Banquet (Part 1)

Piltover Academy.

Professor Heimerdinger's office.

Chen Nuo was crouching down to help the professor grade the students' final exam papers. The professor's seat was a bit too cramped for him, and there was simply no way for him to sit in it normally.

Beside him, a Poro was curled up in its nest, lazily soaking up the sun.

The little guy's body was noticeably larger than it had been a few months ago, having grown by a full circle; it was almost catching up to Professor Heimerdinger himself.

These two had always been strong contenders for the campus's cutest mascot, but this semester, the Poro's vote count was significantly higher than the professor's, largely thanks to Chen Nuo's feeding and grooming.

Looking at that smooth fur, which felt like silk to the touch, even Professor Heimerdinger couldn't help but secretly ask Chen Nuo what brand of conditioner he was using.

Chen Nuo took the opportunity to have Professor Heimerdinger serve as the spokesperson for his latest product. The price paid was that from then on, he would cover all of the professor's toiletries.

The effect of the professor's endorsement was excellent.

Now, all the upper-class people in Piltover were using the toiletries developed by Chen Nuo; it could be said that demand far exceeded supply.

Chen Nuo was already considering how to further expand the production volume of the Zaun factory.

However, this matter was not easy. He had learned from Vander that many factory owners had developed significant grievances against Chen Nuo and were already considering forming an alliance.

It couldn't be helped; the treatment Chen Nuo gave his workers was simply too good.

Not to mention providing room and board, there was one day off per week, and the monthly salary was a full gold coin.

Moreover, the environment inside the factory was incomparable to other chemical factories; one could actually breathe fresh air in there.

The fresh air system Chen Nuo built himself was actually connected to the Upper City.

At the time, this had caused no small amount of trouble.

It was only through sufficient compensation and the support of Madame Kiramann that the matter was finally settled.

This seriously disrupted the original employment market in Zaun and infringed upon the interests of a large number of factory owners.

This was not something that could be solved with money alone.

Many factory owners wanted more than just money; they wanted to control those employees. Only by stepping on them could the factory owners experience the pleasure of being superior to others.

No one truly desires equality, especially when they occupy a high position themselves.

It was a very normal thing, and Chen Nuo didn't take it to heart.

It was nothing more than a matter of dealing with whatever comes his way.

Before these factory owners actually did anything out of line, he, as a person from Piltover, couldn't very well take the initiative to eliminate the conflict in advance.

On the contrary, Vander was exceptionally proactive about this, attempting to mediate the conflict between the two parties.

But since it involved their fundamental interests, those factory owners were unlikely to listen to him. At most, they would stop causing trouble on the surface while continuing their little tricks behind the scenes.

Vander was very troubled by this.

It was clearly a thriving and excellent situation.

Zaun's human rights laws had been successfully implemented, and the economic situation had begun to grow significantly. Why were there always people who wanted to destroy all this, and why were these people originally on his side?

Vander's ideas about the struggle were still too naive.

He wanted to achieve a complete transformation of Zaun, which naturally meant breaking the original rules and order. How could the vested interest groups allow such a thing to happen?

What Vander hadn't realized was that unfavorable rumors directed at him had already begun to ferment in Zaun.

Many people were already starting to feel that his presence was a bit of an eyesore.

"Gulu gulu~."

Having woken up, the Poro waddled over to Chen Nuo's hand, dragging its belly which nearly touched the floor. It tilted its head, revealing large, pitch-black eyes, and stuck out half its tongue to lick the back of Chen Nuo's hand.

"Want something to eat?"

"Haha~."

The Poro opened its mouth and hopped twice happily; few people understood a Poro's nature so well.

Chen Nuo took some biscuits from the professor's drawer and handed them to the Poro's mouth. The little guy even knew to show its gratitude to Chen Nuo first, rubbing its head against him before starting to enjoy the treat.

"Aren't those the biscuits you gave me?"

The professor, who had just pushed the door open and entered, happened to see this scene. He shook his fluffy beard and said with a hint of jealousy.

"I'll bring you more tomorrow, Professor."

"I want walnut flavor."

Only then did Professor Heimerdinger speak with satisfaction. He walked over to Chen Nuo, picked up the graded exam papers on the desk, checked them carefully, and then sighed.

"To be honest, are you really not considering applying for early graduation?"

"And then staying at the school to be your teaching assistant?"

