Beneath the Surface

Beneath the Surface is a quest in .
==Steps==
# Go to the small vessel that Beidou has prepared
# Go to the Skirmisher Boats
# Complete the boat handling challenge
#*Collect Wavesplitter Insignias: 0/13
#*The challenge timer is 2 minutes.
# Talk to Beidou
;The Crux of Our Duties
# Meet Beidou in Liyue Harbor
# Follow Beidou to meet with the trading partner
# Talk to Nei
# Follow Beidou to Wai's Amateur Fishmonger's
# Talk to Wai
# Follow Beidou to meet with the warehouse owner
# Talk to Mr. Iron Abacus
;A Strange Transaction
# Go to Guyun Stone Forest
# Wait till early morning (00:00–05:00)
# Talk to Mr. Iron Abacus
# Take a walk by the beach with Beidou
# Talk to Beidou
==Gameplay Notes==
*Completing this quest gives the .
==Dialogue==
===Training: The Spear of The Crux===
: Beidou: These are some older Skirmish Boats that we keep on The Alcor as backup.
: Beidou: Although they've been made redundant by newer models now, they're still fully kitted out.
: Beidou: They are perfect for when we need to do simulated battles as part of crew training.
: I thought I'd be steering The Alcor in a battle simulation.
: Beidou: Hahaha, disappointed? So this isn't quite on the scale that you had in mind, huh?
: Beidou: To be honest, The Alcor going into battle is the last thing I'd ever want to see.
: Beidou: In fact, out of all the confrontations we've ever had, almost all were resolved by negotiation.
: Beidou: Only when negotiations fail do we consider deploying our armed fighters and Skirmish Boats, and they alone are enough to handle most situations.
: Beidou: The only reason The Alcor would ever need to open fire would be if it were a fight to the death.
: Beidou: The Alcor serves only two purposes, to deter or to destroy.
: Beidou: We are an armed fleet with a strong sense of justice, not war-hungry lunatics.
: Beidou: We are very careful about determining when to use force and exactly what level of force to use.
: Beidou: All of this is to say that mastering a small attack craft is quite enough for new crew members.
: Beidou: Do you have any experience piloting small armed vessels?
: Sure do, I can even sail and fire at the same time.
:: Beidou: You mean you can do the jobs of a helmsman and a gunner simultaneously...? That's quite an achievement.
:: Beidou: Even in The Crux, there are few who can do that.
:: Beidou: Seems like you're a natural.
: Of course, I can even navigate a ship right through a whirlpool.
:: Beidou: Hahahaha, you're the first person I've ever met who is so dismissive of the power of the sea.
:: Beidou: But I guess to put it another way, you're already a seasoned veteran, huh?
: Beidou: In that case, I will skip the basics on how to operate your craft.
: Beidou: The goal of this exercise is simple: Steer your Skirmish Boat along the prescribed route and return here within the time limit.
: Beidou: You can start when you're ready. I'll be waiting here, so I can observe your skills.
;(If you talk to Beidou before starting the challenge)
: Beidou: Start whenever you're ready. Don't keep me waiting too long — show me how it's done.
;(Go to the Skirmisher Boats)
====Doing Ok in the Challenge====
;(Talk to Beidou)
: Beidou: Hah, not so on form today, , huh?
: Yeah, I'm a little rusty.
: I fazed out a little.
: Beidou: I'm sure the boat is partly to blame. It's a pretty old craft, so it can be a little sluggish to operate.
: Beidou: So, don't worry about it. Just remind me to have Juza make some improvements to it when we get back.
: Beidou: Anyway, that was all just to get you warmed up...
: Beidou: What I really want to show you is the more serious side of The Crux's business.
: Beidou: Come with me. We're going to Liyue Harbor.
;(You lose one heart)
====Completing the Challenge Perfectly====
;(Talk to Beidou)
: Beidou: Nicely done! , that was a joy to watch.
: Beidou: Perfect timing on the turns, and you kept your craft stable on the straightaway. It was like watching a well-rehearsed show.
: I'd call that pretty routine.
: I've had a lot of training in sailing.
: Beidou: Hahaha. Alright — it's high time I introduced you to some of the more serious business that The Crux takes on.
