Twin Cities: Who says scientists can't be conquerors?

Chapter 71 The Philos Family

At midday, the Blue Smoky Manor doesn't seem as mysterious as it does in the early morning or evening.

However, the lingering chill inside remained unchanged, causing passersby to unconsciously hold their breath and slow their pace, afraid of disturbing those inside.

Or to be more precise:

What people fear most is the elusive and terrifying spies of the Philos family, who live right here.

"Fundraising?"

Stevan, draped in a thick cloak, examined the note handed to him thoughtfully.

He is the patriarch of the Philos family.

Although he looked old and gray, Stevan still held great power in Piltover, making him a more powerful figure than the other councilors.

Because he has an advantage that others don't have—he has an unusual older sister.

"The current investigation indicates that a fierce exchange of heavy weapons occurred in the Zuan Ditch area, which led to the collapse of the Pilt River estuary."

"The affected area is concentrated in Zu'an. The number of casualties is still being tallied, but the property damage has been basically estimated."

"Congressman Jess Talis has gone missing, and other congressmen are discussing a public fundraising campaign."

The tall woman stood in front of Stevan and reported the events of the previous night to him in a detached tone.

And that note just now was also handed out by her.

"oh."

"So it was Zu'an that suffered the disaster."

Stevan, being old and inevitably slow-witted, repeated the same nonsense again.

He glanced at the woman in front of him, who was still in her prime, as if he were having a fierce internal struggle.

Finally, as if resigned to his fate, he lowered his head slightly.

As I had done every time I made a decision in the previous fifty years, I asked in a low voice:

"Camille, sister."

"What do you think I should do?"

……

Overall, Mel was satisfied with the sensible response from the lawmakers.

Ever since she and Jinx quickly reached a consensus to force the members of the council to rescue Zaun, these gentlemen, who usually don't even bother to look at the poor, have felt pressure for once.

They quickly came up with a plan called "fundraising":

The council members each pulled out their own money, creating a buzz around the fundraising. Once the people of Piltover had also donated, the principal would be returned in full, and the remaining amount would be split 30/70…

No, the gentlemen never even had a chance to touch the remaining money.

Jinx and Caitlyn had already packed everything up and exchanged it for various supplies in Piltover, then dragged Mel along as they charged towards Zaun—

They believed that Mel's lover, Jess, had also disappeared, so they were temporarily on their side.

"Faster! Faster!"

Jinx's composure in the council meeting crumbled the moment she received the relief supplies.

As they approached the vicinity of Fugen's Tavern, she couldn't help but urge Mel's retainers to drive the wagon faster.

This is the second reason why Caitlin and Jinx insisted on including Mel:

Mel has money, people, and even a truck to haul goods.

Even if Jinx and her partner are incredibly skilled, they can't carry a massive amount of relief supplies to Zaun empty-handed, so they have to bring Mel along.

Coincidentally, Mel wasn't in the mood to stay in Piltover either.

If Jinx, out of fear of losing Aaron, instinctively became stronger by imitating him...

So Mel was afraid of losing Jess, so she had to temporarily forget about Jess's disappearance and focus on what she could do for Jess in the present moment.

Mel didn't agree with many of the Middarda family's beliefs.

But clearly, it was precisely because he had witnessed those cold and somewhat cruel rules that Mel was not yet completely flustered; all he could think about was what to do if the worst-case scenario occurred...

"We're here! Unload the cargo, I'm going to find Hilko!"

As the truck, speeding along at full throttle, finally reached its destination, Jinx didn't have time to say anything. She jumped off the truck and ran wildly towards the ship in the vast ocean—

She had just seen Hilko on the ship, seemingly discussing something.

"Be careful!"

Caitlin also jumped off the truck.

However, she couldn't keep up with Jinx's speed at all. After taking a couple of steps, she could only anxiously offer words of advice from behind.

This time, as the daughter of a well-connected member of parliament, she made no attempt to hide her bias towards the peasants from Zu'an, which is actually a major taboo.

But when she saw the hellish scene of disaster before her again, Caitlin became even more convinced that she had not done anything wrong!

"Miss Caitlin Giraman, I feel I need to remind you of something."

Mel also got off the truck.

She walked up to Caitlin, looked at her at eye level for the first time, and said something that seemed completely unrelated:

"Among the funds raised, there was one donation that was the largest in a single instance, which came from Blue Smoked Estate in Piltover."

