During dinner, Ningguang and Ganyu were discussing the problem of Liyue's alchemists. Although they were on the verge of acquiring an encyclopedia of otherworldly engineering, the lack of qualified alchemical tutors remained a major hurdle.
"Sigh, there are far too few alchemists in the city, and most of them are still apprentices," Ningguang lamented, her brow furrowed with worry. "We must find a way to solve this problem. Otherwise, having the knowledge and equipment without the alchemists to use them is pointless." The recruitment notices she had posted several days ago had received a paltry response, and those who did apply were mere novices. The situation was starting to give her a serious headache.
Ganyu looked at her with confusion. "Is no one interested, even with the high salary?"
"The compensation I'm offering is already three times that of Mondstadt," Ningguang said, rubbing her temples, having lost her appetite for the meal. A salary three times higher than that offered to alchemists in Mondstadt was by no means a small sum.
"Could it be that someone is deliberately causing trouble?" Keqing, who had been quietly eating until now, suddenly asked.
Ningguang shook her head. "No one is interfering. I've already had my people investigate."
"I don't think salary is the issue," Su Han interjected. "The real problem is that Liyue simply doesn't have many qualified alchemists to begin with. That being the case, why not recruit from other nations? As I recall, the neighboring nation of Mondstadt has quite a few high-quality alchemists." Both Albedo and Sucrose were exceptional masters of their craft. Albedo, however, was too much of a wild card to consider.
Hearing this, Ningguang gave a bitter smile. "Su Han, poaching talent isn't that simple. Moreover, if it's not handled properly, it could sour the relationship between Mondstadt and Liyue." Although the proposal was incredibly tempting, she could not risk turning the two nations into enemies.
"I think you've misunderstood something," Su Han said coolly.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Ningguang looked at him, her expression puzzled.
"What true alchemists pursue isn't a high salary, but novel alchemical techniques and a place where they can fully utilize their talents. When you use money as bait, you mostly attract people who are just looking to scrape by on Mora. It would be a miracle if they had any real passion for the science of alchemy. Even if you handed them otherworldly technology, you would only be cultivating a batch of numb, uninspired workers. Why does Mondstadt frequently produce such brilliant alchemists? It's not just because of their freedom, but because they have Albedo, a grandmaster of alchemy! If I were an alchemist, I would also choose Mondstadt over Liyue."
Su Han's words were a wake-up call for everyone at the table. It was true. Having a grandmaster like Albedo residing in Mondstadt was a living advertisement. It was the celebrity effect in action.
"Whatever plan you have, just say it all," Ningguang said, now thoroughly convinced. The way she looked at him had become serious and focused.
"Poaching, of course," Su Han declared. "Here's the plan: you will write a letter to Acting Grand Master Jean of the Knights of Favonius. In it, you will lay out a comprehensive plan to build a railway connecting Liyue and Mondstadt. This will create a major transportation hub, an offer I don't believe she can refuse. From the intelligence you gathered yesterday, I saw that Mondstadt is currently suffering from the effects of the dragon disaster, and merchants are unable to enter the city. Our appearance at this time would be like delivering charcoal in a snowstorm. The one condition for this deal is that Sucrose must stay and work in Liyue for three years."
He continued, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Furthermore, in a separate letter addressed to Sucrose herself, you must tell her about the encyclopedia of otherworldly engineering. It would be best to include a description of the Points Shop as well. Once the fish takes the bait, it's only a matter of time before Albedo becomes ours too."
As Ganyu listened to this, she couldn't help but feel that his smile was rather sinister, like that of a fox. The engineering encyclopedia itself contained alchemical knowledge—things like potion bombs and runic vehicles all involved extensive alchemical principles. But the ultimate trump card, of course, was the Multiverse Mission Group. Once they saw the ability to travel to other worlds, Su Han didn't believe for a second that Sucrose would ever want to go back to Mondstadt.
The more Ningguang heard, the more she felt the plan was feasible, albeit a bit devious. But between nations, everything came down to who had the better strategy. As long as it would strengthen Liyue, what did a little infamy matter?
Ningguang thought it over carefully and realized her previous considerations had indeed been shortsighted. Alchemists rarely chose their careers for Mora. The so-called alchemists in her city knew only the barest rudiments of the craft and couldn't even be considered novices, which had made it impossible for her to establish an alchemical institution unique to Liyue. As for poaching, she had long wanted to do it but simply lacked a viable plan. The prospect of permanently retaining a group of alchemists was incredibly attractive for Liyue. If they could poach the genius alchemist Albedo himself, Liyue would never have to worry about its alchemical development again and could even cultivate countless new students. The thought alone was wonderful.
After hearing the entire plan, Ganyu asked in a small voice, "Won't this be a little… unethical?"
"What do you mean, unethical?" Su Han shot her a look and corrected her. "This is called 'a fine bird chooses a fine tree to perch on.' Isn't Mondstadt supposed to be the Nation of Freedom? We're not forcing Sucrose to come here. If she later chooses to stay of her own free will, it's not as if we're the ones refusing to let her go."
Nearby, the attendant Baixiao covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Lady Ganyu was wonderful in every way, but sometimes her personality was just too kind.
"I will go and prepare at once. I'll strive to launch this plan by tomorrow morning," Ningguang declared, standing up and heading towards her study. Her three secretaries followed closely behind her. It seemed they had a long night of work ahead of them.