The edge of Cider Lake was of no place for serious discussions, so everyone soon returned to the Knights of Favonius headquarters. Before entering the office, Jean cast a glance at Klee.
Klee pouted and muttered sadly, "Understood, Klee will go to the confinement room now..."
Shen Qin could only offer her a helpless look, as he looked at the figure of Klee, leaving the room.
"Alright, let's talk about the hoverboard." Jean sighed, clearly feeling the weight of the situation. "I only learned about the hoverboard from Kaeya this morning. Originally, the plan was to introduce it gradually in Mondstadt, revealing it bit by bit to ease people into accepting it. That way, the impact of its introduction could be minimized."
"But thanks to Klee's antics, most people in Mondstadt now know about this flying tool. Naturally, certain individuals and organizations with ill intentions toward Mondstadt will be drawn to it like moths to a flame. This has completely derailed our plans."
"Hmph, just a bunch of sneaky rats," Diluc scoffed, his disdain for Mondstadt's shadowy enemies evident.
Jean gave him a weary glance, but still continued: "Regardless, the situation can't be handled quietly anymore. Our time is limited."
Shen Qin, feeling the weight of responsibility, stepped forward apologetically. "I'm sorry, Acting Grand Master Jean. I should have kept a closer eye on Klee."
That morning, Diluc had approached Shen Qin at the alchemy workshop to discuss the flying hoverboard and test its limits outside the city. On the way, Klee had shown up, eager to join in the fun, and Shen Qin, unable to resist her enthusiasm, had agreed to let her tag along.
It turned out Klee had a natural talent for flying. Within half an hour, she managed to push the skateboard to its top speed of 150 kilometers per hour. But then, her excitement got the better of her, and she started fishing—with bombs.
Diluc tried to stop her, but with only his wind glider, he couldn't keep up. In the end, he and Shen Qin could only sit on the lakeshore, helplessly watching Klee wreak havoc.
By the time Jean arrived, she was greeted by the sight of two thoroughly defeated men and one ecstatic little troublemaker.
"From what Diluc told me, it's not entirely your fault," Jean said, sighing. "It's just... well, Klee is Klee."
"Life is like that sometimes," Lisa interjected with a knowing smile. "Not everything goes as planned. Surprises, both good and bad, are part of the journey. Besides, maybe this isn't entirely a bad thing."
Everyone turned to Lisa, waiting for her to elaborate.
"Think about it," Lisa began. "How long did it take our little genius to develop the library management system? Three days. And the hoverboard? Barely ten. If every new invention of his requires the Knights to spend weeks or even months easing people into it, how are we supposed to keep up with his pace? Or do you all think he's going to run out of ideas and that this skateboard is the last thing he'll ever invent?"
Shen Qin scratched his nose awkwardly. "I actually have plenty of ideas…"
"Exactly," Lisa said, rolling her eyes at him. "So why bother with all this secrecy? Why not embrace it and announce to everyone that Mondstadt has the most advanced alchemy and the cutting-edge technology to back it up?"
"At first, these innovations might shock people, but the more it happens, the quicker they'll adapt."
"Lisa's right," Diluc agreed, nodding. "Jean, don't underestimate people's ability to adjust."
"Not only should we stop hiding, but we should also boldly declare that Mondstadt's alchemical creations will transform Teyvat. Let the other six nations see the changes here and look to us as the trendsetters. In the future, whatever's popular in Mondstadt will define what's popular across Teyvat!"
Lisa's words left the room silent. The vision of Mondstadt setting the cultural and technological pace for all of Teyvat was both ambitious and exhilarating, filling them with an unshakable sense of resolve.
"Alright," Lisa clapped her hands. "Let's each take some time to think about what we've discussed and reconvene tomorrow to finalize our plans."
The group dispersed, but Jean stopped Diluc before he could leave.
"Diluc!"
He paused, turning his head slightly without fully facing her.
"What is it?"
"Lisa's so-called 'grand vision' —please consider it. It would be best if you could share your thoughts tomorrow."
"I'm just a businessman. I don't meddle in Mondstadt's internal affairs," he replied curtly, moving to leave.
"Diluc…" Jean's voice softened, tinged with hope. "Mondstadt needs Dawn Winery's support. I need your support."
Without another word, Diluc walked away, leaving Jean to watch his retreating figure with a sigh. Her gaze hardened as she turned back to her desk, resuming her work with renewed determination.
Meanwhile, as Shen Qin was about to leave the headquarters, a knight stopped him.
"Mr. Shen Qin, Miss Klee has a message for you. Please come to the confinement room."
'Hmm? Klee? What could she want?'
Shen Qin followed the knight to the confinement room door.
"Klee?" he called out.
No response. He tried again, and finally, she answered.
"Big Brother Shen… Klee wants to say sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" Shen Qin asked, surprised.
"You took me out to play, but I just caused trouble. Now Captain Jean is mad. Won't she scold you too?"
"Not at all. She didn't blame me."
"Every time I play with Kaeya or Amber, I end up causing trouble too. And then they get scolded along with me," Klee admitted.
Shen Qin imagined Kaeya standing obediently before Jean and almost laughed out loud. Suppressing his chuckle, he reassured her, "And yet, do Amber and Kaeya still take you out to play afterward?"
"Yeah! Sometimes Kaeya even helps me cover up my mistakes!"
"See? As long as you're happy, none of us mind. We're not afraid of getting scolded!"
"Really?"
"Of course. But we are afraid of Captain Jean, so we wouldn't dare sneak you out."
"Jean is nice to me, but… I'm still a little scared of her sometimes," Klee confessed.
"That's why you should stay put until your time's up, okay?"
"Okay." Klee hugged her knees, sitting on the floor by the door.
"But when you're out, we can go play with our hoverboard!"
Klee's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
"Really. And I'll even customize it to look like a Dodoco just for you…"