He changed Tiwat

Xingqiu ordered "Manor Pancakes" for lunch today.

The "Manor Pancake" is named after the Manor, as it was originally a refined dish enjoyed during afternoon tea at noble manors in Mondstadt. During the era when Mondstadt was ruled by the nobles of the House of Lawrence, this pancake was a food exclusively for the nobility, one of the symbols of their status, and commoners had no chance to taste it.

It wasn't until after the aristocratic rule was overthrown that this "manor scones" entered ordinary households, gradually evolving from an afternoon snack on the manor into one of the daily staples of Mondstadt residents.

The two round baked cakes in front of Han Fulai and Xingqiu were golden in color and decorated with the finest raspberries. They were sweet and sour, making them very appetizing.

The fragrant pancakes have a soft and fluffy texture. Just one bite makes your taste buds feel like they're on a cloud, bringing you a sense of happiness as if you've fallen into a soft cloud.

Han Fulai couldn't help but praise Xingqiu's eye for choosing restaurants, while Xingqiu said that every time he suffered from Xiangling's "dark cuisine", he would come here to eat some sweets to change his taste.

After chatting and laughing for a while, the topic returned to the "Liyue Labor Association".

“When I said before that things like Lao Meng’s were unavoidable, I wasn’t just saying it casually. I would even say that if there isn’t an organization like the ‘Liyue Labor Association’ to stand up for workers like Lao Meng, the accumulated conflicts within Liyue will probably explode very soon. Because times are changing, but most people are completely unaware of it.”

Xingqiu stopped using his knife and fork and sat up straight.

"Appreciate further details."

Han Fulai picked up the knife, pointed to the pancake in front of him, and said, "Let's take this 'Manor Baked Pancake' as an example."

As he spoke, he cut the remaining pancake in front of him into two pieces. The two pancakes were not the same size, roughly in a 7:3 ratio.

“This is the problem that Liyue is currently facing,” Han Fulai said.

Xingqiu blinked, glanced at the pancake, then at the knife, and finally fixed his gaze on Han Fulai's face.

Han Fulai saw a line of large characters clearly imprinted in Xingqiu's eyes: "Riddler, get out of Liyue."

He smiled and explained, "It's a matter of 'making muffins' versus 'dividing muffins'."

"'Making pancakes' versus 'dividing pancakes'?" Xingqiu tilted his head.

"Let's assume that you and I are partners in opening a restaurant specializing in pancakes. With our combined resources and skills, we can only make ten pancakes a day. These ten pancakes will be our income. Since we are partners, the income will naturally be split between the two of us."

Han Fulai picked up the smaller pancake with a fork, handed it to Xingqiu, and waved it at him.

"So I'll give you these three pancakes, and I'll keep the remaining seven for myself."

"Wait... why is it seven for you and three for me?" Xingqiu asked, puzzled.

Han Fulai replied sincerely, "Look, I'm older than you, taller, heavier, and have a bigger appetite... so I eat a little more. You wouldn't want me to go hungry, would you?"

“Uh…” Xingqiu was speechless for a moment.

"It's only four pieces anyway, don't worry about such a small detail. Have you heard the story of Kong Rong giving away pears... Oh, you haven't? That's okay. What I mean is that it's a virtue for a younger brother to offer food to his older brother. As long as we keep working hard and improve our pancake-making skills, we can make more and more pancakes, and you can eat more pancakes too," Han Fulai continued shamelessly.

“Hmm… While humility is a virtue, I’ve never heard of an older brother forcing his younger brother to be humble… My older brother usually saves a portion of the good food for me…” Xingqiu said, glancing sideways.

Han Fulai ignored Xingqiu's complaints and continued, "We'll continue to hone our skills, and now we can make a hundred pancakes a day. Guess how we'll divide the pancakes next? I'll give you four options."

"Option one: I'll take seventy, and you take thirty."

"Option two: I'll take sixty, and you take forty."

"Option three: I'll take fifty, and you take fifty."

"Option four, I'll take... ninety-seven, you take three."

Xingqiu rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Judging from your tone, it sounds like you want me to choose option four?"

Han Fulai shook his head.

Xingqiu thought for a moment, then asked, "Could it be option three?"

Han Fulai continued to shake his head.

"So that means... maintaining a 70/30 split?"

