Lady Ningguang just conjured a building out of thin air... right in front of me!
Xingxi, the proprietress of Mingxing Jewelry, stood frozen, her mind blank.
"Holy crap!"
"What is that? How did Lady Ningguang create a building?!"
"Even Vision bearers can't just manifest architecture!"
"It must be the thing she threw! It expanded instantly!"
"Is it a Domain like Young Master Xingqiu's horror house?!"
"Then she got it from the Jar Shop!"
The crowd erupted into excited chatter. Passersby stared at the newly materialized cinema in awe.
Even a Vision bearer shouldn't be able to conjure a building this refined in seconds. The only explanation was the miraculous Jar Shop.
"Even though I prepared myself mentally for the shop's wonders, seeing it in person is still shocking," Keqing remarked with admiration. "If Liyue had technology to shrink and expand buildings, imagine how much construction time we could save."
"Let's go inside and see what this Cinema looks like," Ningguang said with a smile, walking toward the entrance.
Keqing walked beside her, and the three secretaries hurried to follow.
"Quickly, maintain order!" a Millelith soldier barked.
Several guards rushed over to secure the perimeter while Ningguang's group entered.
News of the cinema's appearance spread through Liyue Harbor like wildfire.
Inside the Cinema.
The group stepped into a dark, spacious interior.
At the far end of the vast hall hung a massive screen—an enormous white canvas larger than any painting they'd ever seen.
Rows upon rows of cushioned seats filled the middle section, facing the screen.
"So... spectacular," Baiwen gasped, her voice echoing in the cavernous space.
Is this the Cinema? The space is enormous!
"It feels empty because there's no one here," Ningguang observed, her gaze sweeping the room. Her eyes landed on a strange device suspended from the ceiling, glowing faintly and aimed directly at the giant screen.
Small circular lights dotted the walls.
"How do we play the movies?" Baiwen wondered aloud.
"There must be a control room," Keqing reasoned, pointing at the suspended device. "It's likely connected to that machine up there."
They explored the cinema, eventually discovering a hidden door behind the screen.
The Projection Room.
Inside, they found a cramped space filled with incomprehensible equipment.
Buttons, knobs, switches, wires, slots, and screens covered the control panels. Strange black rectangular boxes sat on shelves. There were devices that looked like advanced versions of Kameras.
"What... is all this?"
"We don't recognize any of it!"
"How are we supposed to operate this?"
The secretaries looked helpless.
"This screen shows the auditorium," Keqing pointed to a monitor displaying the rows of seats. Another screen showed the blank projection surface. "We can observe both the audience and the film from here."
"To play a movie, we need to understand this device," Ningguang said, pointing at a control panel covered in buttons and ports. Cables snaked from it toward the ceiling projector.
Ningguang examined the room carefully. There were film reels, advanced recording equipment, and devices she couldn't even begin to identify.
"There's no instruction manual," Baiwen lamented. "How are we supposed to figure this out?"
"We can ask the Shopkeeper," Keqing suggested. "Since this came from his shop, he'll know how it works. We can take photos and bring them to him."
At the mention of Felix, Keqing's ears turned pink, remembering his earlier comment about "favoring" her.
"Yes!" Baixiao's eyes lit up. "We can just ask!"
"Good idea," Ningguang nodded. "But first, Baixiao, fetch me some paper and a pen."
"Huh?" Baixiao blinked, confused, but quickly obeyed.
While waiting, Ningguang used her portable Kamera to photograph the equipment.
When Baixiao returned with the supplies, Ningguang began writing on the paper.
Baiwen, Baixiao, and Baishi leaned in to read.
Their eyes widened in shock.
"Lady Ningguang, you're giving the Shopkeeper... equity shares?!"
Baiwen stared at the document in disbelief.
Ningguang was offering a 90-10 profit split on the Cinema's revenue—with the Shopkeeper taking 90%.
Not only that, she was granting him a percentage of Liyue Harbor's port tax revenue and shares in the Liyue Bank itself.
The sheer value of what she was offering was astronomical.
"Yes," Ningguang said calmly, setting down the pen. "Everything Liyue has gained—the Bank, this Cinema, the prosperity of the harbor—stems from the Shopkeeper's jars."
"His shop has revolutionized our economy. Even if he only sells jars, I cannot ignore the debt Liyue owes him. He deserves compensation."
The secretaries were speechless.
Keqing, however, remained composed. Ningguang had discussed this plan with her the previous night. She approved.
Back at the Jar Shop.
Ningguang entered the shop, which was now mostly empty.
"What brings you back, Miss Ningguang?" Felix asked, smiling. "Do you have questions?"
She had just left. What could have brought her back so soon?
"Shopkeeper, please read this."
Ningguang handed him the paper.
Felix scanned it, his expression shifting to mild surprise.
"Miss Ningguang, are you certain about this arrangement?"
"Yes."
Felix chuckled softly. "I didn't expect you to have the aura of a 'good wife and caring mother,' Miss Ningguang."
Ningguang's face flushed red.
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