Ch 180: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

The underground warehouse of the Happiness Chain Supermarket had three entrances. The largest one was in the underground parking garage, primarily used for bulk deliveries. Another was in the employee area on the first floor, accessible via freight elevators and stairways.

Currently, the elevators were overrun by zombies, making the stairway the safest option for those trying to enter. However, the first floor was crowded with zombies—former customers, employees, and people who had ventured in seeking supplies only to meet their doom.

The main doors of the supermarket remained intact, but through the glass, Lu Yao could see the zombies inside, their long arms hanging limply as they staggered in slow, heavy steps.

Lu Yao remarked, “It’s too dangerous to go in this way.”

The Dream Fulfillment System responded, “The freight elevators and stairways are packed with zombies. I suspect those survivors entered through the first floor. The parking garage isn’t any better—lots of cars are piled up, with some people crushed into paste. The number of zombies outside is no less than on the first floor.”

Lu Yao asked, “Isn’t there a third entrance?”

Dream System: “Yes, there’s a backdoor on the first floor, usually used for garbage trucks. It’s not a well-known path for non-employees.”

Lu Yao: “Does it lead directly to the street?”

Dream System: “You’ll need to loop around to the back of the supermarket. The rear entrance faces an old residential area. There’s a side road with a gentle slope about 50 meters away.”

Lu Yao turned back toward the plaza. “Then we’ll take that route.”

She mounted her electric scooter and rode around the supermarket to a bumpy road flanked by a dilapidated old residential complex. It was the first time she had seen such run-down housing in Gaosheng City.

After navigating the uneven road for a while, she reached a fork. Sliding down the slope, she spotted a small concrete clearing ahead littered with overturned garbage bins. The stench hit her before she even approached.

This area hadn’t been entirely abandoned. Headless zombies lay scattered across the ground, their dark red entrails gnawed and ripped apart. Swarms of flies blanketed the decaying flesh. As Lu Yao approached, the buzzing flies took off in a cloud, like a foul-smelling storm.

Stopping on the flat ground, Lu Yao dismounted and approached the warehouse entrance. She paused upon hearing a faint sound. A young man emerged cautiously from behind a blue garbage bin near the entrance.

It was Song Xu. He hadn’t expected to see Lu Yao again and looked sheepish as he approached. Embarrassed but polite, he greeted her, “We meet again.”

Lu Yao recognized him instantly. Her gaze flicked to the slightly ajar warehouse door, then back to Song Xu. “Who went inside? Your girlfriend?”

Song Xu hesitated before shaking his head. “She’s not feeling well today. My friend and his girlfriend went in.”

Lu Yao asked the Dream Fulfillment System, “Didn’t you say there were only seven people?”

Dream Fulfillment System: “When we arrived, there were only seven. Two more went in just a moment ago.”

Lu Yao nodded subtly and turned to Song Xu. “I have business inside.”

Song Xu moved to block her. “I’m sorry, but could you wait until my friends come out?”

It had taken all their effort to pry open the warehouse door. This supermarket was a prime target for scavengers, and they knew their small group couldn’t defend it alone. Leaving someone outside to stand guard was a precaution against others trying to enter.

“They’re only grabbing what they can carry,” Song Xu explained. “They’ll be out soon.”

Lu Yao frowned slightly. “You misunderstand. I’m not here for supplies. There are two of my clients inside—I’m here to pick them up.”

Song Xu was startled. Remembering the business card Lu Yao had given them, he asked in disbelief, “You’re really doing… errands?”

The Dream Fulfillment System chimed in, “Those two who just went in are also in trouble.”

Lu Yao nodded in acknowledgment and suddenly drew the short sword from her waist. Song Xu jumped back in fright, his face pale.

Ignoring him, Lu Yao approached the warehouse door. “Things are complicated inside. Don’t follow me.”

Song Xu steadied himself, then, remembering something, frantically patted his pockets. Realizing the business card was with Tang Anqi, he awkwardly called after her, “Could you… help my friends too?”

Lu Yao waved dismissively. “Sorry, I’m on the clock.”

Before entering the warehouse, Lu Yao pulled out a pair of light orange-lensed glasses from her bag.

These glasses were a pair of night-vision goggles she had bought in Mingshi City, initially as a novelty item. Unlike regular night-vision goggles that present objects in grayscale, these goggles gave the view a faded watercolor-like appearance.

In short, they not only allowed for clear vision in the dark but also simulated light to some extent, restoring the objects’ original colors.

The Dream Fulfillment System had warned Lu Yao that the warehouse was pitch black, making navigation dangerous without proper lighting. However, using a flashlight could attract zombies, so she retrieved the glasses from her portable storage. Their effectiveness impressed her.

Although the warehouse was shrouded in darkness, the goggles allowed her to discern the layout clearly, especially the movements of nearby objects.

Standing at the entrance, Lu Yao observed several zombies silently shifting behind stacks of goods. Suddenly, a shriek broke the stillness, guiding her toward its source. She soon found a young couple cornered behind a pile of rice sacks by two zombies.

Their dropped flashlight cast a beam of light across the sacks, highlighting their desperate faces.

