It must be miHoYo's doing.

I heard from my uncle's son's uncle's friend's daughter's brother that he works at miHoYo and that Bronya is the chief designer of all their games. I didn't believe it at the time, but it turns out to be true. With her gray hair and silly expression, she already has some of my daughter's charm~~

It’s just too big (laughs)

I heard that this Bronya designer is the voice actress for Bronya in Honkai Impact 3rd, and also the person behind the corresponding avatar. I used to be told that miHoYo's character designs were all based on their employees, but I didn't believe it at first, but now I do.

Volume 2 must be done by miHoYo! 乆! :068 Zhongli: I'm in Teyvat, watching cartoons ing~

There was a constant stream of discussion on the Blue Star's internet, and at the center of it all—the MiHoYo headquarters—Tianming was staring at the backend data with a grin on his face.

"Master~" Meita put her arms around his neck from behind, "The speed of collecting fantasy points in the Genshin Impact world has increased by 300%~"

"As expected." Tianming snapped his fingers, and the holographic screen switched to a view of Liyue. "When people see their familiar culture presented in such a beautiful way, the resonance it creates is immeasurable."

Tianming stretched out his fingers and drew the silhouette of the Geo King in mid-air, his lips curled slightly. "Since players are so excited for the Liyue chapter of the Genshin Impact anime, shouldn't we go get some material from Zhongli next?"

…………

The afternoon sun in Liyue Harbor lazily streamed down the teahouse at Feiyunpo. Zhongli leaned against the carved railing of a second-floor private room, the delicate fragrance of the premium "Wuhai Yunya" tea wafting from his celadon cup. Downstairs on the stage, Yunjin's newly composed opera had just concluded.

"...

Looking back, I see only the beauty is gone

I don't see my old friend walking back on the snow..."

Zhongli nodded slightly, his fingertips tapping the table in time with the singing. However, as the opera ended, the troupe suddenly began to pack up their costumes. The audience also stood up, and the waiters in the teahouse had already begun to clear the tables and chairs.

"Hmm?" Zhongli put down his teacup, a hint of doubt flashing in his golden eyes. He raised his hand to signal the teahouse owner to come over: "Why are we closing early today?"

"Oh, Mr. Zhongli, you don't know yet?" the boss explained, wiping his sweat with a towel. "Lady Ningguang brought something new from Mondstadt today. She said she's going to show some kind of 'cartoon' at the harbor for two hours! Everyone's rushing to watch the fun."

Zhongli raised his eyebrows slightly: "Cartoon?"

"It's said to be a machine that turns drawings into moving shadows!" the boss gestured excitedly. "It's going viral in Mondstadt. They say it's called 'Genshin Impact: Mondstadt'. Yesterday, the entire city of Mondstadt was watching it at Fengshen Square!"

Zhongli's eyes flickered with gold. As the Geo God, he'd never heard of such a thing in his experience, so he wondered what kind of novelty this was. Recently, Zhongli had noticed a new organization suddenly appearing in Liyue called the Dream Seekers Association. They claimed to be able to grant people's wishes, and they were constantly producing novel things. He figured it must be their work.

"Interesting." Zhongli put down the money for his tea. "It's worth a look."

When Zhongli strolled to the harbor, it was already bustling with activity. Dock workers, shopkeepers, boatmen, and fishermen, usually busy with their daily chores, had all put down their work. Even the General Affairs Department's Thousand Rock Army had been deployed to maintain order, not to disperse the crowd, but to guide the audience to their seats in an orderly manner.

In the open space at the center of the harbor, a three-story metal structure stood majestically. Zhongli recognized it immediately as something not of Teyvat—otherworldly runes flowed throughout its structure, and a glowing blue crystal nestled at its core, humming softly with the fluctuations of energy.

"Mr. Zhongli!" a lively voice called from behind. Walnut popped out from nowhere, holding two strings of candied haws. "Finally, we found you! We've reserved a good spot in the Wangsheng Hall. Come with me!"

Before Zhongli could inquire about the details, Hu Tao pulled him through the crowd. Sure enough, the ceremonial attendants at the Hall of Rebirth had already set up a screen in the front row and laid out refreshments. Even more surprising to Zhongli was that Ningguang, Keqing, and the other Seven Stars of Liyue were nearby, chatting with several guests in bizarre attire.

"Are those the people from the Dream Seekers Association?" Zhongli asked in a low voice.

