Ch 148: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Fang Cong was usually more reserved and rarely showed such outward emotions.

Chen Huisheng was a little surprised and answered honestly, “At the intersection over there, a grandma and her grandson were selling a few snacks in small quantities. By the time I bought some, they were packing up. Do you think there’s something wrong with the food?”

Fang Cong devoured the steamed bun in a few bites and picked up a meat-filled pastry, taking a bite while shaking his head repeatedly. “You bought it without tasting it first?”

Chen Huisheng shook his head. “They all taste more or less the same. What difference does it make?”

Caught off guard, Fang Cong was astonished by the near-perfect taste and texture of the food, so close to real ingredients. His mind blanked for a moment before he composed himself and gestured with his chin. “Try it yourself.”

Chen Huisheng picked up a steamed bun and took a bite. The soft dough and juicy filling burst with flavor, far surpassing the street snacks sold in the northern district.

His eyes widened, and he slightly tilted his chin toward Fang Cong, finishing the meat bun in two big bites. Regretfully, he said, “If I’d known, I would’ve bought more. This is hardly enough.”

Fang Cong nibbled on the sweet potato pastry in his hands, the mild sweetness spreading across his tongue, soothing his inexplicably unsettled mood. His gaze drifted toward the empty street. “What do you think?”

Chen Huisheng opened a container, scooping up a wonton with a small spoon. The translucent wrapper encased a tender pink filling, accented by flecks of green scallion. He took a bite; the texture was soft yet slightly chewy.

The seasoning was mild, but the soup had a hint of pepper that made him sweat after just a few bites.

Wiping the sweat off his nose, Chen Huisheng finally spoke. “This kind of food definitely isn’t something a shop in the southern district could pull off. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s tied to one place.”

Fang Cong frowned slightly. “You mean that new shop on our street?”

Chen Huisheng nodded. “Shop 13 on the northern street. We’re free today. Want to check it out?”

Shop 13 on Northern Street, Luo Yao’s Creative DIY Workshop.

It was a shop that looked unremarkable at first glance but had recently become a hot topic among locals.

It started with an unexpected fireworks display early one morning, heard across every corner of Ghost Street. That morning, a giant sperm whale “biting” into a colossal giant squid left an unforgettable impression on the residents.

After the fireworks festival, the cleverly designed jellyfish parachute ads caught everyone’s attention.

Drawn by the advertisements, many customers visited the DIY Workshop to see what the fuss was about.

The steamed bun Chen Huisheng just ate immediately reminded him of the snacks he had tasted at the DIY Workshop—equally authentic and delicious.

Fang Cong finished the sweet potato pastry and picked up the small wonton container from the ground. He opened the lid and ate silently.

The small bowl held twelve wontons, and Fang Cong felt like he finished them in just a few bites.

He raised the bowl, drank the remaining soup, wiped his mouth, and stood up. “Let’s go. We’ll check out that shop.”

…

The shop was even busier in the afternoon than it had been in the morning. Customers registered, collected their numbers, and sat in the lobby, unwilling to leave.

After discussing with three volunteers, Luo Yao decided to open Classroom 3 for operations.

The registration desk was handed over to Huang Qi, while Pei Qi assisted Liu Jing and Xiao Cai in supervising two classrooms. Luo Yao continued leading Gan Qing and Chen You in guiding customers in Classroom 1.

With all three classrooms running simultaneously, they barely managed to accommodate all the customers.

Inside the classrooms, customers followed video tutorials to prepare their food, with the clatter of pots and pans filling the air.

Standing at the demonstration station, Luo Yao observed the busy customers, occasionally glancing at Gan Qing and Chen You, who stood in opposite corners of the classroom.

The three staff members assigned from the committee building were becoming increasingly redundant thanks to the capable volunteers. However, due to their hidden dangers, they occasionally distracted Luo Yao, adding to her workload.

Gan Qing and Chen You were competent enough, but keeping them around as bodyguards felt like a waste of their abilities.

Luo Yao considered the arrangement for Chen You and Gan Qing, mulling over the idea of adding two more operation classrooms across the hallway.

After observing for two days, she noted that most of the customers were adults, with the youngest being around fifteen. Their ability to self-manage meant constant supervision wasn’t necessary.

