Morax is dead, Liyue will fall into my hands.

As Wendy regained consciousness, she quickly realized a very serious problem.

Although he knew Li Ye was fooling him, what he said still seemed to make a lot of sense.

At least Mondstadt is in a bad situation, and there isn't a single person in the Knights of Favonius who truly understands economics.

Not to mention the current Mondstadt, which is utterly hopeless from top to bottom.

If we don't try to make changes and let Mondstadt continue to deteriorate...

However, Wendy was well aware of the heavy price that would be paid to destroy an old order and establish a new one.

It is precisely because we understand this that we can make decisions easily.

Should we find an opportunity to tell Commander Qin about this? Let her make the decision?

Wendy's mind was wandering when he turned to look at Zhongli, who was drinking tea.

Seeing this, Zhongli coughed lightly and said, "I'm not very clear about Mondstadt, but Mr. Li is right about one thing: he really understands economic development."

Developing the economy and making money are two different things. In developing the economy, Li Ye uses the wisdom accumulated by billions of people on Earth over thousands of years.

Although I only have a superficial understanding, it is enough for me to dominate the continent of Teyvat.

really?

You guys aren't ganging up on me, are you?

Wendy was a little worried.

Li Ye could tell that Wendy was already somewhat interested, so he wasn't in a hurry; he believed in playing the long game.

It took him a tremendous amount of effort to recruit Zhongli.

Li Ye gently patted Wendy's shoulder and advised, "Mr. Wendy, there's really no need to think too much. When you return to Mondstadt, you can observe the situation there first, and while you're at it, help spread the word about my deeds."

Even without considering all that, it's still good to set a worthy example for the Mondstadt people to learn from.

Perhaps it can also inspire their ambition and rekindle the Mondstadt people's high spirits and enthusiasm for hard work.

Yes, yes, yes, that makes sense.

Wendy nodded repeatedly; he now finally understood what made Li Ye so terrifying.

This guy doesn't need to hide his ambition at all and doesn't mind showing it off.

Even though she knew he had ill intentions, she still couldn't refuse, because the consequences of refusing would only be more terrible.

Wendy had even guessed that even if she didn't help Li Ye, he would still hire hundreds of people to promote culture in Mondstadt every day.

If the Knights of Favonius were to arrest these people, they would be accused of violating the freedom of others, which is not Mondstadt.

If these people are left unattended, Mondstadt might just become an empty shell, just as he predicted. Perhaps Mondstadt really needs a "night hero".

But the more they rely on "Night Heroes," the more it proves the incompetence and powerlessness of the Knights of Favonius.

It's fair to say that Mondstadt is currently in a mess, and there's really no simple and effective solution in the short term.

"Mr. Li, let's talk about Mondstadt later. Zhongli and I are full, so we won't bother you any longer."

Wendy gave Zhongli a wink, and Zhongli followed suit and took his leave.

Li Ye smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Then I won't see you off. If Mr. Wendy has any ideas, you can come and find me directly."

Mr. Zhongli's friend is my friend, Li Ye's friend. The office of "Wanmin Money Exchange" is always open for you.

Wendy pulled Zhongli away from the Glass Pavilion quickly; there were some things he needed to clarify.

It can only be said that no matter how much Barbatos slacks off, as the god of wind, he will still step up at crucial moments to help Mondstadt overcome difficulties.

This was true when the ice and snow of Mondstadt were blown away, when the Mondstadt people were helped to overthrow the old aristocratic system, when the poisonous blood of Dvalin was dispelled with the help of travelers, and it is true now.

However, the predicament Mondl is facing this time is somewhat beyond Wendy's control.

He possessed immense divine power, but once the economy developed to a certain level, without resorting to plunder, divine power alone was insufficient to turn the tide.

Otherwise, Russia wouldn't be relying on selling resources to make a living.

Moreover, Mondstadt's current military capabilities on the Teyvat continent are nowhere near those of Russia, not to mention that Russia occasionally tricks India, a sucker, into making some extra money.

After Wendy left the Crystal Pavilion, she said to Zhongli, "Morax, could you lend Mondstadt the Golden House for a while?"

Zhong Li: "..."

If it weren't for their millennia-long friendship, he would have kicked Wendy back to Mondstadt right now.

You dragged me out here just to ask about this?

Can you please? Don't you have any self-awareness?

Zhongli thought for a moment and said, "Mondstadt has abundant real estate. It can sustain itself for a while by selling resources. Perhaps the expeditionary knights will return before they can't hold on any longer."

Wendy: "..."

Are you Liyue people dead or something?!

Doesn't your conscience hurt when you say that?

That being said, Zhongli's solution was indeed correct.

Mondstadt's top combat forces and talents have all been sent on expeditions, and crucially, there's been no word from them.

Such a nation would have been divided up long ago on Earth. It is only because Teyvat needs to maintain the order established by the Seven Gods, and because Barbatos is still alive, that Mondstadt has been able to continue to exist.

