"Even if he left Zaun, how much better could it be? Once he's out of the city, he might just be torn apart by the Gnolls or fishmen outside."
"Sigh, we're all just miserable people!"
Durin had sharp ears and eyes; he could hear some of the faint discussions and see the expressions of shock and awe on their faces.
Of course, they were just whispering from a distance, crowding around to watch, or pointing from nearby.
Combined with the new unfamiliar underworld faces outside, Durin had a rough idea of what was happening, but he couldn't understand why the Silco Family would come looking for him.
Ever since the explosion in Piltover, Zaun had been in a state of turmoil. The internal struggles in Zaun's upper echelons had become increasingly fierce. With the invention of the Glimmer Potion, Silco's ambition could no longer be hidden. He wanted to force Vander to join forces with him, using the incident to declare war on Piltover and make Zaun independent from the Upper City's control.
But Vander was unwilling. The bridge incident from years ago was still fresh in his memory, and he realized the heaven-and-earth difference between Zaun and Piltover. The choice he ultimately made was to take the blame for Vi Olay's crimes, reaching an agreement with the Chief of the Piltover Guard to surrender himself.
Unfortunately, Silco brought his subordinates, who had turned into monsters after taking the Glimmer Potion, and killed the Enforcer, killed Benso, and captured Vander.
After that, Vi took her two followers to save Vander, and Powder—the future Jinx—used the synthetic Hex Crystal she had stolen from Piltover as an explosive to try and help.
The result, naturally, was Vander falling to his death while saving Vi from a height, and the two followers dying in the explosion. Because of this, the relationship between the sisters, Vi and Powder, was completely shattered.
Without Vander, the leader of Zaun, to manage things, the gangs of Zaun were reshuffling. Small gangs fought for territory, while large gangs represented the will of the Chem-Barons, seizing others' businesses.
The Silco Family was the most profitable and powerful among the many gang families. With the monsters created by the Glimmer Potion, they began to relentlessly take control of every corner of Zaun, large and small.
The "new boss of the Black Alley" that Durin had heard about a few days ago referred to Silco.
Thus, Durin was unwilling to face the Silco Family. Although he didn't know why they were looking for him, he decisively wanted to turn and leave.
However, the Tiger Claw Gang members had noticed Durin the moment he arrived in the vicinity.
Two familiar figures walked straight toward him. One was the leader of the Tiger Claw Gang he had seen when he was a temporary thug, and the other was the manager responsible for rent in this area.
The Tiger Claw Gang Leader, wearing a filtration respirator, came before Durin. He first smoothed his thinning hair with a brass mechanical arm. He had a keg-like, short and stout build, yet he wore a ridiculous suit with buttons so tight they looked like they were struggling.
"Are you Durin?"
"That's him, Boss," the manager beside him immediately interjected.
Then, he turned to Durin and said somewhat politely, "The Boss has something to say to you regarding the Silco Family."
"What's going on?" Durin asked with feigned calm, looking puzzled.
The neighbors' discussions and everything he saw before him were giving Durin a hint, making him suspect: could what happens next be of great importance to him?!
He might as well listen; at least he would know what was happening and have some idea of what to expect... As for how to face it, that would depend on the specifics.
Durin thought to himself.
The Tiger Claw Gang Leader was somewhat surprised to see Durin remain unfazed. Any ordinary person would have been terrified upon hearing that the Silco Family was looking for them.
"I don't know where you offended the Silco Family, but I have only one requirement: speak carefully! Don't even think about provoking them."
The Tiger Claw Gang Leader lowered his voice and warned seriously, "Otherwise, not a single person present will escape. Everyone will end up in a factory at the Inner Sea Harbor docks, encased in cement barrels."
Durin's eyes flickered, and he was about to speak.
At that moment, a muffled voice like thunder suddenly rang out: "You're Durin, right? The Doctor is already waiting for you!"
Accompanied by this voice, a bald, burly man at least two meters tall appeared in Durin's sight. He wore a metal nose ring, and even his white tank top couldn't hide the python-like black tattoos on his body. A heavy serrated blade was tucked into his waist.
The Doctor?
Durin's heart suddenly skipped a beat. There was only one character in the Silco Family who could be called 'The Doctor,' and that person was the one Durin was least willing to face.
But seeing the ill-intentioned glares of the surrounding gang thugs and the two-meter-tall hulking brute standing before him, Durin realized he had no other choice.
Moreover, the Toad Witch Doctor had also warned him not to make any strenuous movements before the stitches were removed.
Under the constant hints from the Tiger Claw Gang Leader's eyes, Durin could only nod and follow the bald burly man toward his own room.
"Doctor, the person has arrived."
The bald burly man stood at the door and said respectfully.
The next moment, a raspy and muffled male voice came from inside the room: "Let him in!"
The bald burly man stepped aside, clearing a path.
With an uneasy heart, Durin slowly stepped inside.
Under the dim lighting, in a cramped room of only five square meters, sat a lean middle-aged man with a slightly balding head, high cheekbones, and deeply sunken cheeks. He wore a mask and was reading a book.
He wore a white robe covered in stains, with burn marks in several places and some dark purple liquid mixed in.
"Hello."
Durin took the initiative to greet him.
The lean middle-aged man put down the book in his hand, took off his mask, stood up, and walked over to Durin. He extended his palm and said in a flat tone, "Hello, Mr. Durin. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Singed, though most people prefer to call me the Doctor."
"However, I have another identity: I am an old friend of Urada, the black market doctor from the backstreets of the Border Market. It was he who explained your situation to me."
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