บท 52: -52- Little genius ekko
"Hey, hey, can you hear me? Can you still hear me like this?"
"Yeah, yeah, I can hear you! By the way, Vi, move a bit farther. Linwin said that in more open places, the reception distance is longer."
With a proud look, Powder held the Hextech phone. Among a group of friends, he stood there like the proudest of all.
But suddenly, there was an annoying voice from the side.
"It's my turn now, right?"
"I won't let you play with it. This is a gift from Linwin!"
Like a cat protecting its food, Powder instantly got defensive when Mylo, looking curious, wanted to grab the Hextech phone.
She warily hid the Hextech phone close to her chest and bent her body as if to say, "One step closer, Mylo, and I'm going to yell."
Things were different now. As long as she opened the Hextech phone, if Mylo bullied her, Powder only needed to shout, and Vi would know.
Then, Vi would come running to her side and thump Mylo's head a couple of times to make him understand the consequences of bullying Powder.
Clearly, the smart Mylo understood this too. His brain was as sharp as his appearance.
So, he reluctantly raised his hands and made a conceding gesture, taking a step back.
Meanwhile, Vi, along with Claggor, was running around in some unknown location.
"Mylo, get away from Powder."
While running, Vi spoke into her Hextech phone. This left Mylo on the other end somewhat speechless.
"Why did Linwin only give you and Vi Hextech phones?"
Mylo exclaimed, "I protest! Linwin treats me and Claggor differently."
From the Hextech phone, Claggor's voice chimed in, his voice hearty, "I don't mind, Mylo. Please don't bring me into this. After all, Vi and Powder have theirs, and it makes no difference to me. We're family."
"This is exactly what I dislike about you, Claggor. You always inadvertently say things that embarrass others. You make me look like the bad guy," Mylo sounded disheartened. "With your attitude, how can we ask Linwin for Hextech phones? It's as if Linwin doesn't even like his two younger brothers."
"Enough, Mylo, don't complain anymore," Vi's voice rang in a wry tone. Her voice then came through from Powder's end but with a slight crackling sound. "When the time comes, Linwin will prepare for you and Claggor."
"Vi, we're at the maximum distance!" Powder quickly shouted.
On the other side, Vi came to a halt and said, "Hey, Powder, are you guys outside the tavern right now?"
"Yes, Mylo, David(Cyberpunk flashback...anyway random character), and I are at the alley entrance."
Vi estimated, "It's just like Linwin said; in open terrain, you can have a range of about a hundred meters. But in complex terrain like now, you can only make phone calls within about seventy meters."
"Did you find the little guy yet?"
"Not yet."
Vi said with a cheeky grin, "But almost, Benzo's shop is very close to us."
"Alright, I'll wait for you to get back."
After Powder finished speaking, she pressed a button on her blue Hextech phone and then carefully tucked it into her pocket, keeping an eye on Mylo.
"What are you looking at me like that for?" Mylo responded in disbelief, staring at Powder and saying loudly, "I'm not going to steal a kid's toy."
"Humph!" Powder made a ghost face at Mylo and leaned against the wall.
Since Linwin had given them the Hextech phones yesterday evening, both Powder and Vi had been obsessed with them. These phones were their favorite toys of the year, even better than all the dolls!
Late at night, Powder and Vi would lie in their bunk beds, cover themselves with blankets, and then open their Hextech phones to talk quietly under the covers. Powder was truly overjoyed.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Vi returned with Claggor and Ekko.
Vi had called Ekko for help, even though it wasn't clear why adults wanted ekko there for the conversation. But when she received a gift from Linwin, Vi immediately agreed, wearing a blissful smile. Now, no matter what Linwin said, Vi would go along with it and do whatever he asked. Anything was possible.
"Let's go, Linwin wants to see you."
"Why does Big Brother want to see me?" Ekko, who had clearly just woken up, was pushed into the Last Drop Tavern by Vi in a groggy state.
Once they entered the tavern, Ekko's face froze.
Although Last Drop Tavern was still closed for business today, there were a lot of people inside. It was a grim-looking group of adults, varying in height and size, but they all had a fierce and menacing appearance. This made the ten-year-old Ekko extremely nervous.
It wasn't until the crowd parted that Linwin waved to Ekko, who quickly ran up to him.
"Big brother, what did you want to talk about?" Ekko asked.
Ekko nervously glanced around, and when he locked eyes with someone, he immediately lowered his head.
Silco looked at this young boy, who was about the same age as Powder, and he even seemed a bit shorter than her.
"Linwin, are you sure he can handle this?" Silco asked doubtfully. "I believe in genius, but I don't think he can understand Hextech schematics."
"That's where you're wrong, Silco," Linwin replied. He sat on the ground and pulled Ekko toward him, their heads touching as he grinned. "My little brother is a prodigy in this field, and his talent is comparable to my fighting talent."
Silco was taken aback. "Is the little guy really that amazing?" Vander, sitting at the head of the table, said in surprise. "How come Benzo never told me about this?"
"You and Benzo always thought of them as kids who couldn't accomplish anything because you saw them grow up," Linwin explained. "You only noticed their changes when they became remarkable."
With a gentle push from Linwin, Ekko spoke nervously, "Big brother?"
"Go ahead, Ekko. Let them see how amazing my little brother is."
"But you haven't told me what I'm supposed to do," Ekko said, clearly anxious.
Surrounded by a dozen burly men, all of them nearly twice his height, the overwhelming pressure made Ekko extremely nervous. If Linwin hadn't been sitting right next to him, he might have been scared enough to kneel down and beg for mercy.
In front of the Enforcers, he often acted this way, and there was nothing embarrassing about it. As long as it kept him from getting beaten, what was face worth anyway?
"You'll understand when you see it," Singed said, holding a pile of blueprints. He looked at the trembling Ekko, reached out and put his hand on Ekko's shoulder. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Don't be afraid, we just need you to... take a look at this thing."
Singed's tone was neither affirming nor denying, more like that of a detached observer. He spoke softly, "Linwin believes you can help me, and I want to know if you're up for it."
"Throughout his journey, his judgment seems to have never been wrong, so I'm curious, kid. Do you think you'll be the one to make him wrong?" Singed spoke slowly.
From the moment Ekko walked in, Singed's eyes lit up. Even though Ekko was cowering, walking under the adults, and appeared timid, even pathetic, Singed smelled something peculiar about him. It was an indescribable feeling. Deep down, you couldn't help but sense that this person was extraordinary.
The last time he had smelled this kind of scent was nearly a decade ago. He wanted to know if his intuition was still as sharp.
Upon hearing the tall and slender man's words, Ekko immediately replied in a loud voice, "Of course not! I'll help my big brother."
Singed handed over the meticulously arranged materials he had been working on all night to Ekko and said, "Come on, take a look at these things."
Ekko stood on his tiptoes, reached out, and took the blueprints from Singed's hands.
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