"Don't make me sound so materialistic!" Lin Yide waved his hand. "I can actually be quite generous. If you can help me complete an investigation, the consultation fee is waived."
The Traveler (Aether) immediately asked with curiosity, "What needs to be investigated?"
Lin Yide said with a serious expression, "The strange phenomena in the Chasm."
"No problem," the Traveler agreed without hesitation.
Then, Lin Yide began his explanation. "Yide, the Director of the West Factory, is a person who pursues fairness and justice. Although his methods are often quite ruthless, they are only directed at evildoers. He is very friendly towards ordinary people."
Paimon crossed her arms, her mouth slightly pouting. "Everyone already knows that. You could pull any random person off the street and they'd tell you the same thing."
Lin Yide spread his hands and asked with a hint of helplessness, "Well, what do you want to know then?"
The Traveler pondered for a moment, then asked with a serious expression, "Yide, is he really human? How can his power be so immense?"
The Traveler's question also drew Zhongli's attention. He turned his gaze to Lin Yide, clearly wanting to know the answer to this question as well.
Lin Yide was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond. Should he tell them he had a system? He could only be vague. "Yide, he is indeed a pure human. As for why he is so powerful, I am not entirely clear. Perhaps he encountered some special opportunities."
Zhongli thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "For now, that is indeed a reasonable explanation."
To escape the awkward topic, Lin Yide quickly shifted the focus. "Aether, in terms of the growth rate of your strength, you far surpass Yide. Remember back in Mondstadt, you could barely handle a single Debt Collector, and now, you can defeat the Fatui Harbinger Tartaglia."
The Traveler frankly explained the reason for his growing strength. "Every time I resonate with an element and offer the Oculi scattered throughout the world to the statues, my power increases greatly."
After hearing the Traveler's explanation, Zhongli and Lin Yide did not show much surprise. This, in turn, made the Traveler curious. "You... don't seem surprised?"
Lin Yide explained with a smile, "If it were anyone else, we might be greatly surprised. But you are a traveler from beyond this world, possessing power that transcends the laws of this world, so your experiences are not unexpected."
The Traveler then changed the subject. "How much do you know about the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma? I heard she has already abdicated."
Lin Yide slowly explained, "She was once a god who was fixated on the pursuit of eternity, but her excessive pursuit turned Inazuma into a pool of stagnant water, gradually losing its vitality. It was Yide who stepped in to help the people of Inazuma change the god's will, ultimately forcing her to abdicate."
After hearing this, Paimon's mouth fell open in astonishment. "This Yide was actually able to defeat one of the Seven Archons? I... absolutely do not believe he is just a human."
The Traveler also said firmly, "I don't believe it either, for that matter."
Then, he shifted his attention to the card game Lin Yide and Zhongli were playing, asking with great interest, "Shopkeeper Deyi, what kind of card game are you playing?"
Lin Yide replied, "This is a new game recently launched by the Furina Foundation, called 'Genius Invokation TCG King.' The specific rules are as follows..."
After explaining the rules in detail, Lin Yide handed the Traveler a deck. "This set of cards is a gift to you. You can give it a try."
After taking the deck, the Traveler immediately started a duel with Lin Yide. He was a quick learner, grasping the knack of the game after just one or two rounds. However, to his slight regret, the starter deck in his hand was too weak. When facing Lin Yide's rare deck, he was at a clear disadvantage.
Lin Yide sensed the Traveler's unwillingness to accept defeat, so he took out several unopened card packs from his system space and said with a smile, "Young man, do you yearn for power? All it takes is a little Mora."
...
Snezhnaya, in the Zapolyarny Palace, a meeting of the Fatui Harbingers was in session.
The number of participants in this meeting was not large, with only Pierro, Columbina, Pulcinella, La Signora (Rosalyne), Sandrone, and Pantalone in attendance.
Pierro habitually tapped his fingers a few times on the cold table, signaling the start of the meeting in this manner. His voice was low and serious as he said, "We have gathered here today mainly to discuss how to resolve the issue of Tartaglia being detained by Liyue and the West Factory."
As soon as his words fell, Pantalone voiced his opinion. "This mission to acquire the Gnosis was extremely simple; all one had to do was follow the script given by Morax. However, Tartaglia acted on his own initiative and released Osial, causing considerable economic losses to Liyue. I believe we should decisively draw a clear line with Tartaglia and refuse any compensation demands made by Liyue."
After hearing this, Sandrone scoffed with disdain. "You, the director of the Northland Bank, truly live up to your reputation, as stingy as ever. Although Tartaglia's actions this time were indeed reckless, everything he did was out of loyalty to the supreme ideals of the Tsaritsa. If we ignore him, wouldn't that dishearten all the members of the Fatui?"
Pantalone sneered in response. "We are all well aware that the Fatui is a cold-blooded organization that will stop at nothing to achieve its goals. And Tartaglia is not worth us expending too much effort to rescue."
At this point, Pulcinella spoke up. "Tartaglia's sacrifice will absolutely not be in vain. Every one of us will remember his contribution. If he truly meets an unfortunate end, the entire capital of Snezhnaya will halt work for a full minute to hold a mourning ceremony for him, to express our respect and remembrance."