Beneath her windproof mask, Matori's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
An order of the highest priority from Giovanni himself, delivered straight to her ear through an encrypted channel, was extraordinary in itself. Its contents left her slightly taken aback-"Follow Ye Li's suggestion."
Her gaze passed through the crowd like two invisible probes, landing precisely on the young man standing beside Apollo, listening with an innocent expression as Apollo loudly praised him for "having plenty of nerve for a desk worker." He seemed to notice her gaze and looked up, his face still bearing just the right measure of bewilderment and unease, as though he knew nothing about what had just happened.
This man... who exactly was he?
Doubts clouded Matori's mind. But she was not someone who voiced her questions. As Giovanni's most trusted secretary and direct subordinate, carrying out orders was her duty.
"Yes, Lord Giovanni," she replied quietly, then cut the connection.
She asked no further questions, nor did she explain the source of the order to anyone. She simply walked over to Apollo and said in a tone that brooked no argument, "Lord Apollo, the plan has changed. Lord Giovanni has new instructions."
Apollo was immersed in the excitement of obtaining the Plate soon. He froze at her words, but upon hearing that the instructions came from Giovanni, he immediately grew serious. "What instructions?"
"These prisoners and the evidence of their crimes will be delivered to the Pokémon League as a 'gift,'" Matori said, conveying the core of the order succinctly.
Apollo looked startled at first, then understanding dawned on his face, finally giving way to an almost cruel delight. "Hahaha! Good! What a brilliant idea! Let those Pokémon League idiots see for themselves what sort of vermin they've been breeding on their own turf!"
He did not