Ch 203: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Lu Yao lifted her head to look at Mo Bao, then glanced sideways at Xuanfeng, silently seeking his opinion.

Xuanfeng pursed his lips and shook his head furiously at her.

Is this a joke? If the Demon Sovereign leaves to work in another world, who will lead the Devil race?

Lu Yao nodded slightly, leaned forward a little, and replied with calm composure, “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

Mo Bao’s hands, resting on his knees, tightened slightly. “Why not?”

Lu Yao explained, “This isn’t a trivial matter.”

Mo Bao protested, “But I’ve heard that the dumb bear demon and pig demon in the shop passed their evaluations and have been assigned to work at the new store.”

Lu Yao clenched her fist internally. That little sparrow really doesn’t know when to shut up.

Without bothering to sugarcoat her response, Lu Yao stated plainly, “Qiu Yu and Zhao Ye, as well as all the shop’s little ones, have signed contracts with me. If you wish to work at the shop, it would require the same. But you are the Demon Sovereign, leader of the Devil race. Surely you can’t take such a contract lightly?”

Mo Bao replied without hesitation, “So it’s just a contract?”

Xuanfeng’s expression changed drastically. Dropping to one knee beside Mo Bao, he implored, “Your Majesty, please reconsider.”

Mo Bao continued, “I was originally just a demon pet. After that man died, I didn’t follow him but instead took the throne. Now, signing another contract is no different. You are stronger than he was, and I am willing.”

Seeing that he couldn’t dissuade Mo Bao, Xuanfeng turned to Lu Yao for help.

Lu Yao shook her head. “You know I’m just an ordinary human. I’ve already signed too many contracts with demons and magical creatures. Adding a Demon Sovereign would be too much for me to bear.”

Mo Bao countered, “Then I shall abdicate as Demon Sovereign and remain as a small, insignificant pet under your command. That way, I can work at the new store.”

Xuanfeng’s face turned even paler, and he suddenly turned to plead with Lu Yao. “Shopkeeper, you know our Sovereign lost his father and has no one left but you who cares for him.”

Lu Yao sighed. “You’re putting me in a very difficult position… Can’t you two coordinate your stories before coming to me?”

Mo Bao hopped off the sofa, walked up to Lu Yao, and gazed at her with his large, glistening crimson eyes. In a soft voice, he called, “Mother…”

Lu Yao raised a hand to cover her face, utterly exasperated by this absurd duo.

Unable to withstand the relentless pestering of these two demons, Lu Yao agreed to secretly sign a contract with Mo Bao.

Both Mo Bao and Budu would join the shop, but neither would be permanent staff.

One had agreed with Lu Yao to start kindergarten after the Mid-Autumn Festival and would only visit on weekends.

The other had promised his subordinates that he would officially work at the shop until the Mid-Autumn Festival events concluded. After that, he would work one day at the shop and spend the other two back at the Demon Palace.

Ah, youth—always restless and full of schemes.

The next morning, just as Lu Yao was waking up, Harold opened a portal.

This time, alongside the usual runners, a black-haired, red-eyed young boy stepped through.

The boy was dressed in a black casual tracksuit, his soft, messy hair framing his cheeks. His bright red eyes gleamed, and in his hand, he held a black-and-red shortboard. This was none other than Mo Bao.

As soon as Mo Bao entered the shop’s lobby and saw Lu Mingxiao, he froze in place.

The man’s features, apart from his hair and eyes, didn’t resemble Ze Yuan. But his aura and gaze carried an uncanny familiarity.

Mo Bao had insisted on working at the shop and even signed a subordinate contract with Lu Yao—all just to meet Lu Mingxiao.

But when Mo Bao finally saw him, Lu Mingxiao’s reaction was utterly indifferent. He glanced at Mo Bao briefly, said nothing, and didn’t inquire further.

Mo Bao wasn’t sure of Lu Mingxiao’s identity, so he turned his head away with a cold expression, pretending not to care.

At this moment, Budu also arrived from the hot spring inn, carrying a white skateboard with gold trim.

