Yelan's job could be likened to that of a covert agent. She was always prepared, like someone who'd already scoped out a shop before stepping inside. For instance, she'd researched the card shop's details well in advance. It wasn't about targeting anyone—it was just common sense, like checking what a new store has in stock before visiting. So, without needing much explanation from Lu Heng, Yelan already knew how to navigate the process.
Deep down, she also knew that her 20,000 draws might not guarantee a fifth-tier gold card. Yelan wasn't obsessed with power—though, of course, raw strength was nice to have. What she really wanted were cards that could make her day-to-day work easier. Who wouldn't want a lighter workload? With that in mind, she tapped the button for a 10,000-draw pull.
A vibrant purple glow flashed—seven fourth-tier purple cards! A fifth-tier gold card was a long shot, so Yelan focused on the quality of the fourth-tier haul. The more useful purple cards she got, the better her overall capabilities would become. From her perspective, a well-rounded boost was just as valuable as a single, overwhelming upgrade—it left more room for error. Without hesitation, she hit the button for another 10,000-draw pull.
Lu Heng watched the purple light flare, quietly disappointed. It was just as he'd expected. The moment of a draw was when luck truly decided the outcome. Even for someone like Yelan, a five-star character from Liyue Harbor, 20,000 draws didn't guarantee a gold card.
"Maybe just a bit more, and you'll get one," Lu Heng remarked.
"No worries," Yelan replied with a smile, unfazed. "This shop is like an open opportunity for everyone. Luck comes in all sizes—you just have to take what you get."
"Well said," Lu Heng nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.
Even with bad luck, you could still walk away with something—decomposition experience from guaranteed cards, or maybe even some quirky, unexpected finds. Lu Heng's shop was all about giving people a chance. How much you gained from that chance? That was up to your luck. He didn't meddle in that.
"Let's see if there's anything good among these fourth-tier purple cards. If there is, I'll have to work hard for a while, save up some Mora, and come back for another round," Yelan said. Lu Heng could hear the mix of love and frustration in her voice when she talked about her job. She loved it because it paid well—Ningguang ensured Yelan's salary was generous, and she wasn't some overworked grunt. But the frustration? Simple. The job was demanding. A mountain of tasks every day would give anyone a headache.
"Let's see if these can help you out," Lu Heng said with a grin.
Yelan had pulled twelve fourth-tier purple cards in total. As Lu Heng appraised them one by one, he smiled and said, "Overall, not bad. Take a look."
Nightwalker
Tier: Fourth Tier, Purple
Type: Skill Card
Traits: Stealth, Aura Concealment, Damage Amplification
Description: When shrouded in darkness, equipping this card grants automatic stealth and aura concealment. Attacking breaks this state but amplifies the damage dealt.
This was straight out of a classic online game—an assassin's skill. Sneak up invisibly, strike, and the first hit lands harder. No critical hit effect here, but the damage amplification was real. A normal attack might deal ten points of damage, but with this card, it'd hit for twelve. The difference was clear. Plus, who said it had to be a basic attack? In games, skills like this were tied to specific moves, but with a card, the options were wide open. A big, flashy ultimate could be amplified just the same. This card was a gem.
"Pretty strong," Yelan said after a moment of thought, nodding. It suited her perfectly. Her work often had her skirting the edges of darkness. Liyue Harbor might gleam with prosperity, but shadows hid plenty of danger. People like her, operating in the dark, kept that surface shining.
"And this one," Lu Heng said, pointing to another card.
Truthspeaker
Tier: Fourth Tier, Purple
Type: Skill Card
Traits: Clear Mind, Truth Extraction
Description: "The church doesn't tolerate heretics. Are you a nun or not? One truth spell will tell." — "Sorry, I worship an evil god." — "Good. Heretic confirmed. Burn them."
Lu Heng and Yelan exchanged a glance, their expressions tinged with amusement. This was interesting.
"This'll definitely make my job easier," Yelan said with a laugh. Why bother with interrogations? One cast of Truthspeaker, and the target would spill everything, down to the color of their secrets. Talk about efficiency—no need for drawn-out processes. Catch them, cast the spell, and decide whether to deal with them or let them go. This card shop was worth the trip. The cards weren't top-tier, but their utility was undeniable.
Lu Heng glanced at the remaining cards. They weren't as perfectly tailored to Yelan as Nightwalker or Truthspeaker, but they weren't useless. For example, an Amplification Card could boost one of her existing skills. A Thunder Talisman, while single-use, could take out a tough enemy or buy her time to escape by forcing them to deal with a lightning strike. All useful, just not custom-made for her.
Yelan scanned the cards, already planning. She took them to the decomposition station. Soon, her equipment tier reached the fourth level. After equipping the cards and feeling their power flow through her, she was visibly pleased. These were way more practical than a Vision—and combined with her Vision, even better.
"Time to head to work," Yelan said, exuding a cool, confident vibe. She waved her deep blue phone. "Lu Heng, got WeChat?"
"Sure," he replied.
"I'll scan you," she said with a smile. After adding him as a contact, she added, "Not sure when I'll be back, but if something comes up, I'll message you."
"Sounds good. Stay safe," Lu Heng said with a nod.
He watched as she walked outside, grabbed a helmet from her motorcycle, and put it on. With a twist of the throttle, she sped off into the distance.
"Damn," Lu Heng muttered, impressed. Yelan was the picture of a modern agent—cards, a motorcycle, and, he noticed, a gun strapped to her bike. Firearms and cannons weren't mainstream in Teyvat. With cultivation and magic around, they felt outdated. Liyue's military chased high-tech weaponry, while standard guns were considered basic tools. Tanks and artillery? Too clunky. In this era, someone could slice a tank in half before it fired a shot. Yelan's gun, though, looked like something out of a sci-fi flick. Lu Heng didn't know the specifics, but it seemed like it could take down an alien—or at least make quick work of a tough opponent.
Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside and boiled water for tea. Staring at his dwindling tea leaves, he couldn't help but think of Zhongli. That guy would hand over his entire pension if you asked for Mora, but tea? He'd claim he was fresh out. The good stuff was always stashed away for special occasions. On regular days, he'd make do with whatever was on hand.
"Why hasn't anyone pulled something like Enlightenment Tea?" Lu Heng sighed. In fantasy novels, teas like that often popped up, promising clarity or power. He'd seen plenty of tea-related cards in the shop, but none you could brew and sip. The card pool definitely had them—somewhere—but no one had gotten lucky yet.
With Ganyu still a while away, Lu Heng sipped his tea and checked his personal card pool. It'd been days since he last drew, and his hands were itching. With over a million draws saved up, he didn't hesitate—100,000 pulls, go.
Golden light flashed, but Lu Heng stayed calm. Pulling gold cards was as routine for him as purple cards were for others. Still, he checked the results. At his level, gold cards offered only slight boosts, more like new tools than game-changers. If they suited him, he'd keep them. If they fit his wives, they'd make great gifts. After all, making them happy made him happy—especially if it led to some extra "quality time."
He chuckled to himself, then remembered: no favoritism. If he gave gifts, everyone got one. His wives were gracious, but he didn't want to mess up by playing favorites. Equal treatment kept things smooth.
His eyes lit up as he examined the fifth-tier gold cards. They were decent enough to catch his attention—no small feat at his level. But the first 100,000 pulls were a letdown. The gold cards were usable but not gift-worthy. "One more!" he said, launching another 100,000 pulls.
No gold cards this time. But the next pull? A dazzling golden glow. Four fifth-tier gold cards!
He scanned them quickly.
Overwhelming Barrage
This fifth-tier gold card wasn't the highest grade, but its effect was straightforward: blanket a massive area with explosive firepower. Its damage was roughly fourth-tier, but its range—enough to cover three Liyue Harbors—made it fifth-tier. Against a demon god, it'd lack punch, but in a war? It'd clear out hordes of lesser enemies, leaving only the big players standing.
"Like a small nuke," Lu Heng mused, tucking it away. Navia would love this. She was all about overwhelming firepower. Sure, it couldn't take down a demon god, but did Navia need to? If she couldn't handle something, she'd call her sister or Lu Heng to sort it out. To him, this terrifying card was just a toy his wife would enjoy. In Teyvat, you had to be careful not to harm innocents, but in a pocket dimension? He could set up a playground for her to go wild.
"One down, three to go," he said, diving back into the draws.
After burning through 5.5 million draws, he'd collected gifts for everyone—and scored a solid sixth-tier red card for himself. For Furina, he got Scepter of Divinity, a weapon card with enemy suppression abilities. For Focalors, Imperial Golden Bell, another versatile weapon with both control and counter-control effects. For Nahida, Rule of Life, a concept from a world built to nurture existence. It wasn't a perfect fit for her, but her love for wisdom and exploration would make it intriguing.
The final card, though, was the real prize—a sixth-tier red card with faint traces of two other colors. A half-step seventh-tier card.
Heaven and Earth Manifestation
Tier: Sixth Tier, Red
Type: Skill Card
Traits: Divine Power
Description: A body taller than the heavens, eyes like the sun and moon.
It wasn't the ultimate version of this ability, but it was far from weak. Sourced from countless worlds, possibly a minor realm or a grand cosmos, its half-step seventh-tier status spoke to its potency. In Teyvat, it was beyond overpowered. In the neighboring Honkai universe, it'd rank just below a Star God. Lu Heng estimated Star Gods were around seventh-tier beings. With his ninth-tier equipment and this card, he could probably spar with a weaker Star God. Add in his absurdly broken Money is Power card—a growth-type card with a ninth-tier ceiling—and he felt he could try uprooting a cosmic tree or draining an ocean.
"Let's set a small goal: move a tree, drink a sea," he said, grinning.
His phone pinged. A message from Ganyu: Sorry for keeping you waiting! On my way!! He glanced at the time—only ten minutes past one. The Seven Stars' victory banquet, celebrating a demon god's surrender, was a small, internal affair, more about political symbolism than feasting. It was wrapping up right on schedule.
A few minutes later, a government car pulled into the parking lot outside the General Services Department. Ningguang's secretary was driving, and Ganyu stepped out of the passenger seat, dressed in office attire with a work badge clipped to her chest. White blouse, black pencil skirt, black stockings—Lu Heng was smitten. She knew how to dress.
Ganyu hurried into the shop, slightly out of breath. "Sorry, sorry!" she said, bowing slightly, her face apologetic. She felt bad for making Lu Heng wait, especially since she was the one asking for his help.
"No problem. I was just helping a customer—Yelan stopped by," Lu Heng said casually, handing her a cup of tea. "What'd they serve at the banquet?"
Ganyu hesitated. "It was hosted by Ningguang, so… you know, the kind of dishes where a few bucks' worth of cabbage sells for thousands."
Lu Heng laughed. Clear Soup Cabbage, huh? But she wasn't wrong—common ingredients could become extraordinary in the right hands. At a high-profile event like that, the food was secondary to the occasion anyway.
"Did you get enough to eat?" he asked.
"Oh, definitely," Ganyu said, then added with a hint of frustration, "They made sure to include plenty of vegetarian dishes for me."
"That's great. A good meal should cater to everyone," Lu Heng said with a nod. His gaze lingered on her, and Ganyu's expression shifted to one of cautious alertness.
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T/N:
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