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"After checking these few places, that should be enough. No matter how slow Dori is, she should've received the signal by now—especially since her sense for business opportunities is quite sharp."
"Then let's move on to the next step…" Someone had been following them the whole time. Though there was no malice, Victor Wang still blinked meaningfully and hinted, "Let's head outside the city."
Qi Xiuming and Kaveh quickened their pace and followed, weaving through the streets until they exited Sumeru City.
"She's still there."
Victor Wang turned around helplessly. With the aid of Thousand Winds, he locked onto Charlotte instantly. She hadn't even realized she'd been spotted—when she poked her head out, her gaze met theirs head-on.
"Ahaha… where are you all going? Mind if I tag along?"
"Miss Charlotte, secretly tailing people is rather unethical," Qi Xiuming said sternly.
"No, no, you've got it wrong! I wasn't secretly photographing anything—I just happened to be going the same way… the same way."
"You really weren't taking photos," Victor Wang helped her halfway, then added, "but we clearly sped up, and you still followed. Calling that 'the same way' is a bit too fake, don't you think?"
"Curiosity! Just curiosity!"
"Honestly, if you'd said so outright, we might not have refused you."
"Then—is it still possible for me to apply to join now?" Charlotte scratched her cheek awkwardly. "I thought what you see in secret is the most authentic. I didn't expect to get caught—it's a little embarrassing… hehe…"
Embarrassing? It didn't look that way at all. At best, one could say that years in journalism had thickened her skin.
After some thought, Victor Wang agreed. "Anything involving business secrets can't be disclosed."
Charlotte immediately jogged up beside them. "Don't worry! I'm a journalist with professional ethics—I'd never do something like that!"
With a sigh, Victor Wang took out [Endless Thirst] and then produced a small boat he always kept on hand. Charlotte's eyes widened. "Is this that—Liyue adeptal art?"
"It's just Sub-Space Creation. We're heading into the desert next, and it's quite far. All of you get into the cup—if I travel alone, it'll be much faster."
…
"This plot is sheltered from the wind, and the foundation is solid. There's absolutely no risk of collapse—an excellent location."
"Then let's buy it! Wait—how much does it cost? Tsk… if we buy this plot, the remaining budget will be… let's look around elsewhere first."
"No, I really have my eye on this piece of land."
"Then let's record it first. When I said we should compare options, I wasn't just saying it for show. Let's finish the round—what if there's an even better one?"
Right in front of the landowner, Qi Xiuming and Kaveh openly conspired in loud whispers.
Walking behind them, Charlotte looked at Victor Wang. "What are they doing?"
"Picking a location for Ningguang's milk tea shop. And possibly some land investment on the side."
"Opening a milk tea shop in the desert? That's a bit too—" Charlotte stopped halfway, suddenly catching on. "Wait… is this what you meant earlier by 'business secrets'?"
"Exactly. The Akademiya is going to build a school in Aaru Village."
"A school…" Charlotte propped her chin on her hand, thinking hard about the connection between schools, milk tea shops, and business opportunities.
"The only school in the desert—and taught by the former Grand Sage. From now on, whether for their own education or their children's, desert dwellers will continuously gather in Aaru Village. The village will expand, become more prosperous than ever. Land prices will rise, and customer flow near the school will be guaranteed," Victor Wang explained.
"That does make sense… but something's still off. If the milk tea shop is to be built near the school, wouldn't it depend entirely on the school's location? How can you still be choosing? And there hasn't been any news about this yet…"
"Internal information." Victor Wang glanced at the unusually serious Charlotte and said lightly, "Kaveh is also the one designing the school."
"So, you're choosing both locations together… I see!"
Charlotte pursed her lips, her mind clearly racing with ideas. After a moment, she asked, "So is Ningguang planning to enter the Sumeru market through this?"
"She doesn't have much interest in that. The desert is too far from Liyue. As the saying goes, a powerful dragon can't suppress the local serpent. Opening a few shops is fine, but forming a large-scale industry in a foreign land isn't easy—and Sumeru's local merchant guilds wouldn't agree so readily either."
"Sumeru's local merchant guilds… If I remember correctly, the most famous merchant here is Dori Sangemah Bay, right? Don't tell me she's going head-to-head with Ningguang?"
Before Victor Wang could answer, Kaveh and Qi Xiuming—walking ahead—came to a stop.
"After looking around, this place is still the best. Build the school here: no wind-sand interference, no collapse risk, close to a water source, and plenty of open land nearby. The library can go next door, the milk tea shop across the way, and the remaining plots can be left to others."
Left to others?
All of them belong to Dori.
Victor Wang shook his head inwardly.
Dori's business instincts really were sharp. Under normal circumstances, before anyone had even decided what to build, she had already quietly bought up most of the land in Aaru Village… If they'd been any later, they might not have even gotten a spot for a milk tea shop.
Standing where Kaveh indicated for the milk tea shop, Qi Xiuming asked, "Are you sure? If you're sure, I'll buy this land."
"I'm sure." Kaveh nodded firmly, then looked at Victor Wang. "And the school's land?"
"Let's go. We'll speak with the village chief."
Land in Aaru Village was not as cheap as one might imagine.
Although it lay beyond the sand barrier and was surrounded by mountain ranges, it was one of the few sanctuaries in the desert with clean water, relatively little wind-sand erosion, and close proximity to Caravan Ribat inside the barrier.
That Dori had the means to buy up most of the land here without a clear plan spoke volumes about her wealth.
However, land for the school didn't need to be purchased—
When they arrived at the village chief's house, Candace and Setaria happened to be there, discussing matters with Chief Anpu.
Chief Anpu of Aaru Village was quite an open-minded figure.
Since the collapse of King Deshret's dynasty a thousand years ago, Aaru Village had become the last refuge of the Scarlet King's descendants. Even then, its population had once been far larger than it was now.
Why had it shrunk to its current size?
The harsh desert environment was one reason. Another major factor was Aaru Village's refusal to trade with the people of Sumeru. Each land nurtures only so many people—and the desert could support only that many.
Before Candace became the village's current Guardian, the Scarlet King's followers—including the people of Aaru Village—harbored resentment toward the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and refused deep interaction with Sumeru.
To fade away in quiet isolation was once a shared wish among the villagers.
It wasn't until Candace became Guardian and reached a consensus with Chief Anpu—that for the sake of the villagers' future, Aaru Village had to change—that things shifted.
Anpu contacted Sumeru's merchant caravans to trade with the village. Candace used spear and shield to persuade the previous Guardians. Only then did new vitality flow into Aaru Village.
This opportunity to build a school was the same. Upon hearing the news, Anpu decided to provide the land free of charge and pledged to support all school-related matters as much as possible from then on.
"You've… chosen the location?" Anpu asked excitedly upon seeing them. "It's just a pity—the construction materials you need don't exist in the desert."
Kaveh stepped forward and warmly supported Anpu's arm. "Don't worry about the Akademiya's finances, sir. Rather than letting the funds get scammed away by unscrupulous scholars, it's better to use them for something meaningful."
"Hehe… come, let me see which plot it is."
Setting aside all other matters, Candace and Setaria also followed with interest.
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