Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

The morning light spills over the towering glazed eaves of the Yujingtai architectural complex, casting clear silhouettes.

The opportunists, having been humiliated in front of the Yiyan Hall, could only retreat dejectedly to the crowded square.

But as time ticked by, anxiety and unease, like silent vines, grew and spread wildly through the dense crowd.

More and more people, having heard the news, gathered outside the tightly closed exchange gates, creating a noisy and anxious atmosphere as they waited for the exchange's explanation and signal to open.

But the heavy door remained silently shut, as if welded shut, and the inside was deathly silent, without a sound of human presence.

There was no clattering of abacus beads, no hurried footsteps, and even the faintest whispers disappeared.

This unusual silence eventually broke the patience of some people.

Taking advantage of the fact that Qianyan Army had not yet appeared, a few audacious individuals exchanged glances and nimbly crept to the side window of the exchange.

After a sickening metallic prying sound, a window was quietly pushed open.

Curious onlookers rushed over to peek, only to find a deep darkness and lifeless silence.

The huge trading hall was completely empty.

"Nobody's here! There's nobody inside!"

The panicked cry was like a drop of boiling oil, instantly exploding in the crowd. Panic spread like an invisible plague, quickly engulfing the entire square.

The Qianyan Army on duty has mysteriously disappeared, and the exchange is deserted... This is definitely not normal!

Amidst the extreme chaos and fear, a few leaders, driven by panic and some hidden greed, began to incite emotions:
"Hey everyone, let's break it open together! Let's see what's going on inside!"

The irrational crowd was ignited, transforming into a blind force.

Together, they used their shoulders and any heavy objects they could grab to violently pound on the tightly closed doors of the stock exchange.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the latch broke, and the heavy door was forced open, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The blinding sunlight from outside flooded into the dimly lit hall, revealing its complete mess.

What met everyone's eyes was a scene of utter chaos, as if the place had been looted.

Bidding paddles were carelessly discarded and trampled on the ground; wooden price tags were askew, some even broken; oilcloth bags containing documents were torn open, scattering the papers inside like snowflakes; ink was spilled on the floor and tables, drying into ugly stains; thick mud and messy footprints covered the ground and counters.

There was also a faint, yet unsettling, smell of burning.

That was the lingering smell of burnt paper, which drifted into everyone's nostrils.

"They've run away! The exchange has absconded with the money!"

Suddenly, someone let out a roar, like cold water poured into boiling oil, and the crowd instantly erupted into chaos.

Panic spread like a plague, gripping everyone who held that thin piece of paper.

Their trusted merchant, the legendary adventurer who roamed the Guili Plains, had vanished without a trace with a fortune of four hundred billion Mora.

Vast wealth was easily plundered, leaving behind only devastation and unbelievable despair.

The news spread like wildfire throughout Liyue Harbor.

The most direct consequence was the collapse of the value of the lantern coupons.

Yesterday's vouchers, which were priced at millions of moana, have plummeted in the blink of an eye. Even with thousands of moana listed, no one is interested. After just one morning, the price has fallen even further, dropping to a mere few hundred moana.

At the market, vendors clutching large stacks of coupons looked pale, while passersby hurried by, none willing to stop and spend a single Mora on this rapidly depreciating pile of worthless paper.

A run on the bank followed immediately.

The official issuers of the Sky Lantern Coupons, namely the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild and a group of Liyue banks, have now become the target of public criticism.

To promote the exchange, these money changers initially promised to provide exchange services at prices based on the previous day's listed rate. When news of the exchange's collapse spread, holders flocked to the money changers' exchange points like a tidal wave.

Angry and terrified bondholders quickly formed long, twisted lines in front of various money shops, completely blocking the streets.

The money changers' information network was clearly one step ahead of the panicked people.

Most money shops, especially century-old establishments like the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, knew that reputation was more valuable than gold. Even though the managers looked ashen and gritted their teeth, they still forced themselves to open for business and directed their employees to count the Mora, trying to maintain a semblance of dignity.

