Genshin Impact: I, the Winter's Executor, am forced to work.

"Haha..." Qin Ye chuckled awkwardly, subconsciously touching his nose: "There's nothing I can do, I've given it to Liyue's best fleet."

"Is this an investment of yours?"

"That's it."

The man sat down at the table facing Qin Ye, first nodding slightly to the girl beside him: "Long time no see, Columbia."

"Mm." The girl simply nodded slightly to show respect.

The man continued his greetings.

"It has been a long time, my dear Dionysus."

"Indeed, the Inazuma trip was far too long. It's been a long time, my dear Pantalone."

Chapter 130 A Cozy Tea Party

"What? You came to my villa just to have tea and chat?"

Qin Ye's trust in Pantalone was not as great as his trust in D'Artagnan, but at least it had been a relationship he had cultivated since their youth.

While he was taking precautions, he also didn't want anything to cause unpleasantness for everyone.

"Hmm..." The rich man gently blew away the steam from the tea and took a sip.

"Of course not, my dear Dionysus, it's just that I've been quite busy lately."

He shrugged, a hint of helplessness in his smile: "After all, I can't really be considered a politician. Protecting some assets under someone's name requires far more effort than managing the Northern Bank."

"..."

Qin Ye cursed inwardly.

So you're still complaining that I don't take responsibility, huh? Using roundabout ways to insult me, why don't you learn from me and be more responsible?

However, the general implication of this statement is...

You should take those properties back quickly; I don't want to deal with them anymore.

"It seems you've been having a tough time lately, so you came to me to complain right away."

Qin Ye picked up his teacup and raised it towards the wealthy man as a gesture of appreciation for his hard work.

"recent..."

Pantalone's tone shifted from casual to serious: "I don't know if it's because of your encouragement, but those executors who went out to seize the Heart of God have become quite motivated lately."

"Ha ha..."

Qin Ye's laughter was somewhat awkward: "So you're saying that they've been spending money much faster than before lately?"

The rich man remained silent, but it was clear that he wasn't in a particularly good mood.

The other executives are very different from Qin Ye. Even if he spends 100 million Mora, he can earn several times the profit in the future, whether it is visible or invisible. This is why the rich people complain but still tacitly allow Qin Ye to spend money recklessly.

Money is important, but some things cannot be bought with just a lot of Mora. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what he has learned from his many years in charge of the Northern Bank.

For example, personal connections, which might cost billions of Mora, can be given to you for free with just a word of friendship or brotherhood. While the position of an executive officer is useful, it is not effective at all times and in all places.

Can...

Doctors and team leaders don't care about these things; they'd really dare to apply for funding if it were available.

Especially in scientific research, Dottore's abandoned and failed attempts are too numerous to count. Even if he were to achieve good results in the future, the returns to the Northern Bank would be negligible.

“I know better than anyone how fast that kid Dottore spends money. Now that I’m back, I will make arrangements for him to use my assets to fund his research, even if I leave again next time. This is something we discussed a long time ago. This time, it was because the mission I was sent to Liyue by the old man was issued too hastily, so there was not enough time to make arrangements.”

Qin Ye understood the other party's thoughts; after all, no one wanted to be taken advantage of by the doctor.

But he's different, after all...

"Hehe? You two seem to be having a very pleasant chat." A familiar voice came from behind.

The atmosphere inside the room instantly plummeted to freezing point, and the Fool and the Rich man's auras became sharply confrontational.

Tatiana's Eye of God shone brightly, seemingly warning everything nearby.

The girl also abandoned her languid attitude and exuded a dangerous aura.

"Heh, Dionysus, I never imagined that you and Puchnera would cooperate. It really hurts my heart. Our struggle is not over yet, and a third party has to come in."

The rich man immediately put on a fake smile and adopted a "pathetic and lamentable" tone.

What he really meant was, I know we're in a three-way standoff right now, but after you left for a while, the rooster's reach has been very long, controlling my development. I know you've been holding back against everyone, but our relationship has been seen through.

“My dear Pantalone, nothing is just a matter of appearances. You and I are both pawns under the Ice Queen’s command. Winter’s interests must come first. The balance may be fragile, but the struggle between the three is surprisingly stable.”

Qin Ye crossed his legs, straightened his posture, and smiled with narrowed eyes.

What I really mean is that before, we were two-faced, so it was hard for the rooster to be sure of our private relationship. But now that I've regained the Heart of God, my voice between the Queen and the Executive has been strengthened.

Whether it's you, me, or the rooster, we're all outwardly working for the Queen. Even if he knows us both perfectly well, he won't break off relations, so there's no need to worry.

However, Qin Ye was thinking about something else.

No, this seems to be my home. What do you mean by coming and going as you please, like you're just strolling around?

