With that, Wang Ming grinned and headed towards Liyue Harbor.
"Look, it's a crew member from the Crux Fleet!"
"Not the whole crew? Then he must be here to buy supplies."
"Eh? It's someone I don't recognize. I thought it would be Miss Furong. I really wanted to see her."
"Heh, you just want to ogle Miss Furong? I'm too polite to call you out on it."
"I'm so envious of the Crux Fleet crew. I heard their recruitment is very strict. You have to pass some kind of test to join."
"Isn't that obvious? Which sailor doesn't want to join the Crux Fleet? If anyone could join, would it still be the Crux Fleet? You know their reputation."
"Exactly. The Crux Fleet is no ordinary fleet."
...
When Wang Ming docked his boat at the harbor and stepped onto the pier, someone spotted his uniform and exclaimed in surprise.
Following the shout, many people nearby turned to look.
Seeing the distinctive Crux Fleet emblem embroidered on Wang Ming's clothes, they began to whisper among themselves.
Every gaze directed at Wang Ming was filled with envy and longing.
The Crux Fleet—that was the fleet they all dreamed of joining.
Anyone working as a sailor or crewman aspired to join the legendary Crux Fleet.
In their eyes, the Crux Fleet was the ultimate dream.
Hearing their discussions, Wang Ming walked up with a smile on his face.
He was happy with their praise. It was the pride of being a Crux crew member.
"The Crux Fleet? What kind of fleet is that? Is it famous?"
A newbie sailor, seeing his colleagues and the older veterans looking at Wang Ming with excitement, asked curiously.
He hadn't heard of the name "Crux Fleet" before. But from their words, it sounded impressive.
What do they mean by "not an ordinary fleet"?
"Holy crap, are you from Liyue?"
Hearing this, someone looked at him in shock. "In all of Liyue, no local would be ignorant of the Alcor and the Crux Fleet."
"Uh, I just drifted here from Mondstadt recently. Just started as a sailor, so I really don't know. Could you explain, brother?"
"I see, no wonder. Alright, let me educate you about the Crux Fleet today."
"The Crux Fleet is the only armed fleet in Liyue trusted with heavy firepower. Don't overthink it—everything about the Crux Fleet is authorized by the Liyue Qixing."
"Its leader, Beidou, has an incredibly high reputation in Liyue. Her fame is only slightly below that of the Liyue Qixing themselves."
"There isn't a single merchant in Liyue who doesn't know Beidou of the Crux. Rumor has it she can split mountains and part seas, summon lightning with her sword, and slice a terrifying sea monster like Haishan in half with a single strike."
"Hiss?"
Hearing this, the newbie looked shocked. "That exaggerated? Can a mortal be that strong? Does she possess a legendary Vision?"
"Exactly. Captain Beidou does possess a Vision. In our eyes, she is the Dragon King of the Ocean!"
"The Crux has been famous for years, and their high commission fees are the norm. I heard that during one voyage, the fleet encountered a hurricane at sea. A nearby civilian boat was also in distress. Seeing the small boat tossing in the giant waves, Captain Beidou ignored the risk of her own keel snapping and ordered the civilian boat to be pulled into the safe zone. At the time, the fleet was low on food and water, but Captain Beidou insisted on sharing with the civilians and led them through the hurricane."
"After several days, the Crux Fleet delivered the civilian boat to the nearest anchorage. That merchant was so grateful for saving his life that he became Captain Beidou's loyal business partner. As for who that is, I won't say."
"Hiss? The Crux Fleet is that amazing?"
"Of course. Legend has it that the person backing the Crux Fleet is none other than the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing."
"Hehe, I heard Captain Beidou once beat the Tianquan in a game of chess. Don't know if it's true."
"Should be true."
...
As the man explained, people around them joined the discussion, quickly turning the topic to Captain Beidou.
Speaking of her, everyone was filled with awe.
Many had heard countless legends about Captain Beidou.
One saying circulated widely in Liyue, known to countless locals:
Even the wildest storms must bow their heads before Beidou.
While they discussed, Wang Ming chuckled and left Liyue Harbor, stepping into the bustling city of Liyue.
Checking his direction, Wang Ming headed straight for the Chihu Rock street.
Every time he came to buy supplies, most of the delicious dishes were ordered from Wanmin Restaurant. He would place the order first.
Then he would go to the market to buy other things, and finally come back to pick up the food before returning to the Alcor.
