In the room, Ekko watched Jinx, who was lying on one side of it. A little girl sat beside her, and Jinx was playing with her, holding a toy. Ekko's gaze grew even more complicated.
"Snap!"
At the sound of fingers snapping, Malson looked at Ekko with displeasure and whispered in his ear, "What are you staring at? That's our sister-in-law."
"Malson, are they really together?" Ekko watched Jinx's back and noticed that the Cloud Pattern on her small frame had faded considerably. It looks like she hasn't drawn it on again?
"Of course they are."
A complicated emotion flickered through Ekko's eyes.
Back in Black Alley, Li Ke and Jinx had indeed been close. Ekko remembered that Jinx had once asked him to fix a Pocket Watch, then given it to Li Ke. But Ekko had always believed that he was closer to Jinx than anyone else.
Of course, Vi was the exception.
In Jinx's world, Vi was everything. The tiny bit of space left after Vi took up the rest was all that could fit the others.
Ekko and Jinx were about the same age, and in Vi's Small Group, they were the two youngest. Their adoptive fathers were also close, so they saw each other every day.
He had to admit it. Ekko had liked Jinx when he was young. A lot of people in Black Alley knew it. But after she changed and went with Silco, Ekko had shut his heart away.
But now, seeing Jinx seeming a little more normal, Ekko couldn't say his old feelings had reignited. No, reignited my ass. It had been a one-sided crush. Anyway, damn it, his feelings were just complicated right now.
"What, you're still staring?"
"I told you, that's our sister-in-law!"
Malson looked a little annoyed.
Though Jinx was crazy and infamous for her viciousness, Malson really had been afraid of her at first. But things were different now, because she could actually make weapons!
The Lian Hua Gang had managed to claim territory and win fights without a single casualty largely thanks to Jinx. The weapons she made gave the gang members a crushing advantage in battle.
Whether they were gangsters or the Alchemical Baron's Thugs, they were only working to put food on the table. Once the guns started firing and one of them went down, the rest scattered like birds and beasts. No, did anyone really think they were that united?
Of course not!
They got paid that measly B Money once a month. Why the hell would they risk their lives?
But the Lian Hua Gang was different. Malson had noticed lately that everyone in the gang had changed. He couldn't say exactly how, but they definitely had.
They weren't so self-serving anymore, and the gang-like shadow that had once hung over everyone was gradually fading. Everyone seemed to have more energy?
Ekko gave a bitter smile and turned to Li Ke.
Li Ke was looking at him with an amused expression.
Ekko coughed and said, "So everything Zeri said was true?"
"You're changing Zaun, helping the people in the community and protecting them, without taking anything in return?" Ekko asked Li Ke earnestly.
Li Ke nodded, then quickly added, "But I have to make one thing clear, Ekko. Just because we don't charge now doesn't mean we never will."
Ekko's expression changed.
But Li Ke continued at once.
"What we charge won't be protection money. It'll be taxes. Maintaining the community's facilities, paying for public electricity, keeping things clean—all of that costs money. But we won't charge much. I can promise you that."
Li Ke spoke sincerely.
Working for free was out of the question. Once the community was established, there would be plenty of expenses. For example, the Lian Hua Gang had recently built row after row of streetlights in Hope Community at their own expense. They would let the community remain bright even at night, and in the future, the residents' Resident Taxes would cover the electricity.
Seeing Ekko lost in thought, Li Ke explained all his ideas to him.
If Zaun was to change, the change had to start from the roots. The Wildfire Gang was confined to one area; there was no way they could truly change Zaun like that. Of course, Li Ke knew he couldn't blame Ekko.
Ekko had already done more than enough. He had pushed things in the best possible direction. The Wildfire Gang hadn't expanded its territory or helped other communities, but it had indeed been fighting the Alchemical Barons in secret.
Where the Zaunites couldn't see, Ekko had always been helping and protecting them.
But in Li Ke's view, it wasn't that this approach couldn't succeed. It was that reaping the rewards would take too long.
And Zeri, sitting beside Ekko, had done what even Ekko couldn't.
She had fought alone, using her spirit to awaken an entire community and leading her friends and family into the resistance.
So if Ekko and Zeri worked together...
Well, were they not called Zaun's Twin Stars for a reason?
"That makes sense. It's only right." Ekko nodded, then looked at Li Ke with a much warmer expression.
Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Zeri. She sat quietly, watching Li Ke. He looked back at Li Ke and said, "By the way, Li Ke, this is Zeri. She's a Zaunite, and she wants to join the Lian Hua Gang too. What do you think?"
"I'll take her," Li Ke said immediately.
Looking at Zeri, Li Ke smiled. "Welcome to the Lian Hua Gang, Zeri."
"I, I, I, I..." Zeri stammered several times, staring at Li Ke's face, unable to get the words out. But when Jinx came over, lifting Isha's hair with both hands to tie it into little pigtails, Zeri suddenly found her voice.
"I'm really happy too, Boss!"
Zeri nodded with a stiff expression.
Li Ke chuckled. I wonder, in The Rift, would Jinx beat Zeri, or would Zeri beat Jinx?
Don't they both become Late Stage Cores?
Putting those thoughts aside, Li Ke looked at Ekko and asked earnestly, "What about you? Won't you join us?"
"I don't plan on joining you," Ekko said, shaking his head. But perhaps realizing he'd sounded too absolute, he rubbed his nose and added, "At least, not right now."
"I really am interested in your ideas, Li Ke, but I have to take responsibility for everyone in the Wildfire Gang," Ekko said earnestly.
Li Ke was a little disappointed, but he understood. He nodded. "I see."
However, Ekko continued, "But if you can make a big enough splash..."
Li Ke looked up at Ekko.
Ekko spread his hands and said softly,
"Then I can lead the Wildfire Gang into joining you. To be honest, Li Ke, as more of our people join us, the Wildfire Gang's territory isn't big enough anymore. If possible, I'd like them to live in the outside world, somewhere like Hope Community."
"But first, you have to make a big splash, something that will convince me and my companions," Ekko said, gazing at Li Ke.
Ekko was serious.
After hearing Li Ke's words, Ekko had grown excited too. What had Li Ke said?
He wanted to change Zaun—to change its system and environment. The Lian Hua Gang had even started working on an Air Filtration Device to combat the Ash Barrier.
Seeing the sun again was every Zaunite's dream. Ekko was no exception.
So if it weren't for the entire Wildfire Gang depending on him, Ekko might already have accepted Li Ke's invitation.
After all, Vi was here, along with a group of people he knew well.
"Hmm..."
"Then what would you consider a big enough splash?"
Li Ke rubbed his chin and looked at Ekko with a smile.
"How about this?"
"What do you think about taking down an Alchemical Baron?"
Before you continue