Xingqiu guessed again, but Han Fulai still shook his head.

"...Could it be that there isn't a correct option among these four options?" Xingqiu finally understood.

Han Fulai nodded. "Obviously, the answer is option five—none of the above options are correct."

After he finished speaking, he swallowed the muffin stuck on his fork and said somewhat indistinctly, "I eat my fill every day, while you're starving... with your stomach practically touching your belly. How are you going to get three muffins?"

After swallowing the pancake, he continued, "So, what if we can make a thousand pancakes a day? By then, I'll have made a lot of money from the large amount of pancakes I get. I'll have enough to buy a house, get married, and have many, many little Hans with your sister Ahe. I'll feed them well every day... They'll all help me. As for you, you'll be hungry and poor, unable to get married, and unable to have little Xingqiu..."

"I can take out some pancakes and ask someone to make them for me, and then take out some more pancakes and ask Zhiruo and the others from the Guhua Sect to be my servants and maintain order. I can also equip them with a bunch of good weapons to point at you... What makes you think you can fight me?"

"Then I'll take this opportunity to..."

Xingqiu suddenly leaned forward and snatched the plate in front of Han Fulai, "...take away the pancakes!"

After saying that, as if asserting his dominance, he took a big bite out of Han Fulai's pancake.

Han Fulai smiled again: "That's the problem I was talking about. The workers in Liyue produce all sorts of products and have created the prosperity of Liyue Harbor with their own hands, but they can't get a share of the pancakes they produce because the merchants have taken all of them!"

"As a result, the pancakes produced by the Liyue workers became, in turn, chains that oppressed them."

"And the 'Liyue Labor Association' I mentioned is the one that gives out pancakes to the workers of Liyue for the holidays."

Chapter 336 I Have a Knife in My Hand [4k]

Han Fulai took the plate that Xingqiu had snatched, slowly cut off a piece, and said, "Through the story just now, you should have already seen that there is actually a serious problem between 'making pancakes' and 'dividing pancakes' in Liyue."

"The difference between seven pancakes and three pancakes might be due to differences in our physical conditions, which we can explain as a difference in ability; the difference between ninety-seven pancakes and three pancakes might be due to my higher vision and better opportunities, which we can explain as a difference in perspective; but how do you explain having a thousand pancakes all to me?"

Han Fulai raised the gleaming dinner knife in his hand.

"Anyone with a little common sense can see that the only explanation is: I have a knife in my hand."

Xingqiu nodded.

As the second young master of the "Feiyun Chamber of Commerce" who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Xingqiu was actually very clear about this matter.

Some people are born with more resources than others, like Xingqiu himself. His starting point is the destination that many people cannot reach in several lifetimes.

Xingqiu also had ordinary people around him. Axu, whom he sent to Qingce Village to deliver a letter, was such an ordinary young man. He had no outstanding family background or extraordinary abilities. Even if he worked diligently by his side for a lifetime, his assets would never catch up with one percent of Xingqiu's.

Even so, in Ah Xu's words, "Being able to serve Young Master Xingqiu is already my good fortune."

Ah Xu's life is already much better than that of workers like Lao Meng. By following Xing Qiu, he can always benefit from his success.

For example, if Xingqiu wanted to learn martial arts, his father could send him to learn—even if it was just to learn some fancy moves at the Guhua School. Because he had never lacked servants and guards since he was a child, he never needed to lift a finger. If he wanted a weapon, he could choose any of the best swords from the Black Rock Factory… In contrast, Old Meng couldn't even afford a good, sharpened sword.

Han Fulai said so much to him, but in reality, it all boiled down to just two words: "distribution".

The unfair distribution has created unfairness in Liyue.

Food is grown by farmers through their labor, and goods are produced by workers through their labor, yet these laborers who created the prosperity of Liyue Harbor are unable to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Xingqiu suddenly remembered a poem he had read in that book of classical Chinese poetry—

"Yesterday I entered the city, and returned with tears filling my handkerchief."

"Those adorned in silk robes are not the ones who raise silkworms."

The reason Han Fulai said so much to Xingqiu was because Xingqiu could understand and empathize with him.

Born into nobility, Xingqiu differed from other scions of noble families. In his heart lay a chivalrous dream: "Even in death, his chivalrous spirit will remain, worthy of being a hero of the world." This dream even attracted the attention of the gods, granting him the Eye of God.

