The library was quiet when Henry entered, the familiar scent of old paper and lavender washing over him. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting golden rectangles across the polished floor, and somewhere in the depths of the shelves, he could hear the soft rustle of pages being turned.
Lisa was at her usual table, surrounded by books and papers, her purple hat resting on the corner of the desk. She looked up as he approached, and her smile was warm, but there was something else in her eyes—something that made Henry's instincts prickle with warning.
"Henry," she said sweetly. "How lovely of you to visit."
"Lisa." He approached cautiously. "I'm just here to collect my phone. I hope you enjoyed—"
"I enjoyed it very much," she interrupted, her voice still sweet. "Until it stopped working."
Henry blinked. "Stopped working?"
Lisa reached into her drawer and produced his phone, holding it up with two fingers like it was a dead rat. "I was playing with it. Taking photos. Writing notes. Exploring all its wonderful features. And then—" She pressed the power button. Nothing happened. "It simply refused to turn on."
Henry's face fell. "Ah."
"Ah?" Lisa's eyebrow arched dangerously. "That's all you have to say? Ah?"
"I may have forgotten to mention something," Henry said slowly. "The phone needs to be charged. It runs on electricity. Without it, the battery dies."
Lisa stared at him. "Electricity."
"Yes."
"And you didn't think to mention this?"
"When I gave you the phone to play with," Henry said, backing away slightly. "I didn't think you'd use it so much that the battery would—"
"Henry."
"Yes?"
"Come here."
He knew better than to argue. He stepped closer, and Lisa reached up and grabbed his ear, pulling him down to her level with surprising strength.
"Ow, ow, ow—"
"You gave me a wonderful device," Lisa said, her voice sweet but her grip firm, "and you didn't tell me how to keep it working. Do you have any idea how frustrating that was? I was in the middle of writing a very important picture, and then—nothing."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Henry winced, trying to free himself. "I forgot to give you the powerbank!"
Lisa released his ear, but her eyes remained narrowed. "Powerbank?"
"Like a portable battery. You charge it up, and then you can use it to charge the phone anywhere." Henry rubbed his sore ear. "I was going to give you one. I just... forgot."
"Forgot," Lisa repeated flatly.
"It's been a busy past few days!"
Lisa sighed dramatically, leaning back in her chair. "You're lucky you're charming, Henry. Otherwise, I might actually be angry."
"You're not angry?"
"I'm pretending to be angry."
Henry laughed despite himself. "I'll make it up to you. I promise. A phone of your own. A powerbank. Charging cables. Everything you need."
Lisa's eyes lit up with genuine interest. "A phone of my own?"
"Absolutely. I'll bring one from my world. And the powerbank too. You'll be able to use it whenever you want, as long as you remember to charge it."
She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "And how, exactly, do I charge it?"
Henry hesitated. "Well... you'll need to come to the café. The electricity is there. You can plug the powerbank in, let it charge, and then use it to charge your phone."
Lisa's smile widened. "So I'll need to visit you regularly."
"I suppose so."
"How terrible." She sighed dramatically. "I'll be forced to spend time in your lovely café, surrounded by your wonderful staff, drinking your delicious coffee."
"I'm sure you'll manage somehow."
"I'll try." She paused, then added, "And maybe you can teach me more about your world's technology while I'm there."
"Maybe I can."
Lisa rose from her chair, stepping around the table to stand before him. She reached up and patted his cheek, her touch soft and warm.
"You're forgiven," she said. "But don't forget next time. I'm not always so generous."
"I won't forget," Henry promised.
"Good." She handed him his phone. "Now, go do whatever it is you need to do. You look busy."
"I am busy." Henry pocketed the phone. "I need to pick up bikes from the factory."
"Bikes?"
"New batch. One for Mondstadt, one for Liyue."
Lisa nodded, stepping back. "Well, don't let me keep you. I have books to read and notes to write."
"And a phone to look forward to."
"And a phone to look forward to." She smiled, warm and genuine. "Take care of yourself, Henry."
"Always."
He turned to leave, pausing at the door to glance back at her. She was already settled back in her chair, a book in hand, a satisfied smile on her face.
She's going to be trouble, Henry thought. Wonderful, beautiful trouble.
-
Swift bikes factory near Springvale was buzzing with activity when Henry arrived. The massive building, constructed with the help of the Fontainian engineers, now hummed with the sound of machinery and the clatter of workers assembling bicycles.
Camille was the first to spot him. She looked up from her workstation, her face breaking into a grin. "Henry! You're back!"
