"Mhm, I'm going out to eat."
Felix nodded. "You two should head back for today. I'll take a stroll after dinner, maybe open the shop for a bit longer, then close up."
"Alright!"
Hearing the shopkeeper's words, Wenqi and Doyle looked delighted. They thanked him hurriedly and left.
Getting off work early was always nice.
And it wasn't their idea; the shopkeeper dismissed them.
"Seems like the Millelith don't really need to maintain order here anymore."
Hu Tao, who had walked out beside Felix, watched the departing guards with her beautiful plum-blossom eyes. "Your shop isn't packed every day."
"It was Lady Ningguang's order. I had no say in it."
Felix smiled faintly. "Besides, when I open the shop in the morning, Wenqi and Doyle stop by and bring me breakfast. Lunch too. I don't even have to go out. It's very convenient."
Having two dedicated Millelith guards was indeed useful.
At the very least, his meal delivery was sorted.
"Is that so?"
Hu Tao stared at Felix intently. "Then starting tomorrow, how about I bring you meals every morning?"
Felix: "??????"
He looked at her with question marks floating above his head.
What was Director Hu planning now? Why would she want to bring him breakfast?
"Great! It's decided then."
Hu Tao patted Felix on the shoulder before he could respond. "Starting tomorrow, this Director will bring you meals. Whatever I eat, you eat."
Felix: "..."
His eyelid twitched. "Director Hu, are you that bored?"
"Yeah, pretty bored."
Hu Tao nodded. "Even though Wangsheng is open during the day now, mornings and lunchtimes are usually slow. Afternoons get a bit busy with orders, and evenings too. But if I have time, I'll bring you dinner as well."
Felix: "????"
Seeing her serious expression, Felix was speechless.
That wasn't what he meant.
"I didn't mean that."
Felix had black lines dropping down his forehead. "I meant, there is no need to trouble yourself, Director Hu."
"No, no, no! It's no trouble at all!"
Hu Tao shook her head, blinking her big eyes at him innocently.
Are you kidding? This was a golden opportunity to build a relationship with the shopkeeper!
If she brought him food, maybe he'd let her buy extra jars later? It was a necessary investment!
Plus, chatting with him was fun. Life was good.
It was better than rotting away in the funeral parlor with nothing to do.
Yep, I'm doing it!
Hu Tao made up her mind.
Seeing her determination, the corner of Felix's mouth twitched imperceptibly. What a mess.
He locked the door and walked toward Wanmin Restaurant with Hu Tao and Mona.
"Shopkeeper, you're just locking the door like that?"
Mona looked shocked as Felix casually shut the door without setting any magical wards. "You're not setting up a formation? Aren't you afraid someone will break in and steal the jars while you're gone?"
After experiencing the magic of the jars firsthand, Mona felt they were priceless treasures. Leaving them unguarded seemed insane.
"There is a formation inside the shop."
Felix walked with his hands behind his back, smiling lightly. "Closing the door is enough."
"There is?"
Mona was confused. She hadn't sensed any elemental fluctuations or magical signatures.
But since Felix said so, it must be true.
His shop was too mysterious. The fact that he sold such powerful items made her want to divine his identity even more.
"What's wrong, Mona?"
Hu Tao leaned in curiously, seeing Mona lost in thought.
Why did she suddenly stop walking?
"Ah, nothing!"
Mona snapped out of it and shook her head. "Just lost in thought."
"Okay then."
Hu Tao didn't press further.
"By the way, when is Captain Beidou opening the Steam Battleship? I'm dying of impatience."
"Tell me about it. I finished dinner and went back, but it still wasn't open. Sigh, it's painful. I wanted to see it tonight. If I can't see it, I won't be able to sleep."
"You actually thought you could get a tour tonight? The line is miles long. Good luck."
"Yeah, there are too many people. It's been hours and the harbor is still packed. I don't believe Captain Beidou will keep tours open late into the night."
"Can't be helped. Just wait. I heard the Ship Bureau experts are on board right now studying it to upgrade our Liyue ships."
"That's good news. If all Liyue ships become like that battleship, we'll dominate the seas. Who would dare look down on Liyue Harbor then?"
"Exactly. There are so many merchant ships here every day, many from other nations. If we can build ships like that battleship, we'll shock the world."
...
As they walked, passing pedestrians discussed the hot topic of the day.
"Is Captain Beidou's ship still surrounded by that many people?"
Hu Tao looked surprised.
It had been hours.
She hadn't gone to see it herself, but she had witnessed Beidou pull the tiny model from the jar. It was exquisitely made.
Felix had said it would grow when placed in water.
She hadn't expected the hype to last this long.
And apparently, Beidou was opening it for public tours tonight.
"Yes," Mona nodded. "When I arrived in Liyue and crossed the bridge, I heard people talking about it. I went to look and saw a huge crowd. So I flew up to get a better view. It's an incredibly domineering and handsome ship. Beautiful. It felt... like an alchemical creation."
When she saw the Steam Battleship, Mona had assumed it was the product of advanced alchemy.
The metallic texture, the perfect streamlining—it felt high-tech.
But building something like that would require a team of master alchemists. She had never heard that the Crux Fleet employed alchemists.
"Hehe, that's not an alchemical product."
Hu Tao grinned mischievously. "That was pulled from the Shopkeeper's jar by Captain Beidou! I watched the whole thing happen!"
"What?!"
Mona's eyes widened in shock. She stared at Felix in disbelief.
That massive, imposing Steam Battleship she saw at the harbor... came from a jar?
She was already impressed by her own pulls.
But a battleship?
That was beyond magical.
And it sold for 100,000 Mora?!
A battleship like that would be worth tens of millions. Maybe priceless.
Did the shopkeeper not care about losing money?
"Hehe, shocked right?"
Hu Tao laughed at Mona's stunned expression. "So, Mona, keep buying jars! Everyone is limited to ten jars a week."
"If you don't buy ten, the quota doesn't roll over to the next week. You lose the chance. So not maxing out your weekly limit is a huge loss!"
"Is that so?!"
Mona finally understood just how cheap Felix's jars were.
Remembering how she had stormed in calling it a "black market shop," she blushed with shame.
She shouldn't have been so impulsive.
As the group headed to Wanmin Restaurant...
At Northland Bank.
Tartaglia sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea.
Before him stood the elite Fatui agent from earlier.
If Cai Zihao were here, he would recognize him as the man who blocked his path.
"So, the Jar Shop is closed now?"
Tartaglia frowned at his subordinate. "And Director Hu is walking around with a pet she claims is a Fire Dragon? Are you sure it's a dragon?"
When the agent reported this, Tartaglia had nearly spat out his tea.
Hu Tao with a Fire Dragon?
He had never heard of a Fire Dragon in Liyue.
Mondstadt had a Wind Dragon (Dvalin). Liyue had... the Geo Archon (Exuvia). But a Fire Dragon?
If he didn't trust his subordinate, he would think it was a joke.
"Yes, my Lord."
Seeing the Harbinger's skepticism, the agent quickly added, "It wasn't just me. Many people saw it. People on the streets are still talking about it."
"I don't know what the creature is. It doesn't look like a dragon to me. It looks silly. But it has a flame on its tail."
"The reason people call it a Fire Dragon is because Director Hu explicitly stated it was one when she left the parlor."
"If you don't believe me, you can verify it easily."
"Also, something is happening at Liyue Harbor. There's a huge crowd. I didn't investigate because I was watching the shop."
"I stayed until the shop closed, then came straight back to report."
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