Chapter 59: The Wood Carving Shop Opens
While Chu Feng was enjoying himself in the other world, back on Earth, the Crescent Wood Carving Shop had successfully opened.
The sudden appearance of a wood carving shop in the mall attracted a lot of curiosity.
The prices of the wood carvings shocked many of the visitors.
“That new wood carving shop is insane! There’s hardly anything in there under 10,000!”
“There are a few under 10,000. I saw some bracelets in a display case—each one was 8,888. Probably the cheapest items they’ve got.”
“8,888 for a bracelet? More like 8.88!”
“Is that shop selling wood carvings or gold? Who dares price things that high?!”
“And if the prices weren’t bad enough, the owner clearly has no clue—he hired only one sales clerk, and he’s a stutterer!”
“What kind of boss hires a stutterer as a sales rep? Must not actually want to make money!”
Inside the shop, Lin Zhihao stood nervously watching the people wandering around.
He had thought that not many people would come after the shop opened. But maybe because wood carving shops were rare or their prices were so outrageous, a lot of people came just to gawk. The store had decent foot traffic, though most just looked and didn’t buy. At first, Lin Zhihao was disappointed, but he quickly adjusted his mindset.
“Hey, little bro, can I get a discount on this carving?”
“Can you make it cheaper?”
“What kind of wood is this made from? Why’s it so expensive?”
…
Lin Zhihao kept a straight face and said nothing. At first, he had answered patiently. But by now, he recognized these people—they’d come multiple times already. They had no intention of buying anything. They just wanted to hear him stammer for their own amusement.
“So many people, huh?” Chu Feng walked in.
As soon as he stepped into the shop, Chu Feng noticed Lin Zhihao’s uncomfortable expression. Lin Zhihao saw Chu Feng and lit up, calling out, “Manager!”
They had agreed beforehand to use this title so people wouldn’t realize Chu Feng was the actual owner.
“You’re the manager here?” someone asked.
Chu Feng nodded. “That’s right.”
“What kind of wood are these carvings made from?”
“That’s confidential.”
“Can’t you lower the price?”
“No.”
“Do you have a certificate of authenticity?”
“No.”
“Three-no products (no brand, no certification, no warranty) and you’re selling them this expensive?”
“The boss is fine with it.”
“Who’s going to buy at that price?”
“Someone will. Just not you.”
“How do you know I won’t buy?”
“Are you going to, then?”
The young people were annoyed, but not enough to actually buy something out of spite. They left angrily, while other people in the store watched Chu Feng with curiosity. Seeing his stern expression, they quietly slipped out too.
Lin Zhihao stared at Chu Feng. “Brother Feng, you’re here.”
Chu Feng looked around in surprise. “So many people? I underestimated this.”
He hadn’t expected much foot traffic. So when Lin Zhihao said they could wait on hiring more staff, Chu Feng agreed. But now it was clear that wouldn’t work. Those young people clearly knew Lin Zhihao stuttered and were messing with him on purpose.
Lin Zhihao scratched his head. “I’m okay, just a bit overwhelmed.”
Chu Feng thought to himself, I wonder if the shaman Qiu Luo can treat Zhihao’s stuttering. I’ll have to ask him next time I go.
After thinking for a moment, Chu Feng said, “Let’s make some banners. That way, you won’t need to talk—just point at the signs.”
“Would that be okay?”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
Lin Zhihao frowned. Something felt off, but he couldn’t put it into words.
*
Outside the shop…
“Did you hear? Crescent Wood Carving Shop got a new manager.”
“That shop has a manager? I thought it was just the stuttering clerk.”
“Well, the manager seems even more unreliable. He came in and immediately drove out all the customers.”
“What kind of owner hires people like that?”
“Probably a relative of the boss—had to use connections to get the job.”
“Must be. Setting up a shop like that can’t be cheap. The decor is so fancy—why hire someone like that?”
“With the economy being so bad, a bunch of stores in this mall have already closed and new ones have popped up. Let’s make a bet on how long this wood carving shop will last.”
“I bet two months. The grilled skewer place next door only lasted two.”
“Two months is too short. I say three.”
“They put so much effort into the setup—no way it’ll close so soon. I bet at least a year.”
A few clothing store clerks were chatting away when a female sales assistant came over excitedly.
“Xiao Yue, skipping work again? Using your stomachache excuse to run around?” someone joked.
The woman laughed. “I went to Crescent Wood Carving Shop. Guess what I saw?”
