Morning in the Wonderland Space still carried its tender and romantic atmosphere.
Nolan sat on the soft couch, his arms around Shenhe and Yun Jin, his back slightly sunken into the cushions.
In front of him was Hu Tao, her snowy-white thighs and calves folded together as she straddled him, her face resting against his chest, eyes half-closed as if still not fully awake.
They'd probably all shared a bed again last night, and maybe things had gotten a bit too intense.
Nolan slid his hands beneath the pajamas of Shenhe and Yun Jin, gently stroking their soft bellies as he thought about the latest developments with the Chamber of Commerce.
First, all the nations had finalized their investments in the Sweet Flower Merchant Association, which was a fast and promising development.
In Mondstadt's case, since Acting Grand Master Jean couldn't make all decisions unilaterally, the initial investment was a cautious 70 billion Mora.
The Knights of Favonius were quite prudent. Jean explained that they preferred to see results first before committing more resources.
Liyue was similar. The Liyue Qixing took a cautious approach, investing 80 billion Mora for now.
In Inazuma, with Raiden Ei having full control, the Shogun boldly invested 150 billion Mora, showing her strong trust in both Nolan and Ningguang.
Nahida did the same—despite her petite size, she displayed incredible resolve and directly approved a 130 billion Mora investment from Sumeru.
As for Ningguang herself, she invested 50 billion Mora in the Association as part of the founding stake.
Nolan and Lumine, on the other hand, contributed technology equity—namely the Elemental Steam Engine and the bicycle, both valued at 20 billion Mora combined.
There wasn't much need to distinguish ownership between the two, so they simply split it equally—treating it as 100 billion Mora worth of holdings each.
Thus, the total starting capital came to a staggering 500 billion Mora—a full-fledged super-scale Chamber of Commerce.
The share distribution looked like this:
- Ningguang: 10%
- Nolan: 2%
- Lumine: 2%
- Mondstadt (official): 14%
- Liyue (official): 16%
- Inazuma (official): 30%
- Sumeru (official): 26%
Seven shareholders in total—three individuals, four national governments. With such massive backing, the Association was poised for rapid growth.
While 500 billion Mora wasn't that large in the context of the global economy, it was more than enough for the Association's early-stage expansion.
Once the initial funding was nearly used up and the Association had grown substantially, they could move into a second round of financing.
After the Association passed the capital-burning phase and started making profits, Nolan was already considering letting close companions like Fischl and the others invest as well.
The amount they invested didn't really matter—he just wanted them to earn money together.
After all, he knew investing in the Sweet Flower Merchant Association was a sure win. Once it turned profitable, none of the girls would ever have to worry about Mora again.
Mona could buy whatever books or cutting-edge telescopes she wanted.
Sucrose could buy any alchemical materials she desired for her research.
Everything would be perfect... Nolan thought to himself with a touch of selfish pride.
As for opening investment to other individuals or organizations—he felt the timing wasn't quite right yet.
With four nations backing it, the Association would never lack Mora in Teyvat.
And in a situation where capital was not a problem, there was no need to invite more investors.
The more investors there were, the less profit he personally madeand that just didn't make any sense.
Nolan absentmindedly traced circles with his fingers near the navels of Shenhe and Yun Jin.
Yun Jin tucked her legs beneath her on the couch, leaning against his shoulder, her pretty face blushing as she said:
"Ugh... it's too early for this kind of teasing…"
Even though she'd already shared a bed with him, being seen like this in the living room by the other girls still made her shy.
Shenhe, being naturally stoic, didn't respond much to affectionate touches. Even with Nolan caressing her, she didn't feel ticklish or flustered—just a gentle warmth and a sense of peace resting on his shoulder.
She found his touch comforting and thought, I wouldn't mind staying like this forever.
Nolan cleared his throat lightly, but didn't stop his gentle kneading of their soft bellies.
"Are you two free today? The road-paving project in Liyue is about to begin. Keqing invited me to help survey the planned route—want to come with?"
Ningguang had recently finalized an arrangement for Lisa to oversee the distribution of Elemental Storage Devices(The Modified Delusions). After receiving the blueprints, the Association's R&D and Manufacturing Department quickly produced over a dozen Geo Element Storage Units.
