Genshin Impact: Watch me turn the tables and kill my servants at the start!

The next morning, Fanes was still dreaming in bed, dreaming that he was in his leaky attic in Fontaine, eating black bread and working on his manuscript, when suddenly an invisible hand pulled him into a room full of golden shrimp balls.

He was squatting among a pile of shrimp balls, eating them with grease dripping from his mouth, when a knock on the door dragged him out of his sweet dream.

Fanes rubbed his eyes and sat up, only to find that Yakoda was already dressed and standing at the foot of the bed, her hair neatly combed and goggles hanging around her neck, looking capable and ready to go at any moment.

"Boss! I've already had someone take care of the tea delivery you asked me to do yesterday! The delivery guy was incredibly polite, all bow and scrape, and he even picked out a nice gift box with a red ribbon tied on it, it looks so presentable."

Fanes yawned and mumbled an "okay." He had arranged the delivery of tea last night before going to bed, specifically choosing a clever-looking and sweet-talking soldier from the Fools to run the errand. He repeatedly instructed the soldier three times—be polite, be courteous, and no matter how the other party reacted, don't put on airs like a member of the Fools.

The soldier patted his chest and assured him that he would definitely complete the mission. Before leaving, Fanes gave him two bags of Mora and said, "If they don't accept the tea, just go to the pastry shop next door and buy a few boxes of freshly baked lotus flower pastries and send them over. Just show your attitude."

Now that Yakoda said the matter was settled, a weight was lifted from his heart. As for whether Zhongli would accept it, and what his reaction would be, that was a matter for later. In any case, he had given the gift, the gift had been delivered, and his sincerity had been expressed; the rest depended on Lord Rock God's mood.

After finishing breakfast, Fanes paced back and forth in the lobby of the Northern Bank twice, realizing that he really didn't have much to do.

The Fatui's daily affairs in Liyue are handled by designated personnel, and major events that need to be reported to headquarters are not for him to make decisions on—who would dare let a six-year-old make the final decision? Even if he signed it, it would probably have to be reviewed again when it was sent back to headquarters.

The twelfth seat is nominally the highest-ranking official, but his actual job is simply to wander around Liyue Harbor a few times a day to let the spies on the Seven Stars know that he is still alive.

Fanes was very satisfied with this.

He had money to spend, food to eat, errands to run, and no one to urge him to work. This kind of life was infinitely better than when he suffered from stomach problems from overworking in his previous life.

Leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed, holding a steaming cup of osmanthus tea, he pondered whether he could arrange a wilderness trip for himself in the next few days.

I heard there's a place called "Tianqiu Valley" near Liyue Harbor with beautiful scenery, and you can also go hiking to exercise this six-year-old's little body.

Just as Fanes was thinking about which mountain or forest to have a picnic in, the doors of the Northern Bank were pushed open.

A white-haired woman walked in.

When Fanes' gaze fell on her, he instinctively sat up straighter. The woman was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with long white hair reaching her waist neatly tied back. Her features were delicate and sharp, and her eyes and brows carried a shrewdness and composure unique to a merchant.

Wearing a well-tailored dark long dress with a slightly trailing hem, she walked at a leisurely pace, her gaze sweeping around the hall before heading straight to the counter.

Fanes, holding a teacup, watched from across the hall as she stood in front of the counter, took a document from her sleeve, and handed it in.

The teller took it and glanced at it a few times. Her expression changed visibly—first surprise, then difficulty, and finally a complex look of "I can't make up my mind about this amount, I need to consult my superiors."

The teller turned and glanced in Fanes' direction. Fanes met his gaze across half the hall and understood that this was probably a loan application with a large sum of money that required the executive officer's personal approval.

He put down his teacup, slid off the chair, and walked to the counter with his short legs. He stood on tiptoe and glanced at the document on the counter.

The moment Fanes saw the numbers, he felt his mind go blank.

One, ten, hundred, ten thousand, ten thousand, million, hundred ......

He counted the zeros after the number twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He looked up at the white-haired woman standing in front of him, then looked down at the loan application, and then looked up at her again.

The woman noticed his gaze, turned her head slightly, and her amber eyes lingered for a moment on Fanes' loose Fool's coat before she spoke, her voice clear and polite: "This... young sir, are you in charge of the bank?"