"Yes, yes!" Hu Tao nodded excitedly. "I heard that the big machine was brought from another world. Lady Ningguang spent a fortune to invite them to Liyue for this screening!"

Hearing this, Zhongli's eyes became more focused.

As they spoke, the sky darkened. Ningguang gracefully stepped onto the makeshift platform, her pipe gently tapping against the golden cage.

"Everyone—" Her voice was quiet, yet miraculously carried throughout the harbor. "Today, Liyue is fortunate to be able to watch 'Genshin Impact: Mondstadt' thanks to the generous support of the Dream Seekers Association." She nodded to the Dream Seekers beside her. "I hope this screening will allow us to witness the wonders of otherworldly technology and open up new avenues for the development of Liyue's entertainment."

As soon as he finished speaking, the massive projector suddenly emitted a resounding sound. A brilliant beam of light shot out from its core, unfolding across the sea into a massive screen of light a hundred meters wide. The citizens of Liyue Harbor gasped in delight, and children excitedly pointed to the sky and shouted.

"It's about to begin!" Hu Tao pulled Zhongli's sleeve, her eyes sparkling.

As the melodious melody of the harp played, a panoramic view of Mondstadt emerged on the screen. The camera flew across the Fruit Wine Lake like a bird, passed through the city gate, and finally settled on the green-clad poet playing the harp before the statue of the Wind God.

"This is... Barbatos?" Zhongli narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Wendy in the picture seemed much younger than she is now, recounting Mondstadt's history in a brisk voice. When the camera cut to a scene of the young Wendy fighting alongside the Red-Haired Knight 2,600 years ago, Zhongli's fingertips unconsciously tightened on the armrest.

"I see..." he muttered to himself, "Is this using some kind of power to record the images of history..."

As the story progressed, the entire Liyue Harbor alternately erupted in exclamations and fell silent. When Venti stood at the border of Mondstadt, murmuring, "Let's go see this world...", Zhongli noticed that many viewers were secretly wiping away tears.

"Mr. Zhongli," Hu Tao suddenly leaned over and whispered, "Demons actually have feelings, and would even mingle with ordinary people like us?... It's not what I imagined."

Zhongli's mouth curled up slightly, but he didn't answer. Watching the animation, he felt a little emotional.

"My old friend never told me these stories. I never thought he had such a past..."

The two-hour screening passed in a flash. When the ending theme played and the screen gradually dimmed, the entire Liyue Harbor fell into a brief silence, followed by thunderous applause.

"It's wonderful!"

"So Mondstadt has such a history!"

"That projector is amazing!"

"I wonder if our Liyue history will ever be like this?"

The crowd was buzzing with discussion. Zhongli noticed that Ningguang was whispering something to the Dream Seekers. Judging from the way she frequently glanced at him, the topic was likely about him.

Sure enough, after the crowd dispersed a little, a female dream seeker wearing glasses walked towards him.

"Mr. Zhongli," she said, bowing respectfully. "I'm Sucrose from the Dream Seekers Guild. We're planning to produce the Liyue chapter of the Genshin Impact anime, and I'm wondering if you'd be willing to... serve as a historical consultant?"

Before Zhongli could reply, Hu Tao jumped up and said, "Great! Can the Hall of the Dead also have a role? We can provide discounted funeral services—"

"Master Hu!" Keqing quickly stopped her from continuing.

Zhongli chuckled and shook his head, his gaze fixed on the light curtain that hadn't yet completely dissipated from the surface of the ocean. As a God of Contract who had endured for six thousand years, he knew better than anyone what the appearance of such technology in Teyvat meant.

"This matter..." He picked up the teacup, a hint of amusement flashing in his gilded eyes, "Let me think about it."

Volume 2 must be miHoYo's doing! 乆! : 069 Zhongli visits the Dream Seekers Association

Liyue Harbor was shrouded in mist in the early morning, and the teahouse at Feiyunpo had just set up the first basket of dim sum.

Zhongli walked slowly along the bluestone-paved street, his folding fan gently tapping against his palm. Last night's strange "animation" screening had piqued his interest in this suddenly emerging "Dream Seekers Association."

As they turned the corner, a peculiarly shaped building suddenly came into view. While it retained the traditional Liyue style of overhanging eaves and angled corners, its exterior walls were inlaid with luminous blue crystals, and its gate was constructed of some transparent material, allowing a glimpse of the bustling figures within. A gilded plaque hung above the entrance, inscribed in bold, bold characters: "Dream Seekers Association Liyue Branch."

