Ye Li forced his legs to maintain a normal pace. One step, then two, as though measuring the distance to the execution grounds.
His mind raced, fragments of information colliding and rearranging themselves in his head.
[Lorelei, the Ice-type Elite Four member, one of the League's ace enforcers.]
[Why would she be here? And in plain clothes, acting alone.]
[The only explanation is that the League already has its eye on the Game Corner. She's a top agent sent to scope it out!]
Ye Li felt his teeth chattering.
Facing an opponent of her caliber head-on would be like an insect trying to stop a cart.
Everyone in the entire Rainbow Game Corner, including all the Team Rocket elites disguised as security guards, might not be enough to take on even her Cloyster.
Exposure meant total annihilation.
The severity of this matter had already gone beyond what a lowly assistant like him could handle.
Inside Giovanni's office.
He was resting with his eyes closed, yet the live surveillance footage from the Rainbow Game Corner appeared clearly in his mind.
Suddenly, a shrill inner voice, laced with utter panic, exploded in his head like an alarm.
[Lorelei! It's Lorelei!]
[The League's ace agent is here to scope us out!]
Giovanni's eyes snapped open, his gaze instantly turning cold and sharp.
Lorelei.
He understood the weight of that name better than anyone.
She was someone who truly stood at the pinnacle of the League's power structure. Neither her strength nor her influence was remotely comparable to that of an ordinary Gym Leader.
Her appearance meant that Team Rocket's recent activities had already alerted the League's highest leadership.
This was the first major crisis for the Game Corner-and for Team Rocket's entire transformation plan.
If handled poorly, everything would be lost.
Giovanni leaned forward slightly, his fingers tapping soundlessly against the desk as he entered a state of absolute focus.
He did not panic. He waited.
He waited to see what answer his "strategist" could provide in this desperate situation.
Ye Li had reached the other end of the Game Corner. He ducked into an empty storage room and pressed his back firmly against the cold wall, gasping for breath.
He had to come up with a countermeasure immediately.
[We can't drive her out. That would be as good as confessing.]
[We can't expose ourselves, or it'll turn into an armed clash. Certain death.]
[We can't panic. Any unusual behavior will put her on alert.]
Under the pressure of fear, Ye Li's thoughts instead became exceptionally clear.
[She's visiting undercover, which means she has no concrete evidence. She's only here to gather intelligence.]
[In that case, let her investigate.]
[Counter her scrutiny with "absolute legality"!]
A clear response plan rapidly took shape in his mind.
[Temporarily hide everything that's in a gray area, breaks the rules, or can't stand the light of day!]
[Turn this place into a genuine, purely legitimate entertainment venue that even Officer Jenny couldn't find fault with!]
[As long as she can't find any concrete evidence, even an Elite Four member can't convict us out of thin air!]
Almost the instant the plan took shape in Ye Li's mind, Giovanni picked up the communicator with the highest encryption level on his desk and contacted the Game Corner's on-site manager, Matori.
His voice was steady and concise, without a trace of emotion.
"Matori."
"Activate the 'White Glove' contingency plan."
"Understood."
On the other end of the communicator, Matori responded crisply without asking for a reason.
The instructions Giovanni issued matched the response plan in Ye Li's mind word for word.
Inside the Rainbow Game Corner, a silent transformation quietly unfolded.
One moment, the Team Rocket security personnel wore black uniforms with Poké Balls at their waists and fierce looks in their eyes. The next, they emerged from the changing room in bright yellow work vests printed with "RainbowGameHall," professional smiles on their faces, transformed into ordinary security guards.
At the prize exchange counter, the rare Technical Machines that clearly came from the black market and whose origins could not be explained were swiftly removed, replaced with finely crafted Pokémon plush toys and merchandise.
Within the back-office accounting system, a hidden encryption program activated instantly. All sensitive records of fund transfers were temporarily sealed away, replaced by a completely legal set of backup accounts prepared long ago.
Even the faint frenzy of gamblers lingering in the air seemed to fade a little.
In just one minute, the entire Game Corner transformed from an underground casino teeming with all sorts of unsavory characters into a wholesome, healthy, legitimate entertainment venue suitable for all ages.
The transformation was so swift and efficient that the vast majority of gamblers absorbed in their games noticed nothing unusual at all.
But Lorelei noticed.
Her perception, as keen as ice and snow, caught that subtle change in her surroundings.
The security guards' demeanor had changed.
The types of prizes had changed.
The atmosphere had changed, too.
It was as though an invisible net had quietly tightened after she stepped inside, concealing everything she wanted to see.
Lorelei's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
This reaction was precisely what proved there was something wrong here.
Her gaze began sweeping the venue, searching for the person giving the orders.
Soon, her eyes settled on a young man inspecting the various sections who looked like the person in charge on-site.
The young man wore an assistant's uniform. He looked somewhat nervous, yet was trying hard to maintain his composure.
It's him.
Lorelei removed her sunglasses, revealing ice-blue eyes that seemed capable of seeing straight through people.
She started forward, walking slowly toward Ye Li.
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