"I have to say, this Jade Chamber is truly impressive." Gazing from afar at the floating island in the sky south of Mt. Tianheng, with its pavilions and towers faintly visible amidst the swirling clouds and mist, Su Bai squinted slightly and sighed.
In the game, it didn't look particularly beautiful, but now, it appeared grand and majestic. Firmly anchored above Mt. Tianheng, the massive floating foundation, though diminished in size when viewed from a distance, still showcased its magnificence compared to the mountain peak.
Who knows how much money it would take to pull off such a colossal aerial pavilion.
But it's not like Su Bai was particularly envious. After all, it's not only Teyvat that has such structures. He had them in Minecraft too.
Though they couldn't compare to Ningguang's exquisite taste.
No matter what, in the Minecraft world, Su Bai was still the only one there. It was far from the lively, bustling surroundings here.
"Chef Mao, I'll have the boiled fish, cured meat with cornbread, and snow fungus lotus seed soup."
Wandering around, Su Bai found himself back at Wanmin Restaurant.
"Sure thing! Please take a seat, your order will be ready shortly." It was still early, and there were no customers yet, so Chef Mao happened to be resting in the front. Upon hearing Su Bai's order, he immediately turned to start cooking.
Su Bai found a corner seat, poured himself a cup of tea, and sipped while looking around. Through the window frames, the streets were sparsely populated, while the kitchen bustled with the lively chaos of cooking.
As Su Bai sat quietly, the sound of high heels clicking on stone slabs grew closer, passing by his ears.
Clack!
He thought it was just someone passing by, but it turned out they were also here to eat. An elegant woman in a cheongsam, adorned with flowing cloud hairpins, walked gracefully into Wanmin Restaurant. Instead of ordering or seating herself, she headed straight toward Su Bai.
Glancing up, Su Bai took a sidelong look at her and found her somewhat familiar yet strangely unfamiliar. The faint dark mole at the corner of her lips was particularly striking. Her hair was styled with three slanted bangs, and she wore a black, cloud-patterned dress...
"May I ask if you are Mr. Su Bai?" Her voice was as clear as a silver bell, gentle yet intelligent, dignified yet lively. Su Bai quietly observed her, racking his brain for any memory of her from his knowledge of Teyvat.
"That would be me. And you are...?" Su Bai was certain he had never met her before—someone so striking would surely have left an impression.
At the same time, he grew slightly wary. If she had found him at his shop, it could be explained as having heard of the general store owner. But here at Wanmin Restaurant? Su Bai considered his movements fairly discreet and hadn't mentioned his whereabouts to anyone.
It made him wonder... who was behind this woman?
"Here's the situation. I received a notice from the Ministry of Civil Affairs stating that Mr. Su is hiring shop assistants, so I've come to apply."
Taking the resume she handed him, Su Bai felt suspicious. Since when was the Ministry of Civil Affairs so efficient?
But when he took a closer look, he was taken aback.
"Baixiao? Advanced Financial Management major..."
"Yes, sir. Not only that, but I also have five years of work experience. My professional skills are beyond doubt. You can entrust me with handling both large and small transactions with confidence." Baixiao smiled confidently.
"No, if I'm not mistaken, you're from Yuehai Pavilion, right?" Su Bai saw no reason to beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
The Qixing and Eight Ministries, with one Pavilion and various offices. That one Pavilion was Yuehai Pavilion. The half-adeptus Ganyu was the leader, with senior secretaries specifically assigned to serve the Qixing. Mid-level secretaries worked under Ganyu to handle documents submitted by the Eight Ministries and other offices, while intern secretaries had a myriad of tasks...
Su Bai studied the young woman before him carefully. Though her face still seemed unfamiliar, her identity was now clear.
"Did Ningguang send you?"
Baixiao gracefully took a seat. Just then, Chef Mao brought out the boiled fish, followed by a waiter carrying the cornbread and a steaming bowl of snow fungus lotus seed soup.
Once they left, Baixiao didn't evade the question and replied frankly.
"It was indeed that person who sent me. Mr. Su, you're looking for a secretary—am I qualified?"
However, Su Bai interpreted her words differently.
"That person?" Noticing the reverence in Baixiao's expression, Su Bai's heart sank. Was the old man so free that he'd bother with such trivial matters?
"Precisely that person. So, Mr. Su, what do you think? Will you hire me?" Baixiao asked earnestly. Seeing this, Su Bai felt assured. It seemed the old man hadn't been too rigid and was still looking out for him.
"Of course! How could I not hire such a talented individual?" Su Bai clapped his hands together, settling the matter.
Baixiao—this was Ningguang's personal chief financial secretary. Not only were her professional skills impeccable, but having worked with Ningguang for so long, her insight was undoubtedly sharp.
Moreover, this was undoubtedly a gesture of goodwill from Ningguang. As for whether there was any intention to openly spy on him, Su Bai wasn't concerned.
Only those lacking confidence fear having their assets scrutinized. With the backing of an entire Minecraft world full of unique properties, Su Bai had all the assurance he needed.
"Then, pleasure working with you, boss." Baixiao stood up and extended her slender, jade-like hand. Su Bai smiled and gave it a light shake.
"Pleasure working with you, Miss Baixiao."
The handshake was brief, without lingering. Su Bai gestured for Baixiao to take a seat.
"Consider this meal a celebration of our collaboration. Tomorrow morning, around eight or nine, come whenever suits you."
"Huh? There's no fixed working hours?" Baixiao was somewhat surprised. This temporary boss seemed rather laid-back.
"It's up to you. Come early, open early; come late, open late. Work should be flexible." Su Bai waved dismissively, picking up a slice of boiled fish and placing it in his mouth. It was smooth, tender, refreshing, and bursting with spicy, savory flavors.
"Your daily tasks will mainly involve attending to customers, keeping track of orders, notifying me to arrange supplies and setting delivery times, and drafting contracts. That's about it."
"If you have free time, help with promotions. After three or four in the afternoon, just close up whenever you see fit. Remember to give me a summary of the day's business."
"That's it?" Baixiao could hardly believe what she was hearing. Is this how you run a business? Since when did Liyue allow such a carefree person to be a boss?!
Are you from Mondstadt?!
But seeing Su Bai's resolute expression, she had no choice but to believe him.
"Then... I'll try to sleep in tomorrow and come at eight," Baixiao said after a long pause, sounding somewhat resigned.
"Sure. If the shop isn't open yet, here—open it yourself." Su Bai tossed her a key and took a sip of soup.
"Just don't go to the back room. I don't want to be disturbed early in the morning while I'm sleeping."
Baixiao: What the...!
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100 powerstones = 1 chapter
200 powerstones = 3 chapters
300 powerstones = 5 chapters