In recent days, several major events in the twin cities have become hot topics for the public to discuss over meals.
First, Members of Council Salo, Hoskel, Bolbok, and Shoola have been charged with multiple crimes by Li Lin. According to Piltover's laws, they have been sentenced to life imprisonment and all their family assets have been confiscated.
This was publicly announced and judged by Li Lin in the presence of Lady Camille Ferros, the head of the Medarda family, Jago Medarda, the head of the second family of Piltover, Principal and Councilor Cecil B. Heimerdinger, Councilor Mel Medarda, Councilor Cassandra Kiramman, and several other prominent family heads.
However, due to privacy concerns, or perhaps out of respect for former colleagues, Cassandra, Mel, and Heimerdinger did not agree to allow media interviews. They only permitted the media to report on the crimes and the trial's outcome.
Additionally, due to the fall of these four Councilors, Piltover's power structure requires a large-scale overhaul.
Surprisingly, yet in line with the public's expectations, all the families in Piltover, including Lady Camille's, unanimously nominated the future pioneer, Li Lin, to take on the leadership of Piltover.
Cassandra and Mel, though stepping down from their roles as Councilors, did not withdraw from politics altogether. Instead, they are assigned new duties, with responsibilities not much lower than when they held their previous positions.
Cassandra will focus on the economic sector of Piltover, which is crucial for this progressive city's future. Given that the Kiramman family has its roots in commerce and craftsmanship, she is well-equipped to handle this responsibility.
Mel, on the other hand, will take charge of Piltover's foreign affairs, an area she was well-versed in as a Councilor. She had previously made the difficult decision to abandon her family and mother in Noxus for the sake of Piltover's greater good, a sacrifice that earned her Li Lin's trust.
Not to mention, she is Jayce's partner, an ally of the Kiramman family, and a good friend to Li Lin.
Since, aside from the political courses offered to prominent families at Piltover University, most citizens have little exposure to politics and the workings of governance, the majority of the public remained unaware of the internal conflicts behind the political reform in Piltover. This actually saved Li Lin some trouble.
Upon assuming leadership, Li Lin's first action was to have the long-prepared draft of the revised code of laws published, sparking a lively debate among the citizens.
Absolute fairness may never be achievable, but the new code, calculated precisely by the AI, addresses all sectors and breaks the long-standing monopoly of the aristocracy over various fields.
The most significant change is that citizens no longer need to rely on "genius intellect" or "scientific talent" to rise through the ranks, which had been the main obstacle to Piltover's development. Now, anyone with the capability can pursue careers in different fields such as art, commerce, and craftsmanship, without being dependent on a powerful family. Even those without high social status can be recognized for their talents.
Though the AI, equipped with quantum computing, can ensure the best results, this law will still gather the public's opinions and suggestions for reasonable improvements.
Furthermore, if anyone has their own ideas for the city's future development, they can express them through the computer network, by writing letters, or by submitting them at the AI terminals in Piltover's Law Enforcement Department.
This caused a stir across the entire city of Piltover.
That very afternoon, after Li Lin issued the decree, the city's local network usage surged from 3.9% to 24.6%. For families without computers or internet access, long lines formed outside the Piltover Law Enforcement Department.
In no time, the northern districts were packed with people, forming a sea of bodies. The scale of the crowd far exceeded the number that gathered during the recruitment of craftsmen by the major families on Progress Day. Fortunately, mechanical soldiers were deployed to maintain order.
After a brief commotion, the excitement of the citizens slowly cooled down over the next few days. Li Lin consolidated the assets of the four major families and then released a new plan: the Orbital Space Station Project.
With the technology now mature, he would establish the first orbital space station in outer space.
While the public was told that the project aimed to propel humanity toward the stars, in reality, it was a strategic command center, a mecha docking station, a space construction factory, and humanity's last refuge—essentially, a space fortress.
The announcement of this plan set the twin cities abuzz. However, no one questioned the decisions of their new leader.
Even though magic was not particularly prevalent in the twin cities, the legends of the celestial realms still had some degree of influence. The dream of the stars and the cosmos had always been a part of people's imagination, and now, Li Lin was pushing humanity closer to that dream.
Within just two years, he had led the cities into a new era. He had launched satellites to explore outer space and was now preparing to take humanity beyond the planet. The excitement this generated was truly electrifying!
…
A week passed after Li Lin announced the Orbital Space Station Project.
In Piltover's Council building, Li Lin sat in an office specially designated for him. His original desk had been converted into a workbench, and on it, a brilliant blue 3D holographic projection of a cylindrical space station model was displayed.
The design provided by the system was overwhelmingly large, and if built as-is, it would be nearly as big as half a planet.
Energy was not a problem, as nuclear fusion could easily support such a massive facility.
However, the real issue was that Li Lin couldn't obtain resources from other planets at the moment. Relying solely on the native resources of Runeterra would be insufficient to support such a grand structure.
Thus, he simplified the design and divided the Orbital Space Station Project into several phases.
