"Like tobacco, it can relieve stress to some extent, but it's healthier, cheaper, easier to carry after packaging, and more convenient to use."
Ningguang slowly twirled a slender pipe between her fingers.
"The future of chewing gum—you only have to look at the current tobacco market to understand."
Wrong!
Smoking is addictive. Chewing gum and bubble gum don't have that kind of power!
Sugar has a bit of addictiveness, coffee slightly more than sugar, but even if you made candy out of coffee beans, you wouldn't dare compete with tobacco… not to mention that Slime Gum doesn't contain any sugar at all, and its flavor is stolen through alchemy. In theory, those addictive components shouldn't even exist.
Seeing Victor Wang's troubled expression, Ningguang asked curiously, "You seem to have an idea? Don't hold back, speak your mind."
"…Is it possible that tobacco has some unique, irreplaceable quality?"
"Heh, even if it can't surpass tobacco, such an innovative and distinctive candy can at least firmly outcompete all others in its category. Not to mention chewing gum has a much wider audience than tobacco.
"Adventurers aren't leisurely enough to bring a pipe and a couple of ounces of tobacco for every commission, then calmly savor the taste in situations where a fight could break out at any moment. Yet they need to stay on edge all the time… need I go on?"
With one hand propping her cheek, Ningguang's lips and eyes both carried an amused smile. "You can doubt chewing gum, but you should trust my eye for business. I'm not the sort of person who invests in a losing trade~"
Victor Wang awkwardly averted his gaze to avoid meeting hers.
It's mainly because I never thought of commercializing this stuff. It was just based on Xiangling's wish and my own impulse to recreate Earth's foods that I brought it up casually… so I never considered these angles. And my Earth-trained way of thinking habitually ignored the unique conditions of Teyvat.
He made excuses to himself, but couldn't say them out loud. That would sound like stubbornly defending himself after being exposed—especially when the one exposing him was a big sister figure.
Ningguang seemed to see right through him and considerately helped him justify himself.
"In my observation, it's not that you can't think of these things, but that you simply didn't bother.
Even the patent was only applied for at my urging. You didn't invent chewing gum and bubble gum for profit… even just now when I mentioned your share of the profits, anyone with an ulterior motive would have started bargaining immediately. You… aren't interested in Mora?"
"It's not that I have no interest. I'm not so detached from worldly concerns. It's just that I have other ways of making money."
"Oh?" Ningguang pondered. In all the intel she had on Victor Wang, the only mention was that he was a high-ranking adventurer.
That reaction gave Victor Wang a hunch—seemed like his most profitable identity as a writer hadn't been discovered yet. Managing to hide it from the all-seeing Ningguang… was that something to be proud of?
But then again, with just a pen name, it's hard to connect someone to their real identity. Just like 'Sole of the Deep', 'Zhenyu', 'Calx'… the most outrageous being 'Miss Hina', and the most normal being Chang the Ninth, though that was a different kind of abnormal…
If everyone used real names like Chang the Ninth, intelligence work in this world would be much easier.
Thinking of this, he took the rare chance to counterattack in front of Ningguang. "In another day or two, you'll know my main source of income."
"All right, I'll be waiting." Ningguang nodded warmly. "So, can I assume all questions regarding this collaboration are settled?"
"I have one more question—this 10% of net profit from gum sales you mentioned… could it buy me a place on Yujing Terrace?"
"Oh? Now you think of bargaining?"
"I'm just curious."
"Hmm… that would depend on production and marketing speed. Conservatively, within three years you could buy a place on Yujing Terrace without issue."
Even a modest 100-square-meter home on Yujing Terrace costs over 300 million Mora. That meant doing nothing but collecting patent royalties could net over 100 million Mora a year—financial freedom at last… but somehow it didn't feel as exciting as imagined.
"I have no further questions."
"Good."
Ningguang clapped her hands. Baishi, who had been waiting outside, immediately brought in the contract.
After checking its contents, Victor Wang signed his name…
"Pleasure doing business."
