House Kiramman had always been led by women, so Madam Kiramman had always intended to properly groom her only daughter, hoping Caitlyn would inherit her mother's legacy and become a future Councilor of Piltover.
But looking at it now, her daughter was probably not cut out for the role.
This child was too naive.
Give Zaunites a raise? On what grounds?
Piltover was the wealthiest city at the pinnacle of the world. If Zaunites didn't want to come, there was plenty of foreign labor from Shurima, Noxus, Ionia, and Bilgewater willing to take their place.
They had zero core competitiveness; they were merely replaceable cogs. Why should they get a raise?
Out of the goodness of my heart?
"But that is exactly what Jayce did," Caitlyn brought up a positive example.
"That is merely a special case!" her mother explained in exasperation. "Jayce Talis is Piltover's most outstanding talent. He has the right to be a little capricious."
"Furthermore, you only know that his family raised the wages for apprentice workers, but you don't realize that what they are manufacturing now is the Hextech Core—"
"Producing that thing is not simple."
"Even the most ordinary workshop worker must possess considerable technical ability. Those Zaunite apprentices are 'apprentices' in name only. In reality, they are the most excellent, capable, and experienced mechanics and technicians from Zaun."
"These people are not ordinary workers who can be easily replaced. They are inherently worth that high salary!"
"This..." Caitlyn paused slightly.
Right now, all of Piltover knew that Boss Jayce was a great man who treated his workers well.
But hearing her mother put it this way, she actually felt that her old friend's image was somewhat hypocritical.
No, this had nothing to do with Jayce! She knew Jayce; he was a good person. He genuinely wanted to help others within his capabilities.
"These are all excuses—" Caitlyn retorted angrily. "You are just using this as an excuse, painting Jayce as an unreplicable exception."
"This way, you can comfortably continue employing Zaunites at the lowest possible wages, refusing to offer even a sliver of benefit to improve the situation!"
"Enough!" Her mother frowned sternly. "Caitlyn, what do you know! Do you think raising wages is something you can just decide to do on a whim?"
"House Talis has the exclusive patent advantage for the Hextech Core. Do we? If you raise labor costs and your competitors don't follow suit, what will you do?"
"I..." Caitlyn had never been involved in the family business.
She didn't even know exactly how much money her family had, what industrial advantages they possessed, or if there was any room for improvement to raise worker treatment.
So when it came to this specific issue, she was completely powerless to refute.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this." Madam Kiramman felt her daughter's line of thinking was getting a bit dangerous.
She didn't plan on letting Caitlyn continue down this train of thought: "Since you asked about the Iron Fist Gang, let's talk specifically about them."
As analyzed before, the existence of gangs like the Iron Fist Gang was inevitable.
So rather than rejecting them, it was better to utilize and control them.
"The Iron Fist Gang is actually a 'proxy' jointly supported by all the major families, including our House Kiramman."
"Like other Zaunite gangs, it is a tool to help us maintain order in the Zaunite Community."
"Maintain order?" Caitlyn said indignantly. "Mother, I have seen what the Zaunite Community looks like!"
The Zaunite Community was simply a festering sore growing on Piltover.
It was impoverished, chaotic, filthy, and dark. Aside from Zaunites, not even a dog would willingly go there.
"This is the order you want to maintain?"
"Exactly." Madam Kiramman nodded faintly. "Since the existence of Zaunites is indispensable, and they are bound to create chaos."
"Then containing that chaos within the Zaunite Community, preventing it from spreading throughout Piltover—is that not a good thing?"
"Caitlyn, surely you don't want to open your window every morning only to see a row of beggars, addicts, and homeless vagrants lying outside our door, do you?"
"The existence of Zaunite gangs is to give these Zaunites 'a place to go.' It keeps them from appearing in front of Piltovans every day and affecting everyone's daily lives."
Caitlyn looked thoughtful.
Then, she broke out in a cold sweat, terrified by a chilling thought.
It was true. Piltover had so many Zaunite migrant workers, yet she rarely saw any beggars, addicts, or vagrants from Zaun on the streets of Piltover.
So where did all those downsized Zaunites go?
Did they all return to Zaun?