The first phase would focus on the Orbital Space Station, followed by the second phase—the Space Base, then the third phase—the Starport, and finally, the fourth phase—the Star Fortress.
From the simplest to the most complex, each phase would extend from a basic framework to a more elaborate structure.
The orbital space station serves as the main structure, primarily taking the form of a cylinder, designed to maximize the provision of essential facilities such as energy, oxygen, food and water, anti-gravity systems, and others, while also providing a suitable environment for high-level management, particularly the ideal setting for Li Lin to oversee the overall plan.
The space base expands outward from the space station, primarily intended for military use. This includes space construction factories, massive assembly plants, mecha and mechanical troop storage bases, training camps, and various other facilities.
When we reach the third phase, the Starport, we must consider its role as "humanity's final defense line." It will need vast spaces to accommodate people from Runeterra, either as residents or refugees. This will require immense room to house the population and provide docking stations for spacecraft.
The Star Fortress represents the final, fully completed stage. It will continue expanding with various weapons and defensive systems, designed to withstand threats from the Void creatures that can also leave Runeterra, or even Void Watchers. This "last line of defense" must serve its purpose.
However, aside from these considerations, Li Lin has also pondered a worst-case scenario.
If Runeterra truly cannot escape the threat of being consumed by the Void, he will initiate the "Preserving the Flame of Wisdom" and "Wandering Star Fortress" plans, evacuating the people of Runeterra to safety.
As for the Void issue…
After all, the world is home to Aurelion Sol, the Starforger, a being of creation whose power is so immense that even the Destruction of the Parallel Universes has no effect on him. A mere Void realm in the main universe is insignificant to him.
Runeterra itself is relatively safe, as the Starforger and the Dragons have a deep resentment toward this planet, which is not one of their creations. This is the main reason why Li Lin did not include the Starforger in his plans.
But if the Void were to invade the material realm and threaten his other creations, the god who cares for his "figurines" will not stand idly by.
[The initial estimate is that the main structure of the orbital space station will be completed in half a month.]
[A conservative estimate indicates that it will have enough space to comfortably accommodate 100,000 people.]
[Master, transporting via rockets in batches and then assembling the space station in orbit would be excessively costly.]
[You could use the super-space-time teleportation device, employing subspace and quantum teleportation to move the space station's components into the expected orbit for assembly.]
"Let's go with your suggestion," Li Lin nodded. He swiped his hand across the 3D projection model in front of him, finalizing the designs for all four phases of the space station. With a satisfied smile, he leaned back in his chair and took a sip of hot tea.
"What's the word from Professor Heimerdinger?"
[Professor Heimerdinger places great importance on your plan, but since you've provided all the technology and handled the entire construction process, he regrets that he cannot assist further.]
"It's fine. Once we're in space, there will be plenty of opportunities for him to research," Li Lin chuckled. But then, as he thought about facing Bel'Veth in just six months, his smile faded, replaced by a long sigh.
"What about Professor Zindelo's miniature version of Runeterra? Is it finished?"
[It's in the final debugging phase. If all goes well, it should be completely finished when the first phase of the orbital space station is completed.]
"That's good. We'll simply replicate the machine and place it on the space station, making sure we're fully prepared."
[By the way, Master, you haven't named the two space-based satellites yet.]
"Ah, I almost forgot about that," Li Lin murmured. The AI had reminded him multiple times, but he had been too busy with other matters.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "The space-based laser satellite will be called Divine Might, and the kinetic energy projection satellite… let's name it Starfall."
[Excellent names!]
"Is there anything else on the to-do list? I haven't slept properly in a long time…" Li Lin stretched and yawned.
Ever since resolving the leadership issue in Piltover, he hadn't even gotten a proper nap. Despite his mental strength, the constant stress was beginning to take its toll.
But then he remembered a promise he made: "Oh right, I promised to go with Kai'Sa to see Kassadin… Is there any news from Shurima?"
[According to satellite tracking, based on Kassadin's movement pattern, he seems to be headed to Vekaura, but three days ago, he suddenly turned back toward the Sai Kahleek border.]
"He turned back? Didn't he have an appointment with Kai'Sa?" Li Lin furrowed his brow. "What happened?"
[Well…]
The AI paused awkwardly for a moment.
[The communication system of Kassadin's exo-suit is outdated, and his power armor has not been upgraded. I cannot reach him directly.]
"Ah, I overlooked that," Li Lin murmured.
He stood up, and with a wave of his hand, a new set of nano-armor, specially tailored for Kassadin, appeared before him, its design nearly identical to his previous suit. This new set, however, was enhanced with cutting-edge features.
Soon, a floating mechanical assistant used 3D printing technology to construct the armor, which then seamlessly integrated with Li Lin's own attire.
"I'll call this the Genesis: Void Walker."
Li Lin took a deep breath, and in the blink of an eye, the infinite armor had covered his body. With a thought, the holographic display in front of him shifted to the map of Shurima, pinpointing Kassadin's location.
"We'll send this new armor to Kassadin and see what's going on with him."
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