The long-haired young man rely glanced at the two of them, not even bothering to stand up and greet them. He remained lazily seated behind the counter, looking completely at ease.
Yan held Jue Jue's hand, and the two exchanged a look. Speak of the devil.
They had just ntioned how unusually quiet this week had been, and now sothing big had happened.
A dinsional convenience store—was this what they thought it was?
A store selling goods from different dinsions?
Yan thought for a mont, then spoke cautiously, "Excuse , what do you use for transactions here?"
"And if we don’t buy anything, can we leave?"
A door had suddenly appeared on the street, and they had barely touched it—not even grabbing the handle—before being pulled inside. Put nicely, it was like eting a destined connection; put bluntly, it was practically forced solicitation!
Was this place going to force them to buy sothing?
Though Yan thought she and Jue Jue had already encountered so pretty bizarre people with strange auras, this one took the cake.
They had been whisked away from the street—was this so kind of alternate dinsion?
Back when she was a kid watching old Hong Kong dramas, shops like this that you suddenly entered often traded in things like souls, looks, or even lifespans!
A dinsional convenience store—who knew what kind of dinsions this connected to? Could it lead to the eighteen layers of hell or so demonic abyss?
So, Yan was being extra careful with her words.
At the sa ti, she was observing the environnt of the dinsional convenience store. The space wasn’t very large, and the interior had a very natural, rustic feel to it.
The glass and wooden cabinets had a lot of empty space between each item, with only the nas of the products labeled. There were no prices listed.
Products without prices were even creepier! What if they were weighed on a scale and cost years of her life? Yan was quite fond of her lifespan, thank you very much.
The store owner lounging behind the counter looked exactly like the typical lazy, indifferent owner of a neighborhood convenience store.
Only after hearing Yan’s questions did the long-haired young man straighten up slightly.
"We accept Xia Country Currency through electronic paynts—QR codes, blue codes, and cloud paynts are all fine. Cash is also accepted. If nothing else works, bartering is an option."
"Though the store is small, it’s not a shady business. We don’t force anyone to buy anything. If you don’t find anything you like, just turn around and walk out the door, and you’ll be back where you started."
Hearing this, Yan felt a bit more at ease. Electronic paynts? That was amazing. This place felt like it was in so alternate dinsion, yet it had internet access?
Yan nodded at him. "We’ll take a look around first."
She was also curious about what exactly this dinsional convenience store was selling.
If items with special abilities were to leak out into the world, wouldn’t things beco even more chaotic?
Yan and Jue Jue began examining the products in front of them. Truthfully, there weren’t many items in the store, but they were definitely things the two had never seen before.
The shelves in the area where they stood seed to be filled with special "food items."
These were snacks that Yan and Zhu Jue had never encountered before.
"Stellar Cloud Brand Nutrient Supplent."
Yan picked up a small bottle made of an unknown material, about two fingers wide. It was engraved with descriptions and instructions in both Chinese and another unfamiliar script.
The spiral nebula logo was prominently displayed across the bottle, and Yan noticed it was labeled with 【Standard Single-Day Energy - Chocolate Flavor】.
So this was the legendary nutrient supplent? One bottle could sustain you for a whole day? She wondered how it actually tasted.
Yan rubbed her chin. From her experience, things like compressed biscuits and energy bars were usually high in oil, sugar, and had a long shelf life, but their taste was nothing to write ho about.
A dinsion capable of producing such portable nutrient supplents must have a technological level far beyond the modern era, right?
She had no idea what kind of raw materials were used to make this. While it would be incredibly useful in ti-sensitive situations or on the battlefield, Yan couldn’t imagine consuming it as part of her daily diet.
"Which manufacturer made this?"
Yan put on an innocent expression as she asked, "Portable nutrient supplents—are these for military use? Why is there text from an ethnic minority group? Is this for export? Or is it so small factory’s sci-fi collaboration?"
Lu Chen finally looked up. Though he was the owner of this convenience store, this was his first ti welcoming custors, and he couldn’t help feeling a little nervous.
"I can’t disclose the supply chain, but you can rest assured about the quality. One bottle of this portable nutrient supplent can provide all the energy you need for an entire day."
Lu Chen had been secretly observing the two for a while now. They looked like an ordinary young college couple.
"It’s perfect for exam week or when you’re in a hurry," he added, reciting the sales pitch he had prepared.
These were his first custors in this world—he had to make at least one sale!