Keqing, acting in her role as the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, then purchased those devices and distributed them among a specialized team of Millelith soldiers.
That group would now serve as a construction team—more than capable of getting the job done.
Keqing, always efficient and action-oriented, didn't want to wait.
She had researchers in the construction field bring out the pre-planned route maps and was preparing to personally inspect them. Once confirmed, she intended to begin work immediately.
Maybe she asked Nolan to come along because of his worldly knowledge—or maybe she simply wanted to see him.
Nolan, of course, welcomed the chance to contribute to social development—and having female company made it even better. Why would he refuse?
"I'm going to Xinyan's rock concert with Hu Tao today. No way I'm going with a scoundrel like you," Yun Jin huffed, pouting and giving him a light punch on the waist.
"Alright then." Nolan nodded and turned to the quiet Shenhe.
"Lately, Master has also been busy with road construction matters. But if no one else is going with you, I could request a leave of absence," Shenhe said softly, her long white lashes blinking as she looked at him.
"Uh, better not. I don't want you to leave a bad impression with Ganyu on my account."
Though Nolan certainly wouldn't mind having more female company, he didn't want to disrupt their original schedules.
If it's just the two of them—he and Keqing—Nolan could focus entirely on building her affection. That actually sounded pretty great.
But there was still some time before his scheduled meeting with Keqing, so there was no rush yet.
Thinking of this, Nolan glanced down at Hu Tao, curled up in his arms, then over at Yun Jin and Shenhe beside him. A sly smile formed on his lips as mischievous thoughts began to stir.
He withdrew the hands he had tucked under Yun Jin and Shenhe's pajamas and instead began unbuttoning their sleepwear from the bottom up.
"H-Hey! What are you doing?!" Yun Jin exclaimed in embarrassment, instinctively trying to get up—but she failed, caught in the loop of Nolan's arm.
Shenhe looked down at his hand, then seemed to understand what he wanted. She leaned in without resistance and kissed him.
Her long, silver hair brushed across Hu Tao's cheek, making the half-asleep girl frown slightly.
...
8:00 AM, after getting a bit carried away in the living room, the group finished breakfast and then went off to handle their own responsibilities.
Nolan used his Intersteller Travel ability to teleport directly to Keqing in Liyue.
The sky was a boundless blue. A warm beam of sunlight filtered through the eaves, casting a golden glow on the girl's fair face.
Keqing looked up at Nolan and said, "You're here. Then let's not waste time—let's head out now!"
Nolan nodded and asked,
"Right. Before we start surveying, could you explain the planned route? Where is Liyue planning to begin the road construction?"
"Of course. Let's talk as we walk."
Keqing folded her snow-white arms just beneath the silk-covered curve of her chest and gave a slight nod.
The morning breeze lifted her skirt lightly, the lines of her long, graceful legs outlined by the form-fitting black stockings she wore.
"Alright."
Nolan watched Keqing take the lead and quickly caught up beside her.
As they walked along the street, passing cyclists on shiny new bikes, Nolan couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride.
After all, he had made a tangible, positive impact on Teyvat.
Keqing, her pale violet twin ponytails swaying behind her, reached into her Vision's space and pulled out a scroll, handing it to Nolan.
"This is the route map drawn up by the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
"Oh?"
Nolan unrolled the scroll and saw a detailed map of Liyue, with the initial roads planned for paving clearly marked.
The highlighted route started from Liyue Harbor and ran through Guili Plains, Wangshu Inn, Dihua Marsh, Stone Gate, and all the way to Mondstadt—a major highway.
"This road links the most prosperous regions of Liyue and leads directly to Mondstadt. It's incredibly important for Liyue's commerce and trade.
"Upgrading it has been a well-discussed decision. A year or two from now, once vehicles start traveling along it en masse, it'll surely drive economic growth in the regions along the route!"
Keqing's voice lifted with enthusiasm—clearly, she was genuinely happy about Liyue growing stronger.
"A direct route to Mondstadt, huh… yeah, then it'd be best if Mondstadt also starts its own 'road hardening project' soon, so the two sides can connect seamlessly.
"If the infrastructure can't keep up with development, it would be a shame to see the momentum stall."
Nolan nodded thoughtfully.
