Keqing was utterly stunned… she couldn't believe her ears.
The minimum monthly wage in Liyue Harbor was currently 650,000 Mora. Anything below that would be considered illegal.
She had thought that offering 700,000 Mora would already be quite generous—yet Luya went straight to offering a staggering 2 million Mora per month!
That completely shocked her.
Two million Mora a month—roughly triple the legal minimum wage in Liyue Harbor. If Luya truly paid that much, wouldn't people be fighting for a chance to work for him?
Based on thirty days per month, hiring one person would cost Luya around 70,000 Mora a day. Even after factoring in production costs, as long as eight workers could produce at least one console together, he wouldn't be losing money. Yet eight people could certainly produce far more than a single console—so Luya clearly wouldn't take a loss.
However, before hiring anyone, they'd first need to be capable of manufacturing the consoles properly. Not everyone was like Xianyun—able to glance at blueprints once and instantly craft a finished product. Xianyun wasn't just an Adeptus; she was already a master of mechanical arts. That's why she could achieve results so effortlessly.
Ordinary people, on the other hand, would need proper instruction to grasp the skills. If Luya could create a system that allowed normal workers to quickly master the technology behind console production, his electronics factory would advance at an incredible pace.
…
Luya looked at Keqing's incredulous expression and smiled as he explained:
"By raising workers' wages, I can help the people of Liyue Harbor live happier lives. If someone earns 2 million Mora, they'll spend more Mora—and other industries will profit as well. That way, the average income in Liyue Harbor rises. And the more Mora people earn, the more I can earn too. If I only take money from people without giving back, eventually they'll have no money left to buy my products. Then I'll stop earning Mora altogether."
Hearing Luya's reasoning, Keqing felt growing admiration for him. Though he was a merchant, he genuinely cared about the happiness of Liyue's citizens.
Zhongli, who had been quietly listening to Luya discuss recruitment and economic flow, also felt deeply moved. He began to think that perhaps Liyue truly should be entrusted to Luya's care.
After all, the Rite of Parting was approaching. During that ceremony, Zhongli would officially announce that Liyue's governance would be handed over to Luya. Luya would take his place in guiding Liyue.
Zhongli believed that under Luya's leadership, the city would flourish faster than ever, and its people would live joyful, prosperous lives.
Moreover, Luya's power was immense. Even Zhongli—the mighty God of War himself—could sense the overwhelming force within him, perhaps even greater than his own. It was the system's blessing, granting Luya invincibility within his shop. Yet even outside, thanks to the power of card materialization, Luya was still practically unbeatable in Teyvat.
…
"Alright, I'll start finding people for you right away," Keqing said with a nod. "As for a suitable place to build your factory, I have a few recommendations. Tonight, I'll bring you a map—you can pick whichever location you like. If you decide to build your factory there, you can take any of those plots. No rent required."
Luya's eyes lit up at her words—he was overjoyed.
If he didn't have to pay rent, he could use his Land Purchase function to directly construct buildings on the site. Then, around the electronics factory, he could open food stalls, general stores, supermarkets, and more. That way, he'd earn back part of the workers' wages while providing them with everything they needed—efficient and profitable.
And with no rent to pay, he'd have full freedom over the land's use.
As the Liyue Qixing's Yuheng and the official overseeing land management, Keqing's word made it easy—she'd simply sign off on the necessary documents later.
With the issues of factory location and recruitment resolved, Luya felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders.
Now all that remained was to wait for Xianyun to finalize mass-production methods for the consoles—and for the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to complete the network infrastructure.
Once those two things were ready, Luya could officially begin selling the consoles!
...
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