Chapter 54

Takumi couldn't help but nod when he heard the invitation from Captain Jean.

Mondstadt was definitely a place he planned to visit, but not right now.

He would wait until the Traveler arrived.

He just didn't know whether it would be Aether or Lumine.

If it were Aether, Takumi thought he might end up being dragged into the Abyss.

If that were the case, Aether could go on his own.

"I'll visit when I have time."

Jean nodded.

Her gaze then shifted to Klee.

"Klee, you need to be obedient here, okay?"

"Don't play with anything dangerous."

Hearing Jean's words, Klee nodded eagerly.

"I understand, Captain Jean."

"I'll listen to Brother Takumi."

Of course, she would.

Takumi allowed her to legally fish-blast here.

Was there anything better than that?

Thinking about it, Klee couldn't help but feel excited.

Noticing Klee's expression, Jean sighed helplessly.

This little troublemaker.

She could easily guess why Klee was so happy.

Shaking her head, she decided not to overthink it.

Instead, she bid farewell to everyone and led her team out.

There was still a lot of work waiting for her in Mondstadt.

If cars became widespread, traveling wouldn't be so troublesome.

She could only hope the roads would be finished soon.

Right now, Liyue's roads had been extended to Dihua Marsh.

It would take more time to reach the Stone Gate.

Once that was done, she planned to send workers from Mondstadt to help.

After returning, she still had many tasks to handle, including trade negotiations and road construction.

Her time in Liyue was running out.

After Jean and Lisa left, Ningguang also prepared to depart.

"Then, I should get going."

"If anyone wants to buy property, I'll send them here to take a look and then return to Liyue for negotiations."

"If you need anything, let me know."

Hearing Ningguang's words, Takumi nodded.

"Of course, I won't be shy about it."

"Selling the houses is your job."

"I'm only responsible for building them."

Ningguang chuckled and nodded.

Without staying any longer, she left Wangshu Inn and boarded her car.

Her secretary carefully started the engine, leading a convoy of vehicles back toward Liyue.

It reminded Takumi of high-ranking officials from his previous world.

Shaking his head, he didn't dwell on it further.

Instead, he set down the generator and started working on models.

He needed to determine the best location for a power station.

Using his abilities, he recreated the terrain of Dihua Marsh in the model.

Before long, a massive model occupied most of the room.

Seeing this, Klee grew curious.

What was Takumi doing?

After completing the model, Takumi began making adjustments.

Looking at it, he frowned slightly.

If he built a dam in Dihua Marsh, the water level would rise significantly.

As a result, Dihua Marsh might flood.

That wouldn't be good.

That meant some areas would need excavation.

A troublesome task.

After thinking for a while, Takumi came up with a better idea.

What if they utilized the underground river beneath the marsh?

The force of the underground water could be harnessed for power generation.

With this realization, Takumi's eyes lit up.

"The power station should still be built near the Dihua Marsh Statue."

"A dam should be constructed here, though it doesn't need to be too high."

"As long as it can redirect water flow and keep the generator running, it will be sufficient."

"The underground river will provide additional power."

"If the water above flows into the underground river, the continuous pressure will generate enough energy."

With his thoughts clear, Takumi quickly moved to execute them.

He reviewed Albedo's generator blueprint.

He skimmed through the material list and assembly instructions.

Everything was clearly documented.

After confirming the details, Takumi got to work.

Soon, the location for the dam emerged on the model.

"Brother Takumi."

"What are you doing?"

"Are you building a house there to fish-blast?"

Seeing the model, Klee was puzzled.

Building a house over the water?

That confused her.

She had been to Dihua Marsh before and knew the area well.

She even went to the statue to check how many bombs it would take to destroy it.

The fish in the lake had also caught her attention.

But now Takumi was planning to construct something there?

What was the purpose?

Was he fencing off an area to fish-blast?

Hearing Klee's guess, Takumi laughed.

"No, it's not for fish-blasting."

"This is for building a power station."

"However, if you want to fish-blast in the future, this would be a good spot."

Klee's eyes immediately sparkled.

"I can fish-blast here?"

"That sounds amazing!"

Takumi shook his head and focused back on his work.

After finishing the mold, he finalized the design.

The construction process was detailed clearly in his plans.

For this power station, Takumi felt it would be best to ask Zhongli to assist with its construction.

Building in water was complex.

But if the Geo Archon helped, it would be much easier.

He prepared the design plans, including a section for the underground river.

Zhongli could use his divine power to construct it efficiently.

There would be no issues at all.

And if Zhongli refused…

Well, Zhongli, you wouldn't want to be broke when you go shopping, right?

Thinking of this, a mischievous grin appeared on Takumi's face.

Want to retire?

Then you have to help get things set up first.

Once Guili Plains was fully developed, Zhongli could retire as he wished.

By then, Liyue's people would be self-sufficient.

Of course, Ningguang should provide him a sizable salary—perhaps a few million Mora.

As Takumi considered ways to persuade Zhongli, he stored away the blueprints.

The next step was to find an opportunity to speak with him.

Just as he finished, he spotted a group of Qianyan soldiers escorting a large number of Treasure Hoarders into the area.

Seeing this, Takumi was slightly surprised.

Had the labor reform already begun?

Takumi, Ningguang, and the others had discussed using captured Treasure Hoarders for labor.

Had the process already started?

Thinking this, Takumi grabbed Klee's hand and ran outside.

He was eager to watch the spectacle.