Chapter 25: Tartaglia's Way of Making Friends
Tartaglia seemed to have been influenced by Aiden during this period and was also trying to change the reputation of the Fatui and Northland Bank.
Regarding this, Ningguang simply took advantage of the situation. As long as Tartaglia and his people were willing to do good deeds, she was happy to accept it—especially if the Mora passed through her hands first.
However, it was impossible for the Fatui and Northland Bank to improve their reputation overnight.
On the other hand, Tartaglia himself was gradually gaining a better reputation in Liyue. As he walked through the streets, more and more people greeted him warmly.
Although he was a little confused by the sudden change, he was more than happy to accept it.
Mora is a necessary evil. Like Ningguang, Tartaglia believed that as long as a problem could be solved with Mora, it wasn't really a problem.
However, the difference was that Ningguang earned her Mora through business, while Tartaglia's Mora came from exploiting the wealthy.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Tartaglia was slowly integrating into Liyue's society. While he hadn't obtained much valuable information yet, it was still a promising start for him.
Yet, there was one thing Tartaglia was completely unaware of—
The friends he had been making recently were all deliberately arranged by Ningguang. Every single one of them worked for her.
Tartaglia had no idea that both Aiden and Ningguang had been carefully orchestrating everything around him.
After finishing their conversation, Ningguang hurried off.
Aiden could tell that she was incredibly busy these days, so it was already a rare opportunity for her to spare even a small amount of time to meet with him.
Once Ningguang left, Aiden thought for a moment before heading toward Wanmin Restaurant.
Sure enough, just as he approached the restaurant, Tartaglia appeared nearby.
"Aiden! What a coincidence! Are you headed to Wanmin Restaurant too?" Tartaglia greeted him cheerfully.
"Yeah, what a coincidence," Aiden replied with a nod, walking into the restaurant with him.
After ordering a few dishes and settling into a private room, Aiden sighed dramatically.
"Ah, I probably won't be able to have meals with you for a while, Tartaglia."
"Oh? Why's that?" Tartaglia asked curiously, his eyes flickering with interest.
"Ningguang is sending me to Mondstadt to handle some matters," Aiden sighed helplessly. "Mondstadt is in total chaos right now, and the Stormterror issue is still ongoing. Sending me there now is just throwing me into trouble!"
Aiden paused and then muttered with a teasing smirk, "Could it be that Ningguang found out about me and Keqing?"
"Keqing?"
Tartaglia's mind began racing.
Are they close enough that he calls her by her nickname?
And what exactly happened between them for Ningguang to send Aiden away like this?
His imagination quickly pieced together a dramatic scenario—
Aiden was originally a 'kept man' raised by Ningguang, but at some point, he and Keqing developed feelings for each other. Now that Ningguang had found out, she was sending Aiden to Mondstadt as punishment!
Wait… but that doesn't add up. Keqing and Ningguang seem to have a great relationship.
Could it be… that these two women have formed an alliance to 'support' the same man together?
Liyue's high society is truly a mess!
Tartaglia was no stranger to the chaos of Liyue's elite circles. When he first arrived, some wealthy merchants even tried to offer him their concubines and musicians—of course, he rejected all of them.
After all, relationships only serve as distractions that get in the way of becoming stronger.
"Mondstadt isn't safe right now," Tartaglia eventually said, frowning slightly.
Regardless of Aiden's connections with Ningguang and Keqing, Tartaglia found him to be an interesting person. Besides, thanks to Aiden's advice, his reputation in Liyue had improved significantly.
"It really isn't safe… Stormterror is still causing havoc." Aiden rubbed his temples. "I have no idea how powerful it is. If I run into it, I might end up getting eaten alive!"
Tartaglia's eyes lit up with excitement. "I'd love to have a fight with Stormterror! That should be a worthy opponent!"
Then, his excitement faded a little. "Unfortunately, I can't leave Liyue right now. Otherwise, I would go with you to Mondstadt."
He hesitated before adding, "Besides… I don't have a great relationship with the Harbinger stationed in Mondstadt. If you go there, it's best not to mention that we're friends. She might make things difficult for you just because of me."
Aiden's expression sharpened slightly. So, La Signora is already in Mondstadt.
It seems like it's time for me to make my move.
If she successfully gets the Anemo Archon's Gnosis and delivers it to Snezhnaya, retrieving it later will be even harder.
"That's a shame," Aiden said with a regretful sigh. "I was hoping you could arrange for someone to protect me."
"I can have someone escort you to Mondstadt, but once you're there, I can't guarantee your safety," Tartaglia admitted, shrugging.
Aiden could only sigh again. He had hoped to trick Tartaglia into helping him, but it seemed like that plan had failed.
"By the way, Aiden, do you know Mr. Zhongli?" Tartaglia suddenly asked.
"You mean Zhongli from the Wangshu Funeral Parlor?" Aiden nodded. "Yeah, he's helped me a lot before. He's a good friend of mine."
At the same time, Aiden was slightly surprised—Tartaglia didn't know Zhongli yet?
"I heard that Zhongli is the most knowledgeable person in Liyue Harbor. Is that true?" Tartaglia asked.
"Well, I don't know if he's the most knowledgeable, but he's definitely one of the most well-informed people in Liyue.
Even Ningguang and Keqing admire him. They even tried to hire him as a consultant, but he turned them down."
"I see… So the rumors are true." Tartaglia paused for a moment before smiling. "Aiden, would you be willing to introduce me to Mr. Zhongli? I have some things I'd like to ask him."
Then, he casually slid a check into Aiden's hands.
"Take this. It's a little something to make sure you can eat and drink well during your business trip."
Aiden glanced at the amount written on the check—10 million Mora.
Damn. Tartaglia really doesn't hold back.
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