Chen Nuo saw through Professor Heimerdinger's little scheme.

"Given your level, you're actually more than qualified to be a mentor. But you're still too young, and not every old fogey is as open-minded as I am."

Professor Heimerdinger joked at his own expense.

In terms of biological age, he was more than just an old fogey; he could be called a living fossil of Piltover. But in terms of psychological age, one could only say that he still shone with the brilliance of childlike innocence.

"Forget it. Just grading these final exam papers has already made me lose my appetite for lunch. If I actually had to teach these students, I'd probably lose ten years of my life."

As Chen Nuo spoke, he gave the paper in his hand a big 'C', which meant a failing grade.

He had tried very hard to find points on the exam paper.

To be honest, this was even harder than self-study; it could even be described as torture.

No matter how stupid a person is, they're already an adult. How can they not even learn calculus?

How on earth did they get into the academy?

Chen Nuo glanced at the student's surname. It turned out to be an aristocrat; well, that explained it.

"Not everyone has talent like yours and Jayce's. The talents of most people are like gems buried underground, waiting for someone to dig them out."

Professor Heimerdinger was still trying.

It couldn't be helped; Chen Nuo was simply too useful.

"Then you should be the one to do the digging. I don't have the patience."

As Chen Nuo spoke, he marked the last exam paper with a score. He picked up the Poro, stroking its fluffy belly, and stood up to leave.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now. I have a ball waiting for me tonight."

"Fine, fine. Young people nowadays really can't appreciate the joy of teaching and nurturing. Wait, leave my Poro behind."

Professor Heimerdinger almost lost the Poro through carelessness. Reacting quickly, he trotted forward on his short legs to stop Chen Nuo.

"Gulu gulu~."

The Poro bid farewell to Chen Nuo with a look of regret.

"You fellow, I can barely carry you anymore. I can't let young Nuo take care of you next time; he's raising you like a pig."

Professor Heimerdinger said, panting for breath.

The Poro rolled its eyes, looking exceptionally innocent.

Chen Nuo left the academy and went to Caitlyn's home. The young lady had already been waiting for him in her room.

"It's rare to see you wearing a gown like this."

"How is it?"

Caitlyn spun around gently, her snowy-white hem fluttering with the movement. A hint of anticipation flashed in her clear eyes.

Her dress was not flashy—it was even a bit simple and plain—yet it was not at all humble.

It was said to have come from the court tailoring techniques of Demacia.

That was a powerful, secluded nation that served as a symbol of mystery and nobility in Piltover. Many luxury goods liked to use the name of Demacia, though the truth was often hard to verify.

"Not very good."

Chen Nuo shook his head and replied.

This made Caitlyn unhappy. Holding up her hem, she took a few steps forward in her high heels and stared into Chen Nuo's eyes, as if he would be in trouble if he didn't give a reason immediately.

"It's far too beautiful. It will steal the gaze of most of the guests. Don't forget, you aren't the protagonist of tonight's birthday banquet."

Chen Nuo said with a feigned sigh.

Caitlyn was so pleased that she couldn't keep the corners of her mouth down, struggling for a long time before she could keep from laughing out loud.

"It's not as exaggerated as you say."

"It's already very low-key."

"I'm not listening to your nonsense anymore. Hurry up and change into your formal wear; Mother has already prepared it for you."

As Miss Caitlyn spoke, a maid entered from the door, carrying formal wear custom-made for Chen Nuo.

Since he had chosen to integrate into the upper-class nobility of Piltover, various banquets and social engagements were inevitable.

The surname Levick was currently among the most sought-after, alongside Talis.

The Council of Piltover had passed the noble certification for 'Levick' a few months ago, using the 'Magic Cube' as the family crest.

Although compared to Chen Nuo's current inventions, the 'Magic Cube' was indeed a bit underwhelming, it was the earliest patented work of the Levick family, so its significance was different.

It was just like Jayce.

His Talis family had originally started with portable Hammers, and their family crest was a Hammer.

Even though Jayce was now famous throughout Piltover because of Hextech, this would certainly not change unless Jayce chose to branch off.

Reasonably, Store Manager Colin should have appeared to attend tonight, but he personally had no interest in such banquets and didn't want Orianna to come into contact with the noble groups too early, so he let Chen Nuo come by himself.

This was also what Madame Kiramann and the others wanted.

