"This is the work you need to do this afternoon. Go through all of this and then tell me your thoughts."
"Glasc, you're very smart, exceptionally smart, so I won't hide it from you. Although you're my secretary, your power, especially in the projects you're in charge of in Zaun, is second only to Li Ke, me, Vander. You're practically the fourth most powerful person in Zaun."
"But now, I need to examine you. Remember, my eyes are always on you."
"Thank you, Lord Silco."
"Just call me sir. There are no gangs in Zaun now," Silco said earnestly, looking at Renata who was sitting at the small desk and had placed her hands on it.
Renata smiled, shrugged, and said nothing more.
Doesn't she understand?
She's just trying to disgust Silco!
She was basically telling Silco, "You've done far more dirty work than I have, but now you're putting on this act. Don't you have any shame?"
Silco understood what Renata meant, gave a cold laugh, grabbed his clothes, and went out. He still had something to say to Li Ke.
Renata looked at the room after Silco left, snorted coldly, got up from the small desk, and walked straight to the large desk that belonged to Silco in the room.
Renata plopped down in the soft, comfortable chair, stroking her chin as she pondered how to oust Silco and take her place—no, if she could, she'd like to sit in another office.
But just then, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Renata reacted quickly and stood up, while Silco looked at her with a half-smile.
"What, you've already adapted to the secretary job so quickly? Are you planning to help me clean my desk?"
"Uh, yes, I noticed the table is a bit messy," Renata said immediately.
"Hmm~ That's great, then I'll leave it to you, my secretary. When I return, I hope to see the room spotless and the items on the desk neatly arranged. Of course, the work I just assigned you cannot be forgotten."
"Yes."
Silco and Renata looked at each other, then he closed the door.
Renata sighed.
Fuck you.
Despite her desire to maintain elegance and her dedication to learning proper manners, she finally couldn't hold back and unleashed a torrent of abuse at Silco in the room.
Intelligent people often don't need to spell things out explicitly.
Renata understood what Silco meant, Silco also understood what Renata was doing.
But so what?
"How did she become your secretary?"
"Li Ke, Renata is indeed a talented person, but she is too much like me, too much, too much. A person like her is not easy to control." In a pastry shop outside the parliament building, Silco and Li Ke were having afternoon tea.
Two glasses of drinks with lemon juice, a plate of toasted cookies, and a pile of fragrant roasted meat.
Regardless of how the barbecue and drinks end up in the dim sum restaurant, as long as you know it's the style of Zaunite, then this is definitely Zaun!
"People like us will use any means necessary to achieve our goals, and coincidentally, we're quite capable. So, in your words, we have absolutely no morals. Human life is worthless to us. She and I are both ticking time bombs." Silco sipped his drink, the sourness of the lemon juice making him frown. He continued:
"But I have constraints, and those constraints are Zaun. Everything I do is for the betterment of Zaun, so no matter how much I explode, I can't affect the current Zaun. But Li Ke has no constraints. Everything she does is for herself. Therefore, if she is not properly managed, Renata will cause a lot of trouble for Zaun."
"That makes sense. So how should we manage it?" Li Ke nodded.
Learn from your father-in-law's life experience!
"You can't just offer her a position like you did today. That won't make her grateful or think you value her. Instead, it will make her look down on you and think you're easy to manipulate. So, you have to keep her in check and make her understand who's really in charge in Zaun."
"If a dog does a good job, reward it with a bone; if it doesn't, give it a couple of kicks. That's my experience training dogs. People are more complex, but the theory is the same," Silco said calmly. "You can't skimp on either the stick or the treat."
"Forget it, I won't understand even if you tell me." Li Ke sighed, eating his food.
He simply couldn't learn these things. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary office worker who enjoyed playing League of Legends, watching live streams, and reading novels. Li Ke had never been exposed to this kind of "elite mentality."
Silco smiled and said, "You don't need to learn anything. Just be like this."
"You are now the true leader of Zaun in everyone's eyes. Those things are not good for you. I admire and like you more now."
"Oh, you're praising me, Uncle?" Li Ke laughed.
Silco rarely praises people. It's as if his mouth has a pact; praising someone is like shortening one's lifespan. So no matter how well someone does, he'll just give a few perfunctory words, offer the appropriate reward, and then remain silent.
He rarely praised even Jinx.
"If you say so, then so be it." Silco didn't argue or feel embarrassed, but started eating along with Li Ke.
But inside, he was laughing.
Li Ke doesn't need to change; he is already the perfect leader.
Delegating power is something every leader should do. It took Silco decades to do this, giving his power to Sevika, but he always suppressed the Alchemical Baron. Power is truly a fascinating thing, and almost no one can really share their power and status.
But Li Ke did it.
Moreover, he is extremely powerful, which is why Silco said that Li Ke doesn't need to make any changes. Even if Li Ke delegates authority, the people below will be changed by that power and will also fear Li Ke.
After witnessing his extraordinary strength, no one would harbor any disloyalty. No one thinks their head is harder than steel, right?
Ultimately, in Runeterra, one's own strength is the true source of confidence.
"I need to go back and check on Renata's work schedule later. What about you?"
"I'll go back to find Jinx, where else can I go?" Li Ke said, having finished his food.
"What about your work? You must have a lot of drafts that need your signature, right?"
"Since it's already been through you, I'll just sign it," Li Ke said casually.
Silco paused, then lowered his head and smiled.
"OK."
After a moment, Silco looked up again, as if remembering something, and said, "The New Year is almost here, Li Ke."
"Yes, Zaun is going to make some changes this year for Progress Day," Li Ke replied.
Every year during the Lunar New Year, Zaun becomes deathly quiet, and compared to Piltover, it seems as if no one is left in Zaun.
But not this year.
Then Silco added with a smile, "It's not just the New Year, Jinx's birthday is coming up soon too."
"Birthday?" Li Ke was taken aback, then immediately looked at Silco, "When?"
Jinx and Li Ke are inseparable, but she's never actually told Li Ke about her birthday.
Therefore, when Silco heard that Jinx was having a birthday party, Li Ke immediately became excited.
Celebrate Jinx's birthday? Of course we have to!
"Hmm, a few days after Progress Day?"
"Silco said calmly."
"I understand. Don't tell anyone about this. I'll handle everything properly," Li Ke said loudly.
Silco nodded, watching Li Ke's excited expression, and then lowered his head to eat another big bite of meat.
When you're in a good mood, you have a good appetite.
In the past, Jinx's birthday celebrations were usually organized by him and Sevika, but in the end, Sevika would often be kicked out, and then Silco would celebrate Jinx's birthday alone.
A cream cake, a few candles, a doll, and small toys make a gift.
But this time, it will be different.
Silco believed it wholeheartedly.