Chapter 37 Preparation "Mr. President..."
Zhong Li's voice was as hoarse as he remembered. He introduced himself slowly:
"Hello, my name is Zhongli, and I'm a guest at the Wangsheng Hall."
Dadalia smiled and interrupted, "Oh, yes, let me introduce Mr. Ran to you. Mr. Zhongli is also a "friend" of our Fools. We have some business dealings. Mr. Ran's place has a quiet and elegant environment and the tea is also very good. After hearing what I said, Mr. Zhongli was also very interested in this place and planned to come here for a visit. By the way, we also plan to discuss some future cooperation here."
Yiran nodded and said, "I have long heard that Mr. Zhongli, the guest official of Wangsheng Hall, is knowledgeable and well-versed in ancient and modern times. I am fortunate to meet him today. I feel very honored."
He gestured towards the chairs, and his voice was as gentle and comfortable as the breeze in the morning light: "Please take a seat, everyone. We will talk slowly."
After everyone was seated, Zhongli continued, "According to Mr. Dadalia, Boss Ran is the president of the newly established Songlan Chamber of Commerce in Liyue. It is truly admirable that he has achieved such a great success at such a young age."
Yiran smiled back: "But it's just luck. If it weren't for Liyue's prosperity and stability, and its openness and tolerance to business, how could an ordinary businessman like me have the opportunity to achieve all this."
Zhong Li disagreed: "It is because Mr. Ran has extraordinary business skills and talents, coupled with his unique personal charm, that he has been able to reach this point."
Just like this antique shop, although it is located in a remote area, as long as the news is spread that the president of Songlan Chamber of Commerce is running this place, there will be countless small merchants and hawkers rushing to visit and make acquaintances, seeking opportunities to connect with this big shot.
But without Zhang Yang, this place would just be an ordinary shop. Its owner does not even ask for price or profit, but just wants to preserve its elegance, simplicity and tranquility to the greatest extent, waiting for the right person to visit.
It is like a treasure placed in the jade dish of Liyue Harbor, inconspicuous but hidden treasure, everything attracts people to explore carefully.
Whether it was the interior decoration, the carefully selected antiques, the fine tea, or even the owner's style of doing things, everything was just to his liking.
Fenric sat quietly beside Yiran, his pale golden eyes staring casually at the tea he had added, remembering in his mind the easiest way that Tartaglia had taught him to disguise himself as a human:
Silent and cool.
The smart Tartaglia interrupted, "Okay, okay, stop talking about these occasional things. Let's get down to business, about... how to meet the Immortal Ancestor Fafei."
“…”
Yiran, who was carrying the immortal body of Rock King after his death, paused and raised his head slightly. The Rock King opposite him also raised his head slightly and inadvertently looked at Yiran. It seemed that there was some undercurrent surging in this second of eye contact, and then quietly disappeared.
Zhong Li withdrew his gaze, picked up the cup without changing his expression, and sipped his tea calmly.
Yiran also made clear one fact from that glance, that Zhongli could feel the ancestral magic hidden in him.
In addition, this cooperation was discussed by Tartaglia and Zhongli, so he did not speak. He raised the teapot and poured himself a refill in a slow and standard manner.
Seeing that no one responded, Dadalia continued, "Mr. Zhongli, do you think... it is feasible for the Wangsheng Hall to organize a farewell ceremony for the God of Rock?"
Zhongli put down his teacup and said, "Of course, for thousands of years, whenever an immortal left Liyue, there would be a grand memorial ceremony. However, this time it was a farewell ceremony for the God of Rock, but even the Seven Stars had no time to attend. It was really inappropriate.
However...after all, the assassin of Yan Shen has not been found yet. Given the current situation, Wangsheng Hall will be responsible for contacting and discussing with Qixing, and then taking over this matter. "
He paused for a moment and said, "Once the ceremony of sending the Immortal is completed, we should be able to see the body of the Rock God."
Tartaglia crossed her arms and said, "That's great. I will arrange another meeting soon to introduce the foreign traveler to Mr. Zhongli. This will also help with this Immortal Sending Ceremony."
