[Kutsuji] There is.
[player] What is it?
[Kutsuji] Don't play. If you never lose, you basically always win, right?
[Kutsuji] When you insist on playing, you face the four inevitable stages of mahjong: a good starting hand, an ever-elusive Tenpai, ending in disappointment, and just one more game.
[Kutsuji] But why would you want to win constantly anyway? Mahjong's like life--the fun lies in the uncertainty of it all! After all, who among us hasn't been enchanted by a dream of hitting the jackpot?
[player] You're trying to pull one over on me. I'm not so naive a Jyanshi that I'd believe you'd really trade your intel for a box of tea.
[-] Kutsuji's hand flies to his heart as a hurt expression forms on his face.
[Kutsuji] When one side loses trust, it can never again be recovered.
[player] Feelings are bad for business.
[-] Just then, I see Noah pass her phone to Kutsuji. Apparently, she wants him to see something. Kutsuji clicks his tongue and smiles meaningfully.
[Kutsuji] Well... It would seem you're getting more tightfisted with your intel. Fortunately, we've gotten what we needed through another channel.
[Kutsuji] And so, we'll leave things off here. Until next time, boss.
[-] Kutsuji and Noah go, leaving Yuan Xiao and I mystified...
[Yuan Xiao] Um... What is going on here?
[player] Hmm. I'm not sure, but... let's get this job done first.
Anyway... this tea delivery is far more than we bargained for.
[Eliisa] Bad Shaun! No chewing on Mr. Wolf's cases!
[Yuan Xiao] Tea-marinated lamb...
[player] Bad Yuan Xiao! No thinking about eating Shaun!
[Haruna Igarashi] No, kitty! Spit that out! That's not catnip!
[player] ...Can we see again how that cat opened up my case with its paw pads?
[Yuan Xiao] Wow! Such a chubby orange cat! C'mere kitty, pspsps.
[player] Don't just stop and play with it!
[Eve Krist] Relax, no one touched this case when you two went running off just now.
[player] Thank you so much! Huh? This case... smells a little funny.
[Eve Krist] Oh! I was looking everywhere for the stinky tofu daifuku I just bought. It was flattened under the box!
[Yuan Xiao] I guess we were in such a rush, we didn't look where we put it.
[player] Oh no! The smell got into the tea leaves too...
[Yuan Xiao] No matter how unique a tea is... somebody will always enjoy it...
Half a day passes by in the blink of an eye
[-] In the end, the only way Yuan Xiao and I can evade Chihori Terasaki's camera and questions is by climbing over the wall and into Bamboo Cloud's rear court.
[-] As soon as we land, we see Fei Ming sitting in the garden and holding a teapot. As if wholly unsurprised by our entrance, he continues pouring without missing a beat.
[-] Ume is sitting next to him. The corners of her mouth raise slightly when she sees our somewhat disheveled state, like she's trying to keep from laughing.
[Ume] Yuan Xiao, would you please check over the tea samples with me?
[Ume] PLAYER, you can stay here and entertain our guest.
[-] Ume and Yuan Xiao go, leaving the huge courtyard to just Fei Ming and me.
[-] To break the silence, I pluck up the courage to ask him the question.
[player] Mr. Fei Ming, what tea did you give Ms. Minami that day?
[-] Without answering, he pours out the tea in front of me and fills it with boiled water. He then hands it back to me.
[-] Looking at his stoic expression, I wonder... could there be some sort of secret in this boiled water?
[-] I take a small sip.
[player] Isn't this just... plain boiled water?
[-] He shakes his head, then pours boiled water into his own cup as well.
[Fei Ming] If you think it's water, then it's water. If you think it's tea, then it's tea.
[player] You mean, tea is just a vibe?
[Fei Ming] Heh, it's just a label for it, nothing more. What you see, think, and understand in the moment you're drinking it, as well as what you think it should be, all make it what it is.
[player] Then... what did Ms. Minami see that day?
[Fei Ming] You'll have to ask her yourself. How would a bystander know what she glimpsed in her cup?
[Fei Ming] Or...
[-] Fei Ming taps his cup with his finger and scans over me with his eyes.
[Fei Ming] One day, when you earn the privilege of being an honored guest on Magical Dream's third floor... you'll understand.
[-] Magical Dream's third floor... I'm suddenly taken back to my conversation with Kutsuji earlier...
[player] Is Strix the only intelligence organization in One Han City?
[Kutsuji] That depends on your definition. If trading in information is all it takes to be an intelligence organization, then... heh, Magical Dream counts as one too.
[player] Magical Dream?
[Kutsuji] That tea house on Champion Street. They say the people that go to the third floor all come out in a daze, like empty shells of themselves. I bet they saw something their minds couldn't handle. But you wouldn't believe something like that, would you?
[Kutsuji] Wait a minute! Hey! You're going to go give the competition your money, are you?! Where did I fall short??
[-] Without saying another word, Fei Ming gets to his feet. He picks up an unused cup from the antique tea set and hands it to me.
[Fei Ming] This tea set is from Magical Dream's collection, it's been around for quite some time now. Destiny brought you and the tea house together, and that's earned you this teacup. Until we meet again.
[-] I feel a little nervous as I hold this precious cup in my hands.
[player] This is like a cultural relic. You're not worried I'll damage it?
[-] Fei Ming smiles. He rolls up his sleeves and prepares to leave.
[Fei Ming] Since you were destined to be brought together, its fate is in your hands now.
After Fei Ming gathers his things and leaves, I continue to sit alone in the courtyard, holding the precious cup in my hands, until Yuan Xiao comes charging back.
[Yuan Xiao] Kind soul! We did all that work for nothing!
[player] What happened? Is there something wrong with the tea?
[Yuan Xiao] No... there's something wrong with my boss! He brought the tea samples here himself, that's why he was already here!
[player] What? Then the tea we delivered...
[Yuan Xiao] Your boss ordered a few boxes of the most expensive tea we have! So much for everything being above board while they gave us the runaround...
[Yuan Xiao] Why didn't they tell us any of this before?! I'm so mad!
[-] Seeing how frustrated Yuan Xiao is, I hastily reach out and offer her a comforting pat on the shoulder.
[player] At least we'll still get our usual paychecks. As for the work itself... we just have to do what our bosses tell us to. Try not to take it so hard.
[-] Hearing this, Yuan Xiao slowly looks up at me. Pity and sympathy fill her eyes.
[Yuan Xiao] But Ms. Minami said that the cost of the damage to the tea bags will be deducted from your salary...
[player] ...
[Yuan Xiao] Huh? Hey, kind soul! You shouldn't take it so hard either!
[Yuan Xiao] Kind soul...
Memento Received: Teacup From Fei Ming
