Part 2
“Try it. Many people aren’t used to this taste,” Yan You said.
Zhu Ran smiled, took the coffee, and took a sip. Coffee made from synthetic plants was more acidic, masking the original bitterness; it tasted like a coffee-flavored drink mixed with lemon juice. It was a bit strange, but not exactly bad. Zhu Ran accepted it well and finished the cup in a few moments.
“Are you the only one open tonight?”
Seeing Zhu Ran drink the coffee without a change in expression, Yan You was quite surprised. After all, even he couldn’t stand the taste; if the hourly wage hadn’t been so high, he wouldn’t have chosen to work here.
“I just got here recently too,” Yan You’s voice was soft and slow, as if he didn’t communicate with others often. “Since I started, our coffee shop has been the only one open at night.”
The implication was that District 19 at night was indeed… very quiet.
Zhu Ran’s holographic image was that of a young man in his early twenties, with a gentle and peaceful aura that easily garnered goodwill. Seeing today’s only customer was curious about District 19, Yan You chatted a bit more. “Is this your first time in District 19?”
“Yes, just browsing.”
“District 19… more shops open after noon. You should come back in the afternoon.”
Zhu Ran nodded. “Alright. You’re very good at brewing coffee. Can I find you for a latte with art next time I’m free?”
Yan You was slightly stunned, his ears instantly turning red from shyness. “Y-yes.”
Zhu Ran smiled. “I have things to do, so I’ll be going. See you next time.”
Zhu Ran said his goodbyes after finishing the strangely flavored coffee. Thus, he had finished inspecting all three rewarded shops.
From the perspective of foot traffic and location, District 15, with its high Otaku density, was the most suitable for opening a shop. Even at night, there were many people browsing, and the customers were enthusiastic, radiating youthful energy. District Central 19 and District North 11 were slightly inferior. District 11 had decent traffic, but the shop location was a bit remote. Meanwhile, District 19 had almost no shops open at night; it was so quiet it felt like it wasn’t a proper commercial street.
Just as Zhu Ran was about to list District 15 as his top choice, his customer Mu Qingzhou sent him a message.
[Mu Qingzhou]: Congratulations on winning first place. Have you chosen where to set up the new shop?
Zhu Ran hadn’t expected Mu Qingzhou to message him at this time. In Zhu Ran’s eyes, they were just buyer and seller—acquaintances at best, and the kind of online acquaintances with a certain distance between them. They weren’t close at all. But such an ‘unfamiliar’ customer had messaged him in the middle of the night. It was quite unexpected.
Zhu Ran still remembered Mu Qingzhou’s virtual image—like a snow mountain wrapped in a layer of ice, flawless and cold, making one hesitate even if they felt admiration.
He seems like a very aloof person, but he’s actually quite proactive.
Rating Mu Qingzhou this way, Zhu Ran sent a message back.
[Zhu]: I’m currently choosing a new shop address. I’m a bit hesitant.
[Mu Qingzhou]: If it’s convenient, tell me about it. Maybe I can help?
Neither the original owner nor Zhu Ran had friends in this world. The only one Zhu Ran was somewhat familiar with was Officer Xiuna, but it was too late to disturb him. Since Mu Qingzhou offered, Zhu Ran went ahead and explained the situation of the three shops.
[Mu Qingzhou]: Are you in the shop? I’ll come find you.
[Zhu]: I’m here. [Location Shared]
[Mu Qingzhou]: Wait one minute.
One minute later, accompanied by a spatial ripple, Mu Qingzhou appeared before Zhu Ran with a “whoosh.” He was still dressed in pure white, his aura as clean and piercing as snow. However, when he saw Zhu Ran, the corners of his eyes lifted slightly, as if he were in a good mood.
“Good evening.”
“It’s so late. Aren’t you sleeping?”
Zhu Ran remembered that last time, near midnight, Mu Qingzhou had gone offline because it was ‘too late and time to rest.’ It was now almost 1:00 AM, yet he was still awake.
Mu Qingzhou shook his head. “Finals are coming up; I can’t quite sleep.”
This was half-true. Finals were indeed approaching, but his insomnia wasn’t because of them.
“Which locations did the system offer?”