For this occasion, he had specifically stocked up on snacks. Though they looked different from Earth’s usual fare, Lu Chen was confident they could sell.
Grand opening, grand opening! Ever since he had been inexplicably bound to the dinsional system, his dream of graduating from college and opening a small, laid-back snack store had taken a sharp turn.
From an ordinary snack store, it had transford into a dinsional convenience store.
As a rookie store owner, Lu Chen had originally planned to stock his store with spicy strips, dried tofu, figs, crispy noodles, fish skin beans, and monkey candy—items that had just arrived.
Now, they were all sitting in the warehouse, waiting for him to slowly consu them himself.
Lu Chen was the newest of newbies when it ca to running a dinsional store. He could only travel to other dinsions once a month, and even then, it was random—he couldn’t choose which dinsion he’d end up in.
For his first dinsional trip, Lu Chen had spent a fortune preparing himself.
Uncertain of what level of dinsion he’d end up in, though he guessed it would most likely be a low-tech ancient one, he had made multiple plans. He prepared finely tailored clothing from several dynasties, modern outfits, self-defense weapons, and items that could fetch high prices in ancient tis—glass beads, soap, custom-made mirrors, artificially synthesized gemstones, traditional skincare and costics, high-yield grain seeds, and backup dicines.
Lu Chen had even spent a long ti studying the "Three Great Books for Ti Travelers" and ticulously taking notes on online guides about traveling to ancient tis.
But when his first dinsional trip finally happened, Lu Chen was dumbfounded.
Who could have told him why a store owner from an ordinary tech-based dinsion like his would end up in a future interstellar world on his very first trip?
Lu Chen, who had grown out his hair and dressed himself in ancient-style clothing, was completely stunned.
Especially when a warrior in powered armor suddenly appeared in his store—his heart nearly stopped.
The guy, who looked like he had walked straight out of a sci-fi movie, was equally shocked to see Lu Chen in his ancient attire and wig. But when he saw the items in the store, he beca absolutely ecstatic.
"Bro, are you a fan of ancient Earth too? Your outfit is spot on!"
"These clothes look just like the ones in the museum. The fabric doesn’t look like synthetic silk—could it be pure natural material? Wow, you’re really into ancient Earth, huh?"
The armored soldier couldn't help but move closer to Lu Chen, carefully examining his face.
"Indeed, you are pure-blood among pure-bloods. Even the holographic actors in those star-net dramas nowadays can hardly model such a traditional face."
Pure-blood? Lu Chen didn't dare to say a word.
The dinsional system had equipped him with an automatic translator, but he was afraid that opening his mouth would reveal his ignorance. He knew absolutely nothing about this world!
Even Earth had beco "Ancient Earth" in the mouth of this cha soldier. Lu Chen maintained a faint smile on his face, neither confirming nor denying, to preserve his air of mystery.
Lu Chen displayed the cheap little mirrors he had originally planned to use to trick ancient people, along with various glass cups and ceramic skincare bottles. The cha soldier was so excited that he seed ready to pull out a magnifying glass to inspect them.
"Bro, is this your personal museum? Did you collect all these yourself? They're in such great condition! These look like everyday items from before the Great Galactic Expansion. Very few of these have survived to this day."
Lu Chen smiled without speaking, silently gathering information from the excited words of his first custor.
In the end, after much pleading from the soldier nad Lucas, Lu Chen sold him a small handheld mirror with an old-fashioned pattern on the back for 300,000 star coins.
After sending off his first inter-dinsional custor, Lu Chen imdiately closed the shop.
He observed the ordinary people outside through a hidden window in the shop. Thankfully, not everyone was dressed in those armored suits.
Lu Chen dug out a set of plain dark blue clothes without any logos from his storage and put them on before heading out. He looked like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden as he stepped into this future dinsion.
There was so much to take in that his brain couldn't process it all. In the sky, floating spacecraft drifted by, while on the aerial tracks, sleek flying cars of various designs raced past. The tracks seed to overlap, as if multiple pathways were built into a single route.
People on the street were mouthing words to the air. It wasn't until Lu Chen had spent two days on the planet Karu that he realized they were likely using privacy shields on their neural interfaces, so others couldn't see or hear who they were communicating with.
Because of his "pure-blood" appearance, Lu Chen even altered his face and hair. Fortunately, he had made a lot of preparations for his trip to ancient tis.
Now, even though he hadn't made it to the past, he could still disguise himself in the future.