On the counter, heavy bags of Mora were carried out and quickly disappeared under the watchful eyes of countless anxious people.

But delays and excuses quickly followed.

Behind the counters of some money shops, the clerks, with stern faces, demanded that the holders produce overwhelming evidence to prove the legal origin of each lantern coupon. If there was even the slightest flaw, they would refuse to exchange it. Arguments and the banging of the counter were incessant.

Other money changers played a time game, with managers forcing stiff smiles and announcing "cash flow difficulties," changing the exchange to a lengthy installment plan. What used to take only a moment to buy lanterns now required signing a 20-year installment payment agreement to exchange them for Mora.

Even worse, some places were already deserted, with doors and windows tightly shut, leaving only a cold notice pasted on the door. The waiters and managers had vanished without a trace, leaving only a growing number of voucher holders who were almost frantic in front of the door.

For these small money houses in Liyue, abandoning a gilded signboard and starting anew with a new name is far more worthwhile than coughing up real money right now.

Did they pull a Mora from their pockets?
Don't even think about it!
The run on banks swept through Liyue Harbor like an out-of-control wave, instantly engulfing every inch of its commercial life. Panic was no longer confined to the exchange's entrance but had seeped into the rows of shops and bustling markets.

Those shopkeepers who had gladly accepted the lantern coupons to offset their purchase price now looked ashen-faced. Clutching their coupons, which had instantly become worthless, they frantically rushed back to the sellers from yesterday.

The urgent knocking on the door and the almost pleading voices rose and fell. The merchants who were originally shaking hands and making peace suddenly tore off their masks in front of the counter.

"This contract is null and void!"

Accompanied by a stern rebuke, the still-wet ink of the contract was slammed onto the table, or torn in two with a ripping sound right in front of the other party.

The foundation of trust crumbles in the instant interests collapse, and every unresolved transaction becomes a spark that ignites new conflicts.

The former capital of contracts has vanished.

Amidst this ruin where trust has crumbled and everyone is living in fear, only the entrance to the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce's money exchange maintains a semblance of order.

Although the storefront was still packed with surging crowds, the staff behind the counter continued to operate in an orderly manner.

They don't require the voucher holder to prove their ancestry for eight generations, nor do they play word games about twenty-year installments. As long as the voucher is handed over, the clerk will count out half the face value of the voucher, weigh out a heavy Mora, push it across the counter, and move it decisively, with an almost tragic determination.

This practice, so different from all its peers, caused the merchants of Liyue Harbor to exchange knowing glances.

The current head of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce is a shrewd old businessman. Now that this has happened, his methods will only be more ruthless than theirs. The young master, having inherited the family head's skills, would never do something that would ruin the family fortune.

Such courage and responsibility could only come from Xingqiu, the young second son of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce.

The news spread like wildfire, and desperate bondholders flocked to the various branches of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce from all directions. The crowd almost broke through the heavy doors, and every pair of eyes burned with the fervor of grasping at the last straw.

However, this window of redemption did not remain open for long.

Inside the high walls and deep courtyard of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, a furious and heartbroken old man's rebuke suddenly pierced through the carved wooden window, breaking the noise in the front hall.

"Outrageous! Reckless! You're like a son selling his grandfather's land without a care in the world!"

The voice belonged to the former patriarch of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, still dignified, each word like a heavy hammer striking the bluestone slab.

Shortly after this rebuke, all the managers of Feiyun Money Shop received a message to stop exchanging Xiaodeng coupons.

The men exchanged helpless yet respectful glances and silently put away the scales used to count Mora.

The heavy wooden railing slowly descended, separating the inside from the outside of the counter.

Faces filled with astonishment and anger were blocked outside, as people futilely pounded on the tightly closed door.

The Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, the last lifeline in the frenzy of withdrawals, also sank. (End of Chapter)