Born atop the snow-covered peaks of Qianmen Mountain, Budu had always loved the color white. Reuniting with Lu Yao for work, he had specifically changed into a new set of white clothes, matching Mo Bao’s outfit since Mo Bao’s attire had also been prepared by Lu Yao.

Lu Yao officially introduced the runners to the team: “Lu Mingxiao, Runner No. 7, officially starting today. Runner No. 8, Lu Budu, and Runner No. 9, Mo Bao, will need a day of training. They’ll start by shadowing Harold for deliveries when there are no orders, familiarizing themselves with the area and learning the daily tasks of a runner.”

Budu and Mo Bao had seen each other before on the Floating World Continent, but only briefly during tense situations. They had never spoken directly.

The two exchanged a glance, both exuding an air of aloofness, neither initiating a conversation.

The other runners, somewhat aware of Budu and Mo Bao’s backgrounds, weren’t surprised. Only Zhao Ye stealthily moved further into the back, trying hard to reduce his presence.

Ding Qing, who hadn’t spoken much the previous night, couldn’t hold back anymore and asked Lu Yao, “They’re still so young, and the streets are full of zombies. Are you sure it’s okay for them to make deliveries?”

Lu Yao replied, “With Harold accompanying them, it should be fine.”

She then turned to Budu and Mo Bao, instructing them, “If you’re uncomfortable, don’t push yourselves. Let Uncle Harold bring you back.”

Harold paused slightly before ruffling Mo Bao’s hair vigorously. “I don’t remember having so many nephews. Where did this little guy come from?”

Mo Bao pressed his lips together, enduring silently. He felt like an unnecessary burden, unrecognized and out of place.

Lu Yao explained, “His name is Mo Bao. You’ve probably seen him at the internet café.”

Harold was only teasing. Seeing Mo Bao clamming up like a small oyster, he stopped.

The staff enjoyed a rare breakfast together in the shop. As orders started to come in, the runners headed out. Harold was supposed to take both Budu and Mo Bao along.

However, after breakfast, Mo Bao stuck firmly to Lu Mingxiao and refused to leave.

Lu Yao assigned Harold to take Budu out while she handed Mo Bao over to Lu Mingxiao.

Lu Mingxiao sighed lightly. “I’m a rookie too.”

Lu Yao replied, “The kid likes you so much he’s about to cry. Please take good care of him.”

With no other choice, Lu Mingxiao took Mo Bao along for deliveries.

The network’s range had been extended to 50 kilometers the day before, and with enough runners on hand, Lu Yao didn’t plan to go out herself. She stayed at the shop to prepare for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival activities. If things got too busy, she would step in to handle deliveries.

Zhang Shu oversaw the system while Lu Yao worked in the main hall. Ding Qing, not required to stay in the shop, informed Lu Yao before heading out to fix up her place.

She planned to replace the front door with a solid glass one, install a roll-up metal shutter outside, and renovate the attic with a reinforced door. Lu Yao had promised to help with fortifications once the repairs were done, something Ding Qing was eagerly looking forward to.

At the door, Ding Qing ran into the university student group, who seemed more energetic than usual that morning.

Before everything went awry, Ding Qing had been a college student like them. Unfortunately, her mindset could never return to what it once was. She nodded slightly in greeting.

Tang Anqi and her three friends had woken up to find the boxed pasta and sandwiches from the previous night still slightly warm, thanks to the packaging.

Inside the box were a portion of pasta and four rectangular beef sandwiches.

The four shared the pasta and sandwiches with cold water, enjoying their most luxurious meal in over two months. Naturally, their spirits were high as they prepared to go out.

They cheerfully greeted Ding Qing before heading to fetch the Zheng siblings.

The Zheng siblings were having breakfast when they heard knocking. They quickly put away the box of biscuits, wiped their mouths, and ran to open the door.

By this time, most of the shop’s neighboring residents had already left for the day, leaving the area in front of the shop quiet and deserted.

Occasionally, the sound of rolling wheels reached Lu Yao’s ears. She looked up to see several people dragging large garbage bins past the shop entrance.

