Yelan's words reached Boss Jia's ears, leaving him in a daze.
What could possibly crush a criminal more than seeing their protector taken down first?
There is one — realizing that the law enforcer who imprisoned their protector now intends to bring them to justice as well, and has already taken action.
"No… no, this can't be," Jia muttered, forgetting even that Ada's blade was at his neck.
In his flustered state, the sharp edge cut into his skin, drawing a drop of crimson blood.
Fortunately, the blade only grazed him before Ada retracted it.
Clearly, Ada did not want his boss to die.
Or perhaps, Ada's "boss" had someone else in mind.
"Lady Yelan…" a Qianyan Guard ran forward to report the situation.
The scene was fully under their control.
Dozens of criminals, including Boss Jia and the Treasure Hoarders' leader, had been captured alive.
It was clear: neither Ada nor Abou belonged to the Hoarders or the Yanshang Tea House — they were part of Liyue's secret intelligence led by Yelan.
Spy within a spy within a spy!
Meanwhile, John, watched by several guards, was lost in thought.
Who was he? Where was he? Could anyone tell him what had just happened?
Before he could dwell, the moment was abruptly cut short.
"John, right?" Yelan approached him.
John opened his mouth but didn't know what to say, muttering a dull "Mm."
The sheer volume of information from the previous events had overloaded his mind — a classic system crash.
"By the Jade Chamber's guarantee, you're lucky.
You're free to go." Yelan waved her hand, recalling the guards and granting John his freedom.
As he passed, she spoke just loud enough for him to hear:
"If you want to know about your parents, come to the Yanshang Tea House and find me."
John snapped his head up, his eyes locking onto Yelan's retreating figure.
Normally calm, his gaze was now filled with complex emotions.
This was the first time he had lost composure in front of an outsider.
Yelan seemed oblivious, leading the Qianyan Guards away while taking the crates of weapons and Mora — confiscated on the spot.
John didn't feel regret. Given the circumstances, this was already the best outcome.
In the worst case, he could have used Bunga Bombs from his store to teach them a lesson, then escaped to Mondstadt.
But what happened next exceeded his expectations.
From Yelan's words, his parents' deaths were far more complicated than he had imagined.
She must know something.
Yet now was not the time to ask. Ai had arrived at his side.
"Are you okay?" Her clear voice broke his thoughts.
"I'm fine. Thank you, Ai." John now recognized her identity — or rather, Yelan must have revealed it.
One of Liyue's Seven Stars — the Jade Chamber Star.
One of the seven highest authorities in Liyue, yet she appeared as such a radiant young girl.
John didn't know what expression to make at his landlord-slash-benefactor.
"No need to thank me. If anything, I should apologize to victims like you for not handling these scum sooner," Keqing said, waving her hand.
She had gathered some information about Boss Jia and his associates.
Even a rough understanding had made her furious.
After all, she was newly appointed as one of the Seven Stars — in terms of intelligence and influence, far inferior to Yelan.
Still, Keqing was not discouraged; in the future, she was confident she could surpass her.
"What are your plans now?" Keqing asked. She knew the boy had cleared his debts and regained his freedom.
If things went smoothly, he might even receive compensation.
After all, Liyue could not ignore the death of John's parents.
"Find work in Liyue City and continue living?" John said after a moment.
The shackles on him had been removed, leaving him a long-forgotten sense of relief — a feeling of boundless freedom.
With his store's gacha system, his future suddenly seemed limitless.
"If you want work… why not help me?" Keqing offered.
Having just assumed her post, she needed capable people.
John had recently displayed perseverance and composure in adversity, earning her admiration.
Appearance aside, he was perfect as her assistant.
As for skills, she believed they could be trained quickly given his intelligence.
"Help you?" John blinked but immediately agreed.
Beyond her favor, simply working for one of the Seven Stars was a rare opportunity. Not seizing it would be foolish.
He recalled the saying: fortune unclaimed brings regret.
Upon his acceptance, Keqing smiled.
Efficient as ever, she made no further delay, having other matters to attend to.
She instructed John to visit her after handling this matter, then left, her pale purple twin tails swaying.
Now, John faced a choice: first go to the Yanshang Tea House to find the lady who seemed to know about his parents, or visit Keqing's house to discuss job details.
He didn't hesitate.
With the Treasure Hoarders cleared, he had no lack of Mora but urgently needed Primogems for gacha pulls.
As for what came next, he decided to wait until the next morning to find Yelan.
Keqing had instructed him to see her after everything settled.
Perhaps he should bring a gift when he did.