“What? Don’t tell me they lowered their prices.”
The female sales assistant shook her head and said, “Nope, but the shop hung up a bunch of banners—super amusing ones.”
Chu Feng was always quick to act. Right after mentioning the idea of banners, he had them put up.
Lin Zhihao stared at the banners in the store, feeling a bit of a headache.
“Materials of our products are confidential.”
“All items are non-negotiable.”
“No returns or exchanges after purchase.”
“If you feel it’s a loss, suck it up.”
A few people stared at the banners in the shop and clicked their tongues in amazement. So bold! In today’s business world, everyone tries to smile and please their customers. With such aggressive signage, and barely any business to begin with, they figured the owner must have just given up.
“Cousin, is this really okay?” Lin Zhihao asked.
Chu Feng nodded, “Of course. If anyone asks you something from now on, you don’t need to answer—just point to the banners.”
Lin Zhihao muttered, “I’m not so sure about this…”
But Chu Feng confidently replied, “We’re positioning the shop as high-end. Keeping a cold and aloof attitude is part of the image.”
Lin Zhihao rolled his eyes. The shop had seemed high-end, but now with these banners, it felt more like a shady roadside stall.
“I’m heading off now. It’s time you hired someone to help. I’ll leave that to you.”
Lin Zhihao puffed out his cheeks and said, “Me?”
He agreed the shop needed another hand. Sometimes when he needed to use the restroom, there was no one to watch the place. Even though the carvings were all locked behind theft-proof glass, he still felt uneasy. The carvings were so expensive—any theft would be a huge problem.
Scratching his head, Lin Zhihao said, “I’m not good at hiring people.”
Chu Feng rolled his eyes, “I’m the big boss. I can’t do everything myself. This is on you.”
Lin Zhihao looked at him and said, “But I also need to go buy a car.”
Hiring someone and car shopping meant no one would be minding the store.
Chu Feng thought for a moment and said, “Then just close the shop for now. It’s not like there’s any real business. A few days off won’t hurt.”
Lin Zhihao sighed and nodded, “Okay…”
*
Chu Feng had been back for a few days, and the wood carving shop hadn’t made a single sale. Though he had mentally prepared for this, the reality still stung a little.
Thinking “Truly insightful customers are rare,” Chu Feng returned to Crescent Village.
Illya looked surprised. “You came back a bit early this time.”
Chu Feng smiled, “Did I?”
Illya nodded. “Yes. It’s only been about sixty-eight hours.”
Chu Feng had previously given Illya an alarm clock. Since the time in this world wasn’t based on a 24-hour system, a regular watch wasn’t much use, but the clock helped track how long Chu Feng had been gone. Normally, he’d be away for around 80 hours; this time, it was only 68.
Chu Feng smiled and said, “I’m trying to control the timing.”
Illya blinked, “So that means you can stay here longer?”
Chu Feng nodded, “It seems like it.”
If he could control the timing better, he could avoid some of the uncertainty—like having to travel between worlds in the middle of the night.
Illya smiled, “Your abilities should improve. Maybe it’s related to the medicine you’ve been taking.”
Chu Feng nodded, “Probably.”
The potions made by the shaman were indeed effective. After improving his physical condition, his control over his powers had also improved.
“The shaman hasn’t gone out to gather herbs, right? I have something I want to ask him.”
Illya asked curiously, “What is it?”
“Can the shaman treat stuttering?” Chu Feng asked.
Illya nodded, “Yes! There was a child in the village who used to speak with a stutter—he was cured by the shaman.”
Chu Feng got excited, “Really?”
Illya nodded again, “Yes. Are you asking for someone from your world?”
Chu Feng nodded, “Yeah.”
Illya thought for a moment and asked, “What’s his physical condition like?”
Chu Feng said, “Not great…”
His cousin’s condition might be even worse than his own had been.
Illya frowned a bit, “Are people in your world… all that weak?”
Chu Feng replied, “I’m not that weak anymore.”
Illya nodded, “That’s true.”
Since Chu Feng had been coming to this world, he could clearly feel his improved physical strength.
“If his condition is like your old self, the dosage might need to be halved.”
Chu Feng nodded, “Makes sense.”
Illya asked curiously, “Who is the person you want to treat?”
“My cousin.”
Illya nodded with an “Oh” of understanding.
Chu Feng, meanwhile, was wondering how Lin Zhihao was doing… and if he had managed to hire a new shop assistant yet.
