Lorelei's tall figure disappeared through the arcade entrance.
The icy pressure she had brought with her dissipated as well.
At that moment, Ye Li's taut nerves finally snapped.
His legs buckled. If Matori hadn't steadied him from beside him, he would have collapsed onto the floor.
"Are you all right?"
There was a hint of concern in Matori's voice.
"I'm... I'm fine."
Ye Li waved a hand, feeling as though all his strength had been drained away. The back of his shirt was already soaked with cold sweat, clinging wetly to his skin in a very uncomfortable way.
He had no idea that he had once again walked to death's door and resolved the crisis in an almost perfect fashion.
There was only one thought in his mind now.
Being an assistant really is a high-risk job.
I'm never inspecting the arcade again. Whoever wants to can do it.
Inside Giovanni's office.
He had watched the entire confrontation through the remote surveillance feed.
When Lorelei took out her League credentials and Ye Li was scared nearly out of his wits, Giovanni's heart had leaped into his throat as well.
He had even prepared himself for exposure.
But Ye Li had held firm at the last moment.
And the plan he had come up with in his mind, using Erika as a shield, had delighted Giovanni beyond measure.
This young man could not only propose broad strategies, but also instantly devise the perfect response to a sudden crisis like this.
Composed, calm, and sufficiently devious.
Giovanni was more satisfied with Ye Li's performance than ever before.
He realized that Ye Li was far more valuable than he had initially imagined.
He had to give him a tangible reward.
A reward that would make him feel how much the organization valued him while also binding him more tightly to this war chariot.
A shackle.
Giovanni's communicator connected directly to Ye Li's office.
"Ye Li, come to my office."
Upon receiving the order, Ye Li's heart began pounding with anxiety again.
Dragging his weak legs, he walked apprehensively into Giovanni's office.
"Boss, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes."
Giovanni rose from behind his desk, wearing a rare expression that could be called "approval."
"You handled the League's inspection very well."
He praised him to his face.
Ye Li looked utterly bewildered.
Handled it very well?
Me?
I nearly wet myself back there!
He instinctively assumed Giovanni was referring to Matori's contribution and hurriedly waved his hands modestly.
"You're too kind, Boss."
"I... I didn't do anything. It was all thanks to Manager Matori's capable direction."
"If she hadn't shown up in time, I..."
Giovanni interrupted him.
"I'm talking about you."
Ignoring Ye Li's overwhelmed protests, he headed straight out of the office.
"Follow me."
Ye Li froze for a moment, then could only follow in confusion.
He had no idea where Giovanni was taking him, and his heart was in turmoil.
The two passed through a long corridor and took a secret elevator down to a place Ye Li had never visited before.
The place had a high-tech feel, and the air was filled with the mingled smells of nutrient solution and disinfectant.
Behind the glass walls were individual rooms containing all kinds of precision instruments, with many researchers in white coats busy at work.
It was the newly completed Breeding Base.
Giovanni led Ye Li all the way to the base's innermost area-the Central Hatching Room.
As the heavy alloy door opened, an enormous circular room resembling a sterile laboratory appeared before Ye Li.
In the very center of the room, a Pokémon Egg rested quietly on a temperature-controlled incubation platform.
The egg was brown all over, with a smooth surface that gave off a soft glow. It looked full of life.
"This is one of the best specimens from the Breeding Base's first batch of 'Perfect Talent' experiments."
Giovanni's voice rang out in the spacious room.
"An Eevee egg."
Eevee?
Ye Li's breath stopped for a moment.
Of course he knew what Eevee was.
A Pokémon with an uncertain evolutionary path and boundless potential.
"You made a major contribution by resolving this crisis for the organization."
Giovanni turned to look at Ye Li, his gaze deep.
"This egg is your reward."
"From today onward, it is your Pokémon."
Giovanni's voice was like a final verdict, leaving no room for doubt.
Looking at the Pokémon Egg within arm's reach, Ye Li felt deeply conflicted.
He longed to have a Pokémon of his own.
It was a dream he had kept buried deep in his heart ever since coming to this world.
But reason told him that this egg was a hot potato.
It was Giovanni's new means of controlling him.
Once he accepted this egg, he would go from a "Strategist" behind the scenes to a "Trainer" in the spotlight.
He would never again be able to stay out of things and would be branded indelibly as a member of Team Rocket.
He looked into Giovanni's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, and knew he had no room to refuse.
Slowly, he extended a trembling hand and touched the warm Pokémon Egg.
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