"Hehe~ If Mr. Mo Li really had that in mind, he would've done it long ago~"
Ningguang's guess was indeed correct.
Mo Li had never considered doing those side products.
Sure, it was a way to make money, but it was also exhausting, troublesome, and not worth the hassle.
With so many great games in hand that were guaranteed to rake in profits, why should he bother with such trivialities?
That was why, when people sold cosplay outfits online, Mo Li couldn't be bothered to care.
Letting those merchants earn a little was, in a way, free publicity for Honkai Impact 3rd.
Unless he came across someone selling figurines, only then would Mo Li step in and "punish" them for the girls' sake.
The words he had just said were really nothing more than a way to scare Ningguang.
"Mm, yes. Miss Ningguang guessed right. I truly didn't want to fuss over these products before.
But after hearing what you said, I suddenly feel a bit interested. Still, I must ask…"
With a warm smile, Mo Li countered,
"Miss Ningguang, what makes you so confident that I'll agree to this partnership?"
Those words left Ningguang momentarily stunned.
Her original intent was to probe Mo Li's background—whether he lacked funds or had fallen out with another clothing company.
She hadn't expected this man to outright admit it.
"..."
Mo Li's response left her unsure of how to follow up.
Wasn't this him handing the initiative of the negotiation over to her?
Just as Ningguang was about to speak, Rita suddenly cut in:
"Actually, a few fashion companies have approached us before. It's just that the boss wasn't interested, so he turned them all down.
Now, after hearing your proposal, Miss Ningguang… this project does seem rather profitable~"
As she spoke, Rita leaned down, whispering softly into Mo Li's ear:
"Wouldn't you agree… boss~?"
Her warm breath brushed against his ear.
Normally, this wasn't an issue—the girls in the studio all knew Rita's playful nature, so Mo Li would just banter with her.
But in front of people he had just met, he couldn't quite get used to it.
"Cough, cough…" Mo Li cleared his throat to dispel the awkwardness before smiling.
"True… while a little troublesome, if it expands overseas, it could indeed be quite profitable."
He knew Rita was helping him bargain.
By creating the impression of competition, Ningguang would naturally feel pressured, and the benefits she offered would be greater.
But what Rita didn't know was—Mo Li didn't care about that money at all.
From the start, he had planned to let Ningguang have the partnership.
The only thing he wanted in return… was for Ningguang to agree to play a role in Genshin Impact.
If he hadn't met her in person, he wouldn't have minded.
But now that he had, he wanted her opinion.
And conveniently, since Ningguang wanted the collaboration, Mo Li wouldn't let the chance slip by.
"So then, Miss Ningguang, how would you like to cooperate?"
Ningguang pondered briefly.
"Seventy-thirty. You don't need to do a thing, just take thirty percent of the profit. I'll provide the funds and manpower, and keep seventy. That's fair, isn't it?"
In other words, Mo Li just needed to sign the deal and make an official announcement.
He would sit back and collect his share, while Ningguang shouldered all the costs and labor.
If it was only a short-term collaboration, she probably wouldn't make much.
But over the long run, the profits would be immense.
Rita opened her mouth to speak, but Mo Li stopped her.
"Miss Ningguang, truth be told, I don't care about this revenue. So… I can agree.
But in return, you must agree to one request."
Ningguang exchanged a glance with Keqing before smiling.
"Please, Mr. Mo Li, speak."
"I want your character model."
The moment those words left his mouth, Ningguang instantly understood.
"You want to use my likeness to create a character in Honkai Impact 3rd?" she asked, then smiled knowingly.
"As I recall, many celebrities have approached you before. Why not work with them instead?"
Mo Li: "Because they're not as beautiful as you. Is that reason enough?"
Ningguang gave him a long, searching look.
"May I see the character design?"
"Not yet created," Mo Li admitted. "But I do have some ideas~"
"..."
Ningguang fell into thought, while Mo Li calmly sipped his coffee, waiting.
Keqing, however, was giving him and Rita a very strange look.
"If it's a dignified design, then I can agree," Ningguang finally said.
Of course, the condition was that it wouldn't harm her image.
"Rest assured, Miss Ningguang. Your in-game character will be just like Miss Keqing here—one of the Liyue Qixing.
Not only in appearance, but in personality as well."
At this point, Keqing suddenly remembered their real purpose.
"So you really have been secretly observing me, haven't you?!"
"Miss Keqing, that's unfair," Mo Li said quickly. In truth, this really was his first time meeting her in person.
Even if he had secretly observed her, there was no way he would admit it.
"Then how do you know my personality matches the one in the game?"
Mo Li shrugged.
"Maybe the original design was different. After all, the character hasn't been released yet.
But now that I've met Miss Keqing, I've decided to tweak her in-game personality a bit~"
"…Such as giving her a tsundere trait."
Keqing froze, her whole body stiffening. She, tsundere? Absolutely not!
"You're spouting nonsense! I'm not tsundere!"
"Mm, mm, exactly. A little tsundere, but very cute~" Mo Li chuckled, nodding repeatedly.
His teasing only made Keqing blush furiously.
"By the way, Miss Ningguang, Miss Keqing works in the same company as you, correct?"
Ningguang covered her mouth with a light laugh.
"Chengcheng Fashion is jointly managed by Keqing and me."
Mo Li raised a brow.
"In that case, I'll have to add one more requirement—Miss Keqing should be part of the deal as well."
Keqing: "No! I'll sue you!"
Mo Li spread his hands, turning to Ningguang as if to say: Well then, I guess we can't cooperate.
Of course, Ningguang knew Keqing was just shy.
If she truly intended to sue Mo Li, she wouldn't be here in the first place.
After soothing Keqing a little, Ningguang smiled at him.
"Mr. Mo Li, could we at least see what Keqing's in-game character looks like?"
Mo Li didn't refuse, but he also didn't show them Genshin Impact directly.
Instead, he described Keqing's character design, as well as Ningguang's, in words.
When she heard the details, Ningguang was astonished.
His portrayal of both her and Keqing was uncannily accurate.
She couldn't help but wonder if Mo Li really had been secretly observing them.
As netizens would say: Do you have a camera installed in my house or something?
"Well? Are you satisfied with the design?"
Ningguang gave him a deep look before nodding.
"Yes. Tianquan Ningguang… I quite like this image."
Mo Li then turned to the still-flustered Keqing.
"And you, A-Qing?"
"Hmph~"
Though she refused to say it aloud, inwardly Keqing was more than a little pleased with her in-game persona.
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