Playing Genshin in Genshin! [19]

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After learning about the dragon disaster from Xiangling, Lu Shiyuan could no longer sit still.

He wanted to meet the friends he had gotten to know in the game, and he was eager to make contact with the protagonist as soon as possible.

With this in mind, he quickly finished his meal and returned home to start packing.

However, after organizing everything he planned to take for the trip, Lu Shiyuan realized he had packed way too much. Medicines, clothes, tools, weapons—it all added up to a hefty load. There was no way he could make Xiangling carry it all for him, and even if she was willing, his conscience wouldn’t allow it.

He had no choice but to reluctantly sift through his items and leave more than half of them behind.

“I wonder how Qianzhi manages to pack her things when she goes on adventures,” he muttered, sitting down at his desk and turning to his game for distraction.

After clearing out some mobs, finding a few treasure chests, and gathering various plants and fruits, he opened his in-game backpack to check his loot.

“Hmm, I’ve finally gathered enough Windwheel Asters to level Lumine up,” Lu Shiyuan nodded, satisfied.

But just then, his finger accidentally touched the Sweet Flower icon on the screen, causing a new page to pop up.

On the new page were four big words: "Would you like to cash out?"

Lu Shiyuan was stunned. “Cashing out? What does that even mean? I’ve never seen this option before.”

Discovering a new feature, he felt an urge to try it out. Without hesitation, he tapped "Yes."

"Cash out successful."

Suddenly, Lu Shiyuan felt something materialize beside him. When he looked down, he was completely dumbfounded.

Sitting beside him was a freshly picked Windwheel Aster, sparkling with dew as if it had just been plucked from the ground.

The flower had appeared out of thin air. It was… magical!

He quickly looked back at the game, only to find that the number of Windwheel Asters in his inventory had decreased by five.

“The conversion rate is five to one... or is there some other deeper reason?” Lu Shiyuan pondered, examining the Windwheel Aster closely.

Soon, he realized that the flower was of exceptional quality, and even someone like him, who knew little about plants, could tell that it was a perfect specimen.

“Could it be that when I cashed it out, the game refined the flower for me?” he speculated.

The reason this feature hadn’t triggered before was quite simple: he hadn’t had enough items.

Although the conversion rate was a bit low, being able to withdraw items from the game into reality was still an amazing feature.

Items in the game were much easier to obtain than in real life. Take Windwheel Asters, Dandelions, or Cecilia flowers, for instance. In the real world, it might take months for these plants to grow, but in the game, they could respawn in just a few hours, making them far easier to collect.

"I need to get someone to evaluate the quality of this Windwheel Aster to verify my guess," Lu Shiyuan decided, heading out with the flower in hand.

If there was anyone in Liyue Harbor who could provide an expert opinion on rare plants, birds, and insects, it was only one person.

After a brief stroll to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he found that person wasn’t there. So he headed straight to Third-Round Knockout, where, as expected, Zhongli was leisurely sitting by the table, sipping tea and listening to a storyteller. However, today, a ceremonial assistant sat beside him, casting frequent glances at Zhongli’s profile as if admiring a prized work of art.

“Ahem, ahem,” Lu Shiyuan loudly cleared his throat twice, causing the assistant to sit up straight like a startled rabbit.

Zhongli, too, turned at the sound, smiling warmly. "Ah, Lu Xiaoyou, it seems your injuries have healed nicely."

"Hehe, thanks to the protection of the Geo Archon, I’ve fully recovered," Lu Shiyuan grinned as he sat next to Zhongli, his tone mysterious. "Mr. Zhongli, I’ve got a pretty rare flower here. Would you care to take a look?"

"Oh?" Zhongli’s eyes lit up slightly. "If your words hold true, I would be happy to give it a proper appraisal."

"Here it is," Lu Shiyuan handed over the Windwheel Aster.

Zhongli took the flower and, after a brief inspection, let out a soft sound of surprise. “This Windwheel Aster is as fresh as if it were just picked. The petals are full and unblemished, the size of the five petals is remarkably uniform, and the curves perfectly resemble the blades of a windmill. This is, without a doubt, an exceptional specimen.”

Upon hearing this, the ceremonial assistant tensed slightly. Based on past experience, whenever Zhongli praised something like this, it usually meant...

"I’ll take this Windwheel Aster. Would you be willing to part with it, Lu Xiaoyou?"

“No problem at all,” Lu Shiyuan beamed, inwardly thrilled. His guess had been correct. Items withdrawn from the game not only had a conversion rate, but their quality was refined into exceptional pieces.

“Excuse me, Mr. Lu, how much for this Windwheel Aster?” the assistant asked nervously.

"Not much, just 10,000 Mora," Lu Shiyuan replied with a grin.

“10,000?” the assistant gasped quietly. “But regular Windwheel Asters are only worth about 200 per flower.”

"Based on common reasoning, the average Windwheel Aster indeed goes for around 200 Mora," Zhongli nodded. "However, this one is different. Its quality is excellent, making 10,000 Mora a fair price."

“Well… okay, if Mr. Zhongli says so,” the assistant reluctantly handed over the payment.

"Thank you for your patronage," Lu Shiyuan said with a smile as he stood up. "I’ll be on my way, but I’ll bring more good stuff next time."

"Bring more?" The assistant's eyes widened.

"I’ll be awaiting your return," Zhongli replied with a smile and a nod.

Back at home, Lu Shiyuan immediately reopened the game and tried withdrawing some other items: Cecilia flowers, Glaze Lilies, small lantern grasses, crystal ore, and more.

As expected, the conversion rate remained five to one, but every item he cashed out was of exceptional quality.

"This is a great way to make a fortune," Lu Shiyuan chuckled to himself. "If the flowers and plants are rare and beautiful enough, I might even be able to sell them for sky-high prices to the right buyer."

After daydreaming for a moment, Lu Shiyuan decided to try something new.

This time, he wanted to cash out a weapon.

Though he hadn’t been playing the game for long, he had already amassed more than five Iron-Tipped Spears, a common two-star weapon.

Let’s give it a shot.

He clicked on the Iron-Tipped Spear icon, and sure enough, the "Cash out?" option appeared.

He clicked "Yes."

Instantly, five spears disappeared from his in-game inventory, and a gleaming, finely crafted Iron-Tipped Spear appeared in front of him in the real world.

“Not bad at all,” Lu Shiyuan clapped his hands, satisfied, as more pieces of the puzzle started to come together in his mind.

“If I can withdraw, can I also deposit?”

His thoughts racing, he placed the phone against the Iron-Tipped Spear.

"Would you like to deposit?"

A new prompt popped up.

He clicked "Yes."

The Iron-Tipped Spear disappeared, and his in-game inventory showed the weapon had reappeared there. However, it did not multiply back into five copies, and the spear now had a "Real World Item" tag.

When he tried to equip the spear to his character, he found that the game no longer allowed him to use it.

"Once an item is cashed out, it becomes a real-world object, only available for deposit but unusable in the game," Lu Shiyuan muttered to himself before suddenly getting a new idea. "Now, can this backpack store actual real-world items?"