The speaker was a purple-haired girl dressed in violet garments, her twin ponytails styled like cat ears. She was none other than the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing—Keqing.
Saphir and Keqing had met once before at Stone Gate. Back then, they were both pretending not to understand each other, keeping up appearances. But this time, there was no longer a need for that charade.
"Lady Yuheng? It's been quite a while," Saphir reined in her irritation and greeted her with a pleasant smile.
Keqing nodded slightly, then turned to the bespectacled clerk. "This guest is of great importance to the General Affairs Bureau. I'll take over personally, Xiao Zhao."
The clerk, whose name was indeed Xiao Zhao, was a civil servant of the General Affairs Bureau. Upon realizing Keqing was familiar with Saphir, she quickly bowed and left to assist other citizens, seemingly unfazed.
Saphir frowned slightly at her unbothered expression but didn't press the issue. She followed Keqing into the bureau.
Once in Keqing's office, the two sat down. Keqing called for an assistant to serve tea, then finally spoke. "Miss Anmu, may I ask what business brings you to the General Affairs Bureau today?"
She knew the type of person Saphir was—never visiting without a purpose. If she came calling, there was something behind it. Casual chitchat wasn't her style.
Saphir didn't beat around the bush. "I heard Sanwan Bugugang was shut down?"
Keqing was aware of the closure, though restaurant affairs weren't part of her jurisdiction—her responsibilities lay in land development and construction. That said, as one of the Qixing, such a minor matter was still within her influence.
She thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sanwan Bugugang was indeed sealed off due to deceptive practices and illicit profits. It received numerous public complaints, and its owner, De Gui, has been taken into custody. Are you interested in the property?"
Saphir nodded. "I'm thinking of acquiring it to open a tavern."
Keqing raised an eyebrow at that. She'd heard about Saphir's takeover of the Yanshang Teahouse and had even consulted Ningguang about the matter afterward. They'd also done a full post-mortem with Yelan, who had witnessed the events. Their conclusion had been simple: Saphir used threats and the fearsome reputation of the Fatui to pressure the previous owner into giving up the teahouse. The man had ended up in prison.
Keqing didn't think a Fatui Harbinger would resort to such crude methods, but they hadn't been able to find anything more suspicious either. In the end, the matter had been left unresolved.
"If it's a tavern you're planning, it's not impossible. Licenses and permits can be handled through the Bureau," Keqing said, her tone cautious. "But may I ask why you want to open a tavern?"
Her naturally suspicious nature compelled her to probe deeper.
Saphir gave an honest answer. "To make money, obviously. Isn't that reason enough?"
That response left Keqing momentarily speechless. "…That's it?"
"That's it." Saphir nodded earnestly.
Keqing didn't want to approve the request, but Liyue prided itself as the nation of commerce. Arbitrarily rejecting a foreign merchant's investment would go against the Qixing's own principles. Besides, Saphir was a Snezhnayan diplomat, and her motives, while vague, didn't violate any laws. Keqing had no grounds for refusal.
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that Saphir was up to something—she just couldn't see what.
"In that case," Keqing said, "the deed for Sanwan Bugugang is currently held by Ningguang. The business license and other paperwork will take some time. I'll discuss it with her and get the process started. For now, go back and wait. I'll notify you once it's done."
"Can't we move it along a bit faster?" Saphir asked—not because she was in a hurry to open, but because she knew once the Rite of Descension began, she'd be busy and likely wouldn't have time to follow up.
Her urgency only deepened Keqing's suspicions. "It's a seized property. According to procedure, it needs to go through a public bidding process. You cutting straight to me already counts as special treatment, so waiting a few days is hardly unreasonable. You might even save some Mora this way."
Keqing's explanation was perfectly logical. Saphir didn't press the issue and nodded in agreement. Seeing no objection, Keqing finally relaxed. Saphir was, after all, a Harbinger of the Fatui—if she really wanted that property, Keqing wouldn't have an easy time stopping her.
With business settled, Saphir brought up the earlier incident. "Seems like your General Affairs Bureau has some… loose hiring standards."
"Oh?" Keqing had just picked up her teacup. Hearing this, she paused and raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
Saphir recounted the earlier scene with Xiao Zhao in detail. Keqing frowned deeply. She knew Xiao Zhao—hardworking, efficient, and sharp—but not someone she would've expected to be that rude.
Still, the recent drop in bureau efficiency hadn't gone unnoticed. This might not be unfounded.
"I didn't expect one of my own to cause such trouble for Miss Anmu," Keqing said solemnly. "I'll look into it seriously."
