Zhongli was genuinely puzzled.
Why would Jiang Chen choose to settle at Yaoguang Shoal instead of inside Liyue Harbor?
Noticing the old man's doubtful gaze, Jiang Chen didn't hide anything.
He simply laid out Liyue Harbor's problems one by one.
"To be honest, with housing prices like Liyue Harbor has, most people won't own a home even if they work their entire lives."
"Look at the outsiders coming into the city — how many of them buy homes here? None. They all rent."
"Liyue's development pattern is flawed."
"Right now almost the entire population has piled into Liyue Harbor."
"Even Qingce Village — the region that feeds the whole nation — is practically full of old folks and children."
"Qingce's young workers? They've all run to the city."
"And what about Qingyun Peak's tea farms around Qingce? Also losing population."
"As for Mingyun Village… it's basically abandoned. The ore ran dry, so everyone moved to Liyue Harbor to survive."
"You've basically got 80% of Liyue's people living in one city."
"Does that sound reasonable to you?"
Jiang Chen had done his homework.
What he described was almost exactly how things worked in the game's lore too.
Yes, some Liyue regions were difficult to inhabit due to remnants of the Archon War…
But many other places were perfectly livable — just forgotten.
Yet everything was funneled into the Harbor alone.
Resources, talent, commerce — concentrated to a dangerous degree.
Zhongli slowly fell into deep thought.
Jiang Chen's critique wasn't wrong.
He himself hadn't truly looked at the situation from that angle recently.
Hearing it now… the flaws became painfully obvious.
Liyue was vast, yet entire regions were withering.
And because Liyue Harbor was prosperous, people naturally flocked to it.
Remote villages could no longer sustain their residents.
Like a real-world megacity absorbing every able-bodied worker.
"If this continues, Liyue Harbor will reach its critical limit within decades," Zhongli murmured.
After mentally calculating, even he felt uneasy.
Development of outer regions was inevitable.
But if so…
Did this mean he couldn't retire yet?
Or… should he leave everything to the Qixing?
Could they really handle it?
At this moment, Zhongli looked exactly like a father debating whether his children were ready to live on their own.
Jiang Chen continued:
"Developing the outer regions is necessary."
"And the best candidate is Guili Plains."
"It's close to Liyue Harbor, the land is flat and vast — if developed properly, it could rival the Harbor itself."
"Build a proper dock. Ships could land there directly."
"Put in some effort, and even the path toward Sal Terrae could be restored."
"Then you've got a brand-new trade route straight from Stone Gate into Liyue."
"Water routes are often safer than land routes."
"Developing that area would bring massive benefits."
Jiang Chen spoke with full confidence — the confidence of a keyboard warrior with zero consequences.
Whether it was accurate or not?
Well, he'd just say whatever sounded good.
Zhongli, meanwhile, fell deeper into contemplation.
Seeing him thinking so hard, Jiang Chen politely left him alone and sipped his tea.
He glanced toward the storyteller outside — someone was narrating tales of the Geo Archon.
"I once had no intention of ruling, yet I understood the suffering of the people."
Listening to others brag about himself…
No wonder Zhongli liked coming here.
It really was a bizarre but amusing way to reminisce about one's past victories.
The great Morax who once dominated the battlefield…
Now sitting here like a gentle old scholar.
Lumine glanced sideways at Jiang Chen.
What's this guy suddenly doing?
Trying to give economic lectures to Zhongli?
Does he want to become a Liyue civil servant or something?
Her stare grew stranger by the second.
Noticing her expression, Jiang Chen silently threw back a "???" look.
What on earth is she imagining again?
Just as the two were exchanging meaningful glances, Zhongli finally returned from his thoughts.
"So this is why you chose Yaoguang Shoal?"
"It borders Guili Plains and Mingyun Village."
"You're expecting future development there?"
So Jiang Chen wasn't just buying a pretty view — he was speculating ahead of time.
Buying land now while it was cheap, then waiting for future growth.
"That's not it," Jiang Chen said instantly.
"I just think the land is cheap and the location is nice."
"Honestly, people from our world? We have a special attachment to beachside villas."
"Right, Lumine?"
Nobody hated beachfront villas.
Nobody.
Or at least, Jiang Chen couldn't.
He'd traveled into another world and found the perfect coastal paradise — why wouldn't he build his dream villa?
Zhongli didn't quite understand, but he respected the sentiment.
He nodded lightly.
He wasn't going to argue with mortal hobbies.
"Well then… Jiang Chen," Zhongli continued quietly, "how much do you understand about Liyue?"
"What do you think of Liyue as it is now?"
Clearly, Jiang Chen's earlier analysis had stirred doubts in him.
Should he retire now?
Later?
Would Liyue stray without him?
Or flourish?
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes.
"How would I know?
I've been in this world for what — less than a month?"
"How am I supposed to give a grand judgment on Liyue?"
"I just arrived in Liyue Harbor yesterday, you know."
"Are you… malfunctioning due to erosion or something? Asking me that question?"
Lumine burst out laughing.
Zhongli was speechless.
…Fair.
That one was on him.
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