Shen Qin told Lisa that his goal in creating a hoverboard was to participate in Mondstadt's annual gliding competition. Admittedly, he wouldn't admit the real reason — that it was to fulfill Klee's eager expectations.
Because, frankly, it was a bit embarrassing, and others might misunderstand his intentions toward Klee.
"Still, before I successfully create the flying hoverboard, I hope that Miss Lisa can keep this a secret for me. Boasting prematurely and then failing would be humiliating, you see." Shen Qin clasped his hands together, pleading with Lisa.
Truthfully, he wanted to surprise Klee once it was completed. Telling her now would ruin the surprise.
"Oh, Shen Qin, Lisa, what are you two talking about?" Kaeya suddenly appeared at the library door, with Jean and Klee following behind.
"Brother Shen! Sister Lisa!" Klee waved excitedly.
Shen Qin shot Lisa a pleading look, but she either didn't notice or ignored it, simply smiling warmly at the group. "Ah, you're here. Have you heard about the new library management system?"
"Yes," Jean nodded slightly at Shen Qin. "Kaeya overheard people talking about some miraculous new device in the library and brought us here to see it."
"Acting Grand Master, just call me Shen Qin or Shen."
"Alright, Shen." Jean accepted his suggestion with a smile.
"Wow, is this what Brother Shen's been working on these past few days?" Klee ran to the table, her eyes lighting up like she'd discovered a new toy as she stared at the terminal.
The others gathered around, curious but unsure how to interact with the unfamiliar device before them.
Kaeya raised an eyebrow at Shen Qin, as if to say: Aren't you going to introduce it?
Feigning ignorance, Shen Qin gazed at Lisa: Over to you.
Lisa sighed, giving him a side-eye before stepping forward. "Alright, let me, as the librarian, demonstrate how to use it for everyday tasks."
She casually picked a book from a nearby shelf, stood in front of the terminal, and tapped "Borrow a Book." Instantly, the screen displayed the book's title, almost without delay.
As the book was scanned, everyone with a Vision could sense a faint ripple of elemental energy in the air.
Lisa then tapped "Confirm," and a calendar popped up, allowing her to choose a return date.
After selecting the date, the terminal prompted her to sign. She wrote her name on the screen with her finger, completing the borrowing process.
Switching to the admin interface, she pointed out how the system clearly displayed the book title, her name, the borrowing time, and the return deadline.
"See? It's this simple. Just a few taps and everything's done—no need for me to scribble in a logbook anymore. Plus, it stores all the data. Want to check if a book is in the library or already borrowed? Just search. No more flipping through thick records."
Lisa was thoroughly impressed. Who wouldn't enjoy a tool that let them work more efficiently?
Kaeya and Jean each tried the terminal, while even Klee enthusiastically borrowed a children's storybook.
"Impressive! I didn't expect such a small device to have so many functions," Kaeya praised. Hearing Lisa describe it earlier had been impressive, but seeing it in action was even more so.
"It's so pretty!" Klee chimed in, her unique perspective earning nods of agreement from Lisa and Jean.
Unlike most rough alchemical creations, the terminal's sleek design, matte finish, and vibrant screen exuded sophistication and refinement.
Shen Qin felt a twinge of pride from their compliments, but Klee's next words shattered the harmony.
"Hehe, this is amazing, Brother Shen… that was blown— brought back by Klee…"
Klee, trying to claim some credit, accidentally revealed too much. Though she quickly corrected herself, Jean's sharp ears picked up on the slip. Klee's voice trailed off as she shrank behind Shen Qin.
Oh no, Klee's blown her cover. Shen Qin covered his face in despair.
"Klee!"
Jean's stern voice filled the library, and a sudden breeze stirred the air.
Shen Qin spread his arms, shielding Klee. "Acting Grand Master Jean, Klee was just—"
"Mr. Shen, please step aside."
Swallowing nervously, Shen Qin stepped aside, revealing the guilty Klee.
Parents disciplining their children wasn't his place to interfere.
"Wahhh, Acting Grand Master Jean, Klee knows she was wrong…"
With Jean tugging her ear, Klee tearfully confessed how she'd blown up a fish that sent Shen Qin flying, earning herself a day of confinement. Kaeya, sensing trouble, slipped away to patrol, while Lisa engrossed herself in studying the library system.
Although Shen Qin had completed the library system, it was still a prototype with many incomplete functions. The temporary task wasn't marked as complete in his system.
Luckily, the task had no time limit, nor penalties for failure, so Shen Qin set it aside and fully dedicated himself to developing the flying hoverboard.
Creating the flying hoverboard was even harder than the library system.
The power system, driven by the electro-crystals, which served as its lifeblood. The engine that converts this energy into propulsion, was its heart. The structure enabling flight forms the body, and lastly, the smart system managing these components was its brain.
These were the four challenges Shen Qin had to overcome.
Having to burn through his mental energy in the alchemy workshop, Shen Qin remained unaware that his library system had become a hot topic in Mondstadt.
"Hey! Did you hear? There's a magical metal plate in the library that lights up and shows colorful moving images!" A tipsy man at Angel's Share tavern excitedly told his companion.
"Moving images? That's impossible. You're making this up," his equally drunk companion replied skeptically.
"Who's making things up? I saw it with my own eyes! The library was packed. I had to crane my neck just to catch a glimpse, but it's just as my friend described!"
"Friend, what you're describing is called a screen," a visiting Sumeru scholar interjected smugly. "They're nothing special in Sumeru. It's just new to you Mondstadters."
"R-really?" The man hesitated, intimidated by the scholar's authoritative tone.
"Oh? Have you seen the library's screen in person, esteemed scholar?" A young knight of Favonius approached.
"What if I haven't? Screens are all the same. Do you think that Mondstadt's 'screen' could surpass that of Sumeru's? The best alchemists are at the Sumeru Akademiya, not Mondstadt."
"If you haven't seen it, you shouldn't jump to conclusions. Seeing is believing. Why not come to the library and judge for yourself?" The knight smiled invitingly.
"Fine! Let's see what kind of 'screen' you Mondstadters can create."
The incensed scholar followed the knight, leaving the two drunkards at the bar staring at each other in bewilderment.
Among the tavern's noisy chatter, words like "library," "alchemist," and "miracle device" floated around.
Behind the bar, Diluc, with his fiery red hair and black attire, expressionlessly read through an intelligence report.
"A genius alchemist? Interesting."