s flavor, texture, and temperature changes.

The poor-tasting food on Ghost Street immediately struck Lu Yao as a projection defect caused by insufficient data collection.

Later, a customer mentioned data, further deepening Lu Yao’s suspicions.

The special space left behind by the Dream Fulfillment System resembled fragmented data materializing into reality, which gradually confirmed Lu Yao’s hypothesis.

After all, she had recently launched the first holographic cultivation-themed online game on the Interdimensional Internet Café platform. She was no stranger to holographic technology’s ability to present game scenes and experiences.

If the guests on Ghost Street were viewed as players, and the shops and shopkeepers were NPCs providing survival tools, the entire situation became much easier to understand.

However, there was another peculiar presence on this street: a being claiming to be a god, delighting in guiding human minds into spiritual degradation.

The true rule of Ghost Street was simple: both guests and shopkeepers were merely its toys.

According to Lu Yao’s understanding, this being was undoubtedly the game’s final boss.

If Ghost Street were indeed a holographic game, its greatest flaw as a game was the imbalance of power. Players had no mechanisms or weapons to counter the final boss.

Yet, since there were no restrictions on gameplay mechanics on this street, the path forward became clear.

She needed to find a way to rebuild the game’s mechanics, explore new playability, and provide casual players with powerful counterattack tools.

For now, Lu Yao wasn’t concerned about why Ghost Street existed or whether there were larger forces at play behind it.

According to the information left by the Dream Fulfillment System, it likely was no longer present on Ghost Street.

It warned Lu Yao not to use phones or the internet in the game, implying that this being could access information through communicators and networks. The internet was likely its channel for monitoring and spying on human actions.

The system also mentioned an exit. Perhaps only by finding this exit could one reach its true location.

Clearing the game might lead to the legendary exit. Even without a clear path to victory, continuing to develop her shop remained an essential means of gathering intelligence.

Pei Qi’s arrival in Lu Yao’s plans was unexpected. He seemed to know a bit of insider information, but his current favorability wasn’t high enough to make him divulge any secrets.

Earlier, during training, Lu Yao had deliberately observed the three volunteers. Pei Qi’s hands-on and social skills were somewhat lacking, but he had some utility, so she decided to keep him close and increase his favorability.

On her way back from the church, Lu Yao began organizing her thoughts. When she returned to the shop, she met Liu Jing and Cai Yuxing, successfully recruiting them. The operational strategy for the DIY workshop behind the shop would also require minor adjustments.

However, all of this had to be done step by step without rushing.

…

Pei Qi was at a loss for words.

He had been observing the young shopkeeper along the way, thinking it wouldn’t be difficult to take control of the conversation. Yet, not only had she already guessed the truth about Ghost Street, but she also didn’t seem the least bit shocked.

For a moment, he was at a loss, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

Lu Yao waited for a while, noticed that Pei Qi didn’t want to say anything more, and directly said, “If there’s nothing else, let’s leave it here for today.”

She was preoccupied with revising the shop’s business strategy and had little patience for playing guessing games with the new employee.

Pei Qi felt an inexplicable sense of defeat.

He had clearly thrown out the bait, yet she showed no curiosity at all.

Lu Yao had no intention of letting Pei Qi stay overnight at the shop. Before Ghost Street’s closing time, she sent him on his way.

There were inns on the street, so Pei Qi wouldn’t have to sleep outdoors.

Treating him no differently from others, Lu Yao gave him a Regulation Rod pendant.

Inspired by the semi-credential bestowed on her by the so-called god, Lu Yao had previously tried giving a fragment of the Regulation Rod to Ji Zhixin during the last battle against the evil god to act on her behalf. She could now use this skill with ease.

However, the Regulation Rod she gave to the new employee only functioned as a protective charm. In this ambiguous world that blurred the lines between reality and virtuality, it served as a real anchor—like a lighthouse—guiding them so they wouldn’t lose their way.

Pei Qi left in a daze.