No, as an Enforcer, Caitlyn knew that the number of apprentice workers officially deported back to Zaun each year was far lower than the number who entered Piltover.
And the vast majority of these apprentice workers had no chance of obtaining legal Piltovan status; they were destined to be deported.
So where did the difference between those numbers end up?
If the Iron Fist Gang was their 'place to go,' then what exactly was this 'place'?
On this point, Madam Kiramman exercised great restraint and did not delve too deeply.
Because she worried that if she spoke the truth, the current Caitlyn would not be able to handle it.
Where exactly did the Iron Fist Gang take those Zaunites discarded by the corporations?
The answer was actually quite simple:
The pretty ones could be sent to brothels.
The average-looking ones who could still work were sent off to be contract laborers.
Contract laborers cost even less, so even these 'discarded goods' with declining labor efficiency could have the last drops of profit squeezed out of them.
As for those who were average-looking and completely unable to work, well...
Pharmaceutical research needed volunteers.
Hospital surgeries needed organ sources.
The Noxian Mage Association constantly needed live human subjects for research.
Zaun's mad scientists even opened chem-shops specifically to collect corpses.
There were plenty of places to go.
There was always an option suited for them.
Madam Kiramman had said earlier that illegal Zaunite immigrants were like ants in a garden; no matter how many Enforcers were dispatched, they could never catch them all.
That was because Enforcers catching illegal immigrants was an act of law enforcement, and law enforcement operations only cost money; they didn't make money.
Things that didn't make money naturally couldn't be sustained long-term.
But if law enforcement was turned into 'doing business,' turning illegal immigrants into 'commodities,' and making 'catching Zaunites' a profitable endeavor...
Then this work could form a positive feedback loop and continue endlessly.
After all, as long as it was profitable, let alone catching a few illegal immigrants—even tens of millions of natives on an entirely new continent could be patiently wiped out.
"In short, the existence of the Iron Fist Gang is necessary..."
Of course it was necessary.
These dirty deeds couldn't be done by Piltovan Enforcers; they could only be handed over to proxies like the Iron Fist Gang.
Otherwise, how could Piltover have the nerve to boast of being civilized and advanced, calling itself the City of Progress in Runeterra?
Fearing her daughter still couldn't handle these truths, Madam Kiramman kept them hidden and left them unsaid.
She merely offered her daughter earnest advice:
"Caitlyn, just give us all a break."
"If the Iron Fist Gang falls, Piltover's public security will only get worse. The power vacuum it leaves behind will quickly be filled by a new gang, as if nothing ever changed."
"This is the order of Piltover—"
"Caitlyn, why must you destroy it?"
"I..." Caitlyn was actually left speechless.
Even though she knew her mother's words were twisted logic, she didn't know how to refute them.
So doing the right thing could also be wrong?
Caitlyn was in agony. Those who are awake are always in agony.
Her ideals were shattered.
What should she do? Roll over and admit defeat, then willingly wade into this stagnant pool and join them in their corruption?
'No! I refuse to accept this!'
Caitlyn gritted her teeth, glaring at her mother with defiance.
"If this is the order of Piltover, then I will definitely find a way to change it!"
"Stop this nonsense!" Madam Kiramman refused to yield an inch. "Caitlyn, no matter what you say, I will never sign this investigation warrant for you!"
"If you won't sign it, then I'll go find another Councilor tomorrow!" Caitlyn stood up indignantly.
"Another Councilor? Fine, then go ahead and try..." Her mother couldn't help but laugh. "You can't even convince your own mother, so what makes you think you can convince the other Councilors?"
Caitlyn didn't listen.
She simply gathered her documents and left resolutely.
"By the way—" Madam Kiramman spoke as if she could read minds. "If you are thinking of trying your luck with Councilor Heimerdinger, I advise you not to get your hopes up."
"Although he is a Yordle, a pure scientist, not a business owner, and has no family..."
"Professor Heimerdinger has sat comfortably as a Councilor in Piltover for 300 years without ever coming into conflict with us. This isn't because we satisfy him so much, but because—"
"He never meddles in other people's business."
Caitlyn's steps faltered, a look of despair crossing her face.
But in the end, she firmly left behind one sentence:
"I will see this through to the end, Mother!"