Chapter 46: So-Called Filial Piety

Once again, he refused to sell Ken's three Pokémon.

Baimu ignored the terrifying stares of the Hound Pack members and hurried back to base with three million in his arms.

After the match ended, the venue was a chaotic mix of all sorts; it wasn't impossible to have a Pokémon stolen by some other one if you let your guard down for a second. Talent upon talent emerged in the Pokémon world — there were even ones that could craft dreams.

Yet when he walked into the innermost tent, he happened to overhear a conversation.

"Didn't catch up to them?"

"Quite a few got away. You know how it is — someone tipped them off. Being able to grab the ones we did counts as decent."

"Heh, an ambush in return and the intel still leaked… This counts as officially starting a war, right?"

"No. Until their boss comes back, it'll only be small-scale brawls. A large-scale fight wouldn't benefit them — they're all the type who shout slogans for money."

Plotting out loud?

Even though the volume clearly wasn't at the level of people afraid of being overheard, Baimu still decisively turned and walked away.

But the moment he took a step, his peripheral vision caught the tent flap being lifted open.

A man with wine-red long hair, looking like a Kirlia, beamed and said, "You're here? I was just thinking of going to find you."

Baimu: "…"

"Alright, come in." Master Liu Ge cut off his motion to say something, beckoning with a hand. "Come in, I have something to tell you."

He stepped inside and immediately spotted Lady Ayana standing not far away.

Only compared to her earlier glamorous appearance when she'd come to pick him up, she now looked travel-worn and weary, with even a few dark-red clots of blood stuck to the back of her hand.

Catching his gaze, Lady Ayana raised an eyebrow slightly. "Kid, don't think being a hero lets you stare wherever you like — I'll still smack you!"

Baimu didn't dare talk back. He looked at Master Liu Ge, who looked thoroughly amused. "…Master Liu Ge, thank you very much for the Larvitar. It really helped me out a great deal."

He held out the Poké Ball containing the Larvitar with both hands.

"As long as it helped you, it wasn't for nothing that I specially had someone send the Pokémon over to you."

Master Liu Ge took it without a flicker of expression, smiling. "So, what did you decide? Want to come to my side?"

Such a huge favor sent his way — how could he not throw in with them?

Baimu knew he had no other choice, so he immediately bowed. "Please guide me well — big brother!"

"Oh!"

Master Liu Ge's smile instantly grew much warmer. He reached out and ruffled his black hair. "Kid, you catch on quick. Then from now on, you're a squad leader under me."

"Squad leader?"

Lady Ayana beside them was a little surprised. "Did you ask the boss?"

The squad leader rank wasn't something an officer could just appoint on a whim — the treatment differed far too much from ordinary members, and there were strict limits on the number allowed, so it couldn't be made cheap and common.

"You don't know — the promise the boss originally painted for this kid was the squad leader rank." Master Liu Ge's smile didn't fade. "I just helped him fulfill that promise, and that's not all!"

He looked at Baimu. "That plant-in-a-coma Shibata lying in the ICU died two hours ago — someone pulled his oxygen tube."

Shibata is dead!

Baimu's heart jolted.

"Also, Shi Yuan Du was taken care of by people the boss sent. That guy was a mole for the Crystal Faction. The plan was to first have the others isolate you, then find Hound Pack members to cripple your legs and turn you into a cripple, and once the higher-ups weren't paying attention to you, finish you off."

Master Liu Ge explained quite casually, "Curious why Chester had his eye on you?"

Baimu nodded.

"It's actually simple. The boss wasn't around, and he wanted to seize the chance to control the new recruit assessment. So he specially had people slip special Pokémon into every round, planning to let the fringe members close to the Crystal Faction advance, then scatter them into the various squads to achieve his goal of secretly controlling the Quicksand Faction's grassroots."

Master Liu Ge continued, "But he was also afraid of being noticed by the Stone Faction's leader — Yugo, who the boss appointed as proxy. So he dragged things out.

"In the end, it was accidentally ruined by Shibata and you, which also drew Yugo's attention. The plan failed completely."

No.

It was Shibata who ruined it. I'm not taking the blame.

He really wanted to tell Master Liu Ge that, but he knew explaining would be pointless.

"Chester is a man with a terrifyingly small heart, no vision at all, and an enormous ego. You offended him, and word of this got out, so naturally he'd come looking for trouble. But you caught the big boss's eye, so he could only come at you indirectly."

As Master Liu Ge spoke, he actually laughed out loud — one could say he thoroughly looked down on the Crystal Faction's leader next door.

Lady Ayana beside him coldly scoffed as well.

"…"

Baimu's face went numb. "What about his uncle, Shi Yuan?"

"The squad leader rank doesn't disappear that easily, and he has no way to come at you now either. So you handle that man yourself. When the Sand Faction and Crystal Faction clash someday, just go take him out."

Master Liu Ge gave his shoulder a firm pat. "I believe you can do it."

"Oh right, normally after joining you're supposed to pay a tribute fee to the big brother you're following, but I can see the money hasn't even warmed in your pocket before you're already handing it out — that must feel awful. I'll waive it this time."

Master Liu Ge said, "Take that money and honestly use it to strengthen yourself. Reach the squad leader level as soon as possible — of course, whether to swap Pokémon or how many to add is up to you, but I'm reminding you to act within your means."

The good big brother gave him a meaningful look, lifted the tent flap, and left.

Lady Ayana curled her lip. "Your big brother isn't exactly a straightforward one either. If he's worried you'll squander money, just say so — why all the extra words."

"Uh…"

Baimu didn't dare pick up that thread.

Still, judging from Master Liu Ge's attitude and actions so far, rolling with this big brother seemed pretty good — there might even be a bright future in it.

——

The ride back was once again driven by the muscular female driver.

But as Baimu got in the car, he suddenly noticed the Hound Pack's base was in an uproar. Someone had rushed out from inside and made straight for the Quicksand Faction's base, only to be stopped by others.

Basin after basin of blood-red water was being carried out from the tents inside.

This…

He couldn't help but recall what Master Liu Ge and Lady Ayana had said earlier, and the bloodstains on the latter.

The Evil Dog Squad was lying in ambush outside for the returning Quicksand Squad, but they got counter-ambushed?

Perhaps that was exactly what happened.

Otherwise there was no explaining why Master Liu Ge had suddenly appeared here.

What a reliable big brother!

Baimu had assumed that a second-rate outfit like the Quicksand Squad wouldn't have any foresight about enemy ambushes, but it turned out there were still capable people among them.

While he was thinking, a former teammate from the same car leaned over and asked with a familiar look:

"I heard you're going to be with Master Liu Ge from now on?"

"Yes."

"That's great, so how much tribute fee have you prepared? Everyone says Master Liu Ge is very generous, and the tribute fee he charges is also low…"

"How much do people usually give?"

"For people like us who just finished a match and got paid, one million to start, but for Master Liu Ge maybe five hundred thousand is enough."

The man said with utter envy.

And in Baimu's heart a curse rose — a tribute fee starting at one million, where is this harvesting leeks, they don't even leave the roots!

"Do those lying down there also have to give one million?"

He asked, somewhat unable to believe it.

The man shook his head, "Of course not, the reason we give so much is because we just had an extra bit of income. Oh, and not only do the officers get a share, don't forget the squad leaders either — I'm giving you a special heads-up."

Damn it!

This is outright eating people alive!