Ch 197: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Programmer Zhang Shu, five delivery runners transferred from another world, temporary courier Ding Qing, and the newly arrived yet-to-be-officially-hired runner Lu Mingxiao, sat together with the shopkeeper at the small dining table in the staff office. The meeting was both a work review and an impromptu business development discussion.

The staff stared intently at the shopkeeper, utterly clueless about her proposed new plan.

The delivery runners were busy all day with deliveries, occasionally haggling with customers. When they did have free time, they would only observe the ruins and surroundings from a distance, treating it as a novel experience rather than connecting it to their work.

It was clear from their blank expressions that they had no understanding of what the shopkeeper was planning.

Lu Yao immediately recognized their naivety. Their clear and unguarded gazes revealed that their minds were completely empty of any critical thoughts.

They were still in the excitement phase of adapting to a new environment and hadn’t considered that the current order volume wasn’t sufficient to sustain the shop’s long-term growth.

Zhang Shu, however, had some insights. She took the initiative to say, “The issue is the lack of customers. Expanding the delivery range won’t fix this fundamental problem; it will only increase the workload for the runners without significantly boosting efficiency.”

Lu Yao tapped the table lightly. “Exactly, that’s the problem.”

For Harold, Si Jin, Tina, Qiu Yu, and the sparrow demon, this was their first time participating in a meeting that felt like something straight out of a TV drama. Hearing Zhang Shu’s point earn the shopkeeper’s approval, they turned their heads and cast envious glances at her.

Zhang Shu didn’t interact much with the otherworldly runners, but since she spent her days in the back office monitoring programs, she was fully aware of their strength and reliability.

Now, under the gaze of over a dozen sparkling eyes filled with genuine admiration, she lowered her head slightly, feeling shy.

When she first joined the delivery shop, Zhang Shu had worried privately about workplace dynamics.

After all, her colleagues were otherworldly beings with abilities comparable to the shopkeeper’s—a group of monster-level talents who might be difficult to get along with.

After two days, Zhang Shu began reflecting on her assumptions.

Perhaps she had been too quick to judge.

Her otherworldly colleagues were not only incredibly strong but also occasionally adorable. There was no need to worry about tense workplace relationships.

Harold broke the silence, asking, “We know the problem now, so how do we solve it?”

Lu Yao replied, “My idea is to establish a relatively safe community in a small area to attract more residents to settle nearby.”

Ding Qing immediately looked up. “You want to build a base?”

Ding Qing was familiar with the concept of bases. After all, Chen Fu’s group had planned to head to one as their ultimate destination.

They had heard that some cities had already established safe bases and intended to seek refuge. Along the way, they even plotted to capture a few women to trade for resources once they arrived.

In the wake of society’s collapse, newly established areas required significant time to develop proper management. However, as long as a place was rumored to be safe, people would flock to it.

The more people gathered, the more chaotic it could become.

Perhaps because Ding Qing had often heard Chen Fu’s group fantasize about running an illegal storage operation in the chaotic lower zones of a base, he had developed a poor impression of such places.

Lu Yao shook her head. “Not that strict or formal. After all, we’re just looking for a more stable customer base. The appearance of zombies has caused a massive population decline. In Gaosheng City alone, nearly 80% of houses and shops are vacant, and the permanent population is down to about 10%, scattered across different areas.

“Even with only 10% of the population left, that’s still tens of thousands of people. My idea is to use the delivery shop as the center, establish a safe zone with a radius of about 20 kilometers, and attract the scattered residents to move into this area. The more people there are, the more demand there will be, which will naturally lead to more orders.”

Lu Yao’s data wasn’t unfounded. The Dream Fulfillment System had scanned the entirety of Gaosheng City during her deliveries, compiling data relevant to the shop into a comprehensive chart.

When she saw that the city’s surviving population was still around 50,000, Lu Yao began brainstorming ways to convert these scattered residents into potential customers for the shop.

Lu Yao had seen relatively mature and well-developed bases in the Unpredictable World, where safety was no longer a concern within the base, and relationships among residents resembled the close-knit bonds of village neighbors.

However, such bases took years to develop, with both the management and residents making considerable efforts to achieve that state.

Lu Yao’s goals were simpler—she only wanted to run her shop. She had no plans to manage an entire area. As long as survival conditions near Guanyin Road were better than elsewhere, people would naturally want to move there. Tang Anqi’s team was a prime example.

Si Jin observed, “If that’s the case, hasn’t this plan already started? As long as the delivery shop exists, it provides a survival advantage for the surrounding residents.”

In just two days of delivery work, Si Jin had gained a deeper understanding of human fragility.

Compared to truly ordinary humans, even the shopkeeper didn’t seem so weak (in terms of physical strength and endurance).

Lu Yao replied, “Previously, it was unintentional. But what we need to do now isn’t much different—seriously complete every delivery and continuously earn the customers’ trust.”

Establishing a safe zone would take time. Lu Yao simply wanted to make her staff aware of the advantages Guanyin Road offered to its residents.

Their primary responsibility remained delivery work. For more complex situations, Lu Yao planned to handle them herself.

