Viktor's Disappointment

These scientists had all been struck to the nerve by the article, even losing their composure enough to curse aloud.

Completely forgetting that just minutes ago, they had unanimously praised the article for its incisive insights and accurate analysis.

"You..." Viktor was rendered speechless.

But he quickly understood the reason behind this enormous contrast:

A few minutes ago, these people had still been scientists, representatives of advanced productive forces.

Now, however, they were merely the wealthy of Piltover—

In this chaotic world where magical power held absolute dominance, those who had the opportunity to receive a systematic scientific education in a safe environment and rise to prominence in Piltover's academic circles had always been the rich of Piltover.

So most of Viktor's fellow scientists also came from Piltover's powerful and wealthy families.

Even if they had not been born into wealth, after becoming scientists of this caliber, they had long since formed inseverable ties of interest with Piltover's great families through the process of turning scientific achievements into commercial products.

Naturally, they could not possibly have a favorable opinion of such a sharply worded article.

Especially that old scientist who had reacted most strongly and slammed the table.

That man was directly descended from a branch of the Medarda Family.

The Medarda Family's main branch was in Noxus. They were both wealthy merchants of Piltover and military leaders of Noxus.

So even now, the Medarda Family's caravans still followed the Noxus Empire's invading legions across the land, plundering, burning, and killing as they carried out the dirty business of colonial exploitation and slave trading.

The bloody history of colonization Li Wei had written about was practically calling them out by name and slapping them across the face from three hundred years away.

And what about the other families? Were the businesses these old-money families ran today really all clean?

"Professor Jayce!"

At that moment, the scientist from the Medarda Family stepped forward with evident displeasure and stated:

"I think we can hold a vote now and decide whether to admit Miss Lina into the research group."

"Huh?" Jayce froze slightly.

He was still asking foolishly, "But no one has reviewed Miss Lina's paper proposal yet."

"No need to!" The professor frowned coldly. "The fact that she copied an article that distorts the truth into her notebook clearly shows that there is something wrong with her thinking. She is very likely an extremist who hates the Piltover Council!"

"Bringing someone with such ulterior motives into our research group and allowing her access to Piltover's most cutting-edge Hextech research—wouldn't that be letting a wolf into the house?"

"Come to think of it."

"This girl did not even write down a surname. Could she be a Zaunite?"

The moment he said that, the atmosphere in the room became somewhat delicate.

Because everyone knew there was already a Zaunite here.

They all secretly looked toward Viktor.

Viktor's expression darkened and shifted. In the end, he unexpectedly abandoned his usual restraint and raised his head to confront him head-on:

"Professor Medarda, let me ask you something:"

"Something wrong with her thinking? Explain exactly what that means!"

"Aren't we scientists? Scientists do not even read a scientific paper, but judge a student's thinking based on a historical article, then decide whether that student stays or goes based on these so-called ideological errors and her place of origin?"

"What kind of scientists would that make us—"

"We might as well become immigration inspectors on the Canal Bridge!"

"You?!" Professor Medarda's beard trembled with rage.

"Viktor, calm down, calm down." Jayce hurriedly grabbed his friend.

It was also the first time he had seen Viktor so irrational, so angry.

"Jayce?" Viktor looked deeply at his closest friend. "Do you also think Miss Lina has some kind of ideological error?"

Jayce was momentarily at a loss for words.

Then he answered, "Miss Lina merely copied down an article. How could that count as something being wrong with her thinking? Young people are always curious about all sorts of things. A few years ago, didn't I blow up an entire building because I secretly researched forbidden Hextech gemstones? Haha."

"In other words..." Viktor suddenly felt somewhat disappointed. "You think Miss Lina did nothing wrong, and the article was the one at fault?"

"Well..." Jayce thought about it seriously before finally answering honestly, "Yes. I do think that article has some problems."

"First, the historical materials it cites are not found in any historical records, and much of its content cannot be verified."

"Second, the article's... views are somewhat extreme."

"The author portrayed nearly all of Piltover's greatest and most illustrious business families throughout history as bloody executioners, shameless robbers, and cruel slave traders."

"As if not a single entrepreneur in Piltover was clean."

"But was that really the truth?"

Jayce began seriously debating Viktor:

"In fact, many of the business owners and merchants I know are gentle, refined gentlemen, hardworking strivers, and wonderful people devoted to charity."

"Take the Talise Family, for example—"

"My great-grandfather was nothing more than an ordinary blacksmith. He relied entirely on his own hard work and struggle to establish his own hammer-making factory in Piltover."

"For generations, our family has only devoted itself to forging better-quality hammers. We have never stolen from anyone or robbed anyone. Everything we accumulated came from our own labor and sweat."

"Viktor, look:"

"Could the Talise Family also be the sort of villains who burn, kill, plunder, and loot?"

The Talise Family's rise to prosperity had indeed been entirely clean.

And Talys's rise in recent years from an ordinary family business to one of Piltover's great wealthy families had relied entirely on Jayce's genius intellect and immense contributions as a scientist. There was not the slightest thing to criticize.

Calling them villains would naturally be unfair.

Not all business owners were villains. Many of them were truly good people. So that article was certainly extreme.

"This..." Viktor could not help falling silent.

He felt that something was wrong, but for the moment, he did not know how to refute it.

"Enough, enough!" At that moment, Professor Medarda grew impatient. "Since Professor Jayce also knows that this article is problematic, let us vote directly!"

"Those who agree to grant Miss Lina an additional place may raise their hands now."

An awkward silence followed.

Viktor was the first to raise his hand. "I agree!"

Then a female researcher named Skye, after secretly glancing at him, nervously raised her hand amid everyone's strange looks. "I-I agree too."

The third person to raise a hand after hesitating was Jayce.

"Professor Jayce?" Everyone was somewhat surprised.

Jayce merely explained after some consideration, "I do think the article's views are wrong. But since the research group is recruiting apprentices, shouldn't we primarily look at the student's academic ability?"

"Her standards are indeed not bad. She meets our research group's requirements."

"So I still suggest that everyone first look at Miss Lina's paper proposal before making a decision."

He set an example for everyone with complete openness.

However, not another person present looked at Lina's paper.

Nor did anyone else raise a hand.

There were eleven people in total. Only Jayce, Skye, and Viktor had voted in favor.

Eight to three. The outcome was decided.

"This..." Jayce hesitated as if he wanted to say something. But faced with such firm and clear opposition from his colleagues, he ultimately swallowed his words and tacitly accepted the result.

"Professor Viktor, I suggest you throw that notebook away." Professor Medarda casually tossed the notebook back to Viktor, then turned away to adjust the experimental equipment.

The others were much the same.

No one cared about that article anymore, much less Lina, whom they had never met.

Viktor silently watched the backs of these colleagues, who usually worked well with him but now stood firmly opposed to him, and said nothing for a long time.

It seemed he had finally seen something clearly.

Jayce and Skye wanted to check on him.

But Viktor tightly clenched Lina's notebook and walked away without looking back.

"Viktor, where are you going?"

"Back to the office. There are still some questions I need to study."

"Huh?" Jayce's expression was complicated. "What research are you doing alone? Our experiment's progress is still—"

Viktor did not answer.

The questions he needed to consider were perhaps... more important than Hextech.