21 - Wireless Dreams, Wired Reality

Piltover Academy, or just the Academy to most folks, was a prestigious institution renowned not only in the Zaun and Piltover but across the entire continent of Runeterra.

It drew in brilliant minds from everywhere—scientists, master technicians, and scholars, who dreamed up and built countless scientific inventions.

Jayce, the inventor of Hextech and the pioneer of a new era, had become the brightest star of Piltover Academy. His reputation preceded him everywhere in these halls, whispered in reverent tones by students and faculty alike.

The only scientist in the Academy more authoritative than him was the dean, Heimerdinger. His influence shaped every aspect of academic life, from the curriculum to the very philosophy of innovation itself.

Currently, Jayce and Viktor have their own independent, large-scale laboratories funded with vast sponsorships—so much money that they could hardly spend it all.

Piltover had seven councilors, and at least four of them closely monitored the results of his research. Their interest meant both support and pressure, a double-edged sword that Jayce had learned to wield.

Cipher, leveraging his fame as a genius mechanic, managed to convince an assistant professor from Piltover Academy to lead him to Jayce's lab.

This success was also thanks to the blessings of Heimerdinger. Under his guidance, Piltover Academy remained the only pure sanctuary of Piltover.

Here, only the clash of academic thought mattered. Scientists exploring knowledge and pursuing progress were the ones worthy of respect. The politics of the outside world seemed to fade away within these walls.

Otherwise, as someone from the Undercity, Cipher would have found it nearly impossible to meet someone as celebrated as Jayce through Piltover Academy.

But science spoke its own language, one that transcended the divide between upper and lower cities.

The assistant professor adjusted his spectacles nervously.

"Jayce's lab is just ahead. He doesn't enjoy talking with people who can't keep up with his pace. Thus, this is as far as I can take you," he said apologetically as he bid farewell to Cipher.

"Thank you very much!"

Cipher expressed his gratitude before heading straight to the entrance of Jayce's lab. The door was impressive—heavy wood reinforced with brass fittings, bearing scorch marks from past experiments.

Before he could even knock on the door, he heard Jayce shouting angrily inside. The frustration in his voice was clear even through the thick wood.

"No! They completely misunderstood what I meant! Viktor, we need assistants with stronger abilities!" Something crashed inside, probably a book being thrown.

"Stop throwing the research journals, Jayce. Those are expensive."

"They're not as expensive as the time we're wasting!" Jayce shot back. "The last assistant nearly blew up the stabilization matrix!"

Then came Viktor's calm yet slightly exasperated voice. "This is already your fourth batch of assistants. If you explain the principles and detailed steps clearly, they can understand. We need to work on teamwork with the assistants."

"You sound like my mother," Jayce muttered. "Next you'll tell me to eat my vegetables."

"Your mother is a wise woman. And yes, you should eat more vegetables, it's good for your health."

Jayce's footsteps paced back and forth. "Alright, alright. I'll try to explain things in more detail. But…"

Knock! Knock!

A sudden knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The footsteps inside stopped abruptly.

"Come in," Jayce said absentmindedly, clearly still distracted by his previous discussion.

However, when he saw Cipher walk in, his eyes lit up. Jayce immediately rushed over to him, grabbing his hand and eagerly inviting him.

"Cipher, join my research team! I need someone like you to collaborate. These assistants simply can't meet the demands of my experiments!"

His enthusiasm was almost childlike in its purity.

Cipher discreetly withdrew his hand and directly declined, "I still have my own research project to complete. I can't help you."

"Ah, what research project could possibly be more important than Hextech?" Jayce asked with a regretful expression.

After enduring assistants who couldn't keep up with him, he deeply missed the joy of collaborating with another genius during the development of Hextech.

Indeed, only a genius could truly team up with another genius.

Unlike now, where every step felt like wading through mud, leaving him utterly frustrated.

Viktor shot Jayce a knowing look from his workstation.

"Let me show you something extraordinary," Cipher said, reaching into his bag. "I have an incredible invention, but I'm currently lacking funds and need investment. That's why I was hoping you could introduce me to someone." He handed Jayce and Viktor the design specs of his wireless communication device.

