The night was already deep, and various parts of Zaun should be in chaos. Gangs and criminals would be operating in the dark, smugglers and profiteers would be doing their best to make money.
But all of this might be happening in various corners of the Undercity, certainly not in the Black Alley.
Ever since Lin Wen gained his reputation three years ago and established this rule in Vander's name, all the gangs in Zaun knew one thing – if you wanted to do business in the Black Alley, that was perfectly fine, as long as you were there for legitimate business.
The Black Alley welcomed you in broad daylight, but you were strictly forbidden from entering at night to avoid causing disturbances.
In Zaun, no one dared to violate this rule, not even prominent merchants from other regions who came to Zaun. They all adhered to this regulation.
Now, in the upper and underground floors of the Last Drop Tavern, apart from the soothing music and the sound of Vander's footsteps, along with the clinking of bottles as he placed them on the table, the other sound came from Lin Wen in the basement.
At this moment, Lin Wen was holding a storybook in his hands, sitting on a tattered old sofa.
He was telling stories to Powder, and even though she had heard Lin Wen's stories many times before, she still loved it when he told her these stories.
After finishing a "fairy tale" story about Shurima legends, Lin Wen took a sip of water and lowered his head.
Powder's little face was right in front of him, the back of her head resting on Lin Wen's chest, her little head tilted back, her eyes half-closed, drowsiness washing over the little girl.
Lin Wen estimated the time; it should be around 11 o'clock at night now?
For a ten-year-old like Powder, this time was already very late.
At this time in the past, both Vi and Powder would already be asleep, but tonight, Powder clung to Lin Wen and kept dragging it out, and it became late into the night.
Lin Wen carefully lifted Powder from his embrace and walked towards her bed. He gently placed her on the bed and sighed with relief.
However, his relief was short-lived because Powder on the bed suddenly furrowed her brows, extended her little hand, and tugged on Lin Wen's shirt, unwilling to let go.
Lin Wen was in a dilemma. How should he handle this? Should he just pull her hand away? No, it was clear that she hadn't entered deep sleep yet. If he caused a disturbance, she might wake up, and then he would have to put her back to sleep, right? Both Powder and Lin Wen were tired, and he hadn't slept for several days.
With no other choice, Lin Wen stood by the bed while Vi approached him, whispering softly in his ear, "Are you going to the Upper City tomorrow?"
Lin Wen's shirt was being tugged by Powder, and he could only stand there. Looking at Vi, he replied quietly, "I probably won't be gone for too long, but it might be a month or two."
"Is it for work?" Vi sniffed, noticing Lin Wen's eye movement and the subtle hand-rubbing gesture. Knowing Lin Wen well, Vi immediately extended her hand, took a step forward, and stood on her tiptoes in front of Lin Wen.
Then she pointed her finger at the tip of Lin Wen's nose, her tone somewhat upset as she said, "You're not allowed to deceive me. You rubbed your index finger and thumb, and your eyes were shifting around. Tell me, are you trying to deceive me again?"
Lin Wen was taken aback. How did she know?
"I've noticed this habit of yours for a long time, Lin Wen. You always do this when you're about to deceive someone."
Seeing Lin Wen's surprised expression, Vi became quite pleased with herself. She tilted her little face upward, gazing at Lin Wen, "You can just tell me directly. I won't pester you, and neither will Powder. I just don't want you to lie to me again."
Lin Wen had only been in Piltover for a week this time and back in Zaun for just three days, but he would be leaving again tomorrow.
"I... shh!"
Lin Wen immediately made a hushing gesture as he began to speak. Powder's little hand, which was clutching his shirt, loosened, and she turned over in bed, sprawling out with a big yawn.
Powder's mouth opened wide, and she had already fallen into a peaceful slumber. Children have the enviable ability to sleep soundly. When they feel tired, they can simply lie down and fall asleep.
Seeing this, both Lin Wen and Vi couldn't help but smile wryly at the scene.
Once they were sure that Powder was fast asleep, Lin Wen turned to Vi with a sense of reflection.
Unconsciously, he had grown taller over the years, now towering over the older Zoran.
And both Vi and Powder had also grown.
Lin Wen looked at Vi, his gaze softening, and he began to speak, "Me, Vander, and Silco, the man you saw this afternoon, have made a pact. Zaun wants independence, but to achieve that, we need weapons. Considering Zaun's current condition, it's difficult to produce weapons that would make Piltover take us seriously. Silco is working on developing his concoctions. We want Vander to become the true leader of Zaun. As for me, Vi, my task is to find weapons that can make Piltover wary."
"But do you have to find these weapons in Piltover?"
"Of course. It's the City of Progress, a city that geniuses from all over the world admire. No matter how much we dislike Piltover, we can't deny its value and status."
Lin Wen looked at Vi and continued earnestly, "And, listen to me, Vi, there might come a time when we have to fight Piltover, but that's just fighting, not a war."
"But people will still die. If there are casualties, doesn't that count as a war?"
"That's why we need powerful weapons. To prevent the deaths of innocent people and make sure we have something substantial to negotiate with Piltover."
In reality, there were certain things Lin Wen couldn't reveal to Vi.
During the morning conversation with Silco and Vander, Silco expressed his dissatisfaction multiple times because Lin Wen and Vander were both against launching a full-scale assault on Piltover.
The strength of Piltover was undeniable. Even if every Zaunite used Shimmer to fight Piltover, the result would likely be mutually devastating, and Zaun would suffer more.
Fortunately, despite being a hardliner, Silco was aware that launching a full-scale attack on Piltover would be a fool's errand. If Piltover was truly pushed to the edge, they could send a squad of enforcers on airships to drop explosives into the Undercity's chasms. In such a situation, Zaun would be helpless.
Furthermore, suppose Lin Wen indeed possessed the power to destroy Piltover. In that case, he still couldn't do it, because someone would intervene—Janna.
She would never consent to Piltover's destruction, as both Zaun and Piltover were like her children. She now favored Zaun a bit more because it was like the older sister who had been mistreated, while the younger sister continued to bully the elder one. Naturally, Janna had to support the older sister, Zaun.
Anyway, Vi sighed, shaking her head, and reached out with a single finger. She looked at Lin Wen with utmost seriousness and said, "I don't understand all that stuff you're talking about. But you have to promise me you'll come back to Zaun on Progress Day."
"We haven't had a proper Progress Day celebration for two years," Lin Wen said, pausing for a moment. Then he reached out and hooked his finger with Vi's.
"I promise," he declared.
"On Progress Day, I'll bring back a bunch of presents."
"You said it yourself, don't forget!"
"Of course, my little sister."