Ch 179: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Lu Yao instantly recognized the elderly woman as the one who had been peeking at her through the door earlier. Life truly had a way of taking unexpected turns.

That said, Lu Yao’s courier shop primarily handled deliveries, pickups, and item transfers. Given the situation in Gaosheng City, they could accommodate transporting large goods or even people, but such services came at an additional cost. Searching for missing persons, however, was outside the shop’s usual scope—it was bordering on specialized rescue work rather than running a business.

Seeing the tears welling up in the elderly woman’s eyes, Lu Yao hesitated for a moment before gently suggesting, “Grandma, do you know where your grandson went? If you have a specific location, we can pick him up for you. But if you don’t know where he is, there’s not much we can do.”

Cao Xiuhong’s husband, who had been resting in the bedroom, overheard the conversation outside and thought their grandson had returned. He got up and walked out, only to see a stranger in their home. Startled, he asked, “Who’s this?”

Cao Xiuhong pointed to Lu Yao and said, “She’s a courier. I want to hire her to find Xiaopeng.”

Lu Yao took out a flyer from her bag, handed it to the elderly man, and introduced herself: “Hello, I’m a courier from our shop just outside the neighborhood. We specialize in delivery and errand services. If you want your grandson brought back, as long as there’s a specific address, we can consider it a courier task.”

The old man, tall and thin, with skin clinging tightly to his bones, looked much older than Cao Xiuhong. He scrutinized Lu Yao for a moment, then shakily took the flyer. Pulling out his reading glasses from the sofa, he bent his head and studied it for a long time before asking, “You only take gold as payment?”

Lu Yao nodded with a cheerful smile. “That’s right. We only accept gold as compensation.”

The old man pressed the flyer against the sofa and gave his wife a meaningful look, motioning for her to go inside.

Cao Xiuhong ignored him, sliding off a thick gold bracelet from her wrist—about as wide as Lu Yao’s pinky finger—and thrust it into Lu Yao’s hand. “As long as you can find my grandson, this bracelet is yours. If it’s not enough, we have other jewelry at home, all bought before the incident. What use are they now? You can’t eat them, you can’t use them.”

Lu Yao was secretly astonished. The reputation of the Golden Kingdom for its wealth was well-deserved.

In several other worlds, such as Alexander Continent, Great Wu Dynasty, and the Human Realm of the Floating World, customers often used gold coins or ingots as currency. However, due to impurities and other reasons, much of the gold didn’t meet the pure 999 standard Lu Yao was familiar with.

Modern gold jewelry, especially the kind owned by someone like this elderly woman, was generally certified and highly pure.

Lu Yao didn’t immediately accept the bracelet. Instead, she pulled a business card from her bag and handed it over. “This is a courier card. You need to write the client’s name and the address you want the courier to visit on the back. Without a specific address, our couriers can’t take the order.”

The blue-bordered card bore the name “Lu Yao’s Courier Shop” on the front, along with two lines of small text outlining the shop’s main services.

The back of the card featured sections for filling in the client’s name, item details, pickup address, and delivery address. At the bottom, there were instructions on how to use the card for placing orders.

The two elderly people studied the card together for a while. Cao Xiuhong’s face clouded with worry. “But we don’t know where Xiaopeng went. He left with Liu from the Jin family.”

Lu Yao suggested, “Why not ask other relatives? Someone might know.”

The old man waved toward the door. “Go ask Jin Hua.”

With a sigh, Cao Xiuhong opened the door and went out.

Moments later, she returned, followed by two others.

The tall woman in a floral shirt—Jin Hua—spotted Lu Yao and immediately accused, “You look young and capable, yet you’ve got no conscience, trying to scam elderly people!”

Lu Yao stood up, ready to explain, but the elderly man beside her spoke first. “Jin Hua, you must know the location of that warehouse where Old Liu and the others went. Please, just tell us. We don’t ask for much, only for Xiaopeng to come back safely.”

Jin Hua, unable to hold back, raised her voice. “Grandpa, this isn’t about saving Xiaopeng! She’s just a con artist. She’s here to scam desperate people like you. In times like these, where are you going to find someone with a good heart?”

Lu Yao interrupted calmly. “I’m not a con artist. My shop is just downstairs. You can see it from here—the one with the flower baskets out front.”

The younger woman who had come with Jin Hua immediately walked to the window, pulled back the curtain, and glanced downstairs. After a moment, she turned back and said, “There really are flower baskets. Hey, aren’t you the one who fought with Li San and his gang in the street the other night?”

Li San was a local thug who had gathered a group of petty criminals after the zombie virus outbreak. They frequently engaged in small-time thefts and extortion.

Before, they wouldn’t have dared to act so boldly, but with no laws or authorities to control them now, ordinary people could do nothing but avoid them.

A few nights ago, they had targeted the newcomer with the electric scooter, gathering their gang for backup. However, they lost the fight and ended up being strung up on streetlamp poles for an entire night.

Their screams had echoed through the area, leaving the local residents terrified.

