Ch 201: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Xia Huaicong let out a deep sigh of relief. Seeing Lu Yao with Lu Mingxiao, he muttered under his breath, “So the instructor really became the shop owner’s boyfriend?”

The previous night, when they parted ways on the main road outside Wanyi Hospital, the shop owner’s tone had sounded suspiciously like that of a girlfriend speaking to her boyfriend on a mission.

If Xue Qian returned to the base and found out he’d run away, she would definitely be furious and might even try to drag him back.

Without hesitation, Li Mi said, “With the instructor’s skills and temper, who could force him to do anything? If he went along, it’s because he wanted to. He probably likes her.”

“Maybe,” Xia Huaicong replied. “I heard from Team Ten that the instructor might have known Lu Yao before.”

Li Mi had also heard about their first meeting in the hospital, but this clearly wasn’t the time to gossip, even though they had already been chatting for quite a while. Seeing the runners appear had somehow calmed their emotions.

Lu Yao and Lu Mingxiao stopped their vehicles at a distance, lingered by the roadside for a moment, and then slowly walked toward the intersection.

Lu Yao glanced at the two vehicles trapped in the middle of the road. “The clients aren’t still in the cars, are they?”

Lu Mingxiao: “Clear the zombies first?”

Lu Yao: “No rush. Let’s deliver the goods first.”

Lu Yao approached the van, studied the situation, and pulled a thin retractable rod with a small clip attached at the end from her bag.

She extended the rod over the zombies and held it outside the van’s driver-side window.

Xia Huaicong was stunned for a few seconds before realizing what she meant. He quickly took a thick gold chain, as wide as a pinky, from his pocket and clipped it onto the device.

Lu Yao retracted the rod, took out the gold-eating Pixiu from her bag to process the payment, and then sent the remaining gold chain and a set of order cards back into the van using the same retractable rod.

In the nearby sedan, Zhao Bowen and Zhang Haizhu were dumbfounded by this maneuver.

As Lu Yao completed the transaction, a zombie noticed them and began to slowly turn around, its jaw opening and closing with a harsh, guttural noise.

Before it could approach, Lu Mingxiao raised his hand and sliced its head clean off.

He wasn’t holding any weapon, and not a trace of decayed flesh or residue touched his fingers.

In the blink of an eye, four or five headless zombies collapsed around the two runners.

The falling bodies made no sound, and most of the remaining zombies were still focused on the two vehicles.

Zhao Bowen urged Zhang Haizhu, “Hurry up! Get the gold! We’re buying too!”

Killing zombies barehanded—these two were terrifying!

Zhang Haizhu, already rummaging through her bag, had initially not planned to bring any gold when packing her belongings. But a sudden thought about the runners mentioned by Meixin’s mom had prompted her to grab a few items and stash them away.

Fortunately, she had thought of it last night. Otherwise, they’d have no way to seek help today.

Xia Huaicong and Li Mi purchased 20 order cards in one go.

Zhao Bowen initially ordered just one card, but after witnessing the runners’ actions, he added another 20, bringing his total to 21 cards.

The clients in both vehicles quickly filled out the orders on the back of the cards as instructed.

In less than two minutes, Lu Yao received two new dispatch notifications.

The Changsheng Road area had only recently been set up with signal receivers. The system had just extended coverage to the area, and no dedicated runners had been assigned to patrol or handle orders here yet.

Li Mi’s and Zhao Bowen’s orders were purely coincidental, conveniently handled by Lu Yao and Lu Mingxiao, who were already in the area.

Lu Yao unsheathed the small knives strapped to her leg. A red thread automatically wrapped around her wrist as she gestured toward the left. “I’ll take this side. The other side is yours.”

Lu Yao moved to the perimeter of the van. Seven small knives, each about the length of a palm, flew out of her sheath. She grabbed one and lightly tapped the back of the blade against a nearby metal fence. The sharp, grating sound immediately drew the attention of the zombies surrounding the vehicles.

The zombies slowly turned their heads and began to shuffle toward Lu Yao. Their movements were sluggish, taking small, uneven steps.

Lu Yao backed away slowly, leading the zombies away from the vehicles.

Finally, some space opened up around the two previously encircled cars.

