I'm a male god in Liyue

Finally got it done.

Whether or not he farms treasure chests is irrelevant; his main concern is not seeing the little crane's apprentice suffer.

Although Ms. Shen He seemed very capable, after several conversations, he could clearly see that she was not very worldly-wise, probably because she had lived in the mountains for too long.

With such a simple and straightforward personality, if she were to plunge headlong into human society, who knows how much trouble she would encounter and cause.

Sigh, and she even said she would take care of me.

Never mind, I'll take care of you.

Chapter 72 It's a real waste of talent

After finishing his tea, Xia Zhi put down the cup and said, "Miss Yan Fei and I still have business to discuss. Miss Shen He, would you like me to take you back to the shop first?"

Shen He looked at him and said, "I want to go with you."

Xia Zhi thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, Zhu Zi is probably out playing now, so you'll be alone in the shop when you get back."

As Xia Zhi walked out of the teahouse and onto the street, with the fiery Yan Fei on his left and the ethereal Shen He on his right, plus himself wearing black glasses, he clearly felt that the number of passersby turning their heads to look at him had increased significantly.

Led by Yanfei, the three walked for a while and arrived at a shop next to the General Affairs Department.

A bespectacled man stood at the entrance, smiling, and said, "Miss Yanfei, may I ask what brings you to the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce today?"

Yan Fei smiled and said, "Of course I'm here to introduce business to you. This is Boss Xia, and he wants to discuss a business deal with your chamber of commerce."

"Of course! Please come in, gentlemen!"

Under the enthusiastic invitation of the man named Ah Xu, the three entered the Chamber of Commerce. As soon as they sat down, a maid served them hot tea.

The hospitality was impeccable, making the guests feel very comfortable.

Then, a refined young man walked in and said with a smile, "Miss Yanfei, it's been a long time."

He was dressed in a brocade robe, exuding elegance, with a rope pendant hanging from his waist, inlaid with a water-based divine eye.

Unsurprisingly, he had a silver progress bar hanging on his body.

Yan Fei stood up and said with a smile, "Young Master Xingqiu, it's been a long time. Actually, it's not a big deal for us, so there was no need for you to come and talk to us in person."

Xingqiu shook his head: "Business is business, big or small. It's the same whether I come to talk. Hello, both of you, welcome to the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce."

Xia Zhi stood up and greeted him politely, "Hello."

Shen He stood up with him and said calmly, "Hello."

Yan Fei helped introduce them: "Boss Xia, this is Xing Qiu, the second young master of Fei Yun Chamber of Commerce; Young Master Xing Qiu, this is Xia Zhi, the owner of Xia Tian Shop."

Upon hearing this, Xingqiu looked slightly surprised: "Summer Shop? Is that the new beverage shop that opened on Scarlet Cloud Slope?"

Xia Zhi nodded: "Yes, Young Master Xingqiu also knows about our shop?"

Xingqiu smiled helplessly and said, "I just came from there. These past two days, I've heard several friends talk about how delicious the rainbow juice sold in this shop is. I was planning to go and check it out today, but when I got to the shop, I found it was closed. I saw the note on the door and realized that it was closed for the past two days."

"I didn't expect to make Young Master Xingqiu come all this way for nothing. Next time Young Master Xingqiu comes to my shop, I'll treat you to a drink."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Xia. May I ask what business you wish to discuss with our Feiyun Chamber of Commerce this time?"

“I heard from Miss Yanfei that the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild has a wide range of sources and deals in materials and goods from all over Liyue. It just so happens that our small shop is preparing to add a takeaway service, which requires a lot of bamboo and reeds.”

"Is it just bamboo and reeds? I wonder how much 'large quantity' Mr. Xia is referring to?"

"It takes about dozens of bamboo poles and hundreds of reeds every day."

"Does it have to be the whole thing?"

"It's not necessary. The shop plans to use bamboo tubes instead of cups. If transportation is inconvenient, we can make bamboo tubes the size of water cups first. The same goes for reeds."

“I understand… However, these two items are too cheap. They are everywhere in Qingce Village and Dihua Prefecture and easy to collect. But if it is to be transported, reeds are fine, but bamboo tubes take up too much volume. It is far less cost-effective than transporting glass. I'm afraid not many caravans will be willing to take on this kind of work that is a waste of effort, unless Boss Xia is willing to pay more.”