"Camille." Henry walked over, shaking her hand. "How are things?"
"Good. Busy. The new batch is almost ready." She gestured toward the production line where rows of bicycles sat in various stages of completion. "We're on schedule. Maybe even ahead."
Julien and Marcel emerged from the back, wiping grease from their hands. Julien was tall and lanky, his glasses perpetually askew, while Marcel was shorter and stockier, his arms covered in tattoos that told stories of his homeland in Fontaine.
"Henry!" Julien called out. "We were wondering when you'd show up."
"Had some things to take care of in Mondstadt," Henry said. "How's the team?"
"Good," Marcel said. "Allier and the others send their regards from Fontaine. They've settled in well."
"Glad to hear it." Henry walked along the production line, inspecting the finished bikes. They were beautiful—sleek, sturdy, built to last. The rubber-slime compound tires gleamed black in the factory light, the frames polished to perfection.
"The first hundred are ready," Camille said, falling into step beside him. "We've got another fifty in progress."
"Perfect." Henry nodded. "I'll take the first hundred. The rest can go to the Mondstadt shop."
Camille blinked. "Will you transport it the same way you transported it last time?"
"Yes, the same way." Henry smiled mysteriously, turning toward the storage area where the finished bikes were lined up in neat rows. He counted them quickly, ensuring all one hundred were accounted for, then reached into his System space. Alright. Time to do this.
He began storing the bikes, one by one, his hand moving as each bicycle disappeared into the void with a soft shimmer. The engineers watched, having seen it before but still unable to look away—the casual way their boss made entire bicycles vanish into thin air never failed to captivate them, no matter how many times they witnessed it.
"That's incredible," Marcel murmured, shaking his head. "Even seeing it for the second time... Where do they go?" He paused, tilting his head. "Do you have a vision, boss?"
"Maybe I have it, maybe not," Henry said, still smiling mysteriously as he reached for another bike. "And they go somewhere." He offered no further explanation, letting the mystery hang in the air as the last of the bicycles disappeared into his System space.
When the last bike was stored, Henry straightened, brushing off his hands. "I'll be back for the next batch soon."
He focused, picturing the Mondstadt shop in his mind, and let the familiar pull of teleportation sweep him away.
He appeared inside the room of the Swift Bikes shop, the familiar scent of grease and rubber filling his nostrils. The shop was quiet, the front closed for the evening.
Henry began unloading the bikes, placing them in neat rows against the wall. One hundred bicycles, ready for customers.
Alright. First batch done. Now for Liyue.
He teleported back to the factory, appearing in the same spot he'd left. The engineers were still staring at the empty space where he had disappeared.
"Henry!" Camille called out. "You're back!"
"Told you I'd be quick." Henry grinned. "Now, I need another hundred for Liyue."
Julien blinked. "Another hundred? But we only have fifty more ready."
Henry's face fell. "Fifty?"
"We can have the rest ready by tomorrow," Marcel said quickly. "We just need more time."
Henry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. I'll take the fifty that are ready and come back for the rest."
Camille nodded, already moving toward the storage area. "I'll help you pack them."
As Henry stored the next fifty bikes, his mind drifted back to his first attempt at transporting bulk items.
The first time I tried to teleport with a large batch of bikes...
He remembered it clearly—the strain, the resistance, the sense that something was wrong. He'd tried to store two hundred bikes at once and teleport directly to Liyue. But the moment he'd tried to move, he'd felt an invisible wall pressing against him, preventing the transition.
What the hell?
[Your teleportation seems restricted]
Restricted how?
[I don't know. The limitation isn't part of my data.]
How do you not know? You're my System. You're supposed to know everything.
[I'm a System, not a god. There are things even I don't understand.]
The memory faded as Henry finished storing the last bike. He shook his head, pushing the frustration aside.
Still don't know why I can't teleport with bulk items. Still don't know what the limit is. Still don't know how much is too much.
[I told you. I don't know.]
And I told you that's not good enough.
[Well, it's what you've got. Deal with it.]
Henry sighed and reached into his System space to count the bikes. Fifty. Not enough for a full shipment, but it would have to do.
Fine. Fifty bikes for Liyue for now. I'll come back for the rest tomorrow.
He focused again, picturing the Liyue shop in his mind—the showroom, the displays, the familiar walls of his second branch nand the teleportation swept him away, depositing him in the back room of the Liyue store with fifty bicycles materializing around him in neat, orderly rows. He stacked them carefully, making sure each one was positioned for easy access, ready for the next day's customers and the steady stream of business that had made the Liyue branch such a success.
___
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