Jinx was very sensitive to the spirit realm, or rather, changes in emotions. Especially after Faen frankly told her about the joy factor, Jinx was very mindful of this sudden happiness.
For a moody and suspicious manic-depressive patient, suddenly feeling inexplicably better without any reason would make them realize the problem with just a little attention.
Looking at Faen giving a speech among the workers with rich body movements, distinct facial expressions, and a cadenced tone, combined with the joy factor quietly filling the air...
Even Jinx had to admit that Faen, whether in the thoughts he expressed or the actions he took, was full of demagoguery for the bottom-feeders of Zaun.
And more importantly, this demagoguery was different from Silco's...
Silco's current demagoguery basically stemmed from Shimmer and the wealth accumulated by Shimmer technology. But Faen was different, completely different. Faen's demagoguery was less instigation and more mobilization.
To put it bluntly, to suppress the negative emotions in her heart, while Jinx wasn't an out-and-out drug addict, she would use Shimmer on average every two or three days, or when feeling mental pressure.
Shimmer wasn't a drug, but a life-type wild magic with self-awareness accidentally cultivated in Zaun's countless chemical pollutions like raising Gu.
Under these circumstances, Jinx could appreciate the difference between Shimmer potion and the joy factor.
The most obvious point was that Shimmer's addictiveness stemmed from life's desire for high-quality life energy. Compared to the energy supplemented in ordinary food, Shimmer's life energy was pure enough and strong enough.
Once tasted, there was no going back. The body would naturally crave this high-quality energy, and under continuous intake, the body would generate strengthening and evolution to adapt to this energy.
And once Shimmer was lost at this time, severe degeneration would occur. This was a magic acting on the material body, and this subtle addictiveness was also the key for Silco to manipulate Zaun.
But the joy factor was different... Jinx could feel that the working principle of the joy factor was more based on the influence on the human spirit.
It would magnify people's inner pursuit of beauty, even forcibly making people happy, thereby stimulating the body to secrete happy hormones.
Under these circumstances, Zaunites instigated by Silco would fight to the death under the desire for Shimmer. Just for a shot of pleasure before dying.
But Faen's was different...
The joy factor would strengthen their perception of happiness—and what gathered from a large amount of happiness was people's expectation for the future...
Perhaps in the short term, the power of Shimmer was stronger. But...
Did Silco pursue power? Did he pursue a Zaun controlled by Shimmer? If there was a choice, which one would Silco choose? And which one would Zaun choose?
Thinking this, a lot of thoughts surged in Jinx's eyes.
Just as Faen said, Silco was a person who valued individual emotional bonds. But with the change of power in Zaun, the current Silco had become completely different from the past...
He was becoming Vander, just a crueler Vander.
Because with the rebellion he initiated, the current Zaun could no longer allow the gentle Vander to maintain peace...
Thinking this, a mocking sneer appeared at the corner of Jinx's mouth. Mocking Silco, mocking herself, mocking Zaun.
"Really want to blow all this up!"
"You're not thinking about something extreme again, are you?"
Just as Jinx was thinking, Faen's voice came from the side.
Looking up, in Jinx's view, Faen, who was originally surrounded by workers, had already arrived in front of her. Behind Faen, apart from the corpses of those gang thugs, the workers were nowhere to be found.
Realizing Faen had finished speaking, Jinx shrugged indifferently: "Since you know me so well, you should be able to guess what I'm thinking, right? Nothing more than blowing everything up!"
"That is indeed what you would think." Faen nodded in agreement, then patted Zeri's perky little butt beside him and said, "This is Jinx, Silco's adopted daughter, and our future partner."
"Jinx?" Hearing this, Zeri blinked, then said, "Oh oh! I heard Mom mention you! But isn't Jinx Silco's subordinate? How did she become an adopted daughter? And... and I remember Silco seems to be the head of the Chem-Barons?"
"Silco is indeed the leader of the Chem-Barons, and indeed controls the entire Zaun with Shimmer technology."
Faen said peacefully to Zeri: "But he is different from those Chem-Barons who are truly willing to be the Upper City's black gloves and sell out Zaun's interests. Silco just took the wrong path, but only the wrong path, not a traitor."
Hearing Faen's words, Zeri's expression seemed a bit puzzled. Jinx on the side stared at Faen for a while, then spread her hands and said, "I think Silco should take this as a compliment."
Of course it's a compliment—although the current Silco maintained corresponding independence for Zaun, the reason Zaun became like this was directly related to Silco seizing Vander's power. And this power struggle directly made the already poor Zaun more chaotic...
Although many people followed Silco back then, identified with Silco. Believing only tough striving could make Piltover bow. But facts proved... all this just exchanged for more severe poverty and chaos.
Unfortunately, people always subconsciously clear themselves of responsibility.
Even those who initiated reform with Silco now blamed Silco for Zaun becoming this shitty mess, completely forgetting they also had a share of responsibility for Zaun becoming like this.
Under the circumstance that many people considered Silco the biggest cancer of Zaun, Faen said Silco just took the wrong path... Jinx felt she could guess Silco's reaction.
"There is still possibility for change."
Faen responded simply, then said to Jinx, "This is my lover, and the first person I met after coming to Zaun, Zeri."
"Hehe."
Hearing Faen's address and prefix for her, a cheerful smile appeared on Zeri's face. She quickly tidied up her appearance and extended her hand to Jinx with a cheerful smile.
"Hello! My name is Zeri!"
