Chapter 54: A Stroll Through Headquarters’ Commercial Street

Somewhere in the commercial district of the Mycelial Spoken Word Division headquarters.

Though dubbed a ‘commercial street,’ it differed significantly from those found outside.

Here, no boisterous cries of vendors echoed, nor did throngs of people jostle for space.

Shops lined both sides of the road, arranged with a charming irregularity; some were exquisitely quaint, others brightly spacious, while a few were merely small, open-air stalls.

Sunlight, its source unseen, spilled softly onto the cobblestone path.

Su Xinxin and Jasmin walked side by side, much like any pair of close friends enjoying a shopping outing.

From time to time, Su Xinxin would glance at Jasmin.

Even though Jasmin had declared they would be ‘very, very good friends,’ in Su Xinxin’s eyes, Jasmin remained a child—as any nineteen-year-old girl would appear to someone of seventy.

Conversely, Jasmin also found herself frequently observing Su Xinxin.

While the mysteries behind Su Xinxin, and the reason for her perpetually ‘lonely’ gaze, remained unknown, it did not diminish Jasmin’s affection for this younger ‘sister,’ who was merely a year her senior.

The two walked slowly, conversing in a desultory fashion.

“The commercial shops here at headquarters actually come in several types,” Jasmin explained, gesturing towards the roadside. “Look at that one—”

It was a small stall selling accessories, displaying various delicate hairpins and bracelets.

A young girl in casual clothes sat behind the stall, engrossed in a book, occasionally looking up at the passersby.

“Those are ‘projection shops,'” Jasmin elaborated. “They project real-world shops here. The items are genuine and can be purchased, and they’ll be delivered to you.

The stall owner themselves has no idea their goods have been projected. The projection simulates a shop assistant who can engage in simple interactions—like asking for prices or haggling.

Of course, more complex questions can’t be answered, as it’s only a projection.”

She paused, then added.

“The organization regularly settles accounts with the real-world shops through other means, transferring the money to them as if they were normal online orders.”

Su Xinxin blinked in surprise. “Then… won’t they find it strange?”

“No, not at all,” Jasmin said, winking. “The Gardeners Department has specialized technology to handle this.

In the real world, those items are simply bought by some unknown, ordinary customer. It’s just that the ‘ordinary customer’s’ order was actually placed by us.”

She mused for a moment before adding.

“Naturally, there’s also a small service fee—after all, maintaining this system consumes magic power.”

The two continued their stroll. As they passed a small coffee shop, Jasmin gestured inside.

“That’s a physical store.”

Through the glass window, Su Xinxin saw several people sitting inside, chatting and sipping drinks in small groups.

A girl wearing an apron stood behind the counter, busy making coffee.

Even more striking were the Hua Ling inside—some were sprawled on the windowsill, sunbathing, others squatted by tables, sharing drinks with people, and one even floated mid-air, seemingly perusing the menu on the wall.

“These stores are run by real people,” Jasmin explained. “The owner might be a retired magical girl who transitioned to the logistics department after withering, or someone who hasn’t retired yet but enjoys business and applied to open a small shop here.”

She lowered her voice.

“However, such shops are rare. Most magical girls are quite busy and don’t have time to tend to a store all day. Those that manage to open are either retired seniors or… well, those who are quite wealthy and have ample leisure time.”

Su Xinxin nodded, her gaze sweeping over the people in the coffee shop.

The groups chatting certainly seemed to be laughing and talking, not appearing to be on a mission. Yet, one could still perceive their relaxed and enjoyable mood.

“That one’s also a physical store,” Jasmin pointed ahead again. “I noticed it when I first arrived at headquarters.”

Su Xinxin followed her gaze.

It was a small shop adorned with light purple and creamy white drapes. Golden patterns were embroidered on the drapes, subtly outlining the shape of a tulip.

The storefront didn’t appear particularly large, but it was meticulously arranged.

At the entrance, several rows of delicate shelves neatly displayed various items—crystal balls, quill pens, small mirrors with intricate patterns, colorful liquids in glass bottles, and some uniquely shaped trinkets whose purpose was unclear.

Each item seemed expensive, but… it was hard to tell exactly what the shop sold.

A small figure squatted at the doorway—a lop-eared rabbit with fur that subtly transitioned from pale purple to creamy white, and soft golden fuzz inside its ears.

It regarded the passersby with amethyst-like eyes, its posture poised and unmoving.

“That’s the owner’s Hua Ling,” Jasmin whispered.

Su Xinxin peered further into the shop.

A young girl in casual clothes sat behind the counter, fiddling with something. Beside her, an older woman with somewhat graying hair was organizing items on the shelves.

“Are those magical girls too?”

“They’re probably retired seniors,” Jasmin guessed. “They came to headquarters to help after withering. A physical store like this can’t be managed by one person alone; someone needs to help look after it.”

She paused.

“But the most famous is the owner herself; she’s a very elegant and beautiful foreigner, you know~”

No sooner had she spoken than a figure emerged from the shop.

She wore a light purple ruffled dress, its skirt shaped like an inverted tulip. A creamy white sheer overlay covered it, cinched at the waist with a pale gold ribbon.

Her long, pale gold hair flowed freely, adorned with a purple tulip hair ornament.

In her hands, she carried a small tray with several drinks. She walked to the pale purple rabbit at the entrance, bent down, and placed one of the cups before it.

“Xiao Xiang, try this I made.”

The rabbit nodded, leaned in, and took a delicate sip, its movements as graceful as if it were attending a banquet.

She then turned to the older woman behind the counter.

“Senior, this is yours.”

The older woman looked up, accepted the cup, and smiled at her.

She turned around, just in time to see Jasmin and Su Xinxin standing nearby.

“Ah, welcome, good afternoon~”

She spoke, her voice soft, each word delivered slowly and deliberately. Despite her distinctly foreign features, she spoke fluent Chinese—or rather, it *sounded* like fluent Chinese.

Su Xinxin paused, first offering a polite smile and nod to the woman, then leaned into Jasmin’s ear to whisper, “She’s a foreigner? How is her Chinese so good?”

Jasmin chuckled in explanation. “It’s a translation issue. In the real world, we have simultaneous translation technology; here at headquarters, using a bit of magic makes it even simpler.

We hear Chinese, but she likely hears her native language.”

She took Su Xinxin’s hand and walked forward.

“Senior Tulip, hello!”

Jasmin waved at her, then introduced Su Xinxin beside her.

“This is Gentian, my newest student and now my friend. She’s just been promoted to a First-Stage Budding One. I brought her to tour the headquarters.”

Tulip curtsied slightly, her posture elegant and refined.

“Welcome, both of you.”

She stepped aside, gesturing towards the shop entrance.

“Would you like to come in and have a look?”

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