Chapter 211: CHAPTER 211 - Interested in Working for Me?
Li Lin forcefully removed the shackles from Mundo, then introduced him to Caitlyn and Kai'Sa.
The reputation of the Kiramman family was quite prominent, especially since many of the improvements in the Lower City were sponsored by them, earning them favor among the people.
Mundo's first action upon rising was to pat Li Lin on the back, a gesture of friendliness he often employed.
Caitlyn and Kai'Sa, unaware of his intention, politely declined.
After inspecting the hidden chamber, they forcefully opened several locked blast doors.
What they found inside left even Mundo, who had previously supported Baron Raymond Keane, speechless.
Within the spacious room, several transparent, massive glass tanks were filled with formaldehyde, each containing mutilated bodies.
The dilapidated operating table and blood-stained floor bore witness to gruesome surgeries, with various organs and limbs scattered around, left to decay and infested with maggots.
Shelves and tables in the corners were cluttered with alchemical potions and instruments that resembled torture devices, all tainted with dull red stains.
The air was a sickening mix of disinfectant, formaldehyde, and the putrid stench of decay.
Even Mundo, accustomed to the depths of the Middle and Lower Plazas, couldn't suppress the urge to vomit without a breathing filter.
Among these alchemical potions, there were even primitive versions of Shimmer concoctions.
Caitlyn, fighting back the nausea, retrieved her Hextech camera from her satchel and documented all the atrocities committed in the Osweld Asylum.
Piltover rarely carried out executions; apart from criminals killed during arrests, a few cases each year were exceptional.
This incident was far too heinous; she needed to report it to her mother.
Without a word from the others, Baron Raymond Keane and Director Osweld, among others, lay scattered across the courtyard, lifeless.
What's more, law enforcement acted swiftly upon receiving the report.
Because it was transferred to Sheriff Grayson's office under Caitlyn's name, she personally led two squads of fully armored elite law enforcement officers aboard a private Hextech transport to the Middle Plaza, arriving at the asylum.
Sevika, Code, and another enforcer had already left. Four suitcases were placed beside Vander, who was in conversation with Grayson.
Upon seeing Li Lin and Caitlyn, Grayson immediately approached them. "Caitlyn, Li Lin, what brings you to this asylum?"
Caitlyn wasted no time and handed her the photographs she had just taken. "Sheriff Grayson, take a look at this."
"... What's this?" Grayson took the photos, glanced at them, and her expression turned grave as she examined each disturbing image.
"Marcus!" Her angry voice drew the attention of all the elite enforcers present.
A man with a small beard, not particularly tall, ran over. He was Grayson's deputy.
"Sheriff!" Marcus saluted Grayson.
"Take a squad and arrest all these people, then lock them up. The rest of you, come with me to the basement!"
"The path to the basement is rather complex; let me lead the way," Marcus suggested.
Caitlyn gave Li Lin a knowing look, then proceeded to lead Grayson to the depths of the asylum's horrors.
Once they had left, Vander approached. "Thanks for the powered armor; it was a great help."
"It's nothing." Li Lin glanced at Caitlyn before turning back to Vander. "Didn't expect you to know Sheriff Grayson."
Vander recalled their verbal agreement of non-aggression years ago and shook his head. "Old history."
After a pause, he changed the subject. "Did you find any evidence? Grayson seems quite angry."
"Indeed, the evidence in the underground operating room is damning."
Li Lin gestured toward Mundo, who stood nearby, staring blankly at the newly detained Baron Raymond Keane.
"Before, we heard from those two mad doctors that the one sent by Baron Raymond Keane is him. We managed to save him before those two doctors could operate on him."
Vander casually took out his tobacco pouch from his pocket and lit a cigarette, nodding thoughtfully. "Hmm... That big guy seems a bit dim-witted. Probably offended Baron Raymond Keane."
"But at least we've dealt with a thorn in the side of the Middle Plaza. People can now leave their homes without worrying about being mistaken for lunatics and dragged in..."
"Oh, by the way, what are you planning to do with the other patients in this mental hospital?"
"They were normal people once, but many have been driven mad by torture," Li Lin sighed. "I plan to have the enforcers transfer them to a regular asylum. If they can be cured, that's good. If not..."
His words trailed off.
But even without Li Lin saying it, Vander understood his meaning.
In reality, except for lucky ones like Mundo who haven't been altered or completely driven insane yet, most patients are beyond help, condemned to live their lives in a daze.
However, Li Lin harbored a thought that he hadn't shared with Vander.
If he could master the technology of individual enhancement, curing these people shouldn't be a problem.
"I'll do my best."
...
...
The arrests went smoothly.
Caitlyn accompanied Sheriff Grayson in investigating the crime scene, gathering plenty of new evidence. It was enough to sentence all the attending doctors at this asylum to death, while medical staff and enforcers received life imprisonment.
After Deputy Marcus called for an additional three squads of regular enforcers, they apprehended all the suspects and transferred the mental patients to another secure asylum in Zaun, with expenses covered by the Kiramman family.
With one threat eradicated from the Lower Plaza's Lower City, Li Lin's and the Kiramman family's names were once again on people's lips. Many citizens approached Vander with gifts, asking him to pass them on to Li Lin and Caitlyn.
Of course, this was all in hindsight.
All the suspects had been captured without a single one slipping through the cracks.
The enforcers sealed off the Osweld Asylum and would proceed to inventory its assets before confiscating them and auctioning off the property.
However, through his connections with Grayson, Li Lin secured the property at a price higher than the market value.
He changed his original plan and decided to transform it into a special mechanical parts manufacturing plant, producing materials needed to assemble intelligent infantry units for the military.
Then, he would transport it to another location for assembly, such as the arms factory he had requested Silco to build.
Kai'Sa followed Caitlyn back to Piltover, leaving Vander with no further business here. He returned to the tavern.
Outside the asylum, Li Lin approached Mundo, who looked lost, and gently patted his shoulder. "What are you going to do next?"
"I... don't know," Mundo's voice carried a heavy sense of melancholy.
"My mother hoped I'd make something of myself before she passed away. I joined Baron Raymond Keane service in the hopes of one day fulfilling her wish."
"But alas..." He sighed heavily. "I'm left with nothing now, Iron Man. I'm afraid I'll never become as great as you."
"Who says so? Your character and dreams are your wealth." Li Lin smiled. "Are you interested in working for me?"
(End of Chapter)
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