Chapter 31: I’m Done Pretending. I’m Going to Show My Cards Now.

"Ding! Mission: Create Team Rocket and recruit ten Team Rocket members. Current progress: 3/10."

"Ding! Mission: Create Team Rocket and recruit ten Team Rocket members. Current progress: 4/10."

"Ding! Mission: Create Team Rocket and recruit ten Team Rocket members. Current progress: 5/10."

On the way back to Liu Shuyun's house, these system prompts echoed repeatedly in Renjiro's mind. Each notification brought a sense of satisfaction to him.

"There are five of us now. We're halfway to completing the mission." Renjiro smirked slightly, feeling pleased with Zhang Xuewei's efficiency. At this rate, we might hit the goal as early as tomorrow.

But Renjiro's mind wasn't content to stop there. We must also speed up establishing the company. Without a company to generate steady income, no matter how large the initial funds—whether ten billion or a hundred billion—they won't sustain Team Rocket's operations for long.

Since his last conversation with the headhunting agency, he hadn't received any updates. It's been two days. Have they really not found a suitable manager yet? Renjiro thought, glancing at his phone as if willing it to ring.

Almost as if on cue—"Ding ding ding."

Renjiro's phone vibrated. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was the headhunting company. His eyes brightened. Speak of the devil…

"Hello?" Renjiro answered, his tone calm but expectant.

"Hello, Mr. Renjiro. We've found a potential manager who might be a good fit. However, he wishes to meet you in person before finalizing anything," the polite voice of the agency representative explained.

Renjiro raised a brow. "Wants to meet, huh? Fine. But tell me about him first. I need to know his background before I decide whether he's worth my time."

"Of course, Mr. Renjiro. His name is Li Zhenhua. He was once the owner of a mid-sized company in Suzhou and Hangzhou that specialized in producing Pokémon-related goods. Unfortunately, due to his wife's serious illness, he sold off his assets to cover her medical bills. Now, he's seeking employment and is very knowledgeable about the Pokémon industry."

Renjiro frowned slightly. A former boss? That gave him pause. From what he understood of human nature, people who'd once tasted authority often disliked working under others. I don't want to hire someone who'll steal my secrets and start their own rival operation.

"And what about my conditions? Did he agree to them?" Renjiro asked, referring to the strict contract terms he'd outlined—including the thirty-year employment clause.

"That's actually why he wants to meet you, Mr. Renjiro. He's intrigued by your terms, and despite the lengthy contract, he's eager for a discussion."

Renjiro pondered for a moment, fingers drumming lightly against his phone. The thirty-year contract had scared off many candidates, but this Li Zhenhua still wanted to meet? That at least spoke of desperation—or determination. Maybe both.

"Alright. Arrange it. Tomorrow, 2 PM. I'll meet him at the Magic City Battle Tower."

"Very good, Mr. Renjiro. We'll confirm with Mr. Li Zhenhua and send the details shortly."

As the call ended, Renjiro exhaled slowly, turning his gaze to the night sky. One more piece falling into place.

---

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Renjiro, footage of his recent battle with Ba Xiaoqin was spreading like wildfire across the internet.

In a class group chat, his old classmate Shuang Zheng posted a video clip with a caption:

[Shuang Zheng: Look at this! Beedrill strikes again. I think Bug-type Pokémon are about to become trendy! (video)]

[Wu Guo: This Beedrill is insane. Swellow couldn't even land a hit!]

[Zhang Youan: Of course. If I faced it, I'd be KO'd in seconds. I wonder, is this Beedrill stronger than that other famous one?]

[Li Fang: No way these Beedrills belong to the same person.]

[Shu Wan: Hey... doesn't that trainer kinda look like Renjiro?]

Shu Wan stared at the video on her phone. The footage wasn't crystal clear—just a side angle caught on someone's mobile as they recorded the giant screen—but the trainer's silhouette and voice felt oddly familiar.

[Cao Ruifeng: LOL, Shu Wan, you're hilarious. Do you even know who Swellow's trainer is? That's a professional trainer! No way could that be Renjiro.]

[Logan: Yeah, right. As if that loser Renjiro could beat a pro trainer.]

Shu Wan scowled at their responses. [Shu Wan: What right do you have to badmouth Renjiro like that?!]

[Cao Ruifeng: Because he's just a nobody. A poor nobody.]

Renjiro, meanwhile, had seen the messages pop up on his screen. He didn't feel anger at the insults—he was long past caring about petty words—but he was surprised at how fast the video had spread. This is different from before. Too many people saw that battle live.

With today's digital age and data sharing, it wouldn't be long before people traced that footage back to him, even if the angle wasn't perfect.

What a hassle, Renjiro sighed inwardly, rubbing his temple. He had only wanted to enjoy the battle, but now? Now, the Investigation Bureau in Shuangyang City would surely take notice.

As if on cue, another message popped into the group:

[Shuang Zheng: Stop guessing. Just click this link. I just want to kneel before Renjiro. The guy's a legend. (link)]

The link led directly to official trainer records:

Name: Renjiro

Age: 18

School: Shuangyang No. 11 Middle School

Pokémon: Level 24 Beedrill, Level 16 Milotic

Battle Record: Ten consecutive wins at the Battle Tower in the same rank; defeated junior trainer Scout Ba Xiaoqin despite a level gap; earned the personal appreciation of Elite Gan Fengyu and received an invitation to challenge Liuyun Gym.

The group chat exploded.

[Wu Guo: Holy crap! Renjiro's a beast!]

[Tang Qishui: This guy went from zero to hero in one day?! That's insane!]

[Feng Yu: Renjiro, boss-level confirmed! (roaring emoji)]

Shu Wan read the details on her phone in stunned silence. The boy she'd known—the one who always seemed a little behind, a little unnoticed—was now someone who had caught the eye of an Elite.

"It turns out... he's become so strong," she whispered, her gaze softening. Beside her, Pikachu perked up, sensing her shift in mood.

"Pikachu, we've got to work harder too," she encouraged gently.

"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu responded, tiny paws thumping its chest with determination.

Shu Wan giggled at Pikachu's enthusiastic display. Then, without hesitation, she sent Renjiro a message:

[Shu Wan: You big liar! After all the help I gave you before, you never told me you'd become so strong. (angry emoji)]

Renjiro, seeing her message, chuckled softly. [Renjiro: I wanted to surprise you!]

[Renjiro: But now that it's out there, I won't pretend anymore. The person in that video—yeah, that's me.]

Shu Wan stared at the screen, her heart oddly warm. [Shu Wan: Surprise? More like shock! I bet some people are praying they don't meet you in the exam hall.]

[Renjiro: Haha, blame me. (shrug emoji)]

On the other side of the conversation, Cao Ruifeng felt his confidence crumbling. His fingers trembled slightly as he reread the trainer profile. No way. This can't be real. How could Renjiro—of all people—be the one with a Milotic? How could he be the one defeating professional trainers?!

Fear wormed its way into his heart. Fear that when exam day came, he'd face Renjiro—and lose.

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