In the view of many Enforcers, Takeda Saito, who was supposed to be escorted back to Zaun for trial in the name of judicial fairness just a second ago, was executed on the spot.
Many Enforcers fell into silence. Following Faen towards the Chem-tech tower at the top of Zaun, at the moment of the gunshot, Caitlyn's body trembled slightly. Then she silently restrained her gaze, lowered her head and asked:
"Didn't you say interrogation? Or did you never intend to know the intelligence from his mouth?"
"Living people can say many valuable things." To this, Faen's reaction was very calm: "But dead people can say anything."
"With so many witnesses, even the most mediocre judge won't accept the testimony you submit," Caitlyn responded.
"When you released the Gray into Zaun, did wise judges conduct trials on relevant personnel involved afterwards?" Faen chuckled and said:
"Unless free to the point of no constraint, any law is silent tyranny. As the chief of House Kiramman, you should know this better than me."
Hearing this, Caitlyn stopped talking.
Back in Zaun, Soona and other leadership members of the Wind of Change had also arrived at the top of Zaun.
"So, we retook Zaun just like this?" Seeing Faen return, even now, Soona's face was still full of disbelief.
Soona was truly an old Zaunite, having participated in the Bridge Uprising with Vander—which was called a riot by Piltovians.
The final result was considered by people in the past as Vander's spirit being worn away. So after a period of silence, Soona decided to follow Silco to overthrow Vander and respond toughly to exploitation from Piltover. Later she found Vander was actually right, finally disheartened, taking a few brothers to the Undercity to run neighborhoods peacefully.
She originally thought the third venture would definitely face harsher challenges—after all, Silco, or rather the Chem-Baron era, was different from the casualness of the Vander era; every neighborhood had its own talker.
In the Chem-Baron era, Chem-Barons had mastered every lifting key point of the entire Zaun from top to bottom, from power to geography, and had close relations with Piltover.
Under these circumstances, worker mobilization, weapon accumulation, and material collection were more than ten times harder than in the Vander era. Especially when interests were infringed, almost no one cared during the Vander era—Vander would only come forward to confront and negotiate with Piltover when Zaun's overall interests were infringed.
This made Silco's early preparation extremely easy. Easily united a large number of neighborhood bosses.
And in the Silco era, knowing very well how he started, although Silco didn't care much, Chem-Barons—that is, the past neighborhood bosses—could be said to be strictly guarded.
Who would have thought, less than a week after the Wind of Change was officially established, they already had to start considering the upcoming seventh day after Chem-Barons' death...
"Soona, for Zaun, this is not the end, nor the beginning, just the end of the beginning." More or less able to guess Soona's thoughts, Faen patted his mother-in-law's shoulder, pointing at Caitlyn beside him and said:
"The upcoming Piltover is the really tricky guy... hmm, relatively speaking."
Hearing Faen's words, Soona nodded understandingly.
She knew Faen's meaning—just like the means Faen arranged for Chem-Barons, if Piltover really formed all-round suppression on Zaun, what could Faen do? Could only kill them all.
Thinking this, Soona said: "Counting Silco, we have controlled nine Chem-Barons here, but there are still those who attended the meeting through communicators in their secret bases early on. Calculating time, they probably already arrived in Piltover through private elevators in secret bases."
"Normal, a cunning rabbit has three burrows." Faen wasn't surprised much, just said calmly:
"Rather, Silco being able to make the vast majority of Chem-Barons attend the meeting in person with one order already exceeded my expectations somewhat. After all, in my assumption, according to the appeal of Silco, this sidelined King of Zaun, under such critical circumstances, having one-third of Chem-Barons willing to condescend to come would be pretty good."
On the side, hearing Faen and Soona's exchange, Caitlyn also frowned tightly—Silco is a member of the Wind of Change? How come? Real or fake? Impossible! Looking from any angle, the Wind of Change conflicts with Silco's interests!
Not noticing Caitlyn's thoughts, or rather Faen didn't care about these many thoughts of Caitlyn, but looked at Soona and said:
"Sort out the crimes of captured Chem-Barons, along with their thug leaders, and execute them publicly in the mid-level square. As for those Chem-Barons who have defected to Piltover..."
Rubbing his chin, Faen said: "Officially notify Piltovians to hand over Chem-Barons."