Yiran spoke in a gentle tone, lowering his eyes slightly:
"Emperor Yanwang was the only emperor that all of us Liyue people had in thousands of years. His death left an unspeakable scar in the hearts of every citizen who loved him.
The Immortal Sending Ceremony... I had this idea when I learned that no one cared about this ceremony, so if necessary, I can also provide some financial support and help prepare some matters. "
I wonder if there was a hint of nostalgia in Zhongli's eyes. He said seriously:
"Thank you in advance, Mr. Ran. If there is any need, I may come to bother you more."
After completing his mission, Dadalia was obviously much more relaxed. He put one hand on the back of the chair and added:
"The Fools don't mind providing some funds, so I'll just consider it as making friends. Well, my mission of building bridges is now complete."
Although he said it as if he had no intention of asking for anything, his only purpose was to help foreign travelers make connections or to find help for the guest officials of the Wangsheng Hall in organizing the ceremony.
But... except for Fenric who was still in a trance, no one present did not know the true purpose of the Fatui's executive officer, the Young Master.
——He wanted to find out the location of the ancestor Dharmafly, and then seize the Heart of the Rock God from it.
Although in fact, the hidden person of the ancestor Fagui, the Heart of the God of Rock God, and even Rock God himself, were all within one meter of him, leisurely sipping tea.
Unfortunately, Dadalia doesn't like drinking tea and can't fit in with the peaceful atmosphere of the two people. Compared to tea, he would rather taste the strong fire water from his hometown.
He stood up and said, "Since the cooperation has been reached, I will leave first. I will contact Mr. Zhong Li next time when I have arranged a time."
"See you later."
Zhongli nodded and stood up as well.
Before leaving, he even took away a few expensive imperial blue colored glass bowls and praised them:
“…the craftsmanship is exquisite, the shape is beautiful and elegant, the lines are smooth, the proportions are harmonious, and the dragon pattern is lifelike. One can even get a glimpse of the aesthetic concepts and artistic pursuits of that era from it. It is indeed worth collecting.”
Of course, he didn't mind giving all these porcelains directly to Zhong Li. After all, it might be difficult to find antiques more antiques than Zhong Li's in the entire store.
Unfortunately, in the end, the other party rejected the proposal on the grounds that the transaction must be fair.
Of course, the bill is recorded in the account of the Hall of Rebirth.
If the things here were not so expensive, Zhongli would probably have chosen to take a few more items away in order not to add further burden to Master Hu.
However, it is fine to keep them in the store. If these antiques from the old times have souls, it must be a happy thing to be able to gather here with so many old friends.
"Goodbye, Mr. Zhongli."
Although he was aloof, Fincher was still polite and said hello at the end.
Yiran echoed, "Slow down."
Zhong Li nodded: "Goodbye, both of you."
When the brown-gold robe was no longer visible, Fenric finally came over:
"Bai, although Mr. Zhongli's eyes look friendly and casual, there is an inexplicable sense of oppression."
Yiran: "Well, don't be afraid, he's a very nice guy."
After all, he is a war god who has swept through thousands of armies. Although he has killed many abyss monsters like Fenrir, even if he now recognizes Fenrir's true form, he will never act rashly, let alone kill indiscriminately. He has his own criteria for judgment.
Yiran looked at the brown-haired boy and said, "You've worked hard today, go back and rest early."
"Ouch—"
Suddenly, Fenric turned around and changed back into the size of a beast, rubbed against the man's shoulder, and drilled back into the space.
After all, no matter how well the human body adapts, it is still not as convenient as the beast form, and it also needs time to communicate more with its wolf pack subordinates.
…
Dadalia was extremely efficient. The next morning, he took Kong to Xinyuexuan to find Zhongli. After the communication, Kong joined the long journey of organizing the ceremony to send off the immortals.
With Tartaglia's explanation, Kong also knew that Mr. Yiran was now safe and sound, so he was not in a hurry to visit him again to express his gratitude.
