Li Ke's Desired Cooperation

Back at the Lian Hua Gang's stronghold, Malson saw Li Ke and immediately went to greet him.

Then, he saw Jinx, who was playfully roughhousing with Isha and had returned to normal on the way, and Vi, who was utterly dejected, her emotions at rock bottom.

What happened on this outing to make Vi look like this?

Malson was a bit curious.

Unfortunately, no one would give him an answer, as Li Ke had already led Jinx and Isha towards the Tent.

Seeing this, Malson looked at Vi, wanting to ask what had happened.

"Vi, you guys--"

"Get lost!"

Vi shoved Malson aside and charged straight after Li Ke and Jinx, rushing past Malson into the Tent.

"Damn it!"

"Still think it's like before? You think you can beat Li Ke and dare to act like this towards me? I'm the Boss's person!" Malson grumbled unhappily under his breath.

The Children of Black Alley had all taken beatings from Vi, especially Malson. He was a troublemaker when he was younger and had been beaten down by Vi several times. Hmm, Li Ke seemed to have been beaten by Vi too?

Malson muttered to himself as he wandered around. Then, he saw that pretty Piltover Girl sidling up to the Tent, eavesdropping.

Upon seeing her, Malson instinctively wanted to stop Caitlyn, but then he remembered what Li Ke had said—as long as she didn't run off, she could do whatever she wanted.

With that thought, Malson didn't stop Caitlyn from eavesdropping.

Meanwhile, inside the Tent—

Li Ke and Isha sat together, looking at the gloomy Vi and Jinx. The two sisters were chatting intermittently, but it was mostly Vi talking, with Jinx giving perfunctory replies.

"Um, Jinx, I'm going out for a bit. You two chat properly."

Vi heard him, turned, and gave Li Ke a grateful look. She really needed an opportunity to be alone with Jinx.

Seeing Li Ke get up, Isha immediately grabbed his hand and made two babbling sounds, indicating that she also wanted to go out.

Isha couldn't stand the atmosphere either!

It was really strange!

Sister clearly liked that Red-haired Woman, so why was she treating her like this?

From what Isha knew of her Sister, if someone else had pestered her like this, she would have already shot that person dead. How could she be sitting there so obediently, listening to the other person talk?

Simply put, it was because she liked and valued her!

But if he clearly liked and valued her, why wouldn't he show it?

Little Isha couldn't understand, then she wisely concluded—adults were just like that, slow and troublesome.

Li Ke looked at Isha and smiled.

He was really starting to like this little tagalong Jinx had brought back more and more. As Li Ke led Isha out of the tent, he saw Caitlyn, who was sticking her perky buttocks out and eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Ahem." Li Ke made a sound.

Caitlyn quickly turned her head, a blush appearing on her face, her eyes full of embarrassment. She patted her knees and stood up, looking at Li Ke and saying, "Did you guys just see Silco?"

"Miss Enforcer, were you just eavesdropping on our conversation?"

"I was just, just passing by." Caitlyn looked rather clueless, telling a very foolish lie.

Isha pouted and refused to look at the cop.

She hated anyone Jinx hated.

See, this was why Isha knew her sister liked that red-haired woman. Because if the person bothering her sister inside right now was this cop, Isha would probably prepare a white shroud to help her sister collect the cop's corpse.

"Alright, you can continue your rounds. I have some things to do. I'll send someone to escort you back to the Upper City in a few days. Please stay here for the time being," Li Ke said to Caitlyn.

Seeing that Li Ke wasn't calling her out, Caitlyn nodded vigorously. She extended her hand in front of her, her fingers twitching stiffly, as if waving goodbye.

Li Ke smiled and turned away from Caitlyn.

But Isha followed him. Looking down at Isha, Li Ke asked, "Do you want to come with me?"

Isha was playing with a toy. Without looking up, she simply extended her hand to Li Ke.

Li Ke understood Isha's meaning. He took her hand and smiled, saying, "Then you have to stick close to me. The place we're going is very dangerous."

At Fugen Tavern, Silco sat on a table, drinking.

He drove Sevika and his subordinates away. Silco looked out the window, feeling that the wine today tasted particularly bitter.

Drinking in a daze, Silco suddenly smiled. He raised his cup and toasted into the distance, muttering to himself, "Vander, I'm sorry, brother. I admit you were right once. Of course, only this once."

"Having a daughter is quite a handful."

Silco poured some wine onto the ground. Just then, a voice sounded from behind him—

"Uncle, Daddy Vander wasn't just right once. He was right many times."

Silco quickly turned around. Seeing who it was, he turned back to the window and asked, "How did you achieve this transformation? Is it technology from the Upper City?"

"Do I look like I've had some technology installed?"

Li Ke walked into Silco's room and first placed little Isha on the sofa inside.

Isha became excited as soon as she entered the room because the place was covered in graffiti she was familiar with.

"Nyah!"

She turned her head, opened her mouth, and looked at Li Ke with a cute gap where a tooth was missing, pointing excitedly at a spot.

"You mean the paintings here are the same as the ones at home?" Li Ke chuckled.

Isha nodded vigorously.

Li Ke looked at Silco, who was pouring himself more wine.

"Do you have any juice?" Li Ke suddenly asked Silco.

"."

Silco fell silent, but after a while, he opened a cabinet in his desk and took out a cup decorated with monkey drawings in blue and pink paint, along with a bottle of juice.

He actually has some.

Damn, I know you spoil Jinx, Silco, but isn't this a bit too much?

Silco poured a cup of juice, placed it on the table, and pushed it forward. Li Ke took it and then handed it to Isha.

Isha drank the juice and wandered around the house, full of curiosity about the place.

This is where Sister lived!

Meanwhile, Li Ke looked at Silco.

"Li Ke, you have the ability. You should be with me. With you, we can achieve Zaun's independence."

"Autonomy isn't just my dream, it's Vander's dream too."

"No, it's every Zaunite's dream."

"It is indeed my dream, but Uncle, the way you're changing everything seems too extreme to me." Li Ke took the wine Silco poured for him and shook his head at Silco.

"Furthermore, I'm not here for you to recruit me. I want to discuss a partnership with you."

"A partnership?"

"Yes, Uncle, I want you to stop the rampant spread of Glow, control the Alchemical Barons' factories, and let this—"

Silco waved his hand, interrupting Li Ke. He spoke, "Stop the rampant spread of Glow? Do you know why it's called Glow?"

"Because it's the faint light of the Bottom City people."

"I admit Glow has harmed many people, but that's their own problem. They lacked self-control and used Glow incorrectly. Using Glow correctly has no downsides," Silco said solemnly.

As the Godfather of Zaun, the mastermind behind everything, he naturally knew the current situation in Bottom City. But so what?

Looking at Li Ke, Silco continued, "Reform requires bloodshed, and sacrifice is unavoidable."

"What did Vander and Chief Cop's verbal peace treaty achieve? It resulted in us being penned up in Bottom City, in Piltover's people encroaching on us time and again, in mine collapses, river pollution, and foul air."

"If this is what you want to talk about, then you can leave. Or, you can make your move."

As Silco spoke, he reached under the table for a gun he had been hiding there all along.

He never entrusted his life to others, even if it was someone he knew.

Therefore, as soon as Li Ke entered, Silco had already prepared to fight back.

But Li Ke simply spread his hands and said:

"What's the rush?"

"I haven't said anything yet."

"Listen to the cooperation I want, and then you can decide. It won't be too late."

"Silco."