Forge a path to success

A command came from behind the counter, and the little animals sprang to attention, quickly returning to their posts. Chu Hengkong looked in the direction of the voice and saw a gleaming otter sitting behind the counter. Its fur was a beautiful light green, and it wore a pair of very elegant square-framed glasses, holding a wine glass in its paw.

It took a delicious sip of wine, put the glass down, and closed its paws.

"Thank you so much, my little animals have received so much care." The editor, Poison Otter, bowed slightly. "Welcome! What kind of books would you like to read?"

Chapter 272 Seafood Bookstore

The seafood bookstore originated from an exceptionally intense bout of alcoholism.

Nearly two hundred years ago, the shopkeeper was a diligent office worker. He would slack off at work and relax after get off work, occasionally meeting up with his friends, Poison Otter and Lollipop, at bars or milk tea shops to critique the latest creations while enjoying high-calorie foods.

These drunken critiques almost always escalated into heated criticism because the literary and entertainment scene two hundred years ago was truly appalling: after the war, a bewildered generation dominated the creative mainstream, and the once positive, sincere, and passionate adventure stories were rarely seen. Instead, a large number of pretentious, affected, and melodramatic pseudo-literary works emerged. These new creators, having never been to the battlefield, were unable to write about the suffering of society and the alienation of people caused by war. Thus, they relied on their own imaginations to write popular works that were outwardly beautiful but inwardly rotten, gaining a large following based on their eye-catching appearance.

After their tirade of rants and rave, these "seafood" writers would revisit their past masterpieces, their sorrow and anger only deepening with each recollection. Following a particularly intense bout of heavy drinking, fueled by a piece of rubbish, these office workers slammed their fists on the table and declared their determination to change this corrupt entertainment industry. With so many people in the world, there's no shortage of good works; they were going to open a niche, unconventional bookstore, selling only the books they loved, ensuring that good books still had a place!

So the office worker wrote a book, the poison otter provided the money, and the chubby carp contributed its labor. The three little animals bought a newly grown mushroom house on Mushroom Avenue, intending to use it to pass the time during statutory holidays.

The sales figures turned out to be surprisingly good.

The result was unexpectedly well received by the locals.

Surprisingly, many authors wrote in to recommend themselves.

So their side business became their main business, and the three little animals, with great initiative, threw themselves into the publishing industry, a business they've been running for over two hundred years. Even today, the little mushroom house has grown into the Mushroom Building, and the Seafood Bookstore has become a new landmark of the Third Generation.

·

"Not to brag, but our business is doing quite well," said the editor of Poison Otter. "Our books and periodicals are sold to more than 300 Dust Islands. We have stable partners in Paradise, Dragon Spring Township, Asura Island, and Dustless Land. Well-known writers from various Dust Islands are happy to publish their books with us. We also publish our own newspapers and magazines. The 'Big Mushroom Commentary,' written by the store manager, has won the title of the most popular newspaper in the city for twelve consecutive years."

"They're all—good ones!" Bangbangji chimed in cheerfully. "Each one is different. We don't want the ones that aren't good!"

The little animals led everyone on a tour of the first floor, which displayed the month's best-selling and team-recommended books. This month's top sellers were analyses and critiques of city-state politics, many with covers featuring a masked man. The team-recommended bookshelf took a dramatic turn, displaying a variety of quirky books, including poetry collections, comics, botanical encyclopedias, and model maintenance guides.

A large piece of cheese was placed in the "Manager's Pick of the Month" section. Chu Hengkong picked it up and found that it was a uniquely designed book with recipes for cooking various cheeses.

"The workmanship is quite good." Chu Hengkong sniffed the book; it even smelled of cheese. "It's just like the real thing."

"The store manager almost ate it," Bangbangji said proudly. "It's all designed by our team—every single book—with a unique appearance and beautiful design. We guarantee that every single one of them has its own unique features!"

The manager of the carp-shaped overalls had unwashed paint on them and several colored pens stuck in his pockets, leading Chu Hengkong to guess that he was probably in charge of art design.

Gulibo paced back and forth in front of the best-selling bookshelf, looking puzzled: "Why are we selling so many books this month?"

“It’s time for the bill debate again,” said Poison Otter. “You know, at this time of year, everyone pretends to care about current affairs, buys books they may never read in their lifetime, and then comfortably lets them lie on the bookshelf growing mushrooms.”

Unlike the straightforward and blunt Bangbangji, this otter editor was clearly very sarcastic. Chu Hengkong glanced at another bookshelf prominently displayed as "New Works of the Month," wondering how many times these unfortunate newcomers would be criticized by editors before their books were published.

"I'm glad you're interested in the work of a newcomer. This is our most distinctive bookshelf." Poison Otter jumped onto the top shelf, randomly picked up a book, and handed it to him. "Take a look. Give the newcomer a chance."

