[One hour has ended.]
[Guiding…]
[This is the sixth life. You have only one hour.]
"Where did this little brat come from? Beat it, beat it, beat it. I'm not in the mood to deal with you."
A man in a black overcoat shoved Ningguang aside impatiently.
"Don't rush me off yet. I can lower the price a little more."
Seeing that he had no intention of listening, Ningguang grew anxious.
"Listen, I've got real business to handle. I don't have time to play house with you."
The man shot her a fierce glare. Ningguang shrank back instantly, falling silent, and he then led his group into Liyue Harbor.
Only after he disappeared completely did Ningguang lower her head in disappointment.
"It's over... I messed it up."
Ningguang never imagined she would fail at the very last step.
Not long after Elliot left, Ningguang had used the knowledge she learned from him. By investing small snacks, she got the children playing around Liyue Harbor to share an important piece of information. With that, she spent a large amount of Mora buying up everything the man needed, stockpiling it with the intention of making a major profit.
Everything had gone smoothly according to her plan.
But when she tried to negotiate, the man completely ignored her—didn't take a single word seriously. Instead, he thought Ningguang was just a kid playing games.
"What do I do now..."
"I bought so much... if he doesn't believe me, all this stock will rot in my hands..."
"If I return it, I'll lose a huge amount of Mora..."
Ningguang paced anxiously back and forth, desperate to find a way out.
"Ningguang... think. Think harder."
Watching her, Elliot stood before her, gently rubbing her head with a soft smile as he spoke in a quiet, warm voice.
The moment those words fell, the panicked Ningguang suddenly froze in place. Whether she had found an idea or sensed Elliot's presence, it was unclear.
"No... I can't panic..."
"I need to calm down."
"Brother Elliot said that in business, you must stay calm and analyze properly. Once you panic, mistakes are guaranteed."
Having steadied herself, Ningguang sat on a stool, bowed her head, and sank deep into thought.
"First, I need to sort out the situation. Only then can I find the problem and fix it."
"Brother Elliot said that investment is a high-risk, high-reward method. If I want big returns, I must bear the risks. Since I've already decided to fight this business battle, I can't back down. I can't be reluctant or afraid."
"Second, I've already bought up everything he needs. Even if he goes into Liyue Harbor, he won't find his goods. He'll be more anxious than I am. And he doesn't take me seriously. He's exposed while I'm hidden. The advantage is mine."
"The biggest issue now is that he doesn't believe I'm the one who bought it all. I'm too young—in his eyes, I'm just a clueless little girl. And age is something I can't change. Since I can't change it... I need someone to stand in for me and complete this deal."
The moment that realization struck, Ningguang felt completely enlightened. The fog clouding her thoughts vanished instantly.
She moved at once, heading straight for the teahouse that Elliot and Zhongli often visited.
"Little Ningguang, what brings you here?"
The teahouse owner greeted her with a warm smile.
Although Ningguang had once bought a set of teaware from him and been drastically overcharged, after learning Elliot had left, he felt bad for her and often sold desserts at a reduced price.
"Boss, boss, I want to discuss something with you, okay?"
Little Ningguang's smile was adorably sweet. But that very sweetness made the owner shiver.
"H-what is it...?"
"It's easy. Come here, I'll tell you."
Little Ningguang beckoned him closer, and the owner approached uncertainly.
Ningguang explained her plan. After listening, the owner stared at her with a strange look.
"Is... is this even possible...?"
"Don't worry, it'll work for sure. Don't be nervous—just treat him like a normal customer. Nothing will go wrong."
Ningguang patted her flat little chest proudly.
"O-okay..."
It was the first time the owner had done something like this, and he couldn't help feeling uneasy.
"Thank you~!" Ningguang beamed, then dashed out of the teahouse.
"That little girl... thinking up something like this at her age... what will she become when she grows up..."
The owner muttered, half fearful, after she left.
Leaving the teahouse, Ningguang immediately approached several Millelith on patrol.
"Big brothers, big brothers, can you help me with something?"
Little Ningguang ran up to them, looking pitifully cute.
"Oh, Little Ningguang! Of course—tell us what you need."
Seeing her adorable expression, the Millelith crouched down and smiled.
"It's simple..."
After hearing her request, the Millelith immediately nodded in agreement.
Once all preparations were complete, Ningguang returned to the teahouse and began setting up with the owner.
...
"Boss, nothing. They say everything's sold out."
"Boss, same here. They all said it's gone."
"Boss, I couldn't find any either. Completely wiped out."
"Our intel leaked. Someone bought up all the goods we needed in advance. They still have everything else, except the exact items we're after. There's no way this is a coincidence."
Hearing this, the man in the black coat twitched hard. His lips pulled sharply as his entire face darkened.
In that moment, he suddenly recalled the little girl he had met at the harbor that morning.
"No way... that damn brat..."
The man in the coat fumed.
If they returned empty-handed, the losses would be enormous—the wages owed to the workers, the fuel consumed, and the costly return trip if they went back with nothing.
Just as he felt his scalp tingling and his body turning cold, a little boy tugged on his coat.
The man looked down. The boy held out a folded note.
"Big brother, someone told me to give this to you."
Puzzled, the man accepted the note and slowly unfolded it.
It read:
"The private room on the second floor of Heyu Teahouse. What you're looking for is there."