Thoma entered the room with an armful of food, beaming with excitement.
"I picked out all sorts of tasty dishes for you! I figured you might not be used to Inazuman food, so I also added a few Liyue specialties."
Shao Yun, moved by Thoma's thoughtfulness, offered rare, genuine thanks.
"Thank you, Thoma. Truly."
Thoma carefully set the food on the table and began opening each elegantly packed box.
Paimon was instantly captivated. She leaned in wide-eyed, curiosity brimming.
But when she saw the contents—so many varieties, yet each in small portions—her enthusiasm dimmed a little.
"Huh? The only Liyue dish is Rice Buns? And why are all the Inazuman dishes so tiny?!"
Thoma scratched his head sheepishly and explained, "Well… the supply on Ritou is a bit limited. But I did my best—there's Egg Roll, Tricolor Dango, Tri-Flavor Skewers, Dry-Braised Salted Fish, and three bowls of steaming Tonkotsu Ramen."
Shao Yun's smile stiffened. The moment Thoma mentioned supply shortages, a red flag went off in his mind.
Paimon, ever curious, took the bait. "Why's the food supply on Ritou so limited?"
"It's because—"
Thoma began to explain, but Shao Yun suddenly cut in.
"Paimon, stop asking. If we don't eat now, this food's going cold."
Paimon quickly nodded. "Oh, right! Let's dig in!"
She eagerly picked up her chopsticks and launched into her meal.
Seeing her, Lumine relaxed too, setting aside her thoughts to enjoy the flavors.
But Shao Yun—his mood soured by Thoma's subtle hints—had no appetite. After finishing his bowl of ramen, he stood.
"Lumine, I need to speak with Thoma about tomorrow's plans. You and Paimon enjoy your meal."
Lumine set her chopsticks down, concern flickering in her eyes. "Why not wait until after dinner?"
Before she could finish, Paimon had already devoured the Egg Roll and was clutching the last Tricolor Dango and Tri-Flavor Skewers.
"Lumine, hurry up! I'm almost done!"
"Hey! Paimon, leave some for Shao Yun!" Lumine scolded her gently. "He only had one bowl of noodles!"
Realizing her blunder, Paimon blinked and quickly returned the last few bites to the tray. "S-Sorry, Shao Yun! I just saw all the yummy stuff and—"
Shao Yun couldn't help but laugh. "It's fine, Paimon. Eat up. I'll bring more food later."
He reached over and pinched her cheek.
"As long as I'm around, you'll never go hungry."
Then he grabbed Thoma by the collar and dragged him out of the room.
Once the door shut, Shao Yun's smile vanished.
He spun around, gripped Thoma by the throat, and hoisted him off the ground, fury burning in his eyes.
"You bastard. I know exactly what you're trying to pull. Using Paimon to distract me while you plot to make me run errands? Cunning snake!"
Thoma choked, legs kicking helplessly as he gasped, "Mr. Shao Yun—please—calm down… I didn't mean…"
But Shao Yun didn't loosen his grip—in fact, he tightened it.
"I know your type. I don't care what legends you heard in Mondstadt or Liyue—let me make this clear: We came to Inazuma to see the Raiden Shogun. Nothing else matters. Understand?!"
Thoma's vision blurred as he fought for breath, desperately nodding.
"U-Understood! Please… let go… I…"
Shao Yun dropped him. Thoma crumpled to the floor, gasping for air.
Shao Yun crouched beside him and slapped his cheek lightly.
"When can we meet the Shogun?"
Thoma gulped, struggling to gather himself. "With your current permit, you're restricted to Ritou. You need a travel pass to leave for Narukami Island."
He hesitated, then added, "And that's not easy to get… the passes are issued by the Tenryou Commission. I serve the Kamisato Clan under the Yashiro Commission—different faction..."
Shao Yun waved him off, uninterested in political tangents. "I told you, Mora isn't the issue."
Thoma looked frustrated. "This isn't something you can solve with money! The Three Commissions are tangled in politics. Even if we all serve the Shogun, they're constantly at odds…"
Shao Yun raised a fist, threateningly. "I'll ask once more: Can you do it?"
Thoma threw up his hands in panic. "G-Give me some time! One night. Let me try!"
Shao Yun nodded and helped him up, brushing the dust off his coat.
"Good. How long will it take?"
Thoma hesitated, then cautiously raised three fingers. "Three days. I'll try my best."
"How sure are you?"
Thoma's eyes wavered. "I'll do everything I can… I promise…"
Shao Yun looked around to ensure no one was watching. Then from his Legend of the East satchel, he pulled out several heavy coin pouches and pressed them into Thoma's hands.
"Here's twenty million Mora. Use it to grease the wheels. You know what I mean."
Thoma nearly dropped them. "T-Twenty million?!"
Shao Yun slapped his mouth gently to hush him. "Quiet. Money's just numbers to me. I robbed the Northland Bank in Liyue. I may be a killer, but I'm no miser."
Thoma's jaw dropped, wide enough to swallow a whole bird egg.
"This is… a bit much…"
Shao Yun patted his shoulder and said darkly, "This is just the beginning. If you need more, ask. But if you trick me…"
He slid a finger across his throat, eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
"You'll die miserably."
Thoma stared at the Mora like it was burning coal. His heart raced.
This isn't bribery money. This is… hellfare funds.
"M-Mr. Shao Yun… I—I can't accept this…"
He tried to return the coin bags, but Shao Yun pushed them back.
"Didn't you say this kind of 'connection' comes at a cost? I'm just paying the price."
Thoma trembled, swallowing hard. "I-It's too generous… I can't…"
Shao Yun gently touched his trembling hands and coin-stuffed arms.
"Thoma, I don't often negotiate. Go. Handle it."
Then, he pulled another coin pouch—this one lighter, around 800,000 Mora—and shoved it into Thoma's arms.
"This is your tour guide fee. For your effort today. But listen—don't ever use today's story to win Lumine or Paimon's sympathy. Our deal is strictly business."
Thoma was already on the verge of breakdown. He'd just been bought off so thoroughly, he forgot what pride felt like.
"Mr. Shao Yun… we don't have to be so distant… we could be friends…"
Shao Yun chuckled.
"I never said we were distant. But even brothers settle accounts. Isn't this cleaner for both of us?"
With that, he turned and walked out of the Trade Association.
Thoma stood frozen in place, utterly dazed.
By the time Shao Yun's figure vanished from view, Thoma collapsed to the cold floor.
To him, those Mora pouches were no longer wealth—they were searing-hot brands.
Minutes passed before he regained his senses.
"This is bad. Things are way out of hand. I need to find Lady Kamisato… now."
Clutching the bags, he bolted out into the night.