It was the tenth day since the Lady's visit. Albedo and Sucrose had gone to install the main shield generator, while Shen Qin made his way to the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
Two days ago, Jean had informed him that once he finished his current work, she would arrange for him to meet with envoys from Liyue. Diluc would also be present. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss potential business cooperation with Liyue.
Shen Qin was genuinely looking forward to meeting someone from Liyue. After all, his Liyue identity was forged. Aside from Xiangling, he had yet to have any real contact with other people from Liyue.
So, who was it this time? Could it be Uncle Tian, the Tianxu Star? He seemed to oversee public affairs—business should fall under his jurisdiction too, right?
With a hint of excitement, he followed a knight's guidance and pushed open the door to the meeting room—only to see none other than the Yuheng Star, with hair spiked into violet cat ears.
The sight of this Liyue Raiden standing before him made Shen Qin lose focus for a brief moment. Another very familiar old friend—someone who made players love and hate her every time they pulled for her.
They hated her for snatching their soft pity pulls, yet loved her because she was just too charming. Her flashy sideways swordplay had captivated countless anime-loving fans.
He quickly composed himself, nodded to Jean and Diluc, and took a seat beside the latter.
"Greetings, Master Shen. I'm Keqing, the Yuheng Star of the Liyue Qixing. It's a pleasure to meet you." She stood and extended her hand to him with initiative.
Shen Qin politely shook it and smiled. "Lady Keqing, I know of you—after all, I'm from Liyue too!"
She gave a small nod and sat back down.
Since today's agenda revolved around business, Keqing sat directly across from Diluc. Any conversation with Shen Qin would come later, once the business talks were done.
"Well then, now that everyone's here, let's begin," Diluc said calmly.
With that, the record-keepers from both sides took their positions. The formality of the meeting made Shen Qin feel a bit uneasy. He'd never experienced anything this official. When he participated in meetings at Jean's office, everything had always been far more casual.
"I'll start with Liyue's proposal," Keqing began. "We hope you'll consider establishing factories in Liyue to produce your alchemy products, such as the hoverboards, prosthetic limbs, and healing sprays. In addition, we would like certain Liyue merchant guilds and retail outlets to have distribution rights for some of your goods."
"We'd like you to accept oversight from Liyue authorities in your manufacturing and business operations within our borders. Of course, we'll offer preferential policies to support your commercial ventures in Liyue."
"Additionally, products manufactured in Liyue should not be sold or transported outside Liyue. They must be supplied exclusively to the Liyue market. That summarizes our main points—the finer details can be handled by professionals later."
Diluc calmly took a sip of water, set down his glass, and replied flatly, "It seems Liyue's sincerity is lacking. If you'd done your homework on our operations in Mondstadt, you'd know that we don't delegate product distribution. We manage both production and sales ourselves."
"We respect the laws of any region, and of course we'd comply with Liyue's rules if conducting business there. But to accept official oversight? That's excessive. We are not a subordinate entity of the Liyue government, and we see no reason to be regulated as such."
"As for your final point, I believe even the esteemed Yuheng Star understands this well—Liyue's market is limited, while Teyvat's market is vast. Only by expanding beyond Liyue can we earn more Mora—and naturally, more taxes for your side."
Shen Qin listened quietly on the side, finally understanding the game being played: Keqing had opened with an inflated offer—trying to milk them for maximum profit and even secure control over factory and distribution rights.
Diluc, on the other hand, was ruthless in negotiation. He essentially responded, "We're rejecting all your extra conditions. We'll operate in Liyue the same way we do in Mondstadt. Don't interfere—just wait to split the profits."
The two went back and forth, exchanging terms, rebuttals, and counteroffers. Shen Qin found himself nodding off from boredom. He snuck a glance at Jean. At first, she had listened attentively, nodding now and then in agreement. Later, she completely spaced out, staring out the window, lost in thought.
Clearly, compared to shrewd merchants like Diluc and dedicated reformers like Keqing, neither she nor Shen Qin was suited to deal with these tedious matters.
Their true battlegrounds were the alchemy workshop and the Knights of Favonius.
About an hour later, the preliminary partnership agreement between Dawn Winery and Liyue was finalized. It largely mirrored the Mondstadt model, with a few exceptions:
Firstly, besides exclusive stores, several business groups like the Feiyun Commerce Guild also gained distribution rights. Their purchase price from the factory would be about 90% of market price. After all, Liyue's market still belonged to its native players—they had to be given a taste.
Secondly, the factories, retail outlets, and surgical facilities must employ a majority of Liyue workers.
Thirdly, production and sales of certain sensitive alchemy products—such as prosthetic limbs—would be subject to Liyue's government oversight.
Lastly, Liyue must strictly crack down on any malicious actions that could damage Dawn Winery's interests. In return, Dawn Winery would provide Liyue's government with an additional 10% of profits, on top of taxes.
Additionally, Keqing signed an agreement with Jean for a purchase of the mid-grade hoverboard. Liyue had evidently decided to enhance the mobility of the Millelith.
With everything wrapped up, Keqing—tense from the drawn-out meeting—finally relaxed. She rubbed her aching temples and forced a bright smile toward Shen Qin. "Master Shen, we finally have a chance to talk."
In truth, her main objectives in Mondstadt were complete. Meeting Shen Qin was merely out of curiosity—this fellow countryman who had shone so brightly in a foreign land intrigued her.
As for persuading him to return to Liyue—well, great if it worked, but no loss if it didn't.
"Just call me Shen. You seem a bit worn out, Lady Keqing. Why not get some rest first? We can talk more once you've recovered," Shen Qin said, feeling a bit sorry for her.
To Shen Qin, Liyue still felt like home. Whether in the game or in this new world, his journey always began in Mondstadt.
So naturally, with Keqing being from Liyue, he felt a sense of kinship toward her.
"It's fine. Today's work was still manageable. And if you're not calling yourself 'Master,' then don't call me 'Lady'—just 'Keqing' will do."
Perhaps it was the bond of shared roots, but she seemed more relaxed with him now, no longer as guarded.
She took a sip of water and looked at him.
"Shen Qin, have you ever thought about going back home?"
That single question made both Diluc and Jean tense up internally.
Shen Qin smiled. "I've always been a Liyue native—nothing will change that. But after my family passed away and I sold my house to leave Liyue, I've belonged nowhere. For now, I'm settled in Mondstadt. If the opportunity arises, I might return to visit one day—but only after Mondstadt's dragon threat is resolved."
One lie often needs many more to cover it.