A Cup of Tea with Grey Madam

"Where are we going?"

After following the Grey Lady in front of her for a few minutes through the streets, Ling Ying finally couldn't help but ask.

"Like I just said, a place where we can have a cup of afternoon tea."

The lady walking ahead of her replied faintly.

"A cafe I frequent. A good one."

"Oh?"

Ling Ying narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the elegant figure ahead of her with a hint of scrutiny in her gaze.

"So should I feel honored to be having tea with the renowned Ms. Camille?"

"Heh."

The other party didn't show any obvious reaction to Ling Ying's probing words, merely letting out a noncommittal chuckle.

"Sometimes, fame isn't a good thing. After all, a dagger hidden in a pocket is likely more deadly than a saber held in hand."

"Oh?"

Ling Ying's tone clearly held some confusion.

"But I don't think you, Ms. Camille, who is known throughout the city, are like such a dagger."

"Indeed, I once wanted to be such an existence. Unfortunately, now I seem more like a notorious executioner's axe."

Camille chuckled lightly, then suddenly changed the subject.

"So I need to find another dagger. A dagger that can move freely in the shadows."

"?"

Ling Ying was slightly stunned. She felt Camille's words had a hidden meaning. But just as she was about to ask, Camille ahead stopped in front of an inconspicuous shop and knocked on the ancient-looking wooden door.

"Coming."

A somewhat unhurried voice came from inside the door. A few seconds later, the door opened, and a slightly plump man wearing a coffee-colored apron stood out and invited them into the shop with less-than-elegant movements.

"Winston, a cup of fine black tea."

Camille, acting like an old regular, ordered her tea and snacks as soon as she sat down, then turned to Ling Ying.

"And you? What would you like to drink?"

"Whatever."

Ling Ying couldn't fathom Camille's intentions, so she wasn't in the mood for tea. Up to this point, the most she could figure was that whatever Camille wanted to discuss with her wasn't suitable for public knowledge, but she had no clue what it could be. Not knowing what the other party was up to naturally put her in a passive position, let alone facing someone as cunning as Camille. A single misstep could lead to her downfall. However, on second thought, Ling Ying recalled that Camille wasn't exactly a villain, was she?

"Another cup of milk, honey, and matcha. The kind young people like."

Seeing Ling Ying's lack of reaction, Camille took it upon herself to order a cup of tea for her. The shop owner, having noted the order, quickly turned and ducked behind the counter to prepare their drinks. Ling Ying, snapping out of her thoughts, turned her gaze to Camille, who sat opposite her. She then noticed that Camille was appraising her with a similar look. They stared at each other in silence for several tens of seconds before Camille's gaze suddenly flickered downwards, and she said softly.

"Don't be so nervous. Relax."

Her thoughts laid bare in an instant, Ling Ying's index fingers, which had been poking at each other, froze mid-air. A hint of embarrassment flickered in her eyes. Camille's expression remained unchanged, or rather, her face always wore that same stern look.

"This is just a casual tea gathering, not an interrogation. You're not a criminal. As for guests, I do come with sincerity. Of course, if you're interested in hearing it."

Camille's words trailed off halfway, but the underlying temptation was self-evident. Ling Ying stared at her, half-believing, for a few seconds before finally unable to resist asking.

"Such as?"

"Clack."

Almost the instant Ling Ying finished speaking, Camille placed a long, rectangular object on the table. Ling Ying's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it, and her expression tensed. It was a sword, a longsword with a peculiar design. Its sharp blade, seemingly forged from a special alloy, had a faint azure hue, exuding a strong sense of technological sophistication. However, the most peculiar part was the middle section of the blade. Where a crossguard and handguard should have been, there was a square gun barrel with a grooved muzzle.

"Hextech Gunblade. One of the cutting-edge creations from the Piltover Armory Lab. The blade is made of a specially crafted ultra-high-density alloy, and the gun component can fire regular bullets or energy rounds if you equip it with a crystal."

