Jiakou City, outskirts.
Within Xu Family Manor.
The scenery was beautiful, the air pleasant, with birds singing and flowers in bloom. At a glance, it was clearly a fine place to recuperate.
In fact, it was.
This was the ideal retirement haven Xu Dian had specifically chosen after retiring.
"Tell me. What is it?"
Xu Dian took out a tea set and prepared tea with smooth, flowing movements as he said, "Before you speak, calm your mind. Haste makes waste."
"Yes, Grandpa!"
Xu Kaijun took a deep breath.
Only after he accepted the teacup Xu Dian pushed toward him with both hands did the unease and agitation in his heart ease considerably.
"It was like this, Grandpa. This morning..."
Xu Kaijun recounted everything in exhaustive detail: his thoughts when he had heard a month ago that the Pokémon Egg would be sent away, the process of swapping it, and the expression he had observed on the other party's face today.
There was no embellishment. It was almost entirely an objective account from his own perspective.
"Haah..."
Xu Dian set down his teacup, closed his eyes slightly, and leaned his head back against the chair.
He had always believed his life had been a success. Step by step, he had built the tiny Xu Family, which could once only huddle away in Jiakou City, into the great family it was today, with its influence spread throughout North River Province.
He had always been proud of that.
But looking at things today, perhaps he had truly fallen short when it came to educating the family.
"So, you suspect him?"
After a moment of silence, Xu Dian looked at Xu Kaijun calmly. No emotion could be heard in his voice.
"...Yes!"
Xu Kaijun hesitated for a moment before nodding.
The timing had simply