: Beidou: Come with me. We're going to Liyue Harbor.
;(You gain one heart)
===The Crux of Our Duties===
;(Meet Beidou in Liyue Harbor)
: Beidou: You may be aware that as an armed fleet, The Crux is kinda like the maritime equivalent of a Guard for Hire.
: Beidou: We work as an armed carrier, earning our keep by successfully delivering the goods entrusted to us from A to B.
: Beidou: Aside from that though, there is also one other important way we make income...
: Bounties for capturing pirates on the Ministry of Civil Affairs' wanted list?
: Consultancy fees for running fast-track training courses for other crews?
: Remuneration for completing Adventurers' Guild commissions?
: Mora-Grubber: Actually, it's trading. In certain kinds of goods.
: Beidou: Hey! My hotshot accountant! Nice of you to join us.
: Mora-Grubber: Cut it out, boss.
: Mora-Grubber: Juza sent me here with a message. He says preparations are now underway. If you give me the all-clear, I'll head straight over.
: Beidou: Okay. Be careful.
: What's your bookkeeper doing here?
: Beidou: Well... She has something to take care of.
: Beidou: Mora-Grubber was right though. The other important side to our business — the less official side — is doing exactly what merchants do.
: Beidou: Importing here, exporting there. The only difference between us and regular merchants is that our transactions aren't entirely above-board.
: Beidou: You'll see what I mean by that shortly. I'm taking you to see one such transaction for yourself.
: Beidou: Come on, let's go meet our trading partner for the day.
;(Talk to Nei)
: Nei: Fresh seafood! Fresh seafood! Catch it while you can!
: Beidou: What do you have?
: Nei: Hello there! Here at Nei's Professional Fishmonger's, we got everything you could ask for.
: Nei: So what do you need?
: Beidou: I want a bass head with all the teeth removed. If there's a single tooth in there, I don't want it.
: Nei: Huh? ...You know bass have pharyngeal teeth, right? In the throat? How do you expect me to get all those out?
: Beidou: Then I'll have a bass trunk with two swim bladders. Again, if it's short by one swim bladder, it's not the bass I want.
: Nei: You're not making this easy for me... One bass means one swim bladder. 'Fraid that's not up to me.
: Beidou: Okay, then I'll take a bass tail with scales that are yellow on the outside, black on the inside. Also, it's gotta have a total of 81 scales, that's 7 times 7. No more, no less.
: Nei: What kind of fish scales are yellow outside and black inside? You sure this is a fish you're talking about?
: Nei: In any case, you can try all you want but seven times seven is never gonna get you 81...
: Nei: Pardon my asking but you're not a fish expert, are you? I'm sorry, Ma'am! But I'm afraid I don't have any of the things you're looking for.
: Didn't you say you have everything we could ask for?
: Nei: Look, I'm a professional, and so are most of the people I serve. I can accommodate anything they ask for. Seems you two are amateurs, so I'm sorry, but you'll have to go someplace else.
: Beidou: Anywhere you'd recommend?
: Nei: Hehe, like I said, Nei's Professional Fishmonger's is for professionals. For amateurs, the place to go to would be Wai's Amateur Fishmonger's.
;(Follow Beidou to Wai's Amateur Fishmonger's)
: Beidou: I bet you're wondering why that guy was saying he didn't have what we wanted.
: Beidou: That was just the first step in the transaction, to confirm our identity. The real deal will come later.
;(Talk to Wai)
: Wai: Fresh seafood! Fresh seafood! Come take a look!
: Beidou: Is this Wai's Amateur Fishmonger's?
: Wai: That's the one! We have all kinds of amateur stuff here. The more amateur, the more of it we've got!
: Wai: What would you like?
: Beidou: We'd like a bass head.
: Wai: No problem! Ours are all toothless, mind you.
: Beidou: And a bass trunk.
: Wai: No problem! I'll stick an extra swim bladder in there for ya, on the house.
: Beidou: And a tail.
: Wai: Sure thing! I'll paint the scales yellow on the outside and black on the inside, so you can tell at a glance: This ain't no ordinary fishtail!
