"No, I'm fine."
Huixing shook her head when Beidou offered.
She didn't want to open jars. She was afraid that once she started, she might get hooked—and she didn't like that feeling.
"Alright then."
Seeing that her navigator didn't want to, Beidou could only sigh. She couldn't make her own crew gamble on jars.
"Huixing, why not give it a try? It's worth it!" Qianyan coaxed eagerly after storing away her mission scroll. "Even if you can't use what you draw, it could still help the fleet."
"Look at Captain Beidou—she pulled that Steam Battleship, and now all of us have better quarters!"
"And I just pulled all kinds of pretty stones—not great, but still useful. Plus, I got a mission scroll. If it offers a reward, Captain can use it for the crew!"
"If you pull something you don't want, I'll even take it off your hands."
"Hmm…" Huixing bit her lip, tempted.
It was true—if something good came out, it could benefit everyone. She owed the South Cross Fleet after all, especially Captain Beidou, who had mentored her since she joined.
As Huixing hesitated, Felix smiled brightly. He was, frankly, delighted. If she went for it, it would mean ten more jars sold—close to triggering another exclusive reward.
After a long pause, Huixing took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll do it—for the Fleet!"
"Excellent!" Qianyan grinned. Convincing her was half the fun. In her mind, not buying was the real loss.
"Shopkeeper, ten jars, please."
She didn't hesitate—she pulled a heavy purse from her pocket and handed over one million Mora.
Felix beamed as he accepted the payment. "Pick whichever ones speak to you."
Ten jars in a morning's sale—what a start! Maybe Hu Tao really was a lucky charm. Until she started coming by with breakfast, no one ever showed up this early to buy anything.
While Qianyan helped Huixing choose, outside the harbor, Cai Zihao was walking down the road practically humming with excitement.
Yesterday, the fishing tool he'd pulled from a jar had worked perfectly; now he was heading back to make another fortune. His plan today: fish in the morning, mine in the afternoon.
But as soon as he neared the city, he froze. The entire harbor was packed—so crowded it looked like a festival day.
"Whoa, look at that ship—the Steam Battleship! It's massive!"
"I know, right? Let's hurry! We've still got to line up for the tour!"
"I didn't even eat breakfast; I just ran straight here so I could make it into the first group!"
"The sign says a thousand people per session! I'm so lucky—I'm within a few hundred!"
Another voice laughed, "Lucky you. I came last night, and the tickets were already sold out!"
"Where's The Alcor, though? I swear it was docked here!"
"Who cares? With the Battleship around, nobody wants to see the old one."
Cai Zihao blinked at the chattering crowd. Steam Battleship? Beidou's ship? When did that happen?
He hadn't heard a single rumor about it. Now the entire harbor was lined wall to wall with tourists. There was no way he could even get close.
Forget it, he sighed. Mining will make me more Mora anyway.
He turned on his heel toward the mining registration office.
In Liyue, civilians couldn't just stroll into mines; they needed to sign up with the Millelith, who would assign them a guide and site. Anything they dug up, they could keep or sell back to the government for fair prices—rare ores went for a fortune.
"You want to register to mine?"
The Millelith clerk frowned at Cai Zihao's slim build. "You don't look strong enough. Mining's hard labor. Most people give up after ten swings of the pickaxe. Maybe try lighter work instead?"
Cai Zihao didn't look remotely muscular—more like a student than a laborer. The clerk pictured him collapsing halfway through digging.
"I'm stronger than I look!" Cai Zihao insisted. "I can prove it!"
He scanned around, spotted a man‑sized boulder nearby, and—before anyone could stop him—walked up and, with one hand, hefted it into the air.
The clerk: "???"
The onlookers: stammering curses and gasps.
"I–is he holding that with one hand?"
"By the Archons…"
"Wait—is that a Vision user?"
"Use your head—no Vision holder would come mining!"
The crowd grew louder in disbelief. The thin young man was casually tossing the boulder like a toy, dust puffing with each thump of impact.
Cai Zihao grinned. "See? Pretty strong, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Just—put that down, please!" the clerk stammered, nodding furiously. He could almost feel the shockwave every time the stone moved. One wrong drop could kill a man.
"Alright," Cai Zihao said cheerfully, lowering it gently—but even that made the ground quake with a thunderous thud.
The clerk swallowed. "You're approved."
A miner nearby eyed him up and down. "Brother, where'd you get that strength?"
"Born with it," Cai Zihao said with a cocky laugh—heart pounding with gratitude. Thank you, Shopkeeper. Thank you, Jar Shop.
Those tools he'd drawn—the fishing glove and the Elephant Bracelet—had changed his life. With them, earning Mora was easier than ever.
While Cai Zihao silently gave thanks, a familiar figure arrived at the shop's entrance.
A woman with long blue hair tied into a loose ponytail, a single little ahoge curving from her head—
Ganyu.
"Lady Ganyu!"
Wenqi and Doyle straightened immediately, bowing respectfully.
"You don't have to be so formal," Ganyu said gently, waving her hands. She stepped lightly inside, careful and quiet as though entering a sacred place.
Inside, Felix—preparing Huixing's jars—looked up at her sudden arrival. His brows lifted in surprise.
Ganyu.
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