5:30 AM.
Diluc was already standing in the queue outside the Liyue branch.
He had arrived early enough, yet he was still in the middle of the line.
The popularity of the card shop in Liyue was within his expectations.
A little waiting time was nothing—he could endure it.
Morning.
Lu Heng woke up feeling refreshed and invigorated.
The challenger who had dared to face him on the battlefield the night before was still deep in slumber.
Lu Heng didn't wake them, allowing the defeated warrior to rest and recover their strength until the next time they bravely challenged him again.
Before leaving, he thoughtfully left breakfast for his beloved.
Then, the teleportation array activated.
Rippling like water, it gradually swallowed Lu Heng's figure.
...
Lu Heng opened the shop door.
"Boss Lu, good morning! Have you eaten?"
"Mr. Lu, you're early today!"
"Good morning, Mr. Lu."
Lu Heng nodded slightly and responded with a smile, "You're all early too. Been waiting long? Go ahead and draw your cards if you want. I'll grab something to eat."
Even though the meals prepared by Xiangling didn't have any special effects, Lu Heng wouldn't rely solely on card items for every meal.
Walking through the streets of Liyue in the morning, he could feel the liveliness.
Everyone was a living, breathing person.
Some were rushing to work, their steps hurried.
Others strolled leisurely as if taking a casual walk.
Lu Heng casually bought some breakfast and sat down to enjoy it.
After finishing his meal, he slowly made his way back to the shop.
Sitting inside, Lu Heng brewed a pot of tea before noticing Diluc in the queue.
To be honest, Lu Heng wasn't particularly surprised.
It was normal for Diluc to arrive earlier than the officials from Mondstadt—after all, he had his own intelligence network.
What surprised Lu Heng was how quickly and early he had come.
Diluc also noticed Lu Heng's gaze and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
There was no rush for now.
Once it was his turn in the queue, there would be plenty of time to talk.
At the end of the street, the street-roaming trio was already heading toward the card shop.
Soon.
Little Klee, spotting Lu Heng in the shop, called out loudly.
"Big Brother~!"
The little one, carrying her backpack, weaved through the crowd and dashed straight to where Lu Heng was.
"Is that the youngest titled knight of the Knights of Favonius?"
Diluc was slightly taken aback.
She's here?
And she seems quite familiar with Lu Heng.
"Master Diluc~!" Venti waved and greeted him.
"It's you?"
Diluc nodded slightly.
This drunkard was clearly no ordinary person—his relaxed demeanor made that obvious.
He must have arrived several days earlier, walking alongside someone dressed in distinctly Liyue attire, likely a friend.
"Diluc?"
"That name sounds familiar."
Tartaglia thought for a moment before it clicked. "Oh! That guy they mentioned who repeatedly destroyed the Fatui's strongholds, right?"
Diluc's brow furrowed slightly.
He scrutinized Tartaglia.
A Fatui Harbinger!
Just by instinct, Diluc almost confirmed his identity.
He rotated his wrist slightly, his expression remaining neutral.
There were too many people here. No matter what, he couldn't start a fight and risk harming innocents.
"You know him too?" Zhongli seemed surprised.
"Not really. Just heard of him," Tartaglia shook his head.
He was only nineteen this year.
At fourteen, he had fallen into the Abyss.
He wasn't immediately appointed as a Harbinger after completing his training there.
He had first distinguished himself on battlefields across the land.
It was his outstanding performance that caught the Tsaritsa's attention, earning him a Delusion and the title of Harbinger, making him the youngest of the Fatui's elite.
From fourteen to now, five years had passed, with the first two spent in training.
Diluc's incident occurred around the time Tartaglia became a Harbinger.
Roughly four years ago, Il Dottore had gone to Mondstadt for some business.
Later, someone came seeking revenge.
The whole affair lasted over half a year, so it was about three years ago.
Tartaglia had heard that Diluc repeatedly destroyed Fatui strongholds, displaying remarkable strength and forcing a Harbinger to intervene.