…

Lu Yao closed the shop door, returned to the Mustard Seed Realm, and focused on revising the shop’s upcoming activity plans.

After finalizing the new strategy, she emerged from the realm, upgraded the equipment in the operations classroom, and only returned to the hot spring inn late at night to rest.

The next day at 7 a.m., Lu Yao arrived punctually at the DIY workshop, opened the shop door, and prepared for business.

To her surprise, a crowd of people was already gathered outside, startling her.

Mornings on Ghost Street were usually quiet. Even in the northern district, it was rare to see such a crowd so early.

As soon as the people at the door saw the DIY workshop finally open, they exclaimed excitedly.

“It’s open! This is the place!”

“Finally! I left home at six and waited for an hour.”

“Sign me up, boss! I want to register!”

Lu Yao was confused. The customers had come much earlier than expected, but she still stepped aside to let them in.

Outside the crowd, three shop employees and volunteers had also arrived and followed the customers inside.

Seeing Lu Yao looking a bit out of the loop, Liu Jing pulled her aside. “Yesterday, someone was selling desserts made here at the DIY workshop around the street. Cream cupcakes, Swiss rolls, fondant cakes, strawberry boxes… Those desserts tasted amazing and caught the attention of people in various districts. These customers were attracted by the desserts they bought.”

Lu Yao’s eyes widened slightly as she slowly processed Liu Jing’s words.

The DIY workshop had unexpectedly become a middleman. This was a development she had never anticipated.

Last night, Lu Yao had been contemplating ways to improve Ghost Street’s “game environment” without deviating from the shop’s business direction. This situation presented her with a brand-new idea.

…

After the shop officially opened, two more waves of customers arrived. Among them, she noticed Grandma Xu and Song Wen, who had made cupcakes the day before, the young man who decorated Swiss rolls with buttercream art, and the older man who specialized in fondant cakes.

These people greeted Lu Yao with cheerful smiles, rolling up their sleeves, seemingly more interested in stocking up than in crafting baked goods.

Lu Yao found it amusing and had Huang Qi and Pei Qi arrange for customer registrations. With the new employees, they could open two classrooms simultaneously and accommodate more customers.

For their first day on the job, Liu Jing and Cai Yuxing worked together, while Lu Yao had Gan Qing and Chen You stay by her side.

To prevent sudden incidents like the one from the previous day, Lu Yao released two shadow butterflies—one to monitor the front desk and Huang Qi, and another to patrol the hallway.

She also set up the flying live-streaming devices she had used during her snack shop days, placing them at the operation classrooms and restroom entrances, ensuring she could maintain full oversight of the shop’s activities.

The second day’s DIY activity also revolved around food, with the theme being Chinese breakfast.

Food had always been a timelessly popular topic in Lu Yao’s shopping street.

With so many food enthusiasts among both customers and staff, the head chefs had no choice but to rack their brains to innovate dishes and improve flavors.

When deciding on “Chinese breakfast” as the theme, Lu Yao consulted with the chefs of the snack shop, the pet cafe, and the hot spring inn. They finally selected steamed buns, stuffed pancakes, and small wontons as the examples for the Chinese breakfast DIY experience.

Soft, warm steamed buns, fragrant, golden-brown stuffed pancakes, and a bowl of light, flavorful small wontons—just imagining it was enough to make one drool.

Last night, Lu Yao worked overtime to install smart display screens at the customers’ workstations. These screens weren’t connected to the internet but contained preloaded instructional videos on data cards.

The DIY workshop’s instructional videos were produced by the shopping street staff. For food-related videos, the head chefs appeared on screen, while technical DIY activities in the future would feature non-human staff and Lu Yao herself. But that was a matter for another time.

Today’s activity was the most straightforward food-making experience. Customers watched the instructional videos, selected the dish they were interested in, registered with the instructor, and collected their ingredients.

Compared to the first day, the workload for the instructors decreased, while the customers enjoyed greater flexibility. The operations classroom was bustling with activity.