Zhongli explained, "What Li Ye said may have some merit, but Rome wasn't built in a day. With Mondstadt's current size, it can hold out for another 10 or 20 years without any problem. There's no need to take any risks."

It would have been better if Zhongli hadn't said anything; the more Wendy talked, the colder she felt.

By the time it's been twenty years, it will probably be too late to salvage the situation.

Seeing that Wendy was scaring herself, Zhongli coughed twice and said, "Actually, there is another way, which, although not a permanent solution, is likely to solve the Mondstadt problem."

Wendy's eyes lit up when she heard this: "What idea?"

Zhongli said, "Please let the wind god Barbatos return."

This is indeed a solution. Mondstadt's main problems are nothing more than two things. First, the Knights of Favonius are strong on the outside but weak on the inside, unable to provide Mondstadt with a sense of security, leading to capital flight.

The Mondstadt people were too focused on freedom, and even the Knights of Favonius lacked sufficient prestige to lead them in tightening their belts and focusing on development.

Once Barbatos returns, with the Aeolus's reputation and faith in Mondstadt, both of the above problems will be easily solved, at least giving Mondstadt a strong boost.

Upon hearing Zhongli's suggestion, Wendy thought about it seriously for a second and concluded, "I'd better go back to Mondstadt first and discuss how to call the Expeditionary Knights back!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he leaped into the air and disappeared.

Chapter Fourteen: "I'll send my disciple Shen He to help you."

After Zhongli and Wendy left, Li Ye waited for Mona to finish her meal, and then the two of them left the Liuli Pavilion together.

Mona, who was completely satisfied with her meal, had never felt so content. She realized that the joy of having money was something she had never understood before.

"Boss, is Mondstadt really that dangerous?"

Walking through the night market in Feiyunpo, Mona asked the question that had been bothering her.

She didn't really care what happened to Mond, she just didn't want Abedo and Cleo to be homeless.

Especially Klee, she probably still wants to stay in Mondstadt and wait for her mother to come home, right?

Li Ye laughed when he heard Mona's question: "Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. If Mond wants to survive, he can definitely last for a long time."

Maybe even after I die, Mondstadt will still stand tall.

However, while announcing the survival of a nation may be a matter of a single moment, the decline of a nation is a continuous and gradual process.

Since 90% of Mondstadt's core strength was withdrawn, it was destined to decline, and no one could stop it.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Knights of Favonius can still keep Mondstadt running. As long as the Knights of Favonius and Barbatos don't return, and things continue like this, it will take another twenty, thirty, or fifty years.

When the disease reaches its terminal stage, there is no cure.

Li Ye didn't want to devour Mondstadt in one go; he didn't have that kind of appetite, or rather, he didn't have it for the time being. But he did have the ambition to get a share of the pie, and a very big one at that.

If Mondstadt is willing to give up this share, then both sides will be happy. If not, then Li Ye wouldn't mind collecting Mondstadt's corpse later. At that time, Hall Master Hu might also be very happy.

There's nothing we can do; we can only blame Mondstadt for being too far from heaven and too close to ourselves.

Mona nodded, seemingly understanding, "So... the boss's suggestion was correct?"

"No, different choices lead to different results. Many things are not a matter of right or wrong. Because no one can predict what will happen in the future."

As Li Ye spoke, he looked at Mona, but surprisingly, Mona not only did not refuse, but agreed and said, "That's right, the future is indeed full of unknowns, which is why it's called the future."

"Oh? I thought you, as an astrologer, would disagree with me."

"The boss is right, why argue? Divination is just a means to help predict the future; it's merely a method of speculation."

Thinking of this, Mona stroked her chin and pondered for a few seconds before organizing her thoughts and explaining to Li Ye: "The principle of water astrology is that the twinkling stars in the sky represent the fate of all people. Although what is reflected on the water is an illusion, the truth will eventually be revealed."

In other words, everything that happens on the continent of Teyvat is recorded by the stars.

Ordinary people cannot access this information from astrological records, but I can interpret it using water-based astrology.

Furthermore, based on the interpreted information and the normal trajectory of the stars, one can predict future fate.

However, unexpected events can happen, because it's impossible for anyone to account for all possible contingencies.

Hearing Mona's explanation, Li Ye nodded as if he understood but not quite.

Divination in Teyvat is also based on known information to predict future outcomes.

The constellations in the sky are like a vast database, recording everything that happens in Teyvat.

Is astrology the backend that extracts and calculates vast amounts of information stored in a database?

Ultimately, is the astrologer's mouth the front end for presenting all the data?

So, Java really is the origin of everything?

Are you astrologers programmers too?

Will I still be fired after I turn 35?

Li Ye pondered this for a moment, then asked, "Could you tell me my future destiny? I'm quite curious."

"Sure, it's actually quite easy to ride."

As Mona spoke, she summoned a ball of water elemental, which quickly transformed into a surface of water, reflecting the starry sky of the Teyvat continent.