A week quietly passed by.
Piltover Council Building, top-floor council chamber.
The weekly routine meeting of the Highest Councilors was being held here today.
As usual, as the founder of Piltover and a veteran who had securely held his seat on the Council for three hundred years, Professor Heimerdinger sat in the center seat of honor at the round council table without any suspense.
But it was obvious that everyone only held a superficial reverence for Councilor Heimerdinger, who sat high in the seat of honor.
As soon as the routine meeting convened, their gazes naturally focused on a young female Councilor sitting steadily in the number two seat at the round table, to Heimerdinger's right.
This female Councilor had exquisite features and a graceful figure. Gorgeous gold ornaments decorated her glossy black hair, and her tight, form-fitting white dress embroidered with gold contrasted against her lustrous dark skin, further highlighting her elegant temperament.
Although she was younger than any Councilor present, no one dared to show her any contempt or disrespect.
Because her name was Mel. Mel Medarda.
House Medarda was a warlord family from Noxus. This Miss Mel Medarda was naturally the representative of Noxian interests in Piltover.
And one only needed to unroll the current map of Runeterra to know:
The cross-sea canal of the Twin Cities connected the eastern and western oceans. The land to the north connected to the vast mainland of Noxus, while to the south lay countless colonial outposts established by Noxus on the Shurima continent.
The terrifying, ever-advancing military might of the Noxian Empire had long since sandwiched Piltover from both the north and the south. If Noxus wanted to transport troops from its eastern coast mainland to the western sea warfront and southwestern colonies, they had to pass through Piltover's cross-sea canal.
In short:
Piltover was to Noxus what Panama was to the United States.
If it weren't for the fact that Noxus could not yet dominate the world alone, and that there were strong checks and balances from the Kingdom of Demacia and its allies to the west, Piltover—an irreplaceable transportation and trade hub of strategic importance—would probably have been swallowed whole by this greedy behemoth long ago.
Therefore, as the representative of the Noxian Empire's interests, it went without saying just how much weight Mel Medarda and her family's words carried in Piltover today.
Even House Ferros, the local heavyweights of Piltover, had to show some deference to this "descended deity."
Thus, at the very beginning of this council meeting, everyone tacitly remained silent.
Until Miss Mel spoke first, acting as the meeting's host, "Does anyone have any new topics for this routine meeting? I would like to hear everyone's opinions first."
Mel politely asked the Councilors present.
Heimerdinger habitually leaned his large head against his chair, waiting in utter boredom for the meeting to adjourn.
The other four Councilors looked at each other, none of them having anything to bring up either.
Only the last Councilor, Caitlyn's mother, Madam Kiramman, spoke up, having prepared in advance, "Everyone, I have a proposal—"
"It is regarding the Iron Fist Gang."
The Iron Fist Gang?
The Councilors frowned one after another.
"Hasn't this matter already passed?" one Councilor asked. "Madam Kiramman, has your daughter still not given up?"
"Indeed." Madam Kiramman sighed softly. "Caitlyn has been very quiet these past few days."
"I originally thought she had finally accepted reality, but I didn't expect she was secretly preparing a 'surprise' for me."
"Isn't this just making a scene? Madam Kiramman, you are far too indulgent with your child."
The Councilors were somewhat dissatisfied. Although everyone had been naive once, this Miss Caitlyn was simply too naive.
Seeing this, Heimerdinger wanted to say something, but helplessly closed his mouth.
Instead, it was Councilor Mel who sighed in an appreciative tone, "Miss Caitlyn is a pure person. I like her very much. Seeing her is like seeing my younger self."
These were not empty pleasantries.
Mel had also been naive in the past. Back then, it was precisely because she could not agree with Noxus's bloody ideology of the strong preying on the weak, and could not endure the brutal slaughter of the Noxian invading army, that she was kicked out of the family's core of power by her mother and exiled to Piltover to be a merchant.
Caitlyn's unpolluted, innocent eyes had indeed left a deep impression on her.
"So, what does our Miss Caitlyn want to do this time?" Mel asked with a tolerant tone.
The other Councilors complained helplessly, "That girl isn't coming to ask us to sign an investigation warrant again, is she? Madam Kiramman, you really should discipline her."
"No, Caitlyn is not that naive this time." Madam Kiramman smiled and shook her head. "She truly gave me a surprise."
"The child wants me to step forward and coordinate with everyone, to agree to hand over the Iron Fist Gang's territory for her to manage."
"Pfft—" A certain Councilor who was drinking tea spat it out, performing an impromptu water magic trick on the spot.