Lu Yao lured most of the zombies to the roadside. Pretending to reach into her cloth bag, she actually retrieved an item from her portable storage—a fresh piece of raw meat. With a deliberate motion, she threw it far away, momentarily drawing some of the zombies’ attention.

Taking advantage of the distraction, she circled around them and returned to deal with the zombies still lingering near the roadside.

The small knives, with red strings tied to their ends, spun in her grip like propellers, slicing cleanly beneath the heads of the shambling zombies. Heads rolled in rows, dropping to the ground like overripe tomatoes, splattering fluids and rotted flesh everywhere with sickening squelches.

Lu Yao’s method was precise and skillful, while Lu Mingxiao opted for a more brute force approach. He cleared all the zombies around the sedan in mere minutes.

Inside the van, Li Mi and Xia Huaicong watched in stunned silence. They couldn’t help but confirm their suspicions: the instructor had been slacking off and taking it easy every day at the base, never showing his full strength.

What frustrated them most was that even without putting in his best effort, he was still the most respected and formidable instructor at Hope Base.

The shop owner, though not as violent as the instructor, handled the situation with ease and efficiency.

As Zhao Bowen’s car broke free from the zombie horde, he turned to Zhang Haizhu, seemingly starting an argument. After a few minutes, Zhao Bowen finally rolled down his car window and greeted Lu Yao and Lu Mingxiao from the roadside, thanking them. Through the car door, he also waved at Xia Huaicong and Li Mi as a farewell before driving straight toward the border.

They had decided to head to Hope Base after all.

Li Mi and Xia Huaicong didn’t reveal any information about the base, nor did they try to dissuade them. At the base, they had seen all kinds of people with different needs. For them, returning to any base was out of the question, but others might yearn for the stability and safety a base could provide.

Once the black sedan disappeared from view, Li Mi and Xia Huaicong stepped out of their van, enthusiastically greeting Lu Mingxiao and thanking Lu Yao.

Lu Yao replied, “Once you place an order, you’re our client. No need to be so polite.”

Li Mi couldn’t help but ask, “The flyer says you only take orders within ten kilometers of the shop. This place is definitely farther than that, right?”

Lu Yao nodded. “You’re in luck. The signal network was just set up in this area today. A little earlier, and we might not have been able to receive your order.”

Xia Huaicong was astonished. “A signal network?! There’s really technology now that can capture orders written on paper?”

Lu Yao smiled. “Trade secret. No comment. By the way, why are you back in Gaosheng City?”

Li Mi’s expression flickered for a moment. She didn’t mention Li Guanghai, clenching her hand at her side before casually replying, “We left Hope Base. We’re planning to settle down in Gaosheng City.”

Lu Yao was a bit surprised.

From what she’d heard from Zhao Ye and his little sparrow gang, the search teams at Hope Base were treated relatively well, better than ordinary people at least, with no worries about food and basic needs.

Lu Mingxiao said nothing, silently confirming Zhao Ye’s assessment.

Anyone with some capability who joined the search team through training could live decently at the base.

Sensing they had their reasons, Lu Yao didn’t press further.

She was preoccupied with the unfinished signal receivers. Delivering goods and handling two unexpected orders had already delayed her schedule. She couldn’t afford to slack off any longer.

Just as she was about to leave, Li Mi called out, “Shop owner, we’re looking for a safe place to stay. Could we place an order and hire a runner to escort us?”

Lu Yao tilted her head toward Lu Mingxiao and answered slowly, “I have some tasks to handle right now, so I can’t take the order. How about you?”

Li Mi and Xia Huaicong turned expectantly toward Lu Mingxiao, following Lu Yao’s gaze.

Lu Mingxiao maintained a calm expression. “I’m new here and unfamiliar with this city. I’d like to stay by the shop owner’s side to learn more. It’s better to rely on the experienced seniors.”

Lu Yao: “…”

Li Mi couldn’t help but tug on Xia Huaicong’s sleeve.

Xia Huaicong, confused, turned to her. “???”

Li Mi shook her head, realizing Xia Huaicong, ever the straightforward type, completely missed the implication in the instructor’s words.

Li Mi immediately asked, “Will another runner be available?”

Lu Yao contacted Zhang Shu and confirmed that there was a free runner available.

After ending the call, Lu Yao said, “Technically, the delivery services for the Changsheng Road area haven’t officially launched yet. However, since there’s an available runner right now, they can take the order at double the fee. If you’re okay with that, you can place an order.”