: Do the scales add up to 81, or seven times seven?
: Wai: If it's seven times seven you want, I can do you 81, 138, or even 648! It's up to you!
: Beidou: Great! I like your style. We have a deal.
: Wai: Appreciate your patronage! Please take your order to our warehouse manager over there.
: Don't you have the fish here?
: Wai: Hehe! A real amateur if I ever met one! Proud to have you as a customer.
: Wai: No, we don't have the fish here. All fish sold at Wai's Amateur Fishmonger's are still swimming in the sea.
: Wai: Once we get the order in from the customer, we go fish it out for them. The warehouse handles that side of things.
: Wai: Pay first, then we bring you the goods! That way, you get the freshest catch!
;(Talk to Mr. Iron Abacus)
: Mr. Iron Abacus: Are you two here to collect your order? Huh? Bei... Ahem!
: Beidou: Yes, Sir. We're here about that bass.
: Mr. Iron Abacus: I didn't expect you to come in person. But we still need to follow procedure.
: Mr. Iron Abacus: The bass you want is not a standard specimen. Our fishermen need to wait for the right moment to catch it.
: Mr. Iron Abacus: You know the rules, I take it?
: Beidou: Of course.
: What rules?
: Mr. Iron Abacus: Hehe. As you know, timing and location are everything when it comes to fishing. You have to wait till all the conditions are just right: that means the tide, the moon, and the wind.
: Mr. Iron Abacus: So let me ask you this. When will the tide come in?
: Beidou: The fishing song will sound out at midnight.
: Mr. Iron Abacus: How drunk will the moon be before the party's over?
: Beidou: It won't stop while the star of death shines.
: Mr. Iron Abacus: I see, yes... Which way will the sea breeze be blowin'?
: Beidou: The breeze should be bound for Guyun.
: Mr. Iron Abacus: Alright then. Well received, I will go and make arrangements. Ahem...
: Beidou: Great! I think that wraps up everything we needed to do in Liyue Harbor. Let's head back and wait for the delivery.
: That's it? But where's our fish?
:: Beidou: Haha, I thought we were pretty clear, weren't we?
: What did all those riddles mean?
: Beidou: The three people we just met are our business partners. Nei's Professional Fishmonger's and Wai's Amateur Fishmonger's are just cover names.
: Beidou: The bass, obviously, is the code name for the goods. The numbers of teeth, swim bladders, and scales all represent different specifications.
: Beidou: Meanwhile, the conversation I had with the warehouse keeper was the instructions for the deal itself. Lemme translate it for you...
: Beidou: Tonight at midnight, the deal will take place in Guyun Stone Forest. The Alcor will wait there as long as needed.
: Beidou: As for what the actual goods are, well, you'll see tonight.
: This is all so mysterious... is it as shady as it seems?
: We're not doing anything illegal here, are we?
: Beidou: What if I were to say yes? What would you do then?
: Try and persuade Ningguang to give you a light sentence...
: Pretend I didn't see anything...
: I need to think about it...
: Beidou: Hahahaha, thank you, . But don't worry, everything will be fine.
: Beidou: I deeply value you as a friend, but ultimately, you're not with The Crux.
: Beidou: I definitely don't want to cause you any trouble just because you hung out with me.
: Beidou: So rest assured, we haven't broken any laws — at least not today.
===A Strange Transaction===
;(Talk to Mr. Iron Abacus)
: Mr. Iron Abacus: Captain Beidou. You gave me quite the surprise when you showed up in person earlier today.
: Beidou: Well, my friend is visiting, so I wanted to show how The Crux handles some of its important business.
: Mr. Iron Abacus: I see. You two must be close.
: Beidou: You got that right! Now, down to business.
: Beidou: Have you brought the goods?
: Mr. Iron Abacus: Yep, all here. Please, feel free to take stock.
: Yijian: Stop! Nobody move!
: Yijian: We have received certain information pertaining to a potential illegal business transaction at this location.
: Yijian: Apologies, Captain Beidou, but I'm going to need to inspect those goods.
: (Oh no. Should I run for it?)
: (Oh no. Should I distract him while Beidou retreats?)
