The day after his return was not one of rest, but of purpose. The familiar, exhilarating ascent to the Jade Chamber felt less like a special occasion and more like a daily commute.
He found Ningguang in her office, a vast map of Teyvat spread across her grand desk, looking for all the world like a master strategist surveying her global chessboard. Ganyu and Keqing were already present, a quiet, efficient council of progress.
"Ren, welcome back," Ningguang greeted, her voice holding the warm, familiar tone of a mentor welcoming her most promising student. "I trust your journey was… illuminating."
"It was," Ren replied with a small, confident smile as he took his now-customary seat.
The meeting began, and Ningguang, with a brisk, satisfied efficiency, laid out the state of their new, flying nation. "The public rollout of the hover-vehicles is proceeding as planned," she reported, her amber eyes gleaming with a quiet, profitable pride. "The licensing process is proving to be a resounding, if occasionally frustrating, success. The people are learning, adapting. It is a slow, but steady, dawn."
She then turned her attention to the wider world, her gaze sweeping across the map of Teyvat. "As for our international relations… things have become very interesting."
She gestured towards the green expanse of Mondstadt. "Negotiations with Acting Grand Master Jean are proceeding flawlessly. They are eager to adopt our registration and licensing systems. We can expect to begin exporting the first, officially licensed man-made Visions to Mondstadt within the next month itself."
Her finger then moved to the storm-wracked archipelago to the east. "Inazuma, as you well know, is a more… personal matter. I have received a formal inquiry from the Raiden Shogun herself. It seems she is most interested in acquiring our heaters and refrigerators for her nation. And, of course, the matter of the man-made Visions is a topic of… considerable interest to her."
She then swept her hand over the remaining two great nations. "And the other nations are also interested too. Sumeru and Fontaine have both sent official inquiries. The Akademiya is desperate to study the technology, and the merchants of Fontaine are, predictably, desperate to market it themselves. The demand is… universal."
A cold, dismissive look then crossed her face. "And yes," she added, with a sigh of pure, unadulterated contempt, "the Fatui have also sent letters. Their audacity, at least, is predictable. Those have been filed away under 'matters to be ignored indefinitely'."
She looked at Ren, her expression one of a leader facing a world of new, exciting, and very profitable, opportunities. "The world is knocking on our door, Ren. They all want what we have created."
Ren listened, his face a mask of calm, thoughtful contemplation. He waited for her to finish, for the currents of the grand, geopolitical conversation to find a moment of calm. And then, he made his move.
"I need to go to Sumeru," he stated, his voice quiet but full of a new, unwavering purpose.
The three most powerful women in Liyue looked at him, their expressions a mixture of surprise and immediate, focused attention.
"I've spoken with both Yanfei and Lisa from Mondstadt," he explained, laying out the foundation of his logic. "They both told me the same thing. This technology… it needs to be patented. Not for money, but for its own protection. To create a permanent, internationally recognized, legal shield around it. And the only place to do that is in Sumeru, at the Akademiya."
He then looked at Ningguang, his glowing azure eyes on her. "And since the scholars of Sumeru are so eager to acquire our technology, I believe I can kill two birds with one stone."
He laid out his simple, elegant plan. "I will go to Sumeru, not just as an inventor seeking a patent, but as Liyue's official emissary. I will personally oversee the patenting process, and at the same time, I will handle Sumeru's official request for the technology. It will be a mission of both legal protection and diplomatic trade."
He then looked at Ganyu, a reassuring smile on his face. "I will, of course, need to discuss the details with Master Xianyun. But," he added, with a knowing, affectionate look, "I doubt she will care much about the boring legal paperwork. She will be far more interested in the new, alchemical ingredients I can bring back for her from the rainforests."
The look on Ningguang's face was not one of surprise. It was one of profound, almost maternal, pride. She was no longer looking at a brilliant child who just had clever ideas. She was looking at a statesman. A diplomat. A young man who was thinking not just of invention, but whose mind was honed in law, trade and the complex, intricate dance of international relations.
"An excellent, and remarkably efficient, proposal, Ren," she said, her voice full of a deep, sincere admiration. "Then it is decided. Your next journey will be to the land of wisdom." Though, there was a glint in her eyes, of a plan forming in her mind.