Genshin, No sad stories

Venti had come to Liyue to hang out with Zhongli for a while before ending up in a tavern, drowning himself in alcohol.

Originally, he had planned to visit Jiang Chen when he had time, but the wine was just too good.

So, he completely forgot about it.

Right now, he was still nursing a hangover.

"There are no issues here."

"The materials are all genuine."

However, Jiang Chen had no idea about Venti's current state.

Albedo had already finished verifying the documents—everything was authentic.

Guizhong also nodded in agreement.

"Same on my end."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen smiled.

"Excellent."

"In that case, you can take Childe with you."

"Also, we hope the Fatui will withdraw from Liyue as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, if something happens again, the price will be different next time."

Jiang Chen grinned at Childe and Signora as if they were generous patrons who had come to shower Liyue with wealth.

Should he capture a few more Fatui next time?

Maybe go to Inazuma and grab Scaramouche?

Oh, wait—if he caught that guy, Snezhnaya probably wouldn't pay.

Hmm… how about going to Sumeru and kidnapping Il Dottore?

No, no—just kill him outright.

Jiang Chen loathed that man to the core.

There weren't many people Jiang Chen truly despised, but the Fatui had several on the list.

"Let's go!"

"The Fatui will withdraw completely within a few days."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Signora shot Childe a glance before turning to leave, her tone icy.

She also gave her word—the Fatui would gradually pull out.

Liyue was no longer a place they could stay.

If Jiang Chen pulled another stunt like this, Snezhnaya would lose all face.

And they couldn't afford another payout.

She had a feeling Snezhnaya might go bankrupt from compensation alone.

So, it was best to stay far away from this place.

Liyue was not to be trifled with right now.

Though she didn't know the conditions for Jiang Chen's resurrection ability, the mere existence of such power was terrifying.

Liyue had many fallen gods.

If Liyue and Snezhnaya went to war, they might have to face an army of Archon War-era deities.

The thought sent a chill down her spine.

She also needed to report this to the Tsaritsa.

People like Dottore should never set foot in Liyue.

Who knew if that disgusting man would get himself killed—or worse, captured?

Better play it safe.

The waters of Teyvat ran too deep.

After these incidents, Signora was far more cautious than her arrogant in-game counterpart.

Who knew when someone from another world might pop up and ruin everything?

Jiang Chen was the perfect example.

With that, Signora led the dejected Childe away.

Watching them leave, Jiang Chen couldn't resist calling out:

"Childe!"

"Come visit Liyue again sometime!"

"Zhongli might miss you."

Ningguang's expression turned odd.

Inviting him back?

Were you just planning to kidnap him again next time?

This time, Liyue had profited immensely.

Rex Lapis had used the Fatui to release Osial, allowing Jiang Chen to show off his power.

Then, Jiang Chen captured Childe and extorted a fortune from Snezhnaya.

And Liyue's losses?

Basically zero.

At most, the citizens got a little scare.

"Hmph!"

Signora snorted at Jiang Chen's words.

Zhongli?

Morax was no saint either.

He had colluded with Liyue to trick Childe, the idiot!

Signora seethed internally.

This was too much.

And now they were rubbing salt in the wound?

She decided that, once they returned, she would beg the Tsaritsa to fix Childe's brain.

Morax was right beside you.

And you spent money on him?!

Just wait until Pantalone got his hands on him!

Childe, meanwhile, let out an awkward laugh.

"Hah... haha... I'll definitely come back when I get the chance!"

With that, he quickened his pace.

Who knew what awaited him back home?

Visit Liyue again?

Maybe... someday.

And with that, Childe followed Signora out of Liyue.

After seeing off their two "generous patrons", Jiang Chen and Ningguang exchanged glances.

Then, they smiled.

"Albedo, take those alchemy materials back and study them thoroughly."

"If possible, compile them into a textbook."

"Liyue needs its own alchemy curriculum."

"Guizhong, the teleportation array is your responsibility."

"This is extremely important. If we can stabilize long-distance teleportation, it will become our fast travel network across Teyvat."

"The implications are immense."

Jiang Chen's gaze shifted between Guizhong and Albedo.

Both alchemy and teleportation were critical for Liyue's future.

Guizhong was the first to respond.

"Mhm, I'm very interested!"

"Understood, I'll research it carefully."

"Oh, and make a copy of these alchemy materials for me."

"I want to see how far modern alchemy has progressed."

She looked at Albedo expectantly.

Aside from puppetry, she was also well-versed in alchemy—though not as skilled as in her primary field.

Now that they had so much new knowledge, she wanted to expand her expertise.

After all, mastering something to a certain level could turn it into a skill.

Albedo nodded in agreement.

He then called over a few Millelith soldiers to help transport the materials.

"Issue a public announcement."

"This time, we've won."

"Disclose all the concessions Snezhnaya has agreed to."

Right now, the people of Liyue were hostile toward Snezhnayans.

It was time to cool things down.

Since they had paid compensation, it was time to forgive and move on.

Business was business—only a fool would refuse easy money.

Ningguang agreed wholeheartedly.

This needed to be announced.

Besides reassuring the public, it would also serve as a subtle taunt.

Thinking of this, her lips curled into a smirk.

"I'll have someone handle the announcement."

"For now, I need to oversee the transfer of assets."

"You go ahead with your work."

With that, Ningguang left.

She had to personally oversee the handover of the Fatui's assets.

The announcement could be handled by someone else.

Jiang Chen nodded.

"Alright!"

With this matter settled, it was time to return to the Guili Plains project.

He also needed to visit Zhongli later.

The old man was probably about to hand over his Gnosis, right?

If so, Jiang Chen had to witness it.

He definitely wanted to study the Gnosis.

He hadn't had the chance before—but now, the opportunity had arrived.

Who knew? Maybe touching it would trigger a reward?

If touching a Statue of The Seven worked, what about a Gnosis?