Powder, who was dead set on stopping the arranged marriage, agreed to Vi's request.
In her view, with Vi's wonderfully chaotic temperament and complete lack of subtlety, she couldn't be more perfectly suited for creating disasters in any marriage alliance negotiations.
Anyone possessing even half a functioning brain wouldn't willingly jump into such a fire pit after witnessing Vi's "diplomatic" skills in action.
Unfortunately, Powder didn't expect that Caitlyn, who appeared righteous and proper, was hardly an upstanding person either. In her private life, she had quite the unique tastes of a spoiled rich lady.
---
Vi was walking with Caitlyn down the streets of Zaun. She wore dark sunglasses and had an unlit cigar dangling from the corner of her mouth, swaggering ahead.
She didn't actually smoke, the cigar wasn't even lit, she simply thought it made her look cool, adding a wild, dangerous charm that might help her successfully win over what she assumed was a soft, sheltered, well-behaved young lady.
If she weren't concerned about receiving a thorough "educational beating" from Vander's iron fists, she would have immediately rushed to the nearest barbershop to dye her hair platinum blonde.
She had once overheard someone confidently claim that good girls, who were usually overly repressed by social expectations, found rebellious blonde troublemakers irresistibly attractive.
And if you paired that striking appearance with a sleek motorbike, it would create an absolutely killer combination guaranteed to impress.
She suddenly remembered she was missing exactly such a flashy ride, so she began glancing around the streets.
"Where exactly are we going? Are we simply sightseeing through Zaun's districts? What could you possibly learn from this?"
Caitlyn's eyes were slightly downcast, her tone a little displeased.
She was maintaining her performance of going along with the tour, but she cared more about business matters. The famous Zaun street food vendors were certainly right there, they could sample local cuisine later, that wasn't an urgent concern.
But meaningful opportunities to gather intelligence and learn were relatively rare. She was about to assume control of Piltover's indentured labor system, and she absolutely couldn't afford any critical mishaps or oversights.
"Zaun is huge. We can't just rely on our legs, who knows how many hours that would take."
"Look, here we go."
Vi pointed toward an officer patrolling the area on a motorcycle.
She stepped forward confidently to intercept him, took out her official badge, and said, "Hello, I'm on a special mission and need your cooperation. Here's my identification."
"Special Operations Unit?"
The officer accepted the badge and gave Vi a suspicious once-over.
He was well aware that besides the regular officers, Zaun maintained numerous classified security forces that the general public didn't know about.
But Vi's entire appearance and attitude... Her vibe and outfit simply didn't match professional standards, no legitimate public servant in Zaun would present themselves with such disregard for protocol.
She looked far more like one of those notorious delinquents and hyperactive troublemakers who, after being publicly reprimanded by Cipher for their antisocial behavior, roamed the streets on stolen bikes purely to create noise and chaos.
And the reason he felt so confident in this assessment? He had personally arrested dozens of those delinquents and hyperactive girls over the past few months.
They were invariably bored troublemakers with too much time and energy, constantly making life more difficult for hardworking law enforcement personnel.
His instincts were exceptionally sharp, the longer he observed, the more convinced he became that Vi wasn't a legitimate operative.
Most likely just another bold, manipulative girl brandishing a fake ID to deceive unsuspecting public servants.
And what could her possible motive be?
The officer glanced at the motorcycle positioned between his legs, the most prestigious and enviable vehicle in all of Zaun.
This was a high-grade military-issue ride, absolutely not available for civilian purchase, it had made countless delinquents and hyperactive girls drool with envy.
If someone could manage to take it for even a brief joyride, they would instantly become the undisputed center of attention throughout their entire social circle.
"Hold on just a moment!"
The officer pulled out a scanning device from his bike's equipment compartment and scanned Vi's badge.
Beep~
A bright green light flashed, and the officer's eyes widened with shock, the badge was authentic and properly registered.
"How may I assist you with your mission?"
His tone immediately softened quite a bit, though suspicion still lingered in his demeanor.
"I need to borrow your bike."
Vi pointed at the motorcycle, a strange, difficult-to-describe smile spreading across her face.
"I knew it!"
The officer's expression darkened. He immediately stepped down from the bike and pulled out a pair of regulation handcuffs from his utility belt.
"I suspect you of impersonating a government official and committing fraud against law enforcement. Please accompany me immediately to the Public Security Bureau for processing!"