The new book's cover was designed in a picture book style, featuring a flying machine that resembled a bird, with a little elf perched on its body. Chu Hengkong opened the book, and Fan De curiously peered over as well.

"Guardian Spirits in the Clouds" by Tieque 987.

"...Every aircraft has a guardian spirit that protects passengers from misfortune."

The flight crew will tell you that safe travel is all thanks to their careful work; the security personnel will tell you that safe travel is all thanks to the soldiers who keep out malice; these statements are true, but not entirely true, because they cannot see our guardian spirit.

As the aircraft landed, we disembarked with the passengers to catch up on sleep. Just before takeoff, we climbed onto the fuselage and drew an incredibly wondrous magic circle to protect us during the journey. The aircraft soared into the sky, and we faced the howling winds, waving our staffs to dispel the raging spirits within. You can't imagine how many ghosts, spirits, and demons lurked in the clouds; the clouds are white because they gather together. Someone had to warn them not to enter, otherwise the ghosts would pass through the fuselage and possess the passengers.

As you can all imagine, this job was really tough. So after finishing work on flight JS8I76, I couldn't wait to get back to that soft, comfortable leaf bed. But unfortunately, lazy Henry suddenly told me he had a bad cold…”

Vande glanced at it and commented, "The idea is good, but the wording is a bit wordy and the story unfolds a little slowly."

“A common mistake made by new authors.” The editor, Poison Otter, pushed up his glasses. “They always try to cram everything they’ve designed into the reader’s head, but end up not getting to the point. If judged by the standards of a proper publication, this book would probably need a major overhaul from beginning to end, and the word count would have to be reduced by one-third.”

"But you just had it published." Chu Hengkong said with great interest.

“After all, it’s a pretty good idea, isn’t it?” said Poison Otter. “We believe that all creators need encouragement, not just for publication and royalties, but also for an opportunity to have their stories seen. If a manuscript is constantly revised, a newcomer might lose confidence and become discouraged, but if it is presented to readers, their opinions will naturally tell them where it falls short.”

"Besides, there are plenty of serious books everywhere, but new works by new authors are very rare," Bangbangji said quickly.

“That makes sense.” Chu Hengkong tucked the book under his arm. “I’ll also support new writers.”

"Thank you, Gulibo will pay for you later."

"Why am I paying?" Gulibo asked in surprise.

"Why do you think that is?" The venomous otter rolled its eyes at it. "Please follow me, everyone. There are more books upstairs."

It led everyone up the spiral staircase. The second floor contained classic literature, popular novels, and popular comics. Chu Hengkong, with his sharp eyes, spotted "Naruto" on the comic shelf.

"You have all of these?" He pulled out the comic book with delight; it was volume 51, Sasuke versus Danzo.

"You have good taste, sir. This is a rare find, salvaged from the seabed." Poison Otter stroked the brand-new cover. "It's a work of art, masterful drawing skills, and imaginative imagination. You won't find such beautiful comics on Shura Island in recent years. The newcomers these days can't seem to escape the path of transformation; they can't imagine anything beyond matter."

Poison Otter put down the comic book with deep regret: "I thought this should be a long series, but unfortunately we have only found 7 volumes after 20 years of acquisition. We all feel that it is a pity to keep such good things as mere collections, so we made copies and put them on the shelf - after all, we did not sign a contract, so it is not appropriate to sell them as publications, and we only marked them at cost price."

"This is a work from my hometown," Chu Hengkong said. "The original work has been finished for quite a while, but it's still generating a lot of discussion."

"You know it! That's great!" The Poison Otter's eyes lit up. "Please tell me about it sometime... Oh no, never mind, I'd rather see it myself..."

"There are even little girl models here!" Ji Huaisu exclaimed with great interest.

Next to the comics section was the model display case, with various armored warriors and mecha girls on display in transparent cases. Several customers wearing plaid shirts and thick glasses were whispering among themselves while looking at the case. When Ji Huaisu pointed at them, they jumped up in fright and hid behind the case.

"Please be careful, our regular customers are all shy." Bangbangji hopped over to the display case and proudly introduced, "We also exhibit figurines and models, all of which are from my collection, and 90% of them are not for sale."

"If you're not selling it, why put it here?" Ji Huaisu asked.

Bangbangji stretched its fins out over its waist and said, "Let me show you!"

"Manager, I brought you some Huilong City figurines this time." Gulibo took the opportunity to curry favor.

Bangbangji immediately abandoned his introduction and carefully examined the white figurine: "This exoskeleton, which is based on the shape of a squid, is quite innovative..."

"It's a miracle that their bookstore has been able to stay in business until now," Ji Huaisu whispered to Chu Hengkong.

"Their style is so approachable, I'm a local and I love coming here too," Chu Hengkong said.

