Ch 155: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Lu Yao smiled. “There have been some changes, but they’re not obvious from the outside.”

Fu Chi nodded. “True enough. It’s a rare visit—once the work is done, I’ll take some time to look around properly.”

The two assistants stood outside the Hot Spring Inn, not daring to enter.

When Director Fu had suddenly asked for plane tickets earlier that afternoon, they had been baffled, assuming something urgent had happened with his family. However, after landing, he simply called home to report his trip and even said he wouldn’t be back for dinner. Instead, he returned to his company to gather equipment.

Late that night, he informed them to prepare to head out. As they drove, the roads became increasingly remote, eventually leading to the outskirts and onto this street.

In a desolate mountain valley, there was a commercial street. From the main road, it seemed deserted, but once they entered, they noticed streetlights on both sides and even people inside the shops.

Judging by Director Fu’s familiarity with the shop owner, it was clear they knew each other well.

Since it was late, most shops were closed except for the unusual cinema and Internet café.

The Hot Spring Inn had staff on duty, but most of the guests were in their rooms at this hour. From the assistants’ perspective, the inn’s whimsical decor was the most they could observe. They had no idea about the Thumbelina-sized staff or the hot spring inside.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Fu Chi, Lu Yao walked past him toward the door. “Let’s go. Let’s shoot the ad first.”

Fu Chi followed. “Which shop are we filming in?”

Lu Yao replied, “This product is a bit special. Let’s shoot at the Internet café.”

Fu Chi laughed. “Since when has any of your shop’s products not been special?”

Lu Yao smirked. “You’ve got a point there, Director Fu. But be prepared—our Internet café is basically a zoo.”

Fu Chi chuckled. “I caught a glimpse at the plaza—Panda An’an, Jiao Niang, Little Tankang. I’ve been wanting to meet them for a while. Oh, by the way, I brought some things for the little ones.”

Lu Yao said, “Let me carry it all at once. It’s a hassle to keep moving things back and forth.”

Inside the white van, several large black cases were stacked—equipment for filming, props for staging, lighting boards, and other professional tools.

In one corner, there was a stack of colorful boxes that completely clashed with the high-end equipment: Barbie dolls, toy race cars, food toys for kids, and an entire box of blind boxes.

Lu Yao glanced at them. “…This is pretty extravagant.”

She didn’t dare tell Fu Chi that these plastic toys probably wouldn’t last a minute in the hands of the Internet café’s cubs.

The two assistants, trailing behind, couldn’t follow the conversation between Fu Chi and Lu Yao. They moved forward to help carry things, only to see the equipment cases and toys vanish one by one into thin air as Lu Yao picked them up.

The first assistant froze in place, blinking hard.

The second assistant paused briefly, then rubbed his eyes furiously, thinking he was hallucinating.

Lu Yao turned and asked Fu Chi, “Didn’t they sign confidentiality agreements?”

Fu Chi replied, “They did. I didn’t explain the shop fully—too much trouble. They’ll understand after this visit.”

Assistant 1 & Assistant 2: “…”

We’re freaking out here, Director Fu. Say something!

Lu Yao noticed their bewilderment and reassured them, “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

When they reached the Internet café, Lu Yao gave another reminder. “The customers here have… unique personalities. Don’t be scared. Just think of it as visiting a cosplay convention.”

The assistants: “…”

…

The lobby was packed. Cultivators in robes, demons with partial beast features, bold and boisterous devils, quiet and reserved ghosts—all sat among the quirky patrons. Occasionally, a few modestly dressed individuals stood out—they were mortals.

After the Celestial-Demon Conference ended, the Interdimensional Internet Café gained immense fame across the Floating World Continent, becoming a renowned destination in all six realms. Even immortals came, drawn by its reputation.

This month, Cheng Ye was on the night shift. When he saw Lu Yao arrive, he immediately stood up to greet her.

The little ones, playing in the lounge, had sharp ears. Upon hearing voices, they all ran out.

Xiong An’an was at the forefront, rolling over to Lu Yao’s feet. Hugging her leg, he looked up and said, “Lu Yao, play hide-and-seek with us!”

Xiong An’an knew that the Internet Café staff preferred his beast form, so he never bothered to transform back while at the shop.

Thus, Fu Chi and his two assistants were greeted by the sight of a juvenile panda tumbling out from behind the counter, rolling to Lu Yao’s feet, sitting up, and hugging her leg while speaking like a human.

