Even as the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, no one had ever told her she had the temperament of a "good wife and caring mother."
People usually described her as majestic, intimidating, or brilliant.
What does the Shopkeeper mean by this?
Felix's comment made Ningguang, who had weathered countless storms in the business world, blush uncontrollably. She felt a rare sense of shyness.
Felix, meanwhile, looked at her with a mix of admiration and disbelief, holding the two sheets of paper filled with elegant handwriting.
This was the equity transfer agreement for the Cinema.
A 90-10 split.
Ningguang took 10%. He took 90%.
On top of that, she was offering him 20% of the Liyue Harbor Port Authority's shares and 30% of the Liyue Bank's shares.
The wealth represented by these papers was unimaginable.
Ningguang's generosity was staggering.
When he first read the terms, he was stunned. He didn't know what to say.
"Because Liyue's current prosperity is inseparable from your shop, sir," Ningguang said softly, composing herself. "Because of the book from your shop, I established the Liyue Bank, benefiting the entire populace."
"The changes in the shipyard are due to Captain Beidou pulling a steam battleship. Studying it will allow us to build steel ships in the future, making the harbor even more prosperous."
"And now, the Cinema. It comes from you and will bring joy to all of Liyue. Everything leads back to you, Shopkeeper."
"I don't know how else to thank you. Yes, I bought the jars, but you chose to sell them. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have any of this."
"So, I am giving you these shares. Please do not think it is too little. We can sign a contract right now. These papers are just a draft for your review. If there are no issues, we can formalize it immediately."
Ningguang was completely serious.
She knew that the transformation of Liyue was indirectly caused by Felix. She had to repay him. Direct Mora payments felt transactional and insufficient. Equity was a partnership.
She had discussed this with Keqing the night before. Originally, she planned to offer the bank and port shares. But after pulling the cinema, she threw that in too—giving him practically all the profit.
"This is all just your luck," Felix shook his head, smiling wryly. "I'm just a merchant selling jars. But... if you insist, I will accept it."
"However, isn't the split for the Cinema too extreme? You just obtained it, and you're giving away 90%. You're leaving yourself with very little profit."
Since she was so insistent, he wouldn't refuse her goodwill. It would be rude to reject such a sincere gesture.
Hearing Felix agree, Ningguang smiled radiantly.
She was afraid he would refuse. If he did, she wouldn't have known how to repay him.
"It doesn't matter," Ningguang said warmly. "Ten percent is more than enough for me. Besides, I need your help understanding the control room equipment. Consider this a consultation fee."
"Let's sign and seal the contract."
They quickly signed the papers and pressed their thumbprints in red ink.
As the contract was finalized, Ningguang's smile deepened.
To her, this was giving shares to a partner who bore no risk. Essentially, she was giving him free money.
But to her, it wasn't free. He had given Liyue its future.
"Miss Ningguang has great courage," Felix chuckled, looking at her with appreciation. "You are so considerate of others. Truly the style of a good wife and mother."
She was thoughtful, generous, and beautiful. A young, wealthy, long-legged beauty with a heart of gold. What wasn't to like?
Hearing the phrase again, Ningguang's ears turned pink, and she shot him a playful glare with her beautiful golden eyes.
This Shopkeeper... he won't let that phrase go.
I'm still single!
"Didn't you say you needed to identify some items?" Felix asked, changing the subject with a grin.
This woman is getting more charming by the minute.
"Yes, right."
Ningguang nodded, recovering her composure. She brought out the photos she had taken with her Kamera.
As they leaned in close to look at the pictures, Felix caught a whiff of her unique, elegant perfume.
"This device is a film camera," Felix explained, pointing at the photo. "It records images for editing. It's complex, so I'll start with the basics."
"This is the projector. You pulled the Journey to the West film reel, right? Insert the reel here, press this button to start, and it will read the data and project the image."
"These buttons control the lighting. This one loops the playback. This one adjusts the volume."
"Since the cinema is 3D, you can toggle the stereoscopic mode here. It will sync with the light panels on the walls for an immersive experience."
"And this machine is for editing. If you use the script to film your own movie, you use this to cut and paste scenes. It's automated, so it's very user-friendly."
Felix spent the entire afternoon explaining the intricacies of cinema technology to Ningguang.
Since she had given him 90% of the business, the least he could do was teach her how to run it.
Time flew by.
Ningguang asked sharp questions, often inferring advanced applications from simple explanations.
Finally, as the sun began to set, she took a deep breath.
"Thank you, Shopkeeper. I have learned so much this afternoon."
"No need to thank me. The cinema is practically mine now," Felix joked. "If you have more questions later, just ask. You might not remember everything from one crash course."
"I think I have the basics down. My memory is quite good," Ningguang smiled. "It's getting late. Would you like to join me for dinner?"
She planned to return to the cinema to tinker with the equipment after eating, then head back to the Jade Chamber.
"No need to go out. We can eat here," Felix said. "What does Miss Ningguang like to eat?"
"Uh."
Ningguang blinked. Here?
The shop only sold jars. Are we eating jars?
"I prefer... simple dishes," she said diplomatically. "Vegetable hearts in a broth made from slow-cooked chicken and pork bones. I don't have high demands for food."
Felix: "..."
Vegetables boiled in premium meat stock? That's 'simple'? That's the definition of high-maintenance simplicity.
And he knew for a fact she loved sweets. She was a connoisseur of sugar.
"One order of fried chicken. One matcha cake. One chocolate dessert. One strawberry pie. One tomato beef brisket rice. And one bowl of vegetable tofu bone soup."
Felix spoke to an empty table.
Before Ningguang could ask what he was doing, white mist swirled on the table surface.
A rich, sweet aroma filled the air.
Steam rose as plates of food materialized out of nowhere.
Ningguang's jaw dropped.
What is happening?
He spoke to the table, and food appeared?
"Shopkeeper, this is...?"
"A small gadget. Just say what you want to eat, and it appears," Felix explained casually. "Come, sit and eat."
Ningguang: "???"
Direct matter creation?
She had seen Ganyu's Hot Dog Maker that used water and air, which she thought was absurd. But this was on another level.
She sat down in silence, staring at the steaming feast.
"Lin Mo! Lin Mo! The Director is here again! Hehe!"
A cheerful voice rang out from the entrance.
Hu Tao sprinted into the shop.
Behind her lumbered a Charmeleon.
And trailing behind the dragon was a refined, pink-haired lawyer—Yanfei.
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