Chapter 105

Peaceful life ultimately has its limits.

For the yakuza,

as long as there is any possibility of expanding influence, they cannot let it drift away with the wind.

That day.

Baimu came to Master Liu Ge's office at his summons, and was startled to find all the squad leaders already there; as he opened the door and stepped in, they all turned to look at him in unison.

He quickly apologized, saying he was late.

"Sit down!"

Master Liu Ge gestured for him to sit, then said solemnly: "Two days ago, we received confirmed news that the boss of the Evil Dog Squad was arrested."

No sooner had he spoken.

The squad leaders each showed different expressions.

Baimu paused in surprise—he remembered that the Evil Dog Squad's boss and the Sand Squad's boss had both been called to a meeting in Silicoberyllium City. That meeting had lasted for months, leaving everyone under them anxious and unsettled.

The Sand Group was fine—Cang Zhi Lang's authority was high enough to keep things under control—but the Crystal Group and Stone Group were not.

One rapidly decayed, covering up misdeeds and amassing wealth through fraud; the other quickly mutated toward treachery, striving to emulate Second Brother and split the family fortune so they could return to Gao Lao Zhuang and declare themselves kings.

The Evil Dog Squad was probably no better—they were all equally rotten, just rotten.

Now that the Evil Dog Squad's boss was arrested, what about their boss?

"The boss is unharmed. The Evil Dog Squad's boss was first placed under house arrest by Silicoberyllium City, escaped from custody, fled the Orai region via passenger ship, and was captured by the International Police."

Master Liu Ge added, "The news just reached the Evil Dog Squad's inner circle, and now their internal chaos is extreme."

The International Police—an organization that in Baimu's past life was purely ceremonial—wielded terrifying power and scale in the Pokémon world, a classic crime-fighting force.

Unlike Junsa, who only protected a single city, they meddle in nearly every region.

Now that the International Police had captured the Evil Dog Squad's boss, did it mean they were about to strike at Huang Tie Town—or even the entire Orai region?

Baimu felt a surge of joy, but then he sighed inwardly.

The problems of the Orai region could not be solved merely by arresting a few yakuza members; its entire social fabric differed from other regions—arresting one group would only give rise to another with the same issues.

How many groups could the International Police arrest?

More than targeting evil leaders, the Orai region needed a bottom-up social cleansing—a voice to rise and tell them what was right and what was wrong.

Only then could it truly align with the mainstream regions.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and turned his attention to the meeting's main agenda.

"Cang Zhi Lang, along with Youge and Chester, held a remote conference with the boss yesterday, and they decided to seize this opportunity to launch a probing strike against the Evil Dog Squad."

Master Liu Ge snapped his fingers, and a light screen appeared on the wall behind him: "The Crystal Group and Stone Group's targets are irrelevant here—we won't mention them."

"The Evil Dog Squad operates five mining sites outside Huang Tie Town; two of them border ours, both large-scale mines. Our objective is to seize these two mines and hold them."

The big one is coming.

Baimu knew the Sand Squad intended to take advantage of the Evil Dog Squad's leadership vacuum and tear off a chunk of flesh.

Though the Evil Dog Squad had lost its boss, its strength was far from negligible—so this mission carried high risk, which explained why Cang Zhi Lang had previously promised to put him on the reserve cadre list if he performed well.

So he'd been plotting against the Evil Dog Squad since then.

Nearby,

Flobo stood up, took a stack of white papers from his desk, and distributed them to all squad leaders.

"Our squad will cooperate with Lady Ayana's squad and Sanghe's squad to hold one mine. The paper details the assigned zones and specific operational procedures—this is a heavy mission; destroy it after reading."

Master Liu Ge added, "Due to the urgency, to prevent tactical leaks, don't tell your subordinates too much—just inform them they're on assignment."

"Understood!"

"At 1 p. m., their guard will be at its weakest—gather your teams quickly and assemble precisely at noon!"

"Yes!"

The group rose, saluted, then scattered like birds.

Baimu was about to leave too, but Master Liu Ge called him back.

"This is your first major mission—you're bound to be unaccustomed to everything. Make sure your squad stays close to Flobo's squad; I've already instructed him."

"Got it, thanks, big brother."

"Don't rush off—I want to ask you: if you clash with the mine guards, or even with the miners, what will you do? Will you kill?"

"... What do you mean, big brother?"

"Remember: avoid killing if possible. Focus on capturing. First, people are a precious resource for Huang Tie Town—you'll need hands to work the mines after seizing them; machines can't fully replace them. Second, you're still too young—taking too many lives too soon will corrupt your soul. Keep your inner beast in check."

Master Liu Ge patted Baimu's shoulder with solemn gravity.

Taking too many lives causes profound psychological shifts—harmful, not beneficial, for the young. He would never let a talented boy's mind twist.

Theoretically, he didn't even want Baimu on this mission—but Cang Zhi Lang had personally assigned him.

That old boss probably thought he was giving a young man a chance; after all, he'd been there himself, and knew well the value of "opportunity."

But Master Liu Ge didn't see it that way.

"I understand, big brother."

Baimu nodded again, this time with far greater sincerity.

He wasn't ungrateful—Master Liu Ge had warned him before battle and arranged for his squad to be watched over; that was already favoritism.

baimengshu.

Emotionally and rationally, he owed his big brother gratitude.

The man was truly his benefactor—in any other boss's hands, he'd never have had the chance to pocket so much money without offering a single bribe; his pockets would've been squeezed dry again and again.

—

He stepped onto the surface.

Baimu gathered his team members at the fastest speed—

Eight from Qingyi Street: Cheng Hong and others, plus one from Dazhuang.

Nine team members in total.

He explained as briefly as possible that they were about to undertake a major mission, then doused their excitement with a bucket of cold water.

"This mission is dangerous. More important than achieving great feats is preserving ourselves—do everything possible to survive."

Baimu said sternly: "Don't forget everyone's strength is still immature. Aside from Dazhuang, who barely qualifies, your Pokémon are all weak. What will you do if your Pokémon lose combat capability? Will you fight with your bare bodies?"

Cheng Hong and the others exchanged glances; their enthusiasm instantly faded.

"So I reiterate our mission this time—survive. Nothing else matters. Understood?"

"Understood!"

Everyone roared in unison.

"Good. Prepare to depart!" Baimu nodded, finally satisfied.