[Cloud Retainer's mechanisms really aren't bad—perfect for killing time.]
[Cloud Retainer Mechanism Diagram.jpg]
Today, Lin Ze didn't receive any system rewards.
The word count wasn't enough—but he didn't care.
[Guess I'll play with Cloud Retainer's mechanisms again today.]
Another day without system rewards.
[Playing with mechanisms]
[Mechanisms…]
…
[Lin Ze, Lin Ze—how could you fall this far?]
[You finally came to Teyvat, and yet you've been holed up at home for days, slacking off and playing with mechanisms.]
[Have you seen all of Teyvat's beauties? All its scenery?]
[Don't forget your dream of finding a wife!]
…
[Playing with mechanisms]
[Playing with mechanisms]
[Slacking…]
[…]
For more than ten consecutive days, Lin Ze stayed inside his villa, immersed in the "entertainment mechanisms" Cloud Retainer had made.
In one go, he tested every single one she'd given him.
The diary holders, meanwhile, gained a brand-new understanding of what true slacking looked like.
They also realized just how little Lin Ze cared about system rewards.
At least before, he'd pad the word count.
Now?
Not even that.
Every day was either playing with mechanisms or playing with mechanisms.
Were Cloud Retainer's devices really that fun?
Even Cloud Retainer herself was puzzled.
Yes, they were meant to relieve boredom—but addictive?
Hardly.
Most of them were just by-products of her research.
Interesting, sure—but not "forget everything else in life" interesting.
Especially when Lin Ze himself had written, just days ago, that staying cooped up like this wasn't good.
And yet… he still chose to play with mechanisms.
What about finding a wife?
Seeing beauties?
Enjoying scenery?
"Another day of slacking off, huh…"
Kamishato Ayaka sighed softly as she looked at the diary.
These past few days, the diary had brought her no joy at all—only growing frustration.
She spent her days helping her brother manage the household, training endlessly in swordsmanship, flower arranging, music, chess, calligraphy…
And Lin Ze?
Living happily, slacking away.
The contrast was unbearable.
Ayaka wasn't the only one who felt this way.
Kirara—already back in Inazuma, having delivered the address to the Raiden Shogun and returned to work at Komaniya Express—was even more irritated.
She was exhausted every day.
Lin Ze was slacking every day.
And remembering how he'd teased her before only made it worse.
Even worse—because everyone with a diary knew why she'd gone to Liyue, people had started ambushing her with questions.
Most of her stamina lately was spent avoiding them.
She absolutely refused to satisfy their curiosity—especially when that curiosity revolved around what exactly happened between her and Lin Ze.
Meanwhile, aboard a merchant ship bound for Liyue, Raiden Ei stared silently at her diary.
Was her hasty decision to meet Lin Ze really the right one?
Could someone like him truly understand eternity?
Could he really answer her doubts?
But the arrow had already left the bow.
For once, Raiden Ei sighed.
Another day passed.
[I've played through all of Cloud Retainer's mechanisms. I'm bored.]
[Honestly, I should just invent a phone already—set up food delivery, short videos, all of it.]
[That way I can stay home forever and never be bored again!]
Early that morning, every diary holder noticed something shocking.
Lin Ze had finally updated properly.
This entry was deliberate.
He was using the diary as a messaging tool, quietly signaling Ningguang that he was about to make a move.
What Lin Ze didn't know was that—more than ten days later—Ganyu still hadn't returned.
The entire Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Jade Chamber were running at full throttle.
Ningguang didn't even have time to check what Lin Ze had written.
Only now did she fully understand why Lin Ze had been surprised she'd found time to visit him before.
With Ganyu around, things were manageable.
Without her?
It was an entirely different world.
Ningguang had only a few hours of rest each day—and even then, she could be woken at any time due to the Gnosis weapon project.
Her eyes were bloodshot.
Even a Vision bearer couldn't endure this workload forever.
Every day, Ningguang hoped Ganyu would return soon.
But Ganyu—now having untangled her heart knot under Shenhe's auspicious influence—was busy teaching Shenhe how to control that power.
She hadn't even considered returning yet.
She had no idea just how badly things were back in Liyue.
Lin Ze, of course, knew none of this.
After sending his message, he tossed the diary aside and began researching how to recreate a Star-Rail-style phone.
A device capable of cross-system communication—even Pathstriders used it.
If it could thrive in that universe, then with Teyvat's methods, it would sell like wildfire.
And it wouldn't interfere with his plans at all.
Why stop at Liyue?
Seven nations.
Everyone gets a phone.
Short videos, food delivery—
Imperial-tier homebody life.
Cross-system research was difficult.
But under the Black Flag's authority, it was trivial.
Design blueprints.
Prototype.
Finished product.
All completed with shocking speed.
Lin Ze snapped a photo and opened the diary again.
[Phone Prototype.jpg]
[OK. Everything's ready. Just waiting for Ningguang. Don't make me wait too long.]
Of course, he hadn't just made hardware.
The system.
The software.
Even several single-player games—
All recreated through Black Flag power.
[Isn't this better than Cloud Retainer's mechanisms?]
[Five-Star Good Citizen.jpg]
[Alright—back to slacking!]
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
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