"What about the route from Liyue Harbor to The Chasm? Could we possibly build a path that connects Sumeru, Liyue, and Mondstadt together?
"That should be the most economically efficient choice if we're short on manpower."
He added after a brief moment of thought.
"You have a point," Keqing said. "According to calculations by our civil engineering scholars at the Ministry...
"With our current workforce of seventy-two Geo Vision holders and fifteen Millelith equipped with Elemental Storage Devices…"
"It should take about three months to use Geo energy to construct a hardened road stretching from Liyue Harbor all the way to Stone Gate.
"After that's done, we can return and begin paving the route from Liyue Harbor toward Sumeru—it won't be an issue either."
Keqing lightly tapped her chin with her fair fingers, pondering the plan for a moment.
"If we decide to proceed like this, I'll contact Acting Grand Master Jean and Nahida as well, and have them start recruiting Geo Vision holders to begin road construction in their regions too."
Nolan, ever enthusiastic about advancing society, was all in favor of the plan.
Keqing then gently folded her arms just below her chest, lifting it slightly as she turned to him and said,
"Mm, it's not a bad idea."
Since Keqing oversaw all major public projects in Liyue, her approval meant it was a feasible plan.
So, Nolan immediately used the "Waypoint" to contact Jean and Nahida, sharing the idea with them.
Both agreed without hesitation. Road development was something Mondstadt and Sumeru needed to do eventually anyway, and the "Tri-Nation Highway" proposal sounded both practical and beneficial.
They promised to soon begin recruiting Geo Vision holders and start construction in their regions as well.
When they reached the outskirts of Liyue Harbor near the ceremonial archway, pedestrian traffic thinned out. Upon learning that Nolan had already coordinated with both Mondstadt and Sumeru, Keqing nodded in satisfaction.
Such efficiency and decisiveness clearly pleased her.
[Keqing Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 360 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.8 (560/800)]
Seeing the prompt on his character interface, Nolan couldn't help but feel impressed by the "Beloved by Maidens" specialty skill—it truly lived up to its name.
Recently, all the girls' affection boosts had been consistently over 300 points. The effectiveness had greatly improved.
He then rolled up the scroll and offered it back to Keqing. Just as she instinctively reached out to take it, he made the scroll disappear—causing her to accidentally grab his hand instead.
"You… you jerk! Don't mess with me!"
Keqing's snow-white cheeks turned a faint shade of red as she smacked his hand away with slight irritation.
"Haha, just a joke," Nolan chuckled, then retrieved the scroll from his inventory and returned it to her.
"Hmph," Keqing huffed and took it, still visibly annoyed.
Once they passed beyond the Liyue Harbor archway, they were officially on the planned route. The actual survey and inspection had already been done by professional engineers.
Keqing was only here to conduct a final sweep—checking once more to ensure no hidden threats existed along the route.
After all, Teyvat was a world filled with extraordinary powers. Some threats couldn't be detected by people of insufficient strength.
That's why Keqing believed she needed to personally inspect the area to confirm there were no monster dens or elemental hazards lurking underground—ensuring it was safe for the workers.
It was a matter of life and death, so she took it very seriously. That's also why she dragged along Nolan—someone whose strength she trusted.
With him there, it was unlikely any danger would go unnoticed.
"So, seen anything unusual along the way?" Keqing asked, glancing sideways at him.
"We've barely left Liyue Harbor—hasn't even been half an hour. If there were any threats this close to the city, we would've noticed already."
Nolan felt like Keqing might be over-worrying a bit, but maybe that just showed how responsible she was.
"You! Just follow orders and do what I say. As a subordinate, you should act like one!"
Keqing gave him a stern look, her voice laced with a bit of embarrassed frustration.
"Alright, alright. But, Lady Keqing, if you want your loyal subordinate to obey without question, shouldn't you offer him some… compensation?"
Glancing around to make sure no one was nearby to witness it and damage her image as the Yuheng of the Qixing, Nolan casually took her hand in his own.
"Y-You damn scoundrel!"
Keqing realized what he'd done and tried to yank her hand back, but failed. In the end, all she could do was blush and give a small, indignant snort.
[Keqing Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 300 points. Current Affection Level: Lv.9 (60/900)]
(End of Chapter)
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