Pointing to Xiong An’an, Fu Chi explained to his assistants, “That panda clinging to the boss and acting spoiled is a spirit beast. The little piglet behind it is Lucky Tankang. The girl in the flashy outfit is Qiuyu, a dragon. And the chubby, doll-like girl standing next to Qiuyu is a thousand-year-old ginseng demon.”

Assistant 1 and Assistant 2 stepped back helplessly, unable to make sense of anything their boss was saying.

Lu Yao retrieved the gifts Fu Chi had prepared from her portable storage and distributed them to the little ones. She said, “These are gifts from Uncle Fu Chi. What do you say when you receive gifts?”

“Thank you, Uncle Fu Chi,” the cubs chorused, already well-practiced in this routine.

Fu Chi crouched down with a smile, shook hands with the little ones, and couldn’t resist ruffling Xiong An’an’s fluffy ears.

The young assistants were already numb to the absurdity.

After exchanging a few words with the cubs, Lu Yao led the three upstairs.

The third floor of the Internet Café had been idle since the Celestial-Demon Conference, providing a spacious and quiet environment suitable for showcasing the Ghost Bracelet’s features. Lu Yao planned to shoot the advertisement there.

While Lu Yao demonstrated the bracelet’s functionality to Fu Chi, the assistants stopped trying to process anything and robotically followed orders, moving equipment and setting up the shoot.

The advertisement took over four hours to film. Since Fu Chi needed to coordinate post-production edits with the team, he didn’t leave afterward. With vacant guest rooms available at the Hot Spring Inn, Lu Yao arranged for him and the assistants to rest there.

By the time they left the Internet Café, it was past 5 a.m., nearing 6 a.m.

The Hot Spring Inn was quiet and empty. Fu Chi took the opportunity to relax with his assistants in the hot springs, casually explaining the situation of shopping street as they soaked.

Had Fu Chi mentioned these things earlier, the assistants would have thought he was joking. But after spending several hours working at the Internet Café, their worldview had been overturned countless times.

At this point, if Fu Chi claimed to be Qin Shi Huang (First Emperor of Qin Dynasty), they’d probably send him a ¥50 red packet on their phones without hesitation.

After the bath, they felt completely refreshed.

As they were about to leave the hot spring room, Assistant 1 asked, “What kind of world is this shop connected to? The décor feels so whimsical.”

Fu Chi, finding it too troublesome to explain, opened the shopping street app on his phone and pulled up the Hot Spring Inn’s information. He showed the display to his assistants.

On the platform near the window, Thumbelina-sized people bustled about, making it look like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

Assistant 1 asked, “So, they live in those tiny houses on the windowsill?”

Assistant 2 peeked out the door and quickly pulled back. “I don’t see anything. I don’t believe it.”

Fu Chi replied, “It’s too early. The guests are still resting.”

He prepared to head upstairs.

The two assistants stood frozen at the foot of the stairs.

Fu Chi prompted, “The rooms are on the second floor.”

Assistant 1 glanced at his phone. It was 6:07 a.m.

Assistant 2 hesitated before asking, “Boss, can we have breakfast here?”

Though they spoke of breakfast, their eyes were glued to the miniature buildings on the windowsill, unable to look away.

Fu Chi: “Ask the staff.”

Ji Qingyan stepped out of the duty room and saw the two young assistants sitting by the windowsill, eagerly whispering about something. She walked over and greeted them.

Assistant 2 cautiously asked Ji Qingyan, “Do people really live in these tiny houses?”

Ji Qingyan was used to such questions; first-time visitors to the Hot Spring Inn always asked.

Before she could answer, a palm-sized red toy car drove over from the direction of the kitchen and stopped at the door of a green brick house. A tiny figure, wearing a floral-patterned kerchief, climbed out of the passenger seat, rubbing her eyes. It was Yuanwei, who greeted Ji Qingyan groggily, “Morning, Yan Yan.”

Assistant 1 and Assistant 2 held their breath, their hearts pounding. They wanted to speak but were afraid of scaring the tiny figure.

Yuanwei looked up and saw the two young humans. Without much reaction, she greeted them casually, “Morning.”

Assistant 1 covered his face, nearly moved to tears. “She greeted me.”

“Good morning to you, too,” Assistant 2 replied to Yuanwei, then turned to Assistant 1, whispering, “She’s so cute.”