"I think you should take this seriously."

"What do you mean?"

Caitlin was worried about Jinx and Zaun's disaster relief efforts just a moment ago, when Mel suddenly mentioned the words "Blue Smoked Manor," catching her off guard.

Of course, this was only the first time.

Because when Mel remained silent, staring at Caitlin without offering any explanation, Caitlin already understood what Mel was trying to remind her of—

The Philos family got involved too!

"How could that be?"

Caitlin muttered something, and her face instantly contorted into a furrowed brow, just like Mel's.

She was a proper heiress from a parliamentary family, and she knew very well that if there was anyone in Piltover who could be considered truly influential, it would certainly not be Mel, who was all wealth and no substance.

There is only one answer, and that is the Firos family that Mel mentioned.

Long before the advent of Hextech, this family had already amassed a vast fortune through their keen business acumen and ruthless tactics.

What truly allowed the Feros family to overpower other Piltover factions was not their wealth.

To be precise, they have absolutely no connection.

The true trump card of the Philos family is that they have had a powerful organization called "Family Spies" since their inception.

To some extent, this organization is actually a private army formed by family ties.

Even if those incompetent law enforcement officers in Piltover united without any infighting, their fighting strength would probably be no match for a small squad of Firos family spies!

If that were all, then Caitlin could simply view the Philosopher family's generosity as an "occasional act of kindness by the wealthy."

But in reality, whenever the term "Philos family spies" is mentioned, one cannot avoid mentioning a truly legendary name—

"Camille."

Caitlin swallowed.

She turned to look at Mel, confirming again incredulously:

"You mean, the Pheros family's large donation to Zaun this time was Camille's way of making a statement?"

"So what attitude is she trying to express?"

"I didn't say that."

Mel shook his head.

Her seasoned political experience wouldn't allow her to reveal any flaws in front of Caitlin or be caught off guard by her words.

"I'm just reminding you that the Firos family has voluntarily donated a large sum of money for this disaster relief effort."

"As for the deeper meaning behind this money... I don't know."

While saying "I don't know," Mel's expression clearly said, "Of course I know. Just ask me and I'll tell you," as she waited for Caitlin's decision.

Clearly, due to the dual pressures of Jess's disappearance and Ambissa's impending visit, Mel is eager to rally some forces to bolster his confidence.

Caitlin is a great entry point.

"You won't tell me? I..."

Although Caitlin doesn't have much political talent, she's been exposed to it all and can't help but understand the meaning behind Mel's current pretense.

She bit her lip, instinctively wanting to retort.

But in an instant, she realized that she actually needed Mel's help and couldn't act on her whims.

"I'll figure out how to investigate myself!"

Caitlin puffed out her cheeks and chose to swallow her anger.

But now Mel is going to push her luck.

She seemed unsurprised by Caitlin's strong-willed nature, and continued to provoke her with feigned emotion:

"You're quite adorable. No wonder you captivated a genius like Aaron. It seems our standards for choosing a partner are actually quite similar..."

"That's just my mother's wishful thinking!"

Before Mel could finish speaking, Caitlin couldn't help but interrupt her.

If there's one thing that's been bothering Caitlin the most lately, it's not the attack she suffered in Stillwater Prison, nor even the natural disaster that's happening in Zaun right now.

And it will definitely be the thing that Mel jokingly mentioned—

Now, almost everyone who has some personal connection with Lady Giramanen has heard, to varying degrees, that Lady Giramanen has taken a liking to Aaron and wants that young man from Zaun to be her son-in-law.

Caitlin felt utterly speechless!

In particular, even though she believed she had absolutely no special romantic feelings for Aaron.

But when disaster struck and Aaron went missing, Caitlin did not hesitate to stand on Zaun's side.

It seems to be clearly telling others:

What I said was all an act; in reality, I just care about Zu'an and those people from Zu'an.

"I'm warning you, Senator Mel Middarda!"

Caitlin glared at Mel and took a step closer.

"I don't deny that I care about Aaron, but that's because we're very good friends!"

"If you dare to act recklessly again..."

suddenly,

Before Caitlin could finish her harsh words, she suddenly heard a scream that pierced the entire sky, full of surprise and excitement—

"elder sister!!!"