Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

Pantalone's gaze shifted towards the booth the moment the auction gavel struck.

The auctioneer's white-gloved hands rested on both sides of the glass display case. The dim light from the sky lanterns cast a light golden hue on her cheongsam:

"My distinguished guests should have heard that this ancient lamp is a rare treasure discovered by an adventurer from the ruins of Guiliyuan."

The woman spoke in an excited tone, and the deliberately drawn-out ending sound vibrated under the dome. "After being jointly identified by the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce and scholars from the Xumi Vahumana Academy, it was found to be the only intact ancient Liyue Sky Lantern in Teyvat!"

In the halo of the crystal chandelier, Pantalone stroked the malachite on her pinky ring.

The auctioneer was using an aria to describe the craftsmanship value of the returning bird pattern on the gilded lamp stand, but he did not mention the source of the immortal power in the lamp, nor did he say the name of the Demon God of Dust, Guizhong. It seemed that even the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce did not know the true details of this ancient lamp.

"Now it has also been given a unique name [Return of the Floating Shadow], and its starting price this time is 40 million Mora, and each bid increase must be no less than 500,000 Mora."

It was not until the bidding hammer knocked on the booth for the third time that the title of Floating Shadow Returning to the Past was uttered into the silent venue along with the starting price of 40 million Mora.

"Forty-one million!"

As soon as the auctioneer finished his introduction, people started bidding, and the voices almost all came from the private rooms on the same floor as Pantalone.

Several golden bells rang at the same time, and the sound of bidding came one after another like boiling syrup flowing over the carved fence.

Pantalone leaned back in the goose down chair and looked at the warm glow in the display case.

The authority that should have belonged to the earthly rulers is now flickering in the greed of mortals.

Bankers were not in a hurry to bid, as Northland Bank's strong capital was enough to crush any competitor's delusions.

Pantalone now mentioned the traveler's refusal of the gift, with a look of regret on his face: "It's just a decoration anyway, and I always enjoy the process of getting treasures more."

"I understand what you mean, Mr. Pan, but I really can't accept such a gift."

The traveler refused again, Paimon seemed to hesitate, and then was immediately glared back by the girl.

"Since Miss is determined to refuse, I will not force you to do anything."

Pantalone tapped the armrest of the chair with his slender fingers and stopped entangled with Ying.

The banker always knew when to show grace, just as he always knew when to make the best offer.

The price of Fuying Guili on the booth had already climbed to 45 million Mora, but the bidding fell into silence the moment Pantalone lazily uttered "50 million".

The big banker didn't even straighten up from the back of his chair, as if the number he quoted was just ordinary pocket money.

"Are they, the Winter People, burning Mora as firewood?"

Paimon was stunned by the wealth displayed by Pantalone, grabbing the traveler's cloak and shaking it, "The pocket money that the young master gave to Tok is not just a drop in the bucket, right?"

The traveler felt inexplicably palpitating at this moment. Pantalone, who controlled the Bank of the North, seized wealth in the Seven Kingdoms through the Fatui and built a huge financial empire with unspeakable transactions.

How could such a calculating banker make a losing deal?

"Fifty-one million!"

A merchant from Fontaine followed Pantalone's bid and offered a new high price for the lamp.

Under the frosted crystal chandelier, Pantalone calmly adjusted the wrinkles on his gloves, and his fingertips paused when he heard the bidding voice with a Fontaine accent. "Fifty-five million."

The banker counted as leisurely as telling the time, and even had enough time to adjust the mithril collar pin in the shape of an ice mist flower on his collar.

When the Fontaine merchants and Xumi scholars raised the price by millions, the head of the Northland Bank lowered his eyes and chuckled, his eyelashes casting a butterfly-wing-like shadow on his porcelain-white face.

When the bidding reached a critical point, the voices of bids in the venue gradually decreased, and the price gradually climbed to 60 million. Pantalone sighed with regret:

"Alas, if we continue to bid up the price, it will only tarnish the value of this artwork..."

The seat shimmered as he leaned forward, his sable shawl slid down in an elegant arc, and the man stroked the sapphire cufflinks, spitting out numbers like ice picks piercing glass.

"However, Northland Bank is willing to pay 70 million Mora."

The old butler Russell raised the bid on behalf of Pantalone. Amid the gasps from the audience, the banker maintained his elegant sitting posture as if he was appreciating a famous painting.

In fact, Feiyun Chamber of Commerce has always put guests' privacy first, especially the ingenious design of the private rooms on the second floor. As long as the guests do not take the initiative to reveal their identities, bidders in the adjacent boxes will never know who their opponents are.

However, Pantalone turned a blind eye to these confidentiality mechanisms and deliberately instructed Russell to leave the words "Northland Bank" on the bidding board.

The traveler also couldn't understand the deeper meaning of Pantalone's flamboyant behavior.

With the strong financial resources of the Northland Bank, it could have easily crushed the entire field with Mora. Why did it need to show off its chaebol background in such a high-profile manner?

Such an aggressive display at an auction of this scale will inevitably give people the impression that the bank is bullying others, which will not be beneficial to the bank's long-term business layout.

The development of the situation at the auction house indeed confirmed the traveler's judgment. With the increase of the reputation of the rich man, the merchants who were originally eager to try all gave up.

These shrewd Liyue merchants were unaware of the connection between the Ancient Lamp of Floating Shadows and the Demon God of Dust, so they naturally did not think that this intricately carved sky lantern could produce any practical benefits other than its luxurious function of embellishing banquets.

When the bid climbed to 50 million Mora, half of the bidders shook their heads and smiled bitterly; when the hammer blasted at 60 million, the only two remaining competitors put down their price tags with solemn expressions after the attendant whispered.

After all, if they offended the Northland Bank at the top auction house in Liyue Harbor, they would end up in an embarrassing situation where Mora was killed and Zhidong was angered.

Finally, the auctioneer's gavel knocked on the jade table three times, and Fuying Guili was sold for a sky-high price of 70 million. Pantalone, the head of Northland Bank, successfully pocketed this expensive trophy.

After the transaction, Pantalone seemed to lose interest in all subsequent lots.

He put the auction catalogue on the desk with a dull look, and his gentle voice, wrapped in the fragrance of tea, drifted towards the traveler:
"Miss Ying, it is early winter now, and the dew on Yujing Typhoon is still heavy at noon. Why don't you come with me? Since you have been invited by the Seven Stars to escort me, I will trouble you for the rest of the journey."

When Pantalone picked up the celadon teacup, his eyelashes drooped, his dark pupils were lost in the shadows cast by his eyelids, and the amber halo created by his smile flowed in his eyes.

Such gentle and elegant demeanor could easily let people down. If anyone had not witnessed his thundering methods in the Golden House, they would have mistaken him for a Confucian businessman who was indifferent to worldly affairs.

"Well, for the sake of delicious food, Lord Paimon will reluctantly agree to your request!"

The little white elf cleared his throat in a mature manner, but his fingers honestly tugged at the traveler's ribbon.

Although they spoke words of compromise, the three people present knew in their hearts that the one who truly held the power of decision-making was always the silly-looking blonde girl.

At this moment, Yingmei also acquiesced to Pantalone's arrangement.

After all, although she already knew the source of the remaining immortal power in the Floating Shadow Returning Lamp, she still didn't know the secret of the end of the Demon God of Dust and the reason why Pantalone participated in the auction. She still needed to pry open a gap from this Fatui executive. (End of this chapter)