"I'll have someone call Singed right now," Silco said to Lin Wen.
The idea of creating Hextech gems that belonged to Zaunites filled Silco with enthusiasm.
Lin Wen, on the other hand, thought for a moment and then said, "But, Silco, at this hour... isn't it a bit inappropriate to call Singed over?"
Actually, Lin Wen wasn't in a hurry to do it all in one night, but it was evident that Silco had strong feelings about the independence of Zaun. He was more concerned about this matter than anyone else.
For this reason, Silco ignored Lin Wen, let out a loud whistle, and, immediately, the door of the Tavern was pushed open.
Silco's men, including one man with a peculiar tattoo on his face, said loudly, "Boss, are we leaving?"
Silco stood there and waved, "Go and get Singed for me."
"Now?" The man was momentarily taken aback.
"Yes, right now."
"Alright, please wait." He didn't ask further questions, just nodded and closed the door.
"You could easily take the blueprints with you and give them to him tomorrow. There's no need to rush this one night," Lin Wen told Silco.
"One night? Lin Wen, every moment counts now, and you can't understand how I feel." Silco said loudly. "With the blueprints and all these items in hand, given Singed's abilities, he'll be able to create them. But there's another issue, money, Lin Wen. We need a lot of money."
"It's not enough just to be able to make the gems ourselves. We also need a large number of Hextech crystals," Silco said seriously as he stared into Lin Wen's eyes.
Lin Wen scratched his head, saying, "I'm well aware of this, but Silco, we're stuck in a vicious cycle now."
"With Hextech phones, we could have a lot of money, an endless amount of money. But to have Hextech phones, we must first possess a large number of Hextech crystals to produce Hextech gems."
"Hextech crystals can only be obtained with money. The Ferros family's stores have them, but they're only available for purchase with gold coins."
Lin Wen held out his hands, "Even with all of Vander and my assets, plus half of Zaun, we couldn't buy a hundred Hextech crystals."
The Hextech crystals that Jace currently used had been acquired from the Ferros family.
He, as someone favored by the Ferros family, of course, had this right.
At the same time, the ownership of Hextech technology was no longer entirely with Jayce; he had traded the future for the present.
But what matters in science? Knowledge? Intelligence? Of course, but the most important thing is money.
Without money, what can you achieve in science?
Without money, can you conduct research?
"I can provide the initial funds," Silco said solemnly to Lin Wen. "I've earned a lot of money from selling Shimmer. I'll buy the initial required Hextech crystals, so you don't need to worry about that."
"Silco, you're not allowed to sell Shimmer in Zaun," Lin Wen said seriously. He was genuinely concerned that Silco might be carried away by a sense of revenge and act recklessly.
The gap between Piltover and Zaun still existed, even though the Undercity now had Shimmer and would soon possess Hextech technology. The difference between the two city-states remained enormous.
But for Silco, there was finally hope.
Shimmer was really beginning to shine.
Though faint, it prevented Silco from always considering a do-or-die battle against Piltover and gambling with the future.
Silco looked at Lin Wen with mixed feelings, tapped his forehead, and said aloud, "I understand that the sale of Shimmer in Zaun will ruin our grand plan."
"I have a sense of proportion in this matter. Moreover, Lin Wen, do they have money? Zaun is broke, too poor, so poor that the so-called alchemical technology consists of rummaging through the stinking sewers and assembling discarded items from the refuse dump that the Upper City residents don't want. So if we want to make money, I know where I can get it from. I can make money, a lot of it." In response to Lin Wen's curious gaze, Silco extended his fingers and continued, "It's from the Upper City, and... from abroad."
"Are you planning to sell to Piltover and Noxus?"
"In Piltover, they won't need this kind of thing," Lin Wen said, furrowing his brow.
"You're wrong, Lin Wen."
Silco smiled confidently, spreading his hands. Underneath his suit, a corner of his vest revealed a touch of red. He said, "Piltover citizens, contrary to what you think, are the ones who need Shimmer the most."