The next floor contains history books, philosophical treatises, and art collections, as well as vinyl records and all sorts of strange music media (Chu Hengkong suspects this is the hobby of the Poison Otter). The fourth floor contains various practical books, including workplace tips, social skills, cookbooks, gardening books, invincible psychology manuals, and a prominently displayed "all-purpose reference book": "Three Thousand Sets of Dragon Township Boxing Techniques".

"This is the best reference book in the world, it can solve 99% of problems." The Poison Otter raised its paw and pointed to the three thousand sets.

"99.9%," Chu Hengkong corrected, adding that the remaining 0.1% belonged to Chongming.

The atmosphere on the fifth floor abruptly shifts, transforming from a cozy and relaxed family study into a somber office. Under the pale white light, small animal figures scribbled furiously at their desks, and each work area displayed an encouraging banner that read, "XX days until XX is published." The conch shells beeped incessantly, and the staff's conversations pierced the air like flying knives.

"The Tower of Avarota is going to go to print in three days, and the proofreading isn't finished yet?!"

"We've reached the latest progress at the third proofreading stage, but the final chapter's manuscript hasn't arrived yet... We haven't been able to contact the author..."

An employee who looked like a leech sprayed wildly at a conch shell: "What?! You saw that old guy at the dock? Wearing a raincoat and a mask?!"

"Oh no, he's trying to delay the deadline!" The veteran employee was on high alert.

"How can we possibly write a good book if we let these bastards run rampant? We have to crack down hard! The manuscript-collecting team, move out!"

A group of winged employees leaped out of the window with a roar, flying towards the dock with boundless fighting spirit. The editor, Dudu Otter, calmly explained, "The 6th floor is our editorial team's office area. Everyone is very dedicated to their work and occasionally works overtime voluntarily."

"You can tell the editors are very motivated," Van der said.

"Actually, the workload at the bookstore itself isn't that heavy. The pressure of working overtime mainly comes from some authors who are notoriously lazy." The editor, Poison Otter, picked up a conch shell. "Hey, Miss Lico, there's an old man who's trying to delay his manuscript... Yes, it's the dock. Yes, just throw it in the basement. Nice to meet you."

Gulibo trembled: "Ghost! Demon! Poisonous otter!"

"Once you enter its little dark room, you'll never get out until the manuscript is finished..." Bangbangji added ominously.

"Practice has proven that this can significantly improve creative efficiency, and many authors will take the initiative to come to the small black room to rush their manuscripts before the deadline."

The editor, Poison Otter, led everyone to the top floor. The 7th floor looked like the living area, with a long sofa with many cushions, fruit platters and bookshelves within easy reach, and a refrigerator that looked like it was full of food.

It led everyone to their seats and served the guests water and tea.

"I'm sorry the store manager had to go out today and couldn't personally greet you all," said Poison Otter, holding his teacup. "Thank you again for helping Gulibo out; to be honest, we were all quite worried about it. If there's anything we can do to repay you, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I want to read!" Van der Rai reached out.

"That's no problem. You can browse any of the books in the bookstore."

"I'll just borrow some books too." Ji Huaisu nudged Chu Hengkong. "This guy seems to have some personal matters to attend to."

Chu Hengkong cleared his throat and asked, "I heard earlier that the bookstore's books and periodicals are sold on all the Dust Islands."

"Not to brag, but we have a wide sales channel."

"Could I use your store's channels to place a missing person notice?" Chu Hengkong asked.

Chapter 273 Searching for the Store Manager

"My hometown, Dust Island, is very remote, and so far I haven't found a way back home. I have a fellow countryman who may also be drifting in the Dust Island, but I've found no clues. So I'd like to use the bookstore's channels."

He had already conceived of this idea when he told Vande he was going to the city-state of Thorn Robe. The Flooded Realm was vast and contained countless islands, making it impossible to search for them one by one. Throughout history, finding people has always relied on efficient information dissemination channels, and in the Flooded Realm without the internet, a widely circulated newspaper was an excellent choice.

The boss, in particular, isn't interested in video games but loves reading, so if she's also active in medium to large Dust Island events, the chances of her coming into contact with her would be much greater.

"No problem," Bangbangji readily agreed. "It's nothing, I'll add an extra page for you in the next issue—"

The venomous otter reached out its paw and patted it, while the crucian carp manager covered its mouth and rolled its eyes.

Poison Otter took a sip of tea, squinted, and smiled, “We can see you’re eager to find the person, and we’d be happy to help. But this involves information outlets outside of Dust Island. The cultures of each Dust Island are different, and there’s a lot of sensitive information, so we have to do an internal review first. Also, the bookstore’s publications are written by the store manager, so we need to discuss with the store manager how to publish the missing person notice and what format the content should take before making a decision.”

