Inside the Spirit Blossom Gang's base—a house that was finally starting to look halfway decent—
Logan stared at a stack of ledgers in front of him with a splitting headache.
Behind him, back-to-back with his, was Jinx. She stretched her long, pale fingers out, holding up a book as she read. If you looked closely, you'd see it was packed with detailed assembly guides and principles for different purification units.
Her long blue braid draped down in front of Logan, blocking his view. Logan couldn't help it—he reached up and looped that braid around the two of them like a rope, basically tying them together.
"Did you figure it out?" Jinx asked.
About twenty minutes had passed like that. The posture was making her back ache, and she started squirming, complaining under her breath.
"No. My head's killing me too." Logan rubbed his brow. "Taking territory is easy. In Zaun, you can grab land with your fists. But in the end, the real problem is still money."
He tilted his head slightly and saw Jinx had turned around. Her skinny little body was pressed close to him now, both hands resting on his shoulders. Her face was right beside his—so close he could feel her breath. Logan looked at her profile and couldn't stop himself from smiling.
After some proper meals and rest, the dark circles under Jinx's eyes had faded a lot. Her deathly pale skin had a touch of color again. She was still thin, though—and her lips were slightly pouty, giving her a bit of childlike innocence. She blinked those pretty blue eyes while staring at the ledgers in Logan's hands.
Logan could feel a soft warmth against his back. Every time Jinx shifted, that softness moved with her, and just like that, the headache eased—while his heartbeat sped up for no good reason.
Maybe… Logan really should apologize.
She wasn't exactly "flat as a board." Honestly… she had a little going on.
"Who told you not to listen to me?" Jinx mumbled. "The best solution is right there in front of you—just take it. Rob them. That's the simplest way. What Zaunite doesn't do that?"
"No." Logan shook his head. "We're not a gang. And Zaunites aren't born destined to be monsters. What we're doing right now is changing that, Jinx."
Robbing people?
Not happening. He couldn't set that precedent.
Logan had just made rules. If he broke them after only a few days, what would everyone under him think?
Still… money really was a nightmare.
The Spirit Blossom Gang wasn't a gang. They didn't live off protection money or crime. They weren't chem-barons with a whole operation of their own. Zaun's industry, mining, smuggling—Logan couldn't get a foot in any of it right now. And even if he could, he didn't want the Spirit Blossom Gang doing criminal work.
But he had over forty people under him. Not a massive number, but not small either—and every single day, he was responsible for feeding them.
Money mattered.
A lot.
"Fine. I'll do it your way," Jinx said, grudging.
"Enough about me." Logan glanced at her. "How's your experiment going?"
"Not great," Jinx admitted, burying her face into his shoulder, her voice muffled and downcast. "I'm learning this stuff from zero. I never touched any of it before. And… doesn't my experiment need a lot of money?"
"You're out of money, aren't you?"
"It's fine." Logan smiled. "Just focus on your work. Don't worry too much about money."
He lifted his right hand, reached across, and pinched Jinx's cheek.
Then he lowered his head and went back to the ledgers.
Staring at his face, Jinx suddenly said, "Logan… what if I go ask Silco for money? He'll definitely give it to me."
Logan froze. "Would that work?"
The richest person in Zaun was Silco—no question. If Logan went to ask, Silco might still give him money… but Silco would absolutely look down on him for it, especially after Logan had run his mouth.
But if the one asking was Jinx…
Logan remembered Silco's private space—how it was full of Jinx's traces—and had to admit, it might actually work.
I mean—what's wrong with squeezing a few coins out of your own father-in-law?
…Yeah, that was a joke. Logan wasn't actually going to do that. If he did, Silco would probably hand over the money—but then he'd definitely despise Logan, and Jinx would be even harder to bring back later…
Jinx was about to say something else when a voice called from outside the tent.
"Boss! Sevika's here!"
Jinx immediately stood up, her face going sour. She grabbed her long blue braid in one hand and whipped it as she spoke. "What's that annoying old hag doing here?"
