Shen Qin pocketed the 100,000 Mora bounty from the commissions, and Sara even waived their breakfast bill, sending them off with two skewers of Chicken-Mushroom Skewers before they left.
Though both were already full, wasting food was against their principles.
Thus, after eating the skewers, the two—one large and one small—found themselves overly stuffed and opted to stroll leisurely through Mondstadt to aid digestion.
"Phew, Klee's wo fwull..." Klee rubbed her round belly, her expression a mix of satisfaction and the discomfort of overeating.
"Same here. I think this is the first time I ate more in my entire life." Shen Qin said with a burp.
Klee followed with a burp of her own, and the two exchanged smiles.
"Good morning, Mr. Shen Qin," a somewhat familiar voice called out from behind them.
Shen Qin turned to see Katheryne, the receptionist from the Adventurers' Guild. Glancing around, he realized they had unknowingly wandered close to the guild.
"Good morning, Miss Katheryne. It's rare to see you away from the reception desk." Shen Qin responded with a smile, deliberately ignoring her Snezhnayan automaton origins.
"During my free time, I enjoy walking around Mondstadt," Katheryne replied, tucking her hair behind her ear and offering a perfectly polite smile. "I've actually wanted to meet you for some time but couldn't stray too far from the guild. Today, I decided to take a stroll and was lucky to bump into you."
"But I'm not an adventurer, and we've only met once. Why would you pay attention to me?" Shen Qin asked curiously.
"The Adventurers' Guild is privy to many things. You're the brilliant alchemist who invented the hoverboard, designed the library management system, and built the Good Hunter ordering system. It's not strange for me, as a receptionist, to take note of you, is it?"
Shen Qin felt a jolt of surprise; even the events of just a few hours ago had already reached her ears.
"The hoverboard you've invented has greatly aided our adventurers. If possible, the guild would like to collaborate more closely with you." Katheryne gestured toward a nearby stone table and chairs. "Why don't we sit and talk?"
Nodding, Shen Qin sat down with Klee. "As for the hoverboard, you're likely already working with the Dawn Winery. They're handling all business operations. If you want to collaborate, you should approach Master Diluc."
"That's true," Katheryne admitted, sitting across from him. "However, I'd also like you to design a custom management system for our guild to assist with daily operations."
Shen Qin frowned slightly. Again?
Building systems like this was becoming repetitive. The work dwindled down to reusing codes and algorithm design. Besides, the Adventurers' Guild was a vast organization that processed massive amounts of data daily—something that required a powerful server.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the schematics for such a server.
"Am I asking for too much?" Katheryne inquired cautiously, noticing his hesitation.
"Sorry, but with my current abilities, I can't create a suitable system for the guild."
"Understood," Katheryne replied, disappointment flickering across her face. "But if you develop something useful for us in the future, I hope we can collaborate again."
"Of course!" Shen Qin agreed readily.
Katheryne stood, preparing to leave, but paused as a thought struck her. With gratitude, she said, "By the way, thank you for inventing the hoverboard. A few days ago, adventurers used it to rescue several people that were stranded on Dragonspine. Though some survivors suffered frostbite so severe they required amputation, their lives were saved!"
"Really?" Shen Qin froze momentarily before smiling. "If it saved lives, then I'm honored..."
He trailed off, stunned as a fleeting idea from the previous day's brainstorming suddenly crystallized. He hurriedly called out to Katheryne.
"Miss Katheryne, are there many people in Mondstadt who are disabled due to accidents? Like amputees, or those who are blind or deaf?"
Katheryne answered thoughtfully, "While I'm not sure why you're asking, based on our records, thousands of people in Mondstadt suffer disabilities annually, most of them adventurers. After all, the very word 'adventure' carries inherent risk."
"I see! I know what to invent next!" Shen Qin exclaimed, pounding the table in excitement before grabbing Klee's hand and rushing toward the alchemy workshop. "Thank you, Miss Katheryne! I may need your help later!"
"Goodbye..." Katheryne waved at his retreating figure, baffled. Though he couldn't hear her, she murmured to herself, "If you need help, feel free to post a commission at the guild."
"Wait.... bro... ther ... .Shen... Klee... can't... keep... up..."
Hearing Klee's breathless voice behind him, Shen Qin turned to see the little girl panting heavily, her legs wobbling as if about to collapse.
He immediately apologized to her, "Ah! Klee, I'm sorry! I got too excited and didn't notice..."
"Hmph! Bad brother!" Klee huffed before activating the hoverboard's auto-follow mode and crouching on it.
Shen Qin had no choice but to lead the hoverboard at a walking pace.
Back at the workshop, Klee waved him off. "Klee's going to play with other kids. See you later, Brother Shen!"
She knew he must have something important to do, so she left to avoid disturbing him.
Alone, Shen Qin began jotting down his development plans on paper.
Ever since meeting Glory, he'd realized that disabled people in Teyvat faced similar challenges to those on Earth. Their lives were filled with inconveniences.
Glory, unable to see, couldn't pick dandelions near the city gate or read letters from her loved ones. What came easily to others required her to seek help.
Adventurers who lost limbs during their exploits also lost their dreams, condemned to live out their days in the safety of towns.
Many more, unable to lead independent lives, retreated into their homes—their only sanctuary—where even stepping outside became a luxury.
On Earth, there were prosthetics to replace lost limbs and cochlear implants to help the hearing-impaired.
"This is good." Glancing at the note he had jotted, his idea strongly crystallized. A spark now began to drive him.
"Combining technology and alchemy to create augmented prosthetics, one that enables disabled people to live like normal people." Shen Qin's eyes lit up with excitement.