Mr. Pantalone has no crazy plans today.

Upon seeing Pantalone's arrival, he almost immediately stepped forward and greeted him respectfully.

“Lord Pantalone, we have prepared everything you asked me to do. We are ready to begin as soon as your orders are given.”

“You’ve done a good job, Yusupov, but I’d rather know about the candidates than those things.”

Pantalone responded to the answer from the Fool's ambassador named Yusupov, then looked at another intellectual-looking young man from Liyue beside her and asked him a question.

"Yes, Lord Pantalone."

The young man dressed as a Liyueite responded with the same humility after being questioned by Pantarone.

Humility, yet subtly tinged with awe and reverence, is perhaps best exemplified by the pilgrimage-like expression of a fanatic upon seeing their idol.

The ambassador named Yusupov, standing beside the young man, was not surprised by the young man's behavior.

As Yusupov's adjutant to the Fatui ambassador to Liyue, he witnessed firsthand the preparations during this period.

Pantarone effortlessly manipulated and built a vast network of relationships in Liyue. This was something unimaginable to others, but it was far too simple for "Rich Man," one of the Fatui Enforcers.

As someone who manipulates wealth, Pantalone is one of the most insightful executives when it comes to understanding people's hearts.

It's probably unimaginable to him that simply going out for a meal and chatting with people could spark such an incredible craze, and it was all just something Pantalone did on a whim.

He knew very well that this was hardly a deliberate act for the wise Mr. Pantalone.

He could even imagine that for Lord Pantalone, this was nothing more than a casual move he made to pass the time.

Even though Pantalone never intentionally did so, there were still many people among them who were captivated by him and developed a fanatical worship of him, regarding him as an idol.

The young man named Zhiyi in front of them was one of them, and Pantalone generously gave him guidance.

Born into poverty, Zhiyi harbors a deep obsession with power. People like him, with their humble origins, desperately hope to change their social class by acquiring power.

For him, the appearance of Pantalone was like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone who desperately wanted to turn his life around.

For someone like him who desperately wanted to change his social class, such an opportunity was one he absolutely could not allow to pass up.

Especially after talking with Pantalone and learning about Pantalone's past experiences, he became even more convinced that Pantalone was a role model and example worthy of his emulation.

This convinced him that he was on the right track, and he joined Pantalone's team.

Zhiyi's performance has lived up to Pantalone's investment in it. In a very short time, it has gained excellent reputation and high influence, becoming one of the most promising candidates among current investment targets.

However, Zhiyi was not special to Pantalone. He had arranged for several other people to be mentored and given investment opportunities by Pantalone.

However, among the investors Pantalone has invested in, Zhiyi is indeed one of the best performing so far.

After obtaining Pantalone's permission, Zhiyi reported his situation to Pantalone.

"Yes, Lord Pantalone, with the help and encouragement of the Fools, I have successfully become one of the most favored disciples of Tian Shu Star, one of the current Seven Stars, and have accumulated an excellent reputation during this period."

"This has elevated my status within the Tian Shu Star Sect. Even among the current disciples of the Tian Shu Star Sect, I am highly regarded."

"If things continue to develop as they are, I will most likely be a candidate for the next Seven Stars, but..."

This made Pantalone, who noticed Zhiyi's hesitation, raise an eyebrow and then look at Zhiyi beside her and ask.

"Just what?"

Although Zhiyi hesitated for a moment, under Pantalone's intimidating and oppressive gaze, he gritted his teeth and spoke his true thoughts.

"I feel that I have temporarily hit a bottleneck. The growth rate of my reputation and influence has reached a certain stage. I think that at the current pace, I may not be able to catch up with our plan."

"This has recently made me start to think about whether I should take some extreme measures to further accelerate the necessary steps to increase my power, but I am worried that this may disrupt your plans, so I have not chosen to take action."

After hearing Zhiyi's explanation, Pantalone immediately understood what was going on.

Because of his urgent desire for power and his eagerness to demonstrate his abilities, Zhiyi felt anxious about the current stagnation.

He worried that falling behind would disappoint him with his efficiency, which led him to consider whether he should take some special measures to maintain his current advantage.

However, he didn't think that Zhiyi alone dared to do this. Without someone with enough power secretly helping him, he certainly couldn't have done such a thing by himself.

This made him glance at Yusupov standing next to Zhiyi, causing Yusupov to break out in a cold sweat and lower his head, unable to meet the gaze and stare of Pantalone.

After observing Yusupov's behavior, Pantalone did not immediately pursue Yusupov's unauthorized decision, but instead spoke calmly to Zhiyi.

"That's not something you need to consider. I care more about whether this will create hidden dangers in my plan than about efficiency. What I dislike more than so-called efficiency are people who create unnecessary complications and think they are being clever."

"If you're a smart person, then I think you should understand what I mean. I have many investment targets, and you're not the only one. I think you understand that better than I do, don't you?"

Facing Pantalone's indifferent yet oppressive gaze, Zhiyi felt both fear and awe.

Yusupov, standing to the side, dared not say anything more. He knew that although it seemed to be addressed to Zhiyi alone, it was not necessarily not directed at him at all.

After giving the two a dressing down, Pantalone continued speaking to Zhiyi.

"You just need to do your job well. You don't need to worry about anything else. Even if you don't do anything, as long as you maintain the status quo, that position will be yours sooner or later."

"What is yours will naturally be yours, and what is not yours, if you force it, will not become yours. On the contrary, it will only make things worse, and that would be a foolish thing to do."

"Don't try to pull your little tricks on me. Don't think there aren't any smart people in this world. Those who try to be clever will only end up being outsmarted by their own cleverness."

Pantalone spoke to Zhiyi with an indifferent expression in his eyes.

"To be stable and reliable, you must make sure that no one can find fault with you."

"Here's a piece of advice: no matter what your intentions are, as long as you never make any mistakes that can be criticized, you will always be able to stand on your moral high ground."