Lu Chen stayed on Karu for a full two weeks. With 300,000 star coins, he quickly purchased so daily necessities of the era and a virtual space. As long as he didn't speak, he could easily pass as a star-faring citizen.
300,000 was a huge sum of money, more than enough to live comfortably. A standard neural interface only cost a few thousand.
But the cautious Lu Chen didn't dare to touch the high-tech products of this era.
The gap in technological advancent was too vast. Even if he brought sothing back, the difference in societal tech levels would make it seem like an incomprehensible relic.
So, he slowly explored the star-net of this era. However, due to the long passage of ti and the loss of historical continuity, the interstellar age viewed "Ancient Earth" from a thousand years ago through an extrely mysterious lens.
Lu Chen found it difficult to locate technical materials that were close to the level of his real-world technology!
The technological gap was too wide. Purchasing high-energy weapons required various certifications, and even clothes and furniture were high-tech products.
After wandering around for a while, Lu Chen pondered what kind of goods he should stock. Eventually, he settled on food from the interstellar era.
No era is complete without snacks.
Even in this age where the descendants of Earthlings had spread across the universe, the hottest topics on the star-net were still related to the cuisine of their ho planet.
The ongoing feud between Brand A's salty tofu brain nutrient drink and Brand B's sweet tofu-flavored nutrient drink, dragging the entire population into a marketing war, left Lu Chen utterly stunned when he first saw it.
We Earthlings are truly sothing. Two thousand years later, even with fragnted historical records, we're still arguing over whether tofu brain should be salty or sweet for a whole month.
In the end, Lu Chen stocked up on so tech products (strictly for personal use) and kept a few extras, just in case he ended up in a world closer to the future where the tech level wasn't too different.
Of course, the real items he planned to bring back to modern Earth were the various snacks from the future.
He specifically chose ones with packaging that didn't look too strange and flavors that modern people could accept.
To taste-test these snacks, Lu Chen had to put in a lot of effort.
Isn't it normal for a small shop to sell so quirky snacks?
After all, people from Xia Country are always coming up with innovative food creations, so it wouldn't draw any special attention.
So, when faced with the young woman's questions, Lu Chen simply brushed them off with claims of confidential sourcing.
Yan let out an "Oh," not pressing further. There was no hurry.
She put down the nutrient drink in her hand and turned to look at other products.
"Is this cotton candy?"
She picked up a lightweight, transparent bag containing a star cluster candy. The strangely colored star cluster was encased in the transparent bag, its volu expanded, making it seem like you could reach out and touch the cluster itself.
"Custor, this is star cluster candy. It's very practical—you can eat it, and it also provides a unique experience at night."
"Watch this—"
Lu Chen snapped his fingers, and the dinsional shop instantly transford into nightti.
Yan and Zhu Jue watched as the star cluster candy in her hand emitted a faint glow.
In the deep darkness, it felt like gazing at the stars, seeing a star cluster from another part of the universe.
Yan was srized. A candy that could glow and be eaten? Earlier, there was the Spiral Nebula brand nutrient drink, and now this star cluster candy.
Could snacks like this be developed a hundred years from now?
Is this the future of our ti, or... the universe?
Just then, the shopkeeper Lu Chen's voice ca again: "Each star cluster candy represents a star cluster in the universe, replicated at a 1:1 scale based on the mont it was observed."
The first ti he tried this star cluster candy, Lu Chen was also pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, his ti in the interstellar dinsion was limited. Otherwise, he could have traveled to a star cluster tourist spot like the locals, holding up a star cluster candy for a morable photo.
Yan: !
This star cluster candy in front of her seed even more practical than the bedroom star lights that had once been popular online. She was already tempted.
With another snap of Lu Chen's fingers, Yan and Zhu Jue's surroundings returned to daylight.
Yan touched the transparent bag. Since the star cluster candy was quite large—about the size of a freshly made cotton candy from the streets—she temporarily placed it on the counter and continued browsing other products.
Zhu Jue picked up a square transparent box from the counter, inside of which was a round, glossy fruit.
The surface of the fruit was peculiar, as if shrouded in a hazy white mist.
"Is there dry ice inside?" Zhu Jue asked.
Lu Chen chuckled at this mont, "No, this is the Mistglow Fruit, a type of fruit that only blooms and bears fruit under special conditions."
"Mistglow Fruit?" Yan was puzzled.
