People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 472 Lin Feng: Bank? Finance? Go talk to Abyss and the country bumpkin!
"Phew, it's really rare to meet people this enthusiastic, not just Yomiya herself, but her father is no less so."

On the outermost edge of Hanamizaka, near the White Fox Field, lies a small courtyard.

I was just treated to a very warm welcome at Xiaogong's house, and I ate a ton of delicious food, something I hadn't done in ages.

Perhaps because the old lady really liked Mondstadt's dandelion wine, Lin Feng recalled the enthusiasm of his neighbor and her father, Naganohara Ryunosuke, and for a moment even thought that this was not Inazuma during the period of national isolation.

"According to what Xiaogong said, I should probably visit my neighbors in a few days, even though there aren't many houses around because of the remote location."

He shook his head, temporarily postponing this less important matter, planning to casually take a small gift and stroll around the neighborhood later.
Recalling the news that Xiaogong had just solemnly told him, a wry smile appeared on his face:
"You two are really wanted?

"What 'blonde traveler who can summon abyssal monsters' and 'white floating thing that eats anything'?"
"For Xiaogong to specifically remind me to be careful, the efficiency with which you guys are stirring up trouble is far beyond what we expected."

Perhaps because he wasn't wearing any ornaments resembling the Eye of God, Yoomiya subconsciously assumed he was an ordinary scholar with no physical strength.
Faced with this inherently evil "Abyss Cult spy," she even suggested leaving some fireworks with Lin Feng so they could be lit and summoned in case of an emergency.
"Sigh, the changes started unexpectedly quickly, so I need to get moving as well."

"How can the invasion of the 'Abyss' only occur in one place? Since the wanted poster says the criminal is hostile to the 'friendly Fools' soldiers,' we need to help confirm that."

Lin Feng hadn't had a chance to go to Inazuma Castle above yet, but even in Hanamizaka, he could see the Winter Merchant.
I heard from Yoshimiya that prices in Inazuma have been acting strangely lately, and many people have inexplicably started selling their properties.
Although he didn't ask for details, based on the information about the Fatui revealed by Arecino earlier, Lin Feng could basically guess what was going on:
—Probably some twisted hater of an old man, wanting to test just how far he can go in this relatively closed financial system.

But in any case, since the "rich person" wasn't actually here, but confidently in charge of "remote control," Lin Feng wasn't really concerned about what the other party actually wanted to do.
—In theory, with the gods blinded, the closed environment of Inazuma could indeed maximize the power of finance, becoming an unprecedentedly high-quality experimental base.
But theory is just theory. Since a certain pink-haired fox asked me to come to Inazuma for "help," she had better pray that finance would be useful when facing the abyss or some clueless otaku girl.

"That's about it. Now there are some cheaper general stores left. Do you want me to show you the way or help you carry your things?"

"No, a general location is enough. You have a lot of fireworks orders, and you'll probably have to keep working on them for the next few days."

The next morning, in front of Lin Feng's door.

Before heading to find the pink-haired fox, carrying some raw materials for making "fried tofu," he also inquired about recent prices from Xiaogong, and the specific results...
"So you mean that many merchants from Zhidong have appeared in the city, initially selling their goods very cheaply, but buying them at very high prices, and most people go there to buy and sell?"

But after more and more small vendors closed down, prices throughout Inazuma City have inexplicably risen significantly?

"Yes, most residents of Hanamizaka are self-sufficient, so they are relatively less affected. However, the merchants who buy handicrafts and grains have mostly become Shifuji people, and the prices are not as high as before."

But when I went to buy those mineral materials before, I heard Uncle Morihiko say that things were getting more and more expensive, business was getting harder and harder, and quite a few people had taken out bailout loans from the Northern Bank.”

Not being particularly sensitive to finance, although he vaguely sensed that the current situation was a harbinger of some kind of change, Xiaogong couldn't figure out who was behind it and what they wanted to do.

"—So you're a scholar who studies this kind of thing? It seems so hard to understand."

