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

As Fanes stepped out of the side door of the Sinoning workshop, dusk had already sunk along the contours of the valley. He took two steps down the steps, and his foot suddenly bumped into something soft. It wasn't big, and when his toes touched it, it first shrank back, then let out a small, slightly aggrieved whimper.

Fanes looked down—a baby raptor was crouching at the bottom of the steps. It was about the size of an adult cat, and the row of light blue scales on its back shone softly in the twilight, as if it had been glazed with a thin layer of twilight.

It was looking up at him, its round eyes filled with a kind of confusion that seemed to say, "You stepped on me, but I'm not sure if you did it on purpose."

Beside the cub stood a little girl who looked only a few years old. She wore a light-colored short skirt with a few blades of grass and bits of dry soil stuck to the hem. Her hair was tied into two small buns at the back of her head, and she held a wildflower that had been squeezed and was slightly wilted in her hand.

She was staring intently at Fanes with her big, bright eyes, her gaze moving from his face to the cub, and then back to his face.

Fanes crouched down and pulled a large lollipop from his pocket; the wrapper shimmered with iridescent colors in the twilight. The baby serpent twitched its nose, then took a half-step forward, stuck out its tongue, licked the edge of the lollipop, and let out a soft, satisfied purr.

The little girl took a step forward, reached out and took the lollipop, held it in her hand and looked at it, then looked up at Fanes and gave him a smile with a missing front tooth.

Just as Fanes was about to stand up, a voice came from behind him, carrying a calm and approaching tone: "Oh, I didn't expect you to be so kind! That action just now doesn't seem like the first time you've used this method to deal with an emergency."

The moment Fanes heard that voice, he seemed to be switched on to some kind of emergency procedure. He quickly pulled back to the side of the steps, shouting towards the half-open back door of the workshop, "Shinonin, run! Mavica is here!"

Mavica stood on the steps, clutching an unopened toolbox. Her expression shifted from composure to surprise at being confirmed: "Wait, what kind of martial arts are you? I haven't even come over yet, and you're already calling for help?"

Fanes remained in that sideways position: "Just kidding, who told you to scare me first?"

Mavica stood there, looking down at the toolbox in her hand, then looking up at Fanes: "How did I scare you? I just happened to be passing by and saw you squatting there playing with the cubs, so I casually said hello. And you, you just chased me away."

Fanes glanced towards the back door of the workshop—the door was completely shut, not a sliver of light could see through the crack. He looked back at Mavica: "She's gone. You've come for nothing again."

Mavica followed his gaze to the closed door: "...I've found it."

Mavica stood there for a moment, as if weighing her next words in her own way, before speaking: "Your call was quite timely. Did you set up an early warning system for her in the workshop beforehand?"

Fanes said, "No. I just saw you walking towards me at the door and immediately gave you a warning."

"Mavika looked at him and said, "You're pretty quick-witted."

"After all," Fanes said, "I've seen her leave through the window several times before."

Mavica thought for a moment: "Then which window did she climb out from?"

Fanes said, "I can't say. It's a matter of professional ethics."

Mavica paused for a moment, then put down her toolbox. "Do you have any way to make it so I don't have to chase after her next time I come?"

Fanes thought for a moment: "We could consider adjusting her behavior patterns. For example, we could notify her in advance beforehand, giving her enough time to prepare mentally, instead of suddenly appearing without warning. This would at least prevent her from instinctively reacting with avoidance upon hearing our voices."

Mavica looked at him: "Are you sure she'll stay in the workshop on her own accord just because I gave her advance notice?"

"I'm not sure," Fanes said. "But it's worth a try. And if you really want to find her, you don't need to run faster, but to find a way and a reason for her to stay."

Mavica nodded thoughtfully: "Then what do you think I need to do to make her willingly stay, instead of avoiding me as soon as she hears my voice?"

Fanes thought for a moment: "I need some time to determine the right approach and angle. But there's something that might help you."

Fanes pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and revealed a sketch of a quadcopter. The dimensions and connections of each rotor were clearly marked, and there was a handwritten note along the edge. Mavica leaned closer to look: "What's this?"

Fanes said, "Drones can be used for remote monitoring. They have built-in infrared thermal imaging systems that can track the movement of a target and the distribution of heat sources while maintaining a safe distance. If you use this to confirm her location in advance, you can find her direction of movement and where she will land before she leaves."

Mavica looked at the picture: "...Does this really work?"

"The effectiveness depends on your mastery of it and how often you use it," Fanes said.

Mavica looked at the picture for a while longer, then looked up and asked, "When can we get the finished product?"

Fanes folded the diagram and put it away: "The speed at which you transfer money also represents the speed at which I supply goods."

Mavica pulled a money pouch from her pocket, weighed it in her hand, and handed it over: "One hundred thousand. Deliver it within three days."

Fanes took the money bag: "Two days."

Mavica's eyes lit up slightly: "Are you serious?"

Fanes had already put the money bag into his pocket: "I said, the speed at which money is transferred determines the speed of supply."

The back door of the workshop was suddenly pushed open a crack. Xinoning's voice came through the crack, carrying a calm "I've been listening for a while" air: "Are you fucking trying to scam me? I'll give you two hundred thousand, don't you dare send it over!"

Mavica turned her head, her gaze shifting between Fanes and the slowly closing door: "Two hundred thousand?"

Fanes remained standing there, his tone calm: "Okay, no problem. I will proceed with the highest bid."

Mavica turned her head to look at the door, her tone carrying a calm confirmation: "Are you planning to have the drone provide tracking information while avoiding her, or do you have other plans?"

Xinoning's voice came through the crack in the door again: "Two hundred thousand is the price to stop you from delivering the goods, not to delay your delivery!"

Mavica remained in that position: "Then I'll add another 50,000 to make sure you deliver on time."

Fanes stood between the two, his gaze shifting between Mavica and the door, before he spoke: "If you two truly need to continue negotiating, I suggest you finalize the plan before informing me. This will help avoid various problems arising from poor communication later on."

Mavica straightened up and switched the toolbox in her hand to carry it in the other: "Then it's settled. Deliver the finished product to me within two days."

After speaking, Mavica turned and walked down the street, her steps still unhurried. Xinoning peeked out from behind the door, half her face visible: "Did you just take money from her?"

Fanes stood on the steps: "Take it. Two hundred and fifty thousand."

Hino Ning's expression suggested she was processing the information in her own way: "So you're really planning to give her that drone?"

Fanes had already walked a few steps down the street: "Of course I'll give it to her. I keep my word, I never go back on my word."

Xinoning's voice came from behind him: "What about my two hundred thousand?"

Fanes stopped and glanced at her. "We can talk again next time you need me to stop her from coming to you. You can offer more money then!"