Three days passed in the blink of an eye. While waiting for word from Thoma, Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon took the opportunity to thoroughly explore Ritou.
They wandered every alley and visited every shop, but despite their effort, their desire to shop was never really sparked.
After all, most of the merchandise displayed here came from Mondstadt and Liyue—nothing new or exciting for them.
By noon on the third day of Thoma's disappearance, the three were taking a stroll after lunch, idly browsing the streets once again.
Paimon noticed that the shopkeepers along the road all wore anxious expressions. She whispered, "Huh? Why does everyone look so upset today? They weren't like this yesterday…"
Shao Yun replied casually, "Business is probably bad. Happens all the time. Not everyone can run a business like Ningguang—earning without risk or loss."
Paimon nodded thoughtfully at that.
Just then, Lumine tapped Shao Yun's arm and asked, "Hey, Shao Yun, has there been any news from Thoma?"
Shao Yun shook his head gently, his fingers tapping against the revolver holstered at his waist.
"Not yet. But if he doesn't show up by tonight, I'll have to come up with another way to get you two off this island."
Lumine's gaze followed his hand down to the revolver, a trace of concern flashing in her eyes.
"Your 'way'... don't tell me it's..."
Shao Yun smiled faintly, reading her thoughts as clearly as if they were written on her face.
"You guessed right. What do you want as a reward?"
Lumine frowned lightly and nudged him with her elbow.
"Don't joke around. I'm being serious."
Shao Yun dropped the grin and explained in earnest, "Here's my plan—if Thoma still doesn't contact us by tonight, you'll change into the clothes I bought you, and we'll ride through the checkpoint on horseback, straight into Narukami Island."
"After that, we look for an opening—maybe in the dead of night—and sneak into Tenshukaku to meet the Raiden Shogun. Sounds crazy, I know. But I have a lot of confidence in it."
At first, Lumine thought it was completely impossible. But the next second, she realized—it might just work.
"If anyone else had said that, I'd think they were insane. But coming from you, it somehow feels... very likely to succeed."
Just then, Kurisu hobbled toward them on an injured leg. When he saw Shao Yun, he looked as if he'd found a savior. He rushed over and grabbed Shao Yun's hand excitedly.
"Mr. Shao Yun—thank goodness I found you!"
Shao Yun noticed Kurisu's limp and asked, "Hello, President Kurisu. What happened to your leg?"
Kurisu waved off the question, clearly more urgent matters at hand.
"My leg's not important. I have something very important to discuss with you. Could I have a word in private?"
Shao Yun blinked, confused, and pointed to himself.
"Huh? With me?"
Kurisu nodded furiously. "Yes! This is urgent! And don't worry—I'll pay you for your time."
Seeing how worn out Kurisu looked—and hearing the promise of payment—Shao Yun figured it wouldn't hurt to listen. He hadn't agreed to help yet, and if it turned out to be too troublesome, he could just say no.
"Lumine, Paimon—wait here for a bit."
Kurisu limped with him to a quiet corner of the street. Once they were alone, he dropped to his knees with a thud and pleaded, "Mr. Shao Yun, I have no other choice. I'm begging you—please help us!"
Shao Yun was startled by the sudden gesture and quickly reached to lift him up.
"President Kurisu—please, get up. Let's talk this through properly. No need to kneel."
Kurisu stood up and gripped Shao Yun's hands tightly, tears flowing down his cheeks.
"There's no one around, so I'll speak plainly."
Shao Yun nodded. "Go ahead, I'm listening."
Through tears, Kurisu said, "I heard about your deeds from a Liyue merchant who just arrived. You must help us!"
Shao Yun's first instinct was to suspect Thoma. He asked cautiously, "A Liyue merchant, really? If you're lying to me, I'll be very upset."
Kurisu nodded quickly and repeated what he'd heard.
"It's true! This morning, I had a long talk with a Liyue merchant. He said you were a distinguished guest of the Liyue Qixing, that you have great status. He said you were kind-hearted, once helped a pair of orphans get revenge without asking for a single Mora—you even killed the man who murdered their mother. He said you were resourceful, a hero..."
Shao Yun cut him off. He had no patience for long-winded flattery.
"Alright, I believe you. Enough with the niceties. What do you need me to do?"
Kurisu sniffled and said, "Would you be willing to accompany me to meet Lord Hiiragi Shinsuke of the Kanjou Commission?"
Hiiragi Shinsuke? Wasn't that the head of the Kanjou Commission? If Shao Yun remembered right, the old man had already been bought off by the Fatui—working for the Fair Lady.
"You want me to go why? Be specific."
Kurisu laid out his reasoning.
"I think... with you by my side, Lord Hiiragi might show us some respect. Then I could negotiate with him about the taxes. If this continues, every foreign merchant on Ritou is going to go bankrupt!"
After listening, Shao Yun asked the critical question.
"What's in it for me?"
He wasn't worried about Hiiragi Shinsuke making a move on him—he could handle himself. But he wasn't about to work for free either.