After Zhongli's explanation, the two prepared to buy Yebo Stone for processing tools.
"Night Stone? Hmm... Why are the sales of Night Stone so high recently? Unfortunately, all the Night Stones above candlelight grade have been bought. If customers want ordinary grade ones, I still have some."
Shitou shook his head and said embarrassedly.
Sora looked towards Zhongli.
"No, the Night Stone required for the Immortal Ceremony... must be of at least candlelight grade quality."
Zhong Li shook his head.
Paimon: "Eh? Then let's go to another stall and have a look?"
Stone interrupted the conversation of the three people and said, "Hey, three guests, excuse me, you need the Night Mooring Stone... for organizing the ceremony of sending the immortals?"
Paimon: "Yes, yes, Boss, do you know where else there are candlelight-grade or higher night mooring stones for sale?"
Shitou looked solemn: "Lord Yan, he really is...
Sigh, sir, it's not that I don't want to help you, but you may not have heard that recently all the high-quality Night Stones in Liyue Harbor were bought up by the Songlan Chamber of Commerce.
As I said before, the man who bought all the high-quality Night Stones here was a young man with long white hair. I wonder if he is the legendary president of the Songlan Chamber of Commerce. "
Hearing the long white hair, Kong suddenly thought of Yiran.
Paimon also thought: "Oh! Speaking of which, we do know a businessman like this... but we don't know if he is the president of the Chamber of Commerce you mentioned."
Sora asked, "Does he also have a water-attributed divine eye and tassel feathers on his waist?"
Stone: "Yes, yes, yes, it was a customer who had a good eye for gambling on stones, was knowledgeable, and had a lot of money. He took away all the Night Stones I had."
Paimon: "Wow... Is Yiran actually that rich? That's right, after all, he's a businessman who managed to expand his slime business to the Mondstadt Brewery."
Zhong Li: "I had the good fortune to visit the friend you mentioned yesterday. He is indeed a person worth making friends with.
The president of Songlan Chamber of Commerce is famous for his slime gel food processing and novel flavors. Mr. Ran himself has never said that he wants to hide the identity of the president. They are indeed the same person. "
Paimon: "Is this Songlan Chamber of Commerce very powerful?"
Stone: "? Dear guest, you are not new to Liyue Harbor, are you? Songlan Chamber of Commerce is a well-known and famous chamber of commerce here, and it has just risen recently. The president is even more powerful. As long as you stay here for a few more days, you can experience the impact of the slime specialty food.
Even I, who is in the mineral business, have heard of slime milkshakes, slime jelly, and slime sandwich cakes..."
Gulp.
Paimon swallowed hard, not caring about the fact that they had met another rich man like Master Diluc. She tugged at Sora's sleeve, with sparkling stars in her eyes:
"Kong, we just arrived at Liyue Harbor and rushed to participate in the Immortal Summoning Ceremony. Later, we had to go to Jueyunjian. Now that we are back with great difficulty, let's quickly find a hotel to experience the customs and culture of Liyue..."
Kong inexplicably recalled the delicious Slime Almond Pudding sent by the immortal.
But he was still pulled back to his thoughts by the constant shaking of his sleeves, and said helplessly:
"…Paimon, we are doing real work!"
Zhong Li laughed: "Haha, little Paimon is really a true character. Liyue's dishes are indeed rich in variety. These slime-related foods are indeed rare and novel delicacies. Some of them can even be integrated into traditional dishes without losing the flavor. I really admire the people who researched these recipes."
Kong: "Ahem, why don't we get back to the matter of the Night Mooring Stone first..."
If he continued talking, Paimon's saliva would almost flow to the ground.
Zhongli readily accepted the advice:
"When I visited Mr. Ran yesterday, he promised to help us prepare some things if we needed them. In that case, let's go and prepare the materials needed for the next ceremony. We can also buy some desserts and food on the way, bring some gifts to Mr. Ran, and finally stop by his store."
Kong nodded. Even if the other party said they would help, it was impossible to really ask for help for free. In Liyue, one still had to pay attention to the rules of social interaction.
