Dori reached out, and the mechanical sparrow hopped into her palm.
"Chirp chirp—"
This intricate mechanical bird was a product Mu Yang had the system create based on his own mechanism skills.
It paled in comparison to Cloud Retainer's work, but as a toy, it was more than sufficient.
As expected, Dori was astonished.
She hurriedly asked Mu Yang if he planned to sell these.
Mu Yang confirmed, suggesting they could continue their partnership and scale up.
His knowledge of Sumeru was limited to the game and recently gathered intelligence.
Unlike in Liyue, where he had centuries or even millennia of simulated memories, he was intimately familiar with its changes.
But Sumeru was different—he only knew the broad strokes of major events.
When it came to local customs and culture, Dori clearly had the advantage.
Besides, he didn't have the time to stay in Sumeru promoting his goods.
So, he decided to let Dori take the lead and earn the hard-earned Mora.
Making money wasn't his primary goal here.
Building relationships and laying the groundwork for future plans was his true purpose.
Dori began analyzing.
This mechanical bird was too sophisticated.
For children, they might enjoy playing with it for a while.
But they'd struggle to grasp its intricacies.
Instead of selling to them, it'd be better to sell at a high price to the Akademiya.
Let those scholars who love studying mechanisms take a crack at it.
First, make money off the scholars.
Then, based on their theories, create simplified versions of the toy.
It didn't need to have so many functions.
As long as the cost was manageable and it could be mass-produced, they could later market it to children.
The order of operations was clear.
Dori knew Mu Yang wasn't a simple man.
She suspected he likely had a simplified version already.
Taking it a step further, she wondered if this was a test—whether she'd try to monopolize the profits after figuring out the mechanism for mass production.
Dori wasn't that foolish. Regardless of whether Mu Yang had such intentions, she wouldn't choose to hog the profits.
Mu Yang was too clever.
Dori loved Mora, but she also had a long-term vision and could forgo short-term gains.
She knew Mu Yang could bring her far more.
Mu Yang approved of Dori's plan.
Dori spoke up, "If you want to sell to Akademiya scholars, you'll need to prepare a few different models."
She grinned slyly, her eyes glinting. "And, of course, the more complex, the better."
She wasn't wrong.
The Akademiya was the highest academic institution in Sumeru—nay, all of Teyvat.
Arrogance, pride, and self-importance were common traits among most of its scholars.
If you told them they were capable, they'd turn up their noses and walk away without a glance.
But if you said they weren't capable, they'd get heated and challenge you.
Mu Yang loved putting such people in their place.
He had the system create a batch of mechanical constructs based on Cloud Retainer's mechanism expertise.
Let those scholars rack their brains over them.
Imagining Faruzan, the sweet scholar, staying up all night for days, unable to sleep, put Mu Yang in a great mood.
Every time Dori saw Mu Yang's "summoning objects from thin air" trick, she was envious.
If she had such a treasure, wouldn't it save on labor and increase cargo capacity during her trade runs?
She could already hear the sound of Mora clinking.
Unfortunately, no matter how much Mora she offered, Mu Yang wouldn't sell.
He claimed it was his "Adeptus fate," not something measurable by Mora.
As for where Mu Yang got these treasures, Dori naturally didn't pry.
Asking about a business partner's supply chain was like kicking down the tower of "trust" with your own foot.
The two quickly reached an agreement on the profits for the "mechanical constructs."
Dori was sharp, and so was Mu Yang.
Another pleasant collaboration between them.
Mu Yang spoke up, "How's the situation in Aaru Village these days?"
The sudden question caught Dori off guard, but thankfully, no outsiders were around.
Aaru Village—what kind of place was that?
A sanctuary for the descendants of the Scarlet King.
People from the rainforest side rarely spoke of it.
Mu Yang, a Liyue man, was really reaching that far?
Dori didn't want Mu Yang's influence to extend too far.
She replied, "It's not a great place for travel. The villagers aren't very welcoming to outsiders."
Mu Yang knew she was dodging the question and pressed on.
"I've heard the new [Guardian], Miss Candace, isn't opposed to trading with the outside world."
"And as long as you follow the rules, you'll receive her extra care."
Dori was stumped.
Once again, she was reminded of Mu Yang's vast network of intelligence.
Playing dumb was no longer an option.
"That's true. Are you planning to open a trade route in Aaru Village?"
"Just want to take a look, see if there are any new business opportunities."
Of course, that wasn't the truth. Mu Yang just wanted to make a connection, nothing more.
Seeing she couldn't dissuade him, Dori gave a few pointers.
The easiest person to talk to was Candace.
The one you absolutely shouldn't provoke was also Candace.
Don't do anything out of line in the village, or the consequences would be severe.
"Candace is a true descendant of the Scarlet King—terrifying…"
"That Guardian with heterochromatic eyes carries the blessing of a god, able to summon sandstorms that swallow all enemies in an instant."
"Candace can call upon the desert's power; every grain of sand is her scout. In the desert, no one can escape her grasp."
These were the tales told by the Gilded Brigade members who escaped and shared their stories in taverns.
But tavern talk was just that—talk.
Surely no one actually believed it?
Mu Yang thanked Dori for the advice. He knew what Candace cared about.
As long as he didn't break her rules, they'd get along fine.
Besides, he also knew what Candace liked.
At that moment, Mona emerged carrying something resembling a telescope, with Layla trailing behind her.
Layla froze when she saw Mu Yang.
"Didn't expect to meet again so soon."
Mu Yang's friendly greeting made Layla's ears flush red instantly.
They didn't even know each other's names—weren't things moving a bit too fast?
Mona glanced between them. "You two know each other?"
Layla nodded shyly, then fell silent.
So, Mu Yang recounted the story of the lottery stall.
"Wow, Miss Layla is amazing," Mona praised.
Mona was well-known in Haravatat circles.
Her articles in The Steambird were highly professional, often studied by the Haravatat School.
Being praised by someone like her left Layla flustered.
She stammered, "That's too much, Miss Astrologist Mona Megistus. Compared to your articles, this is just a trivial matter…"
"Ugh…" Layla covered her face with both hands…
Mu Yang thought to himself, She's practically crashing, yet she can still rattle off Mona's full name so smoothly. Not bad.
Once she calmed down, Mu Yang learned why the two had run into each other here.
They were both here for the stellar observation in a few days.
Coincidentally, the location wasn't far from Aaru Village.
Dori, having made a fortune from the three of them, played the good guy for once.
"If all three of you are heading to Aaru Village, I recommend hiring a mercenary named Dehya."
"As a bodyguard, she's absolutely the best value for your Mora."