Lu Yao swiftly advanced, her short sword glinting as it plunged into the first zombie’s head, penetrating through its back skull and slicing through its throat.

The couple, Zhou Mingyang and Jiang Yifei, were frozen in terror, leaning against the sacks. They stared, wide-eyed, as the blade’s silver tip emerged from the zombie’s gaping mouth, unable to process what had just happened.

The sword, a masterpiece from the Floating World, was lightweight yet razor-sharp. This was Lu Yao’s first time wielding it, and she was surprised by how effortlessly it cut. With a twist of her wrist, the blade cleaved through the zombie’s head like slicing tofu, leaving no resistance.

The second zombie, sensing movement, turned its head. One of its eyes had slipped from its socket, hanging by a strand of flesh and rolling against its decayed face.

Lu Yao couldn’t help but silently curse the goggles for being too clear. Without hesitation, her hand flicked upward, and the sword’s edge sliced through the zombie’s skull from its ear, neatly removing the top like opening a coconut.

With two dull thuds, the corpses collapsed. Lu Yao flicked the blood and flesh from the blade, sheathed it, and grabbed the stunned couple by their arms, pulling them to their feet.

The commotion had attracted more zombies from the shadows, drawn toward the noise near the rice sacks. Lu Yao kicked the flashlight across the floor, causing its flickering beam to scatter. The disoriented zombies slowed their approach, giving her enough time to drag the couple toward the exit.

“Get out, now,” she ordered as they reached the warehouse door.

Without waiting for their response, she drew her short sword again and turned back into the warehouse.

The Dream Fulfillment System urgently informed her, “Those seven people are holed up in the old storage room. They’re running out of oxygen, and the zombies have already blocked their only way out.”

A strange unease flickered through Lu Yao’s mind, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. Following the system’s directions, she sprinted toward the small storage room.

About ten zombies were crammed at the door like eager shoppers during a Friday sale, completely blocking the entrance.

Lu Yao ducked behind a wall of stacked barrels of cooking oil. She sheathed her short sword and pulled an air rifle from her portable storage.

The Dream Fulfillment System chimed in, “Are you sure about this?”

Lu Yao loaded the rifle, her voice calm, “Let’s make some space.”

The zombies were piled together like potatoes, making long-range shooting the safest option.

The Dream Fulfillment System had acquired detailed knowledge of firearms in Mingshi City and later compiled it into a manual for Lu Yao.

Following the manual, Lu Yao spent a few days studying and used her wish energy to craft several air rifles. With advanced holographic technology, setting up a virtual shooting range was easy. Lu Yao often practiced there, achieving decent scores. However, this was her first time using the rifle in real combat.

After missing her first two shots, she adjusted her posture, held her breath, and focused. Her third shot hit a tall zombie attempting to knock on the door. The air pellet pierced its skull, causing its arm to drop and its body to sag. Yet, due to the pressure from the zombies behind it, the corpse didn’t collapse to the ground.

Lu Yao aimed again, firing three consecutive rounds. Her accuracy improved with each shot, and soon, she was hitting her targets consistently.

Inside the small storage room, Zhao Xiaopeng and his group clung to their backpacks in the corner. They were barely conscious, their minds clouded from oxygen deprivation. They vaguely heard noises outside but couldn’t muster the energy to open their eyes.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a rush of foul, stale air blew into the room. The faint breeze carried the putrid stench of decay but brought much-needed circulation.

Zhao Xiaopeng felt a persistent buzzing noise in his ears, akin to a relentless fly. Although he was comfortable in his drowsy state and didn’t want to wake up, the sound persisted, forcing his attention.

“Slap! Slap!”

Two crisp slaps landed on his cheeks, jolting Zhao Xiaopeng awake. He instinctively touched his face, wincing at the sting.

Lu Yao squatted beside him. “Are you Zhao Xiaopeng?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Zhao Xiaopeng nearly screamed. His throat, dry and raspy from prolonged confinement, kept him from shouting.

Lu Yao pulled a small flashlight from her bag and placed it in his hand. “Which one is Feng Bing?”

Squinting against the harsh light, Zhao Xiaopeng took a few seconds to adjust before pointing to the man on his left. “That’s Brother Bing.”

Feng Bing, Ren Juan’s husband, was the second client Lu Yao was tasked to locate. She approached him and used the same method to wake him up, handing him a flashlight as well.

With fresh air circulating, the rest of the group gradually regained consciousness. Without offering detailed explanations, Lu Yao simply instructed Zhao Xiaopeng and Feng Bing to follow her closely when they left.

The others exchanged glances but said nothing, looking instead at Da Liu for direction.

The outbreak of the zombie virus had devastated centuries of human progress, leaving society to fend for itself. Trapped in the warehouse, they had resigned themselves to death. The idea of being rescued hadn’t crossed their minds.

Da Liu looked at Lu Yao. She stood at the doorway, vigilantly scanning the surroundings with a rifle in her hands. Strapped to her back was a long, unfamiliar weapon, and she carried a modest cloth bag slung over her shoulder. Her presence exuded efficiency and determination.

