"Cross-national business? What does that mean?"
Hu Tao had clearly never heard that term before and was completely bewildered. Could Wangsheng Funeral Parlor conduct international funerals? She instinctively looked at the knowledgeable Consultant Zhongli, but Zhongli also shook his head, not understanding Yuto's meaning.
Yuto explained, "It's like this. First, let me describe the current situation in Inazuma. Over the past two years, Inazuma has experienced a very severe war due to the Fatui's schemes. This war directly resulted in over a hundred thousand casualties among Inazuma's military and civilians."
"Over a hundred thousand!"
Hu Tao was clearly startled by this number. These were human lives, not some other animals. Since she took over Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, she had only handled a thousand or so funeral arrangements. She couldn't even imagine how terrifying that number was.
When Zhongli heard that number, his expression also turned extremely grim. As the Archon of his beloved people, even though it wasn't the people of Liyue who died, he found it somewhat difficult to accept. At the same time, he couldn't quite understand his colleague—how could she have stood by and watched over a hundred thousand casualties within Inazuma's territory?
"That's right. And that's just the official number tallied by the Shogunate. There are also some unidentified cases, so the true casualty figure is likely even higher. Mr. Zhongli, have you ever heard of a plant called Dendrobium?"
"Dendrobium… I've heard of it. It's said to be a type of vibrant, endangered plant unique to Inazuma, named for its bright blood-red petals and leaves. Legend has it that the plant is watered with blood, and the more bloody and tragic the battlefield, the more magnificently and vividly it blooms. In poetry, it is also called Lycoris."
"Mr. Zhongli is truly knowledgeable. What you said is largely correct. However, that is not a legend, and it is no longer rare. On a battlefield called Nazuchi Beach, these flowers are already blooming everywhere."
Although Yuto didn't say anything terrifying, a scene of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood seemed to appear in Hu Tao's mind, with vibrant Dendrobium blooming from the bodies after absorbing sufficient human flesh and blood nutrients. It sent shivers down her spine, and she involuntarily clutched Zhongli's sleeve.
Zhongli said with a serious expression, "Then, Mr. Yuto, the big business you just mentioned, could it be referring to this matter? If this is true, I must remind you that the remains of the fallen must be properly handled. If not properly dealt with, it could lead to large-scale epidemics, and might even breed malevolent spirits."
Hearing Zhongli's words, Hu Tao immediately became excited. This was indeed a big business, an immeasurably huge one. A funeral business involving over a hundred thousand people—could she handle it?
"Mr. Zhongli, please rest assured. This matter has been concluded, and there will be no more epidemics or evil spirits."
The quick-witted Zhongli heard the word 'more' in Yuto's sentence and immediately realized something, letting out a long sigh: "Why did it come to this!"
"Fortunately, all of that is in the past. What we need to do is learn from it and avoid repeating the same mistakes. In the post-event summary, I found that the people of Inazuma's sense of ritual for death is far less than that of Liyue, and their attitude towards death is also not as good as Liyue's.
Although the wealthy people of Inazuma can hire the shrine maidens of the Grand Narukami Shrine to handle these matters, it is far from as clean and efficient as Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Sometimes, there are even instances of ghosts appearing and causing trouble, leading to public panic.
As for ordinary people, they can only find a plot of land for a hasty burial. Since Inazuma's land area is far less than Liyue's, Inazuma is currently working on cultivating existing land, and human remains are often dug up from barren areas. It's unclear if these are even related to criminal cases."
Hearing Yuto's words, Hu Tao's eyes lit up. Inazuma's current situation was practically a blessed land tailor-made for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor! She couldn't believe she was only just now learning about such a fortuitous place. It seemed her vision wasn't far-reaching enough.
"So, what does this client want Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to do? Does he want this Hall Master to bring people to Inazuma to handle these matters?"
Yuto just smiled and shook his head when he heard this: "Yes, and no. Given Inazuma's current situation, if it were just Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's staff, it would probably take thirty to fifty years to complete all the rituals. There's an old Liyue saying: 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.'
My intention is for the Shogunate to provide funding, and for your Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to provide the effort, combining some traditional Inazuman customs to create a funeral culture unique to Inazuma. At the same time, the Shogunate will also promote this knowledge throughout Inazuma, striving to change people's preconceived notions about death.
Funerals and mourning are a person's final dignity; they cannot be ignored or desecrated."
"So, this client wants people from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to train personnel in Inazuma to handle funerals, and then they will manage it themselves? What benefit would Wangsheng Funeral Parlor get from painstakingly raising a competitor?"
When Hu Tao heard this, the excitement in her eyes visibly dissipated. Zhongli, on the other hand, approved of Yuto's approach.
"Hall Master Hu, you are mistaken. To show our sincerity, the funeral parlors in Inazuma can also be called Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and they will defer to the Liyue Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Furthermore, Hall Master Hu will receive a ten percent share of the Inazuma Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's annual profits. On one hand, this will allow Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to become famous overseas, and on the other hand, you will also receive a substantial income."
Upon hearing Yuto's explanation, Hu Tao finally regained her interest, but her face fell again when she heard it was only a ten percent share.
"Only ten percent?"
Zhongli, who understood the business, couldn't help but cough a few times to remind her: "Hall Master, that's already quite a lot. From what Mr. Yuto said, he plans to incorporate funeral services into the Shogunate's jurisdiction, making it a state-run enterprise. In Liyue, we don't have such status.
Moreover, we only spend a little time training a group of funeral personnel and can then receive a permanent share of a state-run enterprise's profits. From a generally rational perspective, this is indeed a very profitable business."
"Since you, consultant, put it that way, why don't you and consultant Zhong Yuan go to Inazuma to train a group of people? consultant, you are well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, and you know all the rules and procedures for funerals, making you the most suitable candidate."
At this point, Hu Tao's plum blossom pupils lit up instantly, and the excitement on her face was impossible to hide. If she could send these two freeloaders to Inazuma for a period of time, she would surely have a few peaceful days without bills, right? Hmm, what a great idea, this Hall Master is truly clever.
Yuto was also stunned by Hu Tao's action. Is it really okay to let Lord Rex Lapis leave Liyue and go to Inazuma? Won't it cause any international disputes?
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