The starry sky in winter is always beautiful, and the gorgeous and changing aurora tonight added some solemnity and sanctity to this meeting.
But when the rich man heard the word "hometown", he suddenly clenched his hands tightly, and the ring on his finger kept shaking due to excessive exertion, obviously recalling some painful memories.
Most demons cannot understand human emotions, due to the extreme love and hate.
People who pursue profit and prosperity flock to Liyue Port under the rule of Emperor Yanwang in an endless stream. Thanks to the emperor's favor, this port city has long since become a famous commercial capital in the seven countries, and is a holy place in the hearts of every businessman.
Today's rich man was once a member of this bustling bustle. He thinks that his inner desire for power is no worse than anyone else's, but such a burning desire has never been watched by the eyes of the gods.
Since you can't win the favor of the gods, you should settle for the next best thing, usurp the seat of the Seven Stars and become the richest person.
As long as he is rich enough, he can also acquire abilities beyond the reach of ordinary people on another path.
However, the production of Mora is still in the hands of the indifferent gods. It is a precious wealth that cannot be exchanged by mortals for a lifetime of hard work, but the gods can easily achieve it with just a thought.
Therefore, people are eager for the protection of the gods for more money. This flattery pleases the gods, and the gods also show some small favors, and they enjoy the pursuit of mortals with peace of mind.
But the world shouldn't be like this.
"We should rely on our own efforts and wisdom to obtain wealth, rather than the mercy of gods. Blind worship of those pretentious gods is an insult to human efforts."
This is what Pantalone said when his store was closed down by the Department of General Affairs due to unfair competition.
At that time, the crowd of people watching were laughing at Pantalone's idea of disrespecting the emperor, pointing at him and laughing.
"Look at this guy, he actually wants to challenge the gods. He really doesn't know the heights of the world. Fortunately, Prince Yan is generous and won't argue with you."
The "rich man" had deep resentment in his eyes, and he responded decisively to these ridicules.
"I will prove that even if the rock god formulates the contract rules, I will still surpass the prosperity he created."
After that, Pantalone left the prosperous port of Liyue in despair and walked aimlessly on the vast continent. If he wanted to create prosperity that was better than that of Liyue, he could not just talk about it. He had to have A partner, a country where he can flourish.
He traveled to the other six countries, and finally, in the Snow Country where the white stars of the winter pole shone, someone accepted him.
"I will use all means to make Solstice the heart of money circulating in the world."
"Then when necessary, let the heart stop according to our will."
The Queen recognized Pantalone's abilities and achievements, awarded him the title of Ninth Executive Officer of the Fools, and gave him a new name and code name.
No matter what the name is, for Pantalone, the title is just a code name.
He had already left Liyue behind.
"Hometown, I haven't heard this word for a long time..."
Pantalone touched the evil eye hidden under the cloak. He who once longed for the gaze of the gods, finally got the approval of the gods in another form.
"Since it is His Majesty's gift and mercy, I am very happy to serve."
The rich man resumed his elegant and easy-going appearance and picked up the letter on the table.
Becoming a pawn in the game between gods was not beyond his expectation. During the long journey, more and more victims would be pushed into the dark river and condensed into ice that would never melt. This was the fate of the executive.
"The letter contains information about Harpas, as well as the latest news from Madam and Dadalia."
Piero's starry left eye showed no fluctuation, but it could be seen that he was very satisfied with Pantalone's reaction.
The rich man controls the economic lifeline of the Winter Country. Under the financial policies he formulated, the economy of the Winter Country is developing at a rapid pace. Even if he is suddenly unfortunate, the national finances still have enough money and resources to continue to be in a state of war preparedness.
Even the Ice Queen's daily expenses are included in the national expenditure items.
Fortunately, the Queen does not like overly ostentatious living conditions and does not want to add financial burdens out of thin air.
Pantalone was able to fully understand the Queen's thoughts, and based on the Queen's instructions, the project details were kept at a low level.
