"Now that the slime invasion is resolved, we should be leaving. I'll get the tavern ready within these two days and notify you when you can start working!"
Feng Yi said to Diona, then took Noelle and Barbara back to Mondstadt City.
Upon arriving in Mondstadt, Feng Yi parted ways with the two.
Barbara had work to attend to and returned to the Church of Mondstadt.
Noelle, on the other hand, needed to report the results of the monster clearing in Springvale to Master Jean at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
Feng Yi, following the address left by Keqing, headed towards the Goethe Hotel.
"Excuse me, is Old Master Goethe in?"
Feng Yi asked the attendant on duty at the hotel entrance.
"May I ask what you are here to see Master Goethe for?"
As a competent attendant, she had to ascertain the guest's purpose before deciding whether to inform the owner.
"A friend from Liyue introduced me..."
Feng Yi had barely finished speaking when a stooped, white-haired, simply dressed old man overheard and interrupted.
"Since you were introduced by a friend from Liyue, we'll give you a discount!"
Goethe, who happened to be behind the door, walked out with a smile upon hearing their conversation.
He always gave preferential treatment to guests staying from Liyue.
"Yes, Master Goethe!"
The attendant promptly replied.
"Old Master Goethe, I am friends with Miss Keqing of the Liyue Qixing, and she is the one who introduced me this time. This is a token she gave me before departing..."
Saying this, Feng Yi handed the jade token left by Keqing to Old Master Goethe.
"This... Please forgive my rudeness, sir. Anna, quickly fetch the key ring from my study!"
After receiving the jade token, Goethe's expression turned serious as he looked at the young man beside him.
This jade token could only be possessed by direct descendants of the main family, signifying their noble status.
Since the esteemed Keqing had bestowed such an important token upon this young man, the implication was clear!
Congratulations to this young man; a significant portion of the main family's fortune would surely be yours in the future!
In other words, the young man had a bright future and had managed to hook up with a wealthy woman at such a young age!
Once the attendant, Anna, brought the key ring, Goethe personally escorted Feng Yi to select his preferred residence.
Goethe was exceptionally hospitable towards this future son-in-law.
Ultimately, Feng Yi chose a quiet location far from the bustling city. It was a large house with complete facilities.
It had a kitchen, bedrooms, and a study, and even a garden for planting vegetables.
Feng Yi chose this place not only because the house was nice, but more importantly, because it was sparsely populated, making it easier to conduct certain... unspeakable activities without disturbance...
"Old Master Goethe, I'm planning to open a tavern. Do you have any suitable shop spaces?"
Feng Yi, new to Mondstadt, believed that asking seasoned veterans like Goethe would save him a lot of unnecessary trouble.
"Regarding shop spaces, I do have a few. There's even one located in the marketplace with immense foot traffic. However, the tavern industry in Mondstadt is basically monopolized by Master Diluc. Without an eye-catching new product, or an exceptionally talented bartender, it's very difficult to operate..."
Goethe did not want to dampen the spirits of this future son-in-law, but Feng Yi was new to Mondstadt and did not understand the harsh reality of running a tavern there. If he didn't prepare adequately and plunged in recklessly, he was bound to lose a fortune.
There had been many hotheads who, despite repeated warnings, even dared to open taverns directly opposite Master Diluc's establishment.
In the end, Master Diluc merely employed a few tactics, and those taverns saw no customers, leading to revenue falling short of expenses and a broken capital chain, ultimately resulting in bankruptcy!
Goethe, having lived in Mondstadt for so many years, had seen such occurrences frequently.
The business world was like a battlefield, and Goethe did not wish for this future son-in-law to act impulsively and suffer a great loss.
"Old Master Goethe, please don't worry. I am prepared with both refreshing beverages and an exceptionally talented bartender... Do you happen to have any reliable liquor suppliers?"
Feng Yi was well aware of Diluc's influence, but with Diona's addition, his tavern would be well-established in Mondstadt.
From the game, the Cat's Tail tavern did not go bankrupt and continued to operate normally, which served as some indication.
"Alas... Since Mr. Feng Yi is already fully prepared, I shall not linger further. Please follow me!"
Seeing that he couldn't dissuade him, Goethe sighed helplessly, hoping he wouldn't lose too much!
The shop space Goethe mentioned, located in the marketplace, was precisely the location of the Cat's Tail tavern in the game.
The previous tenant of this place had also run a tavern.
When Feng Yi opened the shop, although there was a lot of dust, the remaining tavern facilities were still intact. With a bit of cleaning and renovation, it could be ready for business.
Under Goethe's guidance, Feng Yi drafted a business application.
After all, to conduct business in Mondstadt, one first needed approval from the Knights.
As for the shop space, Goethe generously lent it to Feng Yi for free.
With this application in hand, Feng Yi headed towards Jean's office at the Knights of Favonius.
*Knock, knock~*
"Come in! Huh? Feng Yi, what brings you here?"
Jean, hearing the knock, gestured for the person to enter before being surprised to find Feng Yi there.
From Noelle's report earlier, she had heard that Feng Yi was looking for accommodation.
Could it be that he didn't find any and came to her for help?
Actually, her own residence was quite spacious...
"Jean, I need your help with something. I'm planning to open a tavern in Mondstadt. Here is the business application..."
Saying this, Feng Yi placed the application on Jean's desk.
He had recently gifted her a golden longsword, and Feng Yi felt that as a reciprocal gesture, she wouldn't refuse such a small matter as approving his application.
"Feng Yi, have you found a place to stay yet?"
Jean ignored the application on the desk and instead inquired about Feng Yi's accommodation.
"Yes, a friend from Liyue helped me arrange a place to stay in Mondstadt..."
"I see..."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Jean's eyes.
Actually, her house was very spacious; it wouldn't be crowded with two people...
"Regarding opening a tavern, Feng Yi, perhaps you should reconsider? You've just arrived in Mondstadt and are unfamiliar with the liquor industry..."
Jean quickly composed herself and carefully reviewed Feng Yi's business application.
After reading it, out of concern for her friend, Jean couldn't help but offer a word of caution.
Clearly, she had also considered Diluc's dominance in Mondstadt's liquor market.
Over the years, no tavern had managed to stay in business for more than six months after opening in Mondstadt.
Jean worried that Feng Yi would face the same fate.