"Interesting." Zhongli narrowed his eyes. This architectural style that perfectly blends alien technology with Teyvat tradition is definitely not something that an ordinary person can design.

As he took a step forward, the door to the association slid open silently. A woman in a blue suit leaned against the door, fiddling with a dice between her fingers.

Ye Lan raised her head and saw that it was Zhongli. Her eyes lit up instantly. She took a step forward and smiled.

"Mr. Zhongli, I have long heard of your great name."

Ye Lan started to be polite, with a professional fake smile on her face. In fact, she had indeed heard of Zhong Li's name for a long time.

As an intelligence worker, Ye Lan always heard people say that Zhongli Keqing of the Wangsheng Hall was arguably the most knowledgeable person in Liyue when collecting intelligence.

Ye Lan was a little puzzled. The person before her didn't possess the Eye of God. Although he possessed a distinguished aura, he seemed powerless. She didn't understand why she had received a mission from the association that morning, asking her to receive Zhongli and trick him into taking the membership test and joining the association.

As someone who has participated in the association's trials, Ye Lan knows how dangerous the trials are, so it is better for ordinary people not to try.

Ye Lan didn't know that while she was observing Zhongli, Zhongli was also observing her.

"Strange, this girl has a power different from elemental force, and her strength is close to that of a demon god. She also looks like a Liyue native. Who exactly is this Dream Seekers Association?"

Zhongli had no clothes to eat, and Niererg Siba said nothing more, and the two of them entered the association.

As soon as she entered the association, Zhongli was attracted by a crystal ball in the center of the hall, and she pointed at the crystal ball.

"Excuse me, what is that?"

Ye Lan didn't think much and said directly: "As Mr. Zhongli saw, it is a special crystal ball. Anyone who touches it can meet our president and become a member of the guild... Hey! Mr. Zhongli, what are you doing?"

Before Ye Lan could finish her words, Zhongli walked straight towards the crystal ball. Seeing this, Ye Lan did not try to stop him. Her mission was to trick Zhongli into becoming a member, and now that Zhongli had taken the initiative to try the crystal ball trial, it was not a deviation from her mission.

However, Ye Lan originally thought that even if Zhongli could pass the trial, it would take him as much effort as she had before, but the fact was that Zhongli walked straight to the crystal ball in the center and touched it.

Inside the Dream Seekers Association's Liyue branch, the previously bustling hall suddenly fell silent. Everyone stared, eyes widening, at the elegant figure standing beside the central crystal ball—Zhongli, a guest official from the Hall of Rebirth.

The crystal ball emitted an unprecedented golden light, illuminating the entire hall. Zhongli withdrew his hand and looked at Ye Lan with some doubt: "Miss Ye Lan, is this all right?"

Ye Lan froze in place, the dice clattering to the ground from her fingertips. She remembered that when she first took the trial, she'd spent a full ten minutes frozen in front of the crystal ball before barely passing. And now...this seemingly ordinary guest had actually walked right up to the crystal ball without a hitch?

"How, how is this possible..." a young man in the association's uniform stammered nearby, "The pressure released by that crystal ball... ordinary people would faint if they came within 30 meters..."

"As expected of Mr. Zhongli!" another Liyue local member shouted excitedly, "I knew the guest officials from Wangsheng Hall were no ordinary people!"

The discussion in the hall grew louder. Ye Lan stared intently at the golden lines on the crystal ball that had not yet faded. It was clearly the mark of "perfect pass", and the strength rating was even higher than her previous score in Mondstadt.

At that moment, the association's emblem, suspended from the ceiling, suddenly cast a beam of light. A terminal bracelet, shimmering with starlight, slowly descended from the beam. Simultaneously, a contract, shimmering with golden light, slowly unfolded before Zhongli.

MiHoYo World Rescue Mutual Aid Association Membership Contract

Article 1: Members must abide by the association's rules...

Article 2: Members must regularly complete the association's tasks...

Article 37: It is prohibited to disclose the existence of the association to non-members at will...

Zhongli's eyes quickly scanned the contract, his brow furrowed slightly. As the God of Contracts, he immediately recognized the specialness of this contract—the power of the rules contained within it far surpassed even the elemental contracts of Teyvat, acting more like a law binding directly upon the soul.

"Interesting..." He murmured to himself, his fingertips lightly stroking the edge of the contract, "Some unknown form of contract..."

