Watching Diluc's back as he walked away, Kaeya was completely dumbfounded.
"What do you mean, 'a manga only real men should read'?
Clearly you just didn't want to read it yourself!"
He never imagined Diluc could be that kind of person.
Still, since the manga had already been taken, Kaeya couldn't just grab it back—that would be way too embarrassing.
But… he really didn't want to read this one either.
A grown man reading a romance manga? What was he supposed to do with that?
If the reward turned out to be normal, fine.
But if it was something weird again… that would be a nightmare.
According to the rumors Kaeya had heard,
the rewards from the latest three manga had all been, well… eccentric.
The first to read was Fischl— she got something called the "Evil Eye of the Dark Sovereign."
Sounded impressive… until Kaeya learned it was basically just a glowing visual effect.
Then there was Signora.
Her case was even worse.
A high-ranking Fatui Harbinger, and now she strutted around calling herself "The Crimson Flame Witch who Devours the World."
The tone had gone completely off the rails.
If the Tsaritsa ever saw that, she'd probably hit the roof.
As for Acting Grand Master Jean— her reward was actually decent: a pair of matching couple pendants.
But that was fine for a woman.
If a man got a "couple's pendant"?
Just thinking about it made Kaeya shiver.
Who would he even give it to?
Surely not… his dear brother, Diluc?!
The thought made Kaeya's mouth twitch.
He sighed helplessly.
"Boss Han, any new manga?"
Han Feng smiled with squinted eyes.
"Nope, all taken by other guests.
If you've got the patience, you can wait a little while."
Kaeya thought about it for half a second.
"Forget it."
He wasn't the patient type—especially not in a place like this.
What if, after all that waiting, the next manga was still something ridiculous?
That'd just be wasted time.
"Guess I'll just take this one."
He exhaled softly.
Maybe, just maybe, he'd luck out and get a normal reward this time.
But as Kaeya turned to find Diluc, he noticed his brother standing still, staring straight ahead, expression cold and grim.
Kaeya followed his gaze— and his smile vanished.
"The Doctor… he actually came to Mondstadt!"
Kaeya frowned, then quickly pieced it together.
"He must have gotten Signora's letter—he's here to investigate the manga shop."
"No matter the reason," Diluc said darkly, "this time, he won't leave alive."
For him, this man was more than just an enemy— he was the one tied to his father's death.
He had searched for years, unable to find a trace.
Now, finally face to face— how could he possibly let the Doctor walk free?
Diluc's hand brushed against his coat pocket.
Inside was his first-ever reward— the Flame-Flame Fruit Experience Card.
After consuming it, he would gain the powers of the Flame-Flame Fruit for 24 hours.
Originally, he hadn't planned to use it— Han Feng had warned that Devil Fruits tasted absolutely awful.
But this situation left him no choice.
Against a Fatui Harbinger, he'd need every bit of power he could get.
"Count me in," Kaeya said quietly.
After all, Crepus was his foster father too.
He bore some of that responsibility himself.
It was that tragedy which had driven a wedge between them for years.
Perhaps, if they settled things today, that old rift could finally begin to heal.
But this was Boss Han's shop—
Kaeya reminded him softly:
"Let's finish our manga first.
We can't make a move here."
"Understood."
Diluc's hatred burned deep, but he wasn't foolish enough to challenge Boss Han's authority.
He knew all too well how terrifying the man was.
For now, he would let it go.
Both brothers cast one last icy glance toward the Doctor,
then walked off silently.
Time slipped by— an hour later, Ningguang closed her manga and stretched gracefully, her movements so elegant that her three secretaries could only stare, eyes sparkling.
"Finished already? How was it?"
Keqing asked curiously.
"The story itself was rather ordinary," Ningguang said lightly, "but that four-dimensional pocket was fascinating— it contained all sorts of miraculous tools."
"Some were unbelievably powerful:
like a time machine that lets you travel through time, and the 'What-If' Phone Booth that can alter the laws of the world itself.
Compared to those, the bamboo-copter is practically mundane."
As a Liyue Qixing, Ningguang prided herself on her vast knowledge.
But after reading this manga, she realized her imagination had been far too limited.
So many strange, ingenious inventions— each more incredible than the last.
And if it were any other book, she would've dismissed it as pure fantasy.
But this was Boss Han's manga.
Meaning… it might actually be real.
A chilling thought crossed her mind.
What if Boss Han himself possessed a four-dimensional pocket?
Where else could all these mysterious rewards be coming from?
If he truly had items like a time machine or a reality-altering phone booth, then the man was far more terrifying than anyone realized.
"A device that travels through time? Another that changes the world's rules?!"
Keqing was speechless.
What kind of manga had that kind of power?!
Suddenly, all the abilities she'd gotten before felt utterly trivial.
"Just… who exactly is Boss Han…?"
"Come on," Ningguang said with a smile, "let's go see what kind of reward I'll get."
Her heart beat faster at the thought.
If she could get one of those miraculous gadgets… then the possibilities were endless.
Keqing nodded eagerly.
If Ningguang's reward turned out to be powerful, she'd read the same manga tomorrow.
If it was lame—well, she'd be sure to mock her for it.
The two women approached the counter.
Han Feng glanced at the system screen.
A new message flashed—
[Customer Ningguang has finished reading Doraemon. Reward granted: Money-Exchange Machine.]
[Money-Exchange Machine: Place any unwanted old item inside,
and it will convert it into a corresponding amount of money.
To buy it back, you must pay ten times the sale price within one hour.]
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