Fanes swallowed hard. "I am the twelfth seat of the Fools, and I am currently in charge of the Liyue branch of the Northern Bank... And you are?"

The white-haired woman nodded slightly, took out a name card from her sleeve, and handed it over with a smooth and elegant movement: "Ningguang. Liyue Business Community. I'm here to apply for a loan to expand merchant shipping and dock and warehouse construction in the northern district of Liyue Harbor."

Fanes took the name card and glanced at it. The two characters "Ningguang" were written neatly and powerfully, and there was a delicate little seal at the bottom. He stood behind the counter, holding the name card, his brain working rapidly for three seconds.

Ningguang. Liyue. Tianquan Star. The future leader of the Liyue Seven Stars, who will one day be able to turn the tide of events with a flick of her wrist, stands before him now as nothing more than a young businesswoman at a crucial juncture in her career.

Fanes glanced down at the figures on the loan application again, and had a general idea of ​​what was going on. This amount would be unimaginable for ordinary people, but for Tianquan Star, which would one day control most of Liyue's economic lifeline, it would probably just be a threshold for the start of her business empire.

If you cross that threshold, you'll reach the stars and the sea; if you don't, you'll have to endure decades more as a merchant in Liyue Harbor.

Fanes handed the name card back to Ningguang, and under her somewhat surprised gaze, climbed onto the high stool next to the counter, which was specially prepared for children—a stool that the staff of the Northern Bank had specially prepared for him so that he could look customers in the eye when he sat at the counter—and then put his hands on the counter, making an expression that said, "I am now in charge."

"Miss Ningguang, this loan amount is quite substantial. Could you tell me specifically how you plan to use it?"

Ningguang raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised that this boy, who looked no more than six or seven years old, would ask such a serious question. But she quickly regained her composure and calmly explained her plans for the North District port trade, the layout of warehouse construction, and her expectations for capital inflow over the next three years.

Ningguang explained in great detail and with such clarity that Fanes felt as if he were listening to a business pitch presentation from his past life, except that the other person hadn't brought any slides and was just giving a verbal explanation.

Fanes listened and nodded. After a moment of silence, he made a decision.

"I've approved this loan."

Fanes jumped down from the bar stool, walked to the counter, picked up the seal, dipped it in red ink, gritted his teeth, and stamped the twelfth seat's seal on the approval section of the application (if this job goes well, there will be a huge profit reward; if this job fails, he can forget about getting a salary for the rest of his life!). Then he walked back and handed the document back to Ningguang.

"The funds from Northern Bank will arrive in your account by the day after tomorrow at the latest. Interest will be charged at the standard rate, but the first month's interest payment can be deferred. You can pay it back once your trade activity picks up."

Ningguang took the document, a fleeting hint of surprise flashing in her amber eyes, but one that Fanes caught. She glanced down at the stamped application, then looked up at the young boy in the loose coat before her, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Young man, you're quite efficient. May I ask your name?"

"Fanes. Just call me Twelfth."

Ningguang nodded, carefully put away the documents, and turned to walk towards the door. She paused as her skirt swept across the threshold, glanced back at Fanes, and said in a tone of unspoken politeness between businessmen: "If you ever need Ningguang's help in the future, Mr. Twelve, please don't hesitate to ask."

Fanes waved to her, smiling brightly, "Alright! May your business prosper, Sister Ningguang!"

After Ningguang's figure disappeared outside the door, Fanes leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. Akoda, who had somehow appeared from the corner, climbed into the chair next to him and sat down, her starry eyes filled with curiosity.

"Boss, who is that lady? The amount of money you just approved was so much, my eyes are blurry."

Fanes picked up the bowl of osmanthus tea, which had gone mostly cold, and took a sip: "She'll be the richest woman in Liyue Harbor in the future. Let's invest now, so we can have a favor to show for it when she becomes successful."

Yakoda nodded as if she understood, then suddenly remembered something: "Boss, are we still going hiking in Tianqiu Valley today?"

Fanes glanced at the bright sunlight streaming through the window, then felt the considerable amount of Mora's spare change still in his pocket. He jumped off the chair: "Go! Of course I'll go! A business trip and a wilderness vacation both on the paycheck—these days are numbered, so let's enjoy them while we can!"

Fanes pulled Jakoda's hand and walked towards the door. As they passed the counter, he called out to the teller, "Please use the priority lane for Ningguang's loan. Don't keep people waiting too long."