Staring at Logan's face, Renata's chemtech limb twitched. She cranked up its power output, trying to use brute chemtech strength to counter Logan and draw her pistol.
The moment she saw Silco and Logan, she really had been so tense she lost her head—but she snapped back fast.
These two were standing right in front of her. Wasn't this the perfect chance to control them and seize Zaun's political power?
No matter how strong this young leader of Zaun was, this was her turf, and everyone around them was hers!
Was it possible that so many people couldn't handle one young man and one old man?
And even though rumors outside claimed Logan alone could defeat the armies of Noxus plus Piltover, how could Renata believe that?
This clean-cut, good-looking guy—he could do something like that?
Seeing Renata still unwilling to give up, Logan thought for a moment and deliberately pulled his hand back, letting her successfully draw the gun.
Renata froze when Logan didn't stop her, but then she raised the pistol and fired without a trace of hesitation.
The dainty little handgun spat a round straight for Logan's head.
"Click—"
Logan lifted a hand and, right in front of Renata, caught the bullet. Under her horrified gaze as she instinctively looked down, he turned it over between his fingers, studying it.
"Yeah… this is really finely made. Not quite as good as Jinx's, though—less stopping power. Looks like your people's craftsmanship is pretty solid, Ms. Glasc."
"How did you do that? …Hah. I get it—you took Shimmer?" Renata watched him crush the bullet into powder. Her mouth twitched, and she tossed the gun onto the table.
A steel slug turned to grit in his fingers with a single squeeze. Renata had no doubt that if those fingers closed around her throat, it would be effortless—and the sound would be terrifyingly crisp.
To her credit, she was decisive. Faced with something inhuman, she immediately gave up resisting. Hands up, long legs stepping forward, Renata made a clear gesture of surrender.
"Looks like you didn't replace Silco and become Zaun's new master just because you're his son-in-law."
"He is my son-in-law," Silco said as he strode up, brushing past Renata and taking a seat beside Logan. "But he didn't replace me."
Crossing one leg, Silco looked at Renata calmly. "Glasc, don't try to drive a wedge between us. I'm more willing than you think. I chose to support him."
Renata blinked. Those crimson eyes were steady as she said softly, "Silco, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Good," Silco said, smiling as though he didn't care either way.
He lifted a hand, gesturing for her to sit.
Renata stiffened, then, face cold, had one of her people bring over a chair. She sat down across from Logan and Silco.
It was her last bit of stubbornness: on her own turf, the couch was taken by these two, she'd been ordered to sit, and she had no power—or way—to refuse.
The last time she'd felt this helpless was when thugs attacked her home. Fire spread in a roaring tide, and to save her parents, Renata gave up an arm. If the wind hadn't come…
Thinking of that, Renata narrowed her eyes and said, "All right. Talk. Two important men come looking for someone as small as me—what do you want me to do?"
"We looked into you, Ms. Glasc." Logan leaned back casually, resting an arm along the sofa, smiling. "Viktor recommended you. Said you're someone who knows how to make money—and Zaun needs people like that right now."
"But I don't plan on working for you," Renata said. Then she added, as if talking to herself, "Given how you operate, you're not going to force a woman into working for you, are you?"
"I'm nobody. I run a small factory, hire some workers, do a bit of business. And lately business in Zaun is getting harder and harder, so I'm thinking of going somewhere else to make a living. If I remember right…" Renata smiled, respectful on the surface. "Zaun doesn't have a rule that forbids Zaunites from leaving Zaun, does it?"
"Or did the Spirit Blossom Gang just make that rule after taking power?"
Renata kept smiling.
Logan's strength was far beyond what she'd imagined. The big man unconscious on the floor, Logan appearing in the room without anyone noticing, catching a bullet barehanded—if he'd come to kill her, she'd already be dead.
Renata didn't believe someone who ran with Silco—and became Zaun's boss at that age—was some soft-hearted kid. In the end, the truth was simple: she had value. They needed her.
So… could that be used as leverage?
Logan looked at Silco, shrugged, and spread his hands.
This wasn't Logan's department anymore. He'd brought Silco to the right person. How to make Renata join Zaun "willingly" was Silco's problem.
"On the way here, I had people gather information on Zaun's gangs over the last few years." Silco's voice turned low and smooth. He didn't look at Renata. Instead, he took out a file—results from dozens of people Marsen had sent out, compiled in just an hour.
Silco continued, "At first, we found nothing. The Lanes were still the Lanes: chaos, no order. One day a gang struts around like it owns the place, the next day they're dead in the street. But starting three years ago, that chaos… developed a small anomaly.
"The Srod gang in Blackwater. Spider Roy on Redwater Street. The Ironhead Gang at the scrap-waste battleground. And…" Silco rattled off several more names.
"They all vanished from Zaun one after another. And when they showed up again, Spider Roy was throwing an arm around the Ironhead boss—despite the fact they'd always hated each other. Then they opened a small chemtech factory, started developing a chemtonic, and even rolled out chemtech medical kits."
