Liyue Port is the most prosperous commercial hub in Tivat. It's brightly lit at night, and the streets are bustling with people coming and going.
During the few days when Rui Shen was in Liyue, he basically stayed in the store, running the internet cafe and didn't do much shopping.
The main thing is, he doesn't have the ability to protect himself, so he feels like a coward deep down.
The real Liyue is much bigger than in the game. The friendly architecture and rich culture make Rui Shen feel at ease, almost like returning to the ancient times of his hometown.
Of course Liyue is much better; at least, Liyue in this period is completely safe.
Even if he's an outsider, as long as he doesn't cause trouble, Mr. Zhongli won't do anything to him.
As long as you don't touch the taboos of the ley lines or the Abyss, you won't disturb the laws of heaven.
Rui Shen wandered around the street for a bit, planning to have a good supper at Wanmintang.
He really wanted to go to Xinyuexuan, but reservations were required.
Wanmintang is one of the most famous restaurants in Liyue Harbor, a representative of affordable meals.
The Wanmintang in the game is just a small shop, run by Master Mao and Xiangling's father and daughter.
The real Wanmintang is a large restaurant on the third floor, with many cooks trained by Master Mao.
Coincidentally, Rui Shen ran into Mr. Zhongli.
"Hey, Mr. Zhongli is here for supper too, care for a treat if you don't mind?" Rui Shen invited him.
Grandpa Zhongli, ever polite, replied, "Very well."
But was it really just a coincidence that they bumped into each other?
Rui Shen asked for a private room, ordered a nice meal with Mr. Zhongli, and they chatted over tea.
"Mr. Rui Shen, I wonder what kind of world your hometown is. I'm quite curious," Grandpa Zhongli asked, clearly trying to find out more.
Rui Shen took a sip of tea, a nostalgic look in his eyes, "My hometown is actually quite similar to Liyue. Everything in Liyue reminds me of the ancient times from over there."
"The architecture, the culture, the food – it all feels familiar."
"The main difference is that my hometown doesn't have gods or the laws of heaven. It's completely human-run."
"If nothing extraordinary had happened, my life would have been like any other common person's. But a small accident led me to a different path."
"I've traveled through many worlds, and now, I've ended up in the continent of Tivat."
Rui Shen had long prepared such a story, presenting himself as a common man who had stumbled upon an adventure in a world without gods.
Grandpa Zhongli found it quite fascinating: "A world run entirely by humans with no gods or laws of heaven?"
"Without the guidance of gods, how did humans manage to develop in such a world?"
Rui Shen knew Grandpa Zhongli must be interested because he was planning to let Liyue enter an era where humans would rule.
But Rui Shen's answer might disappoint him.
"The development of humanity is always intertwined with war. Endless wars between nations, even civil wars within countries."
"As for my hometown, in thousands of years of civilization, dynasties have changed every few hundred years. In some cases, the people are impoverished and starving. It's only in my generation that common folk really live comfortably."
"Human desires are incredibly dangerous, and human nature is the hardest to predict. Without the constant threat of a sword above their heads, humans can become more monstrous than demons."
"So, I'm really envious of Liyue. With the protection and guidance of a god like you, humanity has always moved towards the good side, completely suppressing the darker parts of human nature."
Rui Shen's words also pointed to Mr. Zhongli's true identity.
Grandpa Zhongli didn't seem surprised that Rui Shen had recognized him, and he pondered on what he had said.
Is a world ruled solely by humans truly that terrifying?
When he thought it over, it did make sense.
Wasn't Kanria a living example?
Waging war, even engaging in the terrifying taboo of corrupting the Abyss.
And Mond's case, when Barbatos was away, the nobles made a mess of Mond.
Indeed, without a qualified god in charge, humans really can make a mess of things.
Thankfully, even though Zhongli wanted Liyue to enter the human rule era, he didn't want to completely step away. He preferred to remain behind the scenes.
Grandpa Zhongli sighed, "What you say is indeed reasonable. Perhaps this is one of the reasons I can't completely let go of humanity."
The door to the private room opened, and the waiter began serving food.
Rui Shen and Grandpa Zhongli stopped discussing serious topics and started chatting about some lighter matters.
After the meal, Rui Shen and Grandpa Zhongli both achieved their goals.
Rui Shen had established himself as a mysterious strong man who had traveled through many worlds. He wasn't interested in fighting and had an easygoing nature.
Grandpa Zhongli was almost certain that Rui Shen wasn't a troublemaker, so he let his guard down.
When it came to judging people, Mr. Zhongli was very accurate and had rarely made mistakes in his life.
Later that night, Grandpa Zhongli sent a dream to the Immortal with Three Eyes and Five Displays and Liyue's Seven Stars, explaining the existence of Rui Shen and advising them to be cautious not to offend him.
...
The next morning, Rui Shen opened the shop after his usual routine.
As soon as the door opened, a large crowd was already waiting outside.
"The door is finally open! It's past eight o'clock!"
"I've been up since six, waiting. Haven't had breakfast yet."
"Boss, can you open the door earlier? You're not making enough money."
"I brought some wine today. As the saying goes, 'Wine gives courage.' I'm definitely getting through Silent Hill today."
...
A large group of customers rushed into the internet cafe, heading straight for the counter to pay and log in, which made Rui Shen, who had been sleeping late, feel a little embarrassed.
"Don't crowd, line up properly. I'll kick you out if you cause trouble."
"Due to the number of people and limited machines, each person gets a maximum of three hours per day. Once there are more machines, this limit will be lifted."
To allow more people to play, Rui Shen had no choice but to impose a time limit.
Most of the guests didn't mind; three hours were better than no seat at all.
Once the line was organized, Rui Shen sat behind the counter and cracked open a can of soda.
A while later, Ke Qing came in, and her attitude toward Rui Shen had completely changed from yesterday.
"Good morning, Boss Rui Shen, please don't take offense from yesterday."
After last night's dream, all the Seven Stars learned that Rui Shen was a guest of Rex lapis's.
Ke Qing felt very embarrassed thinking about how cautious and disrespectful she had been yesterday.
Rui Shen waved it off casually. "Don't worry, you were just doing your duty."
Ke Qing let out a sigh of relief, then quickly switched topics. "Ningguang wants to host a special banquet for you at Qunyu Pavilion tonight. Are you free?"
Rui Shen thought for a moment and said, "Sure, I'll head to Qunyu Pavilion after I close up."
"By the way, are you going to continue digging for advancement today? Someone's already caught up to your progress."
Ke Qing, who had intended to leave after speaking, immediately froze when she heard someone was catching up to her progress. She felt a bit anxious.
After a brief internal struggle, Ke Qing decided to play for a while.
"Let me have a go at it," she said.
Someone who had been waiting in line stepped aside, giving her a chance to use the machine.
Ke Qing, eager to gain some favor from the Liyue Seven Stars, was ready to play again.