The control room was not far from the hall where the ceremony took place.
Li Lin and Orianna, after solving the issue of the hypnotic pollen, hurried directly to the hall where people were gathering.
Without any incidents along the way, they did not encounter any other mercenaries.
Just as they walked out of the side door leading to the backstage, Orianna immediately spotted her father's figure lying amidst the scattered crowd.
"Dad!"
Anxious yet cautiously, she lifted her small feet and crossed the crowd, heading towards a spot not far from them.
There lay a middle-aged man with brown long hair, wearing glasses, dressed in a blue and white inner lining with a swallowtail suit. His face appeared gentle, and he exuded a noble temperament.
Corin Reveck, a well-known prosthetics craftsmaster from Piltover.
With intricate brass components, he could craft prosthetics that were exquisite, often surpassing the original flesh in quality.
However, when most people heard the surname "Reveck," they associated it more with the "Inventor King" Corwin Reveck of Piltover University.
Both of them came from the Reveck family, but Corin, who married a commoner and started his own business, had long distanced himself from the family.
Tears swirled in Orianna's reddened eyes. "Dad, wake up!"
She nudged her father and then gently followed the previous procedure, patting his cheeks a few times.
Soon, Corin's eyelids twitched, and consciousness seemed to gradually return to his body.
However, having slept in the pollen-filled enclosed space for so long, the toxin couldn't be eliminated in a short time.
Corin opened his eyes, eyes almost identical to Orianna's, but deeper and filled with a sense of confusion and lifelessness.
"How did this happen..."
Orianna, anxious to the point of almost crying, quickly took off her own breathing filter and placed it on her father's face.
Li Lin did not stop her actions, as most of the pollen in this area had been drawn away by the ventilation system.
If doing so could comfort her emotions even a little, it was not a bad idea.
With his mana points now below half, Li Lin opened "Data Mind," quickly glanced at Orianna's father's status bar, and then closed the skill.
[Personal Status: Mild Poisoning, Fatigue, Numbness]
[Effects]
[1. Lose 6 health points per minute, lasting 8 minutes and 29 seconds (non-lethal, minimum reduced to 187 health points).]
[2. Enter a state of extreme fatigue, with a 90% reduction in thinking reaction speed and an 85% reduction in body reaction speed.]
[3. Temporarily lose most sensory and motor functions, lasting 23 minutes.]
The negative effects of poisoning varied depending on individual physical qualities.
For Orianna's father, Corin, who was already middle-aged and did not pay much attention to physical fitness, his immune system was evidently not that strong.
Even though the panel showed only mild poisoning, the impact and duration of various negative effects were more than a little for him.
"Don't worry, your father just inhaled too much pollen. Rest for half an hour, and he'll be fine." Li Lin gently patted Orianna's shoulder, comforting her softly.
After all, she was still an underage girl, and facing such a situation inevitably made her feel helpless.
"Really?" She sniffled, her elf-like delicate and flawless face filled with teary-eyed sorrow, tugging at one's heartstrings.
"Of course." Li Lin opened his arms, "Look, I'm fine, right?"
Orianna lowered her eyes, biting her colorless lower lip. She looked towards her father with a worried expression.
"Sir, could you please help me a bit..." she hesitated.
Li Lin readily agreed, "No problem, as long as it's within my capabilities, I'll do anything."
"Thank you!" Orianna's expression brightened, and her gaze shifted to the chairs against the wall. "I just want my dad to be more comfortable..."
Understanding her intention, Li Lin helped Corin to the side, arranging the chairs side by side for him to lie down.
"I have some things to take care of, I'll be back shortly." Li Lin told Orianna.
Seeing her nod, he began scanning the hall to find familiar faces.
Li Lin first noticed the conspicuous figure of Heimerdinger, lying not far from him, along with Caitlyn and Jayce.
He hurriedly ran towards the other side of the hall.
"Caitlyn!"