What Han Fulai is doing now is to make Xingqiu an even more powerful knight-errant—a knight-errant who is "the greatest of heroes, serving the country and its people."

He not only hoped that Xingqiu would become his ally because of the Yun family, but also that Xingqiu would agree with his ideals and become his true comrade-in-arms.

“Look, even when the two of us are doing business together, we can have such a big difference in how we divide the profits. If we look at the whole of Liyue, there are only more cases like this. This is because in Liyue, we have always only talked about ‘making pancakes’, not ‘dividing pancakes’.”

"Workers like Old Meng don't talk about how to divide pancakes because they don't understand the intricacies of it. They just bury themselves in their work, and the harder they work, the worse their lives become... On the other hand, wealthy merchants on Jade Capital Terrace never talk about how to divide pancakes because they can decide how to divide them. The more pancakes they make, the more they get. As the old saying goes in Liyue, 'Silence is golden.'"

“Those wealthy merchants, once they take the money, certainly won’t just leave it in a box to rot. They will inevitably use the money to make even more money, which is to say, they will invest.”

"In this way, merchants enter a virtuous cycle: because they have capital, they can obtain more production benefits; because they have more production benefits, they can convert them into more capital. This is what we call 'expanded reproduction'. In this expanded reproduction, the gap between laborers like Lao Meng and merchants like Dong Sheng will inevitably widen until it becomes insurmountable for several lifetimes."

“Look, all the merchants are here. The workers and farmers have no say at all; they can only accept the merchants’ distribution. That’s why Lao Meng received the fake Mora that Dong Sheng assigned to him—that’s how the conflict arose.”

“But…we businessmen also have to bear risks when we invest,” Xingqiu couldn’t help but retort.

Liyue has not only successful businessmen, but also unsuccessful ones. For example, Chang Jiuye was once a very successful businessman in Liyue Harbor, but he went bankrupt due to failed investments and now lives in Qingce Manor, keeping his books to make a living.

Han Fulai smiled slightly and asked, "May I ask how Young Master Xingqiu plans to invest to squander all the assets of the 'Feiyun Chamber of Commerce'?"

“This…” Xingqiu hesitated slightly.

Logically speaking, the true assets of the "Flying Cloud Merchant Guild" can be considered "trade secrets" to some extent. The Yun clan has stood in Liyue for a thousand years, deeply rooted, and its influence is almost ubiquitous in all walks of life. To truly bankrupt the "Flying Cloud Merchant Guild," the Yun clan would have to be completely eradicated from both the political and business circles of Liyue.

Of course, Xingqiu knew that Han Fulai did not want to inquire about the "Feiyun Chamber of Commerce" or the Yun family's background.

But this is a question he really finds difficult to answer.

Take, for example, the assets that Xingqiu himself can use—his father gave him the authority to use up to five billion Mora.

Even if he were to lose all 5 billion Mora... it wouldn't be a serious blow to the "Feiyun Chamber of Commerce".

Even Xingqiu's father, the president of the "Feiyun Chamber of Commerce," actually hoped that Xingqiu would really lose all his money—because Xingqiu always made money for the chamber, giving him an excuse to "neglect his proper business" and engage in chivalrous acts. If Xingqiu encountered setbacks, he would probably settle down and focus on doing business properly.

Xingqiu never imagined that one day he would be troubled by how to squander money.

Han Fulai smiled again upon seeing this, "That's the way it is. Different assets mean different levels of risk tolerance. Old Meng might not be able to survive in Liyue Harbor just because he didn't receive his 300,000 Mora salary. But even if Boss Dongsheng received 3 million Mora in counterfeit currency, he probably wouldn't go bankrupt. Look, the fines he has to pay alone exceed that amount, not to mention the compensation he has to give to Old Meng..."

"Businessmen invest for returns, not risks. While emphasizing risks, we must not forget that your returns are equally huge. Moreover, a businessman's risks can be transferred to his employed workers. For example, if Boss Dongsheng receives counterfeit money, he can pass the loss on to Lao Meng, the laborer."

Xingqiu had no choice but to nod. It was indeed not very ethical for a businessman to talk to a worker about risk, as their understanding of risk was fundamentally different.