But if anyone really enters the Winter Palace, or actually sees the Queen's daily life with his own eyes, he will be shocked by the rarity of the furnishings in the palace and the luxury of everything she uses.
Such a life of royal and aristocratic quality is definitely not something that can be satisfied by the expenditures on the financial books.
This guy Pantalone is really good at making money.
This is the consensus of the entire Winter Kingdom.
"As a colleague's advice, Pantalone, you'd better go back to the Northland Bank and open the envelope."
Piero's tone was low and cold.
In addition to the information returned by the lady and the detailed plan to retrieve the Heart of Harpas, the envelope also contained a copy of the updated contract signed by Dadalia.
Piero has received the order from Her Majesty the Queen. The Northland Bank will be solely responsible for rebuilding the damaged buildings in Liyue, and this is the real reason for sending Pantalone to Liyue.
Even Piero, who had experienced the rise and fall of Canria, couldn't help but frown when he first saw such a large amount of compensation from Mora and the amount of work.
"Morax is the oldest and most respected god on this continent. It is not easy to get his support. Since we have signed a contract, there is no reason to violate it."
"As long as Ajax takes back the Heart of God...a little loss is nothing."
These are Her Majesty's exact words.
But Harlequin just hopes that when Pantalone sees the compensation clause, he can still maintain his current elegance and indifference.
"Capitano, it's time to return your knight's sword to its original owner."
Piero gave instructions to the "captain" in military uniform, and Capitano took off the dark sword hanging from his waist without hesitation and laid it flat on the long table.
The blood grooves shaped like sharp teeth and the weeping blood mask form a sword grid, all indicating that this is a sharp blade that is always thirsty for blood.
Almost all the Fool executives who have gone to the front lines of the Abyss have seen their captains fighting on the battlefield.
Holding a black sword, Capitano cut, pierced, and slashed amidst the turbulent waves of gunfire, smoke, and broken limbs. Each sword carried the elegance of an ancient knight tempered by battle, and his moves were nothing fancy. It can even be called monotonous, but no matter monsters or enemies, no matter magic or dazzling moves, nothing can resist the call of the dark sword and death.
Even though it is a relatively light one-handed sword, it is still powerful in the hands of the "Captain". The sword blade roars down and the thin metal seems to have a weight that is completely disproportionate to its appearance.
This sword can nourish the person who wields it, giving them the power to continue fighting. Even a person who is originally pure and white will be stained black with contaminated blood after holding this sword.
The newly stained blood disappears on the surface of the blade, and the black sword becomes stronger, and the captain's strength continues to improve during the battle.
Very few people know the origin of this sword, but Capitano knows that this sword that accompanied him in battle never belonged to him.
This is the sword once used by the war lord Harpas. After the War of the Road, it was given to the glorious Arjuna family together with the [Kingdom Flag Gun].
At Piero's signal, Pantalone put away the black sword handed over by the captain with doubts.
"Dotore, Scaramucci, you should also leave early."
The arrangement for the rich man ends here, and the clown turns to remind Inazuma of the wanderer and the doctor who is addicted to experiments.
The doctor stared at Pantalone intently, as if estimating the other party's probability of survival during this trip. The skirmisher's purple eyes only flashed with a hint of unruly lightning, and his expression was arrogant. Hearing Piero's dissatisfied reminder, he only nodded slightly.
Deep ice formed outside the gate of the Winter Palace, and then more ice rose up, layer upon layer.
"All conquests begin where the fire is born."
"There is a ruler who lives here, who fights fiercely and is not hurt; and the one in ancient times was even more powerful, and the more he fought, the stronger he became."
Piero made a concluding statement, and the executives who heard the sound of ice condensing also stood up, saluted in the direction of the Ice Queen's palace, and left.
Above the wind and snow, the white stars of winter hang high.
What will usher in at the end of destruction will be the dawn of innocence.
(End of chapter)
