Jiang Chen gladly accepted the leverage Venti had handed him.
If you ever oppose me in the future, surely you don't want your image shattered in front of your devout followers, right?
At the moment, Venti hadn't "collapsed" yet—he was still Mondstadt's revered God of Freedom.
After all, in the eyes of the Knights of Favonius, Venti was just someone with connections to the Anemo Archon. That was the identity Jiang Chen had initially assigned him.
His disguise was still intact.
Jiang Chen took a quick glance at the Mondstadt group chat, which currently only had Jean, Barbara, Lisa, and Venti.
After chatting with them for a bit, he exited. Jean was busy, and he didn't want to disturb them further.
Let them digest everything first.
Venti had just sent the terminals over, so they probably still needed to hold meetings and such.
Jiang Chen understood that much.
And knowing Venti, he'd definitely have more instructions.
Recalling the jokes Venti had made on Dragonspine, Jiang Chen was certain the bard was scheming something.
Strengthening cooperation with Liyue would undoubtedly be a priority.
How things would develop from there remained to be seen.
Though Venti usually seemed unreliable, when it came to serious matters, he was surprisingly dependable.
Just as Jiang Chen returned to his office to continue working, he suddenly received a message from the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
He was surprised to see Nahida's name pop up.
She proposed improving the roads connecting Sumeru and Liyue.
The current paths were too rough, hindering travel and trade between the two regions.
If possible, she wanted to use cement to pave proper roads.
Nahida had already learned about cement through Irminsul.
If she wanted to know something, she didn't need anyone to tell her—she could simply access the information via the World Tree.
Jiang Chen:
[You should discuss this with Ningguang. I doubt she'd object.]
Road construction fell under Ningguang's jurisdiction, not his.
If the roads were built, Liyue Harbor would be the first to benefit—and that was Ningguang's domain.
Nahida:
[No, I think I should mention it to you first. My idea is to have Azhdaha clear the way around the Chasm first, then lay the cement.]
[This is something only you can arrange.]
Jiang Chen was taken aback.
Have Azhdaha pave the roads before cement was even poured?
Only Nahida could come up with something like this.
Hell, they might not even need cement roads—with Azhdaha's help, they could carve out a straight, obstacle-free highway in no time.
The thought excited him.
Jiang Chen:
[Do you have a blueprint? Send it over.]
Nahida, still in Sumeru, didn't hesitate. She quickly sketched a map and sent it to Jiang Chen.
Soon, a route appeared—starting from Gandharva Ville, skirting the Chasm, and leading straight to Azhdaha's lair.
From Tianqiu Valley, it branched into two paths: one to Liyue Harbor and the other to Guili Plains.
Contrary to Jiang Chen's expectations, it didn't cut straight through the Chasm.
Studying the map, Jiang Chen stroked his chin and replied:
Jiang Chen:
[Wait a moment. I'll get back to you soon.]
Nahida wasn't in a hurry. She knew Jiang Chen needed to consult others.
Nahida:
[Alright!]
With that, she fell silent.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen opened the Liyue leadership group chat, uploaded Nahida's blueprint, and tagged everyone.
Jiang Chen:
[Image]
[Transportation map proposed by the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Thoughts? @everyone]
The plan was solid.
If implemented, it would bring immense benefits to Liyue.
Though the detour to Tianqiu Valley seemed lengthy, developing those areas would yield long-term advantages.
Keqing:
[How would we even build something this massive? Who'd do it?]
The civil engineering enthusiast voiced her concerns first.
The scale of this project was staggering.
The financial investment alone would be astronomical.
While the benefits were undeniable, this wasn't something that could be completed overnight.
Ningguang:
[Do you have any ideas?]
Ganyu:
[If built, the villages around Tianqiu Valley would flourish. It's a good plan—but the mountainous terrain makes it a huge undertaking.]
...
Everyone chimed in with their opinions.
If construction was feasible, they'd support it—but the "how" remained a major hurdle.
Seeing Jiang Chen's contemplative tone, Ningguang cut to the chase.
If he had a solution, he should just say it.
A project of this magnitude wasn't something to approach lightly.
Jiang Chen:
[So you're all in favor?]
Jiang Chen focused on their attitudes. Since everyone seemed supportive, he felt reassured.
Keqing:
[Obviously. Just tell us how.]
Was that even a question? Who wouldn't support it if it could be done?
The others remained silent, tacitly agreeing with Keqing.
Jiang Chen:
[The Greater Lord proposed this route, but relying solely on manpower would take too long.]
[So, she suggested enlisting Azhdaha's help. With the Geo Sovereign's power, we could swiftly establish this economic corridor.]
The group chat erupted with question marks.
Have Azhdaha build it?
Everyone was baffled—until Jiang Chen added two new members.
Morax and Azhdaha have joined the group.
The moment this notification appeared, the chat exploded with reverence.
Ningguang:
[Greetings, Lord Rex Lapis! Greetings, Lord Azhdaha!]
Keqing:
[Greetings, Lord Rex Lapis! Greetings, Lord Azhdaha!]
Ganyu:
[Greetings, Lord Rex Lapis! Greetings, Lord Azhdaha!]
...
Messages flooded in.
There was no helping it—their statuses were simply too lofty.
At the same time, everyone grew nervous.
Can we even stay in this group now?
By adding them, Jiang Chen had essentially invited Liyue's founders into their chat.
These were their superiors.
Azhdaha:
[??? @Jiang Chen What are you up to, brat?]
The moment he joined, Azhdaha immediately called out Jiang Chen, utterly confused.
Jiang Chen:
[Image]
[We need your help with this construction plan. Could you assist in building this road?]
From his office, Jiang Chen grinned and tossed the blueprint into the chat.
Azhdaha stared at the map, utterly bewildered.
Azhdaha:
[Didn't you say you wanted me to arm the Millelith with three million weapons? Now you're asking me to pave roads?]
Instead of outright refusing, he posed this question.
The moment those words appeared, the group chat was flooded with even more question marks.
Ningguang, Ganyu, Keqing—even the retired Tian—all surfaced in shock.
What the hell? Three million weapons?
Jiang Chen, what are you planning?