Paimon's little brain only caught the middle half of the sentence: "You can also buy some desserts and snacks on the way."
I got excited instantly: "Let's go, let's go!"
Shitou also interjected at the end. After all, this was about the ceremony of sending off the immortals, and his information seemed to be helpful:
"Hey, take care, guests. Come visit us often in the future."
…
Universal shop.
Paimon swallowed a small cute sunset fruity water slime pudding in one gulp and asked the boss, Bo Lai, vaguely:
"Boss, do you have any colorful flowers here?"
Bo Lai: "Rainbow flowers... Yes, we have them. Which one do you want?"
Paimon: "Which one?"
Bo Lai patiently explained: "As for the colorful flowers, there are only two types left: "Shan Yin Jin Cluster" and "Jin Wu Cang Jiao". "
Paimon: "Eh? Are there so many kinds of neon flowers?"
Zhong Li crossed his arms and raised one hand to explain.
After being baptized by a large amount of popularized high-class knowledge, Sora and Paimon stood there speechlessly in shock.
Bo Lai: "Oh, this guest is really knowledgeable. These two are servants, right? Servants should stop talking in front of the master."
Sora: “I…”
After Paimeng was furious and Zhongli came to the rescue, Kong brought the topic back to the topic: "So, this time, the ceremony of sending the immortals must collect all three kinds of colorful flowers?"
Zhongli nodded: "It's not my personal wish. This is actually a very old legend in Liyue. All you need to do is place the three kinds of perfume made from the colorful flowers in front of the Seven-day Statue, and then the Rock God will personally choose the one he likes."
Paimon: "Well, where should we go to find the "Piao Miao Xian Yuan" you mentioned... And, there are so many kinds of colorful flowers, why is only this one sold out?"
Sora made a reasonable guess: "Maybe it's because in Liyue, mature women are more likely to buy perfume?"
Paimon: "Well, I don't know what kind of person the Rock King likes..."
After a moment of silence, Bo Lai took over the conversation:
"Dear guests, are you going to use this colorful flower to hold a ceremony to send off the immortals?"
He sighed, "Oh, you should have told me earlier. If you had known two days earlier, I would have kept the flowers for you instead of selling them all to that man."
"I don't know why a grown man would buy so many flowers. Not only is it a waste of money, but he also wants to look so good at such a young age. How many girls will be harmed by him in the future?"
Not only that, there seemed to be a water-attributed God's Eye on the waist... The more Bo Lai thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, and a vague sense of dissatisfaction arose in his heart.
Zhong Li paused for a moment, feeling that this scene was familiar, and asked:
"Boss, can you tell us who bought all the remaining "Piao Miao Xian Yuan"? "
Bo Lai: "I don't know him, but his white hair is quite eye-catching. Oh, by the way, isn't the president of the Songlan Chamber of Commerce also said to have white hair? This kid is even imitating the president of the Chamber of Commerce. A big shot of that level can't be achieved by just dyeing your hair."
“…”
Kong, Paimeng, and Zhongli all remained silent.
Kong began to feel embarrassed for others. His face was calm and he gave Paimon a look.
Paimon received: "Ahem, that white-haired man you mentioned, if he is wearing white clothes and has the water element's divine eye and feather tassels on his waist... then he should be the president of Songlan Chamber of Commerce himself."
Bo Lai: “???”
How can a Chamber of Commerce president be so young?! How can he leave no room for man to live?
No, he suddenly realized that he had just made up a story about the president in front of the guests...
Hiss... He shook hands instantly, his tone awkward:
"Ahaha, ladies and gentlemen, isn't this just a reasonable guess? The president is a very handsome man with an extraordinary bearing. Please don't tell anyone about what just happened. I am just a small businessman and cannot afford to offend the president of the Chamber of Commerce."
Kong was a little speechless. He had treated them as servants before, but his expression changed instantly after Zhongli’s explanation. Now... is it so real?
Paimon crossed his arms and snorted, "It's just a reasonable guess. Why can't I tell anyone about it?"