Hearing this, not surprised, Soona then asked: "What if they don't agree?"
"Then tell them we will execute justice publicly."
"Okay, I understand."
Nodding, Soona wasn't surprised by Faen's answer. Rather, Soona knew very well what Faen wanted to do—just like what Faen did in Zaun.
Openly telling Chem-Barons you'd better be honest with me, improve worker treatment properly. Otherwise I'll tear down your factory, then kill you.
Now it was just changing the notification object to Piltover, asking them to send Chem-Barons back themselves. Otherwise, I'll go over personally and destroy the Chem-Baron's whole family.
It could be foreseen that Piltover would definitely not agree. But it didn't matter—according to Soona's understanding of Faen, Faen just wanted to find an opportunity to show muscles. Without Chem-Barons, there were still a bunch of other problems waiting.
It's hard to stop someone intending to find fault from picking bones from an egg, especially when this person also mastered power and violence.
But who let his heart be with Zaun? Soona didn't think this would be any problem.
"Anything else?" Soona asked.
"No more, proceed according to plan." Saying this, Faen turned and left the scene, walking leisurely towards the Chem-tech tower serving Chem-Barons at the top of Zaun—this place had been requisitioned as Faen's new home.
After Faen left, Soona also nodded. Turning to look at Silco sitting in the dark corner silently admiring Zaun's rebirth, she then instructed the clerk beside her: "Announce martial law in Zaun to citizens."
Controlling water flow to transport items from the old home in the bottom tunnel nearby to the upper level, Faen then entered a meditative state, starting to discuss hunting demons with Janna.
Zaun's problems in the material realm had been mostly solved; next was considering things in the spirit realm.
While Faen was making multiple preparations, Caitlyn's encounter also reached Piltover.
Upper City, Piltover Council.
Under the glass dome decorated with brass gears, sunlight passed through the stained glass of the circular top-floor conference room, becoming soft colors. Located within, many Councilors looked at each other, different eyes crossing, conveying obscure or obvious messages.
Controlling more than 45% of Piltover's maritime trade, Mel Medarda, the spokesperson of House Medarda, stood up and looked at everyone around. Her chocolate skin was groomed meticulously, wearing a white close-fitting robe, her beautiful figure casting a tall silhouette under the sunlight.
"We must immediately send more Enforcer squads to Zaun," Mel scanned the Chem-Baron strongholds marked on the three-dimensional map of Zaun: "Silco and Chem-Barons are not of one mind. Those guys from the Wind of Change might also be Silco's handiwork. Even if they can't shake our revenue in the Sun Gates, we must reduce the possibility of Silco using this as a means to coerce us into ceding interests."
"Silco is just a dying old dog; his power was sidelined long ago." Hearing Mel's words, the spokesperson of House Ferros, dressed mainly in plain white, said calmly:
"Just ensure the main factories in the middle and upper levels are not affected. And during this time, those Chem-Barons' appetites are getting bigger and bigger. Whether the Wind of Change was initiated by the bottom people of Zaun themselves or secretly organized by Silco, it can curb Chem-Barons' appetites to a great extent."
"The Wind of Change uses 'for the bottom of Zaun' as a slogan, which can be utilized." The blond skinny monkey, Councilor Salo, who would be transformed into a diehard loyalist by Viktor in the future, said with a frivolous and casual face: "We might be able to provide some convenience in resources, so they won't be wiped out by Chem-Barons so quickly. A chaotic Zaun is more in line with Piltover's interests."
"Agreed." Councilor Bolbok, almost completely modified by machinery all over his body, said calmly: "The situation in Zaun has been deteriorating continuously; riots are only a matter of time. Those Chem-Barons' methods are too rough, not trustworthy. We need someone gentler, but more obedient to us to control Zaun, thereby exchanging for longer-term interests."
Heimerdinger sat on the heightened chair shaking his beard boredly, uninterested in the current meeting, with a trace of numbness and depression in his eyes—he didn't like the current Piltover.
Jayce leaned back in his chair without speaking. He was still thinking about the Twin Cities model Faen sent over. Although at first Jayce always felt something was wrong, as he gradually calmed down with Viktor's communication and discarded the discrimination against Zaun in his heart, Jayce had discovered some not-so-wonderful situations.