Dvalin huffed with dissatisfaction, "Barbatos, you're the God of Mondstadt. The Favonius Church and the Knights of Favonius all listen to you. Couldn't you just tell them to give some Mora?"
Venti scratched his head, looking a bit awkward. "I... I am the God of Freedom. I really don't want to bind or command them."
Seeing that getting paid was hopeless, Dvalin couldn't be bothered to waste words with him. "Barbatos, don't come bother me anymore in the future. I'm not that free East Wind Guardian."
Then, he turned to look at Lin Yide with a slightly ingratiating gaze. "Boss Yide, I have already severed ties with this black-hearted capitalist. From now on, I will follow behind you and work hard."
Witnessing all of this, an indescribable feeling surged in Venti's heart, as if he had been NTR'd right in front of him.
He turned his gaze towards Lin Yide and asked with a complicated expression, "Are you Yide, the master of the West Factory?"
Lin Yide smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mr. Barbatos."
Venti waved his hand casually. "Just call me Venti. I want to know what you are doing all this for in Mondstadt?"
Lin Yide said calmly, "I just feel that Mondstadt is a bit too indulgent and disorganized, so I wanted to change this nation. Please rest assured, our West Factory has no intention of controlling Mondstadt."
Although Lin Yide said this, Venti knew very well in his heart that with Fontaine's gradual infiltration into Mondstadt's economic sphere, in the future, Mondstadt would inevitably have to consider Fontaine's interests and wishes when formulating any policies.
Thinking of this, a divine authority unique to a god suddenly burst forth from him, his voice firm and powerful: "If the West Factory has such an intention, I will definitely do my utmost to stop it."
At this moment, Venti, like the embodiment of Mondstadt's freedom, resisted firmly and never gave up.
Facing god-level authority, Lin Yide's expression was calm, and he smiled indifferently. "All of this will certainly not happen, in the name of Furina, the God of Justice!"
Hearing Lin Yide's promise, Venti's demeanor instantly changed, and he turned back into that sloppy bard who was idle all day long. He stretched and complained, "Ah, being a god is really a tough job! I still prefer to go back and enjoy a few glasses of wine."
Lin Yide casually took out a bottle of wine and a glittering golden bank card from his system space and threw them to Venti.
Venti took the wine and bank card, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Yide, what does this mean?"
Lin Yide explained, "You should already know that the Furina Foundation and organizations like the Knights of Favonius jointly established a joint venture trading company. We specifically reserved 1% of the shares for you, and the monthly profit dividends will be deposited into this bank card regularly. According to estimates, there will be at least two or three million Mora deposited each month, and this number is expected to continue growing in the future. This money should be enough to cover your monthly wine expenses."
Venti's eyes lit up. With this card, he could easily live a life free of worries about drinks.
At this moment, he found Dvalin staring at him with burning eyes, those dragon eyes filled with infinite longing for Mora.
Venti picked up the bank card and wine and took off running. "I still have something to do, so I'll be leaving first. Goodbye!"
As soon as the words fell, his figure disappeared into the vast wilderness.
Dvalin turned his head helplessly and looked at Lin Yide with eyes full of resentment. "Boss, that card should have been for me."
Lin Yide spread his hands, showing a helpless expression. "Who told you not to sign a contract with him back then?"
Dvalin regretfully slapped his big head with a dragon claw. If he had signed a labor contract back then, that bank card would be his now.
Lin Yide glanced at Dvalin and said impatiently, "Look at you, so useless. Work for me, and I guarantee you'll make a lot of money. What is this little money compared to that?"
Hearing these words, Dvalin's mood improved slightly. But to completely heal the trauma in its heart, it would probably have to rely on the glittering Mora in its treasure hoard. Counting it at least ten times would be enough.
…
Before the gates of the Winter Capital, everything was covered in white, the snow like a blanket.
In the falling heavy snow, Columbina and Rosalyne boarded that rumbling four-wheeled steam car together, driving towards Mondstadt. The inside of the carriage was warm and comfortable, forming a sharp contrast with the icy world outside.
Columbina chose a window seat and sat down quietly, her eyes slightly closed, as if lost in thought. All the world's troubles had nothing to do with her.
While Rosalyne, sitting opposite her, gazed at the Hellfire Moth resting on her palm.
After a long while, Columbina suddenly broke the silence in the carriage. She said in a cold tone, "Witch of Flame, your flame seems about to be extinguished."
Rosalyne heard these words, her expression pausing slightly, but quickly returning to calm. She smiled slightly and said, "Yes, flames will eventually be extinguished one day. I only hope that before that day arrives, I can cleanse the source of distortion in this world."
Columbina gently shook her head and said in her voice as calm as water, "Your wish will not be realized."
Rosalyne seemed to have anticipated this; she didn't show much disappointment. She looked up at the flying snow outside the window and said softly, "Then, I only hope my extinguishing can be as pure and spectacular as this heavy snow."
Hearing this, Columbina suddenly smiled a bit awkwardly. She rubbed her hands and said, "Rosalyne, I just accidentally revealed some things about the future. Shouldn't you give me something in return?"
Rosalyne heard Columbina's words and was extremely astonished, almost suspecting she had heard wrong. Columbina was actually trying to extort her? "Something in return? Are you referring to...?" she asked tentatively, with a hint of disbelief in her voice.
Columbina gently extended her small, fair, jade-like hand. "Give me that bank card with one hundred million Mora in it."
Rosalyne was stunned, and it took a while for her to recover. She frowned as she looked at Columbina. "Columbina, that one hundred million Mora is the total funding for our next actions. If you spend it casually, our subsequent plans will be greatly affected."
Columbina hesitated slightly, but her hand remained firmly extended. "The matter of the Gnosis, I will handle."
Rosalyne was helpless and had no choice but to hand the bank card to Columbina. After all, her rank was much higher than her own, and her identity was extremely special.
Columbina took the bank card, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
After a day's journey, the steam car finally arrived at Mondstadt City. Rosalyne elegantly stepped out of the car. The Mondstadt before her made her feel a little unfamiliar. This city was full of hustle and vitality, different from the Mondstadt in her memory.
She turned around, intending to lead Columbina to the Fatui's base in Mondstadt.
But Columbina's figure had already disappeared.
Rosalyne's heart instantly sank considerably.
It wasn't a big deal that Columbina left, but the crucial thing was that she also took that bank card with one hundred million Mora. That was all the expenses for this operation, which also included the salaries for the Fatui's Mondstadt branch.