Seeing the group’s somewhat puzzled expressions, Lu Yao decided to break it down further. “Your focus is on the delivery work. I’ll figure out the other aspects. Isn’t Mid-Autumn Festival coming up soon? Around this time last year, there were only four shops on the shopping street. This year, the tenth shop has opened, and with Qingshan Noodle House, that makes eleven. Both the number of shops and the customer base have grown since last year. I’m planning a large-scale collaboration event, which will also be a great opportunity to earn goodwill from the customers.”

Unknowingly, August had arrived again.

Lu Yao wasn’t sure if the Golden Kingdom celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival, but according to Yaoguang City’s calendar, it was only about a week away.

Lu Yao was definitely going to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. She also planned to involve all the shops on the street in a ten-shop collaborative event to liven things up.

Tina, recalling last year’s mooncake contest, looked a bit stressed. “Do we have to make new mooncakes again?”

Qiu Yu and the sparrow demon, who hadn’t participated in the contest before, were visibly excited.

Qiu Yu asked, “We’re making mooncakes? When do we start?”

Zhao Ye commented dismissively, “Every year, I see humans making those round baked pastries. The taste isn’t that great.”

Zhang Shu, hearing about the mooncake contest for the first time, was curious. “There was a mooncake contest in previous years?”

Harold, smug, explained, “Last year, when there were only four shops, we all made mooncakes ourselves. The shopkeeper created a four-shop mooncake gift box to give to the staff as festival gifts. The gift box sold like crazy at Mid-Autumn Festival across the shops and later did well in the Great Wu Dynasty’s cinema too.”

Qiu Yu got even more excited. “What about this year? Are we making mooncakes again?”

Zhang Shu, familiar with the dynamics of the shopping street, could somewhat follow the conversation. Ding Qing, however, was completely lost.

Like Yaoguang City and the Great Wu Dynasty, the Golden Kingdom also celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival in August.

But aside from the festival and mooncakes, she had no idea what the plans for the shopping street, the ten-shop collaboration, or anything else meant.

Ding Qing, having received top-notch medical care at the courier shop and enjoying fresh, hot meals daily—meals that often included rare, fresh vegetables—knew Lu Yao’s status was anything but ordinary. However, she had never considered the possibility that Lu Yao might be hosting visitors from another world.

After all, it felt too surreal. At this moment, Ding Qing only thought that the shopkeeper’s identity was becoming increasingly unfathomable.

Lu Yao gently clapped her hands to calm her excitable, scattered-thinking staff. “We will definitely make mooncakes. Considering the situations of different shops, each one will also prepare unique activities. For the delivery shop, for example, regular customers who have placed orders can bring their used business cards to exchange for fresh mooncakes, meat, vegetables, and other rare goods.”

After the collapse of the city’s basic infrastructure, items like rice, flour, and cooking oil—suitable for storage—could still be gathered. However, perishable goods like fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit had become rare treasures, highly appealing to residents struggling to survive.

Agricultural goods and fresh meat were relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain in places like the Alexander Continent, the Great Wu Dynasty, the Floating World, and even Yaoguang City. With their low cost, they were ideal for event giveaways.

For now, Lu Yao only had fragmented ideas about the Mid-Autumn Festival activities. She still needed to carefully plan the details and discuss them further with her staff.

The immediate priority was completing the system task. The Mid-Autumn Festival would come after the 300-order target was met.

With the meeting concluded, Zhang Shu clocked out, and Harold escorted the other delivery runners home. For the moment, only Lu Yao, Ding Qing, and Lu Mingxiao remained in the shop.

Ding Qing had been staying at the shop for the past two nights. Lu Mingxiao, having just arrived and with no other place to go, would likely also spend the night at the shop.

The shop had a warehouse, a back-office, a staff lounge, and a main hall, so there was plenty of room for two temporary residents.

However, Ding Qing’s psychological scars ran deep. A few minutes after the meeting ended, when Lu Yao stepped out to lock the main door, she returned to find only Lu Mingxiao in the room.

A while later, Ding Qing emerged from the bathroom after vomiting and rinsing her mouth.

Lu Yao took out a prepared contract and walked over. “It doesn’t seem like you’re getting better. I’ll order you some food in a bit.”

Ding Qing felt a bit embarrassed in front of Lu Yao. “There’s no need to trouble yourself. I don’t have much appetite.”

She glanced at Lu Mingxiao briefly, then quickly averted her gaze and lowered her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t control this reaction yet.”

Lu Mingxiao was indifferent. “It’s fine.”

Lu Yao beckoned Ding Qing to sit. “You’ve been here a few days now. How are you feeling? Are you adjusting?”

Ding Qing nodded. “For me, there’s no safer place than this.”

Lu Yao placed the contract and employment agreement in front of her. “These are the official contract and agreement. If you’re willing to join, just sign them. If not, that’s fine too. You can leave whenever you feel better.”

Ding Qing picked up the documents and read them carefully, looking puzzled. “Is paperwork like this still necessary for hiring these days? Even if I sign, who ensures our rights? And about the confidentiality agreement—how can you be sure that just because I signed, I won’t leak the shop’s secrets?”