In less than an hour, the enticing aroma of freshly made food began to fill the room.

Steamed buns puffed up in bamboo steamers, releasing an alluring fragrance. Beef-filled pancakes, leek and egg pancakes, and purple sweet potato pancakes sizzled to a golden brown on both sides and were neatly placed on racks above frying pans to drain excess oil. In boiling water, small wontons, resembling goldfish with tails, swirled about, their edges gradually turning translucent. The distinctive aroma of freshly made noodles wafted through the air.

The lively chatter and excitement in the classroom transformed into a warm, smoky atmosphere, the scent curling out through the windows.

Even Gan Qing and Chen You, stationed at opposite ends of the classroom, were drawn in by the smells and couldn’t help swallowing hungrily.

Among the customers were some returning ones. One, after successfully making steamed buns for the first time, shared their creation with a neighboring customer, receiving unanimous praise. Excited by the response, they immediately approached Lu Yao to buy more ingredients, seemingly planning to start a steamed bun business.

Lu Yao pretended not to notice their hidden intentions and sold them the materials as usual.

The amount of ingredients was fixed, and there was a time limit for the experience. Even if customers wanted to stock up, a single session only allowed for a maximum use of five portions.

Song Wen approached Lu Yao again, asking to buy packaging boxes. “Boss, I need thirty boxes for small wontons, please.”

A first-time customer nearby, puzzled, asked, “You’re packing wontons to take away? Won’t they just turn into mush?”

Song Wen shook his head. “The boxes from the DIY workshop are a bit like storage bags. They can keep the food warm and fresh, so they won’t turn mushy.”

The customer was surprised. “Then why not just use a storage bag?”

“They don’t hold much,” Song Wen said with a wink. “Besides, it feels safer to carry DIY workshop items in hand.”

Storage bags were similar to inventory slots in typical online games.

Everyone on Ghost Street had their own storage bag, but their capacity was limited, and they couldn’t hold too many items.

Additionally, items stored in the Ghost Street-issued bags occasionally went missing. Experienced customers preferred to keep important belongings close rather than relying on the storage bags.

Lu Yao also had a personal storage bag that could only be opened on Ghost Street. However, since she had her own portable warehouse and Qiankun Bag, she had never used the Ghost Street-issued one.

Because everyone had a storage bag, when Liu Jing and the others first saw Lu Yao seemingly summon items out of thin air, they weren’t particularly surprised.

Hearing the conversation, Lu Yao handed thirty packaging boxes to Song Wen, recorded the transaction in her notebook, and casually handed him a card introducing hidden services. “If you’re interested, my shop can customize large-capacity storage bags.”

Song Wen glanced at the card, a glint flashing in his eyes. He then looked steadily at Lu Yao for a moment before silently taking the boxes and returning to his workstation.

After packing thirty boxes of wontons, Song Wen approached Lu Yao again and quietly asked, “Are the shop’s large-capacity storage bags confirmed to work on Ghost Street?”

Recalling the setup procedures for the inventory slots in the internet café’s holographic games, Lu Yao nodded. “Not difficult.”

Song Wen asked, “What’s the price? And when can I get one?”

Lu Yao said, “A six-slot storage bag. Each slot can hold up to 30 identical items. Customization fee: 880 Ghost Coins. Delivery in three days.”

Song Wen’s eyes lit up but quickly suppressed his excitement. “I’ll order one for now.”

During the DIY workshop’s trial period, Song Wen and his grandmother had visited the shop to try making fireworks. Now, with the shop officially open for two days, they had visited both days in a row, making them among the first to notice the shop’s unique qualities.

However, the idea of a storage bag independent of Ghost Street’s system still seemed unbelievable to Song Wen. For now, he placed the order with a mindset of giving it a try.

After placing the hidden-service order, he kept quiet, returned to the workstation, and grabbed a few bowls of wontons to exchange with nearby customers for buns and stuffed pancakes.