Kurisu thought carefully and then offered, "If you come with me—regardless of the outcome—I'll give you 372,884 Mora."
It was all the liquid capital he had left.
In a final act of desperation, Kurisu threw out an even bigger offer.
"If Lord Hiiragi relents—even a little—and gives us some breathing room, I'll make this promise: from now on, every single profit made by a member of the International Trade Association, I'll give you thirty percent of it. What do you think?"
The 372,000 Mora alone didn't impress Shao Yun—he had over 50 billion in assets already.
But that thirty percent share... that piqued his interest. Way better than what that sickly hacker used to give him. He could do nothing and still have people send him money while he lounged around.
Seeing Shao Yun hesitate, Kurisu dropped to his knees again, desperation in his voice.
"Mr. Shao Yun—please! I'll even kowtow to you if it helps!"
Shao Yun sighed, clearly moved. He helped him up once more.
"President, please get up. Just tell me—when are you going to see Hiiragi?"
He had planned to leave with Lumine and Paimon tonight. If the meeting was tomorrow, there was no way he could agree.
Kurisu replied urgently, "Right now! We don't have a moment to spare. The Kanjou Commission could start seizing shops that haven't paid taxes at any time."
Shao Yun thought for a moment, then finally nodded.
"Alright, I'm moved by your sincerity. And that very generous offer. But let me be clear—I'm only there to stand behind you and make you look impressive. The negotiation is all on you."
Kurisu, relieved beyond words, patted his chest and promised, "Don't worry, Mr. Shao Yun. Leave it to me!"
Shao Yun then explained the situation to Lumine and Paimon.
Paimon scratched her head, puzzled. "Shao Yun, didn't you want to stay far away from all that International Trade Association stuff?"
Shao Yun smiled slightly. "That was then. But now they're offering good money just for me to stand there. And if it works, I'll have a constant stream of cash. Who would refuse something that good?"
Lumine raised an eyebrow curiously. "But... don't you already have more than enough money?"
Shao Yun stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe. But who doesn't like more? Back in Liyue, didn't you run around all over the place just to get paid for a tiny commission from the Guild?"
Lumine blinked—then suddenly understood.
"Hmm... yeah, you're right..."
Shao Yun waved his hand dismissively.
"You two head back to the Trade Association. I'll return once I'm done here."
"Bye-bye!" Lumine and Paimon waved as they left the scene.
Shao Yun turned back toward Kurisu and looked at his leg.
"By the way... your leg?"
Kurisu gave a bitter smile and explained.
"It's like this... yesterday I scraped together over 300,000 Mora. I meant to use it as Harrison's bail. But Lord Katsuie said it wasn't enough and tried to throw me out. I tried to reason with him, and he... slashed me. Sigh... people like us have no voice..."
Shao Yun sighed deeply.
"Poor Harrison…"
...
Following Kurisu's unsteady lead, Shao Yun arrived at the magnificent estate of the Hiiragi family.
The scene before them unfolded like a meticulously painted scroll.
Samurai of Inazuma stood solemnly every five steps along the broad stone steps.
Towering stone walls blocked out the noise of the outside world, and the gate bore the intricately carved crest of the Hiiragi family.
Inside, servants bustled through flowerbeds, carefully pruning the gardens. Others swept the veranda, ensuring every inch was spotless.
Just as the two prepared to request an audience with Hiiragi Shinsuke, a familiar voice called out.
"Stop right there!"
Katsuie stormed over, blocking their path. He sneered at Kurisu with open contempt.
"President Kurisu—you again? I already said it: if the money's not enough, Harrison's not getting out."
Kurisu forced a bitter smile and bowed politely. "Lord Katsuie, I've come to see Lord Hiiragi personally. Please, make an exception."
But Katsuie waved them off like beggars. "Get lost. The family head doesn't have time for nobodies like you. Just go find the taxes you owe!"
Kurisu was about to plead again, when Katsuie suddenly shoved him to the ground.
"Scram!"
The fall reopened Kurisu's barely healed wound. He clenched his jaw in pain but refused to make a sound.
Katsuie, emboldened, strutted toward Shao Yun to try the same trick.
But Shao Yun wasn't one to be pushed around.
He grabbed Katsuie's hand mid-motion, twisted hard—and with a crack, the man's fingers snapped.
Katsuie screamed in agony, his face contorting in pain. "You dare hurt me?! Are you trying to die?!"
Shao Yun didn't flinch. He tightened his grip.
"Go fetch your master. We have important business with him."
With that, he tossed Katsuie aside with a flick of the wrist.
Katsuie staggered back more than ten steps before he could steady himself.
Clutching his injured hand, he glared at Shao Yun—but under that cold, penetrating gaze, he felt only fear and helplessness.
In the end, he could only grit his teeth and snarl, "Kurisu! You just wait!" before fleeing into the estate.
Watching him retreat, Shao Yun shook his head and muttered, "Useless bully, only daring to pick on the weak…"