Silver Wolf's livestream room.
Silver Wolf, whose progress was far ahead of her colleagues, had already figured out the rules and reached the event's advanced gameplay:
After Fengdeng Lou finishes a day's business, you receive operating funds. Once the total funds reach a certain amount, you advance to the next business phase.
Each phase advancement allows the player to claim the corresponding rewards for that phase.
Funds can be invested in recruiting characters or upgrading facilities. Facility upgrades increase the daily operating funds earned, but they also raise the required effective star count needed to open for business.
During closing hours, there is a chance to trigger random events. Completing these events rewards 30 Primogems and unlocks new marketing strategies.
In the VIP reception segment, each business day has a chance to refresh two VIPs, whom the player must personally receive.
For ordinary VIPs, achieving a perfect evaluation grants Mora, Hero's Wit books, and 20 Primogems. Below perfect evaluation, there is no Primogem reward.
Non-playable VIPs provide Primogem rewards only once.
For playable characters, it is speculated that Primogem rewards are given for each reception until their trust level reaches maximum.
Moreover, playable characters provide not only Mora and Hero's Wit after reception, but also character-specific ascension materials.
Although there are no boss-drop materials, regional specialties and monster-drop materials needed for character leveling are given in small amounts with each reception.
Silver Wolf could confirm this point.
Because she had received Xingqiu twice in a row and obtained two Cleansing Heart fragments, 6 Glaze Lilies, and 6 Damaged Masks from him.
[This event—I willingly call it divine.]
[Someone seems to think this event is boring. Joke's on them—I could play this forever.]
[You can tell Boss Jun really plays the game. He truly understands that material farming is what makes people collapse.]
"Monster drops are whatever—now they can be tracked anyway. Regional specialties are the real pain." Silver Wolf complained.
"In Mondstadt you can still use Klee to find regional specialties, but in Liyue it's just unbearable."
"Even though Qiqi can show them on the minimap, those specialties are scattered all over and hard to find."
"Calling out Glaze Lily, Noctilucous Jade, and Qingxin."
Silver Wolf, who was simultaneously raising Qiqi, Zhongli, and Jun Bai, vented her frustrations hard in the livestream room.
Although this was the result of her wanting to level every character. But even taking ten thousand steps back—was there really no fault in the game making regional specialty distribution so hellish?
[Little Wolf, stop venting—story's starting.]
"Huh? Story? Didn't I already finish this event's story earlier?" Silver Wolf looked at the screen in surprise.
——Teyvat
Liyue Harbor, Fengdeng Lou Branch.
Today was the third evening that Lumine and Paimon were serving as temporary managers at Fengdeng Lou.
After seeing off the last VIP of the day, Paimon looked at the gradually emptying hall and let out a sigh of relief: "Finally wrapping up today's business."
Lumine also breathed a sigh of relief: "One million Mora a day really isn't easy money."
"The foot traffic on the first day was still reasonable, but starting from the second day, the number of guests per business session kept increasing nonstop. By tonight there was even a long line."
"Is this the charm of the number-one restaurant in the world?" Paimon marveled. "I really feel exhausted after a whole day like this."
Lumine crossed her arms: "Clearly I'm the one doing all the cooking."
Paimon also crossed her arms: "But I'm the one receiving all the guests."
Then Paimon suddenly drooped her head: "Sigh, I don't want to argue about this right now. I just want to finish business quickly, go back to the guest room, and sleep soundly."
"I originally thought the recruited staff could last until we finished our term." Lumine sighed. "I didn't expect we'd need to start expanding recruitment on just the third day."
Paimon nodded: "I suggest recruiting a few more chefs. The food output speed is already falling behind the customer greeting speed."
[Greeting speed greater than food output speed—the lifelong dream of every restaurant. Fengdeng Lou's branch achieved it in just three days.]
[That one million Mora a day really isn't something just anyone can earn.]
At this moment Ning Yao walked over and said: "Please rest assured, the two of you. This humble one has already sent out the new recruitment notice via mechanical bird. There should be results before noon business tomorrow."
"Thank you, Miss Ning Yao." Paimon said gratefully.
If not for Ning Yao's assistance, Paimon felt that she and Lumine alone couldn't have handled the manager position.
"Manager Paimon is too polite. This humble one is merely doing her duty." Ning Yao said with elegant manners.
"Oh, this humble one suddenly remembered—there are three guests in the first-floor hall who wish to see the two managers."
Paimon nearly fell out of the air: "They're not here to eat on the second floor at this hour, are they?"
"Please rest assured, Manager Paimon. Those three are not here to dine." Ning Yao reassured them. "Those three are specifically here to see the two managers."
"That's good then." ×2
Lumine and Paimon both breathed sighs of relief.
[You can tell—they're genuinely busy, so busy they don't want to keep working.]
[Very much matches my mental state right before getting off work.]
"Lumine, since they're here to see us, should we go meet them?" Paimon asked.
Although there might be overtime involved, Lumine still nodded: "Let's go see. What if they're people we know?"
"Yeah, makes sense. Let's go meet them then."
"The remaining work can be left to this humble one. If the two managers meet friends, enjoy yourselves to the fullest."
After handing over the work to Ning Yao, Lumine and Paimon came to the front desk in the first-floor hall.
Looking over—sure enough, they were people they knew.
Xiangling, whom they had once gathered ingredients with; Xingqiu, with whom they had once gone on chivalrous adventures; and… an unfamiliar girl wearing an octagonal hat.
The three of them seemed to be debating something.
[Xiangling, Xingqiu, Hu Tao—all acquaintances.]
[Strictly speaking, only Xiangling and Xingqiu count as acquaintances right now. Hu Tao hasn't had a Story Quest yet, nor has she appeared with us in the main story.]
"Xiangling, Xingqiu? So it's you guys." Seeing friends, Paimon was very happy.
"Traveler, Paimon?" ×2
Xiangling and Xingqiu said in unison.