Chapter 128 Not in the same realm
Since the advent of Hextech, the Filos family, which has mastered the technology of synthesizing artificial Hextech gems, has reached a new peak in wealth, reputation and status.
In Piltover, Philos is synonymous with elegance, innovation, and civilization. They are beloved philanthropists, respected scientists, and torchbearers leading the progress of human civilization.
Everyone affectionately calls the Philos family the wealthy people of Piltover.
So Kaya has been working hard to improve herself since she was a child, so that she can live up to the glory of her family. And she did it.
She was consistently ranked among the top three in the college's overall academic performance, a student favored by Professor Jess, and a member of the Hextech Applied Research Group. She had earned all these honors and status through her own efforts.
So in the eyes of her classmates and teachers, Kaya Firoz is not only a gifted scientific genius, but also an inspirational role model of someone who studies hard despite her noble birth.
People were generous in praising her and Philos.
But all this has changed in the past month or so.
Suddenly, there was a group of guys who called themselves leaders at Piltover University.
They openly spread evil remarks that were detrimental to the Philos family in school and privately published articles that slandered the Philos family.
These articles are not only popular among international students in Zaun, but also among local students in Piltover.
Even these wealthy people in Piltover generally don't care about class conflicts.
But even if you don't care about class conflicts and the suffering of the Zaun people, there are still many eye-catching and interesting contents in those articles:
For example, the price of Hextech Gems is rising every day, and the shipping costs of Hextech Gates are getting higher and higher, all because the Philos family, which has a monopoly on the production of Hextech Gems, has "factory fires" every now and then;
For example, if a certain congressman was assassinated in a theater in history, it might have been done by a family spy of the Philos family;
Another example is...
In short, as the size and publicity of the Leader organization expanded, the reputation of the Philos family took a sharp turn for the worse in just over a month.
People went from praising Philos whenever they mentioned him to scolding him whenever they mentioned him.
And Kaya, the eldest daughter of the Philos family, has gone from being an envied genius and inspirational role model to being the "strongest connected person" who is criticized by everyone.
Everyone even began to discuss behind her back whether she was able to gain Professor Jace's appreciation and defeat Lina to join the research team because of the reputation of the Philos family, using backdoors and connections.
“I obviously fought for this myself!”
"My grades are not worse than Lina's. Why do you say I am relying on my family's reputation?!"
All this made Kaya extremely angry.
The leader destroyed her family's reputation and made her personal efforts and achievements a joke.
So when Kaya saw her mortal enemy Lina today, she couldn't help but rush over:
"Don't try to quibble! Don't I know who the assassination monopoly is?"
Lina, Jinx: "..."
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kaya said rationally, "Since the article you wrote makes people think of our Philos family first, then there is no doubt that this is an article that is specifically intended to maliciously damage the reputation of our family!"
Lina remained calm.
"Hey, hey..." Jinx couldn't bear it anymore.
She couldn't help but laugh. "I don't understand the article, and I don't know who the ' assassination monopoly' is, but we have a saying in Zaun:"
"If you throw a stone into a stinking ditch, the frog that screams the loudest will be the one that gets hit."
"You!" Kaya's face turned pale: "You dare to call me a magic frog?"
Jinx spread his hands and said, "I didn't curse. It was the frog that cursed."
Kaya: “…”
She was shaking with anger, and just as she was about to explode, Lina spoke: “Okay, Jessica.”
Lina first used her eyes to stop Jinx from speaking ill of her, and then looked at Kaya calmly: "Ms. Kaya, since you accuse us, the Leaders, of maliciously destroying the reputation of the Philos family, then...what do you want to do?"
"Eh?" Kaya was slightly stunned.
Lina continued to ask calmly: "If you make an accusation, you must have a reason, right? Don't you think about getting anything ? Did you come to negotiate with me just to vent your anger?"
Kaya: “…”
She really just came here to vent her anger.
Damn... this country bumpkin Lina, how come she has become more like an aristocratic elite, more calm and experienced than she was in just over a month.