Most residents of Hanamizaka simply think: buy cheap things and sell to those who offer higher prices.

When faced with something she wasn't particularly good at, the blonde girl looked a bit troubled.

"No, I'm probably an ecology scholar, but I only have a slight understanding of the Fools' way of doing things."

"Is that problem very serious?"

Xiaogong blinked, realizing something.

"Yes, it should be considered serious."

"The problem may not seem too big at the moment, but if this situation is allowed to continue, it may be more devastating than the disaster brought by war."

When a country's institutions controlling its military and foreign trade finances completely collapse and become so corrupt that they begin to collaborate with merchants from enemy countries for profit, the destructive power is unimaginable.
If it weren't for the fact that Teyvat's common currency is Liyue's Mora, and that transferring assets isn't particularly convenient...

Lin Feng suspected that this place was likely about to start over-issuing currency, embarking on a path of malignant expansion and loss of fiscal sovereignty.

？ ！！

"Huh? What should we do? Is there anything we need to do?"

Convinced that his new friend wouldn't say anything out of turn, Yomiya, though still unsure, felt that doing nothing might not be a good idea.

"Well, there's really no need to worry too much. In fact, if you know someone who is really short of money, you can let them borrow money from the Northern Bank without worry."

???

Xiaogong blinked, his head full of question marks.

"While such methods have far-reaching implications, before they can truly reach the final stage, they not only require a stable operating environment, but also the support of military force."

"Coincidentally, due to the work I'm doing back in China, I happen to have some special access to information."

Based on my deduction, for a long time to come, those 'businessmen' who lend at extremely high interest rates will likely be struggling to make ends meet.

He waved his hand with a smile, not believing that the Fools would have the mind to worry about his "finance" when facing the abyss and a certain enraged otaku girl.
Lin Feng looked at Xiao Gong, who was clearly interested, and even hoped that she could bring all the people she knew in the vicinity to the Northern Bank to help the "rich man" boost his performance.

"I basically understand Inazuma's current problems: internal strife and conflict, rampant banditry, foreign troops stationed there, and a collapsing economic system."

"Well, there's also isolationism, exorbitant taxes, collusion between internal and external forces, tainted earth veins, and evil spirits causing chaos. The four words 'natural disasters' and 'man-made calamities' alone are probably not enough to describe it."

The shadow falls on the mountaintop, at Narukami Taisha Shrine.

Lin Feng sat cross-legged opposite a certain pink-furred fox, somewhat impressed by Inazuma's ability to maintain a semblance of composure.

—If just a few of these hidden problems were exposed, the country would be torn apart, which would be the least of its worries.

The entire Inazuma family, like an oil drum roasted over a fire, is somehow managed to keep everything in a state that at least appears to be not a big problem, thanks to a certain reclusive woman who never shows her face.

"."

"Alas, my poor, dim-witted old friend, all she gets these days are probably reports of 'great victory at the front' and 'everything is normal.' If it weren't for your help..." The pink-haired fox looked at Lin Feng in front of her, put on an innocent look, sighed dramatically, and turned to dump this mess on some swindler.

"Miss Yae, this trick won't work on me. I never said I would take care of everything for you."

"—You've allowed all of this to develop to this point, and while I can understand your desire to awaken your own god through the extreme contrast between eternity and reality,
However, if you don't want to face repercussions later, you'll have to handle the resulting workload yourself, Lord Chief.

Lin Feng was extremely wary of this pink-haired fox, who was on par with Wendy in terms of moral integrity. He wasn't some blond-haired girl who would do free work for others just because someone called him "cute."
Even with numerous reasons, as a divine servant with the duty of "overseeing the state of the nation," Yae no Miko's poor performance will likely result in her being severely punished.

"."

"Sigh, I didn't intend for it to turn out like this at first, but there were just too many fools."

“Those executives are so secretive, and I’m just an innocent little fox. If I’m not careful, the situation that was under my control has turned into what it is now.”

She sighed softly, her face showing genuine helplessness. In the past few months, the number of executives who had visited Inazuma could probably form a small team.

