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"Alright, that wraps up the part about "Teacher Dust". Next, let's return to the topic of bubble gum."
Just then, the coffee was served. Charlotte carefully set her notebook farther away. Cold mist rose from her palm as she cooled the coffee, and she asked Victor Wang, "After pearl milk tea, imitators sprang up one after another. But before pearl milk tea, no one ever imagined milk tea could be this interesting. How did you think of applying bubble gum to milk tea?"
"Dreams."
"Dreams again?"
"Just dreams." Victor Wang answered firmly.
"Alright then…"
As a journalist in pursuit of truth, Charlotte was somewhat dissatisfied with the answer, yet there was nothing she could do.
"There are rumors that when you first opened a milk tea shop in Inazuma, the Raiden Shogun commented on your signature pearl milk tea with 'Nothing special, not worth drinking,' and you flew into a rage and initiated three consecutive [Duel Before the Throne]. But after observing you these past few days, you don't seem like such an impulsive person. Is there more to it?"
Victor Wang thought for a moment, then explained carefully. "It's true that I initiated the [Duel Before the Throne] to change some of the Raiden Shogun's views, but it wasn't for milk tea. That comment of hers meant there was no room for communication at all, and it became the fuse for the duel. As for the truth, I won't reveal it. Let that interesting misunderstanding continue."
"Wait, let me sort this out…" Charlotte paused. "So, you already had something you wanted to communicate to the Raiden Shogun?"
"Yes."
"And then, because the pearl milk tea was criticized, you concluded that communication with the Raiden Shogun was impossible, and that's why you initiated the [Duel Before the Throne]?"
"Yes."
"So… in other words… you opened the milk tea shop and invented pearl milk tea purely to communicate with the Raiden Shogun? Is that a fair assumption?"
"Yes."
Charlotte opened her mouth, then lightly bit her lip. After a round of reasoning in her head, she said in disbelief, "So you didn't invent pearl milk tea for business at all? You were hoping to attract the Raiden Shogun with a single cup of milk tea?"
"Yes." Victor Wang nodded. "All your guesses are correct. It's just that later, I discovered business potential in pearl milk tea, so I went along with it and cooperated with Ningguang once again."
"And then… using milk tea to attract the Raiden Shogun—how did you even come up with such a 'genius' idea? And it actually worked?"
"There were rumors in Inazuma City that the Raiden Shogun likes sweets. Seeing her isn't easy, so I gave it a try. The facts proved that she really does like them."
"That's amazing. This topic alone feels like it could open up an entire new column. The title could be 'A Brief Discussion on the Birth of Pearl Milk Tea, Created for the Raiden Shogun Alone.' It would definitely sell like crazy!"
"…I think that would still require getting the Raiden Shogun's consent first."
Charlotte gave an awkward smile, abandoned that impractical fantasy, and took out a stack of photos, handing them to Victor Wang.
"After initiating the unprecedented triple [Duel Before the Throne], you achieved an unprecedented three consecutive victories, and unprecedentedly blocked three strikes of [Musou no Hitotachi] for your opponent.
At the time, many photos circulated outside. Even without being there in person, one could feel the immense pressure just from the images.
Previously, many people probably never imagined that the great writer [Dust], the inventor of bubble gum and pearl milk tea, Victor, were the same person—and moreover, a peerless expert.
Once this report is published, all these identities will be linked together. So, regarding the aspect the public knows the least about—your combat strength—do you have anything you'd like to say?"
"'Peerless expert' is a bit of an exaggeration."
On the continent of Teyvat, how strong did one need to be to be considered truly strong?
At least for now, he himself was still far from enough.
Victor Wang rebutted, "In truth, being able to win three consecutive [Duel Before the Throne] relied heavily on the support of my opponents in two of those matches—Hanachirusato and Yae Miko. As for blocking three strikes of [Musou no Hitotachi], that depended on the Raiden Shogun not using her full strength in the first two strikes, as well as my side borrowing quite a bit of external power. There's no need to go into more detail."
Since things had been explained this far, Charlotte didn't press further and directly switched to the next topic.
"I've looked into some matters—during Inazuma's period of national isolation, you once joined the Watatsumi Island resistance as a military strategist, achieving the remarkable feat of taking Yashiori Island with ease through strategy alone, and even using knowledge to help the people of Watatsumi Island realize their dream of farming. May these deeds be made public?"
"Thorough investigation," Victor Wang said in surprise. Many Inazumans didn't know much about his experiences on Watatsumi Island, yet they were laid out by this Fontaine reporter.
"Too kind~ This is a journalist's basic quality."
"…As long as Watatsumi Island has no objections, then I have none."
"I've already communicated with them. The Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island said she's very much looking forward to the publication of this report."
"That's good."
"And what about the matter of you being an Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt?"
"…Up to you."
"Also, you encouraged Ningguang and Dori to invest in Aaru Village, hoping to improve the living environment there and promote its development. Now that the school and library there have already begun construction, can this be made public?"
"I'm not the main character in that matter. If it must be reported, I hope the focus can be shifted—for example, mentioning more about 'Dori building a free public library in Aaru Village.' That would benefit both Dori and Aaru Village."
"I understand." Charlotte nodded in agreement, then added, "For the final segment of the interview, may I ask some personal questions?"
"For example?"
"What is your dream?"
Caught off guard by such a question, Victor Wang paused for a few breaths before answering, "I have no dreams… only goals that must be achieved."
"Then may I ask why you always wear a mask and cloak?"
"I'm sensitive to strong light. If parts of my skin are exposed for too long, I break out in rashes and intense itching… Let's not make this public."
"Got it."
After asking a few more questions, Charlotte closed her notebook, bringing the special interview to an end.
But she then stared straight at Victor Wang, her eyes filled with curiosity, a hint of frustration, and a trace of delight. Only when Victor Wang started to feel uneasy did she suddenly say, "Let's formally introduce ourselves again. My codename is 'The Steambird.'"
"Huh?"
"For a better tomorrow."
"You're also a member of the North Wing…?"
Victor Wang wanted to ask why Charlotte hadn't said so earlier, but after thinking about it, he realized he hadn't actually asked…
"Don't blame me for not revealing my identity," Charlotte explained, seemingly guessing his thoughts. "Only this way can I see the most genuine situation. And after my observations, you're truly flawless from every angle, without a single weak point. That lets me rest easy and be a devoted fan of your books!"
"…No wonder you carry the Teyvat Common Dictionary with you."
"I also carry this—" Charlotte pulled a copy of Sherlock Holmes from her bag. "I really love this book!"
"In my view, the line between journalists and detectives isn't that clear. To obtain the most truthful reports, journalists don't put in any less effort than detectives. So… could you give me an autograph?"
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