"It wasn't trouble for me," Saphir corrected. "Just a suggestion. The General Affairs Bureau handles most of Liyue's administrative work. If your reception staff can't even let people finish speaking, imagine the damage to public trust. I believe Xiao Zhao meant well—she's just… overly anxious. You might want to talk to her. Sometimes, slowing down improves efficiency, don't you think?"
With that, she rose to leave.
Keqing stood as well to see her off. As they reached the door, Saphir casually inquired about Lin Yi's current situation.
Keqing's expression dimmed. She explained that Lin Yi had been acting strangely ever since returning to Liyue. The two of them had disagreed on some things, and eventually went their separate ways. Since then, he'd vanished, and even Keqing didn't know where he'd gone.
Seeing Keqing's somber mood, Saphir said nothing. Her instincts told her something must have happened to Lin Yi. But with no leads, there was nothing she could do for now.
After seeing Saphir off, Keqing turned her gaze to the long queue outside the bureau and the bustling figure of Xiao Zhao at the reception desk. As time passed, her expression grew grim.
She saw it clearly now—Saphir hadn't been exaggerating.
Xiao Zhao wasn't speeding up the workflow. She was actively disrupting it. Every time someone stepped forward, she'd cut them off, lecture them, and send them away before they could explain their needs.
If this went on much longer, the damage would be substantial. At best, it would erode public trust in the bureau. At worst, it might prompt the Lord of Geo himself to deem the Qixing inefficient—a consequence Keqing could not afford.
Determined, Keqing halted Xiao Zhao's work and summoned her to the office.
Xiao Zhao was stunned. To her, the day felt like a nightmare. Dealing with indecisive people already drained her patience, and now she'd had to face someone apparently important—a Fatui Harbinger, no less. But even that woman had been slow and vague.
If all Harbingers are like her, Xiao Zhao thought with contempt, then the Fatui isn't worth fearing. No decisiveness, no execution. How could such a group have any future?
Still, she believed that if everyone worked with her same speed and clarity, things would be so much better. But then again… if that happened, she'd never have a chance to rise to the top. She'd never stand out.
Becoming one of the Qixing was her dream—and she had started to go to extremes in pursuit of that goal.
"Xiao Zhao," Keqing began calmly, "how has work been lately?"
"Good," Xiao Zhao replied instantly. "Just a bit tiring dealing with all the people who don't know what they want—but it's manageable."
Keqing frowned slightly. "Are there a lot of such people?"
"Too many. Almost all of them," Xiao Zhao answered without hesitation.
"And how do you handle them?"
"I send them back to figure it out before coming again. If they don't even know what they want, they're wasting my time," she said proudly.
Keqing's anger began to simmer, though she held it in. "And if they still don't know when they return?"
"Then they go back again. I give everyone ten seconds. If they want to waste time, that's their fault. Efficiency is everything."
Keqing's voice turned icy. "How long does it take to queue?"
"Twenty or thirty minutes? Depends on the crowd. They're all in a hurry, so even if I send them away, they just rejoin the line. Nothing they can do about it."
That was the last straw.
Keqing slammed the table. "This is absurd!"
Her shout echoed through the office, startling the staff outside.
"This is how a General Affairs Bureau clerk conducts herself? You make people queue multiple times just because they can't express themselves clearly in ten seconds? How much can you explain in ten seconds?" Her cheeks were flushed with anger. "Even ordering food takes longer! And you expect citizens to summarize their affairs that fast?"
"I… I…" Xiao Zhao stammered, panic setting in.
Keqing was relentless. "Ningguang told me the bureau had become inefficient lately. I thought it was a procedural issue. Turns out you were the root cause. I had high hopes for you, thought you were responsible, dependable—but this is how you handle your duties?"
"I didn't mean to…" Xiao Zhao's eyes brimmed with tears. She hadn't expected to be scolded by the Yuheng herself. Her good mood had crumbled completely.
Keqing picked up the overturned teacup, wiped the spilled water with a cloth, and spoke again.
"Right now, you're just like those people you reject. Nervous. Flustered. Speechless. I'm not demanding that you justify your actions in ten seconds—because I know you can't. And neither can they. You're doing to others exactly what you can't do yourself."
"…I'm sorry, Lady Keqing." Xiao Zhao lowered her head. Her tears fell freely.
Keqing sighed. "Ten seconds… is just enough time to say you're sorry. That's all."
Xiao Zhao didn't reply. She had fully realized her mistake.
"Go home for the day. Reflect on how you want to approach your work moving forward. I don't want to see this happen again. Next time, you won't need to come back at all."
Keqing waved her away.
Xiao Zhao nodded and left in silence.
Outside, murmurs had already begun among the other staff.
"Lady Keqing really is decisive… I've been saying it—Xiao Zhao was bound to crash eventually, that attitude…"
"Hey, keep it down. Focus on your own tasks unless you want to be next."
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