Malphegor
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Arcane: TTB: Ch. 24
🕑 Added 2025-01-30 21:58:20 +0000 UTC"Councilor Kiramman, the pursuit of business investment is all about return rates." He leaned forward slightly. "With your keen insight, I believe you'll find that my wireless communication devices can bring immense wealth, just like Jayce's Hexgate."
"And you believe your devices can match such ambition?" She raised an eyebrow, perfectly manicured fingers wrapped around her teacup.
"They won't just match it, they'll exceed it." Cipher smiled. "I secure the funding, and you earn at least tenfold returns. It's a win-win!"
"Tenfold?" She laughed softly. "Bold claims require bold evidence, Mr. Cipher."
"The evidence is in the prototypes, Councilor Kiramman. Perhaps you'd like to see the test results?" He reached for his briefcase.
She waved a hand dismissively. "Numbers can be manipulated. I'm more interested in your... infrastructure plans."
Cipher set his briefcase down. "The production facilities would need to be in Zaun, of course. Where the workforce is."
"Ah yes, Zaun." She took another sip of tea.
He looked at Caitlyn's mother with a mix of politeness and distaste, addressing her capitalist, exploitative nature.
The lavish room around them only emphasized everything wrong with Piltover.
She bore responsibility for the harsh environment of Zaun and the suffering of its people.
Through the windows, the toxic clouds hanging over the Undercity were visible. It was a constant reminder of what these negotiations were really about.
She had made significant profits from Zaun but refused to invest a single coin back into it. Worse, she actively sought to block Zaun's rise. The disparity was written in every luxury surrounding them, paid for with Zaun's suffering.
These so-called aristocratic families of Piltover, without exception, were parasites feeding off Zaun, sucking its lifeblood.
All they wanted was for Zaun to remain stagnant.
Every coin these Piltover nobles earned was tainted, dripping with the blood of Zaun's sons and daughters.
And how many children went hungry to pay for this single room? The art on the walls alone could fund Zaun's hospitals for years.
Cipher wanted to lash out, but as the leader of Zaun, he had to suppress his anger and maintain composure.
Forcing himself to stomach the revulsion, he continued playing along in this dirty capitalist game with her.
He deliberately took a sip of tea, paused, and said, "And don't forget the Hexgate is still in the research phase. My communication equipment, however, is ready for production."
His eyes met hers across the table. "Would you reject wealth over something so trivial?"
Cipher gave her a meaningful look.
"I support mutually beneficial cooperation and have no problem with investment, but building a factory in Zaun…" She took a sip of her tea. "Perhaps you're unaware."
"You understand, of course, that Piltover's regulations serve a purpose," she continued.
"Yes, they certainly do," Cipher said evenly. "Though perhaps not the purpose officially stated."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you suggesting our concern for safety is insincere?"
"For the safety of Zaun's people, Piltover enforces strict controls on hazardous industrial materials. If the factory were to be built in Zaun, production could be limited due to a lack of raw materials. I'm sure that's a situation neither of us wants to see."
Here it came, she had just played her first card, testing Cipher's bottom line by bringing up industrial raw material restrictions.
Cipher raised an eyebrow; he hadn't expected Piltover to be this brazen.
For the safety of Zaun's people?
What a perfectly crafted lie.
What utter nonsense.
Only fools like Heimerdinger would buy such a ridiculous excuse.
The so-called raw material restrictions were nothing more than Piltover's deliberate tactic to strangle Zaun's development at its source. It was no different from the economic sanctions imposed by the so-called "Free America."
"I've spoken with Professor Heimerdinger, and he's willing to ease Piltover's restrictions on industrial raw materials for Zaun," Cipher said, watching her reaction carefully.
Cipher thought for a moment and decided not to play his Noxian trump card just yet, instead leveraging Heimerdinger's name. The game required patience.
"Although Professor Heimerdinger is a councilor, lifting the restrictions on raw materials requires a decision from the council. From what I know, the chances of success aren't high."
She was slightly surprised. She hadn't expected Cipher to approach Heimerdinger first and even secure his support.
Still, she wasn't overly worried. Suppressing Zaun wasn't just her personal agenda as a councilor; it was a consensus among all councilors except Heimerdinger.
