Chapter 18: The Situation in Zaun

Caitlyn felt she was increasingly unable to understand this person.

Sometimes terrifying, sometimes gentle, sometimes elegant, sometimes indulgent.

In ordinary circumstances, Caitlyn could hardly imagine that this person, who was devouring food with no semblance of decorum, was the top scientist of Piltover.

Moreover... could this seemingly disgusting food really be that good?

Just as Caitlyn was pondering this, suddenly something was thrust in front of her, startling her.

"Do you want some?" 

Lin Feng offered her a piece of roasted meat.

Caitlyn was momentarily taken aback, looking at Lin Feng, suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu.

"No... I think I'll pass."

"Just take it!" Without caring whether it was greasy, Lin Feng shoved a piece of roasted meat into Caitlyn's hand, catching her off guard.

By the time Caitlyn reacted, Lin Feng had already returned to enjoying his feast.

Caitlyn stared at the meat in her hand, feeling a bit conflicted and hesitant for a moment.

This was something that Vi had once insisted she try, but at the time, she had refused.

Now that the meat was thrust into her hands, it was impossible to refuse again.

The aroma hit her, creating a stark contrast with the unappealing appearance of the roasted meat.

In the end, Caitlyn still picked up the roasted meat and tried a small bite.

At the moment the meat entered her mouth, Caitlyn's eyes widened.

She continued to eat it bit by bit, but her speed was beginning to reveal the truth.

In less than half a minute, she had completely devoured a piece of roasted meat, and Caitlyn returned to nibbling on her remaining biscuits, but for some reason, they no longer seemed appetizing.

Lin Feng chuckled and went back to the stall, and before Caitlyn could figure out what he was doing, he returned with another large bowl of roasted meat.

"Here, eat up."

Lin Feng handed her the bowl.

It was a full bowl of blue and yellow roasted meat with some thick sauce, looking just as unappetizing as before.

"Forget it, you really should..."

"Just take it! What's with all the hesitation? If you don't eat enough, you'll drag me down later."

Before Caitlyn could finish her sentence, Lin Feng shoved the bowl into her arms.

"What do you mean by hesitation?"

With his mouth full of meat, Lin Feng's words were unclear.

"It means being indecisive."

Caitlyn froze for a moment, her expression stiffening.

From her time at the academy to becoming an enforcer, it was the first time someone had told her she wasn't decisive enough.

Whether it was out of stubbornness or due to her earlier tasting, Caitlyn involuntarily swallowed hard, finally putting down her biscuits and retrieving a fork from her belongings, eating with more elegance.

As she ate, Caitlyn realized that this seemed to be purchased with Lin Feng's own money.

"..."

"No need to thank me, this meal's on me."

Just as Caitlyn opened her mouth, barely ready to say anything, she was interrupted once again by Lin Feng.

Of course, Lin Feng didn't invite Caitlyn for free; he aimed to gather more information.

Through their back-and-forth, the relationship between the two wasn't exactly that of best friends, but at least it was no longer as tense as their first meeting.

"Didn't you bring your hextech rifle?" Lin Feng casually remarked, glancing at the rifle Caitlyn carried.

It was a gun with a medieval flavor, completely different from the hextech rifles Lin Feng had envisioned, leaving him somewhat confused.

"What's a hextech rifle?" 

But it wasn't just Lin Feng who was puzzled; Caitlyn also didn't understand what Lin Feng was talking about.

Lin Feng was taken aback.

It seemed Caitlyn didn't have a hextech rifle... Lin Feng quietly noted this down.

The absence of a hextech rifle indicated that Piltover's technology hadn't fully entered the weaponization era, which was an important piece of information.

"Is there anything else you know that you can share with me? I've lost a lot of memories and can't quite recall everything now."

Lin Feng shifted the topic, wanting to analyze the current situation in both cities more thoroughly, so he could plan their next actions.

Caitlyn was unaware that she was being influenced by the phenomenon known as "a soft mouth eats people, and a short hand takes from others," and her impression of Lin Feng was changing significantly.

Caitlyn began to recount all the history Lin Feng had lost. Lin Feng occasionally interjected with questions about specific details.

The two continued eating roasted meat and chatting.

From the Evolution Day in Piltover to Jayce's impeachment of Heimerdinger, the overall situation was similar to what Lin Feng remembered.

However, regarding the latter parts, they were new chapters that Lin Feng had yet to unlock.

After Silco's death, the lower city was essentially in a state of disorder, simply put, it was a headless chaos.

Even Ekko and Jinx had split into two factions, which was telling of the severity of the situation.

In today's Zaun, a mutant drug called "Mikro" was rampant.

Mikro was originally developed as a cure for diseases, extracted from mutated lizards, but an overdose could grant immense power or eternal life.

Of course, it could also lead to terrifying mutations.

It could be said that the conflict between Piltover and Zaun stemmed from the dichotomy between hextech and Mikro.

The people of the lower city also wanted to use hextech, while the upper city feared Mikro's power; naturally, neither side wanted to concede anything to the other.

The root of the conflict was that simple.

The original underground overlord of Zaun, Vander, strongly opposed Mikro because it eroded both body and mind, but the second underground overlord, Silco, pushed Mikro to a level that even Piltover residents feared.

Consequently, today's Zaun was naturally divided into two factions based on this history.

One faction was led by Ekko's Wildfire Gang.

While Wildfire Gang was a gang, Lin Feng could hear some subjective feelings from Caitlyn's words.

Caitlyn believed that the members of the Wildfire Gang were all good people.

Not only based on their motives but also from personal experience.

The Wildfire Gang members vehemently opposed Mikro and advocated for the restoration of Zaun's state during Vander's time.

Although the Wildfire Gang had caused some disturbances in the upper city, it seemed those actions were all aimed at destroying Mikro.

The misunderstanding that the upper city held towards the lower city primarily concerned the Wildfire Gang; under the collaboration of a corrupt sheriff and Silco, the upper city had long believed that various incidents were caused by the Wildfire Gang, only to later uncover the truth.

Of course, Caitlyn's perception might also stem from a sense of guilt toward the Wildfire Gang.

Lin Feng understood deeply that in a muddy water, no one was clean; it was merely a matter of degree.

However, Lin Feng also admitted that compared to others, the Wildfire Gang was indeed the better side, evident from Ekko's base.

That place, resembling a paradise, full of sunlight, was the headquarters of the Wildfire Gang—who would believe that?

Not to mention that now, Heimerdinger could be considered half a member of the Wildfire Gang.

Besides the Wildfire Gang, the other faction supported the use of Mikro.

This faction was led by Jinx.