Ye Lan came to her senses and hurried forward: "Mr. Zhongli, if you have any questions about the terms..."

"No need." Zhongli suddenly revealed a meaningful smile. "I'm just curious, why doesn't such an important contract even have a seal?"

His words seemed casual, but they held a hidden meaning. In Liyue's contract culture, a contract without a seal was like a ship without an anchor, completely devoid of binding force. However, this contract defied common sense at its most basic level.

Ye Lan's heart skipped a beat. She vaguely felt that this guest official seemed to have noticed something, but before she could explain, something unexpected happened.

The moment Zhongli's fingers touched the contract text, it erupted in a dazzling golden light. Countless tiny runes leaped from the paper, wrapping around Zhongli's arm like living creatures. The space within the hall began to distort, and the patterns on the floor lit up one by one.

"Wait! This is not the normal membership process!" Ye Lan exclaimed, and instinctively reached out to grab Zhongli, but was bounced away by an invisible force.

A flicker of surprise flashed across Zhongli's golden eyes, but then he regained his composure. The moment he touched the contract, all his knowledge of the miHoYo Jiuling Lu Liuqi Xiayangba Mutual Aid Association entered his mind.

And now, he felt an unprecedented spatial force pulling at his body—not ordinary teleportation, but some kind of transfer that directly acted on the essence of existence.

"I see..." He whispered to the air before his figure completely vanished. "Is this how you treat guests, President?"

Volume 2 must be done by miHoYo! 乆! :070 Become a member of Zhongli and get the Liyue chapter materials~

Under the sky in the Chen Ge pot, Tianming was leisurely lying in a rocking chair, sipping tea. Suddenly, the air in front of him rippled, and a golden figure fell out from it.

"Snapped!"

Zhongli landed steadily, his clothes unruffled. He looked around, his gaze pausing slightly as he passed over the Star Sand Waterfall and the floating islands before finally settling on the silver-haired young man with a smirk on his face.

"Oh my, isn't this our respected Prince Yan?" Tianming put down his teacup and spread his arms exaggeratedly. "What brings you here?"

Zhongli brushed off the nonexistent dust on his sleeves, his expression indifferent: "Kidnap someone by force is not the behavior of a gentleman."

"How can you call it kidnapping?" Tianming pulled out a tea set like a magician and poured Zhongli a cup of tea. "This is called... a cordial invitation."

Zhongli took the teacup and sniffed the tea fragrance - it was the top-grade Qiaoyingzhuang spring tea, and the most difficult to pick "Yunjian" tea.

"It seems the president has investigated Zhong very thoroughly." He took a sip of tea, his golden eyes narrowed slightly, "He even knows my tea preferences."

"Of course!" Tianming shook his finger proudly. "I've done all the hard work to persuade you, the Rock God who's planning to retire."

The two exchanged a smile, yet invisible sparks seemed to ignite in the air. As the pinnacle of their respective worlds, this kind of testing and confrontation was merely basic etiquette.

"It seems that the president knows me better than I thought. He even knows what I want to do."

The tea in the cup rippled slightly, illuminating Zhongli's pensive face. His slender fingers slowly traced the rim of the celadon cup, his golden eyes fixed on the smiling Tianming before him.

"So..." Zhongli put down his teacup, the porcelain making a crisp sound against the wooden coffee table. "President, do you want me to join your association?"

"Of course~" Tianming pulled out a terminal bracelet like a magician, "Your old friend Barbatos has already joined. Why don't you join him?"

Zhongli frowned slightly: "I don't like being restricted..."

"Oh, how can it be a restriction?" Tianming spread his hands exaggeratedly, "Our association is a very free organization!"

He suddenly leaned closer and lowered his voice, "And... if you join, you'll receive a 200-gem prayer subsidy~"

"Raw stone?" Zhongli's eyes were attracted by the flashing star-shaped icon on the bracelet.

"That's it~" A golden light flashed from Tianming's fingertips, and a dazzling polyhedron crystal floated in the air. "It can be used to pray for various magical items."

Zhongli reached out to take the rough stone, feeling a warm touch on his fingertips. As the god who once wielded the concept of "currency," he immediately sensed the mysterious power within it—this wasn't just a crystallization of energy, but rather the embodiment of a certain law.

"Interesting." Zhongli nodded slightly. "Then what about the contract..."

"Swish——"

A star-studded contract unfolded between the two, its terms written in elegant Liyue writing: