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

After recovering from the shock of the awarding ceremony, Fanes leaned back in the large sofa on the top floor of the Goethe Hotel, holding a freshly poured glass of Fontaine—newly delivered by Rosalyn, with fine water droplets still clinging to the outside of the glass.

After taking a sip, Fanes turned to look out the window at the twilight over Mondstadt and a thought suddenly popped into his head.

She sat up a little straighter, placed her cup on the coffee table, and said, "Sister Rosalyn, I want to open a bookstore in Mondstadt."

Rosalyn looked up from the top of the book, a hint of curiosity in her icy blue eyes: "A bookstore?"

"Branch stores".

Fanes explained, counting on his fingers, "I've already opened one in Liyue Harbor, called 'Yangshizi Novel Shop.' It's not a big shop, just in the alley next to Tiger Rock. It mainly sells all kinds of novels—martial arts stories, supernatural tales, and the kind adapted from gossip stories from the streets and alleys. Business isn't great, but I'm not losing money either. Every month I earn enough to buy pork for Xiao Hei, and occasionally I even have some pocket money left over."

Rosalind closed the book and placed it on her lap, her posture still elegant, but her tone now held a hint of genuine interest: "You can write novels?"

Fanes scratched his head: "I wrote some when I was in Fontainebleau, but after joining the Fools, I didn't have time to write anymore. But running a shop and writing books are two different things. I hired a few good story writers to write manuscripts, and I supervised the plot from the side, occasionally filling in a few plot holes myself. Nowadays, readers like fast-paced stories. Ideally, there should be three plot twists, two misunderstandings, and one fight scene in a chapter. As long as I arrange these elements well, I can produce works even on an assembly line."

Rosalind was silent for a moment, seemingly seriously considering the feasibility of the suggestion. She placed the book on the low table beside her, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.

"Mondstadt really needs a decent bookstore. The old bookstore next to Angel's Gift only sells serious history and geography books; you can't find the kind of books young people want to read."

Fanes' eyes lit up: "Right! I also think Mondstadt's market is easier to develop than Liyue's! Liyue has storytellers and theaters; people can just go to a teahouse if they want to hear a story. Mondstadt is different; there aren't as many old-fashioned teahouses, and young people prefer to read books themselves for entertainment. Plus, Mondstadt has many adventurers, so novels adapted from those adventure stories will definitely sell well."

Rosalind toyed with the rim of her teacup, a glint of light flashing in her icy blue eyes: "If you're going to open a branch in Mondstadt... I could help you with something."

Fanes tilted his head: "What is it?"

Rosalyn put down her teacup, placed her hands on her knees, and said in a calm tone that said, "I've already thought this through."

"Illustrator. I can illustrate your book. I can draw a scene at the beginning of each chapter, a portrait when a character appears, and a dynamic illustration for fight scenes."

Rosalyn paused, a smug smile curving her lips. "I've already thought of a pen name. It'll be 'Blurred QR Code'."

Fanes choked on his words at the name: "...Isn't your pen name a bit too abstract? What do you mean by a blurry QR code?"

Rosalyn explained earnestly, "If a QR code is blurry and can't be scanned, you still know it contains something. It's about mystery. Readers will be curious when they see the pen name, and that curiosity will lead them to open the book and look at the illustrations. After seeing the illustrations, they'll stay and continue reading."

After speaking, he slightly raised his chin, as if to say, "My marketing logic is perfect."

Fanes opened his mouth, then closed it again, finally nodding: "Fine... whatever you like. Anyway, the readers don't know it was you who drew it, so if you mess it up, it won't embarrass the Fools."

Rosalind glanced at him: "My drawing skills are alright. At least better than your scribbles."

Feeling guilty, Fanes hid his hand under the table, pretending not to have heard. He leaned back on the sofa and steered the conversation back on track.

"Now that the store location is settled and the illustrator is available, the next step is to secure promotional channels and the supply chain. Manuscripts from Liyue can be shipped here regularly, but Mondstadt readers have different tastes than those from Liyue. I plan to hire a few authors in Mondstadt to write stories with local themes—such as the legend of the Wind Dragon, adventures encountered by adventurers in the wild, and the story of the dragon Usa after it was turned into a pet..."

He shrank back slightly when he said the name "Usa," glancing subconsciously at Rosalyn. Seeing that she didn't show any expression, he continued, "There's one more thing. I want to go back to Winterfall and ask Sandone to help me improve the communication facilities."

Rosalyn raised an eyebrow: "Improve what communication facilities?"

Fanes sat up straight on the sofa, gesturing with his hands: "A cell phone. You know, the kind of thing that lets you contact people anytime, anywhere. No need to write letters and wait ten or fifteen days for them to arrive; you can just hold it in your hand and talk to the person on the other end. Sandone can even make the android Catherine, so making a cell phone shouldn't be a problem, right? And not just a cell phone, but we also need a complete set of network equipment, and it would be best to launch a few satellites into space so that we can get a signal no matter where we are in Teyvat..."

Rosalind listened as he went on and on about his plan, her expression shifting from "What are you talking about?" to "This kid is daydreaming again," and then from "daydreaming" to "But it doesn't sound like it's entirely unreasonable."

After leaning back in her chair and remaining silent for a while, Rosalind finally offered a fair assessment: "You want Sandoni to make cell phones, build the internet, and launch satellites? Do you think she'd agree?"

Fanes said matter-of-factly, "It would be best if she agreed, but if she doesn't, I'll just camp out outside her studio. Anyway, I don't have anything else to do in Zhidong, so I'll keep pestering her until she agrees. Besides, you see, getting the communication working properly will also benefit me in helping her test the remote control of those mechanical puppets. It's a win-win situation."

Rosalind picked up her teacup, neither refuting nor agreeing, but simply saying, "Then ride Little Black back. It's so big now, it's enough for you to fly all the way back to Winter. Be careful not to get mistaken for a dragon and shot down by the Thousand Rock Army on the way."

Fanes jumped off the sofa and stretched: "It's settled then! I'll look for a shop tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow I'll head back to Winter to find Sandone. The Mond Bookstore will be called 'Persimmon Novel Store - Mond Branch,' and we'll hang a wooden sign at the door that says 'Today's New Book Recommendations,' and put two potted plants on the windowsill. It'll look much more lively then."

Rosalind looked at his energetic demeanor, a slight smile playing on her lips, and reopened the book on her lap: "Go ahead and get busy. Let me know when you've found a shop, and I'll go get the 'blurred QR code' sign made too."

As Fanes reached the door, he glanced back at her and said, "Sister Rosalin, don't draw the illustrations too badly. Otherwise, it will affect sales."

Rosalyn didn't even look up, only letting out a sentence from behind the book: "Try to write neatly before you worry about my illustrations."

Fanes shrank back, pushed open the door, and went out. As the door closed, he heard a very soft, suppressed laugh from inside, but he didn't turn around. He simply walked down the stairs, already planning which street in Mondstadt to look for a shop on the next day.