As the young man gradually approached Mondstadt City, the scene before him was profoundly shocking, almost beyond description.
Right near the City Gate Bridge, a brand-new train station was already taking shape, construction underway with great intensity.
On the construction site, various large, modern engineering machines were operating efficiently, equipment he had never seen before.
Mondstadt workers, led by several professional supervisors from Inazuma, were working in coordination with this advanced engineering machinery.
Although the site was bustling with human voices and roaring machinery, everything was orderly and well-organized.
He couldn't help but start doubting if he had come to the wrong place.
In his memory, Mondstadters always lived with a casual, leisurely attitude; a scene like this, working with such intensity and fervor, was truly a rare sight.
Mondstadt seemed to be undergoing a profound transformation.
Crossing the long City Gate Bridge, he finally stepped into Mondstadt City.
The streets before him were no longer as he remembered them; the magnitude of the change was astonishing.
Along both sides of the streets, numerous Fontaine-style shops were springing up like mushrooms after rain.
In front of these newly opened shops, people flowed like weaving streams; customers came in an endless stream, and business was booming.
In contrast, the local old shops in Mondstadt City appeared deserted, business was bleak, and some had even reluctantly chosen to close down.
The young man strolled past the Angel's Share tavern; the rich aroma of wine permeated the air, its enticing scent instantly igniting his taste buds.
Without the slightest hesitation, he lightly stepped into the tavern.
The atmosphere inside the tavern was completely different from the lively scene he had expected; it seemed rather deserted.
The only few patrons sat quietly in their respective spots, lost in their own worlds, while the bartender stood before the counter, meticulously wiping the glasses in his hands.
The young man walked up to the bar, and with a gentle smile, said to the bartender, "Hello there! I am Venti, Mondstadt's most brilliant bard. I wonder if I might exchange my song for a glass of aromatic beer?"
The bartender, Charles, raised his head, his gaze meeting Venti's, but merely shook his head lightly. "Sorry, we don't accept such exchanges here."
Despite being refused, Venti wasn't disheartened. He continued, "Oh, don't be so quick to refuse me! I promise, my song is absolutely worth listening to, you won't regret it."
Charles smiled faintly. To Venti's surprised gaze, he took out an exquisite Fontaine phonograph from beneath the counter.
As he gently pressed the switch on the phonograph, a heavenly song slowly emerged.
The song was beautiful and melodious, like a warm current, gently flowing through the listeners' hearts.
Charles and Venti were both deeply immersed in the moving melody, as if transported to a dreamlike world.
When the song slowly concluded, Charles gently turned off the phonograph, looked at Venti, and said seriously, "This song is a classic masterpiece by the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, Furina—'Dirge of Coquelicots'. Venti, do you think your singing can surpass hers?"
Venti was speechless. Even with his usual confidence, at this moment he had to admit that his singing truly couldn't compare to Furina's.
Of course, this wasn't because his singing technique was inferior to Furina's, but because he lacked a representative work that could stand alongside 'Dirge of Coquelicots'.
"Bard, I advise you to find another job quickly!" Charles kindly suggested. "The construction site at the train station is short-handed right now; go work there."
Venti shook his head, refusing. Working? Impossible to work, never going to work in this lifetime.
He pondered for a long time, when suddenly an idea struck him. Turning to Charles, he said, "Mister Bartender, would you be interested in hearing a live version of 'Dirge of Coquelicots' accompanied by an instrument?"
With that, without waiting for Charles's response, he quickly took out a slightly aged lyre and began to play.
Charles had originally intended to stop him, but when Venti's song began, he immediately changed his mind.
Compared to Furina's rendition of 'Dirge of Coquelicots', Venti's version accompanied by his instrument was more like a wisp of free and unrestrained breeze, refreshing and uplifting.
When Venti's song ended, the patrons in the tavern burst into warm applause.
Charles proactively filled a large mug of beer for Venti. "Damn bard," he said, "I admit I've fallen in love with your singing. As long as you sing 'Dirge of Coquelicots' three times here every night, all your drinks will be free from now on."
Venti's eyes lit up at the words. "Mister Bartender, you are truly too generous!"
Charles waved his hand and said heartily, "You're welcome, enjoy yourself."
In his mind, Venti would probably only drink a few mugs of beer each night.
However, not long after, he started to regret it.
He saw Venti gulping down mug after mug, his eagerness like that of a drunkard who hadn't touched alcohol in hundreds of years.
"Ah, that hits the spot!" Venti chugged down another mug in one go, placed the empty mug back on the counter, and said with a look of pure satisfaction.
At this moment, Charles's face was pale green, and his heart ached non-stop.
He had never imagined that this guy was actually a super drinker.
Perhaps sensing Charles's distress, Venti didn't ask for more drinks and instead changed the topic, asking, "Mister Bartender, why did so many Fontaine businesses suddenly pop up in Mondstadt City?"
Charles glanced at him, a hint of displeasure in his tone. "Are you from Mondstadt? How can you not even know this?"
Venti scratched his head awkwardly. "I've been adventuring in the wilderness recently and know nothing about what's been happening in Mondstadt City."
Charles sighed and slowly explained, "A little over a month ago, a large number of good quality, low-priced goods from Fontaine flooded into Mondstadt City, causing many shops selling local goods to close down.
After that, the Furina Foundation from Fontaine stepped in, acquired these closed shops, and renovated and reopened them.
The new Fontaine shops not only offer excellent service but also have highly competitive prices, further squeezing the survival space for local shops and leading to even more local shops closing down."
Hearing this, Venti's expression grew serious.
He understood that if this situation continued, Mondstadt's commerce would fall into Fontaine's hands.
He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Has the Knights of Favonius taken any action regarding this?"
Hearing this question, Charles instead asked back, "Why should they take action? Mondstadt is a nation of freedom; shouldn't commercial trade be free as well?
Fontaine is winning the market fair and square through the high quality and affordable prices of their goods."
Saying this, he pointed to the phonograph he had just played. "This phonograph, at the Furina Home Appliance Chain Store, only costs 10,000 Mora, comes with a three-year warranty, and even includes an original album by Lady Furina."
Venti fell silent.
After a long while, he took a deep breath and asked, "Where is this chain store? I want to buy one too."
…
Following the address Charles provided, Venti arrived at the Furina Home Appliance Chain Store located in the heart of Mondstadt City. The shop was massive, covering nearly a thousand square meters.
However, upon his arrival, he found that a queue of customers stretching out of sight had already formed at the shop entrance.
Venti had always disliked waiting in queues. He glanced at the long line and turned to walk towards the Statue of the Anemo Archon in the distance.
Strolling towards the plaza, he happened to encounter the Church organizing a grand event.
Deaconess Barbara was leading a group of people in devout prayer, while other Church personnel were distributing free food to the participants.
This event attracted many children from within Mondstadt City and some people living in great hardship.
Venti paid no heed to others' gazes and walked straight up to join the prayer.
Just as he was praying somewhat perfunctorily to the Anemo Archon, he didn't realize that he had already been noticed by certain "interested parties."