Yuanwei turned around and couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

These humans are so overly excited. Every time they act like they’ve never seen a tiny person before.

…

Fu Chi stayed at the Hot Spring Inn for two days, working closely with the post-production team to refine the advertisement until it met his standards.

Although the filming was complete and the assistants could return to the company, the two of them didn’t want to leave. They secretly pleaded with Fu Chi and ended up staying two more days in shopping street.

During their stay, they explored every shop open to regular humans on the street. When they were exhausted and returning to the inn, they ran into Xiao Zhong and Mei Xue, who were heading home after their shifts. After confirming their identities, the assistants excitedly asked for autographs.

…

Two days later

In the thirteenth shop of Ghost Street’s North District—Lu Yao’s Creative DIY Workshop—three automated pickup machines were installed in the lobby.

Regular customers who frequented the DIY Workshop had gradually learned about the Ghost Bracelets from others. Many inquired at the front desk, and several placed orders.

To avoid disrupting customers participating in experiential activities, Lu Yao had installed the machines in the lobby.

Customers could scan the receipt of their deposit payment on the machine, pay the balance, and retrieve their Ghost Bracelet with the corresponding number.

At the same time, in the busiest markets of the North, South, East, and West Districts of Ghost Street, a new floating digital screen had appeared, playing a looping short film:

Dark clouds loomed heavy, the somber sky merging with the deep sea. Amid thunder and lightning, a massive red tentacle with countless suction cups burst from the ocean’s surface, effortlessly crushing a fishing boat drifting in the storm.

Sea monsters dwelling near the strait had destroyed countless fishing boats, leaving coastal fishing villages devastated and without means to survive.

As villagers prepared to pack their belongings and find a new place to live, a fisherman stumbled upon a square silver box.

Inside was a silver bracelet and an unusual instruction manual. Overjoyed, the fisherman brought the bracelet to his companions.

However, his companions didn’t believe in the bracelet’s power and began packing their belongings to leave.

The small fishing village, impoverished and desolate as it was, held the fisherman’s memories of the sea and sky since birth. This was his home, now invaded and destroyed by a monster.

Unwilling to abandon it, the fisherman used the bracelet to craft an unbreakable fishing rod and a large, intricate fishing net. He then set out alone in a small boat.

When he reached the familiar strait, he put down the oars and retrieved the fishing rod and net from the bracelet.

The hook had no bait, but the ocean began to churn, and dark tides swirled.

Before long, a massive red tentacle silently emerged from the surface.

The fisherman grabbed the fishing net by his feet and threw it out. The several-meter-wide net sank into the water and, like dried seaweed meeting water, began to expand. It grew larger and larger, wrapping around two of the sea monster’s enormous tentacles.

The sea monster furiously thrashed its tentacles, causing waves to surge. The small fishing boat bobbed up and down like a leaf, tossed about by the chaos.

The fisherman, with one foot anchoring the net, pulled out a suction-mounted propeller from the bracelet. Struggling, he crawled to the stern and affixed the propeller to the boat’s keel.

The propeller whirred to life, propelling the small boat forward against the waves. Amazingly, it dragged the two massive tentacles behind it as it sped toward the shore.

…

Ending Scene

Both the fisherman and the sea monster lay collapsed on the beach. The colossal black-and-red monster lay limp, its enormous tentacles sunk into the sand. Its bulging, terrifying eyes were wide open, pupils dilated, as thick mucus seeped from its skin—it looked as if it were crying.

The ocean, just inches away, now seemed an unreachable chasm.

It could never return.

The fisherman, sprawled on the sand like a dying fish, panted heavily. Yet his eyes gleamed sharp and bright, and he even managed a faint, mocking smile at the weakening sea monster.

“Welcome to the human world!” he said.

In the sea, the fisherman couldn’t kill the sea monster. So he dragged it onto land.

He didn’t need to do anything more; the monster would dry out and perish.

The fisherman raised his thin, blackened arm, and the silver bracelet glinted like a sharp blade, drawing everyone’s attention.

A sharp, rousing voiceover boomed:

“Ghost Bracelet: Unlock the ultimate realm of human spirit and courage! If you can imagine it, anything is possible! Now available for just 660,000 Ghost Coins. Purchase it at Ghost Street, North District, Store No. 13—Lu Yao’s Creative DIY Workshop!”

Ren You’s patrol team happened to pass by and watched the entire ad. They all had the same thought:

“Holy crap! The price doubled!”

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