Genshin Impact: A Red Teyvat Life Starting from Zero

No sooner had Jiang Ming finished speaking than Beidou's voice rang out: "We bought it!"

"You promised a 2% discount."

"Don't worry, I mean what I say."

I reminded him that the boat issue wasn't in our initial plans, so we'll calculate the price increase first and then offer a discount.

"For the first batch, we can allocate a quota of four ships, you see..."

"I want it all."

"Huh? You didn't even ask the price? Aren't you afraid of design flaws? You'll just end up with scrap metal?"

“I believe your products are worth their price. In fact, even scrap metal would be worth a lot of money based on the materials you are using.”

“Alright, since you’re not afraid, it’s settled then. I’ll have Xin Hai come and sign a contract with you later. I’ll go to the dock and inform them so they can start your renovation project immediately and try not to delay your return journey.”

"Wait a minute!"

Seeing that Jiang Ming was about to leave, Bei Dou hurriedly called him back.

"what happened?"

"Does the Shogunate know about your recent activities?"

"you mean?"

"Robots, public ownership."

"Oh, you mean this? Xin Hai even told you this."

Jiang Ming suddenly realized.

"Well... how should I put it? We have never publicly proclaimed the above. The Coral Palace inside Haiqi Island, to be precise, is under the absolute control of Xin Hai and me. This is only a temporary necessity, nothing more."

understood.

Beidou nodded, understanding.

The shogunate knew this, but what they knew differed somewhat from the objective facts.

Nine times out of ten, the shogunate interpreted the "public ownership" of Umijima Island as a de facto monopoly of ownership by the Sangokyu Palace.

They will distribute it to ordinary people simply because of their kindness or need, nothing more.

Tsk, thinking about it, it makes sense. Expecting those insects in the Heavenly Realm who have no faith or distorted faith to understand actions driven by selfless and lofty beliefs is asking too much.

They only understand and measure everything by referring to their own actions and experiences, ultimately viewing everyone as insects just like themselves.

As for the Kamisato family...

Hokuto really didn't expect how Ayato Kamisato would view this matter.

Ayato Kamisato's situation is somewhat more complicated than that of a purely twisted insect like Takayuki Kujo.

"In addition, there is another point: our current situation has brought more benefits to both sides of the shogunate."

"Huh? What do you say?"

“We imported a large amount of cheap industrial goods into the shogunate-controlled areas, and this was through the shogunate’s channels, which were the only channels, as the shogunate had absolute pricing power in the areas it ruled.”

Jiang Ming smiled as he watched Beidou's eyes widen.

"The Tenryo Magistrate and the Kansei Magistrate are making a fortune off the cheap goods we provide. We produce a calligraphy brush for only 120 mora, but the Shogunate sells it for 8. Who can resist that? We even act as their target from time to time. Do you think they'd touch their own cash cow?"

"And what about the company magistrate?"

"At this stage, they are not pursuing money, but stability. The cheap goods we export have eased the burden on the Tianling Bureau to some extent. At the very least, the price of calligraphy brushes has dropped from 100,000 Mora to 80,000 Mora. Doesn't this also align with the Bureau's pursuit?"

Chapter 140 Why?

Beidou stayed on Haizhi Island for a much longer time this time than last time.

The main issue is that there are many more large pieces of equipment, such as vehicles and robot maintenance stations, that need to be fixed in place, and two ships also need to be modified.

Moreover, Beidou has now redesigned its business routes.

In the past, the Southern Cross would depart from Liyue, carrying goods from Inazuma, first going to the outlying islands to unload some, then loading some Inazuma specialties and supplies needed by Hyjal Island, then going to Hyjal Island to unload the supplies needed by Hyjal Island, and then loading Hyjal Island specialties to return to Liyue.

Now, she plans to change the route to: unload goods on the outlying island, purchase a large amount of minerals, transport them fully loaded to Haegei Island, unload everything, and then leave with a full load of industrial products from Haegei Island.

The optimized trade routes greatly satisfied the trade needs between Liyue and Haiqi Island without compromising the interests of the surveying and pacification authorities.

Since everyone had some free time, Jiang Ming approached Bei Dou and asked her to explain the "pass" in detail.

"Here it is, how do you feel about it?"

Beidou handed him an ordinary bronze token that looked unremarkable except for the addition of the Thunder Triple Tomoe logo.

He had already seen the appearance before, but this time he was getting his hands on it in person.

"There is an aura of lightning elemental power on it. It is faint, but it gives people a feeling of being looked down upon. Holding it in your hand always makes people feel a sense of awe. Even if you don't have the Eye of God, you should be able to feel it. Anyway, Chongzuo said that he felt uneasy when he held it."

The one who can make a powerhouse like Beidou feel looked down upon must be General Leidian.

It sounds like General Thunder infused it with his divine power or something else, leaving behind a specific mark.

However, Jiang Ming held the token in his hand but could not sense any of the aura that Beidou had mentioned.