Lu Yao remained composed. “I wouldn’t call it a fight. They slashed my scooter’s tires and dumped filth in front of my shop. What I did was purely self-defense.”

The room fell silent.

Lu Yao continued, “We’re just trying to run a small business here. We have no ulterior motives. The elderly couple is worried about their grandson. Once the order is placed, our specialized couriers will go to the designated location to check. If he’s there, we’ll bring him back. If he’s not, there’s nothing we can do.”

Jin Hua’s husband was the organizer of the supply search mission. They didn’t wander aimlessly; they gathered intelligence and confirmed specific information before heading out. Others might not know the address, but Jin Hua certainly had some idea.

Still distrustful, Jin Hua crossed her arms and sneered, “Who’s to say you’re not trying to extract information so you can go and steal supplies?”

Lu Yao sighed and turned to the elderly woman. “Without a specific address, we can’t take the job.”

The elderly woman looked at Jin Hua pleadingly.

Jin Hua turned aside, refusing to speak.

The younger woman picked up the flyer from the sofa and studied it for a moment before looking up at Lu Yao. “You don’t take supplies, only gold?”

Lu Yao nodded. “Correct. I’m a gold enthusiast—that’s my one and only indulgence.”

Her matter-of-fact tone, coupled with the golden lotus earrings glinting under her ears, made her statement particularly convincing.

Cao Xiuhong’s resolve solidified. She felt more certain that she had found the right person. She walked over to Jin Hua and pleaded, “We’re not asking for much. We just want Xiaopeng to come back safely. Please, I’m begging you, show some compassion for two old folks who’ve already got one foot in the grave.”

Jin Hua furrowed her brows deeply. She felt a swirl of emotions—compassion for the desperate elderly couple and suspicion of Lu Yao’s motives.

She didn’t mind if it was just a scam for some gold, but what if this young woman had plans to intercept their supplies?

The younger woman suddenly stepped forward, reaching out to Lu Yao. “Give me one of those cards. I know the location isn’t exact, but it’s nearby. Please make an effort to search. I’ll pay triple the standard price.”

Jin Hua looked at her companion in shock, disbelief written all over her face. “Are you out of your mind?”

The younger woman nodded firmly. “I’m about to lose my mind! Sitting at home, doing nothing, just waiting—what else can I do? If I don’t do something now, I really will go crazy!”

Jin Hua was speechless.

Whether it was those who ventured out or those who stayed home, everyone bore immense pressure and torment. She herself was barely holding on.

Lu Yao handed a business card to the younger woman.

Cao Xiuhong quickly went inside to fetch a pen, ready to fill in the address.

The younger woman, Ren Juan, commissioned Lu Yao to retrieve her husband from a chain supermarket approximately five kilometers from Guanyin Community.

Cao Xiuhong filled in the same address, asking Lu Yao to find her grandson, Zhao Xiaopeng.

Lu Yao took out the gold-inspecting Pixiu from her bag. “The shop’s policy is upfront payment before service. For our grand opening, both business cards and delivery fees are half-price. Each card is discounted to 0.2 grams of gold, and the running fee is 0.8 grams. For one person, the total is 1 gram of gold.”

Cao Xiuhong immediately thrust her thick gold bracelet into Lu Yao’s hands. “How do you calculate 1 gram? Just take this bracelet. As long as you bring my grandson back.”

Lu Yao raised the Pixiu, and with a crisp snap, the thick bracelet broke in the middle, leaving a small notch.

Lu Yao smiled. “That’s enough. It’s our grand opening, so if you’re satisfied, feel free to use our services again in the future.”

Ren Juan watched in amazement, then removed a chain with a large golden Buddha pendant from around her neck. “Your setup is pretty advanced.”

After completing the forms and collecting the payment, Lu Yao put the Pixiu back into her bag. She moved swiftly, giving off an impression of someone preparing to flee after a scam.

Jin Hua stopped her. “Where are you going?”

Without looking back, Lu Yao replied as she headed out the door, “There are only two runners at the shop. The other is handing out flyers. I need to go back and take the orders.”

Jin Hua: “…”

Ren Juan stood at the doorway. “What if she really just runs off?”

Jin Hua frowned at her. “Regretting it already?”

Cao Xiuhong, slightly flustered, tried to justify, “If she really wanted to scam us, why would she ask for so little?”

Jin Hua sighed in exasperation. “What’s the use of gold? If she knows Liu and the others are at the Happiness Chain Supermarket, wouldn’t it be easier to bring people there to rob it? Asking for a bit of gold is just an act to seem legitimate, and you still think she’s trustworthy.”

Lu Yao left the Guanyin Community, returned to the shop, put on her work badge and communicator, and set out on her electric scooter.

Ren Juan watched from Cao Xiuhong’s window and saw Lu Yao heading toward the Happiness Chain Supermarket. “She really is going in that direction.”

Without their family members returning, everyone felt uneasy. Sitting around waiting made them more anxious, so Jin Hua and Ren Juan eventually went back to their homes.