He wasn't sure which Harbinger it was, but it definitely wasn't him—Tartaglia had been busy at the time.
Moreover, Diluc was reportedly rescued by someone from the underground intelligence network of the northern continent.
The reason Tartaglia was interested in Diluc was that, at the time, Diluc hadn't carried a Vision—only a Delusion.
With just a Delusion, he was that strong?
If he also had a Vision… well, he must not have mastered its full power yet.
In the past, Tartaglia would have wanted to spar with him.
But now, Tartaglia had no such desire—Diluc was too weak.
At least, without powerful cards, Tartaglia wasn't that interested in him.
"Seems like a man with a story," Zhongli nodded slightly.
He wasn't familiar with Diluc, so he didn't engage further, merely exchanging nods before heading into the shop.
"Master Diluc, I've got high hopes for you. May the Anemo Archon bless you," Venti said with a grin.
Diluc's expression remained unchanged as he nodded.
Inside the shop.
The little one was too adorable.
Lu Heng thought to himself that he should strive to have one of his own someday.
"Here to watch the show?"
Lu Heng glanced at the trio.
Tartaglia wasn't here to draw cards—he was saving up for a big gamble.
Zhongli and Venti were obvious—two broke guys who could barely afford meals, let alone anything else.
So, their purpose was easy to guess.
Venti wanted to see Diluc draw cards, and Zhongli and Tartaglia were curious too.
"Have a seat. Tea first."
Lu Heng poured tea for the three, then asked, "Got any珍藏的茶叶 left?"
Zhongli shook his head. "None."
Zhongli's stash was probably top-notch—after all, the Geo Archon's collection had to be好东西.
But honestly, Zhongli was out—he'd given it all to Lu Heng.
"...Pity." Lu Heng sighed slightly.
Local teas from Teyvat were quite good.
Besides, Lu Heng was eager to see if anyone could draw something like Enlightenment Tea—he really wanted to taste it.
Sadly, no one had that kind of luck yet.
As they drank tea and chatted, time passed.
Lu Heng sat behind the counter, pouring a cup for Diluc and asking, "Did you do your research before coming?"
Diluc nodded. "But not in great depth."
"No worries. Feel free to ask if you have any questions later."
Facing such a big spender, Lu Heng was more than happy to explain personally. He smiled and asked, "How much are you planning to spend?"
"Five billion." Diluc replied.
How much?!
Venti's ears perked up.
Five billion!
Even if you exchanged it for coins worth a million Mora each and skipped them across water, you could do it five thousand times!
Converted into draws, five billion meant five hundred thousand draws!
Zhongli was also stunned.
He thought Ningguang's forty billion was already insane, but here came an even bigger whale!
"That rich?"
Tartaglia exclaimed, "How does that compare to Tianquan Ningguang?"
"Hard to say." Venti shook his head.
In terms of assets, Ningguang was undoubtedly wealthier—Liyue's economic environment ensured that.
But when it came to liquid funds, Diluc was no slouch!
As everyone knew, Mondstadt was a land of drunks!
And as the undisputed king of Mondstadt's wine industry, the Dawn Winery was incredibly powerful.
As one of Mondstadt's three great noble families, the Ragnvindr clan had been around for generations, and the vineyards of the Dawn Winery stretched as far as the eye could see.
For Diluc, as long as the Dawn Winery kept producing, half the Mora earned was cost, and the other half was pure profit!
Selling wine was great!
Low-cost, high-volume sales for thin margins, slightly higher-cost stuff sold as luxury—either way, it was always a massive profit.
So, Diluc casually dropping five billion wasn't that shocking.
"Master Diluc, have you considered taking me on as a lackey?" Venti asked solemnly.
Diluc just gave him a sidelong glance and ignored him.
Lu Heng teased, "You're really eager to climb up, huh?"
"Absolutely." Venti laughed.
Not grabbing onto a thick thigh when you see one? That'd just be stupid.
Too bad—no luck this time!
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T/N:
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