The editor, Otter, spoke frankly, and Chu Hengkong understood his concerns. Those in the arts value reputation above all else; if good intentions lead to bad outcomes, it's a painful experience for both themselves and others.

"I understand. Can I speak directly with the store manager?"

"I think the store manager would be happy to talk to you, but he's currently on a business trip..."

The venomous otter gave Gulibo a look, and Gulibo ran to a corner of the room, picked up a conch shell, and muttered, "Found it, Bo? Uh..."

Gulibo shook his head slightly, the Poison Otter's smile a little stiff: "Its business trip, well, it might take a while longer to finish..."

Ji Huaisu tried hard to suppress a laugh: "Is the shop manager's schedule that full?"

The fish, already as stiff as a stick, straightened its body even more, its face displaying the honest, unyielding expression of a simpleton: "The shopkeeper—he is indeed quite busy—and responsible for his work—often needs to travel to various, um, um, mysterious places—to gather materials—"

"For example, dessert shops and cafes?"

Vande took out the Leopard-Spotting Tube and shook it. The relic originated from the aquatic bookstore of the Thorn Robe City-State. The notes clearly stated its main purpose:

Looking for a shop manager who's slacking off.

The editor of the Poison Otter slapped him on the head with his paw.

"Sigh, yes," the otter said sadly, "that fat guy is skipping work and slacking off again."

The manager of the seafood bookstore is known for two things: his large size and his voracious appetite. While the animals he feeds aren't exactly lazy, they are undeniably gluttonous. Most gourmets are meticulous about their food, but the manager is different: he not only eats carefully, but also in large quantities. His culinary range is quite extensive; he eats what's good, doesn't mind trying what isn't, eats fresh food, and even takes a second bite of what he's already tasted.

Its second characteristic led to its first, and so, once the weight reached a certain critical point, the bookstore's animals unanimously decided to implement strict weight management for the manager. Specifically, this meant only being allowed to eat out once a week, strictly controlling the intake of high-calorie foods, and eating a diet plan for at least three days a week.

However, where there's a policy, there's a countermeasure. The store manager readily agreed, and a few days later, he began secretly going out for extra meals. During these meals, he was surprised to find that he could use this opportunity to skip work, giving him even more of a reason to eat. So, he tried these extra meals more and more, and the store manager grew heavier and heavier until finally everyone in the bookstore gave up on their diets, but the store manager had already developed a habit of skipping work to eat, and that habit continues to this day.

“This must be a version from over a hundred years ago.” The poison otter examined Vandal’s leopard-sighting tube. “Back then, the shopkeeper didn’t even weigh over 300 kilograms.”

"Holy crap, what about now?"

"Don't ask anymore, symmetry is bad."

The venomous otter took out a small wooden knife and carved some wavy patterns on the leopard-gazing tube. It then took out a map of the third vein sequence from the bookshelf, stood the leopard-gazing tube upright on the table, and stretched out its paw, shouting, "Find the seal!"

The leopard-gazing tube rolled around, projecting a paw print onto a bustling urban area in the north. The venomous otter observed for a while, then flipped through a special edition of Restaurant Week magazine released at the end of last month, concluding, "It's most likely enjoying a meal at a restaurant."

"Why the kiss?" Gulibo asked.

The otter opened the magazine and pointed to a page with a tempting-looking photo of fig desserts: "Because Changxiang released a new dessert at the end of last month that received good reviews."

“But it didn’t tell us anything,” said Bangbangji. “It just shouts out what it wants to eat.”

“Yes, why didn’t it tell us?” The poison otter made a gesture of supporting its belly.

"Damn, this fatso!"

Gulibo looked at the door, which was as wide as a bridge arch, and asked worriedly, "Will the store manager be able to climb in?"

“I think we should expand it a bit earlier, around the end of the year. I really don’t want to see it blocking the bookstore entrance anymore,” the Poison Otter sighed. Just then, its conch shell started chiming again—actually, it had been chiming all along while everyone was chatting, but this time it was unusually loud—it listened for a while, then apologetically tucked its paw in: “I’m so sorry, I have some urgent business to attend to…”

"I've already taken up half a day of your work, it would be bad to keep going like this." Chu Hengkong laughed. "It's my personal matter anyway, would you mind if I helped catch the store manager?"

"Be careful not to tire your hands," said Bangbangji.

·

Enjoy restaurant opened about three years ago and carved out a niche for itself on Fu Bao Avenue, a street lined with upscale restaurants, thanks to its unique menu design and generous portions.

The restaurant's exterior resembles a piano without legs. The "keyboard" is a small coffee table outside, the first and second floors are indoor tables, and the open "lid" leads to a rooftop garden on the third floor. When Chu Hengkong arrived at the restaurant entrance, he noticed several workers loitering around, seemingly assessing whether the restaurant's evening set menu was worth buying.