"I...of course I have a request!"
Kaya bit her lip unyieldingly and said, "I want you, the Leaders, to immediately stop this malicious propaganda against the Ferros family and publicly apologize to the Ferros family in the Piltover Daily."
"Kaya..." Lina's lips curled up slightly: "Are you sure you need us to say in the newspaper that the assassination monopoly we cursed in the article is 'not the Firoz family'?"
"Hmm..." Kaya finally responded.
The leader's article didn't mention any names. If he apologized to the Philos family publicly, wouldn't that be a cover-up?
Her proud face flushed all of a sudden: "Anyway, I want you leaders to stop this propaganda immediately!"
"Okay." Lina said.
Kaya: “?” So easy?
"This is not something I can agree to." Lina added: "I will submit your request to the Leader's Supreme Standing Council meeting and let the president and others discuss and make a decision."
With that, she turned and left: "Please wait patiently for our reply."
Kaya was stunned for a while before she reacted:
Lina had no intention of paying any attention to her.
Or rather, just ignore her.
"You are not allowed to leave!" Kaya was a little exasperated.
"I don't have to leave." Lina didn't stop walking: "But you have to show your strength to make people stay."
"Are you questioning the strength of the Philos family?"
"No." Lina glanced back at her: "I just think that you are not yet able to represent the Philos family."
Kaya was choked to death.
Unconsciously, her nemesis Lina was no longer on the same "level" as her.
"Stop!" Kaya finally got angry and said, "If you don't explain these things to me clearly, then you don't have to go in for the exam. I can ask the professor to expel you right now for spreading rumors and slandering the Philos family!"
She can really do this.
The Firos family is the largest sponsor of Piltover University, and several of Kaya's family elders are on the school's board of directors.
It was not difficult for Kaya to expel a foreign student from Zaun.
If it were in the past, hearing such a threat, Lina would probably kneel on the ground and beg for her forgiveness.
But now…
"Oh." Lina turned and left: "Then I won't take the exam."
"Goodbye, Miss Kaya."
…
"Why are you so accommodating to her?" After getting rid of Kaya, Jinx still stood up for Lina: "You've already arrived at the examination room, why doesn't she let you in to take the exam? Just because she's from the damn Philos family?"
"Damn it...If it were me, I would have punched him a long time ago!"
"Haha." Lina replied with a smile: "I used to think so too."
"When she bullied me before, I always wanted to beat her up; but now that I can look her in the eye, I look down on her instead."
Her tone was full of relief.
But Jinx didn't feel relieved. She was only concerned about one thing: "What, that guy bullied you before?! Sister Lina, what did she do to you?"
"This..." Lina talked about the grudge between her and Kaya as if she was telling a story.
At first, Kaya was jealous of her because her grades were slightly lower than hers;
At that time, Lina didn't know Kaya's identity, and couldn't stand her arrogant personality, so she scolded her severely several times.
From then on, Lina became Kaya's mortal enemy and lived a miserable life being constantly targeted, isolated and ridiculed by Kaya.
This depressing life lasted for a whole year, making Lina afraid to raise her head in school.
"She's such a jerk!"
After hearing about Lina's past, Jinx's eyes were already burning with anger:
"No, I'm going to beat her up for you!"
But Lina said, "Forget it."
"Kaya isn't actually that bad. I don't hate her anymore."
"Isn't this bad?" Jinx was angry.
"Kaya is from the Firoz family." Lina said indifferently, "If she really became evil, I would have died long ago."
"Compared to most of the wealthy nobles and chem barons in the Twin Cities... Kaya is just a simple girl."
Yes, in Lina's view today, Kaya is just a naive little girl.
She was too lazy to fight with Kaya.
If you want to fight, fight Philos, fight the entire bourgeoisie. Fighting a young lady of the bourgeoisie is meaningless.
but……
"Sister Lina." Jinx's eyes rolled around.
She turned around and looked at Kaya who was left behind by them, and suddenly said:
"I want to go back and use the restroom."
