In the divine rule era of Rex Lapis, whether it was the esteemed Liyue Qixing or the immensely powerful merchants, a sense of reverence resided in their hearts, leading them to treat others with generosity and humility.
However, as Rex Lapis gradually receded, everything changed.
The Liyue Qixing's wealth accumulated at an astonishing rate.
And those great merchants, in their pursuit of profit, often resorted to unscrupulous means; although their wealth did not grow as quickly as the Qixing's, it was also steadily increasing.
However, the total wealth of Liyue society as a whole did not significantly increase.
This meant that the increasingly growing wealth of the Qixing and great merchants was actually gradually draining from the hands of the common people.
Liyue seemed prosperous, but hidden beneath was injustice towards the common people.
This injustice not only existed but was also continuously expanding, like an insurmountable chasm, separating the rich from the common people.
In addition to this, Liyue also had a rather serious problem – class solidification.
If West Factory did not intervene in the Qixing election process, then the position of Qixing would always be monopolized by seven merchant guilds.
To illustrate this with a simple example, the soon-to-be-outgoing Tian Shu, Uncle Tian, when selecting the next Tian Shu, only considered and chose from his three apprentices.
Furthermore, his daughter was not only a secretary at Yuehai Pavilion but had also been internally designated as a candidate for the Qixing in the term after next.
Ultimately, Xingqiu agreed to Lin Yide's request, consenting to introduce his elder brother to him.
This was actually a reluctant choice.
Xingqiu was well aware that with West Factory's capabilities, they naturally had other ways to find and negotiate with his brother.
Moreover, as someone who valued the spirit of chivalry, he also strongly disapproved of certain practices of the Qixing, such as condoning the opening of casinos and brothels.
...
On the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor, the storyteller Tian Tiezhui stood before a beautifully decorated screen, vividly narrating his performance.
"No sooner said than done, the West Factory Director Yide, with lightning speed, suddenly swung his sword, striking Tywin, the Chief of the Marechaussee Phantom. Tywin was caught off guard, deeply cut in the abdomen by the sharp blade. Ssshh—! Blood splattered everywhere on the spot, red, yellow, and white, mixed together, gushing across the floor. Ladies and gentlemen, guess what Yide did next, faced with this bloody scene?"
The audience, gathered around the tea tables, was deeply engrossed by Tian Tiezhui's narration. Their appetites completely whetted, they couldn't help but eagerly press him: "What exactly did he do?"
The audience's enthusiastic reaction greatly satisfied Tian Tiezhui.
He did not rush to reveal the answer, but slowly and deliberately picked up the teapot, savored a sip of fragrant tea, and then continued his story.
"Yide actually grabbed his sword, and without hesitation, dug out Tywin's heart, then steeped it in his own coffee."
As soon as these words were uttered, the audience gasped repeatedly, deeply shocked by the horrifying and bizarre plot.
At this moment, a calm voice spoke up, "From a universally rational perspective, the plot you described greatly deviates from reality. To my knowledge, while Yide is known for his ruthlessness, he is by no means the pervert you claim him to be."
Upon hearing this, Tian Tiezhui was enraged. He looked in the direction of the voice and found the speaker to be a handsome young man. The man sat quietly alone at a tea table, exuding a noble and extraordinary aura.
Tian Tiezhui snorted in dissatisfaction, "Sir, are you perhaps West Factory's Director Yide?"
The man calmly shook his head, "I am not Yide."
Tian Tiezhui let out a cold laugh, "Since you are not Yide, how can you assert that what I say does not align with reality? I advise you to use your brain before speaking."
The man was not angered by Tian Tiezhui's offense; he calmly said, "Mr. Tian, since you know something about Yide, you should naturally know what kind of organization West Factory truly is. By slandering him like this here, do you think West Factory will let you off?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Tian Tiezhui's face instantly turned pale. He naturally knew West Factory's methods. Although his nickname was 'Iron Tongue,' West Factory's instruments of torture were harder than iron.
The man picked up the tea from the table, drank it in one gulp, then stood up and said, "Mr. Tian, I advise you to use your brain before speaking. Uh... also, please charge this tea to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's account."
After speaking, he departed gracefully. Leaving Tian Tiezhui standing before the screen, his face fluctuating between green and white.
At a tea table located in a corner, a young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses slowly approached, softly comforting him, "Mr. Tian, there's no need to be overly alarmed; West Factory is not as terrifying as the rumors suggest."
Upon hearing this, Tian Tiezhui's inner fear slightly subsided.
However, the man's next words made him shiver, "West Factory will only pull out your teeth one by one. As for tortures like cutting out tongues or tearing mouths, those should not occur."
Tian Tiezhui was so scared he trembled all over. He knelt on the ground, loudly shouting into the air, "Director Yide, sir, I was just spouting nonsense just now; please forgive me!"
With that, he harshly slapped himself several times.
The gold-rimmed glasses man witnessed this scene and couldn't help but sigh softly, "I told you, West Factory isn't that terrifying after all."
Next, he settled the tea bill with the tea boy, then quickly turned and chased after the direction where the previous young man had disappeared.
Approximately ten minutes later, as he was about to reach the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he finally caught up with the man.
"Mr. Zhongli, please stop!" he called out, stopping Zhongli.
Hearing the call, Zhongli turned around. Before him was an elegant stranger, and a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.
"Excuse me, may I ask who you are?" Zhongli politely inquired.
The man smiled, "West Factory's Yide."