Chapter 228

Klee's eyes lit up when she saw Takumi walking in from outside.

"Brother Takumi! You're back!"

Klee ran directly toward him and threw herself into his arms. 

The others also noticed Takumi at this moment and greeted him.

Takumi hugged Klee and went directly to the bar to sit down. Qiqi immediately ignored Hu Tao and took the fries in front of her, bringing them over to Takumi.

Hu Tao didn't deserve to eat what Qiqi had given away!

Seeing this scene, Hu Tao was suddenly frustrated.

"Qiqi! How could you do this? That was mine!"

Qiqi glanced at Hu Tao and said, "I won't give it to you. Bad guys don't get food. Qiqi hates you."

Hearing this, Hu Tao looked even more dejected.

Takumi, seeing the scene unfold, found it amusing.

"Brother Takumi, have you eaten yet?" Yaoyao asked as she approached. "I can cook something for you."

If Takumi hadn't eaten, she was ready to fry some chicken legs for him.

Hearing Yaoyao's words, Takumi shook his head. 

"No need. I've already eaten. I just came from Xiangling's place."

Hearing this, Yaoyao nodded and didn't insist.

At this time, Diona began preparing a drink for Takumi. She took out a bottle of Coke, opened it, and poured it into a glass with some lemon slices before handing it over.

"Brother Takumi, drink this. No alcohol."

Seeing the Coke, Takumi was surprised.

"Is Coke being sold now?"

Diona nodded. 

"Yes! It's available in many places now, and a lot of people like it."

She didn't really dislike Coke. Even though it was a product from Diluc, it wasn't alcohol, so she didn't hate it. In fact, she thought it was a decent drink. Instead of selling alcohol, she felt Diluc should focus on selling drinks like this.

Takumi nodded. He had also seen Coke in Xiangling's shop earlier but hadn't paid much attention to it while talking with Paimon. Now, it seemed that Coke was already popular across Liyue.

Time passed, and the number of customers in the tavern increased. Soon, the place was packed. Some customers, seeing no available seats, simply went to Diluc's tavern next door.

When Takumi left, he noticed that Diluc's tavern was also bustling. However, Diluc himself didn't seem to be present. Perhaps he had returned to Mondstadt. Takumi didn't dwell on it and headed straight back to the manor.

Upon arriving home, Keqing had just finished showering and was enjoying the cool air on the balcony. Seeing Takumi return, her eyes lit up.

Takumi and Shenhe parked their vehicle and walked upstairs.

"You're back just in time," Keqing said. "The mall layout is basically done. It's now being stocked. It will still take some time before it officially opens."

Hearing this, Takumi nodded. 

"That's good. What about the merchants who rented the shops? How are they doing?"

The mall itself wasn't a big concern for Takumi; the real issue was how well the merchants were settling in.

Keqing nodded. 

"Most of them are nearly ready. Renovations are wrapping up, and the next step is stocking their goods. It will only be a few more days before everything is ready. Even the snack vendors on the top floor are preparing."

Takumi nodded in satisfaction. For the top floor, he had specifically asked Keqing to bring in snack vendors, including those selling milk tea and various street foods. 

Unlike the food street below Guili Plains, which mainly offered traditional snacks, the mall was meant to have a more diverse selection. As long as the food was good, vendors could set up shop there.

Many skilled cooks who couldn't afford their own store had eagerly joined. For them, Keqing had offered a special deal—no rent, just a portion of their earnings. It was a win-win situation, as they could start their business, and the mall could thrive.

After Keqing finished explaining, she suddenly remembered something else and continued:

"By the way, the vehicles you provided to Dawn Winery—can you make more? Many people are asking how to purchase those trucks."

Hearing this, Takumi raised an eyebrow.

"Let's have the factory manufacture them. I'll give you the design blueprints, and you can take them to the factory when the time comes. These trucks will be a bit more expensive, but anything over 30,000 Mora isn't unreasonable."

Takumi didn't plan to produce them himself. He would simply send the designs to a vehicle factory for production. The trailers were modified versions of standard cars, so manufacturing them shouldn't be too difficult.

Keqing nodded in agreement.

"Alright! Send me the blueprints, and I'll have them start production. Many merchants are interested in these large transport containers. Dawn Winery transported a shipment recently, and a single truck carried multiple loads. Other merchants saw this and wanted in."

Keqing explained that once merchants realized the benefits of these large transport vehicles, they all wanted them.

Takumi nodded. 

"No problem. Have the factory start production. Also, they should consider making medium-sized container trucks. The large ones may be too expensive for some, so having a mid-range option would help."

He continued, "They can also customize trucks for specific uses, such as transporting livestock. Qingce Village's farmers would probably love that. With a specialized truck, they could transport hundreds of pigs in one trip instead of making multiple trips."

It was much more efficient than the current system, where small vehicles could only carry a dozen pigs at a time. If they had a truck to streamline the process, they'd be eager to buy it.

After all, pig farming was highly profitable!