Da Liu nodded slightly at his companions, closing his eyes briefly before shaking his head.

Lu Yao turned back to the group, speaking softly. “Have you recovered enough strength? Get ready; we’re leaving.”

The group supported themselves against the walls to stand and bent down to pick up their backpacks. Despite the harrowing chase earlier, none of them had abandoned their supplies. Having endured so much to get this far, they weren’t about to leave their hard-won resources behind now.

Lu Yao’s gaze swept over the group, pausing on Feng Bing and Zhao Xiaopeng. She gave them a pointed reminder: “Stick close behind me. Once we’re outside, don’t make any noise. Keep your flashlights aimed at the ground and don’t wave them around. We’ll be out soon.”

Before stepping out, Lu Yao raised her air rifle and cleared a path by taking down a few zombies nearby. Then, she led the way, dispatching any zombies blocking their route with precise shots.

The Dream Fulfillment System calculated that it would take three minutes at best to escort the seven people to the warehouse exit, but their prolonged confinement had left them in terrible physical condition. After five minutes, they were only halfway there.

At one point, the last person in the group was nearly bitten by a zombie. Thankfully, the system alerted Lu Yao, who reacted quickly. Her air rifle shot skimmed past the man’s cheek, taking down the zombie.

The zombie fell forward, its decayed flesh smearing the man’s clothing.

Lu Yao steadied herself and suggested, “You’re carrying too much. Leave some behind.”

Someone immediately protested, “We nearly lost our lives for these supplies, and now you want us to toss them?”

Another muttered under his breath, “If you’re here to save people, why only send one person? Couldn’t they have sent more…?”

Before he could finish, Da Liu smacked him, and he begrudgingly fell silent. Though his lips continued to move, silently cursing, he assumed Lu Yao couldn’t see him in the darkness.

However, with her night vision goggles, Lu Yao could clearly see every detail of his face, including his expression.

Without wasting more words, she motioned for the two clients behind her to follow and began picking up the pace.

Stopping and starting repeatedly, it took another five to six minutes before they finally saw the warehouse exit. Lu Yao strode forward and pulled the door open, allowing light to flood inside.

She stood at the entrance, leaning against the door, and called out urgently to Feng Bing and Zhao Xiaopeng, “Hurry! Move!”

The two, exhausted and barely able to walk, gritted their teeth and forced their legs to move. Step by step, they finally staggered out of the warehouse and onto the open ground. Collapsing to their knees, their backpacks slid from their shoulders, landing heavily on the ground.

Lu Yao walked over to check on them. She pulled water bottles from the side pockets of their backpacks and handed them over. Feng Bing and Zhao Xiaopeng, feeling the burn of dehydration in their throats, quickly unscrewed the caps and gulped down the water.

After about half a minute, the others emerged from the warehouse, disheveled and battered. Their backpacks were torn, and they seemed to have lost some supplies during their frantic escape.

The last to exit was the man who had resisted leaving supplies behind and silently cursed Lu Yao earlier. His backpack was the most damaged, and much of his cargo had been lost during the chaos.

Bent over and gasping for air, he straightened up just enough to glare at Lu Yao. “What’s your problem? You just left us behind halfway!”

Da Liu and another man tried to pull him back, urging him to calm down, but he broke free in a fit of rage. Stumbling toward Lu Yao, he pointed a trembling finger at her and opened his mouth to yell.

Before he could utter a word, he froze, eyes locked on the dark muzzle of Lu Yao’s air rifle, now aimed squarely at his forehead.

The man instantly paled and took a shaky step back.

Lu Yao pressed the rifle barrel against his sweat-soaked forehead, tapping it twice. His legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees, begging for mercy. “I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please forgive me!”

The group was stunned.

Not far away, Song Xu and his friends had stayed to watch. Just as they were about to greet Lu Yao, the sudden scene froze them in place, prompting them to retreat several steps.

Lu Yao turned to Feng Bing and Zhao Xiaopeng. “Put your backpacks on that electric bike by the roadside. Get ready to head back immediately.”

Feng Bing and Zhao Xiaopeng, still puzzled as to why Lu Yao was giving them special treatment, hesitated but didn’t dare question her after seeing her commanding presence.

Noticing their hesitation, Lu Yao ignored the kneeling man and clarified, “I’m Lu Yao, the owner of a new Courier shop outside Guanyin Neighborhood. Your grandmother,” she pointed at Zhao Xiaopeng, “and your wife,” she looked at Feng Bing, “placed an order for me to come and pick you up. Got it?”

Both men nodded in stunned silence, still processing her words. They knew of the shop but hadn’t expected it to conduct legitimate business.

Lu Yao exhaled. “Good. Then get moving. Load your stuff.”

Da Liu and the others, overhearing this explanation, finally understood. They had completely misunderstood the situation—Lu Yao wasn’t obligated to rescue them at all.

Realizing this, their earlier complaints and accusations seemed absurd. From the beginning, Lu Yao had no responsibility toward them, yet she had still led everyone out of the warehouse. Being scolded after enduring such treatment, it was no wonder she was furious earlier.

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