Bagana draped an arm over Pero's shoulder and laughed. "Old friend, what can the Dark Sea Throne do against both our gangs? When the time comes, you can be the first to pick through their warehouse. How's that for generous?"
Pero chuckled to himself. Once I get the map to the World Rune and find the World Rune, all of Bilgewater will be mine!
The World Rune's power was immense, but no one could fully master the power of the runes—not even Ryze. Its power was vast and chaotic, and it could bring out the evil and desires buried deep in its wielder's heart. Runeterra had already paid a terrible price for it.
Pero smiled. "Bagana, hearing that puts my mind at ease. This is going to be a fine victory."
Watching the two of them with their arms around each other, calling each other old friend and little brother, you'd have thought they were the closest of companions. Bagana might have looked like a brute, but he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Otherwise, he'd never have secured the Iron Hook Gang's leadership. It wasn't a position just anyone could hold, and even Pero had to tread carefully around him. One careless move, and Bagana might get the better of him.
Pero and Bagana ate and drank to their hearts' content. Bagana said, "I hear the Dark Sea Throne's headquarters is in the Slums, at the Iron Anchor Gang's old base. The terrain there is tough to attack, and their firepower is stronger than ours."
Pero smiled. "Not necessarily. We can have people disguise themselves as poor folk and go collect porridge. Ever since the Dark Sea Throne took over the Slums, they've been handing out food every day. That gives us an opening. We'll have those people carry small barrels of explosives. Once they get there, they'll set them off, and we can break through and take the place in one fell swoop!"
Bagana took a vicious bite of steak and asked, "What if they see through the disguise?"
Pero took a sip of wine. "Then we attack head-on and overwhelm them with numbers. We've got more men. After one artillery barrage, I don't believe they'll still be standing!"
Bagana laughed. "Little brother, that'd work, but you have to consider the cost of the shells. They're expensive these days. Even if you used up all your stock, it wouldn't be enough for more than a few rounds. We ought to take a safer approach."
Pero frowned. "What approach?"
Bagana pulled out a bomb. "This is from Zaun. It's powerful, and with it, our odds will improve considerably. It's also affordable."
Pero smiled. "There's something like this? Then let's use it. How many do you have?"
Bagana laughed. "A tidy ten crates."
Pero cursed. "You bastard. Just tell me the price."
Bagana held up one finger. "One Gold Coin apiece. That's already the old-friend price."
Pero smiled. "Deal!"
Bagana laughed. "I tested these bombs myself. They work great. I reckon the Dark Sea Throne's bombs are an upgraded version of this model. With these in our hands, we've got nothing to worry about."
Pero raised his glass. "Cheers—to victory!"
After drinking with Bagana for quite a while, Pero returned to the Red Hat headquarters. He brought the sample bomb Bagana had given him to the testing ground and ordered his men to set up several human-shaped targets. He lit the fuse and tossed the bomb into their midst. A blast rang out, trailing black smoke. Pero saw the targets blown to pieces and grinned. "Now we're on equal footing when it comes to weapons. You dared challenge Red Hat's authority? This time, you'll see what we can do!"
A member of Red Hat came over and asked, "Boss, did you get your hands on the Dark Sea Throne's weapons?"
Pero smiled. "This one isn't as powerful as theirs, but it's cheaper. They won't be able to keep up with our supplies. These weapons came from Zaun, while theirs are probably made in Piltover. Their bombs must cost more than ours. We've got a good chance of winning this battle!"
Pero gave the order. "Tell everyone to assemble. We attack tomorrow! Tonight, go enjoy yourselves. Tomorrow, I want you all sharp and ready. Anyone who doesn't do a clean job tomorrow can forget about enjoying themselves next time."
In Bilgewater, the night before a gang went to war, its members were always sent out to unwind. Put another way, it was a bribe: let them have their fun, and they'd make sure to carry out their orders to perfection.
Pero returned to his office. The head of the Intelligence Department came in and said, "The Dark Sea Throne's people have already set up their positions. They've placed firing points at the street corners and on the rooftops. This attack may cost us more than we expected."
Pero tapped the desk and turned to the treasurer with a frown. "How much liquid cash do we have?"
The treasurer replied, "We're in fairly good shape. After the repair costs, we still have tens of thousands of Gold Coins in liquid funds."
Pero nodded. "The bombs I just tested came from the Iron Hook Gang. They cost one Gold Coin apiece, and we bought ten crates. Make a note of that. We have to teach the Dark Sea Throne a harsh lesson this time, or how can we survive in Bilgewater? It's been so long since we reminded Bilgewater how Red Hat got its name. They've nearly forgotten!"
Over in the Slums, Jiang Chuan was teaching the children, starting with the basics of writing. These children would be a great help in the future. One day, Bilgewater would have its own schools, where people could teach and learn, instead of being a den of criminals who preyed on the weak. Everyone would join the tide of the Industrial Revolution and walk tall on this land! That was part of Jiang Chuan's plan, too.
Kendi came in and said to Jiang Chuan, "President, our people just saw Pero return from the Iron Hook Gang. We've pushed Red Hat too far this time. I think they're going to join forces with the Iron Hook Gang against us."
Jiang Chuan dismissed the class. The children returned to their homes to play or review what they'd learned. Some of the older ones even trained with the First Army.
Jiang Chuan asked, "How are the traps and positions along the streets coming along?"
Kendi replied, "President, the traps and positions are all set. Apart from the eight squads you assigned earlier, everyone else is waiting at their positions for orders."
Jiang Chuan smiled. "Get those men and bring shovels. Come with me."
There were four streets around the camp, and Jiang Chuan planned to build bunkers on all four. Three positions would be placed on the rooftops of each street, one squad to each position. Two bunkers would be set up at each street exit, each manned by a squad. That would ensure crossfire from above and at ground level. There were also grenade traps laid along the streets. This time, Jiang Chuan wasn't using the same setup as before. Instead, he'd put the ends of the wires inside the bunkers. Once someone reached the designated spot, the men inside could pull the rings using the silver wire. Pero had already suffered from the trigger traps last time and would be wary of them now. He'd surely send cannon fodder ahead, with the main force and its firepower held back. So this time, Jiang Chuan had decided to try something different.
Jiang Chuan said to Kendi, "Distribute all our ammunition evenly among the positions. Don't leave a single bullet behind. Also, tell the island to speed up production and recruit more people. You handle that. I'll command the battlefield, and you'll be in charge of transporting supplies."
Kendi replied solemnly, "Yes, President. I'll get right on it."
After Kendi left, Jiang Chuan said, "Now, start digging with your shovels. The holes should be as deep as your necks. Once they're dug, fill bags with dirt and pile them around the holes. Make sure they're well camouflaged, or they won't work. You all know the codes for communicating during the battle, right? Use them to stay in touch. Once the enemy is within a hundred meters, open fire."
"Yes!"
The men from several squads began setting up the street bunkers, preparing for the battle tomorrow...
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