Ganyu's Hobby
Ningguang let out a soft laugh. "Of course. In fact... the research is nearly complete."
???
Rena Mizunashi could scarcely believe what she had just heard, and even the staff around her let out sounds of open disbelief.
How long had it been since the Cocoon game launch event? A week, hadn't it been? And the Akasha Terminal was already finished?!
They couldn't seriously be joking about this?!
Sensing the stunned stares directed at her, Ningguang elaborated further. "It's really not as dramatic as you're imagining. I'd conceived the idea for the Akasha Terminal long ago and had already begun preparing for it. The Sindora Group's AI technology simply refined what was already there — polishing the Terminal's functions to make them more complete."
"I see." Rena nodded as if in understanding.
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't quite as simple as Ningguang made them sound. For now, she would file it away and decide later whether it was worth reporting to the Organization.
"Speaking of which, we've actually run into a little problem ourselves," Ningguang continued, turning to look at her as if something had just occurred to her. "We could use Miss Mizunashi's opinion as a reference. Would that be all right?"
"Ah? Of course." Rena couldn't imagine what sort of problem a company like Ningguang's could possibly need laypeople's input on, but she agreed without hesitation — surely Ningguang wouldn't be asking anything too technical.
"No need to be nervous. It's a very simple question..." Ningguang went on with a smile. "Tell me, Miss Mizunashi — for the Akasha Terminal, would you prefer an earpiece design, or a wristwatch design?"
Rena: "?"
For a moment she couldn't grasp what Miss Ningguang was getting at.
Seeing her confusion, Ningguang added, clearly amused, "The truth is, our engineers have already finished most of the Terminal's functionality, but they haven't settled on what form the device itself should take. There are two proposals on the table — a watch and an earpiece — and each has its own advantages and its own advocates. Even I find it a little hard to choose, so I wanted to hear your thoughts, Miss Mizunashi, as a reference point."
"I see..." Rena nodded, then lowered her head, furrowing her brow in thought for a moment before looking up and voicing her opinion. "Personally, I think I'd prefer the wristwatch style. It's convenient, and it wouldn't obstruct your line of sight..."
After briefly explaining her reasoning, Rena asked out of genuine curiosity which option Ningguang herself favored.
"I lean toward the earpiece, actually."
After all, in a certain sense, the Akasha Terminal had always been an earpiece-like device to her. If she'd had her way, she wouldn't have changed its form at all.
Unfortunately, most of the staff in the R&D department far preferred the wristwatch design — and so did nearly everyone else, for that matter. It looked as though the Akasha Terminal would end up being a wristwatch after all.
...
Rena asked a few more questions, and with that, the interview drew to a smooth close.
When it came time to leave, it was once again Miss Ningguang's assistant, Ganyu, who saw them out.
"Miss Ganyu, do you have any hobbies?"
On the walk out, escorting the Nichuri TV staff toward the exit, Rena seized the opportunity, hoping to chat with Ganyu a little longer and close the distance between them.
As a CIA deep-cover agent planted inside the Black Organization, Rena was currently bound to obey the Organization's orders — and the task they had assigned her now was to determine whether Noah's Ark, the artificial intelligence under Ningguang's company, still existed, and how far their AI research had actually progressed.
CIA fieldwork, after all, consisted chiefly of gathering and analyzing intelligence — political, economic, and technological — on nations, corporations, underground syndicates, and other organizations, both openly and in secret.
Even though she had no way to contact the CIA at the moment, Rena made a habit of collecting information of this kind regardless. All the more so given that the Sindora Group Ningguang had just acquired was headquartered in the United States — her current projects were bound to have major repercussions for the country. Gathering intel and building good relationships with the relevant people was, therefore, absolutely essential.
Rena had already done her homework. As Ningguang's assistant, Ganyu enjoyed the woman's deep trust; a great many matters were delegated to Ganyu to handle in her stead. Aside from Miss Keqing — who was currently in the U.S. managing Sindora Group affairs — Ganyu was the person Ningguang trusted most.
Moreover, her investigation suggested that Ganyu lacked Keqing's hard-edged intensity. Gentle, considerate of others — that was the impression Rena had formed after spending time around her these past weeks.
Working on Ganyu would be far easier than working on Keqing.
"Hmm? My hobby? My hobby... would be work, I suppose."
Ganyu didn't overthink it, taking the question as ordinary small talk, and answered Miss Mizunashi without much deliberation. It wasn't exactly a sensitive matter, after all.
"......"
Rena found herself at a loss for a response. Did people actually exist who loved work?
"Um... I meant, what do you like to do on your days off? When you're resting?"
She still couldn't bring herself to believe that anyone's hobby could genuinely be work.
"Days off? If you mean weekends or holidays, then... I imagine I'd still be working." Ganyu's expression was entirely earnest. "If I stopped to rest while my work was unfinished, my conscience wouldn't let me. Besides, work is something I genuinely want to do — doing it makes me happy."
"Haha, no wonder you've achieved so much at such a young age, Miss Ganyu. Such diligence — truly admirable." The corners of Rena's mouth twitched as she spoke.
Still... she really hadn't expected Miss Ningguang to be this kind of person. Was she seriously not even letting her own assistant have her holidays?
And what kind of dream employee was Ganyu? Rena honestly felt that even Gin — that workhorse of the Organization — couldn't hold a candle to Ganyu's devotion to her job.
"Oh no, no, I haven't really done anything remarkable. Miss Ningguang and Miss Keqing are the truly impressive ones. I've merely done what was within my duties." Ganyu waved her hands in rapid denial. She certainly didn't consider herself anything special — she simply worked somewhat longer hours than most people.
"You're far too modest, Miss Ganyu." Sensing that the hobby conversation was going nowhere, Rena hastily pivoted to a new topic. "Then tell me — what do you like to eat? Do you have any favorite restaurants? If you're ever free, perhaps we could go together?"
This topic surely couldn't go wrong.
She thought this with only mild uncertainty.
"Hmm... I tend to prefer fresh flowers and vegetables. My tastes may be a little different from most people's," Ganyu answered, looking somewhat embarrassed.