"Oh, now I call you President now."
"Where is that kid from earlier?"
"What a great boss!"
"This speed of changing faces... Is this the world of modern adults?"
"You are always changing your mind according to the situation"
"I won't buy anything from you next time."
"Just wait, I'll remember you, and I'll report you to the president when I get back."
"I'll remember you too. If you dare to evade taxes, I'll catch you immediately."
"How dare you treat me as a servant?"
"Master is not a servant, he is a wife"
"I don't want to be a servant, I want to be Master Zhongli's dog"
"I am the president's dog ()"
Zhong Li sighed slightly. He did not want to judge a businessman who acted according to other people's power and cues. In fact, it was too powerless to change other people's characters and ideas with just a few words.
But he still defended Yiran with two sentences:
"As the president of the Songlan Chamber of Commerce, he really doesn't need to rely on imitation to gain self-satisfaction. Moreover, his excellence is already restrained enough. Even so, he can still attract the stings of bees and butterflies. Maybe there is really nothing he can do about it."
Paimon stood up and said proudly:
"Yes, we are the president's friends. If you look down on us again, we will file a complaint."
Bo Lai was embarrassed and a little regretful: "Yes, yes, the masters are right."
After buying the remaining two kinds of colorful flowers, Kong asked:
"Shall we go look for Yiran next?"
I don’t know why he bought so many Yebo Stones and “Piao Miao Xian Yuan”.
Zhong Li: "Let's stop by the kite stall. Some of the kite designs needed for the immortal ceremony need to be custom-made by the boss in advance."
After I explained my purpose and received the seven kites representing the seven nations without waiting...
Paimon: “?”
Sora: "...He even paid for us in full."
Zhong Li was thoughtful. It was an ancient tradition to use such kites in the ceremony of sending off the immortals. No matter how he learned the news in advance, he must have put a lot of thought into it and really thought about holding a ceremony of sending off the immortals.
No wonder he told me yesterday that I could ask him for help if there was anything that needed preparation. Perhaps he was not sure whether the ceremony to send off the Rock God would require these things, so he did not ask in advance.
Zhong Li speculated: "It seems that those Night Stones and Piao Miao Xian Yuan that were bought and above the Candlelight level were probably prepared by Yi Ran for the Immortal Sending Ceremony."
After all, the restrictions are so clear, even the colorful flower "Piao Miao Xian Yuan" is, well...
Zhong Li smiled slightly and said, "Let's go. It seems that we have to go and talk to Mr. Naoran again."
…
Feeling the ever-changing power of rules, Yiran knocked on the table:
"I have to entertain guests again."
Finnrich emerged from the torn space and turned back into human form: "Bai, I have learned how to make tea."
The man paused and praised:
"Finnisha is amazing."
He touched the teacup on the table:
"But I asked you to come out because I wanted you to interact with other people. You're happy, aren't you? ... I didn't ask you to make tea."
Finn nodded, but the content of his words did not change:
"I know, but it's more important to help Shiro."
Yiran smiled:
"You can help me by just standing here and greeting our guests. I will make the tea today."
First, rinse the pot, clean the tea set, warm the cups, prepare the tea leaves from centuries-old trees, and wait for the guests to come... basically, the tea soup is ready.
When Kong and Paimon opened the store and slowly walked in, they saw this store surrounded by antique bronze and porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, cigarettes and alcohol.
The afternoon sun shone through the side window, and the man's soft hair was rarely tied up loosely so as not to affect the action of making tea.
Yiran stood in front of the table with his left hand behind his back. He held the lid of the cup with his right index finger, leaving a gap. The remaining fingers rested on both sides of the rim of the cup, and he poured tea into the prepared cup gracefully.
The aroma of tea was rampant, impacting every corner of the store, and it completely intoxicated the white-haired man who put down his teacup and looked up at the visitor gracefully, and then it dispersed lightly like water and mist.
That kind of touch seems to penetrate deep into the bone marrow, yet it is so cunning that people always remain unaware of it.
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