บท 1: CHAPTER 1 - I'm Just an Ordinary Mechanic
In the northern district of Piltover, a dense crowd was streaming towards the uppermost layer of the city, where the major families and the wealthy resided.
Less than a month remained until Piltover's most important annual event, Progress Day, and the streets were already adorned with colorful decorations.
According to tradition, most families would set aside some time during these days to interview artisans and craftsmen in the city who possessed knowledge and skills.
If a craftsman's invention caught the eye of one of these families, they would become the sponsor's investment, escaping poverty and obscurity, and ascending to the pinnacle of life.
Inside the waiting room of a luxurious mansion located in the middle of the North District, a young Ionian, appearing youthful and somewhat slender, sat alongside dozens of artisans of varying ages, all gazing at their surroundings.
Today, they were participating in an interview with the influential Hextech technician family, Kiramman of Piltover. The matriarch of this family, Mrs. Kiramman, was also one of the members of Piltover's highest council.
The waiting room was spacious, easily accommodating over a hundred people.
Bright and polished marble tiles with intricate patterns crisscrossed, nearly mirroring the image of a person.
In one corner of the room sat a magnificent clock, known as the Reveck Clock, invented by the renowned inventor Corin Reveck from Piltover. Its ticking pendulum resonated through the spacious and quiet waiting room.
Luxurious benches made of precious wood imported from Freljord, emitting a faint woody aroma, lined the walls. The young Ionian and the other artisans, numbering over a dozen, sat upright, waiting for the summons from the Kiramman artisans.
Before long, a middle-aged man with a black cane, dressed in a brown double-breasted jacket with a tie, and with slightly graying temples, emerged from the ancient and solemn opposite door not far from here.
He did not smile casually and wore pure white gloves on his hands. Every move he made was polite, exuding a kind of nobility that was rarely seen in ordinary people.
The middle-aged man walked to this side of the long bench, lightly tapped the floor with his cane, attracting the attention of everyone.
"I am the steward of the Kiramman family. I will now explain the matters to you," he spoke slowly. "First, those whose names are called will enter through that door."
The steward pointed to the door he had just come out of.
"In the interview room, there are five artisans from our Kiramman family. You only need to state your name, demonstrate your invention, and briefly explain its working principle. The artisans will evaluate your invention."
"If you have any objections to the evaluation, I advise you not to confront them. Adhering to the tradition of the Kiramman family, they are excellent and fair, and they will not make unfair judgments."
"If you succeed, after entering the door you just walked through, come back to this room. We will arrange for you after all the interviews are completed. If you are not successful, there is a small door on the right side of the room. You can leave the Kiramman family directly from there."
With his words falling silent, the steward surveyed the faces of everyone. "If anyone has any questions, you can raise them now."
No one spoke up.
After a moment, the steward nodded. "Very well, then let's proceed."
He took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his coat pocket. It was the list of names of those participating in the interview.
"The first one, Li Lin."
"It's me." Upon hearing his name, the Ionian youth raised his hand.
"Ionian?" The steward's expression showed some surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. "Go in through that door, and good luck."
"Thank you for your blessings," Li Lin replied with a slight bow to the steward.
Subsequently, he walked to the door, took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and slowly pushed open one of the antique wooden doors.
Compared to the waiting room outside, the room used for interviews was not particularly large.
The entire room had a semi-circular shape, with four men and one woman sitting behind a long table directly in front of the door.
They were all dressed in deep brown double-breasted coats with white linings.
In the middle sat a middle-aged man and woman, looking more dignified and luxurious. Two elderly men, each at least sixty years old, with silver-white hair and an air of erudition, sat on either side.
Sitting at the far edge was a young man with a backcombed hairstyle, a youthful face, and an inexplicably familiar appearance.
As soon as the door opened, the five pairs of eyes fixed on Li Lin, making him feel a bit uneasy.
Li Lin walked to the center of the room, but before he could speak, the young man on the edge, who held a gold-plated feather pen, spoke up, "What's your name?"