Zhu Ran named the three streets.
“Wait a moment.” As he spoke, Mu Qingzhou began typing on a semi-transparent floating keyboard. Moments later, a spreadsheet floated in the air. Mu Qingzhou pushed it toward Zhu Ran. “These are the data for the three districts.”
The data listed foot traffic, target demographic age ranges, payment rates, average spending per person, quarterly income, commodity types, and more. It covered every aspect.
Mu Qingzhou explained, “Based on the data, customers in District Central 19 are most likely to become your target users.”
District Central 19 was the one where no shops were open at night.
“District 19 is actually the most suitable?”
Zhu Ran hadn’t expected this district to be the best fit, so he looked closely at the spreadsheet. Among the provided data, District Central 19’s payment rate and average spending per person were sudden outliers—they were leading by a massive margin. The average monthly spending per person in District 19 was 46,000 Star Coins. Compared to the second place’s 1,200, it was leagues ahead.
Zhu Ran couldn’t help but marvel, “The purchasing power in District 19 is so strong.”
“District 19 is the luxury goods district. Those who shop there have high social status,” Mu Qingzhou elaborated, his gaze never leaving Zhu Ran.
Zhu Ran continued to study the information for District 19. As Mu Qingzhou said, it was a famous luxury street. It started when an old artist accidentally registered a shop there. Afterward, his students, his clients, and other prominent figures also opened shops in District 19 to try and get closer to him. Over time, the shops in District 19 became higher and higher in class.
Natural jewelry, energy stones, limited-edition hovercars, luxury designer clothing, and fine art all moved into District 19. It gradually became a high-end luxury street. And because most shop owners were dealing in luxury goods and weren’t short on money, the operations were very casual. Some shops opened one day a month; others opened whenever they bought something new and wanted to show it off; some only stayed open for an hour a day…
Forget about the quiet nights—mornings weren’t necessarily busy either. But even so, District 19’s monthly turnover was the highest among the three. It was a place where they “didn’t open for business often, but when they did, they made a fortune.”
The natural plants in Zhu Ran’s shop were generally priced around 30,000 Star Coins. In other districts, this price might be considered astronomical, but among the overall prices in District 19, it wasn’t expensive—it was even considered cheap. After all, there were people selling paintings for tens of millions there!
With Mu Qingzhou’s reminder, Zhu Ran also felt it was more appropriate to open his shop in District 19. Although the foot traffic wasn’t as large, the users were very willing to spend, and his natural plants could be considered rare items in the stars.
He had been negligent when choosing the site earlier, forgetting to consider the factor of user purchasing power. He wasn’t selling common flowers and grass for ten Star Coins a bundle now, but natural plants that could sell for tens of thousands.
Thanks to Mu Qingzhou, he might have chosen the wrong location otherwise.
Zhu Ran thanked him sincerely. “Thank you for the data; it’s very useful.”
A faint smile hung on his face, his emerald eyes seemingly rippling with a fine galaxy, appearing lively and gentle under the night sky.
Mu Qingzhou’s tone softened involuntarily. “It’s an honor to be of help.”
“I’ll send you some small gifts tomorrow. Is it convenient to give me your address in a bit?”
Mu Qingzhou had no reason to refuse and sent his address online. Zhu Ran took a quick glance; it was the same place as the previous customer ‘Qin Ke is Very Reliable’—Jialan Comprehensive University.
Zhu Ran instantly guessed that Mu Qingzhou was the “male god” Qin Ke had mentioned. Deducing further, Mu Qingzhou must be a prominent figure at the university. And yet, such a prominent figure was currently discussing shop locations with him so sincerely; this made Zhu Ran feel he was very easy-going and not aloof at all.
Mu Qingzhou lowered his eyes and said, “Next, you’ll be decorating the shop, right? Do you want to browse some other shops? It’s daytime in a few of Xinggou’s streets right now; you can use them as a reference for your decorations.”
“Will it be too much trouble for you?”
Mu Qingzhou shook his head. “It’s fine. I can’t sleep anyway.” He stood up and invited, “Shall we?”
His cold face softened with the slight curve of his lips, like spring snow melting—chilled, yet carrying bright, warm light.
Zhu Ran responded, “Alright.”
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