Genshin Impact: Watch me turn the tables and kill my servants at the start!

As the ship approached Haiqi Island, Fanes stood at the bow, watching the outline of the island, surrounded by coral reefs, gradually become clearer in the morning mist. The dock on Haiqi Island was smaller than he had imagined. Several fishing boats were moored to the shore, their hulls swaying gently with the rhythm of the tide. In the gaps between the boats, fishermen were mending their nets.

As Fanes walked along the pier onto the dock, Coral Palace Heart Sea was already waiting at the bridgehead. She wore a light-colored long dress, the hem of which fluttered slightly in the sea breeze. She carried no documents and had no entourage. Her gaze lingered on Fanes for a moment, then she nodded slightly as a greeting.

Fanes walked up to her and stopped: "Miss Xinhai, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Xin Hai turned to the side, gesturing for him to follow her: "This way, please. Tea has been prepared at Coral Palace."

After speaking, Coral Palace Heart Sea said nothing more, but simply walked up the stone steps. Fanes followed behind her, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding terrain, confirming that he had memorized the route.

The main hall of the Coral Palace is larger than it appears from the outside. The floor is paved with polished coral slabs, and several topographical maps of Haiqi Island are hung on the four walls.

Xin Hai sat down by the window, where two cups and a pot of tea were already set out. The tea soup had a light amber color in the light.

Fanes sat down opposite her and glanced at the color and reflection of the tea in the cup: "The tea leaves from Haiqi Island seem a bit different from those from Liyue. The shape of the leaves and the color of the brewed tea are different; it should be a local variety."

Xin Hai pushed the teacup towards him: "This is coral tea produced on the island. The yield is small, and only the local climate and soil of Haiqi Island can produce this flavor. If you are interested, you can take some with you when you leave."

Fanes picked up his teacup, took a sip, and savored the mellow flavor that spread across his tongue: "It's really good. It has the taste of sea breeze, but it doesn't quite taste like the soil of a saline-alkali land. It must have been grown in an area near a freshwater spring."

Fanes put down her teacup. "Let's talk business first. You can drink your tea slowly." Xin Hai adjusted her posture slightly after she put down her teacup.

"Regarding the trade in coral and pearls, Your Excellency should have already seen our report."

The voice in her heart was calm, but Fanes noticed that her fingers, which were holding the teacup, did not immediately loosen after she finished speaking.

"The coral growth rate around Haegei Island this year is much slower than in previous years, and the pearl production is less than half of what we expected. We tried adjusting the cultivation area and changing the harvesting time, but the results were not ideal."

Fanes leaned back in his chair and looked at her: "Have you figured out the reason for the insufficient production?"

Xin Hai paused for a moment: "The preliminary assessment is that changes in ocean currents have led to insufficient nutrient supply for coral growth. The specific cause is still under investigation, but what is certain at present is that production will be difficult to recover to normal levels in the short term."

Fanes nodded: "So how do you plan to solve this problem? It's clearly stated in the contract that Haiqi Island needs to supply a certain amount of coral and pearls to Zhidong every year. If the supply is insufficient, according to the contract terms, a penalty will be paid."

Xin Hai's finger paused on the rim of the teacup for a moment: "...We can use other resources to make up for part of the shortfall. The waters around Haiqi Island are rich in caviar, although the production is not large, it can serve as a supplementary option. In addition, we can also provide some exchange quotas for processed seafood products and local specialties."

Fanes leaned back in his chair, looking at Xin Hai: "The price of caviar is not in the same league as that of pearls. Even if you factor in the entire year's caviar production of Haizhi Island, it still wouldn't be enough to fill the pearl gap."

Xin Hai placed his hands clasped on his knees: "So, what you mean is..."

Fanes sat up straighter, moved his teacup to the side, and leaned forward slightly. "What I mean is, I can reduce this year's pearl purchases, and I can also waive the penalty for breach of contract. I can even keep the grain supply at the original level, without any reduction."

Fanes rested his elbows on the table. "But on the condition that I need something in exchange."

Xin Hai looked up at him and asked, "What do you want?"