Most customers used the smart displays at the workstations to follow tutorials, fully immersing themselves in the DIY experience.

Luo Yao envisioned creating two additional flexible classrooms with uniform workstations, where customers with different interests could freely DIY. Fees would be based on material consumption and time spent.

Ideas flowed through her mind as she grabbed a pen and notebook, sketching out blueprints for the new classrooms.

In the current operation classroom, steamed buns were in the steamer, meat pies sizzled on the griddle, and wontons boiled in rolling water, filling the air with a medley of appetizing aromas.

From her corner, Chen You suddenly turned her head, eyes fixed on a workstation in the first row where a customer was making buns. Her fingers twitched slightly, curling unconsciously.

Luo Yao glanced up and noticed Chen You’s unusual expression. She got up and walked over, patting her on the shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Chen You snapped out of her daze, looking blankly at Luo Yao before shaking her head nervously. “Nothing.”

Luo Yao studied her for a moment and, seeing no signs of anything serious, concluded she had just been distracted.

Meanwhile, Gan Qing stood near the rear door of the classroom, his gaze steady yet occasionally lost in thought as he stared into space.

After observing him briefly, Luo Yao returned to her drawings.

At 5:30 PM, the bell signaling the end of the activity rang.

In Classroom 1, two customers were still making buns. Some customers had left earlier after completing their projects, while others stayed behind, either eager to try everything and attempting multiple tutorials, or piling on materials for a single snack, cooking large quantities to take home.

Luo Yao waited until the last two customers packed up their takeout boxes and left before standing up. She left the cleaning to Gan Qing and Chen You.

According to the schedule, there was still an evening activity at 6:30 PM, running until 10:30 PM.

The workshop operated three activity sessions per day: 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, and 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM. This perfectly aligned with Ghost Street’s business hours.

However, Luo Yao calculated that the shop was open from 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM—a grueling 15.5-hour workday. Such a long operating schedule required reorganizing staff shifts into at least two rotations.

She also planned to upgrade the two new classrooms and considered canceling the evening activity for the time being.

As customers left, the staff stayed behind to clean up and prepare materials for the next day’s activities.

Usually, staff meals were eaten in the shop, but since the day’s activities were food-related, most of the instructors had snacked throughout the sessions and weren’t hungry by dinner time. Only Huang Qi, seated at the front desk, was enthusiastically devouring a staff meal.

With the large morning crowd, staff and volunteers barely had time to interact before diving into their tasks. Aside from Huang Qi and Pei Qi working together for a few hours in the morning, Liu Jing and Cai Yuxing kept their distance from the full-time staff.

While Gan Qing and Chen You cleaned the operation classrooms, Liu Jing and Xiao Cai moved materials from the storage room to the lobby. They sat around a round table, repackaging the supplies.

Luo Yao sat at another table with pen and paper, deliberating over the custom storage bag program requested by a customer.

Since receiving a notification from the Dream Fulfillment System the previous day, Luo Yao had stored all networked electronics like her phone and tablet in her personal warehouse. She rarely used them in the DIY Workshop.

The smart displays in the operation classrooms weren’t connected to the street’s network either. Instead, video tutorials were preloaded via data cards.

To implement a control system on Ghost Street customers independent of the street’s network, an entirely separate system was necessary.

Luo Yao was brainstorming a device to host the new system she envisioned. Starting with the functions of the storage bags, the device would ideally cover all basic needs for activities on Ghost Street.

Meanwhile, Fang Cong and Chen Huisheng got off a vehicle at the northern district intersection. After navigating through the dense crowd for twenty minutes, they finally reached the entrance of the DIY Workshop, only to find a sign reading “Closed.”

Chen Huisheng sighed in disappointment, his face falling. “Why are they closed so early?”

Fang Cong peeked inside and, mildly surprised, stepped through the door.

Inside, most people were either resting or busy with tasks, except for Pei Qi, who seemed idle. Noticing them, Pei Qi immediately said, “Sorry, we’re closed for the day.”

Fang Cong nodded slightly and pointed toward Liu Jing. “We’re acquaintances.”