Before Ling Ying could even formulate a reaction, Camille had concisely yet thoroughly introduced the sword on the table and then extended her hand, pushing it towards Ling Ying.

"It's yours."

"?"

Ling Ying couldn't help but show a surprised expression, not at the sword itself, but at the fact that Camille was giving it to her. They had no prior connection, and she couldn't understand why Camille would present her with such a gift at this time. Out of caution, she made no move, maintaining eye contact with Camille, waiting to see if the other party had any hidden demands.

"You're very cautious. That's a good habit," Camille commented on Ling Ying's inaction.

"But you can rest assured. You don't need to pay any price for this sword. Or rather, you already have – the higher-ups in the Fierol Family and the Enforcement Department felt you deserved a reward for resolving the crisis on Long Bridge. And I believe that for a warrior, a weapon would be the best gift."

Camille's words sounded reasonable and well-founded, but they didn't entirely dispel Ling Ying's doubts. They remained in a stalemate for a while longer.

"Your tea."

Coincidentally, the shop owner's arrival broke the silence between them. The slightly overweight middle-aged man placed the teas before them as usual, said "Enjoy," and turned to leave, acting as if the deadly weapon on the table were invisible.

"The item is here. Whether you take it or not is up to you. Since it's offered in good faith, I won't force you."

Camille elegantly picked up her black tea and took a sip, her tone quite nonchalant. This attitude genuinely provoked Ling Ying. With a hint of defiance, she reached out and grasped the hilt of the gunblade. The grip was immediately different from that of a Doran's Blade. Compared to the latter, this weapon, which clearly embodied technological power, felt noticeably heavier. However, considering it integrated a firearm and other functions, complaining about its weight would be nitpicking. Ling Ying could sense that this was a rare and excellent item in Piltover, but when it came to weapons, she still felt more comfortable with her original Purple Scythe and her long-time companion, Doran's Blade. Of course, she understood the principle that not taking advantage of a good deal was foolish.

"If you're satisfied with your new toy, perhaps we can discuss another matter."

Camille put down her teacup, folded her hands on the tabletop, and adopted a serious demeanor for conversation.

"Another matter?"

Ling Ying also put away her gun-sword and shot Camille a questioning look.

"Naturally. Giving that thing to you was considered helping out the higher-ups in the Enforcement Department, but now, Camille, representing the Fierol Family, is sitting here talking to you. What I want to know is, are you interested in cooperating with the Fierol Family?"

"Cooperate?"

Ling Ying's tone didn't sound particularly surprised. If anything, she had sensed this intention from the beginning.

"Like I said before I entered. The Fierol Family needs a dagger, and you seem to be a very suitable candidate to be this dagger."

Well, they were openly trying to poach her. Ling Ying felt speechless internally, but maintained a calm expression.

"You... should know that I'm nominally under Caitlyn's command, so if you need me to do anything, it should be through the Enforcement Department..."

"Ah, you don't need to worry about what that little girl will say."

Camille interrupted Ling Ying's statement.

"Because recruiting you into the Enforcement Department was something she and I discussed. Given the relationship between the Fierol Family and the Enforcement Department, this isn't a difficult matter."

"..."

Ling Ying's expression faltered a bit. She had intended to use Caitlyn as a shield, but unexpectedly, the other party had connections everywhere. Not only were they openly poaching her, but they could also ensure no one dared to object.

"So what do you want me to do? Help you kill all the members of other families who are assassins?"

Ling Ying asked with a hint of mockery. To her surprise, Camille nodded seriously.

"It depends on the situation. Currently, there's no such need, but if it becomes necessary in the future, it's a possibility. In fact, this should be a job that suits you very well."

"It doesn't suit me at all."

Ling Ying suddenly stood up, her face cold.

"I'm not a bloodthirsty lunatic. I'm very sorry, but I cannot accept this."

Ling Ying turned to leave. Camille, who had proposed the cooperation, remained unfazed. She took another sip of her black tea and, as Ling Ying neared the door, said unhurriedly, "The Midalda Family's spies have already detected that you are alive."

