Stillwater Prison is located on the sea next to Piltover. Even with Piltover and Zaun at war, that place remained like a 'paradise', completely unaware of everything happening outside.
Vi sat on a chair, and Caitlyn sat on Vi. Vi rested her head in her hand and said to Caitlyn,
"I told you, everyone in here is talented and speaks so nicely."
Caitlyn sighed, indicating,
"One more week, and we can finally go back."
Vi wrapped her arm around Caitlyn's slender waist.
"When you go back, will you help those people overturn their cases?"
Caitlyn let out a long sigh, but her eyes were filled with determination:
"Beneath Piltover's glamorous facade, so many dirty things were hidden. I will definitely help them overturn their cases."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Caitlyn quickly jumped off Vi, afraid of being seen by outsiders. Vi, resting her head in her hand, said boredly,
"It's probably another batch of prisoners."
But when the door opened, in walked Chen and Powder. Powder was delighted to see her sister and rushed over. Vi also hugged her adorable sister,
"How have you been? Has that kid Chen bullied you?"
Powder giggled,
"No, he's been very good to me."
But Caitlyn stared wide-eyed at the outside. The prisoners arriving today were different: eight councilors, including her own mother.
It wasn't Piltover's Enforcers escorting the prisoners. Caitlyn looked at Chen, unable to comprehend:
"No, what are you doing?"
"Oh, Warden Caitlyn, this matter needs to be handled by you. I've captured these war criminals."
Chen had his subordinates escort all the councilors inside. Caitlyn hurried to Chen's front:
"What are you doing? Those are all councilors, and my mother is among them!"
Although Caitlyn had already acknowledged Chen after the last Piltover defense battle, and she didn't like those councilors, what was the purpose of arresting all of them?
She was completely bewildered. She repeatedly recalled what Chen had said to her:
"War criminals? They are war criminals? No, what's going on?"
Chen thought of the brothers who had died these past few days and shook his head:
"Piltover and Zaun are at war. Didn't you know, Warden Caitlyn? You really are oblivious to the outside world."
Caitlyn grew anxious:
"Huh? What exactly happened? Tell me quickly!"
Vi also stopped reminiscing with Powder and walked over.
Chen briefly explained:
"It's just that these councilors wanted to start a war for profit..."
Chen recounted everything that had happened in the past few days, leaving both Caitlyn and Vi in shock.
In less than a month, they had missed an entire season's worth of plot!
Caitlyn was somewhat at a loss for what to do, but the straightforward Vi said angrily,
"You did nothing wrong. These councilors deserve to die!"
Then she didn't forget to add,
"Except for our mom."
Only then did Caitlyn withdraw her resentful gaze. No matter what, she was a Piltover native and a Piltover Enforcer, and now all of Piltover had fallen.
Although she was in the wrong, for Caitlyn, who was born in Piltover, the culprit was right in front of her. Caitlyn looked at Chen and asked righteously,
"So why did you bring them here to me? Are you trying to show me off, and do you also want me to surrender?"
Chen tilted his head:
"No, what are you thinking? If Piltover wasn't taken down, why would I bother fighting up here? I was already planning to go traveling with Powder. It's you Piltover people who are pushing your luck!"
What he said was difficult for the inherently righteous Caitlyn to accept. She asked Chen,
"Then what do you say we should do now? You've already fought your way up here. I only have this one prison and a few soldiers; there's no talk of resistance."
Caitlyn sighed. She seemed to be taking it quite well:
"Perhaps, this will be better for Piltover."
Chen actually already had an idea:
"Yes, but how could we take over Piltover? Piltover still needs to be managed by you."
Caitlyn was somewhat confused:
"What do you mean?"
Chen meant that Piltover would still be Piltover, and Zaun would be Zaun. A large part of the current division and fragmentation was due to issues of resident identity.
Piltover called itself a city-state, not a country. Zaun and Piltover had actually been two separate entities for a long time. Chen's idea now was to bring Zaun and Piltover together to form one country!
Only a country could bring a sense of belonging and identity to everyone, and bridge the distance between the Twin Cities. Although in this generation, Piltover and Zaun would still be estranged, everything would get better after unification.
The current plan was for both Piltover and the Undercity to be autonomous, managing minor affairs independently and discussing major issues together, forming a single entity!
Zaun, needless to say, the Wildfire Party was already dominant. The Wildfire Party was indeed doing practical work, guided by a red ideological Program, so there wasn't much to worry about.
The problem lay with Piltover. Chen and his Wildfire Party definitely couldn't come up to manage Piltover. In the eyes of the upper class, Zaunites were the epitome of commoners, just a bunch of gutter dwellers who had become nouveau riche.
To manage them, it still needed Piltover people to do it.
Piltover's system and structure were deeply entrenched and couldn't be changed in a day. Therefore, Piltover needed a new group of people to manage it, a new management team, starting with changing the superstructure to alter Piltover's existing structure.
The first order of business was to weaken capital, curbing those noble families, capitalists, and corrupt politicians, while supporting private entrepreneurs, rejecting all monopolies, and ensuring all commercial taxes were open and transparent.
Chen essentially copied the method of weakening capital from the early days of nation-building in his own world:
"So, I'm not planning to replace everyone. I want you and Jayce to lead a new council. Some of the former civil servants can stay, but you need to screen them."
Caitlyn tried to digest Chen's words. She understood. Chen's proposal was something she couldn't refuse. The current Piltover was only superficially glamorous; underneath, it was already riddled with holes.
The rich were rolling in money, while the lives of the common people below were not easy. Although much better than Zaun, they didn't even reach a moderately prosperous level.
Moreover, during her time in prison, Caitlyn discovered that some families relied entirely on 'exploitative' businesses to make money. She had long wanted to change everything.
She looked at Chen:
"You fought your way up from below, and then you just handed Piltover over?"
"Don't talk nonsense. From now on, although Piltover and Zaun will be autonomous, we are all people of one country. Zaun and Piltover will be one family, okay? We are unified! I'm just letting you manage Piltover."
Chen pinched his fingers, making a mental calculation:
"Those matters need long-term planning. The most important thing now is for you to maintain order! Piltover is in utter chaos!"
Chen was not familiar with Piltover, and the Wildfire Squad in Zaun was also understaffed.
The city was now in a chaotic mess. The Wildfire Squad, due to their principled education, truly took nothing from the people. After arriving in Piltover, they did nothing but maintain order.
Even the residents of Piltover found it incredible that the guys from the Zaun, after fighting their way up, neither stole nor plundered; instead, they were doing good deeds.
Soon, Chen handed over several teams of captured Enforcers to Caitlyn, disarming them first, of course. Caitlyn then went to work with the Enforcers.
The matters between Piltover and the Undercity couldn't be resolved in a day or two. Chen planned to go back and work on some proposals; it was a long-term endeavor.
So he first took Powder back to Zaun. He had two more urgent and important matters: one was to find Kiran, who saved him, and the other was the contract with Talon and Katarina from Noxus.
As soon as he returned to Zaun, a blue-haired old man descended from the sky. Yes, he floated down. He hovered in front of Chen:
"You know me?"
Chen smiled faintly, looking at the old man who had saved his life:
"Of course, the only elemental mage in the world who can control Time Magic, Kiran."