Chen Huisheng followed behind, surprised to see Liu Jing as well. “What are you doing here?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Liu Jing looked up at her two former colleagues and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. “I’m volunteering here.”

“Volunteering?” Chen Huisheng didn’t understand.

Liu Jing briefly explained the concept of “volunteering.”

Chen Huisheng’s eyes widened. “You can do that?”

Liu Jing calmly nodded. “Why are you here today?”

As he processed the news, Chen Huisheng replied slowly, “Nothing major. Fang Cong and I came across some street snacks in the southern district that tasted just like the ones from this workshop. We were passing by and thought we’d check it out.”

Luo Yao looked up. “What were they selling?”

“Steamed buns, meat pies, and wontons,” Chen Huisheng answered.

“That’s probably one of our customers,” Luo Yao said. “They likely made too much during an activity and couldn’t finish it, so they sold the extras.”

Remembering the flavors from lunch, Chen Huisheng felt his mouth water again. “Do you have any left for tonight?”

Luo Yao shook her head. “Some customers took a lot to go in the afternoon. Maybe someone’s selling them on the street.”

Fang Cong, having said only one sentence upon entering, had been quietly observing the shop’s layout. Losing interest, he seemed ready to head back to the street management office.

Noticing this, Chen Huisheng leaned in close to Luo Yao and whispered, “I heard the food here can prevent mutation. Is that true?”

Luo Yao looked up in surprise. “Who told you that?”

“Isn’t it true?” Chen Huisheng pressed.

Luo Yao shook her head firmly. “How could food prevent mutation? Did someone fool you?”

Reluctantly, Chen Huisheng scratched his head and recounted what he had seen in the southern district. Luo Yao was speechless.

The people on this street were quick thinkers—already spreading false advertising.

Food from the DIY Workshop tasted better than what was sold elsewhere simply because it was made with real, tangible ingredients.

However, Ghost Street was different from an ordinary snack street. Real food in this world only provided an authentic culinary experience, with no additional effects, let alone the ability to prevent one from getting lost.

Chen Huisheng wasn’t convinced. He recalled the brief moment of clarity and energy he felt after eating the steamed bun earlier that day, despite being utterly exhausted before.

“It’s just the food replenishing your energy and restoring your mental state,” Luo Yao explained.

Chen Huisheng seemed unwilling to accept this.

Only now did Fang Cong learn about the lunch-related claims. His expression turned slightly cold. These people were still so naïve, always clinging to the hope that there was a way to escape “him” or leave Ghost Street.

Liu Jing, reflecting on past events in the shop, raised a question. “If the food doesn’t prevent mutation, then how do you explain what happened to Jiang Lin, Du Xiao, and me?”

Startled, Chen Huisheng turned to Liu Jing. “Du Xiao came to the shop too?”

“She was brought here by people from the church yesterday,” Liu Jing confirmed.

“How’s she doing now?” Chen Huisheng asked.

“She regained consciousness this afternoon and returned to the church,” Liu Jing said with a nod.

Chen Huisheng turned his sharp gaze toward Luo Yao. Even Fang Cong, usually calm, seemed surprised, glancing sideways at Luo Yao.

At that moment, a familiar engine roared in the distance, growing louder as it approached before suddenly cutting off right outside the door.

A short while later, Ren You, dressed in a security officer’s uniform, entered with two unfamiliar young security guards in tow. Without acknowledging anyone else, Ren You headed straight toward Luo Yao.

Luo Yao asked, “Brother Xu isn’t with you today?”

Ren You’s face was grim. “Brother Xu hasn’t woken up yet—he’s still in the medical room.”

Yesterday, Xu Zhengrong had been dragged into the Quiet Chamber. Although he wasn’t used as a vessel for divine descent, his mind seemed to have suffered severe trauma. He had remained unconscious in the medical room for over a day and a night.

With a sigh, Ren You, visibly weary, said, “Brother Xu might have to step down. From now on, I’ll be in charge of the northern district patrols. I’d like to order a few knives like the one Brother Xu used yesterday.”

“Knives?” Luo Yao asked.

