"That's right."
Bai Ge nodded.
In his view, Liyue's civil service system was fundamentally incomplete.
Compared to the iron-bowl civil servants of Bai Ge's previous world, the only true "iron rice bowl" positions in Liyue were actually the Millelith.
Taking the original Bai Ge as an example—
he had trained with spear and sword full-time not to work under Keqing,
but to enter the Millelith.
Why could Keqing's subordinates be replaced every three months?
Because those clerks were not considered real members of Liyue's official system.
Whether in benefits, or long-term security,
they simply couldn't compare to the "favored sons" who answered directly to the Geo Archon—the Millelith.
Liyue valued contracts.
As long as a contract was signed, even ordinary employees would work diligently.
People like Bai Ge, who constantly thought about slacking off, were actually the exception.
Originally, none of this had anything to do with Bai Ge, who only wanted a nine-to-five life.
But since Keqing had brought it up, Ganyu had asked,
and Bai Ge happened to be part of the system—
Why not make his own benefits better?
"Have you ever heard of the Five Insurances and One Fund system?"
Bai Ge asked Ganyu with a slightly mysterious smile.
"Five insurances… one fund?"
Ganyu tilted her head in confusion.
"That is: pension insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, work injury insurance, maternity insurance—
plus a housing provident fund," Bai Ge explained.
He had already thought this through.
Liyue was a wealthy nation, and one rich in human warmth.
Although it had a pseudo-ancient setting, its productivity was not low at all.
In recent years, the Qixing had already begun experimenting with social welfare policies—
Keqing even often complained that generous welfare made people lazy.
But those attempts were fragmented.
They lacked the completeness and systemic depth Bai Ge had inherited from his previous life.
Implementing something like Five Insurances and One Fund in Liyue shouldn't be a problem.
After all, Liyue was a nation ruled by its people.
At most, the "one fund" would need some adjustment.
"And on top of that, there can be various subsidies—meal allowances, housing subsidies, transportation subsidies…"
Bai Ge continued.
"Wait, slow down—one at a time!"
Ganyu raised her hand and interrupted his rapid-fire stream of new concepts.
"Let's start with this 'Five Insurances and One Fund' you mentioned."
"Alright."
Bai Ge nodded.
"In essence, this system ensures that people are cared for in old age, treated when ill,
and protected against risks through government involvement."
"It increases a family's ability to withstand misfortune,
instead of forcing individuals to bear the full cost of disasters and accidents alone."
"At its core, it's about humanistic care."
Bai Ge spoke steadily.
As Ganyu listened, her violet eyes grew brighter and brighter.
In the past, if a worker in Liyue was injured or disabled,
the employer would compensate them—but that was the end of it.
Everything afterward had to be endured by the family alone.
If the family couldn't bear it, they relied on relatives, friends, or even kind neighbors.
In a turbulent world like Teyvat,
many people truly grew up "eating from a hundred households."
The people here were kind—
like that Inazuman samurai who distributed relief grain from his own salary.
But kindness should not be a prerequisite for survival.
What Bai Ge proposed systematized what had previously relied on goodwill alone.
Care for the elderly.
Purpose for the strong.
Growth for the young.
Support for widows, orphans, the lonely, the disabled.
Wasn't this exactly the Great Harmony Liyue's cultural ideals had always pursued?
Wasn't making Liyue better precisely the contract she had signed with Rex Lapis?
As Bai Ge described the system,
Ganyu's eyes burned with excitement, and her heart burned with it as well.
In her eyes, Bai Ge himself began to look taller—greater.
However, that image didn't last very long.
"A system like Five Insurances and One Fund can't be pushed to all of society at once,"
Bai Ge continued calmly.
"So it can first be piloted on a small scale within Liyue's civil service."
"Then, combined with salary increases and other subsidies,
the government's appeal to top talent will rise sharply."
"At that point, major merchants will realize they can no longer recruit capable people,
and they'll be forced to introduce similar protections for their own employees
to stay competitive."
Of course… that was all for the future.
"As for now…"
After talking all afternoon, Bai Ge stood up.
His throat was dry from speaking.
He took a sip of tea—only to find the cup long empty.
The bitterness lingering on his tongue did little to help.
Having spoken so much after such a long time,
even his mouth felt numb.
He looked at Ganyu.
She was still listening intently, eyes sparkling,
taking notes nonstop.
The stack of paper beside her was already thick,
yet she still looked at him with unmistakable longing.
Bai Ge gave a helpless smile.
"For now, Lady Ganyu…"
"It's time for me to get off work."
"Eh?!"
Just as expected, upon hearing his words,
Ganyu's beautiful eyes widened.
Overt disappointment and reluctance overflowed from them.
"How can you do this?"