There was neither a sense of being looked down upon, nor any feeling of awe or panic.

He felt it was just an ordinary copper coin.

Hmm... Is it because he doesn't belong to Teyvat? Is his physical structure different from that of the Teyvats, so he has no sense of elemental power? Or is he completely unaffected by elemental power?

Or perhaps it's for some other reason?

Jiang Ming thought about it briefly, but couldn't come to a conclusion.

Beidou, meanwhile, is still diligently providing explanations.

"With this token, you will not be attacked by thunderstorms within a certain range. Beyond this range, the thunderstorms will gradually intensify. This is why we have to slow down and wait for the slowest ships to gather together and pass through the thunderstorm zone."

Just as he had envisioned last time, thunderstorm zones would not attack if they detected a specific aura, essentially creating a whitelist.

This is currently the only legal way to enter and exit Inazuma.

He had considered using an all-steel transport ship, equipped with adequate lightning protection measures, to directly venture into the thunderstorm area.

Jiang Ming had made this proposal to Xin Hai and Wu Lang when the main body of their first all-steel transport ship, currently tentatively codenamed "Thunderstorm," was completed, and it was formally discussed.

The proposal was rejected outright as a result of the discussion.

This was a gamble that General Thunder would indeed be as they suspected, completely ignoring the thunderstorm zone and even allowing a large number of ships to "smuggle" in without any unusual feedback.

Jiang Ming couldn't guarantee this either, only that it was highly probable.

Matters involving deities require utmost caution; therefore, this proposal was ultimately rejected, and two other approaches were adopted instead:

To enhance the carrying capacity of the Beidou fleet, or to obtain a permit for passage.

The main theme is uprightness and integrity.

The former refers to the "Thunderstorm" transport ship, which they had planned to use to brave thunderstorms. In addition to being able to withstand ordinary thunderstorms, it was designed to carry a large amount of cargo.

The latter group turned their attention to the Fools.

Currently, besides the Southern Cross fleet, the only clearly identified force within Inazuma territory possessing a pass is...

There may also be a system of Heavenly Command, but this is impossible to ascertain.

They are currently trying to communicate with the Fools, but the Fools' attitude is very ambiguous and changes every time, so they are not sure what the final outcome will be.

After some discussion, the token was returned to Beidou.

Seeing Jiang Ming looking thoughtful, Bei Dou asked curiously, "What's wrong? Do you have something in mind?"

"nothing."

Seeing that Jiang Ming was unwilling to say more, Bei Dou did not press him further.

The two simply stood on the dock, watching the robots and workers wearing powered exoskeletons come and go.

Compared to the docks in Liyue Harbor, this place is much cleaner, more orderly, and more efficient. It's a much more pleasant sight than the chaotic docks.

"Could I also have a copy of your port management experience?"

"Hmm?" Jiang Ming turned to look at Beidou. "No problem, but we're about to revamp it. I'll send you the latest version in a couple of days."

"What's the difference?"

"In the latest version, we plan to apply the container standard. The ship over there is a container ship that we built."

Beidou suddenly realized: "No wonder that ship over there looked a bit strange, it turns out it's a new kind."

Over the next few days, Nanji was busy loading cargo, while Hokuto and the sailors began to wander around Haigi Island.

For Beidou, the changes on Haiqi Island this time were greater than the last time she came. However, this time Wenchen and Anxin were not with her, so she had to record some of the differences herself.

For the sailors, it was a time for shopping sprees.

Jiang Ming and Xin Hai set up the duty-free zone ahead of schedule, treating it as a pilot operation.

"Look, look! These mechanical watches are so cheap! They're 100 meters water resistant, electroplated for rust prevention, and you can even wear them on your wrist. Aren't they perfect for us? Even mechanical watches in Fontainebleau aren't this good."

"Mechanical watches are a bit outdated, they're big and heavy, they're not accurate, and they break easily. Wouldn't it be better to buy a quartz watch?"

"What do you know? Mechanical watches are art, they're about passion! You can't understand the joy of watching those tiny mechanical parts work."

"Yes, yes, you can play on nostalgia, but I'll pass. My wife works in finance, and I'd like to buy her a calculator. I'll just play with a power drill myself. I don't think we even have watches anymore."

A slightly older sailor, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Speaking of which, I was thinking of buying a truck. Do you think if I switched careers and became a truck driver, I could go back to land?"

The group exchanged glances.

"Forget it, bro. These things aren't sold to individuals right now. And even if they were to sell them someday, look at all those robot cars. You wouldn't be the one to drive one of them."

"Yes, who knows, one day we might not even need sailors anymore, and they'll all be replaced by those machines."

When they talked about their career prospects, they were all somewhat disappointed, with a faint sense of crisis lingering in their hearts.

The sight of robots replacing human workers all over Haigi Island truly shocked them.

They even wondered if robot operator would become the only profession available in the future.