Ordinary citizens in the Twin Cities are unaware of the undercurrents that have been brewing in the past two days. As the Evolution Day gets closer, everywhere is filled with a festive atmosphere.
September 6th, evening.
The day before evolution day.
People on the streets of Piltover have already changed into decent and low-key Chinese clothes in advance, and the shops are decorated with lights. Messengers come and go more frequently than usual and shuttle among the crowd. Occasionally, people who are pushed by them shake their fists.
Roar, worried about being squeezed by the messenger and ruining the only decent clothes.
Sometimes someone looks up at the sky and sees a motorboat floating in the sky with a photo of a handsome young man printed on it, and smiles knowingly.
Jess Tallis, Evolution Day character.
In this nearly 200-year-old city, the Evolution Day figure who represents the city's progressive future and represents the scientists speaking on Evolution Day has always been nominated by the parliament, but every year, as expected, Heimerdinger is appointed.
It's not that there have never been talented young people before, but there is still a huge gap between them and Heimerdinger, and their prestige among the people is not enough. At most, they only appear in the nomination stage of parliamentarians.
But this time it was different. Not only was Jess nominated, he was successfully elected.
The residents of Piltover are not only not worried and dissatisfied about this, but are also full of expectations. This represents the rise of a new generation in Piltover, which no longer relies solely on Heimerdinger, and has taken a solid step forward.
Looking forward to the future!
In the laboratory tower, Jess was also standing at the window looking at the photo of himself on the motorboat outside the window, and moved his back with some difficulty.
Not far away, Victor, who was lowering his head to collect experimental materials, couldn't help but look sideways: "Are you okay? Jess."
"Ah, no." Jess turned around and said, "Although my back is still a little bruised and sore, it doesn't affect my daily actions, let alone my speech on tomorrow's Evolution Day. Fortunately, the shrapnel from the explosion didn't hit me head-on.
I, too, thank Sewell for catching me."
As a person of Evolution Day, he had just been discharged from the hospital two hours ago after lying in the hospital for five days, and he was having a headache preparing for tomorrow's speech.
"Compared to my injury, Victor, are you really not going to go on stage with me tomorrow?"
Victor dodged slightly: "Let's forget it."
"Is it because...you are from Zaun?"
Victor was startled, thinking that he might have heard wrong, but when he looked at Jace for verification, he only saw a pair of sincere eyes.
The old Jace wouldn't have asked this question.
Jace shook his head gently: "While lying on the bed unable to move, I thought a lot. Maybe I really had some prejudice against Zaun unknowingly. It is undeniable that Zuan must have such and such
Problems, like the smuggling case and the people who attacked us, but Zaun also has people like you, Victor, and Xavier.
In the future, I will see it with my own eyes and distinguish it with my own eyes. So... Victor, do you really not plan to go on stage with me? As long as they make enough contributions, the Zaans should be able to come on stage too!"
Victor's mood was slightly complicated. Although his words were still somewhat naive and idealistic, he was very pleased that his friend's views had changed.
"Leave that kind of thing to the future, to Sevier." He smiled weakly: "You know me, Jace, I won't be able to open my mouth when I stand in front of so many people."
Jess accepted this reason, so he shook his head and smiled, and said: "Speaking of which, I never had the chance to ask in the hospital, has the guy who detonated the professor's laboratory been caught? And Sevier, what have you been busy with recently?
?He saved our lives. When the evolution day is over, we must express our gratitude to him once."
"Caught...cough cough." Victor coughed twice and said: "According to the professor, he was detained in Jingshui Prison. He tried to kidnap Sevier not long after the attack on the laboratory, but was wounded and caught by Sevier himself.
Representatives Mel and Gila Mann interrogated her twice, but failed to get a result. They also wanted to wait until the evolution day before conducting a detailed investigation.
As for Sevier... maybe he is busy with what he needs to show on Evolution Day. The professor and I haven't seen anyone else in the past few days. The professor went to Lanxun Manor twice to look for him, but he was not there either."
"Is that so...forget it, we will definitely see you tomorrow." Jess stepped forward and put his arms around Victor's shoulders: "Let's prepare the speech first and show our new invention to everyone!"
…
Baijiu Street.
As the name of the street suggests, most of the pubs in Piltover are located here, with dozens to hundreds of them. People can buy every kind of wine in the entire Rune Continent here, as long as you have enough money.
But every time on the eve of Evolution Day, there will no longer be a few Piltovers coming here, because the guys climbing up from the bottom city will fill the tavern.
