"I believe the two of us can make an agreement," spoke Silco.
This did guy lose his mind?
Li Lin pondered, unsure of how to react to Silco's unexpected proposal.
Fortunately, his face remained concealed by a mask, preventing Silco from discerning his thoughts through facial expressions.
Li Lin gently shook his head, preparing to leave. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."
"We're all intelligent people here. No need to play dumb," Silco said, his tone growing more serious.
To show sincerity, he revealed, "I have a mole planted in Vander's group. I've heard about the events of a few days ago."
I knew there had to be a mole in Vander's ranks.
Li Lin furrowed his brows but didn't turn away, nor did he take another step forward.
"So, what are you trying to say?" Li Lin inquired.
"You invented that armor yourself, right? I've never seen armor like that before," Silco remarked, his sole visible eye scrutinizing the Power Armor.
Li Lin felt no need to answer. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll leave."
"Here isn't the most convenient place," Silco admitted.
"I find it quite suitable. No one would dare to come near us," Li Lin retorted.
Hearing this, Silco hesitated for a moment. From Li Lin's tone and demeanor, it seemed he was serious.
Silco gestured to his two henchmen behind him, instructing them to keep others at bay. "Make sure no one gets close."
With the two sturdy men blocking the entrances, it was highly unlikely anyone would approach.
Approaching Li Lin, Silco softened his tone. "You're clever, probably more so than most topsiders I've encountered. I believe you can see the reality of the situation."
Li Lin's brows furrowed even more. Silco's words gave him an uncomfortable feeling.
"Vander is a coward. He's been staying in the peaceful Lanes for years, living in his own world, forgetting how the Undercity used to be. His edges have long been smoothed out."
"You, on the other hand, face opposition in the Council and even have your little girlfriend behind you."
"She's not my girlfriend," Li Lin interjected.
Not yet, he silently added in his mind.
"Fine, Miss Kiramman, then. Her family still vouches for you, all for the sake of making Zaun better," Silco continued.
Taking a deep breath, Silco sensed his rising blood pressure. "But what about Vander? When you sought his help, what did he say? As the leader of the biggest force in the Undercity, he fears bloodshed and sacrifices, even hesitating to take on the Chem-Barons."
Silco's words carried a strange charm, making Li Lin involuntarily believe him.
"Hehehe... Saying everything is for Zaun, but in reality, he's just a coward. He has completely forgotten how Zaun came into being."
Then, Silco shifted his focus, intensifying his tone. "Blood and struggle, that's the essence of Zaun. We are born out of it."
Silco's left hand supported his right elbow as his right hand rubbed his chin. He paced behind Li Lin.
"Vander is no longer the fearless man he used to be. He's old and unfit to lead Zaun."
"If he's unsuitable, who is? You?" Li Lin asked sarcastically.
Listening to this, Li Lin felt there was no need to continue.
In summary, Silco's lengthy speech aimed to instill one idea in Li Lin's mind: that he was better suited to be the leader of Zaun.
Li Lin didn't know Silco well. He only knew that Silco and Vander were once fellow miners in the same pit. Their bond as brothers soured when they led a rebellion against the topsiders, triggering the "Day of Ashes."
Ideals are beautiful, but reality is cruel.
How could a group of miners and oppressed individuals, lacking equipment, professional combat training, and even proper nutrition, defeat enforcers armed with, although premature but developed, Hextech weapons?
The resistance ended with the slaughter of the rebels by the enforcers and Vander's compromise.
That was also when Vander, the compromiser, and Silco, still hopeful for resistance, completely parted ways.
Honestly, Li Lin couldn't help but sigh after learning about the major incident a few years ago.
As a child who grew up under the red flag and went through compulsory education from elementary to high school, he understood these matters very well.
Whether it was Vander or Silco, what they did was not right.
The conflict between Piltover and Zaun did not happen overnight.
Moreover, due to the unique geographical location of the two city-states, resolving the conflict was no easy task.
Vander and Silco wanted to lead Zaun to independence. At least they needed a guiding ideology, to establish their own armed forces, and to mobilize the grassroots. They couldn't confront Piltover head-on; that was the only way to have a chance of winning.
Of course, it could only be said that there was a chance, and the odds of success were still not high.
After all, Hextech in some aspects surpassed the contemporary technological level on Earth...
But what about Vander and Silco?
After being oppressed, they impulsively gathered more people, used inferior alchemical technology to open a path, and unarmed, confronted enforcers in the upper city armed with Hextech weapons...
If Li Lin were to evaluate their actions back then, he could only use one word to describe it.
"foolish."
But in this world, there were no great thinkers or revolutionaries.
Except for a few genius inventors, there were basically no people in Zaun who could receive higher education, which was understandable.
Having his intentions bluntly exposed by Li Lin, Silco's expression froze for a moment but quickly recovered.
"If everything is for Zaun, I am indeed more suitable than Vander..."
Li Lin chuckled, shook his head, and said, "I think you completely misunderstand."
Silco's face changed for a moment. "Misunderstand?"
It was the first time he had been told he didn't understand by a young kid more than ten years younger than him.
"Hehehe..." After a brief pause, Silco laughed a few times.
However, his voice was filled with endless indifference. "I really don't understand what you're trying to say."
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Li Lin turned around. His emotionless gaze, visible through the metal mask, coldly stared at Silco.
"Since you were planted a spy under Vander and knew about our conversation a few days ago, you should understand my thoughts."
"I'm fighting for opportunities for Zaun with the Council, not so you can continue to resent Piltover. It's for you to ease the conflict."
"Although you are more willing to support me than Vander, in my eyes, you are a warlord. Your ideas are too extreme, and you will never develop peacefully according to my wishes."
"So, compared to Vander, who seeks peace, you are not the most suitable partner for me... Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Silco's expression froze as he stood still, silent for a long time.
"If there's nothing else, I'll leave. I'm in a hurry."
Saying that, Li Lin turned and walked towards the direction of The Last Drop along the path covered in haze.
However, after just a few steps, he stopped again, not looking back, leaving Silco with a final sentence:
"You keep saying everything is for Zaun, but wasn't Piltover once a part of Zaun?"
Silco's pupils contracted slightly, and he looked at the disappearing powered armor shimmering with blue light in the haze.
He heard a slightly different meaning in Li Lin's last words.
A meaning that only someone like him could discern.
"Li Lin..."
Silco's right hand, which had been rubbing his chin, stopped on his face. He murmured Li Lin's name and seemed lost in thought.
After a long time, a faint arc appeared at the corner of his mouth. "You really surprised me..."
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