…

At the Happiness Chain Supermarket, five or six adult men and Zhao Xiaopeng were holed up in a small storage room in the basement.

The day before, they had left their homes before dawn and successfully made it to the vicinity of the supermarket.

The Happiness Chain Supermarket was a large chain store occupying the basement level and three floors above ground. The floors were divided into a clothing section, an appliance section, and a grocery section, while the basement housed the warehouse.

During the initial outbreak of the zombie virus, most goods on the upper floors were looted. While a few scattered items remained on the shelves, the mall was crawling with zombified customers and staff, making it dangerous to enter.

The area was massive, filled with shelves and displays that obstructed visibility. Zombies moved silently between the aisles, making it nearly impossible to clear them out entirely.

A single lapse in attention could lead to an attack from a zombie lunging out unexpectedly—an ever-present, invisible threat.

The man leading Zhao Xiaopeng’s group was Liu, Jin Hua’s husband. Strong and steady, he held a certain level of authority among the group.

After several scouting trips, they decided to target the basement warehouse of the Happiness Chain Supermarket.

The warehouse, being part of the employee area, wasn’t accessible to regular customers. Even if there were some dead stock workers turned zombies, their numbers would be limited compared to the upper floors.

While other teams might have had the same idea, no small group could clear out all the goods. The warehouse was likely to still have a significant amount of supplies.

All they needed was to pick up the leftovers to survive.

Following their plan, the team successfully entered the basement warehouse, using glow sticks for illumination.

The entire warehouse was neatly organized, exactly as Liu had envisioned.

The men saw walls lined with 5-kg and 10-kg bags of rice, large barrels of cooking oil, stacks of toilet paper, 5-liter bottles of mineral water, and boxes of noodles, salt, biscuits, and candy. They were almost moved to tears.

Everyone dropped their backpacks and began frantically stuffing them with supplies.

With electricity and gas already cut off at home, cooking was both inconvenient and wasteful.

Their strategy for hoarding had changed. Instead of grabbing bulky and hard-to-prepare staples like rice, flour, and oil, they focused on ready-to-eat, long-lasting foods that were easy to carry: instant noodles, compressed biscuits, packaged snacks, and light, durable dry goods. They added a few bags of salt and sugar, a handful of candles, lighters, soap, and sanitary pads for the women. Lastly, they strapped a couple of packs of toilet paper to their backpacks.

Even as they prepared to leave, they couldn’t help but eye the remaining supplies. Gritting their teeth, some grabbed an extra bag of rice, a barrel of water, or a drum of oil before making their way out.

But when they tried to leave, they found the exit they had come through wasn’t securely closed. Now, the staircase was blocked by wandering zombies.

To make matters worse, the noise they’d made had attracted the zombies inside the warehouse. They were closing in from all directions.

The number of zombies in the warehouse was far higher than Liu had anticipated. It wasn’t just supermarket staff; there were plenty dressed in everyday clothing—zombies who looked disturbingly fresh.

Seeing the grotesque figures, with their decaying flesh emitting a nauseating stench, Liu’s face darkened. “These were people like us. They didn’t make it out.”

Zhao Xiaopeng hid behind Liu, his legs trembling. “Are we going to die here too?”

They weren’t familiar with the warehouse layout, their light sources were limited, and zombies could emerge from any dark corner at any moment. A single bite would mean the end.

The group of six or seven darted through the warehouse, dodging and hiding until they found a small room—possibly a makeshift employee rest area.

The space was cramped, and they discovered a zombie locked inside a storage cabinet. Panicked, they dealt with it and managed to catch their breath in the foul-smelling room.

They had no idea how long they’d been hiding. The stench numbed their noses, and breathing became labored. But no one suggested leaving.

They couldn’t leave.

The best they could hope for was to die in this warehouse. If they were lucky, their bodies would naturally decompose, sparing them from becoming one of the wandering monsters outside.

…

At the Happiness Chain Supermarket, Lu Yao parked her electric scooter in the plaza and asked the system, “What’s the situation?”

The Dream Fulfillment System responded, “There are survivors inside, but it’s unclear if they match the orders.”

Lu Yao: “How many people, and where?”

Dream System: “Seven, in the basement.”

Lu Yao: “The basement?”

Dream System: “The large supermarket has a space below ground, likely a warehouse.”

Lu Yao: “That sounds like it.”

She dismounted, grabbed two short swords, and slung them over her shoulders as she walked toward the supermarket entrance.

The Dream Fulfillment System hesitated. “Why not call Harold? There’s too much filth down there. I’m worried you’ll get bitten.”

Lu Yao replied calmly, “If I, as the shop owner, can’t complete a basic delivery, how can I expect the little ones to step into a place like this?”

Dream Fulfillment System: “It’s not the same. You’re far more fragile than they are, especially since you refuse to use your abilities.”

Lu Yao: “The people in this world don’t have abilities either. Don’t worry—I know my limits. I’ll grab the targets and get out quickly. Just guide me.”

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