Bonus Chapters!
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"Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping!"Gu Sanqiu slapped his palm with excitement. "Alright, it's decided! I'll pass that bullet enchantment technique to Old Man Zhong when we get there."
With the sniper rifle strapped to his back, Gu Sanqiu gathered a few other potentially useful items and emerged from the underground storage.
"Apologies for the wait, Mr. Zhongli. Shall we head out?"
"No rush," Zhongli replied. "I find the trees in your courtyard rather intriguing. Would you mind explaining them to me?"
'Would you mind explaining them to me?' Gu Sanqiu raised an eyebrow.
"There's nothing too special about most of the plants here," he began. "But those two trees over there are a different story."
"That one's a Yam Apple Tree—both the roots and fruit are excellent health supplements."
"And the big boar tree? Let's just say it's a treasure that can strengthen one's mental fortitude."
"Oh? It has such remarkable properties?" Zhongli's interest was piqued. "May I try one of the boar fruits?"
My Geo Lord, my dear Geo Lord... if you keep 'playing around,' someone's going to get upset...
"Be my guest."
Still, Gu Sanqiu couldn't help but smile playfully at the thought of Zhongli getting caught up in schemes involving those known to be "masters of deception." He'd love to see how Zhongli would handle such a situation... if it weren't for the risk to his own life.
Wait... risk to my life?
Gu Sanqiu's face stiffened as he watched Zhongli calmly devour the boar fruit.
What if... he decides to drop a meteor?
If Zhongli's Heavenly Retribution obliterated half of Liyue Harbor, who would be left to take the blame?
Σ(っ°Д°;)っ
"Please don't let anything happen. Please, don't let anything happen!" Gu Sanqiu muttered to himself as he leaped to the rooftop. From a hidden spot, he settled in, raising the sniper rifle to survey the area.
He couldn't be sure if any of the Three Secrets Society's members were lurking nearby, waiting to strike. If they tried to make a move on Zhongli or pull off something reckless...
"For the sake of half—no, all of Liyue Harbor, I'll have to take out you pests if necessary."
The sniper rifle's blast would be far from subtle. Gu Sanqiu had no intention of using it as a warning shot.
Besides, if he recklessly fired into the city, he'd be the one responsible for the damage.
But... this scope was incredible.
"Wind direction, wind speed, humidity... the moment I look through it, all that information flows straight into my brain. No wonder the research division of the Hall of War is top-tier fantasy."
Gu Sanqiu adjusted the rifle, scanning left and right, and spotted a few figures highlighted in red by the scope.
"Hmm, thermal imaging shows these guys are behaving abnormally... and they keep glancing over here. Could it really be that simple?"
With a smile tugging at his lips, Gu Sanqiu memorized their faces.
"Unexpected bonus, unexpected bonus."
Now wasn't the time to confront them directly. As long as he recognized them, he could "play dumb" in the future, observing them periodically with the scope to figure out their surveillance patterns...
"Three Secrets Society, huh? I'll squeeze every last bit of information out of you before you even know what's happening."
"Mr. Gu, why are you sitting on the roof?"
Gu Sanqiu froze, then adjusted the scope to find Zhongli standing calmly below.
"Mr. Zhongli... you're not affected at all?"
Zhongli sidestepped out of the rifle's line of sight before responding.
"Yes, to the youth of today, that fruit is quite the rare treasure. Although I'm a bit older, I've read enough to understand its nature. Such illusions hardly affect me."
"Oh, that's good, that's good."
Gu Sanqiu sighed with relief, slinging the sniper rifle onto his back before jumping down.
For a moment, he had worried that the fruit might trigger Zhongli's memories of ancient battles—definitely not something to joke about.
Leaving the city, the two climbed into a carriage. Zhongli's gaze lingered on the sniper rifle that Gu Sanqiu was carefully cleaning.
"Mr. Gu, what kind of weapon is that? When you pointed it at me earlier, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease."
Unease? Gu Sanqiu mused. Only a "regular" consultant would feel that way.
He handed the rifle to Zhongli. "This is a weapon I crafted after observing the Fatui Skirmishers' firearms. I call it a 'sniper rifle.'"
No lies there—well, except for the fantasy part. With the right materials and enough time, even Mondstadt's Blacksmith Wagner could make one. Claiming it as his own creation was no stretch.
"A 'sniper rifle'? Fascinating. Judging by the name, I assume it's a weapon designed to kill with a single shot?"
"Precisely."
Gu Sanqiu began his well-practiced spiel. "Weapons in the 'sniper' category all share common traits."
"Oh? Please, do enlighten me."
"They're equipped with scopes for precision and are capable of delivering a lethal strike with one shot. That's the defining feature of this type."
"I see. That's quite intriguing—new knowledge is always welcome."
Zhongli examined the rifle, fingers tracing the barrel. "How powerful is it?"
Gu Sanqiu hesitated. "Well... I haven't tested it yet."
"When I was crafting it, I added so many functions that I lost track. A single shot might have severe consequences, so I've avoided using it."
This rifle was practically a mix between a sniper and an anti-material weapon. One shot could easily leave half a target missing. Not the best choice for capturing someone alive.
And, unfortunately, every time Gu Sanqiu needed a weapon, he also needed the target alive for interrogation...
"Fascinating. It might come in handy during our trip to Mt. Hulao."
Zhongli extended the rifle out the window, peering through the scope at the scenery. "This type of weapon does seem incredibly convenient. Have you considered offering it to the Millelith?"
"I'm... considering it."
Gu Sanqiu feigned calm, sipping his tea. He knew Zhongli was thinking about the safety of Liyue's people, but it wasn't feasible. Not yet.
Modern warfare couldn't rely on a sniper rifle alone—there were many other pieces of equipment to arrange.
But relying on his Golden Finger to randomly draw the right gear was far from reliable.
If he wanted to develop firearms in Teyvat, he'd need Fontaine's industrial infrastructure and specialists, Sumeru's academic foundation, and Ningguang's political and economic support.
At the moment, only Ningguang's backing was in place. The other aspects involved international cooperation and diplomacy—efforts that would take longer than he had to spare.
If he wanted something truly unique, he'd need the Doctor from the Fatui for research, Liyue's broken-down Tinkerer's Workshop for tech, and even lure the Mondstadt explosives expert, Klee, and her brother over for experimentation...
To leap straight to a modern war era would take ages—especially since he had no idea when certain troublemakers might surface in Mondstadt. A long-term plan wasn't practical.
When those calamities arrived, he'd barely have time to stabilize the region, let alone implement long-term projects.
"Damn it, I've been keeping a close eye on Mondstadt intelligence all this time."
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