Han Fulai didn't finish his sentence: "Let's assume a specific merchant, say Master Chang, who was in the amber business, went bankrupt, and lost everything overnight. So, where did his lost assets go? The answer is that they became the profits of another merchant. His assets would appear in the hands of another merchant, say, Maocai Gong."

"Look, the amber is mined by the miners of Liyue, but the profits generated from it all flow through the hands of mining merchants. Either Master Chang makes money, or Master Maocai makes money, or..."

Han Fulai looked at the stone amber dealer in front of him, Young Master Xingqiu of the "Feiyun Chamber of Commerce," and Xingqiu shook his head with a wry smile.

"The profits generated by the laborers of Liyue actually flow through the hands of merchants, but never reach the laborers themselves. The risks that merchants bear are nothing more than losing a few houses or a few meals... Even if Master Chang goes bankrupt, he still has a house full of ancient books. What does Old Meng have? The risks he faces are unemployment, hunger, and death."

"If we consider the workers and merchants of Liyue as a whole, we will find that the workers of Liyue are the ones who bear the risks for the merchants—because whether the merchants make a profit or a loss, it is the workers' hard work. When there are too many workers like Lao Meng whose risks are transferred to them, conflicts will break out."

Xingqiu remained silent.

Han Fulai then changed the subject: "But, Liyue has a history of 3,700 years, so why is it that the conflict is only now starting to erupt?"

Han Fulai smiled and looked at Xingqiu, waiting for his answer.

Xingqiu thought for a moment and gave the answer—

"Because... the Emperor has passed away."

Han Fulai nodded.

"That's right. Because the Emperor has passed away."

"For the past 3,700 years, this pancake-cutting knife has been held in the hands of the Geo Archon. People believe that this Geo Archon, the 'God of Contracts,' is a just and righteous deity, and that his distribution must have its reasons. He has indeed led Liyue from a poor and war-torn land to become the richest country on the Teyvat continent, and the people believe that following this 'God of Commerce' will surely lead to a good life."

"This deity can first lead everyone to make more pancakes, and then comprehensively calculate everyone's contribution and actual needs, and give everyone a fair pancake."

"—At least that's how the people of Liyue see it."

Even if they suffer some injustices for the time being, they believe that "better days are yet to come."

"This is faith, the people's trust in the emperor."

Han Fulai sighed softly.

"But the Emperor has passed away, and now the Seven Stars Government—humans—is in control of Liyue."

"Humans do not trust their fellow human beings as much as they trust gods."

"As far as Lao Meng was concerned, the Emperor could be trusted, but what could Boss Dongsheng have to be trusted? So he took up his weapon and went to find Dongsheng."

"And we know that Lao Meng is an honest man, even a bit of a coward. He neither joined the treasure-hunting gang with his fellow villagers from the 'Mingyun Class,' nor did he hang out with local thugs on the street, nor did he do anything like smuggling raw ore. He has always lived an honest life. But such an honest person can't live a decent life in today's world."

"But Lao Meng's case is not an isolated one. There are many laborers in Liyue who live even worse than Lao Meng. Lao Meng is considered to be doing quite well among them. To put it jokingly, he is someone who has 'settled into being a slave'."

Xingqiu recalled what Han Fulai had said to Boss Dongsheng at Rongfa Shop: "What you signed was an employment contract, not a contract of servitude."

His intuition told him that perhaps Brother Han had had a similar experience to Lao Meng.

Han Fulai tilted his head slightly, recalling his days as a corporate slave in a first-tier city.

"Going to work is being a slave to wages, coming home is being a slave to mortgages, and coming home is being a slave to children. This is what is meant by 'being a stable slave'... Heh, to be fair, at least Old Meng has a job and a place to live in Liyue Harbor. He has also started a family and raised children. Compared to those unemployed miners who are just loafing around or becoming bandits, he is much better off."

Xingqiu fell silent again; this was a topic he couldn't discuss. He could never fall into Lao Meng's situation in his life, nor could he understand Lao Meng's... or even worse life.

Although he could imagine it and had learned about it in the process of doing chivalrous deeds, there was still a huge gap between these and his personal experience.

Han Fulai smiled and continued, "I told you before, 'Times are changing, but most people are completely unaware.'"

"Our Liyue is becoming unstable."

"Stablize……"