"I wonder how much the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce charges for transporting a shipment of glass these days?"

"Glass is fragile, so its price is relatively higher than other items, around 20 Mora. If the journey is long, it will be even higher."

"It is indeed a bit expensive... then we don't need the bamboo tube, we'll just use the reed."

“That’s easy. Reeds are lightweight and don’t take up much space. I’ll just tell the caravan to bring back a bundle from Dihua Prefecture on their way. Mr. Xia can just give them a cup of tea money when they come.”

"I appreciate Young Master Xingqiu's kindness, but since it's a business transaction, it would be better if we signed a contract."

"Alright."

Next, Yanfei and Xingqiu had a discussion.

After drafting the contract, Xia Zhi signed it and put his copy away.

"Young Master Xingqiu, farewell."

"Mr. Xia, farewell."

Xia Zhi glanced at Xing Qiu's silver progress bar (4%) and turned to leave.

Like Miss Yun Jin, their circles don't overlap, so he can't farm the treasure chest on Young Master Xing Qiu for the time being. He can only wait and see if there will be an opportunity in the future.

After leaving the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, it was almost noon. Across the street was the Liuli Pavilion, so it was a good opportunity to take Miss Shenhe there for a nice meal.

Upon entering the Liuli Pavilion, Xia Zhi handed the menu to Yan Fei and Shen He, smiling and saying, "Please order whatever you like."

Yan Fei smiled and said, "Mr. Xia is very generous, then I won't stand on ceremony."

That's what they said, but Yan Fei didn't order any expensive dishes. Just like last time, she ordered a dish of minced meat and tofu.

It seems she really loves tofu.

Shen He looked at the menu in his hand, his expression showing some hesitation.

"Miss Shen He, have you not decided what dishes you would like to order yet?"

"No……"

What do you usually like to eat?

"Qingxin, Liuli Baihe, Liuli Dai... these are what I usually eat."

"These all look like medicinal herbs, right?"

"I have never been sick; I collected them all in the mountains."

"Miss Shen He, can't you cook?"

"I... I don't know how... but my master does. She loves good food and even invented a cooking device."

"If that's the case, why do you usually only eat those kinds of things?"

"Because I think that food that is too delicious will hinder cultivation."

"I see."

Xia Zhi looked at Shen He's serious eyes and remained silent for a moment.

"Excuse me, I should have asked you first."

"It's alright. Now that I've decided to return to human society, there's no point in persisting before. I don't feel embarrassed. I just don't know what dishes to order, since I've never tried any of these dishes before. You guys can order."

"Then let's order some of Liuliting's signature dishes: Yan Gang Three Delicacies, Dry Pot Cured Pork, Stir-fried Pork Slices, and Lotus Root and Pork Rib Soup."

After ordering, Yan Fei looked at Xia Zhi and asked curiously, "Mr. Xia, aren't you going to use the bamboo tubes?"

Xia Zhi nodded and said, "After all, the shipping cost is too high, so I'm going to find another way."

"any solution?"

"When I was taking a walk in Huyan, I went to a shop called Chunxiang Kiln. The porcelain there was of very good quality. The waiter named Ying'er said it was fired in a local kiln."

"What does Mr. Xia intend to do?"

"Well, instead of spending a lot of money to transport bamboo from afar, it would be better to buy porcelain locally."

"But wouldn't that increase costs significantly?"

"If you drink it in the store, the price remains the same; if you order takeout, you'll have to pay extra for the cup."

"In that case... as long as the cup is exquisite enough, it's equivalent to buying another nice item, and many customers should still be willing to spend the money."

"Of course it's more than that."

"Does Mr. Xia have any other thoughts?"

"I plan to order custom-made porcelain cups from Chunxiang Kiln that are exclusively for our shop, with patterns of seven elements printed on the outside of the cups."

"What's the use of this?"

"If a customer can collect seven different cups, he can unlock a purchase limit and buy an extra cup of juice at our shop every day."

"!"

Holy crap! Is this even possible?! They'd buy them like crazy!

Yan Fei looked at Xia Zhi with admiration.

"Mr. Xia."

"Ok?"