The rooster stood by the table, and Tatiana almost simultaneously prepared a chair for him and invited him to sit down.

"I wonder when was the last time the three of us got together like this?"

Tatiana felt a surge of nervousness.

Every time these three get together, unimaginable changes will inevitably occur during the winter.

The three knew each other inside and out, but outwardly they confronted and restrained each other, while in private they had a collaboration that was unknown to ordinary people.

In the eyes of ordinary people and other executives, they could even conjure up a thousand different relationships and connections.

But all three understood the principle of moderation. Even though she had followed Qin Ye for so many years, she still couldn't tell when the three were enemies, when they were friends, when they were drinking and laughing together, and when they were scheming against each other.

Even if the rich man and Qin Ye have a good private relationship, he would never joke about the interests of the Northern Bank. He is not Qin Ye's puppet.

"I don't remember very clearly either, Puccinella. It seems to be the year I first got involved in the Winter Solstice affairs, and the time when Datalia became the Executive Officer, right?" Qin Ye recalled and considered carefully.

The rooster's arrival signifies remembrance and reminiscence, essentially saying, "I'm not here to cause trouble; I just want to have a simple conversation with everyone."

"Haha, I admired you a lot back then, a young man who started from scratch. I never expected you to outmaneuver me. Time waits for no one. The stage of history will eventually wash away and eliminate us old folks."

"..."

Qin Ye retracted his earlier thought that the other party wasn't there to cause trouble.

"Look at what you're saying. You've secured your fifth seat through your own merit. Dionysus and I both take you as our role model. It's fair to say that without you, there would be no rich people and fools today, and no thriving Winter today."

Pantalone understood what the other person meant. At most, he was asking whether the two of them would extend their reach further, whether the Fool would be as fearless and reckless as he was in his youth, daring to gamble and fight all the way, breaking through the blockade with a crazy approach that no one could imagine and that would ultimately lead to utter ruin.

When a person settles down, they lose that drive and the courage to gamble everything. This is something that veteran capitalists and executives cannot understand.

"It's rare that Pantalone and I share the same idea." Qin Ye nodded in agreement.

The purpose was to show the other side that having a Heart of God would not give them the right to act recklessly and disrupt the current internal affairs of Winter.

"Well, thank you both for your understanding, but I am only the fifth seat. I wonder what those in higher positions think?"

All three of them turned their gazes toward the girl.

There was no long-winded explanation as I had imagined; she simply shook her head gently and said, "I don't care. If there's a problem, just listen to him."

Columbia turned her head slightly, indicating that "he" referred to Qin Ye.

“What an enviable relationship.” Pantalone clapped her hands lightly twice in appreciation.

Dionysus is something else... Leaving aside that lucky kid in the eleventh seat, I didn't expect the third seat to directly state his side in this kind of situation.

However, this statement also reveals her intelligence; in order to avoid complicating matters, she entrusted her ideas to a wise person.

“You two must have gained a lot from your trip to Inazuma.” Puccinella stroked his beard, concealing a hint of shock in his eyes.

The two young men, the rich man and the fool, certainly didn't know, but he had been in office for so many years and was well aware of this young girl's abilities.

Before the Fool became the executor, her methods were so skillful that even a rooster would have to admire them.

Why is it developing in the opposite direction now?

He secretly pondered.

Speaking of which, the methods used by the [young girl] in the past are indeed familiar...

Although not perfect, her formidable strength made up for some of the shortcomings in her plans.

Even so, the rooster could still discern the clues.

Just like...just like...

He regained his composure, but his eyes remained fixed on Qin Ye.

Just like Dionysus.

Chapter 131 Servant

The tea party for the three of them came to an end amidst laughter and cheerful conversation.

In just one week, Qin Ye completed the handover of his businesses.

The rooster and the rich man got some benefits from Qin Ye and left satisfied.

But the rooster remained deep in thought.

After all, the mineral resources that the Fool ceded to him were a considerable sum of money for him, but they were of little consequence to the Fool.

Because what he wants is stability, development, and the support of the people.

After the Heart of God is retrieved, the Empress and the Clown will reward Qin Ye to some extent, so he will hardly lose anything.

Similarly, in addition to the "Young Master", the "Fool" group now has another member, the "Young Girl".

The fact that the "scattered soldier" shielded the "Fool" from disaster in the city proves that he may have voluntarily or unconsciously sided with the "Fool".

Unlike his previous all-or-nothing approach, [The Fool] has gradually become more high-profile among the people, but increasingly low-profile in politics. Even so, many forces are still drawn to him.

These subtle, gradual actions are the most difficult to guard against and control.

But in this conversation, the Fool brazenly brought this matter out into the open again.