After all, those nobles didn't want to get to know Store Manager Colin.

The cosmetics developed and manufactured by Chen Nuo were simply too popular. Many nobles wanted a piece of the pie and sought distribution rights from him.

This was a good thing.

Many of the upper-class nobles in Piltover were not locals; they had channels and connections in other countries. By leveraging the power of these people, the cosmetics business could be expanded to other continents.

Indirectly, this also meant binding these Piltover nobles to his side. In the future, whatever he wanted to do would be much easier.

As for the shimmer series of potions, those were not things ordinary nobles could come into contact with.

Councilor Mel and Madame Kiramann were unwilling to share this piece of the cake with others.

One had to know that although the profit margin of cosmetics was high, they were not strategic materials. Their presence or absence would not affect a country's development; they could be discarded at any time.

But the shimmer series of potions was different. The Noxians were truly willing to pay a high price for this stuff.

As mentioned before.

Piltover was merely a port trade city and was naturally scarce in resources. Many strategic materials relied on imports, including but not limited to steel, coal, soybeans, wheat, and so on.

And Noxus was the largest exporter of these materials.

As everyone knew, Noxus was an empire that adhered to expansionism. Its land area was vast and its products were extremely abundant.

Relying on current import and export methods, the Noxians could use this to restrain Piltover.

And the shimmer series of potions could become a new weight on the scales of the game between the two sides.

With the political maneuvers of Councilor Mel and the others, they could use this to seize more benefits.

Chen Nuo indeed also needed the Noxians to provide enough raw materials to build factories. With his current scale of influence, relying solely on Vander's smuggling network was already difficult to satisfy.

He had to have a more stable and massive trade network.

Leveraging this banquet, Councilor Mel would discuss new transaction models with the visitors from Noxus, and Noxus would also put forward customized demands for the shimmer series of potions.

With the help of the maid, Chen Nuo put on his formal wear.

He looked in the mirror.

Well, this formal wear worth over a hundred gold could barely match Chen Nuo's temperament and looks. It was just that the style looked a bit familiar, as if it were the same style as Caitlyn's.

Now, Chen Nuo's height was already level with Caitlyn's. If the two of them walked together in these outfits, what difference would it be from showing their hand?

Madame Kiramann wanted exactly this effect.

The number of people eyeing Chen Nuo had been increasing lately, giving her quite a bit of pressure.

Looking at Chen Nuo appearing before her eyes, Caitlyn also realized her mother's little scheme and suddenly felt a bit guilty.

She felt as if her family were abducting an innocent youth.

And the source of her guilt was that Caitlyn herself had seen through Madame Kiramann's thoughts, yet she actually felt a bit of joy in her heart.

"This set of mine matches yours so well."

Chen Nuo loosened the buttons on his sleeves, walked to Caitlyn's side, and stood beside her.

"It's nothing. They were both custom-made by the same master. Is there anywhere it doesn't fit?"

Caitlyn's gaze flickered for a moment as she shifted the topic.

"Not really, but I probably won't be able to wear this formal wear many times."

Chen Nuo had already entered his growth spurt, and his height was shooting up. He estimated that by next month, this formal wear would no longer fit.

"This kind of formal wear is originally meant to be worn once."

As Caitlyn spoke, she reached out for a tie and tied it around Chen Nuo's neck. After looking him up and down, she showed a satisfied expression.

Originally, she very much disliked these quiet noble banquets and the social etiquette with those so-called upper-class people, but she was starting to look forward to tonight's banquet.

"What extravagant noble ways."

Chen Nuo said so, but he had no intention of correcting this trend.

He could eat the Zaunites' roasted marsh frogs with great relish, so integrating into the noble class of Piltover was naturally seamless.

"You're right. Why not use this money to improve people's livelihoods?"

Caitlyn was the one who truly felt a bit of resistance toward her noble status.

However, the recent bills in Piltover directed at Zaun had given her a bit of a change in perspective regarding the noble groups.

The nobles of Piltover would, after all, do some practical things.

"I say, you two, are you ready? The carriage is already waiting downstairs."

Madame Kiramann's urging voice came through.

"Let's go, Miss. Don't keep the Madam waiting."

Chen Nuo raised his arm in a gesture. Caitlyn reached out her arm, clad in long lace gloves, and lightly rested it on his, a rare look of feminine bashfulness appearing on her face.