In the discussion area, Lady Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, and Lady Keqing, the Yuheng, together with Ganyu, the Qixing's secretary, put on quite a show of what it meant to finalize industry reform policies on the spot.
In reality, the merchants near Chihu Rock turned in perfect unison to glare at Shitou, as though they were puppets on strings.
Look what you've done! You've dragged all of us into this!
Shitou watched the foreign tourists in front of him look at the video, then at him, before decisively putting away the Mora they had already taken out, setting down the rough stones in their hands, and leaving. He wanted to cry, but had no tears.
Who the hell had he offended? Running a business was too damn hard.
At this rate, his family's time-honored shop, whose ancestors had even had a slight connection to Rex Lapis, really would be closing its doors for good!
Come to think of it, he had only been watching a video and enjoying the drama. He really hadn't expected to become the subject of that drama on just the second day.
There were so many important people in Liyue. Why didn't this strange screen point its camera at them? Was it fun to keep screwing over a nobody like him?!
The Shitou on the screen had no idea his performance just now had screwed over his counterpart in another world. After realizing that all three people before him were experts-or at least that the most lavishly dressed young man, whose speech and manner carried the air of a distinguished gentleman, definitely was-Shitou immediately put aside all his little schemes.
He turned around, took the best Noctilucous Jade from his reserve stock, and pushed it in front of the Traveler and his companions.
"What do you think of these? Our [Jade Mystery] is a time-honored jade business. Just look at this quality! Absolutely top-notch, practically a blessing even Rex Lapis rarely bestows. Please, choose whichever you like."
In reality, a whole group of Three-Eyed Five-Manifestation Immortals gave the Shitou on the screen a peculiar look, then looked at Zhongli, who seemed to be carefully inspecting and distinguishing the quality of the Noctilucous Jade.
Well, how should they put this?
Showing off your Noctilucous Jade in front of Rex Lapis...
You really were the first to do that since the dawn of creation.
"These three pieces of [Noctilucous Jade] really do look beautiful. They're not like the ones we usually mine..."
"But how exactly should we choose? Should we just pick one kind at random and take it back?"
[Xianyun: Outrageous! How can you take such a casual attitude toward Rex Lapis's Rite of Parting?]
[Paimon: Waaah!]
[A Ping: Xianyun, you're getting too worked up. You've frightened the children.]
[Xianyun: Er, ahem. Yes, this immortal lost her composure.]
[Xianyun: Hmm, how about this? Traveler, Paimon, whenever you come to Jueyun Karst, this immortal will prepare a feast for you.]
[Paimon: Good food?! I wanna go, I wanna go!]
[Lumine: Paimon (exasperated).]
Giving the head of the sheepishly smiling little Paimon a shake, Lumine looked at the two options offered to Aether-or rather, to the player-on the screen.
[You can't take the word of a boss who sells gambling stones.]
[I'd like to ask Mr. Zhongli's opinion.]
[Xiangling: At a time like this, we should ask Mr. Zhongli's opinion, right? I feel like Mr. Zhongli knows everything.]
[Xingqiu: Indeed.]
[Ganyu: Indeed.]
[Xiao: Indeed.]
[Ningguang: Indeed.]
[Hu Tao: Although our consultant usually has no sense of humor and doesn't know how to appreciate this director's poetry, when it comes to this, hmm, indeed.]
[Lumine: Indeed.]
Lumine had figured it out. This Zhongli was definitely an important character in the Liyue chapter.
Just look at the people backing him up below. They were either Three-Eyed Five-Manifestation Immortals or members of the Liyue Qixing. If he wasn't some big shot, then all the valuable experience she had gained from the games she'd played before was worth jack shit.
And besides...
She glanced sideways at Venti, who was watching the screen with rapt interest and a grin, having even forgotten to drink the wine in his hand.
His strange attitude earlier, as well as his sudden silence, was subtly different from his previous image as a carefree Mondstadt loafer.
Perhaps this Mr. Zhongli was an alternate identity of the Geo Archon?
Just like Venti, who didn't look the slightest bit like the Anemo Archon.
But when she saw her brother-or rather, the player behind the scenes controlling Aether-ultimately choose the first option on the screen, Lumine could only shrug.
Her brother had chosen it, anyway. It had nothing to do with an innocent, adorable Traveler like her.
"Very good. It seems you've grasped something of the rules for survival in the city of commerce."
Zhongli agreed with Aether's choice without sparing the local man's dignity at all.
Paimon and Aether turned to Zhongli. "Then what's your opinion, Mr. Zhongli? How should we choose these pieces of [Noctilucous Jade]?"
[Hu Tao: I'll take them all.]
[Childe: +1]
The two people who had suffered greatly at Zhongli's hands in this regard immediately supplied the correct answer.
[Lumine: Uh, it seems Mr. Zhongli is quite lavish when he shops.]
Lumine was already considering whether to pick up some cheap but distinctly exotic local specialties in Mondstadt and sell them all to this Mr. Zhongli when she reached her next stop, Liyue.
[Hu Tao: Yes, he's lavish, but that leaves me, the illustrious seventy-seventh director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, spending all day around Liyue Harbor promoting our monopoly of a business.]
[Hu Tao: Sigh, at this rate, life will get so tough that little Tao-Tao will have to perform for a living.]
[Hu Tao: Wait?!]
[Hu Tao: That's not right. I just remembered, however lavish he is over the next three months, it has nothing to do with the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.]
[Hu Tao: Thank you, Childe. You're such a good person.]
[Hu Tao: I'll reserve the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's most distinguished package for you.]
[Tartaglia: ... (crying), why, thank you!]
"Oh? You'd like me to decide? Very well."
Zhongli folded his arms and said in an ordinary tone, "If you ask me, the answer is actually quite simple..."
Paimon looked puzzled. "Huh? The answer is...?"
Zhongli looked at Shitou. "Boss, I'll take them all."
[Childe: Mr. Zhongli, although that little sum in the video is hardly worth mentioning, could you please take it easy over these next three months?]
Childe felt that, to avoid working overtime to death and going on business trips until it became a farewell to Snezhnaya forever, he had better forget about saving face right now.
[Zhongli: I'll try.]
Zhongli calmly drank his tea. He had traded away his Gnosis to that Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya, after all. The Fatui ought to take the initiative to reimburse him for such a trifling amount of Mora.
Still, singling out Childe to fleece...
Considering that the man was collecting Sigils of Permission with the intention of releasing a sealed god, he might as well fleece him even harder.
[Paimon: Wow, he must come from a wealthy family. It feels like he has no concept of Mora at all.]
Never mind the viewers in reality-even on the screen, Paimon and Shitou were shocked by Zhongli's words.
But Shitou immediately recovered, ecstatic as he tried to seal this big deal at once.
"Wonderful! Sir, I could tell from the start that you had an extraordinary bearing. You truly are generous-"