"Is Wanmin Restaurant this popular in the morning too?"
Not long after, Wang Ming arrived at Wanmin Restaurant.
But when he saw the long line at the door, he was surprised.
He knew Wanmin Restaurant's business was booming, but usually, that was at night.
During the day, lunch was also busy.
But in the morning? Not usually.
Or rather, he had seen a packed Wanmin at night, but now he was seeing it in the morning.
In the past, whenever he came to buy supplies in the morning, there weren't many people here.
This time, there was such a long line.
"This instant noodle smells so good."
"Yeah, I came to Wanmin this morning just to eat instant noodles. I heard the new dish is excellent, and it seems the rumors are true."
"Good thing we came early. I heard yesterday that when they launched the instant noodles, many people arrived late, lined up, but couldn't buy any because they sold out."
"I usually eat at home, but after trying these noodles last night, I ran over here as soon as I woke up this morning. Haha."
...
While Wang Ming was surprised, the people in line laughed and chatted, all discussing Wanmin Restaurant's "instant noodles."
"Instant noodles?"
Hearing their discussion, Wang Ming was confused. What is that?
But from their words, he roughly understood.
Wanmin Restaurant had recently launched a new item called "instant noodles," and it was very popular.
"Chef Mao!"
Wang Ming waved directly at Chef Mao. "I'm here to buy supplies. The usual."
"Young friend Wang Ming."
Hearing Wang Ming's voice, Chef Mao, who was putting a block of instant noodles into a pot of bone broth, looked up immediately.
Seeing it was Wang Ming, he smiled. "Got it. I'll make it for you in a bit, but it will be later today. There are too many people. Come back later to pick it up."
Saying that, he busily put another noodle block into a separate soup pot.
"Sure, no problem."
Hearing Chef Mao, Wang Ming nodded.
He could see Chef Mao was busy.
He would just take his time buying the other supplies and come back later to pick up the food.
At this moment, the people in line noticed Wang Ming because of Chef Mao's greeting.
Seeing the exclusive Crux Fleet uniform on Wang Ming, many who knew of the fleet felt a jolt of awe.
A crew member of the Crux Fleet.
"What a coincidence to see a Crux crew member today."
"Yeah, we usually don't see them. Didn't expect to see one this morning buying supplies."
"Sigh, Captain Beidou didn't come. I saw her from afar last time. She looked so majestic. I heard she likes making friends. I wanted to befriend her, but I didn't have the guts to approach. Thinking about it now makes me depressed."
"I heard the Crux Fleet sometimes holds gatherings at Wanmin Restaurant."
"No need to hear about it—it's true. I've seen it with my own eyes."
...
People whispered while looking at Wang Ming, and some smiled and greeted him.
After all, knowing a crew member of the Crux Fleet could only be beneficial.
If they needed something in the future, they could ask a crew member to keep an eye out.
"Hello."
Wang Ming smiled and responded to their greetings without any airs, which made many people sigh in admiration.
As expected of a Crux crew member—so polite. No wonder they were famous throughout Liyue.
Some sailors from other fleets had such bad tempers that just talking to them made you want to punch them.
"Um, I just heard you guys talking about Wanmin Restaurant's new instant noodles."
Wang Ming asked hesitantly, "When I came before, I didn't see them. Can you introduce them to me? Is it a type of noodle dish? Is it delicious?"
"Of course."
Hearing Wang Ming's question, someone who had eaten the noodles smiled. "Very delicious, very good. And the most important thing is the price—it's cheap. Just a few Mora. I recommend you try a bowl."
"Since you're here, and if you're not in a rush, why not line up with us and taste a bowl yourself? Instant noodles are really popular. They won't disappoint you."
"Alright."
Hearing this, Wang Ming was tempted and nodded.
Right, I'm already here, and I'm not in a rush. I have plenty of time. Might as well taste this new food from Wanmin Restaurant.
While Wang Ming lined up at Wanmin Restaurant...
At the entrance of the Jar Shop, Andrei, the manager of Northland Bank, arrived holding a bag of Mora.
Seeing Andrei, the two Millelith guards stationed at the door frowned instinctively.
They recognized him—the manager of Northland Bank.
They had absolutely no goodwill toward him.
But their professionalism kept them from targeting him.
"Hello, Shopkeeper. I'm here to open jars."
Andrei noticed the guards' gazes but didn't care.
Instead, he smiled and stepped into the Jar Shop, handing the money bag to Felix while speaking politely.
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