[The young man leads you into the courtyard.]
[Seeing the dilapidated state of the courtyard, your heart fills with complex emotions.]
[Long ago, you suffered countless humiliations and cold indifference within these walls.]
[You left this home with nothing but hatred and pain.]
[Now, returning under a different identity, you find your heart strangely calm.]
[Entering the main hall, you see the man who once filled you with bitter resentment sitting proudly in the head seat, accompanied by your younger brother.]
[Beside the man stands a lovely young woman with coral-colored waist-length hair, wearing a distinctive red hat and flipping through a thick legal tome, murmuring softly.]
[The man eyes you arrogantly. "You're the negotiator sent by the Crux Fleet?"]
["Yes." You pay no further attention to this man. You know clearly that the real person you'll need to deal with this time is Yanfei.]
[Being blatantly ignored, anger flashes briefly across the man's eyes.]
["Is this the courtesy of your Crux Fleet? Do you no longer know how to greet the patriarch of a prestigious family?"]
[You glance at the pompous man before you, scoffing lightly. "Prestigious family? Judging by the look of this place, I assumed I'd wandered into an abandoned ghost house."]
[Turning your attention to Yanfei, you ask, "What's the issue with the goods this time?"]
[Yanfei's emerald-green eyes calmly meet yours. "My client claims the Dendrobiums you delivered were defective. All of them wilted and died shortly after delivery."]
[As she speaks, Yanfei produces a dried, withered Dendrobium and hands it to you. "Please confirm if this is indeed your cargo."]
["Yes, this is indeed part of the batch we brought back from Inazuma."]
[You carefully inspect the Dendrobium and confirm its origin.]
[Ordinary Dendrobiums can be made into Redrot Bait, used for fishing, but your client specifically requested premium-quality Dendrobiums to produce cosmetics such as blush and lipstick.]
[Thus, the quality requirements were extremely high.]
[The batch you transported were purchased from the finest suppliers in Inazuma, each flower sturdy and vibrant.]
["Dendrobiums require very specific growing conditions," you explain calmly. "They need a humid yet brightly sunlit environment to survive. Could you tell me exactly where you kept them after delivery?"]
["I already know that! Of course, I put them in the dampest place in our residence!"]
[The dampest place?]
[Beneath your mask, your lips curl into a mocking smile.]
[You already know exactly where he's talking about.]
["Then please take us there," you request.]
[Confidently, the man leads you and Yanfei into a shabby little courtyard.]
[Yanfei nods thoughtfully. "This place certainly is humid, and at the moment, there's plenty of sunlight. It seems suitable for Dendrobiums."]
[You reply unhurriedly, "The humidity is sufficient, yes, but sunlight—not quite. Because this courtyard is backed by Chihu Rock, it only gets about two hours of sunlight in the afternoon. I suppose that's why you arranged for me to visit at this specific hour."]
["What— How do you... You're talking nonsense!" the man splutters angrily. "This spot gets plenty of sunlight all day; it absolutely meets the requirements!"]
["Miss Yanfei," you continue calmly, "you can easily confirm this by asking the older servants here. When we delivered the Dendrobiums, we provided detailed instructions for proper care. Your earlier words prove you're fully aware of those requirements."]
["Despite knowing Dendrobiums are delicate, you deliberately placed them in an unsuitable environment. Was this an attempt to kill them on purpose, so you could extort compensation from the Crux Fleet?"]
["Then again," you add mockingly, "given how poorly your cosmetics shop is doing, scamming the Crux Fleet must seem quicker and easier than running an honest business, right?"]
[Your words perfectly strike the man's guilty conscience. His face flushes red with rage and humiliation. "You're spouting nonsense!"]
["Mr. Kael," Yanfei interjects curiously, "How did you know so specifically about this courtyard?"]
["Kael...? Kael?!" the man suddenly gasps, staring at your masked face in horror. "You're Kael?!"]
[You glance coldly at the man's terrified expression before calmly answering Yanfei, "Because I used to live here. Nobody knows this courtyard better than I do."]
[Though you've long since moved past these old grievances, you can't help but feel a small thrill of satisfaction seeing his frightened reaction.]
["It's been a long time, Father. And you too, Brother."]
["Impossible!" your younger brother shrieks, staring at your tall, imposing figure in disbelief. "You can't be that monster! He died years ago!"]
["Oh?"] You slowly remove your mask, revealing your distorted face. "Do you recognize this face now?"]
[The father and son stare at you in shock and fear. "It's really you..."]
[You calmly replace your mask and turn to Yanfei apologetically. "Sorry, I got carried away. I hope my face didn't startle you, Miss Yanfei."]
[Yanfei shakes her head earnestly. "Not at all. Mr. Kael, I admire your abilities greatly, and I'm not someone shallow enough to judge others by appearances."]
["Since your identity has been clearly established, your account is likely the truthful one. Therefore, this commission is invalid. I won't pursue any further legal action against the Crux Fleet on their behalf."]
[The man roars angrily at Yanfei, "We've already paid you Mora! How dare you take our money without following through?!"]
[Yanfei smiles gently. "Our contract explicitly states that if the client's testimony is found fraudulent, the commission is invalidated, and the initial payment will not be returned."]
[You observe the man's helpless fury and chuckle lightly.]
["Miss Yanfei, aside from the initial commission fee, I assume you were also set to receive a portion of the compensation. To make up for your losses, I'd like to hire you myself—at double your usual rate—as my legal advisor."]
["This father-son duo attempted fraud and extortion, as well as slandering the Crux Fleet's good name. I'd like to commission you to pursue legal action against them for defamation and seek appropriate compensation."]
["Of course, I'd be happy to," Yanfei accepts without hesitation.]
[Some time later, Yanfei visits the Crux Fleet.]
["The father and son don't have enough Mora to pay the compensation. They're offering to mortgage their ancestral home instead. Would you accept this form of compensation?"]
["Gladly."]
[If sold, that ancestral home would fetch tens of millions of Mora, far exceeding your expectations. (Talent "Born Rich" passively activated.)]
["You've worked hard during this period," you tell her warmly. "The Crux Fleet is holding a banquet tonight—would you care to stay and celebrate with us, Miss Yanfei?"]
[Yanfei tilts her head curiously. "What exactly are you celebrating?"]
[Your eyes soften with warmth. "We're celebrating the successful conclusion of our Captain's The Crux Clash, and her safe return to the Alcor."]