Silco smiled faintly. "Interesting, isn't it? According to this, they could barely read, barely had any money, and were no different from any other small-time gang. Living day to day—money earned today, spent tomorrow. Because if you die, what good is money you never got to spend? But, Glasc… how do they disappear for a few months, suddenly make up, and magically have the funds to open a factory together?"
Renata went silent.
"A small nobody?" Silco steepled his fingers and rested them on his knee, leaning forward to look at her. "Someone who, under my rule, quietly gathered dozens of small gangs and built a force that rivaled a chem-baron's… how could you be 'small'?"
"I do legal business," Renata said, meeting Silco's gaze. "They're just my partners. And I completely agree with the Spirit Blossom Gang's ideals—unite Zaun, dissolve the gangs, give Zaun a better future.
"So the day Zaun became a city-state and formed a government, I had them disband. As you can see, I only have thirty… friends now."
Logan looked at Renata, then back at Silco.
Father-in-law, your turn.
Silco smiled and leaned forward, his left elbow braced on his raised knee. His thumb pressed to his chin, index and middle fingers touching his gaunt cheek. "Let me guess where you'd go to do business after leaving Zaun."
"You're smart and cautious. You won't go to Noxus, so your choices are Shurima and Bilgewater. Ionia might be on your list, but Ionians favor nature, they don't accept technology easily, and they're poor—too small a market to be your first pick…"
"So your first stop would be working with pirates."
Silco's voice stayed light. "But here's the thing, Glasc. I have friends in Bilgewater too. Anywhere you can go, I can go. Whoever wants to work with you, I can show up right after and have a talk. They've bought plenty of weapons from me—and taken plenty of my money too. If I spread the word that anyone who works with you doesn't get to work with me, they'll make the right choice.
"Maybe you think your family's craft, your chemtonics, will save you. But I happen to have a chemtech PhD from Piltover on my side—someone so talented even Heimerdinger, the Father of Piltover, praises him. Do you think your people can match him in chemtech?"
Silco's smile sharpened. "Anything you can do, I can do. Anything you can't do, I can still do.
"I have more connections, more resources, more capability. What makes you think you can play games under my nose?"
Renata's face turned steel-gray as she stared at him.
"Angry?" Silco shifted back, watching her with a pleasant smile. "And what are you going to do about it?
"I'm not forcing you, Glasc. Look—I agree you can leave Zaun. If you want, you can walk out right now. Zaun won't restrict your freedom. But business…" His eyes gleamed. "In competition, a little friction and a little 'accident' isn't exactly rare, is it?"
Silco spoke each word clearly. "This is nothing more than a hostile takeover, Ms. Glasc."
"Now. One minute. Give me your answer."
"Stay in Zaun and work for Zaun," Silco's smile cooled into something hard, "or leave Zaun and become a homeless stray."
"You built your operation that big and made that much money in Zaun—you haven't been any cleaner than me. So don't expect me to go easy on you."
"Zaun won't kill you, Glasc. The day Zaun became autonomous, everything started over. But that doesn't mean I, personally, will forget you."
"You don't want me remembering you for the rest of my life. I promise."
Silco closed his eyes and started counting down.
"Fifty-nine. Fifty-eight…"
He counted fast—faster than a normal minute.
Logan watched Silco's profile, then looked at Renata with her head lowered, right hand clenched on her thigh, and couldn't help thinking how nice it was to have Silco along.
If Logan had to do this himself, he'd probably argue with Renata for a while. And in the end, he might have to lean on that ridiculous charm Ahri had given him just to get Renata to agree.
But if Renata had a stubborn will, didn't fall for Logan's charm, and simply wasn't into his type… it could easily end with everyone walking away unhappy.
Silco, though?
He was the classic Zaun bastard: capable, shameless, willing to do anything for Zaun, willing to take any blame for Zaun.
Good thing he was on Logan's side.
"I understand," Renata said when Silco reached seventeen.
She smiled, looking at Silco warmly. "Serving Zaun is the wish of every Zaunite. Of course I'm no exception."
"So what kind of job can I get from Zaun?"
Silco opened his eyes, looked at her, and smiled.
"What do you think about being a secretary?"
Renata: "?"
Her expression went blank with disbelief, like she couldn't fathom that Logan and Silco had come in with threats and smiles… just to offer her a secretary position.
Was this a joke?
Logan also stared at Silco, equally stunned.
Secretary?
Wait—weren't they supposed to have Renata as Zaun's Minister of Finance?
"What, you don't want it?"
"No. I'm very happy. I'm willing to accept the job." Renata kept smiling, though it was stiff around the edges. "So… whose secretary am I going to be?"
"Mine," Silco said.
He snapped his fingers and stood up, telling Renata, "You start today."
"Go get my suit and my cane."
"Haa…" Renata closed her eyes and took a long breath. She was taller than Silco, and her presence was formidable—yet right now she obediently did as he said, taking Silco's suit from the coat rack and picking up his cane.
"Come on," Silco said, watching her slip into the role. "You've got plenty to handle this afternoon."
Renata Glasc.
In her, Silco saw his own reflection. Logan had been right—she really was talent.
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