If Zaun were to rise, the biggest losers would be Piltover's elite. The conflicts between the two cities were nearly irreconcilable.
"Some time ago, I made a deal with a certain Noxian general, and it was quite pleasant. And by my calculations, that batch of high-quality steel should be arriving soon."
Cipher set down his tea, folded his hands, and smiled as he looked at Councilor Kiramman.
This statement was a counterattack.
High-quality steel also fell under the restrictions on industrial raw materials.
Cipher's message was clear: if Piltover won't ease restrictions, I'll just buy from Noxus.
If the councilors were truly capable, they could try to block Noxian goods from entering Zaun. But did Piltover have that kind of power?
Absolutely not!
The councilors of Piltover might enjoy flexing their authority in their domain, but they were nothing in front of a Noxian general with real power.
Cipher deliberately mentioned "a certain general" to remind her that Piltover's stranglehold on raw materials could be bypassed.
Instead of making things difficult, she might as well go with the flow, support Heimerdinger's proposal, and lift the restrictions.
"I didn't expect Mr. Cipher to have trade channels with Noxus. Impressive for someone so young."
Councilor Kiramman also set down her tea.
After testing him, she realized Cipher wasn't just a scientist obsessed with research, he had real political savvy. The realization changed something in her expression.
Since that was the case, continuing to push and pull would be meaningless.
"I can invest, and I can support Heimerdinger's proposal in the council. But what will you offer me and the Kiramman family in return?"
She got straight to the point and began negotiating terms.
Cipher raised a single finger. "You can take 10% of the profits from the wireless communication equipment."
"In return, you will gain my friendship. All my future research and inventions will be open to your investment."
"With my support, your family will gain greater influence in Piltover."
Councilor Kiramman didn't respond immediately. She sipped her tea again, using the act to mask her true emotions.
After thinking it over, she set down her cup and reevaluated him.
Before meeting him, she had assumed Cipher, who had once made patents public in a seemingly selfless act, was nothing more than an idealist disconnected from reality.
Someone with burning passion but no understanding of the world's harsh realities. She thought his idealism would eventually be snuffed out, forcing him to compromise with reality.
But today, after testing him in person, she realized how completely wrong she had been.
Cipher was a man with clear goals and a firm grip on power.
All of his previous selfless actions, such as sharing patents, likely concealed a deeper, far-reaching plan. His ambition was anything but small.
"You're quite confident. Don't you think 10% is too little? According to your proposal, I'll have to invest an enormous amount of capital."
She ultimately agreed to Cipher's terms but voiced her concerns to angle for a better deal. Having an ambitious ally was better than creating an ambitious and capable enemy.
"Too little? Not at all."
Cipher shook his head and then dropped a bombshell that left her even more stunned.
"I'll only take 30% of the profits from the wireless communication equipment. One share for you, one share for Councilor Medarda, and one share for that Noxian general."
"Including Noxus? That's... unexpected."
"Is it? Or is it merely uncomfortable?"
Initially, Swain's share wasn't in the plan. But after witnessing Councilor Kiramman's attitude toward Zaun today, Cipher realized that Zaun desperately needed a third party to shield it and buy time for development.
Otherwise, any random councilor with a careless whim could create enough trouble to set Zaun back significantly.
In this context, the importance of having a protector suddenly became very clear.
And Swain was an excellent choice for this. He was powerful, strategic, and not the type to constantly covet the petty resources of his allies.
He was likely far more reliable than Piltover's aristocratic councilors.
"You must be cautious when working with Noxus. They don't exactly have a reputation for honoring business contracts."
Her eyelids twitched. She couldn't quite figure out Cipher's intentions.
Mel was Piltover's wealthiest individual and one of its most influential councilors, with several councilors aligned under her leadership.
Cipher seeking her investment and policy support made sense.
But involving those "warlords" from Noxus?
She felt as though Cipher might be issuing a warning, to her and to the council as a whole.
"Don't worry about that. I know my limits."
Cipher smiled faintly. In the fading light, his expression was impossible to read.
Comments
Phil Meyering
Dirty capitalist.... How about just calling her what she is, a horrible human being.