Ling Ying stopped in her tracks, then stepped back to the table and said in a deep voice, "Are you planning to threaten me with this? If I don't agree to cooperate, will you leak the information to that family?"

"No, no. The Fierol Family doesn't use such coercive methods on potential cooperation partners."

Camille shook her head.

"In fact, we insiders have never revealed any information about you. What allowed them to catch your trail were the major moves you've made recently. They've discovered that a powerful individual has suddenly appeared in the Enforcement Department. The Enforcement Department is a place where almost every family has some pawns. Even if the Fierol Family controls the higher-ranking officials, it's not difficult for them to investigate if they want to. If that old guy Jaggu knew that the murderer of his darling daughter wasn't executed and is still living well..."

"If they're just thugs who only know how to wield weapons, I can kill as many as they send."

A fierce glint flashed in Ling Ying's eyes. With her current abilities, she didn't fear those family powers. However, Camille's next words forced her to carefully reconsider.

"It seems you still don't understand your situation."

Camille picked up a sugar cube with tweezers from a nearby stack and dropped it into a cup of green tea.

"You're like this sugar cube right now. Although you've entered Piltover's tea, you're ultimately not one of us. So, in private, we can help you. But the major families in the council won't, and cannot, openly fall out. If your conflict with the Midalda Family becomes public, Piltover will absolutely not side with an outsider, especially since she killed a Piltoverian. What awaits you then will be a full-scale wanted notice from Piltover. And the Midalda Family, having already learned their lesson, won't allow us to pull off another trick of escaping by feigning death."

"...Then I'll leave Piltover. Valoran is so big, where could he find me?"

Ling Ying gritted her teeth, sounding a bit petulant. Camille let out a light chuckle at her demeanor.

"Leaving is simple, but you must have had something to do when you came to Piltover, right? Or rather, something you were looking for? A special crystal, wasn't it?"

"..."

Ling Ying sighed helplessly like a deflated ball. Camille had hit her sore spot with pinpoint accuracy. The whereabouts of the crystal described by the cloaked figure was her most pressing concern, as it was her only lead.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"It's very simple."

Camille glanced at the sugar cube that had already vanished into the tea.

"Just choose to blend in like that sugar cube. Disappear from the public eye and go underground. The Fierol Family will provide you with shelter. In return, you'll need to provide us with services. And you don't need to feel like you're at a disadvantage. You should know that the Fierol Family's biggest business is the analysis and artificial replication of Hextech Crystals. The flow of most crystals in this city is under our control. You can use this intelligence network to find what you're looking for. If you find it, we naturally won't interfere; you can take it back."

If Ling Ying's main thought just now was to refuse, she was now carefully weighing the pros and cons. What Camille proposed sounded fair enough. Having the intelligence network of a "local snake" would be much better than blindly searching like a headless fly before. She was just worried that she would get entangled in the complex and murky underbelly of Piltover and be unable to escape.

"Besides the necessary work, the Fierol Family will not interfere with your personal freedom. Furthermore, you can also utilize the family's various resources if you need them."

"Sigh..."

Ling Ying sighed.

"I need some time to take care of my own matters."

"No problem, you have three days. Someone will find you after three days. You can go do what you need to do now, and remember to take this."

Camille pushed a shiny silver badge towards Ling Ying, then picked up a copy of the Piltover Daily from a nearby bookshelf with her fingertips and began reading, no longer paying attention to Ling Ying's actions. Ling Ying didn't dwell on it either. She took the badge and walked towards the door. As she stepped outside, she noticed that the shop owner was also wearing an identical badge.

Emerging from the alley where the cafe was located, Ling Ying took a deep breath, inhaling the cool air to clear her slightly over-tense mind.

"Phew, negotiating with these old geezers really makes one's lifespan shorten."

Looking at the badge in her palm, Ling Ying sighed. She instinctively wanted to throw it away, but on second thought, she put it into her storage bag along with the gunblade.

"I sold myself after just one cup of tea. I'm really cheap."