"Pleasure doing business. Oh, by the way, on the topic of promotion, I personally think holding a bubble-blowing contest could help people get to know bubble gum faster."
The Bubblegum Squad had thought of this before—everyone thought it'd be fun, but it never got past the idea stage. Organizing it was a pain—venue and activity permits had to be applied for separately from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, with participant registration, safety assessments, promotion, judges, rules, prizes… headache-inducing.
Better to just let Ningguang's professional team handle it.
"A bubble-blowing contest, huh? That's a good idea. I'll consider it."
Leaving Ningguang's office, passing the doors of several other Qixing members, and then through the bustling work area, Victor Wang stepped out of Yuehai Pavilion and stretched.
On the big news bulletin boards on either side of Yuehai Pavilion's main gate, a prominent posting announced yesterday's verdict for "The Young Master"—he was to bear all damages caused by the "Overlord of the Vortex" incident, and most of Liyue's cooperation with Snezhnaya was being cut off for attempting to threaten Liyue's security.
Not only here—these notices were posted on every official board in Liyue Harbor. Victor Wang had already seen them earlier that day when eating at Wanmin Restaurant.
That meant today, the Fatui expedition in The Chasm would have their supplies cut off, without even knowing it yet.
Time to send a message to "The Young Master."
The letter had been prepared before coming to Yuehai Pavilion. As he made his way toward the Northland Bank, Victor Wang checked it again:
"To 'Childe':
Beneath The Chasm, there is a Fatui '9th Company' investigating the black disaster from 500 years ago.
Now, due to your influence, Liyue has severed cooperation with Snezhnaya, and the 9th Company's supply post is about to close. For them, this will be a disaster.
In my opinion, the 9th Company can die, but not in The Chasm. Thus, I write this letter, hoping you will save them.
Signed,
Nameless Guest."
He had thought about cutting out printed letters from elsewhere to piece together the message, but it seemed too much trouble. In the end, he wrote it with his left hand so his handwriting wouldn't be recognized.
Reaching the upper floors of Mingxing Jewelry, he slipped into a shadowed corner, pulled on a hooded cloak, and completely hid himself in familiar darkness before heading upstairs. Stopping by the stairs to the left of the Northland Bank, he used Anemo to send the letter skimming along the wall and floor, sliding from a blind spot right to the guard's feet.
Before anyone noticed, he slipped away.
When doing things like this, Anemo is much more convenient than other elements~
Victor Wang suddenly thought of Skyrider Sword and Skyrider Greatsword. Liyue's so-called Legendary Skyrider had given his life in pursuit of flying on his blade. But what if you used Anemo instead?
If Little Wen could fly, why couldn't he use Anemo to fly on a sword?
["!"]
A 4-star weapon could boost elemental power by 30%. Using Anemo directly underfoot for flight would burn through energy fast—but if the weapon assisted, wouldn't it last 30% longer?
Thirty percent was still too little—but that dragon's tooth back at Wangshu Inn boosted Anemo like a 5-star weapon, meaning a 50% boost!
Combined with his ever-expanding mental stamina, flying on a sword was within reach.
There are many kinds of manly dreams, and sword-flight was undoubtedly one of them. Victor Wang almost wanted to try having Little Wen carry him into the sky right then—but flying over Liyue Harbor would be far too conspicuous.
Finish current business first… finish current business first… wait until I'm back at Wangshu Inn…
He muttered to restrain his excitement, but couldn't help imagining: from this day on, every Vision holder of the Anemo element would remember the moment when, while everyone else still used Wind Gliders, a man named Victor blazed the era of sword-flight!
Lost in his fantasy, he soon found himself at the gate of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
The opera adaptation of The Butterfly Lovers was already written. According to Hu Tao, once he handed her the script, she'd find people to perform it… and among them, Yun Jin was probably a given.
Unfortunately, after knocking on the Wangsheng door, neither Hu Tao nor Zhongli was in. Victor Wang could only leave the script with the staff, asking them to pass it on.
Time passed, and the next day, Lisa's letter and the proof from Mondstadt's publishing house arrived.