So far, Su Bai has signed three contracts with the official authorities of Liyue.
The first was signed with the Geo Archon himself, concerning settlement in Liyue.
The second was also signed with the Geo Archon, regarding a general goods agreement.
The third, however, was signed with both the Tianshu and Yuheng stars. It involved a detailed list of supplied goods, covering more aspects and providing greater quantities than the second contract.
Regarding the quantities, a general framework was already agreed upon with Yuheng Star Keqing during the grain trade dispute. While increasing the supplies, Su Bai, adhering to the principle of fair trade, also presented his own request:
The Guili Plains Lease Agreement.
Of course, although land and civil affairs fall under Keqing's jurisdiction, she didn't agree immediately. If she had, Su Bai wouldn't have found himself forced to concede a full thirty percent in his subsequent negotiations with Tianshu Star Ningguang. A twenty percent concession would have been the absolute limit.
But securing a designated plot of land in Liyue held a priority in Su Bai's mind second only to earning Mora. He was even willing to accept lower profits for it.
After all, while termed a 'lease,' Su Bai was confident that once the land was in his hands, he could rapidly develop it into a thriving commercial hub using resources from his world.
The Guili Plains' location was simply too advantageous. To the north lay Dihua Marsh, the Stone Gate, and a direct route to the Dawn Winery, the economic heart of Mondstadt. To the south were Luhua Pool and Mt. Tianheng, leading straight to the urban center of Yuehai Port.
To the west lay Cuijue Slope and Jueyun Karst, veritable inland natural havens; some necessary facilities could be established there, projecting influence towards the Guili Plains. To the east were Yaoguang Shoal and the now-abandoned Mingyun Village. Even in its deserted state, Mingyun Village wasn't without potential.
From the southern part of the Shoal, access to the sea was possible. To the people of Liyue, this seemed impractical because the water there was too shallow for proper docking.
But in the eyes of one from another world, was that really an issue? Whether it was digging canals, blasting an artificial harbor, land reclamation, or extending the land into deeper waters—all were feasible options!
Once the transformation succeeded, would he simply return the land when the lease expired? They could try asking, but he'd have to think about it.
Once an economic center was established, the number of people it would attract for employment in a free market was one thing. But crucially, if anyone moved against Su Bai regarding the source of goods, he could simply cut his losses and leave—whether to Mondstadt or Inazuma. Liyue would inevitably suffer the acute pain of severing a key economic limb, followed by the chronic pain of losing access to low-cost goods.
Now that cooperation was gradually unfolding, the daily volume of goods moving through the various shops of the General Merchandise Store was clearly not just due to purchases by civilian factions. Although the Yuheng Star hadn't signed a direct contract, she hadn't hesitated to have her subordinates purchase items like iron ingots in advance.
Having tasted the benefits, the Qixing were no fools. Coupled with the Geo Archon's apparent willingness to cooperate, Su Bai was confident this agreement would be signed. Weren't both sides supposed to show sincerity? He had already made concession after concession while supplying unlimited goods; it would be unreasonable for Liyue to offer nothing in return.
His main concern wasn't whether it would be approved, but how much would be approved.
After all, the Guili Plains were vast, and he didn't need all of it. Thus, his initial proposal designated the area bounded by the crossroads outpost in the Guili Plains: extending north to the border of Dihua Marsh, south to a point two miles from the ruins of the palace of the God of Dust, Guizhong, and east to the coastline, with maritime rights extending into the deep-water zone.
But this was just the proposal. How much of this the Qixing Assembly would ultimately approve was something Su Bai couldn't easily guess.
He had done all he could; now, he could only leave it to fate.
The next day.
Time passed as usual. Su Bai planned to leave Yuehai Port for a trip outside the city.
Inside the General Merchandise Store, Baixiao had been busy for quite a while. By the time Su Bai emerged, she was occupied with accounting and calculations.
"Baixiao, is this... from the Fan family?" Su Bai approached and glanced over, noticing that the ledgers and documents bore the emblem of the Fan family—the same design as the jade pendant worn by Old Man Fan, the grain merchant from Feiyun Slope.
"Ah, Boss! Please, have a seat and rest for a moment. I'll be done soon," Baixiao looked up and greeted him before diving back into her work, though her pace noticeably quickened.
Su Bai stood by quietly, watching with an amused smile as he observed Baixiao bustling about.
It's really something, actually getting to experience this side of being a capitalist...
"All done!" Just as Su Bai was lost in thought, Baixiao finished her tasks. She looked up and met his gaze, a flicker of fluster passing through her heart.
Ahem. "Um, Konomi, could you come here and organize these documents, please?" Baixiao cleared her throat lightly to cover her embarrassment, calling over Konomi, who was working nearby. She then pulled Su Bai aside.
"You're... leaving?" Su Bai immediately understood. His meeting with Ningguang was over, meaning Baixiao's assignment here had concluded.
"Yes. I need to brief you on the store's current situation," Baixiao nodded, instantly switching into a professional demeanor. Seeing Su Bai's assent, she produced the work manual he had originally given her.
However, it was no longer the same. While Su Bai's original handwriting was still faintly visible, the pages were now densely filled with her own neat, elegant script—crowded with annotations and cross-references.
It had effectively been transformed into a detailed index. Seeing this, Su Bai felt a twinge of embarrassment. Competent people really are capable wherever they go.
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100 powerstones = 1 chapter
200 powerstones = 3 chapters
300 powerstones = 5 chapters