Chapter 20: 020
After signing a contract with Xinggou officials, Zhu Ran obtained the usage rights for Shop No. 81 in District Central 19 for one month. After that, he could keep renting as long as he continued to pay. This reward was very good for a shop in such a sought-after area.
Having finished the procedures, Zhu Ran was now in the shop. The ten-square-meter area of the new shop was double the size of the one in Newbie Street—about the same size as the room he had lived in back in the Lower District. The initial decoration was in gray and white tones, mostly in a cold, hard metal style. Such a style was naturally unsuitable for a flower shop.
Zhu Ran first began decorating the shop in a 3D model.
“The overall theme will be wooden. I can divide it into several areas: a natural plant area for selling live plants; a derivative products area for things like flower tea and essential oils; and a viewing area for display.”
“The exterior needs to be decorated too. I need to highlight the shop’s natural and quiet characteristics.”
“The incentive reward gave 10,000 Decoration Coins, and they have to be spent within a month, so there’s no need to be stingy.”
After thinking for a moment, Zhu Ran made a plan. He chose a high-quality wood-textured wall and floor, picking a deeper, warmer brownish-yellow color to create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere. On one wall, he added several semi-circular windows, using wood-textured framing for consistency. Outside the windows, he simulated natural sunlight, which cascaded down diagonally, bright and warm.
Based on the areas he had just planned, Zhu Ran allocated three-quarters of the space to the natural plant area. He bought a small white wooden fence to partition the zone. The fence reached about halfway up Zhu Ran’s thigh, with small pointed tips carved into the top, adding a bit of design to the simple fence. Zhu Ran then bought three multi-tiered floor flower stands for the pots, and installed water-drop-shaped minimalist pendant lights on the ceiling. With that, the area for selling natural plants was mostly complete.
“The remaining third of the space will mostly be for selling derivative products. I can make a wall cabinet first; the Daisy tea can be sold there.”
“The remaining open space will be turned into a small holographic eco-zone for now. The eco-zone can be filled with natural plants for display, and as the variety of plants increases, it can be expanded.”
Zhu Ran wasn’t an interior designer; he was just going by feeling to make a version and see the effect. If there were shortcomings, he could adjust them later. With that thought, he pressed the ‘Confirm’ button next to the 3D model.
A flash of fluorescent green data light passed, and the originally gray-and-white high-tech room was instantly transformed. The entire room became a natural wooden style. The overall dark color scheme combined with the soft natural sunlight was very soothing, making one feel relaxed the moment they entered.
“Not bad.” Zhu Ran was quite satisfied with the result.
Finally, he adjusted the position of the door, placing it in front of the holographic eco-zone. As the first thing a customer would see upon entering, it had to be eye-catching. Zhu Ran felt that a single pot of Freesia or any other plant would be too thin; a small eco-zone would be much more attractive.
“The eco-zone will be planted with Freesias and Daisies first, using holographic projections.”
“Freesias are taller, so they’ll be in the back row—I can plant two rows. Daisies are shorter, so they’ll go in the front.”
To facilitate shop owners, Xinggou allowed projection and spiritual-power-based decorations. This greatly enriched the decoration styles and led to many highly stylized shops appearing on the platform. Zhu Ran used projection decorations to “plant” the flowers he had previously uploaded into the deep-colored holographic soil. Within a few minutes, the originally bare soil was filled with plants.
Since the only natural plants Zhu Ran could use were Freesias and Daisies, it inevitably looked a bit monotonous. But even so, the combination of flawless white Freesias and red-centered white Daisies was completely different from any synthetic plant shop in the stars. They were fresh, natural, and full of life, emitting a peaceful and distant fragrance.
Once the small eco-zone was finished, the interior decoration was largely done. Floors, walls, windows, and stands cost a total of 2,300 Decoration Coins. The holographic eco-zone was a bit more expensive, costing 3,000 coins. Zhu Ran still had 4,700 coins left to decorate the exterior.
“The sign should also be in a wooden style. I can use rinceau patterns to decorate it so it’s not too plain.”
“The wall facing the street will be a floor-to-ceiling glass window, accented with a few flowers.”
Unlike other shops selling synthetic plants that used flashy high-tech styles, Zhu Ran stuck to the natural wooden style to the end. A wooden sign was easy to find; Zhu Ran quickly found one in the signage category. However, perhaps due to the decline of natural plants, the rinceau patterns that were common before the apocalypse didn’t exist in the stars.
Zhu Ran had no choice but to use his spiritual power to draw the pattern on the sign, including the shop name. Drawing with spiritual power was very convenient; he only needed to imagine what he wanted to draw, and within seconds, he could see it on the 3D model. If he wasn’t satisfied, he could adjust it at any time until he pressed ‘Confirm.’
Zhu Ran didn’t know how to paint or do calligraphy, but thanks to spiritual power drawing, he only needed to imagine it to recreate text and patterns. Thus, Zhu Ran smoothly drew the four characters for ‘Zhuying Anxiang’ on the sign in semi-cursive script, and added rinceau patterns as decorative borders.