: Beidou: Oh? An illegal business transaction, you say? All the goods are here. If you have any suspicions, please inspect them at your leisure.
:
: Gui'an: C—Captain, everything's been checked. It's just a bunch of potatoes, flour, and so on, and... all the paperwork checks out too.
: Yijian: Huh?
: Gongjun: Everything's been checked thrice over... there's not a single contraband item here. The paperwork was approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the tax declarations are all in order...
: Beidou: Looks like you've managed to clear everything up — I suppose we can put this down as a simple misunderstanding?
: Yijian: Yes, apologies... this was a mistake on our end.
: Yijian: C'mon, let's go!
: Mr. Iron Abacus: Bravo, Captain Beidou. This was rather ingenious.
: Wait a second. What's going on?
: All this mystery over some potatoes and flour?
: Mr. Iron Abacus: Seems like your friend still has a little catching up to do.
: Beidou: Hahahaha, I know you have a lot of questions, . Come on, take a walk with me, and I'll lay it all out for you.
: Mr. Iron Abacus: I'll leave you both to it. Captain Beidou, I look forward to doing business with you again. Take care.
;(Take a walk by the beach with Beidou)
: Beidou: You probably thought that there was some sort of nefarious business going on behind all the secrecy today.
: Beidou: The truth is, that was exactly what I wanted the Ministry of Civil Affairs to believe.
: Beidou: What you might not know is that I, as the leader of The Crux fleet, and you, the great hero of Liyue Harbor...
: Beidou: ...have both been on the Ministry of Civil Affairs' watch list for a long time.
: Beidou: In other words, whenever you or I crop up in Liyue Harbor, it almost always draws their attention.
: Beidou: Not that there's any animosity behind it, mind you. In their words, it's a security precaution to prevent people like us from causing unnecessary trouble.
: Beidou: Hah, I have no qualms about that. They're just doing their job, keeping the land safe.
: Beidou: But how does that saying go again? Ah yes: Sometimes, the closer you are to something, the less you can see.
: Beidou: Did you figure it out yet? That's right, Mora-Grubber, the accountant.
: Beidou: With you, me, and a few sacks of potatoes and flour serving as a front, the deal she's overseeing on her end should go off without a hitch.
: Beidou: After all, the Ministry of Civil Affairs sent the Millelith to us.
;(Talk to Beidou)
: Beidou: Looking at the time, it should be any second now.
: Beidou: Look, that's the signal!
:;(Turning around to where Beidou is looking, the Traveler witnesses a single firework streak into the sky above the Domain of Guyun and explode.)
: Beidou: Haha, tonight's real deal is officially done.
: Beidou: Do you have any more questions?
: I have a feeling Ningguang is not so easy to fool.
: Beidou: You're right. Never underestimate her. But as long as we don't take things too far, she won't look into it too closely.
: Beidou: She knows that neither you nor I would do anything to harm Liyue.
: Beidou: In any case, there's another higher-level watch list at the Ministry of Civil Affairs above the one we're on. It's top-secret. Even I don't know whose names are on it.
: Beidou: But I do know that the individuals and organizations on that list are the ones the Qixing are really wary of.
: Beidou: Haha, I've gotten off-topic. On some level, Ningguang and I are actually business partners too.
: Beidou: Reason being, I'm the only one who can get her some of the more obscure treasures she wants.
: What is the real deal?
: Beidou: It's complicated.
: Beidou: All you need to know is that what might be easily attainable for some people can often be a lifesaver for others who can't get their hands on it.
: Beidou: That's where we come in. It's as simple as that.
: Do you mean... weapons?
: Do you mean... medicine?
: Beidou: Hahahaha...
: Beidou: ... you still have some important things to take care of, don't you?
: Beidou: As long as you don't know what I was referring to, you'll be safe.
: Beidou: So I'm sorry, but I can't tell you for now.
: Beidou: Of course, if the day comes when you've traveled to every corner of the world, found your sibling, and neatly tied up all your loose ends along the way...
: Beidou: You are welcome to come back here, and I will tell you all about it.
: Beidou: You will always be welcome in the Crux Fleet. I hope I get to see you onboard again someday.
===Ending: Once Everything is Over===
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