Vi hadn't even fully processed what was happening before the metallic cuffs were snapped securely onto her wrists, arrested on the spot.
"Hey, are you out of your mind? That's my real ID!"
She was utterly baffled by this turn of events. She was actually being arrested by a fellow law enforcement officer? What kind of absurd incident was this?
She hadn't even attempted anything remotely illegal yet, was she somehow being stripped of her citizenship based on appearance alone?
"What do you mean, 'suspected of impersonating an officer and fraud'? You've got to be mistaken."
"I'm Vi, Vi of The Last Drop! I live there with Cipher!"
Visible tension lines appeared onher forehead as she pointed at her own face and questioned the officer.
"I understand your claims. I know about Vi, and I'm familiar with who she's supposed to be!"
But the officer shook his head and delivered words that completely shattered Vi's confidence with absolute seriousness.
Additionally, he examined her from head to toe, like someone observing a disappointing failure who couldn't meet basic expectations. Shaking his head with a tone of disappointment, he continued, "Judging from your physical condition, you're obviously a native Zaunite, correct? You clearly look like someone who has never experienced genuine hunger or hardship. I sincerely hope that mandatory labor reform can help you realize that life isn't easy or free.
"You should be pursuing something more meaningful with your time, studying useful skills, or learning a valuable trade, contributing something positive to Zaun's development, instead of playing the role of a hyperactive troublemaker.
"This world is cruel and unforgiving. You have absolutely no understanding of what conditions are like where I originally come from, chronic food shortages, rare oasis communities, sand bandits terrorizing trade routes, warlords constantly fighting territorial wars..."
The officer continued like a concerned elder, earnestly lecturing Vi about life's harsh realities and the importance of personal responsibility.
Vi became even more confused and disoriented. She scratched her head, feeling suddenly like everything familiar had become alien.
She had only been away from Zaun for a few years, how could even the law enforcement officers fail to recognize her anymore?
If Powder were present, she would probably understand the situation immediately and provide clarification.
Zaun had developed at an extraordinary pace in recent years, experiencing a dramatic population explosion and massive influx of immigrants from other regions.
The older generation of veteran officers had mostly been transferred into elite special forces units or promoted to command positions in central control facilities.
The officers currently patrolling street beats were predominantly new recruits, most of them not even Zaun-born, arriving instead from distant regions throughout Runeterra.
Like the individual standing before her, judging only from his distinctive skin tone and facial features, you could clearly identify him as originating from the vast desert territories of Shurima.
Unfortunately, Vi's intellectual capacity was mainly focused on physical solutions. She simply thought, Has this place really changed that much?
She was a veteran resident of Zaun, had bled and sweated for the city's benefit. While she admittedly hadn't accomplished anything particularly significant yet, based on her historical association she could reasonably call herself a "local hero of Zaun" with complete sincerity.
She was only requesting to borrow the motorcycle temporarily for official purposes. Even if there were certain personal motivations involved, it was still primarily intended to serve Zaun's interests.
How had the situation escalated to her being handcuffed, facing detention, and sentenced to mandatory labor reform?
Was there no justice remaining? No respect for established law and proper procedure?
And what exactly was this "hyperactive troublemaker" classification, since when had she been categorized that way? It didn't even sound remotely like a compliment.
"Officer, I can personally vouch for her identity and claims. She does indeed live at The Last Drop establishment.
"She's Cipher's younger sister, Vi of The Last Drop.
"You can easily confirm this information with your supervisors through the comms."
Finally, Caitlyn couldn't tolerate the absurd situation any longer. If she didn't intervene immediately, this stubborn woman would actually end up being transported to the Public Security Bureau for processing.
That kind of misunderstanding would escalate rapidly, and both Vi and Caitlyn would inevitably receive thorough "educational discussions" about proper protocol.
The officer gave Caitlyn a careful assessment. Her articulate speech patterns and refined bearing clearly identified her as well-educated and possessing high social status.
He extracted his communication device and contacted the central command center to report the situation and request verification.
After several minutes of radio communication, he offered sincere apologies to Vi and removed the handcuffs.
Even after the resolution, he still couldn't comprehend how a respected leader like Cipher could have such a wild, unconventional sister.
Every family has its own troubles, perhaps?
Absolutely unbelievable.
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