After a long round of bargaining, Lin Ze finally experienced just how terrifying Ningguang's negotiation skills truly were.
She could turn white into black, and black back into white.
But Lin Ze wasn't someone to underestimate either.
After all—he possessed the Black Flag's power.
And even before arriving in Liyue, Lin Ze had already used that power to neutralize the backlash that normally accompanied its use.
The moment negotiations reached a stalemate, Lin Ze activated the Black Flag again.
Twice.
In just those two exchanges, his negotiation skills visibly skyrocketed.
In the end, Lin Ze magnanimously conceded one percent.
The final agreement was set—
Ningguang: four parts.
Lin Ze: six parts.
"Truly worthy of the Black Flag," Ningguang said, rubbing her temples after the negotiation finally ended.
"Mr. Lin Ze, your negotiation skills are improving at a speed that's visible to the naked eye… to the point of being outright unreasonable."
Unreasonable—far too unreasonable.
At first, Ningguang could still refute his arguments.
But later on, she found herself in an inexplicable state where everything Lin Ze said sounded correct.
Utterly convincing.
Whatever Lin Ze said felt like truth itself.
The only saving grace was that Lin Ze had softened at the end and yielded one share of profit.
Even so—this deal was still immensely profitable.
Even at four parts, Ningguang would earn money. Not a staggering amount, perhaps, but certainly not a loss.
Originally, she had aimed for a fifty–fifty split.
Now?
Lin Ze had completely won.
"Conceptual, will-driven rule-type powers tend to work like that," Lin Ze said calmly, taking another sip of tea and nodding as if accepting praise.
Still, he was certain Ningguang would find ways to earn far more than those four parts suggested.
And the more she earned—
The more he earned.
Everyone won.
"Well, it's getting late," Lin Ze said as he set his cup down.
"If there's nothing else, I should head back and rest."
"I don't really need to work, after all. Proper rest is essential to enjoying life."
Ningguang was still massaging her temples.
Keqing and Yelan, for reasons unknown, had fallen silent in thought.
Seeing this, Lin Ze decided to take his leave.
He still needed to return to the inn.
Tomorrow, he'd continue earning Mora—and work toward buying property in Liyue Harbor.
"From what I know, Mr. Lin Ze is still staying at an inn," Keqing said after a moment's thought.
"Even if you earn Mora quickly, it's still an expense."
"I own a few vacant properties. If you don't mind, you could stay in one of them."
"And if you end up liking it, I can sell it to you at half price."
With Ningguang temporarily out of commission, Keqing stepped in to continue recruiting Lin Ze.
"That sounds good," Lin Ze replied honestly.
"Shall we take a look first?"
He was tempted.
Of course, he knew Keqing's intention was still to pull him closer.
But that was fine.
Lin Ze was confident he could offer a price Keqing wouldn't be able to refuse.
"Yelan, leave Ningguang to you," Keqing said as she stood.
She then led Lin Ze out of Liuli Pavilion.
Along the way, Keqing suppressed her thoughts and focused on continuing the conversation—carefully probing Lin Ze for insights into human governance.
Before she realized it, they had arrived at one of her properties.
Calling it a "residence" almost felt inaccurate.
It was closer to a luxury villa.
Though unoccupied, it was clearly maintained with great care.
After a single walk-through, Lin Ze was completely sold.
The location was perfect—close to Yujing Terrace, convenient for official matters, and not far from where he'd previously set up his stall.
Thanks to its position, the distant sea was even visible.
Perfect.
The interior decor was tasteful—elegant without being ostentatious.
Keqing's sense of aesthetics was, as expected, excellent.
"So… how much for this residence?" Lin Ze asked.
Since Keqing had called it a residence, he followed suit—might help with bargaining.
"At half price… fourteen million Mora."
It sounded terrifying, but Teyvat's pricing was always strange—and the villa was worth it.
Original price: twenty-eight million.
Lin Ze's day of selling clothes had earned him six million Mora.
A lot, yes—but that was after selling thirty pieces.
Still not even half of the discounted price.
But Lin Ze had a solution.
He led Keqing to the villa's well.
Drawing up a bucket of water, he began mixing mud right in front of her.
Keqing was puzzled—but stayed silent, watching with curiosity.
Under her increasingly shocked—and undisguised—gaze, Lin Ze went from rolling clay strips…
To shaping a snake…
To sculpting a majestic dragon…
And finally—
Using nothing more than a palm-sized amount of "mud," he created a two-meter-tall statue of the Geo Archon, fully colored.
It was more exquisite than any sculpture Keqing had ever seen.
Large.
Detailed.
And perfectly aligned with the image of Rex Lapis in her heart.
I want it.
At this moment, Keqing had only one thought—
I must have this statue.
"Rex Lapis," Lin Ze said casually,
"A two-meter dragon-form figure."
"It looks like clay, but the actual material isn't mud—it's a specialized figure-grade material from my world."
"Put it in a glass display case. Even without maintenance, it'll last over ten years."
"With proper care—decades."
"How about using this to purchase the residence?"
Seeing Keqing's barely restrained longing, Lin Ze smiled inwardly.
Black Flag power truly is terrifying.
Turning water and earth into entirely different materials…
To override rules—
Was to act without restraint.
"Th-That…"
Keqing was just about to nod—
When her rationality snapped back into place.
She forcibly stopped herself and shook her head.
"No. That's not enough."
If she agreed now, she'd get it immediately.
But if she wanted another one later?
She'd have to pay its full equivalent in Mora.
She could still bargain.
"Relax," Lin Ze said with a smile.
"I'll only ever make one Rex Lapis figure."
"No need to worry about value retention."
"You won't get another one—unless…"
"Unless?" Keqing asked immediately.
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