Professor Heimerdinger, who had been cosplaying as a clay statue in the seat of honor, also widened his eyes in disbelief.
'Wasn't that girl Caitlyn insisting on her legal justice? How did she end up fighting the Iron Fist Gang for territory after just a few days?'
"Smart." It was Miss Mel who reacted first. She raised an eyebrow in admiration. "If you can't destroy the order, join the order, and then try to change it."
"I take back my previous assessment—Caitlyn is much smarter than I used to be."
"However, managing a gang is not easy. Can she do it?"
At this, Madam Kiramman smiled with gratification. "This is where Caitlyn surprised me."
"I originally thought she was just acting on a whim, wanting to use the family's power to eradicate the Iron Fist Gang. But I didn't expect that this child was seriously preparing to run 'a business'."
"First of all, in just this short week, Caitlyn has reached a partnership with Professor Viktor of the University of Piltover."
Saying this, Madam Kiramman glanced at Heimerdinger. "That's right, that Professor Viktor is Councilor Heimerdinger's student, Jayce Talis's close friend, and the second inventor of Hextech whom we are all very familiar with."
Then, ignoring how astonished Heimerdinger's expression was, she continued to explain:
"Caitlyn, representing our House Kiramman, invested in the factory run by Professor Viktor. He and the Academy of Hextech are helping to forge weapons, and they are selecting personnel from the factory's Zaunite apprentice workers to serve as gang enforcers."
"I have read the action plan Caitlyn submitted to me. Honestly, this project she invested in, called the 'Walkman', has a lot of potential. Even just from a commercial perspective, I am willing to agree to her plan."
"She is serious this time."
Madam Kiramman's explanation shocked the Councilors present.
In just a short week, she had gained a powerful ally, an organization beginning to take shape, and a stable source of funds, weapons, and manpower. What terrifying leadership was this?
They couldn't tell that Miss Caitlyn, who was so naive it bordered on foolishness, was actually such a shrewd and capable business prodigy!
"House Kiramman truly has a worthy successor!" everyone sighed in admiration.
"Therefore, I agreed to Caitlyn's request," Madam Kiramman said, highly gratified. "I also want to ask everyone to agree to hand over the territory currently controlled by the Iron Fist Gang to my daughter to manage."
"If this causes any loss of interests for anyone here, our House Kiramman is willing to make up for it elsewhere."
Although the Iron Fist Gang was the largest Zaunite gang in Piltover, it was far from the only Zaunite gang.
There were many Zaunite apprentice workers living in Piltover, and there was more than one Zaunite community. Naturally, there was more than one Zaunite gang entrenched in the various Zaunite communities.
Wiping out one of these gangs and handing over one of the Zaunite communities to Caitlyn's management wouldn't completely shake the underground order of Piltover.
Not to mention that Caitlyn had already "realized her errors and returned to the right path," only intending to solve the problem in a businessman's way. And Madam Kiramman had formally promised on behalf of her family that she would compensate for any losses suffered by other families in the process.
"Madam Kiramman, you really know how to spoil your child."
"Oh well, since you are willing to take out real gold and silver for Miss Caitlyn to practice in the business arena, I have nothing more to say."
After a brief moment of thought, a Councilor raised his hand to show his stance:
"I agree to eliminate the Iron Fist Gang."
Heimerdinger hesitated for a moment. Although he didn't know what was going on, or how his student Viktor had gotten mixed up with Caitlyn, even partnering up to do business and start a gang...
But since this was Viktor and Caitlyn's idea, it most likely wouldn't be a bad thing.
Thinking this in his heart, Heimerdinger also raised his short arm.
Adding Madam Kiramman's own vote, they already had three out of seven votes.
The other Councilors didn't seem resistant either, and quickly raised their hands in agreement:
"The Iron Fist Gang has been developing a bit too fast lately. If a dog gets too strong, it will bite." Four votes.
"Indeed. Compared to Zaunites, I still trust House Kiramman more." Five votes.
"The weather is getting cold; let the Iron Fist Gang go bankrupt." The sixth Councilor didn't even bother finding a proper excuse.
The illustrious Iron Fist Gang and its insufferably arrogant boss, Avery, seemed about to be casually swatted to death like a fly by the frail arms raised by these Councilors amidst their cheerful banter.
There was absolutely no need for a violent turf war.
The signatures of a few Councilors were enough to turn the Zaunite community upside down.
But right at this moment, Councilor Mel, who had been silent just now, spoke up, "Wait. Before we vote on this matter, I still have something to say—"
"I'm afraid there is a slight problem with this 'project' Miss Caitlyn invested in."