"Who knows?" Logan was curious too.
He and Jinx walked out together.
And there was Sevika—irritated as always—bringing a group with her.
"Sevika," Logan greeted, stepping forward.
At the way he addressed her, something complicated flickered across Sevika's face, then vanished. She looked at him and said, "These two crates are from Silco. He told me to deliver them. Count it so I can go back and report."
Sevika genuinely couldn't understand it.
A few days ago, Silco had been threatened by Logan. Jinx—this walking disaster—still hadn't been brought back. Sevika was thrilled about that part, sure, but Silco suddenly ordering her to bring people and deliver… money? To Logan?
It made no sense.
Weren't they supposed to be enemies?
"Crates?" Logan blinked. "What?"
Silco sending him something?
"This isn't what you asked him for?" Sevika frowned.
Logan froze.
But Jinx had already crouched down and popped the lid open.
The instant she saw what was inside, she went, "Whoa!" and snapped her head up at Logan, eyes shining.
Logan looked down—and he couldn't look away either.
The crate was filled with gold coins.
"…" Logan drew in a deep breath.
Damn it.
There was no way to refuse this.
He didn't know what Silco was planning, but he couldn't refuse.
With this money, the Spirit Blossom Gang could build the community fast—and even start real business. This was too important.
Logan looked at Sevika and said, "Please tell him hello for me. Tell him I'm sincerely grateful. I'll remember this."
Sevika grunted in acknowledgment, lifted her hand, then—before leaving—glanced over the Spirit Blossom Gang's base.
Lately, a lot of the tents had come down. Most of the members were building houses around the area, turning what used to be abandoned ground into a new home.
And since this place was basically next to a junkyard, materials weren't an issue.
Because if there was one thing Zaunites excelled at, it was creating miracles in desperate conditions—taking what everyone else tossed aside and turning it into something shocking.
Every Zaunite was a skilled craftsperson.
Well… except Vi.
Logan had people carry the crates into his room, rubbing his hands together in excitement.
"Silco gave you this?" Jinx was buzzing too, eyes locked onto the coins. "Did you go ask him for money that day?"
Jinx didn't really understand money. Back with Silco, if she wanted something, he'd get it for her—even if it was something only Piltover's nobles could afford, Silco would still find a way.
But with Logan, she'd learned what money actually meant.
Food cost money. Juice cost money. Snacks cost money. Materials for experiments cost money.
Even electricity and water cost money.
Or the power got cut. The water got shut off.
So Jinx had reached one very clear conclusion:
Logan: broke.
Silco: rich.
And even so… Jinx still preferred being with Logan now.
Because Vi was here. Logan was here. Isha was here. Compared to Silco's place, she could actually relax here.
"I didn't." Logan shook his head. "He sent it on his own."
"On his own?" Jinx blinked. "That's weird. Why would he give you money?"
"I don't—" Logan started, then stopped.
He stared at Jinx's face, his mouth twitching.
Yeah.
Maybe he did know the answer.
Because was it possible… this money was never meant for him at all?
Was it meant for Jinx?
Jinx mattered to Silco that much?
Look at her—she gave the most emotion points, she designed and built the gang's weapons, she was learning and developing tech to change Zaun… and now she'd even brought him money.
And people called her a disaster?
Disaster my ass.
Logan stepped forward and pulled Jinx into a hug, wrapping his arms around her.
"It's really good having you," he murmured.
"Jinx."
Jinx froze for a second, completely at a loss—she didn't know where to put her hands, standing on her toes in his arms, not understanding why he suddenly did this.
Then her eyes narrowed into happy crescents. She nodded hard and hugged him back.
Jinx's smile was bright enough to hurt.
————
"I delivered the money, but I still don't get it." At the Forgen Tavern, Sevika couldn't stop herself from asking Silco. "Logan isn't with us. Why are you helping him?"
Silco sat back on the couch, idly turning a coin between his fingers. His voice was quiet.
"It's nothing more than a simple investment experiment."