Ever since Harold had used a garbage bin to deliver some customers, it had gradually become one of the trendiest delivery tools. Supermarket shopping carts and small household trolleys used for collecting parcels followed closely in popularity.

Lu Yao reviewed the recent order statistics. Yesterday, unexpectedly, there were over forty orders in total, with about 80% being rescue requests from supply points, five or six for deliveries, and a few with more complex requirements.

With enough runners, most orders were completed within the required time. From the order volume over the past three consecutive days, both the number of customers and demand were steadily increasing.

Now that the range of the network had expanded sufficiently, Zhao Ye and his sparrow underlings were distributing flyers and promoting the shop through word of mouth. As orders continued to grow, completing the system’s tasks on time seemed feasible.

…

Hope Base, Jinyao City

The 11th Squad returned to the base after ten days, bringing back ten truckloads of supplies.

Captain Xue Qian had barely stepped into the base when she heard that her boyfriend, Xia Huaicong, and Li Mi had fled the previous night in a base vehicle.

Xue Qian glared coldly at the logistics officer reporting the news. “Where’s the director? And Chen Xin? Is no one handling this?”

The logistics officer shrank back, looking troubled. “Director Li was killed in his office the night before. As for Captain Chen Xin, he was bitten by zombies on a mission the day before the director’s death and didn’t return with the team.”

Xue Qian quickly pieced the situation together and let out a cold laugh. “Li Mi is indeed beautiful, but Li Guanghai was too impatient—his death is no loss. But for Li Mi to drag Xia Huaicong with her? That’s unacceptable.”

The logistics officer wiped at imaginary sweat, equally conflicted.

In these times, finding a decent job was nearly impossible. His former superior, Li Guanghai, had been a scumbag through and through.

To survive, subordinates like him turned a blind eye and stayed silent. But now that Li Guanghai had died mysteriously and the instructor had left, the base was undergoing a shake-up, making life even harder for those below.

Xue Qian asked, “Where’s the instructor? Out on another mission?”

The logistics officer hesitated. “The instructor has left.”

“Left?”

“Not long ago, the 7th and 10th Squads went to Gaosheng City. The director asked the instructor to accompany them, but the instructor never returned. Captain An Xia reported that he’d fallen for a woman in Gaosheng City and ran off with her.”

Xue Qian snorted. “An Xia sure is emotional. Still, I am curious about the woman who could make the instructor fall for her. I always suspected he wasn’t interested in that sort of thing.”

The young logistics officer couldn’t help coughing awkwardly at her comment.

Xue Qian waved dismissively. “Forget it. It’s no fun talking to you. Let me unload this batch of supplies, take two days off, and then go catch Xia Huaicong. He shouldn’t think escaping means he’s free of consequences.”

…

Two days later, Lu Yao’s shop had gained a bit of fame around Guanyin Road, and daily order volumes were steadily rising.

That day, while organizing materials for a meeting, Lu Yao received a system notification:

[Mission Completed!]

[Successfully complete 300 runner orders within seven days.]

Rewards: Popularity +30,000, World Truth Fragments +3!

[Lu Yao’s Courier Shop has gained recognition, upgraded to a 2-star shop!]

Rewards: Popularity +20,000, World Truth Fragment +1! Keep up the good work!

[New Mission!]

Lu Yao’s Runner Shop has earned the trust of Golden Kingdom residents. For sustainable growth, expand shop services and complete 2,000 runner orders within 14 days.

Rewards: Popularity +50,000, World Truth Fragments +5!

The new mission jumped from 300 to 2,000 orders, with only twice the time limit.

Lu Yao complained to the Dream Fulfillment System, “Don’t you think this is a bit too much?”

The system tried to comfort her, “No need to get worked up. With your skills, this is just a breeze, isn’t it?”

Lu Yao sighed, “Our busiest day had only 61 orders. Two thousand in half a month? That’s insane.”

The system grew uneasy. “Once a mission is issued, it can’t be revoked. Can’t you think of any way to manage it?”

Lu Yao didn’t respond. She pulled out five puzzle-like white fragments from her storage space—her rewards for completing the last two missions and leveling up the shop. These were the World Truth Fragments.

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