Ren You pulled a small silver knife from his storage bag, its blade half-corroded and covered in mottled rust. “I didn’t see it myself, but the senior security staff said Brother Xu used this knife yesterday to sever a mutated entity’s limb, buying us a few seconds. Even though it became like this after just one use, it’s still better than being unarmed and helpless.”

The knife’s handle bore a circular engraving, with the character “Yao” etched inside it.

This knife was one of Luo Yao’s earlier practice creations, crafted from leftover materials from the Alexander Continent. It had no special properties and was something she made casually and left at the front desk.

When Xu Zhengrong saw it, he was enamored, and Luo Yao had given it to him as a gift.

Taking the damaged knife from Ren You, Luo Yao poured out a dozen of her old practice weapons from her personal warehouse. “These are all things I made for practice. If you don’t mind their quality, pick a few to take with you.”

Ren You, surprised at the ease of this transaction, didn’t bother picking. He grabbed the entire batch and began loading them into his storage bag. “I’ll take all of them. How much?”

Luo Yao shook her head. “Forget it.”

These were crude practice pieces with no significant design or strength. Luo Yao didn’t feel right charging for them.

One of the young security guards behind Ren You couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Ren, are these knives even usable?”

Tools like kitchen knives, chainsaws, and electric drills sold at Ghost Street’s hardware stores were ineffective against “him” and his followers.

Ren You couldn’t be certain. Shop 13 in the northern district was a mystery in itself. However, with the Quiet Chamber destroyed, the church in disarray, and the security forces stretched thin, they had to find ways to protect themselves.

Luo Yao seemed to ponder this and pulled a card from her pocket, handing it to Ren You. It was a flyer introducing the shop’s hidden customization services. “Take this batch back and use them for now. If you need more next time, they’ll have to be custom-made—and won’t be free.”

Reluctant to take them for free, Ren You insisted on paying 30 ghost coins per knife and left with the lot.

No sooner had Ren You’s group exited than Chen Huisheng sidled up to Luo Yao. “Boss, do you have more knives? I want to buy one too.”

Even Fang Cong quietly approached and said in a cold tone, “I’ll take one as well.”

Chen Huisheng and Fang Cong each purchased a knife, and the three volunteers couldn’t resist following suit, each buying one for themselves.

After getting their knives, Chen Huisheng and Fang Cong left without addressing the reason they came in the first place.

Meanwhile, the materials moved to the lobby were sorted, portioned, and sent to the operation classrooms, ready for use the next day.

Earlier in the day, Liu Jing and Xiao Cai had avoided even making eye contact with Gan Qing and Chen You.

Now, armed with weapons, they seemed to have gained a sudden surge of confidence, pushing their cart of materials down the hallway without even asking the shop owner for help.

A minute later, Liu Jing and Xiao Cai came running back, their expressions strange.

Luo Yao asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Cai pointed toward the hallway. “They’ve gone completely wild in there.”

Liu Jing nodded with a look of exasperation. “Absolutely crazy.”

Putting down her pen, Luo Yao stood up and headed toward the operation classroom.

Laughter echoed from Classroom 1, accompanied by the unpleasant smell of something burnt wafting down the hallway.

Luo Yao pushed open the door.

There stood Chen You at a workstation near the door, wielding a rolling pin as she pounded dough on the counter. Her face and hair were dusted white with flour, yet she laughed wildly, completely unrestrained.

Across from her, Gan Qing sat guarding a steamer that was charred black, holding a partially burnt bun in his hand, struggling to take a bite.

Luo Yao turned off the electricity in Classroom 1 before stepping in to stop Gan Qing and Chen You.

Meanwhile, Liu Jing and Xiao Cai peered through the doorway, too scared to go inside.

Leading the pair out of the classroom, Luo Yao sighed and explained, “They seem to have developed a sense of autonomy, likely influenced by the customers.”

Liu Jing and Xiao Cai blinked, clearly not understanding.

Luo Yao continued, “You’ve always thought it was the food here that helped restore lost customers’ consciousness, but that’s just the surface. The DIY activities are, in essence, an extremely subtle imitation of human behavior. By engaging in these small acts of creation, people can experience a sense of accomplishment, which in turn stimulates their consciousness, allowing them to perceive their surroundings with fresh perspectives and ideas.”

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