"This fruit grows under unique climatic conditions, thriving only in places shrouded in perpetual mist. When the external glow of dawn or dusk shines upon it, its skin changes color along with the shifting light."
"Each Mistglow Fruit tastes different. Before you taste it, the last glow it was exposed to determines its final flavor and appearance."
Lu Chen explained the information he had learned while sourcing the fruit. If he hadn't personally tried the Mistglow Fruit, he would have thought it only existed in human imagination or novels.
"Is this a natural chaleon fruit? The taste of dawn and dusk... it doesn't sound very appetizing," Yan thought to herself.
It sounded like so kind of celestial treasure from a cultivation novel, but according to the shopkeeper, it didn't seem to have any special effects.
Lu Chen had expected the young couple in front of him to have many questions or look at him as if he were crazy after hearing his explanation, which sounded like sothing out of a fantasy.
But the two simply nodded and said, "We understand."
As if everything he said was completely normal, they believed him without finding it strange at all.
Was their train of thought too long?
Surely, it couldn't be that he was the one who was abnormal! Lu Chen thought to himself.
After all, since the Mistglow Fruit had to mature under natural dawn or dusk light and was extrely expensive, he had specifically bought so to experint with after bringing it back to Blue Star. The fruits exposed to morning and evening glows had completely different flavors.
Yan then turned her attention to the planetary drinks on the nearby counter.
They were round, planet-shaped containers with natural bamboo straws. She had no idea what was inside.
"Is this a drink? Coconut shell?" Although she knew it wasn't coconut, Yan pretended to guess anyway.
"This is the Super Galaxy Cup," Lu Chen replied.
"The large galaxy cup contains several small planets, each with a different flavor. It's like a blind box."
"Small planets?" Yan was still confused.
"Do you drink different flavors through the straw? Or is it jelly?"
Lu Chen demonstrated by holding a galaxy cup in his hand. He inserted the bamboo straw, and like a coconut, the galaxy cup seed to activate, revealing six small planets circling around it.
"Good luck," Lu Chen said.
"You got six planets. The galaxy cup is like gambling—if you're unlucky, you might only get three, but if you're lucky, you can get six or seven. The flavors are also a gamble."
Lu Chen poked the straw into one of the small planets and frowned slightly.
"Yellow Rock Grass juice. This one doesn't taste good."
Yellow Rock Grass was an edible plant grown on many planets in the interstellar era, recomnded by nutritionists for its health benefits, but it was truly unpleasant to eat.
Yan watched as he poked the straw into another small planet. This ti, instead of a drink, a small figurine popped out.
"It really is a blind box!" Yan's eyes sparkled. This thing was interesting—she wanted it!
One fascinating snack after another caught Yan's attention, and she kept asking about the prices, her face showing a mix of excitent and hesitation.
While these snacks didn't seem to have any special benefits, Yan and Jue Jue discussed and picked out a few items, especially the Mistglow Fruit, which cost 1,000 Xia Country Currency per piece.
Since they wanted to try both morning and evening glows, Yan took two, which amounted to a whopping 2,000 Xia Country Currency!
Yan wasn't worried about the products not matching their descriptions. The words "Dinsional Convenience Store" were clearly displayed above the shopkeeper's head, so these snacks, which she had never seen in real life, were likely genuine.
Moreover, the owner of this Dinsional Convenience Store wasn't like the other extraordinary people Yan and Zhu Jue knew. He wasn't soone they were likely to et again.
Yan thought about it and decided that experiencing this "Dinsional Convenience Store" was a rare opportunity. If she might only get to visit once in her lifeti, she might as well go all out!
Galaxy Cup? I'll take it! Star Cluster Candy? I want it!
Nutrition drinks? Let's grab a few different flavors to try. They'd be so convenient for outdoor trips.
After a shopping spree, Yan and Jue Jue checked out, and the shopkeeper handed them a compressed packaging bag as a gift.
This thing was amazing. It was the size of a button in their hands, but when they rubbed it with warm hands, it expanded into a large bag. When not in use, they could simply squeeze it back into a tiny size. It was incredibly lightweight and super convenient.
"Thank you for your patronage. All you need to do is silently think of the place you want to go, pull open the door, and you'll arrive there directly."
"If you don't have a destination in mind, opening the door will take you back to where you ca from."
Lu Chen hadn't expected the young couple to buy so much. This was a big opening sale for his world, and it lifted his spirits.
"The door to this store can only be seen by those destined to find it."
