A depressed Rosalyne strolled alone along the ancient streets of Mondstadt City.
This city was no longer as she remembered it; only the distant Statue of the Anemo Archon stood quietly, the sole bridge between her past memories and reality.
Suddenly, she stopped. The figure before her astonished her; she never expected to meet him here.
"Scaramouche, why are you here?" Her words carried a hint of coldness and surprise.
Thunderclap folded his arms, his eyes sharp. He warned in a low voice, "Rosalyne, if you don't want me to fight you on this street, please don't call me by that ridiculous name anymore. My current name is Thunderclap, a senior agent of the West Factory."
"Alright, Thunderclap," Rosalyne said with an arrogant stance. "May I ask, you former Fatui traitor, what do you want stopping me?"
Thunderclap snorted disdainfully. "I have no interest in finding you; Director Yide wants you to do things according to his will."
Saying this, he took out a notebook from his pocket and casually threw it to Rosalyne.
Rosalyne took the notebook doubtfully. The title on the cover, "Mondstadt Fatui Script," made her frown.
She opened the notebook and quickly browsed through it.
The script meticulously planned every step of the Fatui's actions in Mondstadt, so detailed that even the characters' lines were listed.
She raised her head, full of confusion. "What does this mean?"
Thunderclap answered calmly, "This means that you, the Fatui, will act according to this script in the future. After the mission is completed, our West Factory will hand over the Anemo Archon's Gnosis to you as a reward."
Rosalyne frowned deeply and retorted, "Why should we, the Fatui, follow your script? As for the Anemo Archon's Gnosis, we have our own ways to obtain it."
Thunderclap answered expressionlessly, "Because we are the West Factory, and Director Yide wrote this script. You have no choice."
His tone was firm and unquestionable, as if announcing an unchangeable fact.
Upon hearing this, Rosalyne's anger was instantly ignited. "Your West Factory is too arrogant; the Fatui are not soft targets like the Knights of Favonius."
Thunderclap smiled contemptuously. "The Fatui are indeed not soft targets, but the Fatui's Mondstadt branch that you lead is a soft target."
Rosalyne was furious, but had to admit he was speaking the truth. If Columbina were still here, she might still have leverage to negotiate with Yide. However, now, following Yide's script seemed like the wise course of action.
She desperately suppressed the humiliation and anger in her heart and asked in a low voice, "Will your West Factory truly hand over the Anemo Archon's Gnosis to me after the operation ends?"
Thunderclap said with a calm expression, "Our West Factory keeps its word. Moreover, you should really like the ending part of this script."
Rosalyne impatiently turned to the last page of the script. When her gaze fell upon the scene where she slapped Venti and violently kicked him, she couldn't help but burst into laughter, almost hysterical.
"Hahahahaha, this is truly delightful!"
Thunderclap added, "Of course, if you still feel it's not satisfying enough, you can add some props yourself, such as a whip, candles, steel wool, etc., feel free to improvise."
Rosalyne's laughter gradually stopped, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "I accept this script."
Meanwhile, far away in a tavern, Venti was drinking heartily, immersed in the pleasure brought by the fine wine. Suddenly, he felt a sudden, inexplicable chill from behind and couldn't help but sneeze.
…
After completing the mission, Thunderclap strolled towards the newly opened coffee shop located in a quiet corner of the street. This coffee shop was elegantly decorated, with a secluded environment, exuding an atmosphere of culture and tranquility. Perhaps because the residents of Mondstadt City preferred drinking fine wine heartily, the coffee shop seemed exceptionally deserted, with not a soul inside.
Thunderclap pushed the door open and walked straight towards the counter.
Lin Yide was quietly sitting there, reading a novel. Hearing Thunderclap's footsteps, he gently closed his book and looked up.
"Director, the mission has been successfully completed," Thunderclap reported respectfully. "Rosalyne has agreed to proceed according to our script."
Lin Yide smiled slightly and gently patted his shoulder. "Well done, you did very well."
Thunderclap pondered slightly, then finally voiced the confusion in his heart. "Director, I still don't quite understand, why are we doing this?"
Lin Yide's gaze gradually became deep. He slowly began speaking, "In every era on the continent of Teyvat that needs change, there will always be Descenders who come from outside the world. They are the protagonists of this continent, possessing power beyond the laws of the world, and are destined to cause great changes in the world."
Speaking of this, his tone became increasingly solemn. "Our goal is to establish friendships with these protagonists, and at the same time, utilize their power to achieve our desires."
Hearing this, Thunderclap was greatly shaken internally. Only then did he truly understand Lin Yide's intention in creating this script.
But a new question arose in his heart.
After some hesitation, Thunderclap still asked, "Director, you are actually a Descender too, aren't you? After all, everything you have achieved is beyond what an ordinary person can do."
Lin Yide calmly denied, "I am not a Descender. I can do these things simply because my brain works well."
Thunderclap was speechless. If this was merely because "his brain worked well," then how should his own intelligence be judged?