With the van broken down and no sign of a gas station nearby, both Li Mi and Xia Huaicong, already mentally and physically exhausted from a night of tension, quickly agreed. They didn’t care about the extra cost and placed the order without hesitation.

Lu Yao and Lu Mingxiao returned to their tasks, aiming to complete the signal network coverage for 50 kilometers by the end of the day.

Later that night, with Lu Mingxiao by her side, Lu Yao felt less afraid despite the darkness. She decided to work overtime, finishing the installation of all the signal receivers before heading back.

The two returned to the shop past 10 p.m. The modified electric vehicles made almost no noise, ensuring they wouldn’t disturb nearby residents or alert wandering zombies on the street.

By this hour, only the area around the shop was lit, its glow standing out in the darkness of Guanyin Road. Despite their quiet return, some nearby residents noticed their arrival.

Lu Yao parked the electric vehicle at the shop’s entrance.

The Dream Fulfillment System commented, “There are more people on this street now.”

Before Lu Yao could ask further, the university students from next door came out, followed by two young children from the shop a few doors down from Tang Anqi’s family.

On the other side of the shop, two newcomers—Li Mi and Xia Huaicong—had moved into the house next to Jiang Yifei and Zhou Mingyang.

Lu Yao was surprised to see so many people gathering outside the shop. “Did you all move to Guanyin Road?”

Harold had brought Zheng Han and Zheng Xinxin here. With the siblings being so young, survival elsewhere was nearly impossible. Harold decided to settle them near the shop.

The siblings had met Tang Anqi’s team earlier, and after chatting with them, Zheng Han decided to stay and take care of his sister here. Since the house next to Tang Anqi’s was already reserved by Ding Qing, the siblings moved into the unit beside Ding Qing’s.

Tang Anqi’s team, after learning about the siblings’ situation, went to the building materials market to gather supplies and had a runner deliver them. Before nightfall, they replaced the siblings’ exterior rolling door, ensuring they could rest safely.

Li Mi and Xia Huaicong were escorted here by Qiu Yu. When they mentioned wanting to settle in a safe place, Qiu Yu recalled the shop owner’s safety community initiative discussed during last night’s meeting and brought them directly to Guanyin Road.

Li Mi’s group also encountered Tang Anqi’s team, whose enthusiasm won them over. After a quick exchange, Li Mi and Xia Huaicong decided to stay near the shop as well, choosing the house next to Jiang Yifei’s.

Now, Lu Yao found herself surrounded by a group of enthusiastic new neighbors at the shop’s entrance.

Harold heard the commotion outside and knew Lu Yao had returned. After waiting for a while and not seeing her come in, he impatiently got up and walked out.

Zhang Shu and several of the runners had already finished their shifts, leaving only Ding Qing and Harold to watch the store.

Shortly after nightfall, Budu had come from the hot spring inn looking for Lu Yao. Upon hearing that she hadn’t returned, he had intended to go out to search for her but was persuaded by Harold to stay in the shop, where he had remained since.

Budu followed Harold outside and stood at the doorway. “Mother.”

The lively atmosphere by the roadside came to an abrupt halt at that single word, “Mother.”

The neighbors slowly turned their heads and saw the small figure standing at the door.

The little one was even younger than Zheng Xinxin, with soft silver hair that was fine and bright, gently framing his round, rosy cheeks.

The boy had a pair of dazzling red eyes, so striking that at first glance he resembled the new silver-haired runner at the shop. But on closer inspection, he looked even more like the shop owner.

Lu Yao hadn’t expected Budu to come over. Seeing him standing still at the door, she waved at him. “Can you come out?”

Budu pursed his lips slightly, lifted his gaze to glance at the man standing behind Lu Yao, and then stepped out of the star gate.

Tang Anqi looked back and forth between Lu Yao and Budu, her head filled with curiosity. Could that “Mother” really be referring to the shop owner?

Budu walked steadily to stand in front of Lu Yao. “Mother.”

Lu Yao crouched down and patted his soft hair. “It looks like this world is fine. Now that the weather’s cooling down, it seems like you can go out freely.”

Budu nodded obediently but couldn’t hold back and blurted out, “Mother, I want to be a runner too.”

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