Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

As Pantalonina's words, filled with gentle expectation, drifted down, an invisible sense of scrutiny quietly permeated the air.

The traveler's gaze sharpened, his mind racing.

A wealthy man invited me to invest in something he personally controlled?

The girl looked incredulously at the executive officer in the main seat, whose smile was impeccable.

The big banker's proposal was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly disrupting the traveler's serious argument about the fragility of the Lantern Ticket.

The other party actually wanted to throw this financial web, which he had woven and was full of unknown risks, at the traveler who had just exposed its hidden dangers.
Is this a new test, or is there something else going on?
The traveler suppressed the doubts surging in his heart, his brows furrowing slightly, while Paimon tilted his head in confusion, his gaze nervously shifting back and forth between the two of them.

“Mr. Pantalone, we are merely wandering travelers with limited Mora at our disposal. We have no plans to engage in such risky investments.”

The blonde girl's voice was steady and clear, carrying an undeniable refusal, as she looked directly into Pantalone's eyes, which seemed to see right through people.

“Yes, yes!” Paimon immediately nodded vigorously, gesturing with his little hands, “Every Mora we have is very useful!”

The words of refusal landed clearly, but the traveler did not miss the fleeting glint of brilliance behind Pantalone's lens.

This made the alarm bells in the girl's heart ring even more sharply. The rich man's true intentions were far more than just sales pitches. The traveler's tone turned to direct inquiry, and he leaned forward slightly, tentatively speaking:
"Would the Northern Bank really be interested in such a small business as lantern coupons?"

Upon hearing the traveler's question, Pantaloni Moss's movements on the astrological ring paused briefly, and the gentle, expectant smile on his face receded like the tide.

He slowly raised his eyes to meet the traveler's gaze, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

"Heh...my interest?"

The banker leaned forward slightly, his voice deep and commanding:

"Dear Miss Traveler, don't you know that I am the biggest short seller of the Sky Lantern Tickets?"

The dark-haired man appeared unusually relaxed, as if he were merely discussing the day's ordinary weather.

"However, I am more interested in the Northern Kingdom's plans for the Sky Lantern industry in Mondstadt. So, I discussed some preliminary investment intentions with that great adventurer." The banker spread his hands elegantly. "But everything is still in its infancy and nothing is certain yet."

Pantalone's answer was simple and straightforward, without any attempt to hide anything, and it instantly froze the air in the room.

The hustle and bustle of the Tiger Rock restaurant outside the window seemed to be pulled away, becoming a blurry background noise. Only the Guili Fuying lamp on the table still emitted a dreamy yet lonely halo, with tiny dust particles silently sinking and floating in the beam of light.

"Mr. Pantalone, you're telling me such confidential information so easily? Aren't you afraid I'll leak it?"

The traveler stared in shock at Pantalone, silently cursing the owner of the Northern Bank countless times in his mind.

What a despicable fellow! He doesn't even bother to cover up?

The wealthy man, however, seemed to have heard something amusing, chuckled again, then his smile faded, and his gaze drifted past the window to the Yiyan Hall, perched high atop the Jade Capital Terrace, its green tiles and upturned eaves:
"In Liyue Harbor, this kind of thing is hardly a secret."

The banker's voice carried a subtle hint of mockery.

“Tianquan Ningguang possesses the most comprehensive intelligence network in Liyue. How could my slightest move escape her investigation? Trying to cover it up would only make me a laughing stock.”

At this moment, Pantalone revealed his true nature as an executive of the Fools.

His tone was flippant and arrogant, and a naked desire for power burned in his unfathomable eyes. The floating pavilion above Liyue Harbor was once the symbol of Ningguang, who gained Morax's favor and rose from humble beginnings in Yaoguang Beach to the pinnacle of power in Liyue.

But Pantalone was rejected by the gods and had to travel to a cold land to realize his ideals amidst frost and suffering.

Looking at Pantalone's arrogant demeanor, the blonde girl had a sudden thought, and a question blurted out:

"Mr. Pan, for bankers like you, is wealth really that important? Is it worth pursuing so relentlessly?"

When wealth was mentioned, Pantalone's eyes burned with an even stronger fervor. True to his wealthy reputation, he gracefully raised his fingers, slowly bringing them together before his chest, finally placing them on his heart with an almost reverent, ritualistic gesture.
"of course."

Pantalone's voice was deep.

"The trajectory of money circulation weaves the veins and blood vessels of the world. And at the center of this world, beating, is a... golden heart."

"I will not miss any opportunity to seize this heart, and I will surely gather all the wealth in the world into my palm."

The banker lightly tapped his chest with his fingertip, his obsidian-like eyes flashing with a sharp light.

"That's really... a lofty ambition."

Ying's tone was also undisguisedly cold.

Since Pantalone has no intention of hiding her true intentions, the traveler is no longer going to pretend.

"No wonder some people say you're a greedy and ambitious man. Paimon and I will stop you!"

Pantalone is attempting to control the economic lifeline of Teyvat. This ambition is far from over. As the old adversary of the Fools, she will do everything in her power to stop her. Every Mora in the Northern Bank may be stained with the blood of injustice.

The big banker tilted his head, unusually suppressing all his expressions.

Those deep black eyes were fixed on the blonde girl, an invisible pressure emanating from them, causing the traveler to instinctively tense up for a moment.

But a resilient and unyielding light, like that of amber, quickly ignited in her amber-gold pupils. She slightly raised her head, as if raising a silent battle flag.

Paimon was startled by the tense atmosphere and darted between the two, spreading his short arms to try to block Pantalone's view.

"Rich man! What do you want to do!"

"I'm warning you! This is Liyue Harbor! We have plenty of friends here! Don't do anything reckless!"

However, Pantalone simply shook his head gracefully and almost silently, as if Paimon's warning was nothing more than a trivial breeze, and he paid no heed to the traveler's hostility.

After all, thwarting the plans of the Fools had become a habit for this traveler.

Pantalone's deep gaze returned to Ying's tense face.

“Compared to the worldly Mora…” he suddenly began, his voice lower than before, carrying a hint of elusive inquiry, steer the conversation toward a more taboo direction.

"Miss Traveler, I'd rather know, having traveled through seven kingdoms and seen the world, how do you view those high and mighty gods?" (End of Chapter)