They wanted to join in the excitement of Evolution Day, but they were reluctant to stay in hotels that became increasingly expensive during the festival.
Rather than that flashy bed, they would rather use the money they saved over the year to buy a night of hangover and spend the night in a tavern. Of course, if they can attract a bed partner to have sex in the back alley of the tavern, it would be a more complete evolution.
It's the night before.
Walking through Baijiu Street, Ji Xing casually looked at the discount banners of surrounding pubs.
The crowds of people passing by could not touch him under his precise footsteps, until a child of seven or eight years old bumped into his leg.
The little boy seemed to be a little dizzy from being hit. He looked up blankly at him. Ji Xing raised an index finger and shook it, saying: "Let's go quickly."
The gutter kid who hadn't stolen his wallet ran away in panic, while Ji Xing turned to look at the sign of the pub next to him and walked in.
"Welcome, sir!"
It was busier and noisier inside than outside, but the tavern waiter came over immediately.
"Are you alone?"
"That's right." Ji Xing smiled and took out two silver wheels from his arms: "Bring me two bottles of good wine. Don't pass it off as good wine. If you are satisfied, you will be rewarded."
The waiter's eyes lit up and his smile became even more enthusiastic: "Please come in and find an empty seat. The wine will be delivered to you right away!"
At the same time, the guests at the tables near the door also looked sideways at Ji Xing. Seeing Ji Xing walking towards the center, a few people hesitated for a moment, then stood up and followed him in from a distance.
This tavern is not small, and the guests inside are basically divided into three teams.
The far left side is lively and noisy, filled with cheers and curses. People gather together and place bets on an empty table, and the gambling event is the most traditional form of competition between men - arm wrestling.
It was even more lively in the middle, because there were some women in cool clothes dancing to the dance music played on the tavern tape, and their half-climbing hook on the pole attracted many people's attention.
The right side is relatively quiet, mostly scattered. There are three or five friends gathering to have a drink, and there are also some alone people who are drinking and getting drunk.
Ji Xing's eyes passed over a pair of men and women wearing robes that covered their bodies and half of their faces, and he found a table near the middle to sit down.
As soon as we sat down, the waiter from earlier brought us two bottles of wine and several wine glasses.
"Guest, your wine."
His movements were light, but he was a little slow when he reached into his pocket: "I don't know what your taste is, but a bottle of strong liquor, lime, and a bottle of sweet wine, Zaren, are the best wines we have here. And here is the change,
12 copper rings, please keep them."
Ji Xing smiled and waved his hand: "Take it away and open these two bottles of wine for me."
"Hey, thank you guest!"
After opening the drink with two bangs, the waiter left happily. Just as Ji Xing poured a glass of lime into his glass, several figures flashed around him, and finally a girl with a dark, pretty face and a hot figure slid down and sat down.
Arrived opposite him.
Looking at the two bottles of wine on the table and then at Ji Xing, she licked her lips and raised a finger directly: "One glass at a time."
So Ji Xing poured her a glass: "I'll give you a drink and I wish you a happy Evolution Day. Nothing else is needed. See you later."
The girl's eyes flashed strangely, and she looked at Ji Xing in surprise. With a smile on her face, she picked up the glass and drank it in one gulp. She stood up and bowed: "Thank you for your generosity. I wish you a happy Evolution Day. May the gears turn in the right direction. My
My name is Elize, she always hangs around here, come to me anytime."
She left with a swaying figure. The people who were 'targeting' Ji Xing looked at each other. After hesitation, another old man sat in the empty seat opposite Ji Xing.
The old man must be about seventy years old, with a white beard and a face full of weather and vicissitudes, but he smiled at Ji Xing.
"Can you buy me a drink too?"
Ji Xing knows these people. They are everywhere in every tavern on Baijiu Street. They are all drunkards who have no desire to drink or have fun. Most of them have little money. In the off-season, they are bartenders, and in the peak season, they try their best to
Have a good drink.
Ji Xing was naturally targeted.
He looked at the old man opposite and asked, "What do you want in exchange?"
"Hmm... some news?" The old man paused and asked, "Are you from Piltover?"
"No, I am from Zaun."
The old man suddenly smiled and his wrinkles relaxed: "It seems that you are doing well in Pi City. You have moved here for many years. Drinking by yourself on the eve of evolution is too boring. Since you are not going to spend the night with those women, then I will give you
Can we talk about some interesting stories and the history of Zaun and have a glass of wine instead?"
"You have a story and I have wine? Haha, tell me first." Ji Xing said with a smile.