Ding Qing had noticed the anomalies surrounding the delivery shop: the punctual meals, the doctor who came every afternoon to administer her IV, a system that worked without any signal towers, and the uniquely capable delivery runners. She knew Lu Yao was anything but ordinary. However, after experiencing so many distressing events, her curiosity and moral compass seemed to have been crushed and rebuilt. Things she used to care about now felt inconsequential.

Since the shopkeeper wasn’t worried about her spilling secrets, she didn’t plan to ask too many questions.

Seeing the confidentiality clause in the contract simply made Ding Qing feel curious.

Lu Yao explained, “As long as you sign the contract and agreement, your rights will be protected by me during your employment. Typically, new employees have a seven-day trial period, but your situation is unique. Once you sign, you’re officially hired.”

Ding Qing asked, “Is the confidentiality agreement because of the other shops?”

She had overheard this during the meeting.

Now, as she thought more about it, she realized that Lu Yao seemed to own several other shops, each with its peculiarities.

It seemed there were even greater secrets hidden behind the courier shop.

Lu Yao smiled at her without answering, nor did she rush her.

After a moment of thought, Ding Qing lowered her head, picked up the pen on the table, and signed the contract and agreement in one go.

When she signed her full name on the confidentiality agreement, Ding Qing felt her heart tighten sharply for a brief moment.

The sensation came and went so quickly that she had no time to react before it vanished.

Lu Yao collected the contract and agreement from the table. “All set.”

That night, Lu Yao stayed at the courier shop to rest, sharing the sofa in the staff office with Ding Qing.

Lu Mingxiao rested in the adjacent system office.

…

At 5 a.m., in Jinyao City:

The remaining members of An Xia’s team and Chen Xin’s team finally arrived at the Hope Base.

The return trip had been unexpectedly difficult. From Wanyi Hospital to the boundary line, they encountered three waves of large zombie hordes, losing three trucks of supplies and six teammates along the way. By the time they reached the base, everyone was utterly exhausted.

After entering the base gates, most team members returned to their dormitories. Only the team captains and vice-captains remained, dragging their weary bodies to oversee the unloading of supplies.

Before the unloading was even finished, the logistics director arrived in person.

The director, who had been roused from bed in the middle of the night, looked particularly grim. “Where is Lu Mingxiao?”

An Xia kept her head down, unwilling to speak.

Xie Yu stepped in. “The instructor got off in Gaosheng City.”

The logistics director was livid, his breaths coming in sharp bursts. “There were so many of you, and none of you thought to stop him?”

An Xia retorted, “His legs are his own. Who dared to stop him?”

The director glared at An Xia and jabbed a finger at her forehead, unleashing a torrent of expletives. Then, his gaze shifted to Li Mi, who was standing quietly to the side. “Where’s Chen Xin? Where the hell is he?”

Neither An Xia nor Li Mi answered.

Xie Yu finally spoke, his voice strained. “During the mission, Captain Chen was bitten by a zombie.”

The logistics director was too angry for words. He stomped his feet, his finger hovering between An Xia and Xie Yu, before finally turning and storming off. A few steps later, he stopped abruptly without turning back. His voice came out muffled. “Li Mi, follow me to the office!”

Li Mi’s face turned ghostly pale.

An Xia and Xie Yu noticed but said nothing.

About twenty minutes later, Li Mi ran out of the director’s office, her hair disheveled and her expression panicked.

She stumbled back to the dormitories and knocked on Xia Huaisong’s door.

Xia Huaisong had just finished showering and was wearing a thin undershirt when he opened the door, stunned by her appearance. “What happened?”

Li Mi pushed him inside, closed the door behind her, and whispered urgently, “I might have caused a problem.”

Xia Huaisong was calmer than she had expected. He glanced down at the bloodstains on her chest, then at her hands. “Who?”

Li Mi hesitated. “Li Guanghai. As soon as he heard Chen Xin was gone, he called me to his office. I thought I could endure it, but…”

On the way back, Li Mi couldn’t stop thinking about Lu Yao—the ordinary-looking girl she had met at the door of the hospital.

She had heard from her teammates about everything that had happened inside.

Li Mi could hardly believe that the Valkyrie of the zombie hordes they described was the same delicate girl she had seen.

She doubted, but at the same time, she couldn’t help wanting to believe.

In this broken world, could someone like that really exist?

While in the truck, Li Mi overheard members of An Xia’s team talking about their previous encounter with Lu Yao.

They mentioned taking a delivery order to rescue a mother and child trapped in a mall. A girl traveling with Lu Yao had easily dealt with a mutant spider zombie, freeing a trapped search team in the process.

The courier shop in Gaosheng City, which accepted gold as payment, allowed ordinary people to survive amidst the ruins.

While being harressed by Li Guanghai, Li Mi thought of Lu Yao again. Suddenly, she couldn’t bear it anymore. Her hand had reached out for the brass ornament on the desk behind her.

Xia Huaisong asked, “What do you plan to do now?”

Li Mi replied, “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to escape. I’m going to Gaosheng City.”

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️