Viktor leaned forward with interest. "Another breakthrough?"

"According to these specifications, this device can enable real-time communication within several miles. Wow, this is amazing!" Jayce was thrilled after reviewing the specifications.

He spread the papers across his workbench, knocking over several tools in his excitement.

"Careful with the prototypes," Viktor chided, catching a delicate instrument before it could fall.

"But look at this routing system!" Jayce pointed eagerly. "The signal propagation is brilliant! How did you solve the interference problem?"

"That's actually an interesting story," Cipher said. "I had to redesign the whole transmission array three times before—"

"The power consumption looks remarkably efficient too," Viktor interrupted, studying another page. "This could work even in Zaun's industrial districts."

"That's the point," Cipher nodded. "It needs to work everywhere, not just in ideal conditions."

"This is an extraordinary technology. I can sense that in the future, the distance between people will grow ever smaller."

With his expertise, Viktor could immediately see that this communication device, like his Hextech, had the potential to revolutionize people's lives and benefit humanity on a massive scale.

"But if you've already completed the research and have the product specs, why would you still need investment?" he asked curiously as he put down the schematics. He was genuinely pleased that Cipher had invented a technology capable of benefiting humanity.

"In Piltover's factories, they hire Zaunites to do the dirtiest, hardest, and most grueling jobs, yet they offer the worst pay and conditions." Cipher's voice hardened slightly.

"I want to build my own factory in Zaun, hire my own workers, and provide reasonable salaries for the people of Zaun. But that requires significant capital, which is why I need investments—a lot of investments," Cipher explained directly, leaving Viktor momentarily silent.

Viktor, who also aspired to improve the lives of those in the Undercity, hadn't achieved anything concrete yet.

But here was Cipher, already using his inventions to establish a factory and bring tangible benefits to the people of Zaun.

Thus, he could only glance at Jayce.

As someone from Zaun, Viktor had struggled to gain investment from the powerful families, even as a genius scientist. Although he received some offers after developing Hextech with Jayce, he turned them down.

Now, to introduce investors to Cipher, he knew he could only rely on Jayce. His friend's connections might be their best chance.

"Viktor, don't look at me like that. Cipher is my friend too—I'll definitely help him," Jayce grumbled with feigned irritation. After all, he wasn't the type to abandon a friend!

"Given the potential of your technology and your vision, I imagine you wouldn't be interested in just any family investment." Jayce began pacing, his mind clearly working through possibilities.

"I can write you a letter of recommendation for the Medarda family and the Kiramman family. But I can't guarantee the extent of their investments—you'll have to negotiate that yourself," Jayce said after some thought, ultimately deciding to recommend these two families, who had long been his sponsors.

These were the two top-tier families most likely to respond favorably to his appeal.

"That's more than enough. Thank you, Jayce," Cipher said sincerely this time. But that didn't mean he wouldn't put pressure on Jayce in the future.

Click, click, click!

The sound of polished leather heels striking the floor echoed from outside the lab. The rhythmic and deliberate pace gave the impression of a melody if one listened closely.

"How's the Hextech research coming along?"

The lab door swung open, revealing the dean of Piltover Academy, Heimerdinger, walking in with his hands behind his back.

His hair was bright yellow, his face covered in white, fluffy fur, and his thick, bushy walrus-like mustache added an air of whimsical humor.

"This young one is a new face. Is he a friend of yours?" He glanced at Cipher before turning to ask Jayce and Viktor.

"Yes, Professor, Cipher is our friend. In fact, Hextech could only be developed thanks to his help," Jayce responded with genuine warmth.

Viktor, meanwhile, went to brew tea, knowing how much Heimerdinger enjoyed a good cup.

"Cipher? You're the mechanic, Cipher? My boy, you're even younger than I imagined!"

Heimerdinger exclaimed in surprise, his bushy mustache quivering. He tilted his head and scrutinized Cipher from head to toe, seemingly very pleased with what he saw.

With a warm smile, he said, "Would you like to join Piltover Academy? Viktor and Jayce are busy with Hextech research, and I'm in need of an assistant."