The old man pursed his dry lips and said, "Did you know that Zaun was the original city of evolution, long before Piltover became famous, but..."
"I know that the glorious Sun Gate split Piltover and sunk Zaun." Ji Xing interrupted and took a sip of wine.
The old man's expression froze and he laughed dryly: "Of course, of course, this is history that most people in Zaun will know. Of course, what I want to tell you is more than that. Before that, it was even more complicated than when Zaun was still a city of progress.
Jiuyuan, do you know what Zuan is like?"
"Huh?" Ji Xing became a little interested.
The old man breathed a sigh of relief: "I heard it from hearsay, so I can't be sure, because this is history unearthed by a third-rate explorer, and no evidence was given. But according to other rumors I heard, it still makes some sense.
In the ancient past, the two cities of Piltover and Zaun, or rather the cities that sunk into the sea, were the same city. The name was Oshra Vazuan, and it was a port of the powerful Shurima Empire.
City.
In the city of Zaun, you can occasionally find things that do not belong to this era. There are even rumors that powerful magic tools belonging to Shurima are buried in certain places. You must know Shurima, right? The one who once...
…”
Ji Xing poured him a glass of wine, so the old man talked even more energetically. In exchange for the wine, he did know many things that were not recorded in books. To ordinary people, it sounded like a biography novel, but to Ji Xing's ears, it was something different.
mean.
As a result, the wine became more and more enjoyable as he drank, and other people around him who wanted to drink withdrew in disappointment. After drinking half a bottle, the old man also entered a tipsy state. He looked at Ji Xing and gave Ji Xing a thumbs up.
“Good drinker.”
Ji Xing smiled and pointed: "There seems to be a little conflict over there?"
"Ah? Old John's tavern, who dares to cause trouble here?" The old man was stunned for a moment and turned his head.
I saw that the atmosphere in the originally lively arm-wrestling venue had indeed become tense. Everyone on the outside was furious, and the five or six people standing in the inner circle had disdain on their faces.
One of the big men with a sharp-edged face stood on the chair with one foot, completely ignoring the anger of the people around him, and sneered: "Why, I allowed you to do it with both hands, but no one dares to play with me anymore.
Son?!
You are a bunch of worthless guys, you can’t even win in an arm-wrestling fight, but I still want to grab it?! What are you looking at? If you’re not convinced, just sit across from me, or go home and suck your mother’s milk!”
Judging from the piles of copper rings and even silver wheels stacked on the table, it was obvious that someone was ruining the arm-wrestling game tonight.
It's not like this kind of 'strong man' has never appeared before, but he usually knows how to stop when he's ready. It's very rare to provoke everyone like today.
"They are not Picheng people, nor are they Zaun people." At the table, the old man looked in that direction and said in a low voice: "I noticed it when these bastards came in. They have a different smell. They are from the sea.
The smell, and the sea breeze had obvious marks on each of their faces, so obvious that they don’t look like ordinary sailors.”
"What is that?" Ji Xing asked.
"Pirates." The old man's voice dropped even lower: "Those damn pirates in Bilgewater who kill without blinking an eye don't know how they dare to come to our place to join in the fun, so don't mess with them!"
"Really meticulous observation."
"Of course, my eyes will not miss everyone who walks into the tavern, and most of them can see through their origins and occupations!" Having said this, the old man showed a bit of pride.
Ji Xing asked: "Then what do I do?"
The old man hesitated and said sarcastically: "Well, I really didn't see this, but you look different from ordinary Zaun people. I'm afraid you have obtained the legal status of Pi City, settled here, and have
A certain industry, right?”
It's pretty much the same. Only the rich and powerful people in Piltover know Sewell's face, not as well-known as Jace.
"Don't turn your head." Ji Xing still said calmly: "Answer me according to your memory. There is a man and woman wearing robes outside table seven diagonally behind me. You must have noticed this unique dress. Then they and
The time when those pirates walked into this tavern...is it close or far away?"
The old man was startled, and after a brief recollection, his expression gradually became stiff and frightened: "You..."
"Okay, I know the answer."
Ji Xing said: "The remaining half bottle of wine belongs to you. If you are worried about getting into trouble, then hide in the crowd first and don't let anyone notice you."
"You, are you a law enforcement officer?"
"How can a law enforcement officer act alone?" Ji Xing stood up and said, "I'm just looking for trouble."
Hmm... I was a bit busy before the year. I went abroad and didn't prepare any New Year's goods at home... On Sunday, next Monday and Tuesday, at least two of the three days will be able to make up 7k+ updates, so don't worry.