"Hello." Jinx's reaction was flat, even carrying a bit of listlessness. She didn't care much about the term "lover" in Faen's mouth.
After all, as Silco's adopted daughter, although neither Jinx nor Silco admitted it, the preferential treatment Jinx received under Silco was obvious to all.
Under these circumstances, Jinx knew much more about Zaun than Zeri. Things like coercing women into becoming slaves through sweet words and Shimmer potions, or accumulating wealth by exploiting other Zaunites, were not rare in Zaun.
Although because of Faen's leaflet, Jinx didn't think Faen would be such a person. But this didn't affect Jinx's indifferent attitude towards so-called feelings.
As long as one has no hope for feelings, naturally one won't receive any hurt from feelings.
Although Zeri was curious about everything regarding Jinx, seeing Jinx's cold reaction, Zeri on the side didn't ask too much. Just confirming each other's information, Jinx turned to leave.
"I will relay your evaluation of Silco to him word for word. I think he should feel some boring happiness."
Shrugging, Jinx said with a bored face, "After all, that guy Silco's reputation is heinously ugly now. You guy are a celebrity in Zaun now, yet willing to stand up and say a fair word. If I were him, I would be crying with excitement now~"
Hearing this, Faen nodded understandingly, then said peacefully: "There is an ancient poem in my hometown, one line says 'You do not know the true face of Mount Lu, only because you are in this mountain.' The current Zaun is like this. It is too early to give any conclusion about what Silco has done; only time will give a fair answer."
"Hope so."
Jinx waved her hand. Originally turned around ready to leave, but just after walking a few steps, she seemed to remember something and turned back to Faen.
"...Anything else?" Faen asked.
Jinx didn't waste words, directly extending her hand: "Some more joy factor."
Hearing this, Faen raised his eyebrows in surprise, then took out a few test tubes, dripped his plasma into them, handed them over and said: "Giving you is no problem, but don't rely too much on this. Although with your mental strength you can basically ignore addictiveness, mental pressure still exists. And there are some negative effects."
"Your negative effects are simply nothing compared to Shimmer's negative effects!"
Hearing this, Jinx sneered: "Won't cause physical degeneration, won't produce strong addictiveness, won't consume energy and lifespan after withdrawal, and can make people glow with hope for life... What is the negative effect you mentioned? Meaning caring about you exceptionally?"
Hearing Jinx's words, before Faen could say anything, Zeri on the side widened her eyes curiously, as if saying "Eh, you even know this?".
To this, glancing at this exceptionally 'naive' but incredibly lucky Zeri, Jinx curled her lips and said: "Your mom protected you too well. Anyone who has used Shimmer can more or less determine what effect this joy factor has regarding its negative effects."
Saying this, Jinx shook the test tube in front of her eyes. Looking at the pale yellow liquid inside, she said with satisfaction:
"Although this thing will make people pay more attention to Faen's state, ultimately, how this state is depends on one's own judgment. If what Faen does makes you happy, you will like him and be happy doubly. Similarly, if Faen does things that disgust you under this situation, you will also be doubly disgusted. But looking at it now, you don't seem to feel so?"
Jinx curiously scrutinized Zeri. Zeri froze slightly, electric light erupting at her temples after understanding Jinx's words, then seemingly realizing something, she quickly controlled her emotions to dim the arc, turning to say guiltily, "I... I knew it long ago..."
"Hope so." Facing Zeri's dishonesty, Jinx rolled her eyes.
Although the two looked similar in age, Jinx was obviously much more mature than Zeri. It was just that often, to hide the pain inside, Jinx behaved even crazier than Zeri.
Thinking this, Jinx directly picked up one of the test tubes and poured it into her mouth. Her ruddy tongue licked Faen's plasma.
Feeling the joy emerging from the bottom of her heart, a trace of infatuation flashed across Jinx's eyes, which were filled with madness but always hung with an erasable sadness in the background.
Glancing at Faen, Jinx then pointed to the corpses of the gang members on the side and said:
"Don't do this kind of thing yourself in the future, let me do it. Silco will definitely be very willing to be your black glove. After all, he is already too dirty to be washed clean~"
"Then sorry to trouble you~"
Faen waved to Jinx. Having taken the joy factor, Jinx's state was also a bit drunk, but no matter how absent-minded she looked, a trace of sobriety always hung in her eyes, which even the pleasure brought by the joy factor failed to wash away.
"Just don't forget what you said." Jinx turned and walked alone into the darkness: "Make Zaun a bit better."
Faen didn't speak, just watched quietly. After Jinx left, Faen touched Zeri's hair beside him: "Alright, tonight's mission ends here, let's go home."
"Mmhmm! Go home!"
Zeri nodded excitedly—in fact, the side effect of the joy factor had already begun to take effect gradually. Having developed path dependence, almost at the same time as feeling this mental pressure, Zeri felt her body cheering, waiting for tonight's rest.
Seeing Zeri was already looking forward to it, Faen directly scooped up Zeri's body, then said: "Been busy for so long, now your equipment upgrade is complete. Anything you want to do tomorrow during the day? I'll accompany you."
"Want to do what?" Hearing this, Zeri thought for a while, then said excitedly: "I remember! I want to watch a concert!"
"...Concert?" Faen raised an eyebrow—Zaun has this thing?
"That's right, that's right!" Zeri grinned and said, "Seraphine is coming to the Middle Level Plaza of Zaun for a concert! Heard it's great! Let's go watch together!"