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

Chapter 81 Our family has everything!

At the age of twenty, Stevan felt guilty and heartbroken towards his sister.

He believed that his early accession to the throne had ruined his sister's life, forcing Camille to become the family's sharpest weapon and undergo a near-death physical modification surgery.

By the time he turned forty, Stevan's guilt had gradually lessened.

As his and Camille's overt and covert cooperation became increasingly adept, the Feros family rapidly accumulated wealth and prestige, gradually transforming the family into the de facto "invisible royalty" of Piltover.

Their tremendous success in their careers made that period the most harmonious and heartwarming time between the siblings.

But as time went on, sixty-year-old Stevan slowly changed his mind.

As his good health and abundant energy gradually faded away, his former safe haven grew increasingly cold.

Stevan was forced to confront a problem he had never imagined before:

When her own lifespan reached its limit, her older sister, who should have passed away before her, now remains eternally young thanks to that cosmetic surgery…

What will she do?

The mere thought of this problem overwhelmed Stevan with a profound fear that transcended any familial bond, causing him to let his mind wander:

When I was twenty, my sister Camille used the most ruthless means to protect me and help me secure my position as head of the family.

If she were to pass away, would she still approve of the heir she had chosen?

If she doesn't approve, will she still do what she did back then, find an heir she approves of, and then start a bloody storm?

Stevan couldn't answer that question.

When he realized that the sharpest weapon in his family had begun to detach itself from the understanding of a normal person like him, and might disrupt the normal cycle of birth, aging, sickness and death, he couldn't help but panic.

Stevan couldn't help but think of Hakim, who disappeared after performing surgery on Camille, and of those blue crystals.

A dangerous greed began to sprout in his mind—

If I were to find someone to research that thing now, and possess a physical body and mind that surpass human limits, would I be able to eliminate the intense pressure Camille brought me?

So starting that year, those dangerous blue crystals began to appear on the black market in Piltover.

Stevan secretly allowed it to enter the market, and even deliberately spread the news that it was a "contraband" in order to attract bold scholars and researchers.

He had a vague feeling that Camille knew what he was doing, so he began to frequently send Camille out on missions, just to keep his activities a secret.

At first, Stevan only received disappointment.

It seems that after Hakim, no one has been able to tame that wild and magical magic.

So he started to settle for second best.

He no longer aspired to live as long as Camille, but only hoped that the blue crystals that had once created a miracle could become a shackle to imprison his sister.

Camille, who only cares about the interests of her family, has clearly become an obstacle to Stevan's pursuit of personal gain.

He desperately needed a force that could counterbalance his sister!

It was with this expectation that Stevan finally saw a glimmer of hope nine years ago – Hextech had appeared!

After many years, Jess and Viktor actually managed to successfully unlock the energy within the blue crystal once again.

This news thrilled Stevan.

He didn't understand scientific research; he only knew that someone had finally pressed the button that changed his destiny for the second time.

So he began to secretly and strongly support Hextech's research and development, giving Jess and his team the green light in all sorts of matters.

For a long time, Jayce and Viktor believed that ordinary Piltover residents were not only very knowledgeable about their Hextech, but also extremely supportive.

Unfortunately, Jess and Victor are not Hakim and cannot fathom Stevan's inner desires.

They brought Stevanbi an even greater disappointment than before.

Hextech has not only avoided developing towards human modification or weaponization, but has also gradually replaced part of Piltover's shipping, racing headlong towards economic development and trade.

After waiting in vain for several years, Stevan was truly giving up.

He was already over eighty years old and felt he didn't have much time left to wait for a miracle to happen.

So he recalled Camille, who was on a mission, to keep his sister by his side, just to reminisce about the warmth and intimacy of the past and to play the family card.

It was at this moment that Aaron's figure entered Stevan's field of vision...

"It's good to meet you now, Mr. Aaron."

As Aaron piloted his mech into the reception hall, Stevan, who had struggled to his feet, felt no offense whatsoever. On the contrary, he was quite excited, and an unhealthy blush appeared on his face.

He instinctively wanted to shake hands with Aaron.

However, after realizing that Aaron was now piloting the mecha, he withdrew his hand, staring intently at the Cheng Ying mecha with a deep smile on his lips.

This must be the Chengying tactical mech.

What a beautiful name, what a lovely appearance!

Aaron's prepared arguments might fool the arrogant Piltover council members, but they wouldn't fool Stevan, whose eyes and ears are everywhere in both cities.

He knew who had destroyed half of Stillwater Prison, what Jess was most likely doing after his disappearance, and even Aaron's curiosity about Hextech Gems.

Seeing Aaron piloting a mech in the manor, Stevan's excitement was something few could understand.

His order to Camille tonight was to attempt to seize this powerful weapon of war. If she failed, he would then invite Aaron in for a talk.

He longed for Camille's failure more than her success.

If this weapon can defeat Camille, then isn't it exactly what I've been dreaming of?

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am a young man from Zaun."

Stevan was nothing like Camille, who had attacked without warning just moments before.

He was polite and courteous, leaving the main space of the reception room to Aaron's mech, and didn't even mind having his head pointed at by fully activated long guns and short cannons.

He rubbed his hands together and enthusiastically presented his terms:

"My name is Stevan Firos, the current head of the Firos family in Piltover, and also the main investor in various research teams in Piltover."

"My lifelong dream is to find a genius, a truly exceptional genius who can lead ordinary people to explore the mysteries of magic!"

Stevan opened his arms wide, his eyes filled with eager hope and sincere request:

"Mr. Aaron, seeing you, I think I've found that genius."

"Would you be interested in taking a tour of the Firos family's laboratories?"

"Whether it's the most primitive Hextech crystal or the structurally stable Hextech gemstones we have..."

"Everything you could want!"