Seeing the Steam Battleship getting closer and clearer, the sailor stood frozen, unable to believe his eyes.
"What exactly is that?"
"What's wrong?"
On the deck, other sailors heard his exclamation and looked up. "What did you spot? Why are you making such a fuss?"
The lookout was always the first to see things from his high perch. The people on deck only saw a black dot on the horizon.
"Use your telescopes! Quick!"
The lookout shouted urgently. "There's a ship docked in Liyue Harbor that I've never seen before! I don't even know what it is!"
"Huh?"
The crew on deck were confused.
An unknown ship?
What kind of ship could make their experienced lookout panic like that?
They grabbed their spyglasses and aimed them where he pointed.
"Holy sh*t!"
The first sailor to look immediately cursed. "Is that a f*cking ship?!"
A colossal Steam Battleship sat quietly in the harbor, like a beast marking its territory.
"What is it? What did you see?"
"Let me look!"
"Holy sh*t."
"What the hell is that? How can a ship look so domineering?"
"Hiss... since when did Liyue have something like this? It's huge! It's luxurious! Is that even a ship? I feel like it's a tier above 'ship'."
"It's definitely advanced. My Archons, is this new Liyue tech?"
"Maybe. Let's dock and find out."
...
On the approaching merchant vessel, one sailor after another peered through telescopes and cursed in shock.
The sight shattered their understanding of naval engineering.
Soon, their ship pulled into the harbor.
The Steam Battleship loomed nearby, its massive steel hull filling their vision.
Only up close could they truly feel the crushing visual impact of the leviathan.
Inside the Battleship:
"These mechanisms are indeed fascinating and novel."
In the control room, Ningguang listened to Beidou's explanation of the controls and sighed. "Even I am seeing this for the first time. We can't even attempt to reverse-engineer or copy this."
A few glances told her that Liyue's current technology couldn't replicate this vessel.
The streamlined steel hull alone was impossible to forge with current methods. Let alone the complex electronics and machinery inside.
"Since Captain Beidou's ship has caused such a stir, perhaps you should consider opening it for tours," Keqing suddenly suggested.
"Charge an admission fee for every visitor. This way, you can earn a significant profit while spreading the fame of your new flagship."
In Keqing's eyes, the ship was a golden goose.
Ignoring its military value, just sitting here as a tourist attraction could generate a fortune.
"Right!"
Beidou's eyes lit up. "That makes sense! Charging people to see it... that's basically free money!"
She looked at Keqing with admiration.
The Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing really had a quick mind.
She had just boarded, and she already had a business plan ready.
Liyue Harbor was packed with curious onlookers. If Beidou opened the gangway, they would pay happily.
It would satisfy their curiosity, boost the ship's reputation, and fill Beidou's pockets.
It was pure profit.
Although the Crux was wealthy, Beidou bore the heavy expenses of the fleet. Every Mora counted.
This was like picking up money from the ground.
Looking at the sea of heads on the docks, Beidou felt a surge of excitement. Those weren't people; they were walking bags of Mora.
"But what if they break something?"
Huixing worriedly interjected. "Some people like to touch everything. If they break a button..."
"Don't worry about that. Just lock down the critical areas," Keqing smiled confidently. "Seal the control room and engine room. Let them see the corridors, the mess hall, the cabins."
"The exterior deck and the non-essential interior spaces are enough to satisfy them. Lock the sensitive doors."
"You can station crew members in the open areas to supervise. The visitors can look but not touch."
"Even if they touch the walls or furniture, everything here is made of steel. They can't break it easily. And with your crew watching, and your reputation as the Captain, they won't dare to vandalize it."
"They'll just feel it was worth the ticket price."
"After all," Keqing added with a sigh of admiration, "this ship truly transcends the concept of a 'boat'."
Even she was shaken by its grandeur.
"Yeah!"
Huixing's eyes sparkled.
Lady Keqing was right.
"The Yuheng's insight is excellent," Beidou nodded.
With proper supervision, the risk was minimal. And no one in Liyue would dare disrespect the Crux Fleet on their own turf.
"Don't you have crew members on The Alcor? Bring them over," Keqing continued. "Assign them as guards and guides. Limit the number of visitors per batch. That way, you can monitor everyone."
"Yuheng, your mind is terrifying," Beidou exclaimed.
Keqing had laid out a perfect plan in minutes, addressing every potential issue.
"However, I suggest a tiered pricing system," Keqing added softly.
"For Liyue residents, offer a discount. Verify their identity and charge a small fee as a 'local benefit'. For foreigners or tourists, charge much more—even ten times the amount."
"Because of the ship's novelty, people will pay to see it. Even those who hesitate will succumb to the hype when they hear others talking about it."
"As for the price... that's up to you. But even 1,000 Mora would be considered cheap for such a sight."
"Of course, don't set it too high. If you charge tens of thousands, people will still come, but the volume will drop. Volume is key here."
"Hiss!"
Beidou inhaled sharply.
Through Keqing's words, she could practically see an avalanche of Mora crashing toward her.
100 Mora per person. 1,000 people meant 100,000 Mora.
If she charged 1,000 Mora... 2,000 Mora...
The numbers were staggering.
Beidou realized for the first time that making money could be this simple.
This wasn't business. This was robbery!
Behind her, Furong and the others were stunned.
Qianyan, the accountant, was breathing heavily, her face flushed red. She imagined sleeping on a pile of gold coins.
Beside them, Ningguang smiled. She had thought of the same thing, but since Keqing spoke first, she remained silent. It was a sound plan.
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