"At this stage, the Fan family has already begun selling off many of their banks and the land in Guili Plains. I've arranged for people to acquire them. We expect to secure about seventy percent of their assets."
"Also, the acquisition of the Qi family was basically completed yesterday. It's a pity that retail investors snatched up quite a lot—we only managed to get about half."
"As for the Mu family in Tianheng Mountain, they voluntarily lowered their prices and sold us dozens of shops, along with some land north of Tianheng Mountain. I'm not sure what their plan is."
"However, from now on, you, boss, will be the leader in the grain industry. You must fulfill your supply obligations properly. Mm, although it might sound a bit harsh, it's better if you don't raise prices arbitrarily. Lady Tianquan has been keeping a close watch."
Su Bai nodded, but his attention had already drifted to Baixiao's continuously moving thin lips and her concerned expression.
The constant stream of reminders and instructions echoing in his ears left Su Bai somewhat dazed for a moment.
"Today is the last day; I'll be leaving tomorrow. Although Ah Ren is from Inazuma, she's a very capable girl. Her skills are more than sufficient to serve as your assistant. You might consider having her replace me after I'm gone..."
"As for Lady Tianquan, I'll put in a good word for you after I return. Now that I've seen it for myself, your attitude toward Liyue is quite benevolent..."
"Boss? Boss! Are you listening to me?"
A call snapped Su Bai out of his daze. Feeling an inexplicable warmth, he nodded.
"Yeah, I'm listening."
It had been so long since anyone had spoken to him with such sincerity...
Indeed, Su Bai sighed inwardly. Even though he knew his relationship with Baixiao was purely transactional, the experience was still better than loneliness.
"Speaking of which, since you're leaving today, how about having dinner at Moonrise pavilion tonight? Consider it my way of thanking the great contributor to the general store."
"Please." Baixiao suddenly seemed a little embarrassed. Although she had eaten with Su Bai before, such a formal, solitary invitation was...
Well, this would be the only mission, out of so many, that left behind pleasant memories—a commemorative feast, so to speak.
Baixiao thought to herself, her gaze unconsciously dropping to her toes as she nodded.
"Okay... then it's settled. I'll go attend to my work now. Goodbye, boss!"
Without waiting for Su Bai's response, Baixiao returned to the counter and slipped in next to Zhuzi.
Su Bai watched with a smile, ready to head out and start the day's activities, when he suddenly paused.
Wait a minute! Ah Ren?!
Good heavens! Is this the shrine maiden Ah Ren I remember?!
Su Bai spun around and hurried back to the counter, looking at the girl standing beside Baixiao.
Her emerald-green hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head. Her pale purple pupils held a hint of pink, and beneath the vermilion eye shadow stood a tall, elegant nose and thin lips. Her fair cheeks were filled with a serious, work-focused expression.
She seemed completely unaffected by her surroundings.
If this wasn't our shrine maiden, Miss Kuki Shinobu, then who else could it be?!
Su Bai was overjoyed! He never expected Baixiao to have recruited Kuki Shinobu!
But thinking about it, it made sense. Kuki Shinobu had been trapped in Inazuma when the Raiden Shogun issued the Sakoku Decree, coincidentally while she was back home visiting, and thus unable to receive her graduation certificate. It wasn't until the Traveler arrived and the Sakoku Decree was lifted that she returned to Liyue to obtain her diploma. Then, she got caught up in the series of events at The Chasm...
At this point in time, if Kuki Shinobu was still in Liyue, it meant she was about to return home for a visit.
He had to keep her!
Su Bai was determined. This was a genius known as the "Versatile All-Rounder, the Oni's Assistant"—someone who could pass certification exams in any field just by glancing through the textbooks!
If he could keep her by his side, she would undoubtedly be a great asset in the future!
"Huh? Boss, is something wrong?"
Noticing Su Bai hesitating nearby, Baixiao looked up and asked, puzzled.
"Hehe, just carry on. I'm just checking out my future assistant." Su Bai chuckled awkwardly, brushing it off.
It suddenly occurred to him that Kuki Shinobu valued her freedom. If he approached her too directly, it might backfire.
What could make her stay was a platform where she could fully utilize her talents and ideals, not particularly generous conditions. Otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up as the second-in-command of the Arataki Gang later on, despite holding so many certifications.
Though, to be fair, she also served as their external brain.
Having figured this out, Su Bai formed a plan in his mind. He reached out his hand formally to Ah Ren and introduced himself:
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Su Bai, a visitor from the sea of stars, now settled in Liyue."
Ah Ren lifted her amethyst-pink eyes to look at Su Bai. She had noticed this elusive boss quite early on. While watching Su Bai and Baixiao talk earlier, she had already observed him closely.
He seemed quite amiable—and rather mysterious.
That was Ah Ren's first impression. It was also why she felt curious about him. Especially with her professional skills as a senior accountant, she still couldn't quite figure out the store's accounts.
The profits were consistently much higher than she had estimated. The operational methods of Su Bai's upstream supply chain remained a mystery.
"Hello, I'm Kuki Shinobu, a recent graduate of the Liyue Institute of Law, with concurrent qualifications as a Associate Actuary, Human Resource Manager, Health Manager, Editorial Writer…"
Her talkative nature surfaced as soon as she spoke. Kuki Shinou suddenly realized this wasn't a job interview and quickly cut herself short, clearing her throat lightly to cover her embarrassment.
"Ahem… I'm from Inazuma, currently learning assistant work from Sister Baixiao."
"Good. Come join us for dinner tonight. Study hard—I have high hopes for you."
Su Bai suppressed a laugh, called out to her, then turned and left.
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100 powerstones = 1 chapter
200 powerstones = 3 chapters
300 powerstones = 5 chapters