Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

"Oh, I see..."

Paimon solemnly touched his chubby chin with his finger, mimicking the demeanor of an old scholar from Liyue, and nodded heavily, as if he had completely grasped the mystery.

But the vast confusion in the little mascot's eyes betrayed her.

She had no idea what the Lantern Tickets, market pricing, or Mora redemption were all about, and she couldn't understand the connection between these little pieces of paper and the frenzy that gripped Liyue Harbor.

However, the natural inclination to seek novelty and excitement immediately overwhelmed all confusion.

Paimon swiftly flew back to the traveler's side, his small body close to the girl's ear. His large eyes sparkled with pure curiosity and a hint of longing for wealth. He lowered his voice, but couldn't hide his excitement:
"Ying! Ying! Shall we go to Feiyun Money Exchange and buy a few of those Lantern Festival coupons?"

"Look, even if we don't want that new skylight anymore, we can just switch to a Mora! Sounds like we're getting a good deal!"

Paimon, with his silly, smug look as if he'd gotten a bargain, completely missed the fleeting caution in the traveler's eyes.

"This kind of excitement may not be worth joining in."

Zhong Li spoke calmly, his steady and magnetic voice calling out to the little mascot in a measured and unhurried manner.

The Emperor's gaze seemed to penetrate the building's obstruction, sweeping over the frenzied crowd exchanging trading coupons on the street before returning to Paimon's puzzled little face. His tone was gentle yet carried an undeniable persuasiveness.

“My dear Paimon, the publisher’s claim of ‘equivalent exchange for Mora’ is a major fallacy.”

"Oh?" Paimon tilted his head, his confusion deepening. "But... Zhongli, didn't you say we could exchange these coupons for money at the bank?"

“It can be exchanged,” Zhongli nodded slightly, but his tone went straight to the heart of the matter, “but the word ‘equivalent’ is built on a shaky illusion.”

Zhongli raised his hand and pointed to the mountain of lantern materials piled up in the port area, and the newly established workshops further away that were brightly lit but somewhat noisy.

"You see, the new sky lanterns promised by that adventurer require workshops, artisans, and materials to complete. As for the idea of ​​exchanging Mora, its foundation is that institutions like Flying Cloud Bank will have enough Mora to pay for the value of these exchange vouchers."

Zhongli's tone was calm as still water, yet it carried an immense weight.

"Settlement based on the market price at the time meant that the price of the trading vouchers was not fixed, but fluctuated according to people's sentiments."

"If everyone believes that the value of this voucher will rise, and everyone rushes to buy it, driving up the price, this piece of paper can be sold for a price far exceeding its actual value. This is called a false boom."

"Therefore, the circulation value of such trading bonds depends entirely on later entrants using more Mora to buy them."

"No one can guarantee that the adventurer's workshop will be able to produce enough popular lanterns on time and in the required quantity, and no one can guarantee that Flying Cloud Bank and its alliance will still have enough money to pay all holders the Mora they are entitled to when the hype dies down and the run on the bank begins."

Zhong Li paused briefly, watching Paimon's excited face gradually fade.

"This so-called equivalence is nothing but a mirage. The trading vouchers that are currently selling like hotcakes, without the production of real money or a rock-solid financial backing, will likely only fetch a pittance in Mora..."

Zhongli sighed softly, his gaze sweeping once more over the bustling Liyue Harbor.

"The value of these lanterns depends solely on whether we can find another willing holder in time when panic spreads."

"And this wave may very well be extinguished during its transmission... at which point your lantern voucher will be worthless."

Zhongli's incisive analysis, like a profound celestial book, wandered through Paimon's little brain, ultimately leaving only a few vague shadows.

She didn't fully understand those complex financial principles, price bubbles, and bank run risks, but there was one thing that made her clench her little fists tightly.

That's the Lantern Festival Ticket; it seems like you shouldn't touch it.

Thinking of this, Paimon suddenly felt much safer with the Mora in her pocket, but then a strange worry about the unfamiliar resurfaced. She blinked her big eyes, still a little frightened, and stammered as she turned to Zhongli: "Th-th-those people who have already bought the lantern tickets, they…"

Before he could finish speaking, Paimon suddenly had a flash of inspiration and punched his fist in the palm. The crisp sound drew the attention of the people around him.

Her face instantly shifted from worry to excited realization, and her voice rose eight octaves: "Oh! I get it! It must have been that wicked Pantalone! It's his scheme again!"

The little mascot, like a hunter who has caught a fox by the tail, spun around triumphantly in the air, hands on its hips.

"Hmph! Luckily, the quick-witted Paimon saw through his trick early on! He won't fool my Mora!"

Paimon's proud little face, as if he had just saved Liyue Harbor's economy, made the travelers beside him both laugh and cry.

Yingmei understood the cruel truth revealed by Zhongli: this fervor was essentially nothing more than a fragile castle built on the beach.

However, a question also arose in my mind.

Such large-scale speculative behavior, which almost shook the entire port order, was completely unnoticed by Ningguang of Tianquan, who held the economic lifeline of Liyue and had keen insight, and even directly turned a blind eye to it.
Just then, Famas, who had been listening in silence, raised an eyebrow, a hint of knowing mockery flashing in his eyes, but more so an appreciation for Pantalone's methods.

Isn't this lantern festival ticket just an elaborately designed Ponzi scheme disguised as a glamorous holiday?
He was all too familiar with this method, these rules, this manipulative tactic.

At this moment, Famas suddenly understood how Pantarone planned to pay the huge sum of money for the reconstruction of Liyue.

If the Lantern Ticket plan succeeds, the reconstruction costs will not need to be paid by the Northern Bank at all.

“Even if he is bound by your rules, he will create greater wealth and prosperity than you.”

"You're just going to let someone like him escape from Liyue?"

Just as Paimon was indignantly waving his little fists and angrily denouncing Pantalone for using underhanded tactics, Famas, who was listening with his arms crossed, suddenly curled up a slight smile and threw out a surprising compliment.

These provocative words instantly captivated everyone's attention. The Traveler and Ying looked at him with doubt and deep thought, and even Paimon, who was engrossed in uncovering the conspiracy, was abruptly stopped in his tracks.

"Hey! FAM-MAS!"

Paimon was stunned for a moment, then, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, he stomped his feet in anger, his face flushed, and yelled at the boy, "People are talking about that bad guy's conspiracy! Do you have to go against me and cause trouble now?!"

But FAMAS's words were clearly aimed at Zhongli.

To everyone's surprise, the usually gentle and composed guest of the Rebirth Hall fell into a brief, suffocating silence.

His usual composure seemed to be weighed down by an invisible force. After a moment, he slowly raised his eyes, and those amber eyes, which had held the weight of a thousand-year-old contract, now seemed to contain a cold scrutiny. He responded in a firm tone:

"Liyue is a place where merchants gather and a port for contracts."

"Those who abide by contracts and conduct business fairly shall enjoy wealth and honor, while those who hoard goods and manipulate the market will be punished for breach of contract."

Zhongli's voice was as calm as ever, but the weight conveyed in his words was more solemn and clear than usual, like a boulder falling into the clamor, unequivocally proclaiming the fundamental principles of this port.

"Then I'd like to see how you're going to subject Pantalone to the punishment of eating rocks."

"He might as well eat you up like a stone."

Famas deftly draped his arm over Wendy's shoulder, successfully causing the little poet to puff out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. (End of Chapter)