Chapter 59

Zhongli looked at the lake in front of him.

He glanced again at the map drawn by Takumi.

He quickly formed a plan in his mind.

Did he need to transform the area and turn it into a reservoir-like structure?

That wouldn't be a problem.

Moreover, the underground river below could also be utilized—should he use it?

After contemplating for a moment, Zhongli swiftly moved his hands.

There was no one around, so he didn't have to conceal anything.

The power surged.

In an instant, a huge rock, about ten meters wide, emerged from the lake.

It completely divided the lake in half.

At the same time, the entire Dihua Marsh began to shake.

Some Hilichurls wandering nearby were frightened and scattered in all directions.

Xiao, who was in the vicinity, arrived at the scene immediately.

But he was relieved upon seeing Zhongli, who was actively engaged in construction.

"Emperor!"

It didn't look like a monster attack.

Hearing Xiao's words, Zhongli nodded.

"Everything is fine here."

"You may continue with your work."

After saying this, he resumed his transformation efforts.

He reinforced the area completely.

Then, he carefully refined the structure of the massive rock.

A room?

No one could live here.

Although he didn't know what Takumi planned for this place, Zhongli simply followed the design.

That boy had wild ideas.

There must be a reason behind his requests.

Even though Takumi had only been in Liyue for a short time, he had already started bringing significant changes to the region.

If all of his innovations were implemented, Liyue would reap enormous benefits.

Xiao watched Zhongli work in silence.

It puzzled him.

Why was the emperor personally engaging in such tasks?

However, he trusted that the emperor had his reasons.

Thinking this, Xiao did not dwell on it further and left.

Zhongli continued working for over an hour.

Eventually, he completed the construction that Takumi needed.

The area had been transformed into a dam.

Over time, the water level would gradually rise and flow out through designated gaps in the dam.

The next step was for Takumi to install a generator and connect high-voltage wires.

After finishing his work, Zhongli returned to Wangshu Inn.

He found Takumi, who was overseeing the workers.

"It's done."

"You can check it out."

Hearing this, Takumi nodded.

"Thank you for your help."

"Go and rest first."

"I'll ask Keqing to prepare your payment later."

Upon hearing this, Zhongli nodded.

Without hesitation, he went upstairs and found a seat.

Ordering a pot of tea, he contentedly observed the construction site from a distance.

A slight smile appeared on his lips.

Was he pleased because he had earned some Mora, or because Takumi had successfully developed this place?

Perhaps both.

Meanwhile, Hu Tao was learning to drive under Keqing's guidance.

As a quick learner, Hu Tao quickly mastered vehicle operation.

She even managed to park in reverse with ease.

Getting a driver's license would be a breeze.

Once Keqing was confident in her skills, she let her stop.

When the time came, Yanfei would help her obtain her license.

The final test involved driving back to Liyue Harbor without issues.

But Keqing doubted there would be any problems.

After wrapping up their practice, Keqing took Hu Tao back to Wangshu Inn.

"Takumi, Takumi!"

"Guess what? Keqing said my driving is fine now!"

"Didn't you promise to give me a car?"

Hu Tao was thrilled.

She couldn't wait for Takumi to hand over her new vehicle.

Hearing this, Takumi rolled his eyes.

"Alright, I'll give you a car when we return later."

"Oh, and Keqing."

"Give 30,000000 Mora to Zhongli."

"He helped us build the power station."

"This is his payment."

After saying this, Takumi winked at Keqing.

Keqing immediately understood.

"Got it."

"I'll handle Mr. Zhongli's payment."

She was aware that Zhongli had been dining at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor for free.

Even many of his expenses were covered by Ningguang.

Now that Takumi had given him work, it made sense to pay him properly.

If Takumi simply handed Zhongli money without having him do anything, Keqing would have objected.

But now, Zhongli had clearly done the work.

So the payment was justified.

Hu Tao, standing nearby, was surprised.

"Wait, Zhongli actually made money?"

"No way! He needs to hand it over!"

Hu Tao declared that she would confiscate his earnings.

Zhongli had cost her a fortune over time.

His expenses were piling up.

Takumi shrugged.

"That's up to you."

"I'm just responsible for paying him."

"He's drinking tea upstairs right now."

"Go find him."

"I'll get your car ready later."

"I'm busy now."

With that, Takumi ignored Hu Tao and continued working.

He aimed to have the power turned on by nightfall.

Hearing Takumi's words, Hu Tao immediately ran off.

Keqing didn't linger either; she went to deliver Zhongli's payment.

She was curious to see if Zhongli would hand over the money to Hu Tao.

She found the situation amusing.

Takumi had no more pressing tasks.

After sending Klee back to the inn to play, he resumed working.

Klee didn't have much to do now.

But she wasn't completely idle either.

If large rocks needed clearing at the construction site, this little explosives expert would be needed.

After all, Takumi was constructing a basement parking garage in some buildings.

Built just like modern structures.

In about a month, some ordinary three- or four-story buildings would be completed.

Then the next phase would be constructing residential buildings.

Takumi planned to develop commercial buildings as well.

With steel and other necessary materials available, it was entirely possible.

As for luxury villas, they would be sold to wealthy individuals.

Even Takumi's own residence required careful planning.

But that wasn't a priority for now.

Everything was just getting started.

No major problems yet.

While Takumi remained busy, Keqing went upstairs to retrieve a Mora deposit slip.

She then approached Zhongli and handed it to him.

"Mr. Zhongli, this is your payment."

"This deposit slip can be redeemed at the General Affairs Department."

Although Snezhnaya's banks had expanded into Liyue, Ningguang wasn't keen on handing financial control to outsiders.

Keqing also had plenty of Mora, but those funds were allocated for wages.

Thus, she could only issue a deposit slip, allowing Zhongli to withdraw the cash himself.

Seeing the deposit slip, Hu Tao swiftly snatched it from Zhongli without hesitation.