"Jayce!"
Li Lin used the method of waking up his hometown self, using his thumbs to push forcefully between Caitlyn and Jayce's lips.
Receiving such strong stimulus, the two awakened one after another.
Due to their good physical fitness, they did not remain stupefied for too long like Corin.
With Li Lin's support, Caitlyn and Jayce both sat up with slightly pained expressions, reaching to touch their foreheads.
"Ugh, my head hurts..." Jayce's voice was somewhat hoarse.
Beside him, Caitlyn, gradually clearing her mind, saw Li Lin supporting her and Jayce. Frowning slightly, she asked, "Li Lin?"
"Have you ordered yet?"
"What's happening to me..."
Caitlyn felt as if her head had been stirred with a stick, a throbbing pain overwhelming her.
"You're poisoned."
"Poisoned?"
Caitlyn raised her eyes slightly, gradually restoring a normal view that reflected people lying helter-skelter on the ground.
"What is happening?!" She widened her eyes, unable to help but exclaim.
Hearing Caitlyn's surprised tone, Jayce, who had recovered, also looked around. His expression changed abruptly, and for a moment, he couldn't react.
"This... What happened to us?"
"We were attacked." Li Lin removed the breath filter device, exhaling heavily. "They used hypnotic flowers in the ventilation system, spreading pollen throughout the auditorium, causing us all to pass out."
"What?!" Jayce gasped in a breath. "Who would dare to be so crazy and attack the Progress Day gathering of major families? Aren't they afraid of retaliation..."
Compared to Jayce, Caitlyn's reaction seemed much calmer. "They did this for a reason."
She said in a low voice.
"Oh Caitlyn, have you heard of the code name 'C'?" Li Lin asked opportunistically.
"C? Where did you hear that name?" Caitlyn bit her lip. "Did Vander tell you?"
"Vander? What does he have to do with this?" Li Lin spent most of the time in a semi-comatose state after the last attack with Caitlyn in the Benso's shop. Vander's subordinates interrogated the kidnappers and informed Caitlyn of this name. However, she didn't even tell Li Lin later, almost forgetting the name herself.
"It has nothing to do with Vander. It was revealed by his subordinates during the last interrogation. This 'C' is the mastermind behind the kidnapping plan."
"Ah? Wasn't the mastermind the head of the Odelenke family who kidnapped us last time?"
Jayce scratched his head, not quite understanding what the two of them were talking about, but Li Lin and Caitlyn ignored him.
It's really C... This is going to be difficult.
Li Lin's expression was quite complicated. "You should have told me about this last time."
"I didn't think much at the time..." Caitlyn's face looked unpleasant. "Do you suspect that C is also behind this attack?"
"Not suspect, but affirm." Li Lin nodded confidently. "The Kiramman family is targeted. Your parents are the main targets. The reason they attempted to kidnapped you last time was to threaten your parents."
Caitlyn's cherry lips opened slightly, and a trace of horror flashed in her eyes. She couldn't say a word.
Who is this crazy guy who dares to provoke a council family with significant strength among the top in Piltover?
As Li Lin's words gradually fell, he stood up again and began to scan the hall.
At this moment, many people in the hall were gradually waking up, and the whole space became chaotic.
Fortunately, for the time being, no one could resist the negative effect of "paralysis" and stand up directly. The hall's field of vision was still relatively broad.
However, after Li Lin looked over again and again, and even found the other five council members except Heimerdinger, there was no sign of Mr. and Mrs. Kiramman.
"Caitlyn, do you know where your parents were before you passed out?"
"Uh..." Caitlyn hesitated, pointing in the direction of Professor Heimerdinger.
However, beside the yordle with yellow hair and white beard, apart from a young man who held a cane and looked frail, even somewhat sickly, there was no sign of Mr. and Mrs. Kiramman.
Li Lin's mood sank. "They were indeed taken away..."
(End of this chapter)