Following a round of "friendly communication" by the three-person negotiation team, they quickly secured reasonable treatment for the contract laborers.
This salary level was neither too high nor too low, landing exactly at the maximum psychological price the business owners could accept—
Seraphine had been "listening" the entire time.
If the price were any higher and they bled them too dry, the business owners would ignore the deterrent of House Kiramman's privileges and be driven to complain to the Piltover Council regardless of the consequences.
"Therefore," Levi concluded, "this is a 'friendly negotiation'."
"The business owners will gladly accept the conditions, and no one will go to the Piltover Council to complain."
"This..." This smooth and flawless operation truly left Mel watching in amazement.
But she still reminded him with great concern, "Mr. Levi, you are dancing on Piltover's bottom line."
"Piltover is supposed to be a Piltover that belongs to merchants."
"You exaggerate, Miss Mel," Levi immediately explained with a smile. "Merchants are divided into the big and the small, and power is divided into the strong and the weak."
"In Piltover, councilors naturally enjoy privileges and are meant to be superior to others."
"We didn't use any extreme methods that crossed the line. We merely borrowed Miss Caitlyn's prestige and perfectly monetized her family's privileges—"
"This is exactly the rule of the game in Piltover, isn't it?"
Mel pondered for a moment and actually let out an appreciative laugh. "Haha, you are right."
After laughing, she secretly pondered:
'Reality is indeed cruel.'
'Yet the Windguides still managed to improve everyone's lives to the greatest extent within the limits of these conditions.'
'They poured all their efforts into transforming this world, making it just a tiny step closer to the ideal.'
'Perhaps the Windguides truly are different.'
As she was lost in thought, Levi suddenly reminded her, "Miss Mel, you have seen all the places you wanted to see. Do you need to return to the audio workshop for the final inspection now?"
Mel snapped back to reality and then nodded. "Alright, let's head back then."
Saying so, she led her handmaiden and followed behind Levi, returning to the Hextech Audio Workshop where they had first set off.
Mel wanted to see again how the factory, which the Windguides managed and transformed as their base, differed from other factories now.
Thus, the group quickly returned to that Hextech Audio Workshop.
Walking through the factory gates, before even entering the workshop buildings, Mel immediately noticed something vastly different from other factories:
"Celebrating the official launch of the first Labor Competition at the Windguides' Hextech Audio Workshop?"
The difference was that in the most conspicuous spot of the factory courtyard stood an extremely eye-catching, massive bulletin board.
On the bulletin board, written in very festive, bright red font, were the words "Labor Competition"—a term that felt incredibly out of place to Mel.
'A competition for labor?'
"How exactly does one compete in this?" Mel asked curiously.
"It works like this," Levi explained. "We divided the factory into workshops, teams, and departments."
"We made a large Rotating Red Banner and a small one. The large banner is contested by the workshops, while the small banner is contested by the teams and departments. We plan to hold an evaluation once a month to select the Advanced Collective and Advanced Individual of the month..."
Mel listened in a daze; she still couldn't understand.
'Working is such a painful thing...'
'Who would have nothing better to do than participate in a competition that makes them work more?'
"Then what exactly is the reward for these so-called Advanced Collectives and Advanced Individuals?"
Mel believed that if anyone participated in this kind of competition, it must be because the material rewards were extremely generous.
However, Levi's answer was, "Uh... because our material conditions are currently limited."
"So the reward is currently mainly spiritual and honorary—that is, the Rotating Red Banner."
"What?" Mel suspected she had misheard.
'Working so hard for half the day, just to be rewarded with a useless flag?'
'Isn't this just fooling people?'
"Does anyone actually participate in this competition?" Mel questioned.
"Yes," Levi replied. "And everyone is quite enthusiastic about it. In the few days since the Labor Competition started, their work efficiency has noticeably improved."
"Oh?" Mel grew even more suspicious, wondering if this was just a propaganda story from the Windguides.
She was a business owner herself, so she knew all too well:
'Workers are like lamps; they only give off as much heat as the oil you provide.'
'The most a business owner can do is try every means to improve the "combustion efficiency." Expecting them to shine and generate heat on their own without giving them any oil is impossible!'
"But we are different."
"The apprentice workers in our factory are almost all Windguides."
Levi revealed the reason behind it.
This Hextech Audio Workshop was the Windguides' headquarters and the place where their propaganda work first began.
To this day, the apprentice workers in this factory had almost all become Windguides with firm beliefs. Even if they weren't official Windguides, they were Windchasers who served as a reserve force.
"These workers are people with faith."
"So they know who they are working for and what they are working for right now."
"Their hard work today is no longer to let the boss live in a mansion and drive a luxury car; it is to realize the ideals of the Windguides and to create happiness for all of humanity."
"Therefore, even if it is only a spiritual honorary reward, they are willing to work hard to strive for it."
Levi explained with a serious tone.
But Mel still didn't believe it.
'Without material rewards, how could people have any motivation?'
She absolutely could not believe that these most ordinary and common workers could endure a lack of material rewards for the sake of faith.
'This is a noble quality that only the purest of saints, rare even in legends, could possibly possess.'
'Could they all be saints?'
'Just these workers, the most ordinary of workers?'
"These workers are different," Levi emphasized. "I've said it before, they are all Windguides."
"They are genuinely people with faith."
Shocked, Mel remained silent for a long time.
"Alright," Levi, seeing that she couldn't understand at all, simply explained further. "Actually, besides the Rotating Red Banner, we do indeed have some 'material rewards' for the Advanced Individuals."
"Is... is that so?"
For some reason, Mel actually breathed a sigh of relief.
This feeling was very complex and subtle.
It was as if a glaring fireball had suddenly appeared in a world of ice and snow; its mere presence burned everyone, making them somewhat uncomfortable.
And then this fireball finally grew dim, losing its light and heat, becoming just like everyone else, making everyone feel less uncomfortable.
"Then what is this 'material reward' you speak of?" Mel asked casually.
"Janna's blessing," Levi said.
"Eh?"
"It means rewarding the winning Advanced Individuals with a wisp of 'Rejuvenating Monsoon' from Janna."
The Rejuvenating Monsoon, imbued with Janna's divine power, could make one's entire body feel comfortable and relaxed with just a single breeze.
Those with injuries could be healed, and those without could have their hidden ailments alleviated.
The effect was better than soaking in a hot spring, and more comfortable too.
Most importantly, this was a personal blessing from the Goddess Janna.
Compared to the Rotating Red Banner and certificates of honor, this was a spiritual reward that truly no one could refuse.
"I see..." Mel could finally understand how the Windguides' Labor Competition was being run.
Of course, if Levi had told her that this "Janna's blessing" reward was added later because he felt the material rewards were too meager and a bit stingy...
And that in the beginning, everyone was still full of drive even without this material reward...
Mel definitely wouldn't have believed it, nor would she have been able to understand it.
At this moment, she understood this so-called Labor Competition according to the explanation she was willing to believe:
In her view, the workers were definitely working desperately with high enthusiasm just to receive the divine blessing of the Goddess Janna.
"Wait..." Mel suddenly realized the crux of the issue. "Janna's divine blessing?"
"Ordinary workers can also see Janna?"
She asked tentatively.
"Of course." Levi gave an answer that surprised her. "Not only can the workers see Janna, but you can see her too."
"In fact, Miss Mel, you have already seen her."
"What?" Mel furrowed her brows tightly.
'She had already seen Janna?'
'Where?'
"Right here." Levi pointed to the cute bluebird on his shoulder.
"She is Janna's avatar."