The customers gathered around the table, eating the breakfasts they had made with their own hands, chatting occasionally. The cozy classroom buzzed with more life than the street outside.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the session. Satisfied with their meals, the customers got up, carrying stacks of food boxes as they left the classroom.

The DIY workshop prioritized the experience itself, so Lu Yao didn’t schedule the sessions too tightly. There was one class each in the morning, afternoon, and evening, which felt just right.

The afternoon session began at 1:30 p.m. Customers registered at the front desk but were free to roam until the class began, avoiding the frustration of waiting around too long.

Lu Yao had Gan Qing and Chen You clean the classroom while she took Liu Jing and Cai Yuxing to the storeroom to prepare materials for the next session.

The consumption of materials was slightly higher than Lu Yao had expected. However, with the shop newly opened, having business was a good sign. The storeroom still had plenty of stock, so there was no immediate need to worry.

…

Ghost Street, South District.

Song Wen and his grandmother, carrying two stacks of wontons, buns, and stuffed pancakes, got off a cart. The wontons were made by his grandmother, while the buns and pancakes had been exchanged in the classroom.

One bowl of wontons could be traded for three buns or three pancakes.

Song Wen had traded for 18 buns and 18 pancakes. After keeping enough for himself and his grandmother, he planned to sell the rest.

The two walked to the corner where cupcakes had been sold the day before. Setting up their goods, they began to shout:

“Freshly steamed fluffy meat buns, sweet red bean buns, crispy, generously filled pancakes, piping hot fresh meat wontons, and special anti-mutation food! Just 99 Ghost Coins each! Limited quantity—once sold out, we’re gone!”

Anti-mutation?

What kind of absurd joke was this?

Passersby only felt that the atmosphere on this street was becoming increasingly sinister. Scammers were even coming up with tricks like this.

Song Wen paid no mind to the onlookers’ skepticism. He broke a red bean bun in half, handed one piece to his grandmother, and the two sat on the roadside, nibbling on their buns and chatting casually.

In reality, they had already eaten their fill at the DIY workshop. This was merely a strategy to attract buyers.

The food from the DIY workshop didn’t have the exaggerated, overpowering aromas of Ghost Street’s snacks, nor did it boast any magical allure. It looked ordinary at best. Yet, before Song Wen and his grandmother had been sitting for long, everything they’d brought to sell was gone.

Just as they were packing up, Fang Cong came out of the South District Management Office building. Noticing Chen Huisheng holding two bags, he frowned slightly and asked, “What’s this?”

Chen Huisheng chuckled awkwardly. “I just saw this grandmother and grandson duo selling wontons, buns, and pancakes by the roadside. They smelled great, so I bought two portions.”

He didn’t dare mention the “anti-mutation” slogan from their advertising.

After Liu Jing left the North District Management Office, Chen Huisheng began partnering with Fang Cong for fieldwork.

Earlier, while waiting by the roadside for Fang Cong to come down, he had been feeling a bit dazed. Hearing the loud calls from the street corner suddenly jolted him awake.

Startled and uneasy, when he heard the words “anti-mutation,” he immediately went over and bought two portions.

He didn’t really believe the food could prevent mutation, but since it was mealtime, he figured he might as well get something to eat.

Fang Cong seemed in a bad mood and didn’t say much. Taking the paper bag, he found a shady spot to sit down. “Let’s eat before heading back.”

Chen Huisheng sat down as well and casually asked, “Did the discussion not go well?”

“Yeah…” Fang Cong, finding the wontons too hot to handle, placed them by his feet and picked up a bun. He took a bite, his tone suddenly stretching as his gaze fixed on one spot, his eyes barely moving.

Chen Huisheng turned his head to look, startled. “Fang Cong?”

Fang Cong bit into the bun fiercely, then grabbed a pancake and stuffed it into his mouth. After a few chews, he turned abruptly, grabbed Chen Huisheng by the arm, and demanded, “Where did you say you bought this food?”

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