"If fate allows, perhaps we'll et again," Lu Chen said with a smile.
Yan nodded, "Thank you, boss. What should we call you?"
"Lu Chen," he replied.
"Boss Lu, see you again if fate allows," Zhu Jue said.
Yan and Jue Jue whispered to each other. With so many snacks suddenly in their hands, it would be inconvenient to walk back from the mall, so they decided to return directly to their university.
Especially to the secluded path they often visited. There were no surveillance caras there, and it was usually deserted. They could sit on a bench and wait for the evening glow.
So, they pulled open the door together, silently thinking of their university's location.
A flash of white light, and Yan and Zhu Jue appeared on a small path in Bin University's campus.
After confirming that no one was around, Yan's eyes sparkled, "That convenience store's door is like a Doraemon's Anywhere Door!"
You could go anywhere just by opening the door—it was exactly like the Anywhere Door from Doraemon!
"If Lucas had this, it would be so convenient," Yan said.
If they could have an Anywhere Door like this, they could save so much on travel expenses!
It was basically teleportation! If they replaced their dorm room door with it, they could sleep in until right before class, then open the door and appear in the classroom. How convenient would that be!
"I wonder who else will enter that convenience store in the future," Zhu Jue said.
This experience, like stumbling into an urban legend, would probably make most people think they'd encountered so kind of ghost story.
Zhu Jue checked the sunset ti on his phone, and the two sat on the bench, waiting for the evening glow.
Ye Ping'an was too lazy to leave campus on the weekend. He slept until noon, played a few rounds of gas in the afternoon, and only wandered out around 5 p.m. After eating at the cafeteria, he rembered he hadn't stread all week and was behind on his KPI.
Bin University's campus was always his go-to spot for half-hearted streaming. Ye Ping'an often visited the sa familiar places, and while his interstellar audience always complained, "Can't you change the backdrop?" they still watched with great interest.
On this day, Ye Ping'an, as usual, held his phone and continued his silent, laid-back livestream, remaining as steady as a mountain despite the countless comnts flashing before his eyes.
He had just finished dinner, and the noodles had caused his blood sugar to spike quickly. Unconsciously yawning, he took a random turn down an unfamiliar path on campus.
Although the path wasn’t familiar, it didn’t matter. After all, he was still on campus, and he’d eventually find his way out.
However, the interstellar audience was buzzing with excitent.
【New set! They finally finished building this path, and the host is showing it to us.】
【It’s hard to imagine how much investnt and expertise went into restoring this.】
As he walked, Ye Ping'an noticed soone ahead on the path. The evening glow was perfect, unobstructed by the trees, and from a distance, he could see the person on the bench holding sothing above their head.
He couldn’t make out what it was, but the sharp-eyed viewers in the livestream instantly spotted it.
【A Mistglow Fruit! That person is using natural twilight to enhance it, hahaha! Host, you’ve been exposed! Finally, the day has co!】
【I knew this was a set! So people were saying it was a show by the Ti-Space Bureau, but co on, how could Mistglow Fruits exist on Ancient Blue Star? That’s a specialty of Mistglow Planet!】
【Big exposure! Not only is there a Mistglow Fruit, but that girl is holding a Galaxy Cup—she’s opening a planet! How is there a Galaxy Cup here? Hahaha, host, your extras ssed up! How could Ancient Blue Star have snacks from our ti? Galaxy Cups haven’t even been around for a hundred years!】
【The set wasn’t ready, and now the host walked in, ruining the atmosphere they worked so hard to build! Ugh!】
Reading the comnts, Ye Ping'an was completely baffled.
What the heck? Exposure? Galaxy Cups? Mistglow Fruits? Are these viewers talking about what’s in front of… Holy crap!
That’s his roommate Zhu Jue and his girlfriend Yan!
Ye Ping'an imdiately turned around. The couple was facing the evening glow, completely unaware of Ye Ping'an, who was still so distance behind them.
Ye Ping'an quickened his pace, heading back the way he ca, while the interstellar livestream chat exploded with laughter.
【This is too funny! Who would’ve thought it’d be exposed like this? So even the extras on the set like Galaxy Cups, huh?】
【This can’t be an ad for Galaxy Cups and Mistglow Fruits, right?】
Ye Ping'an’s heart was pounding. According to these viewers, what Zhu Jue and Yan were holding were interstellar snacks?
How could that be?
Wait… could it be that they… have sothing to do with the interstellar world?
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