At dusk, a soft, pale yellow afterglow gently spread across the ancient, simple bluestone ground in front of Wanmin Restaurant, adding a touch of warmth to the quiet space.
However, Chef Mao, sitting at the entrance, had no heart to appreciate the beauty of the sunset. His brows were tightly knitted, his face etched with worry. Recently, many workers in Liyue had lost their jobs, and Chef Mao's restaurant, a favorite among the common folk, had taken a significant hit. Business was becoming increasingly bleak.
Just then, a middle-aged man in simple work clothes strode in, his face full of joy. The moment he entered, he shouted, "Boss, the usual! Two good dishes and a bottle of white wine!" He paused, then specifically emphasized, "Remember, both dishes must be meat."
The man's mood was infectious. Chef Mao smiled and went to greet him. "Ah Liang, you look so happy. Did something good happen?"
Ah Liang nodded excitedly. "That's right! Our factory has been saved. The Furina Foundation and the Morax Foundation have jointly acquired the factory. All of us workers just need to undergo some training, and we can get back to our posts."
Hearing this news, Chef Mao was genuinely happy for Ah Liang. "That's wonderful news! I've heard that the employee benefits at those two foundations are famously good. Ah Liang, your luck has turned!"
Ah Liang grinned, revealing a radiant smile. "You're right. Today, a representative from the Furina Foundation came and informed us of our future wages. It's double what we used to make! And the new work schedule is six days a week, eight hours a day."
Chef Mao was shocked. "This... these benefits are too good to be true. I remember you used to work seven days a week, at least ten grueling hours a day."
"Indeed. We couldn't believe how good the terms were either," Ah Liang agreed. "One of my coworkers couldn't help but ask them why they were offering such great benefits."
He paused, looked at Chef Mao, and said mysteriously, "Guess what they answered?"
"What did they say?" Chef Mao asked eagerly.
A look of admiration flashed in Ah Liang's eyes. "They said that they are not merchants who would ruthlessly exploit and oppress workers for profit. Even if this factory doesn't make much profit, they will continue to operate it."
After hearing this, Chef Mao couldn't help but sigh. "If it were a Liyue merchant, they would never make such a decision."
Ah Liang continued, "Besides the generous wages and reasonable working hours, they will also pay for the 'Five Insurances and One Housing Fund' for all workers."
"Five Insurances and One Housing Fund?" Chef Mao's face showed a puzzled expression. "What does that mean?"
Ah Liang was about to explain when he noticed that a crowd had gathered around them, drawn in by the topic. So, he cleared his throat and raised his voice to explain, "The Five Insurances and One Housing Fund include basic pension insurance..."
He explained in detail and with great animation. The surrounding people listened, stunned, finding it hard to believe that the benefits at the new factory were so generous.
A young lad couldn't help but step forward and ask eagerly, "Uncle Ah Liang, is your factory still hiring? I'm young and strong, I can work ten hours a day, and I'm definitely not afraid of hard work!"
As soon as he finished speaking, others chimed in, expressing their desire to work at the factory, each one trying to outdo the other in their willingness to work hard.
Ah Liang said loudly, "Don't you worry, there will be opportunities for everyone. And when you go for your interview in the future, whatever you do, don't mention volunteering for overtime. Fontaine has strict labor laws."
The crowd grew even more eager for such a job. Even Chef Mao was a little tempted; after all, such working conditions were unheard of in Liyue.
Afterward, Ah Liang found a seat in the restaurant, and the people naturally gathered around him, eager to learn more details about the new job. Chef Mao started to get busy, firing up the wok to prepare delicious dishes for his customers.
As time went on, more and more customers arrived, many of them common workers like Ah Liang, their faces filled with hope and anticipation for their future. Chef Mao gradually became overwhelmed, but luckily, his daughter Xiangling returned just in time to greatly ease his burden.
...
Night fell, and a bright crescent moon hung high in the dark sky, casting a soft, silvery glow.
The Dove Café was quiet and deserted. Yide sat alone at a corner table, engrossed in processing the latest documents sent from the Furina Foundation. The Liyue-Fontaine joint venture project sounded simple, but in practice, it had encountered many thorny problems, such as some factory owners demanding exorbitant prices.
If this were in Fontaine, such a problem would never exist; the West Factory would "invite" these greedy merchants dreaming of a windfall for a "cup of tea." But that approach wouldn't work in Liyue.
Just then, the sound of light footsteps broke the silence of the café. He looked up and was surprised to see that the visitor was Lumine, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
She walked slowly towards him, a hint of frustration in her expression. She pulled out a chair and sat opposite him.
"From the looks of it, you failed again this time," Yide said with a smile. "I told you before, as long as your brother shows up, your actions are bound to fail."
Lumine glared at him, retorting irritably, "You're so infuriating. To be honest, the chances of success for this operation were slim from the start. My real goal was to end the endless suffering of those cursed people of Khaenri'ah, to free them from this eternal torment."
Yide said calmly, "If I were you, I wouldn't do something so foolish. The Hilichurls are already new life forms. Their life and death should not be for you to command."
Lumine fell into a long silence, finally letting out a deep sigh and admitting with some resignation, "Perhaps you're right. I really have no right to decide their fate."
Yide then asked, "There's something I've never understood. You're not from Khaenri'ah, so why are you so obsessed with rebuilding it and taking revenge on the Heavenly Principles?"