"You've always believed that Shimmer is addictive and harmful to the human body, but that's the original Shimmer. Today's Shimmer is not as much about its addictive qualities as it is about people's craving for power."
Silco spoke slowly, "Piltover citizens are hypocritical. They may seem glamorous, peaceful, and friendly on the surface, but most of the time, they are the ones who love to bully the weak."
"In such a bustling city-state, there exists such a cruel law of survival. The Piltover scientists who have been oppressed and humiliated for a long time by Piltover's survival laws are the best customers for Shimmer."
The people Silco was referring to were those who were desperate to join the great families and receive investments from the wealthy citizens of the Upper City.
More than fifty percent of these people were Piltover citizens, while the rest were probably science enthusiasts from various parts of the world who had come to Piltover with a longing for science.
The great families of Piltover controlled over ninety percent of Piltover's resources. In Piltover, they were the unquestionable authorities. Therefore, the accumulated resentment and humiliation from long-term oppression became a vent for Shimmer.
This substance could not only enhance physical abilities but also increase reaction speed and alertness. It allowed the weak to experience the sensations of the powerful in a short amount of time.
However, since it was an alchemical concoction, it naturally had side effects. The side effect of Shimmer was that excessive consumption could cause genetic mutations.
"All right, but be careful not to make Piltover too chaotic," Lin Wen sighed and said.
"Wouldn't chaos be a good thing?" Silco frowned and took a step forward, staring at Lin Wen's face. He whispered, "Or is it because of him? Have you grew fond of a Piltover citizen?"
"Silco, widen your perspective. Piltover is not our enemy. In this vast world, we might have many enemies, but Piltover certainly isn't one of them," Lin Wen said helplessly.
This world is enormous, so vast that Lin Wen has been in this world for five years but has only ever been to the Twin Cities. He hasn't been to Shurima, hasn't been to the Valoran continent, hasn't been to the Freljord in the north, and hasn't encountered the mysterious and unpredictable Ionia.
Kumungu has characters like Zyra, Icathia that had been overrun by the Void, and a warrior who has lived for a thousand years is organizing a team.
This world is vast.
So vast that Piltover and Zaun are just a tiny part of it.
Silco certainly understood this as well.
He even knew some ancient secret histories from thousands of years ago. He knew that there were extraordinary powers in this world that could easily kill him.
But what did that matter? Why should he care about those mysterious gods, warriors, and mages?
He cared only about the present.
So, he looked at Lin Wen and said with a cold gaze, "I don't care about things hundreds or even thousands of years from now. Lin Wen, I only care about the here and now. I care about whether Zaun can become independent during my lifetime, whether the Zaunites can stand up. I don't care about anything else."
"I hope you can set aside those useless emotions, Lin Wen, at least until Piltover submits. I hope you can be firmer."
Upon hearing Silco's words, Lin Wen wanted to argue.
He wanted to tell Silco that there were many things in this world that he hadn't thought of.
A warrior from Shurima, who had lived for thousands of years, roamed the continent.
There was a Darkin named Aatrox, lurking in the north.
And that guy might recall his former territory one day.
That place was Zaun.
Zaun was once a harbor under Shurima's dominion.
If he returned, not even a thousand Lin Wens could stop him.
The more people, the more powerful he become.
If that time comes, the only thing that might hinder him was Jayce's Hextech.
Piltover citizens weren't really the enemy.
At least, Piltover shouldn't become an enemy in the future.
But Lin Wen's mouth opened and closed, and he finally said, "I understand."
"I will. I'll do what I need to do until Zaun is completely free."
Silco closed his eyes. "That's good."
Lin Wen couldn't find words while looking into Silco's eyes.
What kind of eyes were those?
Calm, without any ripples.
But Vander, who was beside Silco, kept shaking his head at Lin Wen, telling him not to say anything more.
Without experiencing it firsthand, don't advise others.
Sometimes, if you don't understand, just keep your mouth shut.
Because you never know what others have been through.
Just like now.