The script combined tight and loose strokes, orderly yet with a hint of wildness, and when paired with the swirling vine patterns derived from flowers and grass, it carried a sense of freedom. Because the sign was drawn with spiritual power, it cost 3,000 Decoration Coins. The floor-to-ceiling glass cost 500 coins. Zhu Ran used the last 1,200 Star Coins to project a few bouquets of flowers and pasted them along the edges of the glass as decoration.
This way, the large glass window also blended with the overall decoration style. And just like that, with some casual spending, the 10,000 Decoration Coins were all used up.
By the time he finished, it was 2:30 AM. Zhu Ran blinked and yawned. He directly listed 5 pots of Freesia, 5 pots of Daisy, plus one jar of Daisy tea, then went offline to sleep. Wearing his fluffy pajamas, Zhu Ran sank into the soft bed, and sleepiness soon took over.
“I wonder if things will sell in the new location.”
“Ah… I think I forgot to post a notice about the change of address and the shop’s location. Too tired, I’ll post it when I wake up tomorrow…”
Cradling his blanket and pillow, Zhu Ran drifted into dreamland. Thus, he had no way of knowing how panicked and lost the people waiting at Newbie Street were when the [Zhuying Anxiang] shop suddenly vanished.
At the entrance of the Zhuying Anxiang shop in Newbie Street, several customers were sitting on the steps along the street, eating cheap holographic food and chatting to pass the time. Some were mercenaries, some were sourcing agents, and others were professional buyers… Their goal was the same: to snag a Freesia when the shop opened so they could fulfill their orders.
“This is my first time taking this kind of job. The employer gave me a 10,000 Star Coin errand fee just to buy a plant? Is money that easy to earn nowadays?” a burly man sitting in a rowdy posture wondered.
“You don’t understand. 10,000 Star Coins is just pocket change for rich people; they don’t care at all,” a sourcing agent said. “Freesias are so hot right now! I have a feeling they’ll only get more expensive.”
A buyer chimed in, “I’ve already bragged to my audience that I’d make a product recommendation video with a Freesia! Who knew they’d be so hard to get.”
“So, rich people’s money really is that easy to earn?”
The three of them chatted away. The originally dull waiting time became less long with company.
“How long do you think the Freesia can stay popular? I’m still thinking about whether to take other orders.”
“I bet one week! This kind of trending plant has a very short life cycle. Didn’t the Fish-scale Narcissus get hyped up to a crazy price of 5,000 Star Coins last month? This month, it’s back to its original form, selling for only 400-500.”
“How can Fish-scale Narcissus compare to the natural plant Freesia? It’s not even close, okay? I think the Freesia can stay hot for an entire winter.”
“I say, have you guys ever considered that since the Freesia is a natural plant, the shop owner might not have a professional cultivation method and just grew it by luck? Maybe next week the owner won’t be able to list a single pot, and the Freesia will go extinct.”
“Hey, don’t jinx it!”
Just as the three were arguing over ‘how long the Freesia can stay hot,’ a “clank” sounded from behind them. Thinking it was the sound of the shop opening, the three turned around. But the moment their eyes met the shop, their mouths hung open in disbelief.
On Newbie Street, the sign for the [Zhuying Anxiang] shop was gone, and the shop’s spot now had a “Temporarily Vacant for Rent” sign.
What? What happened? With a “clank,” the shop is gone?
What kind of interstellar joke was this! The three who had waited so hard to open the shop were instantly anxious.
“Where’s the shop? Where’s my massive shop? The owner didn’t pack up and run, did they?!”
“Don’t do this… my 10,000 sourcing fee, ugh.”
“Admin! Where did the shop go?!”
The AI assistant replied in its monotonic electronic voice: “Upon inquiry, the [Zhuying Anxiang] shop has moved to a new address.”
Moved? As long as it was still open, was moving an issue? No.
But… the next question came. Where did [Zhuying Anxiang] move to? Why can’t I find it through the search function?
Trash app! Ruining people’s lives.
At 4:30 AM, the midnight coffee shop in District Central 19 was preparing to close. Yan You had been open all night and had only seen one customer—Zhu Ran. But he didn’t mind; his part-time job at the coffee shop was paid by the hour—100 Star Coins an hour—so the number of customers didn’t matter much to him. Furthermore, he chose to work in District 19 to relax and find inspiration.
Approaching the hour when dreams awaken, the sky in one corner of District 19 faded from its deep blue, like ink gradually spreading out, from dark to light. Occasionally, a few crisp bird songs rang out, a reminder that a new day was coming. Yan You liked District 19 at this time—clear and innocent, weary yet full of morning energy—it was very stimulating for his inspiration.
He wandered the streets alone, immersed in a lucid loneliness. He enjoyed this time. But as he passed a familiar street, Yan You suddenly stopped.
“Hmm? I don’t think I saw this shop a few days ago. Is it new?”
“The name is [Zhuying Anxiang]… looks like it sells plants.”
“Selling plants in District 19… did the owner not do their homework beforehand?”
As a luxury goods district, District 19 had high-quality customers, and shops selling plants had moved in before. Unfortunately, genetically synthesized plants didn’t fit the customers’ tastes, and within two months, those shops had packed up and left. Over time, there were no more shops selling plants in District 19. Many shop owners and online shoppers knew that District 19 wasn’t suitable for synthetic plants.
But now, Yan You was seeing a plant shop in District 19 again. This shop owner was truly bold!
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