Chapter 132

When Childe saw Takumi approaching, his eyes lit up.

Did he come on his own? What a surprise.

Takumi parked his vehicle and walked over.

"Yo, Zhongli."

Seeing Takumi, Zhongli nodded. "Sit down."

Without hesitation, Takumi took a seat.

Then, his eyes landed on Childe.

"Hello!" Childe greeted cheerfully. "I am Tartaglia, but you can call me Childe. Mr. Takumi, I've heard a lot about you!"

Takumi responded with a lukewarm nod. "The Eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui, Tartaglia. Ah, hello."

There was no need to pretend he didn't know him. That would be too fake.

Childe wasn't surprised by Takumi's knowledge of him. His information wasn't exactly a secret. He was sure Liyue Qixing had already gathered plenty of intel on him.

In fact, they likely knew exactly what he was up to at this very moment.

Childe didn't mind. His main goal was to build a good relationship with Takumi.

Why? So that when the time came, Takumi wouldn't stand in his way—or at least, he'd hold back in a fight.

He had just received a report that the ancient god sealed in Qingce Village had been dealt with.

There had been a massive explosion, and from the sound of it, Takumi was responsible.

So, he had to be careful.

If he went too far, there was no telling what Takumi might do.

Best to play it safe.

Childe wasn't reckless. He knew Liyue had its fair share of powerful individuals.

Even though he was confident in his own strength, he still had to be cautious.

Especially against someone whose abilities were unknown.

If it were just another Vision wielder, he might be more arrogant.

But with all these unknown factors, he had to tread carefully.

With that in mind, he grinned and said, "Mr. Takumi, order whatever you'd like. It's my treat today."

Takumi raised an eyebrow but didn't decline.

"Alright, then I won't hold back."

Typical Childe. Just throwing money around like it meant nothing.

But Takumi didn't think too much about it.

Without hesitation, he ordered a large feast.

Seeing Takumi order so freely, Childe smiled.

Good. That made things easier.

If Takumi was willing to eat without restraint, it meant he wasn't on guard.

Childe prided himself on being a people person.

The three of them sat together, chatting over tea.

Childe had been in Liyue for a while now. Since meeting Zhongli, he had been impressed by the man's extensive knowledge.

They had been hanging out ever since.

Originally, Childe had planned to visit Guili Plains, but he had been having too much fun and completely forgotten about it.

As they drank tea and talked, Childe found himself surprised.

No matter what topic he brought up, Zhongli and Takumi had insightful responses.

Takumi, in particular, seemed to know quite a lot.

Childe was intrigued.

Truly an impressive man.

The food arrived quickly, and they continued chatting while eating.

After a full day of fun, Takumi eventually bid farewell to Zhongli in the evening.

Zhongli, having finished his business, planned to stay in Liyue Harbor to enjoy himself for a while.

He wasn't in a hurry to return, so he took up residence at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Hu Tao wasn't around—she had gone to Wuwang Hill.

That meant Zhongli had all the time in the world to relax.

Takumi, meanwhile, returned to Guili Plains.

Upon arriving home, he found that Keqing had already returned.

The sun had set, and she wasn't out supervising construction.

Instead, she was enjoying the sea breeze, seated on the balcony of Takumi's home.

From there, she had a clear view of Yaoguang Shoal.

Under the setting sun, the scenery was breathtaking.

The cool sea breeze made it all the more comfortable.

"You're back."

Seeing Takumi descend from the sky on his vehicle, Keqing sat up straight.

Takumi stored his vehicle inside before heading upstairs.

He sat beside Keqing, and not long after, Shenhe appeared as well.

Without a word, she sat down next to Takumi.

The three of them sat together, drinking tea.

"I went home today to check on things," Keqing said. "Our business is booming."

"The clothes we produce aren't enough to meet demand."

She pulled out a sales report from her Vision and handed it to Takumi.

Takumi took a quick glance at it before setting it aside.

"I don't need to see that. Just give me the money later. I trust you."

Keqing nodded, saying nothing more. She put the report away.

Then, she brought up another matter.

"Now that we've built up this place, what's next?"

"Most of the houses are completed."

"Some merchants have started moving in."

"People are beginning to buy homes here."

"So, what's the next step?"

She spoke while gazing at the cityscape before them.

The lights in the distance illuminated the growing settlement.

Looking at it now, it was truly magnificent.

If the buildings were further renovated and more people moved in, it would be even more spectacular.

This was Liyue's second city.

Hearing Keqing's question, Takumi nodded.

"The next step is entertainment."

"We need storytellers, singers—"

"Bring some performers here."

"We should invite Yun Jin."

"We can turn some of the larger buildings into theaters for her."

This was the biggest issue Takumi had been facing.

Many restaurants had already set up shop, but entertainment venues were lacking.

For some reason, none of the teahouse storytellers wanted to come.

Maybe because there still weren't enough people here?