"Have any of you heard of brand awareness? Brand value?"
Xu Zheng threw out the words like a professor giving a TED Talk. The others just stared at him blankly—yep, Liyue didn't even have the concept.
"What I mean is… we need to give our milk tea a name."
He explained it in plain terms, and finally, Xiangling, Ganyu, and the rest nodded in understanding.
When two products are identical, people naturally gravitate toward the one with the bigger name. That's where branding came in. And Xu Zheng had every intention of turning his milk tea into the archon of beverages.
That was when he suddenly remembered the Milk Tea Manual he'd drawn from the gacha this morning.
"First, we come up with a name. Then, we spread that name like wildfire across Liyue. That's how you create a brand."
He paused for dramatic effect, then continued:
"Also, we need an edge. A unique selling point. Something to crush the competition. Luckily, I've got over a hundred milk tea recipes. I'll pass them on to Xiangling—she can train others."
"Over a hundred?!"
Xiangling looked like she'd just been told she won a lifetime supply of spicy grilled fish. Her eyes sparkled, her mouth curved into a goofy foodie grin. More recipes meant more chances to eat.
The shady blond guy had barely tricked a few recipes out of the theater boss, and Xu Zheng had already pulled ahead with a full cookbook from the gods.
The middle-aged theater owner was feeling good again… but a little worried.
"What if they bribe our chefs again?"
"Yeah," Xiangling added with concern. "Xiao Xu Zheng, what if they do that?"
Xu Zheng smiled smugly. "That's where our dear Lady Yanfei comes in."
"We'll have her draft up a rock-solid contract. No leaks allowed. If anyone dares to reveal a secret recipe, they'll be legally buried."
"Also," he added with a grin, "we're going to investigate that last leak. Make it public. Make it loud. Set an example. A good old-fashioned fear campaign to keep traitors in line."
Ganyu gave an approving nod. Her disciple was getting way too good at this. She was seriously considering shipping him off to work in Yuehai Pavilion full-time.
Xu Zheng wasn't done yet.
"If possible, I'd like to recruit chefs with Cryo or Hydro Visions for milk tea production."
He explained that people who could sense elemental energy would naturally make better milk tea. It wasn't just about cooking skills anymore—it was about channeling the elements to coax out flavor. His own experiments proved it.
Unlike Earth's instant milk teas made from powder and sadness, Teyvat's version used fresh ingredients—milk, fruit, herbs—and could be enhanced using a hint of elemental force during prep.
Simply put: same skill, but Vision-holders = premium tea.
Cryo users could also freeze things instantly. No need for pesky freezers or ice runs. Visions were straight-up hacks in this economy.
He also mused, briefly, about the ancient past—how humans once wielded elemental power freely, before the gods and the Fatui and all that political nonsense. If he ever got the time, Xu Zheng wanted to dig into that.
Once the theater boss was out the door, Xu Zheng opened the system panel to check today's tasks.
[Daily Quest 3: Spend 100,000 Mora]
Xu Zheng scanned the price list and immediately raised an eyebrow.
"Xiangling-jie, I think some of these dishes are underpriced."
"No way! I calculated the cost and profit margin already."
Xiangling leaned over and skimmed the list. She wasn't wrong—prices had shifted with the market, and she'd adjusted accordingly. Nothing seemed off.
"But Xiangling-jie, your food is so good… it's gotta be worth at least 100,000 mora."
"Heehee~ You sweet talker."
Xiangling blushed, clearly convinced he was just being flattering. Then, in a spontaneous burst of affection, she bent down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
SMOOCH.
"?!?"
Ganyu's hair twitched.
Her Ahoge—the signal of divine emotional radar—stood up straight like an antenna catching interference.
Something unholy had just happened behind her back.
She spun around sharply and locked eyes on the scene: Xu Zheng looking stunned, Xiangling's cheeks glowing.
There was no way—absolutely no way—that was innocent.
Xu Zheng himself was still processing what just happened.
What the hell, Xiangling?! I'm a man of integrity! I can't be seduced by—
[Xiangling's Favorability +10. 10 Primogems awarded.]
Huh?
She kissed me, she gained affection, and I got gems?
Wait a minute…
Kiss on the cheek = Favorability + Gems.
What if… kiss on the lips?
What if… tongue?
Tssssss— his brain combusted with math.
The affection scale was rising fast. Especially Ganyu's—he was sure it had passed 100 already.
He remembered the system's words:
[Note (2): Reaching 100% Favorability may trigger an unexpected result.]
100%. That wording stuck with him.
So the cap wasn't 100 points. It was percentage-based.
Meaning the max value could be… infinite?!
Screw that! That's so grindy it makes MMORPGs look casual!
But then again… if it keeps giving 10 primogems every 10 affection points, maybe it's better to not max it out. Farmable waifus? He was practically speedrunning the gacha economy.
Anyway, onto the next quest:
[Daily Quest 4: Secure an Investment]
Now this one… had him stumped.
How the hell was he supposed to get an investor?
Who in Liyue even did that sort of thing?
Wait…
Who was Liyue's biggest investment queen again?