Fanes' gaze fell on her face, his tone remaining calm: "I need a long-term liaison on Haiqi Island. The personnel responsible for procurement and transportation rotate every year, making communication inefficient. If someone could be in charge of this long-term, things would go much smoother. Of course, it would be even better if that person happened to be the current leader of Haiqi Island."

Xin Hai's hand holding the teacup remained still. She picked it up and put it down again: "Are you using the food supply as leverage to demand that I cooperate with the adjustments to this cooperation?"

Fanes shook his head: "I'm not asking you anything. I'm offering you a feasible solution, and it's up to you to decide whether to accept it. If you feel it's not suitable, we can continue to execute the contract, but subsequent supply gaps may need to be addressed in other ways."

Xin Hai sat there in silence for a moment. Fanes also remained in that posture, neither urging him nor continuing to speak.

Xin Hai lifted his gaze from the rim of his teacup and landed on Fanes' face: "What if I want to proceed according to your proposed plan?"

Fanes leaned back in his chair: "Then I will have this year's purchase orders readjusted, and I will also add a supplementary provision for working capital to help you deal with the temporary shortfall during the pearl production reduction period."

Xin Hai picked up her teacup, took another sip, and placed it back on the tray. Only after it had come to a complete stop on the coaster did she look at Fanes again: "Then let's proceed according to Your Excellency's plan."

Fanes stood up and walked to Xinhai's side. He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down, then placed his hand on the armrest of her chair: "Miss Xinhai, you wouldn't want the people of Haiqi Island to go hungry and cold, would you? If the funding gap caused by the reduced pearl production isn't filled in time, subsequent food procurement will also be affected. The arrival of winter will exacerbate the shortage of supplies on the island, and by then it will be too late to find a solution."

Xin Hai's posture tensed slightly as she adjusted her center of gravity: "...What does Your Excellency wish to do?"

Fanes leaned forward slightly: "I've heard that you're famous for caviar here. I'm indeed quite curious about the caviar from Haiqi Island—that delicate flavoring, limited-production condiment should have a great effect when paired with other ingredients. Could you have the kitchen prepare some now so I can try it?"

Shinkai's expression relaxed slightly upon hearing "caviar," but then tensed up again: "...Is the caviar you requested real caviar?"

Fanes leaned back in his chair: "Do you have any other caviar here?"

Xin Hai's fingers clenched lightly at the edge of his sleeve: "For the sake of the people of Hai Zhi Island, I am willing to cooperate."

Fanes remained leaning back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her face: "What do you want? Tell me in detail."

Xin Hai's gaze shifted from Fanes' face, then returned, as if using that brief pause to confirm a message: "...I am willing to marry you."

Fanes sat up straight: "You said it yourself. I didn't force you."

Xin Hai raised her hand and covered the corner of her mouth, suppressing the syllable that was already on the verge of being uttered. Her voice remained steady.

"Then, for the goods we're missing, could we...?"

Fanes put his arm around her shoulder, like putting his arm around an old friend. The touch wasn't heavy, but it was enough for her to feel him closing the distance between them.

"Don't worry, do we need to be so formal? It's all free. As a condition for long-term cooperation, I will maintain the status quo: the grain supply will remain unchanged, and the pearl purchase volume will be implemented according to the adjusted plan. As for the reduced share this year, we can make up for it in the next batch of orders after production recovers next year."

Fanes released his grip, took his phone out of his pocket, and said, "By the way, can I take a picture to remember this moment?"

Xin Hai looked at the camera interface that he had already opened, and remained silent for a moment: "...Okay."

Fanes turned to the side, held his phone at a suitable height, adjusted the angle, and included both of them in the frame.

Xin Hai subtly adjusted her posture the moment he leaned closer, a slight smile curving her lips. Fanes pressed the shutter button.

After saving the photo, he opened the social media interface, left the caption box blank, posted only a simple smiley face, and then sent the photo.

A few minutes later, the comments section was already overflowing with pages of messages: "Wait, is this an official announcement?" "Miss Xin Hai and the Executor of the Fools? This combination is so unexpected..." "Congratulations!" "Young Master, when are you going to invite us to your wedding?" "Wait, is this for real?"

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Ningguang: Are you kidding me? So you don't have to manually increase affection level?