"Li Lin, sir," Li Lin replied confidently.
The young man lowered his head and scribbled something in his notebook before continuing, "What work do you want to showcase?"
"I've named it the 'Mechanical Wristwatch.'"
"A wristwatch?"
The middle-aged man sitting in the middle with his stubbled jaw raised an eyebrow upon hearing the peculiar name. He glanced at the woman beside him, then cleared his throat and asked, "Ahem... What is this wristwatch you're talking about? Is it similar to Reveck's pocket watches?"
Li Lin nodded and reached into his somewhat worn-out satchel, retrieving a circular object with two straps.
"As the name suggests, a wristwatch is a timepiece that can be worn on the wrist. Compared to the bulkier pocket watches, wristwatches are more compact and convenient to carry, not to mention more accurate."
Li Lin raised his left hand, fastening the wristwatch's band to his wrist and then quickly removing it to demonstrate its convenience to the interviewers.
Two elderly gentlemen clipped single-lens eyeglasses onto their left eyes and leaned forward with curiosity, peering at Li Lin's wrist. Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, they whispered to each other:
"What do you think?"
"Well... it's a novel invention. It looks more practical than pocket watches."
"I think it's a revolutionary improvement! Why didn't I think of this?"
"It's just a bit unsightly. If it could be made more aesthetically pleasing... What do you think, Mr. Kiramman?"
Both elderly men turned their heads to the middle-aged man.
"It does seem a bit... but if it could be refined further, it might even replace pocket watches among the nobility..." the middle-aged man stroked his stubbled chin, a glint of enthusiasm in his eyes. "Madam, what do you think?"
As he directed his question to the middle-aged woman in the center, the room fell into instant silence, and even the sound of breathing became audible.
Li Lin's throat involuntarily twitched.
Anyone could see that the woman before them was, in fact, the head of the Kiramman family and one of the most influential council members in Piltover!
"You're Li Lin, correct?" Councilor Kiramman interlocked her hands on the table, leaning forward slightly, her piercing blue eyes fixed on Li Lin. Under the gaze of those emotionless blue eyes, Li Lin felt an unprecedented pressure.
"Yes, Councilor Kiramman," he replied, keeping his composure.
"Well done, recognizing me so quickly." Councilor Kiramman smiled faintly. "You hail from Ionia, don't you?"
"Yes, my hometown is Placidium in Ionia. I came to Piltover four years ago."
When Li Lin mentioned Placidium, he noticed a subtle change in the expressions of the four men.
"Four years, hmm? Well, leaving that turbulent place early was a wise choice," Councilor Kiramman sighed softly.
She then stood up, and the four men beside her immediately followed suit, stepping back.
With the crisp sound of high heels meeting the marble floor, Councilor Kiramman walked over to Li Lin, took the wristwatch from his hands, and observed it closely.
"It's a very fine design. I'll personally grant you passage. Go to Jayce to obtain a 'Patent Application Contract' first. After all the interviews are over, we'll discuss your compensation and labor contract."
Jayce?
Li Lin looked at the young man who had questioned him earlier, sensing a familiar air about him. However, he didn't dwell on it.
Councilor Kiramman was already preparing to leave, but Li Lin hurriedly stopped her. "Please wait a moment, Councilor Kiramman. I have a few more designs to show."
"More?" Councilor Kiramman's face displayed a surprised expression.
Behind the long table, her husband couldn't resist and approached her, eyeing the young Ionian with interest.
Li Lin acted quickly, pulling several design blueprints from his satchel and handing them to Councilor Kiramman and her husband.
They briefly scanned the blueprints but quickly grew serious.
Bicycles, hand-cranked generators, electric lamps, printing machines...
As time ticked away and the blueprints were thoroughly examined, Councilor Kiramman and her husband looked at Li Lin with expressions of astonishment, both exclaiming in unison:
"All of these are your designs? What exactly do you do?!"
Li Lin paused for a moment, then spoke slowly, "I'm just an ordinary mechanic."
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