Giovanni's approach was simple and brutal, but also the most effective.
He gave Lambda no chance to defend himself.
In front of all the Breeding Base's staff and the other executives who had rushed over upon hearing the news, he personally announced his decision on Lambda's punishment.
"Lambda, you have neglected your duties and lined your own pockets, seriously undermining the organization's strategic plans."
"Effective immediately, you are stripped of your executive rank, demoted to an ordinary member, and assigned to the mines in the Johto Region to supervise the Geodude's excavation work."
"You will never be reinstated."
From an executive wielding real power to an overseer watching over miners.
That fall was harder to bear than being killed outright.
Everyone was cowed by Giovanni's swift, ruthless, and impersonal measures.
The way they looked at Ye Li changed completely, too.
No one dared to treat him as a clerk who had risen through luck anymore.
Everyone understood now that this young man was a true favorite of the boss.
To go after him was to court death.
Ye Li stood among the crowd, looking at Lambda kneeling on the ground, his face ashen, yet felt not the slightest satisfaction.
Instead, he felt an even deeper chill.
Giovanni's intervention seemed intended to establish his authority, but Ye Li knew very well that it was more like a warning.
A silent yet unmistakably clear warning.
It was as though Giovanni had installed round-the-clock surveillance on him with no blind spots; none of his actions, or even a single thought, could escape the man's eyes.
That feeling left him with thorns in his back.
He felt more and more like a puppet on strings, with the other ends held in Giovanni's hands.
Although the immediate problem had been resolved, the fear in Ye Li's heart only grew.
After Lambda had been dealt with, the withheld equipment was soon delivered.
Construction of the Breeding Base got back on track as well.
Guided by the various advanced breeding concepts Ye Li had dredged up from his memories of his previous life, the base began operating with astonishing efficiency.
In less than a month, the first batch of Pokémon Eggs bred at the base successfully hatched.
There were fifty Growlithe and fifty Koffing.
Professional aptitude testing showed that these Pokémon's potential scores were generally over thirty percent higher than those of their wild-caught counterparts.
The Growlithe in particular had almost all inherited the powerful move "Extreme Speed."
Most of the Koffing, meanwhile, were born knowing "Destiny Bond," a move of immense tactical value.
When these Pokémon were assigned to an elite squad for field testing, the results shocked everyone.
The squad equipped with the new Pokémon saw its combat strength double outright.
Both its efficiency in carrying out missions and its performance in direct confrontations far surpassed those of the other squads.
This achievement was real, visible, and tangible.
It allowed every member of Team Rocket to see firsthand just how much this "Breeding Base" project could benefit them.
The voices that had previously expressed dissatisfaction with and doubts about Ye Li disappeared completely.
In their place came heartfelt respect and trust.
Ye Li's reputation within the organization began to truly take shape.
He was no longer merely "the Boss's assistant." Many now respectfully addressed him as "Lord Ye Li," a figure with genuine authority who truly controlled core technology and resources.
Giovanni was very pleased with Ye Li's performance.
Not only could this young man propose revolutionary strategic concepts, but he also demonstrated astonishing ability when it came to putting them into practice.
He was like a piece of uncut jade, shining ever more brilliantly with every round of polishing.
Giovanni began to consider whether he should perhaps grant him a higher position and authority closer to the organization's core.
For instance, letting him in on some deeper secrets concerning the organization's future.
Just as Team Rocket was thriving thanks to its internal reforms, its strength expanding rapidly.
They had no idea that the Rainbow Game Corner, which brought them an endless stream of funds, had, through its overwhelming success, drawn the attention of certain people it should never have attracted, like a bonfire in the night.
Kanto League headquarters.
A report on unusually active underground forces and highly abnormal flows of funds in Celadon City was delivered to the desk of Lorelei, one of the Elite Four.
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