"Everyone's here, huh? Ahahaha..." Amber barged into the backstage area, her expression slightly awkward.
She had hesitated when she saw Jean earlier, fearing a reprimand. But after some thought, she realized she couldn't avoid it forever. Better to face it head-on and get scolded now, so the matter could be put to rest.
"Amber!" Jean's voice carried a trace of anger, though it wasn't because Amber nearly ruined the entire plan. What upset her more was Amber's disregard for her own safety, which had even caused Shen Qin to get injured.
"Ehe!" Amber stuck out her tongue and quickly hid behind Lisa, who had followed her in.
Lisa chuckled softly, "Jean, perhaps it's better not to scold her. Why not revoke her flight license and have her start over from scratch?"
"What?!" Amber's face turned pale, and she waved her hands frantically. "No, no, Captain Jean, just scold me! I still want to get my hoverboard soon!"
Jean sighed deeply, feeling exasperated by the group of troublemakers in the Knights of Favonius.
"I'll share my findings," Lisa interjected. "Today, there were indeed several unsavory characters planning to harm our little cutie. But none escaped my watchful eyes. Most of them were rats from Snezhnaya."
"Thank you for your hard work, Lisa," Jean said, nodding in acknowledgment.
"So, how will our little sweetie reward me?" Lisa teased, winking at Shen Qin. "I sacrificed my beautiful afternoon nap to run around a bustling Mondstadt for you."
Shen Qin stroked his chin. "Hmm... How about I gift you a top-tier hoverboard?"
"Why does Lisa get one, and I don't?" Kaeya interjected, feigning sadness. "Am I not your dear friend?"
"You all don't need to waste Shen Qin's money," Jean interjected. "The Knights will standardize the distribution of hoverboards, and you won't need to pay for them." She turned to Shen Qin. "Let's include Klee's hoverboard in the Knights' procurement budget."
"No need," Shen Qin replied firmly. "Klee's hoverboard will be a personal gift from me. After all, without her lending me the alchemy workshop, I couldn't have developed the hoverboard."
Seeing his insistence, Jean relented and shifted her attention to Diluc. "While the rights to operate the hoverboards are with Dawn Winery, could you share your plans with us?"
"Of course," Diluc replied smoothly. "The hoverboard shop in Mondstadt will open tomorrow. Within the first month, we'll limit our sales to 300 units daily, adjusting supply based on market feedback and production efficiency."
"Hoverboards not allocated to the Mondstadt store will be sold at market price to merchants from other nations. Once they leave Mondstadt, I won't interfere with how much they sell for, as long as they help us expand our market."
"When Mondstadt's market reaches an equilibrium, I'll collaborate with major forces or local governments in other regions. We'll share some profits, building factories and stores locally. After accounting for shared profits, the remaining revenue will still follow our agreed 6-3-1 split."
Shen Qin's eyes widened in admiration. This is ruthless! he thought.
Flight technology, especially its smart systems, was Shen Qin's exclusive intellectual property. He could have easily monopolized the entire Teyvat market. However, even with their partnership, the trio lacked the resources for a global rollout.
Diluc cleverly leveraged merchants' profit-driven nature, selling the boards at market price. To earn a profit, these merchants would sell at high prices in other nations. The farther from Mondstadt, the less likely these locals could travel back to buy directly, ensuring higher resale prices.
Once the Mondstadt factories and market matured, their collective profits would fund collaborations with local forces in other regions, carving out already-developed markets. The merchants would then have no choice but to move to new territories, continuing the cycle of market expansion.
Eventually, Teyvat would be dotted with factories and stores, leaving no room for merchants. A massive monopoly would emerge.
"This expansion strategy is only for civilian hoverboards," Diluc added. "Mid-range and high-end models are best kept under the Knights' control."
In certain matters, the Knights of Favonius under Jean's leadership were reliable allies.
Jean, while not as attuned to modern business tactics as Shen Qin, found Diluc's plan reasonable. She nodded in agreement but casually asked, "What's the price of the civilian board?"
"100,000 Mora," Diluc replied.
"What?!" Shen Qin and Jean exclaimed in unison.
A hoverboard's material costs were under 10,000 Mora, and even with labor, it wouldn't exceed 20,000 Mora. Selling it for over five times the cost was outrageous!
"Quality justifies the price," Diluc said calmly. "A too-low price shortens market longevity. These hoverboards are durable goods, and I've planned for each customer to use theirs for five years. At 20,000 Mora a year, the price isn't excessive."
Jean nodded, swayed by his reasoning. Shen Qin, however, wasn't fooled. He smirked. This is the true face of capitalism—profiting off customers while making them feel their money is well spent!
"Brother Shen, come celebrate with Klee!" Klee tugged on Shen Qin's sleeve. "You're the new gliding champion now, beating Amber!"
"Alright, alright," Shen Qin laughed, ready to set work aside to play with her.
"Wait!" Amber called out.
"What's wrong?" he asked, puzzled.
"Didn't we make a bet earlier? Now that you've won, it's time for me to fulfill my promise. Name your condition!"
"Anything?" Shen Qin raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing her.
"Anything... within reason!" Amber hugged her shoulders, her face flushed. "N-nothing too excessive!"
Shen Qin squinted. "Hmm, the condition I have in mind might be a bit much. Now I'm wondering if I should even say it..."
"W-what?! You're really thinking of something inappropriate, aren't you?!" Amber stammered, backing away.
"Aww, our little sweetie's gone bad!" Lisa chuckled, walking off. "Boring, boring, so boring. I'll enjoy my afternoon tea in the library instead."
"Amber!" Shen Qin suddenly stepped forward, gripping her shoulders.
"W-what are you doing?!" Amber's face turned crimson.
"Be the spokesperson for the hoverboards!"
"Eh? Eh?!" Amber was stunned.
"As the previous gliding champion of the Wind Glider era, Amber is the perfect choice," Kaeya said with a grin. "Plus, Shen Qin will design a special Bunny Baron-themed hoverboard just for the spokesperson."
Amber sighed. "Even though I feel like I've been set up, there's no way I can resist a Bunny Baron-themed hoverboard!"
"Alright! I'm in!"