Although she did all sorts of things at the beginning, she never imagined things would get this bad.

"How about I make you fried tofu every day from now on?"

"For a fox, isn't this a sincere way to repay its debt?"

He blinked and looked earnestly at the young man drinking tea in front of him. Just by looking at his worried face, he seemed to have a sense of despair, as if he couldn't survive without help.

"."

They remained silent, as if they hadn't heard a thing, and continued drinking their tea.

After staring at it for a while, Yae no Miko sighed slightly, somewhat disappointed to find that this move, which had previously been invincible, seemed to have really not worked.

"If I remember correctly, dealing with the levitation pollution and the chaos caused by demons is your job, Miss Yae. These are not among the things I need to help with."

"However, the people of Inazuma are innocent, and I deeply sympathize with them. If they really want my help..."

Yae Shenzi:? ?

"What do you mean, sir?"

"—Heh, it's simple, you have to pay more."

He put down his teacup and stared at the pink-furred fox in front of him with a half-smile.

Although these problems were originally planned to be solved incidentally, how could one expect to get away with something like this guy who was deliberately being lazy and wanted to work for free without paying a price?

"."

"If fried tofu isn't enough, then what would you like? How about we erect a few statues of deities at the shrine? Hmm, if it would be a bit of a hassle for my old friend to squeeze in, that wouldn't be impossible."

"I haven't decided yet, but I choose to reserve the right to receive this additional compensation."

"Yes, don't worry, it won't be anything harmful to Inazuma. Considering the fun factor, I guarantee I won't use my divine power to take advantage of you. You will also have the opportunity to refuse when the time comes."

"As for now, how about you make me a plate of fried tofu?"

He took out the ingredients he had brought, certain that these were the highest quality tofu ingredients in all of Teyvat.

After placing the items on the table, Lin Feng smiled, keeping his true thoughts a secret for the time being.

"Interesting? Harmless to Inazuma? Doesn't rely on strength? And offers a chance to refuse?"

"Well, although I've already come out on top, if you can guarantee that you and your divine friend won't personally intervene, then we might as well forgo that 'opportunity to refuse.'"

I twitched my ears and easily spotted the trap: the "opportunity to refuse" was, frankly, completely ineffective; refusing wouldn't necessarily make a difference.

Even if it were truly a literal choice to refuse, given the vast difference in power, Yae no Miko wasn't worried about doing anything excessive, because there was no need to beat around the bush.
Considering her usual style, since she won't say it directly, what awaits me is most likely something like her favorite prank, but I don't know what her ultimate purpose is.
"Okay, I guarantee there will be no power above the level of a god involved. Yaeguchi seems quite confident?"

"Heh, I'm just a fox, I only trust that you won't do anything too outrageous."

—His sorcery is the most advanced in the entire Inazuma lineage. Although it may not be the strongest below the gods, his sorcery is the most versatile and has countless ways to deal with all kinds of situations, making it difficult for anyone to find a loophole.

Moreover, when the magic of the outside world was lost, so too were the methods of countering it. If the opponent was just another deity's servant, she was not worried at all about any accidents.

"Ah, then it's settled."

Nodding, Lin Feng pushed the materials on the table forward, suddenly feeling a sense of anticipation for what would happen in the future:

"—I haven't had breakfast and I'm a little hungry. I'll trouble Yae-no-miya to take care of these materials."
I think if you put a little effort into it, this might actually become the best fried tofu in the world.

???

They were so focused on talking that they didn't properly check the ingredients they brought.
Upon hearing this, Yae no Miko realized that the contents of the bag might be unusual.

Never betraying its love for fried tofu, after a brief inspection of the ingredients, the pink-haired fox's eyes lit up as if it had discovered a treasure.

He waved his hand and, as usual, used his magic to create a fake body to handle the shrine problem for him.

Then, under Lin Feng's meaningful gaze, Yae no Miko began this very elaborate process of making fried tofu.

(End of this chapter)