A lecture?
What could a rough Zaunite Apprentice possibly teach the geniuses of Piltover University?
Curious yet wary, Caitlyn and the others slowly approached the classroom where the suspect was located.
They hid by the corner of the wall and carefully peered through the window:
The criminal, Li Wei, really was inside.
He actually seemed to be discussing and exchanging ideas with those gifted students.
Judging by the way those students treated Li Wei, they truly seemed to regard this Zaunite Apprentice as a teacher worthy of respect and admiration.
Then there was what they were discussing:
Things like "technical advantages," "value conversion," "critical paths," "empowerment," "leverage points," "pain points," "tracks," "life cycles," and "ecosystem feedback."
It did not sound like a lecture at all. It sounded more like they were discussing some kind of business.
Wait, and that curly-haired man who was chatting enthusiastically with Li Wei, with the air of a scholar—
Wasn't that Professor Viktor, Jayce's closest friend?
Caitlyn had practically grown up with Jayce. Her Kiramman family had also been among the sponsors supporting Jayce's research. Their ties had always been close.
That was why Caitlyn had some impression of Viktor. She knew that this obscure man was actually quite extraordinary.
But why would such a giant of academia be associating with a violent Zaunite criminal?
And discussing business with him, no less?
"Officer." Caitlyn could not help quietly asking the older officer leading the team, "Is he really the criminal we're looking for?"
The savage Zaunite who had severely injured someone in a brawl, openly robbed civilians of their property, possessed prohibited drugs, and committed all manner of atrocities. Why did he look more shrewd, capable, and educated than her family's financial steward?
"Uh, well..."
The old officer seemed equally confused by what he was seeing.
But the information from above had been extremely detailed. The photographs of both Li Wei and Lina were crystal clear, and their appearances were distinctive enough that there was no way they could be mistaken.
"Miss Caitlyn, you should not let your guard down. Many Zaunites are like this. They look honest and harmless, even refined and scholarly, but..."
"I understand, Officer." Caitlyn nodded solemnly.
She gripped her rifle tightly, always prepared for Li Wei to tear off his mask in desperation, lash out like a cornered dog, and slaughter the professors and students in the classroom.
"Good. Then we'll form an assault formation and prepare to breach the door and make the arrest!"
"Miss Caitlyn, you'll stay behind us and hide—cough, cough—provide long-range fire support."
As he spoke, the old officer nodded to his subordinates.
Then, as though they had rehearsed it beforehand, the Enforcers had their two strongest men take the front to break down the door, while the rest stood shoulder to shoulder in a double human wall, completely blocking Caitlyn from view.
Forget providing long-range fire support from the rear—she would need to stand on a stool just to see the suspect.
Caitlyn: "..."
"Officer, with all due respect—what kind of assault formation is this?"
"I don't recall anything like this being taught in the training manuals!"
"Miss Caitlyn." This time, the old officer did not yield. "Please don't make things difficult for me. Chief Marcos had no intention of letting you join this mission in the first place. You were the one who insisted on getting involved."
"Bringing you here without authorization already means disobeying orders from above. Please cooperate with us as much as you can!"
"Ugh..." Those deep blue eyes were filled with helplessness. "But you don't need to go this far. I'm not some rookie. You don't need to use your bodies to shield me from bullets."
"I know you're very skilled, but..." The old officer could not help speaking the truth. "If anything happens to you here, our fate will be worse than taking a bullet."
Caitlyn fell silent.
She could not help looking at the custom-made Hextech precision rifle in her hands, tailored for her by her family. It possessed unmatched accuracy, power, and stability, and came equipped with various specialized ammunition types and modification attachments. It was worthy of being called the king of Piltover firearms.
That rifle alone was worth several years of an ordinary Enforcer's salary.
Perhaps her dream of becoming an ordinary Enforcer had been a joke from the very beginning.
"Miss Caitlyn—"
"Are you ready?"
"Mm." Caitlyn dejectedly ducked behind the human wall.
The assault began.
Li Wei had been pulling together the investor representative, Seraphine, and the technical representative, Viktor, to discuss their upcoming business plans in detail.
Of course, Li Wei and Viktor had been doing most of the talking.
Seraphine was only responsible for saying "Mm," "Right," and "Okay," while blinking her large eyes and pretending to listen attentively—there was no helping it; she simply had no interest in business.
Li Wei had just finalized the organization's funding plan and was still deep in discussion when, suddenly—
Janna alerted him that many new breaths had appeared outside the classroom.
Quite a few people were approaching.
"Who is it?" Li Wei was wary, but he did not think too much of it.
He was about to go take a look himself, but the moment he reached the classroom door, it was violently kicked open from outside:
"Open up! Nobody move!"
A group of burly men arranged in a human wall rushed in.
Then seven or eight pistols and rifles were indiscriminately aimed at Li Wei's head. The pitch-black muzzles instantly formed an invisible net, trapping him firmly in the center of their crossfire.
"Li Wei, put your hands up!"
"Fuck! Enforcers?!"
Li Wei was startled by the scene.
The Wind Takers had not even done anything yet, and the Enforcers were already knocking at their door. This...
Piltover Enforcers were working far too efficiently, weren't they?
Their organization had existed for less than an hour!
How had the enemy found out already?
Even Li Wei was startled by this unexpected development. The students were even more caught off guard by the Enforcers' sudden descent from the sky.
Through Janna, Li Wei could even sense that in the mere dozen or so seconds following this abrupt upheaval—
Several students' Threads of Faith had dimmed, turned gray and lifeless, or even become faint and unsteady, as though they might snap at any moment.
"Of course. Having faith does not mean one can endure every trial that comes afterward."
"People are often full of passion when talking grandly about changing the world, but when it comes time to bleed for it, that passion usually fails." Li Wei sighed softly.
But that was only human nature. Even he had been startled by the Enforcers, so naturally he understood those young students' instinctive fear when faced with enemy guns, bloodshed, and sacrifice.
Li Wei knew that what he should do now was not condemn them for being "cowards," but demonstrate the Wind Takers' courage and fearlessness as much as possible, giving his companions confidence.
Even if he could not give them confidence, he at least had to leave those who came after him with a stirring tale of fearless sacrifice.
Otherwise, if on the very first day of this ideal's beginning, even he, the founder, made a joke of himself by surrendering at the first sign of danger—
Then Janna's faith, and the ideal he had pursued since his previous life, would likely perish here in a pitifully premature end.
So, while secretly circulating the divine power within him and preparing to fight to the death for a chance at survival, Li Wei tried his best to appear like a composed and lofty revolutionary as he calmly asked the Enforcers:
"Officers, may I ask... what do you want with me?"
"Hmph!" The old officer leading the team snorted coldly. "Still playing dumb?"
"Li Wei, you assaulted a Piltover citizen in public and severely injured him, openly robbed civilians of their property, and possessed the prohibited drug Shimmer—we're here to arrest you, you violent criminal!"
"Oh, so you're only here to arrest me..." Li Wei suddenly sighed in relief. "Then it's fine."
The Enforcers: "???"
"Wait."
Li Wei abruptly realized something else:
"Fighting, robbery? I..."
"Fuck your mother! That bastard Aubrey actually called the Enforcers?"
That group of Zaunite Gangs involved in human trafficking, usury, smuggling contraband, and the flesh trade had actually gone and reported him to the authorities!
Li Wei instinctively looked toward Seraphine.
"Mr. Li Wei, don't worry—"
The innocent, clear eyes that had always looked so naive now seemed to be filled with wisdom:
"I already considered all of this for you!"
Before you continue