Chapter 10: Think of the Bigger Picture

Night.

The Quicksand Team headquarters building.

The top executives were gathered together, each face bearing more or less a hint of worry.

"Thirteen people on the first day… this result is even worse than ten years ago."

Yugo, silver-haired and white-bearded, seated at the head, heaved a long sigh.

Even though they were only a second-rate force, the Quicksand Team was still declining with each generation, inevitably heading toward decay.

One could tell just from the number of fresh recruits coming in.

Over a hundred participants on the first day, yet only an eighth passed in the end—was the test really that difficult?

"I think we should wait and see. After all, you know what happened…"

The long-haired, gaunt Chester smiled. "Maybe they were just dragged down by that lord."

The examination site suffered massive collapses in various places due to the Wrath of the Death God's Board, and many unlucky souls got buried in the rubble—it took ages to dig them out.

But regarding this matter, everyone present was helpless.

Who could blame them? That person was the investor, the boss behind the scenes.

Their Quicksand Team had originally been nothing more than a band of thugs funded by the other party and kept in Iron Yellow Town for convenient access to mineral vein resources—to put it bluntly, "security."

It was only because Iron Yellow Town's environment was rather special that they had transformed themselves into a special force. But that didn't mean they could do without the investor's support—in fact, they needed that backing even more, to keep themselves from being swallowed up by other forces.

"Dragged down, heh. I never thought you'd have the nerve to say that. Isn't the culprit one of your own subordinates? Managing them so poorly it comes to this—wait till the boss gets back from Beryllium City and see how you explain yourself!"

The opposing muscle-bound man sneered.

Chester's expression stiffened. He replied with a thin, humorless smile: "That won't require Cang Zhi Lang's concern, my lord. Whatever needs handling, I'll naturally handle it."

"Hmph! I hope so!"

The muscle-bound Cang Zhi Lang turned his head away.

The relationship between the two was as bad as it appeared, not far from being utterly incompatible—merely held in check by the Quicksand Team's boss.

Half an hour later.

The unpleasant meeting ended. Chester returned to his office, and the moment he opened the door, he saw a man with a worried expression.

"Chester, my lord!" The man's spirit suddenly lifted.

"Shi Yuan…"

Chester sighed. "You should head back first."

"But Chester, my lord! My nephew is still lying under weight in the ICU and hasn't woken up! The doctor says even if he's lucky enough to wake, he won't be able to get out of bed normally for many years!"

Shi Yuan shouted agitatedly, "I have to avenge this!"

"Shut up!"

Chester rebuked him in a low voice. "Do you even know what you're saying! Your nephew Shibata brought this entirely on himself! Revenge? Do you have evidence? Just based on speculation and a Pokémon's report?

"His current situation means even I can't act rashly! Let alone the fact that the higher-ups haven't settled the score for your little tricks yet! Seeing you today is already a huge risk on my part!"

The heavy voice was like a sudden thunderclap.

Shi Yuan stared at Chester in disbelief, stammering, unable to speak. "But…"

But all of this was done according to your instructions!

He didn't dare say that out loud, because he had a sixth sense that if he did, he'd be killed on the spot.

"Alright, you're an old hand of the Quicksand Team too, and you've followed me for so many years. I won't treat you unfairly. The situation's bad right now—hold your tongue for now. Think of the bigger picture."

Chester patted Shi Yuan's shoulder.

"Think of the bigger picture…"

The latter's expression turned bitter.

The word "bigger picture" was Chester's catchphrase—he often invoked it to crush others into submission, forcing them to compromise and let things rest. As Chester's subordinate, Shi Yuan had always admired him and tried to imitate him.

Who would have thought the day would come when the hammer fell on his own head.

But what could he do?

That damned fellow had caught the attention of those lords at the very top. If a small fry like him didn't want his whole family ruined, he could only endure.

Nephew turned into a vegetable?

Endure!

Pokémon Rhyhorn severely injured?

Endure!

Shi Yuan bit his lower lip so hard he nearly drew blood.

Step by step, he walked with impossibly heavy footsteps and left the office. And in a place he failed to notice, a Mudkip full of ill intent surfaced and vanished again.

The dangerous glint in Chester's eyes faded along with it.

Botched the job and still dares come demanding answers—doesn't even know his own place!

If not for worrying about sowing discontent among the other subordinates, he'd have gotten rid of this useless good-for-nothing long ago!

Trash!

——

Hospital room.

Baimu, wearing a standard blue-and-white hospital gown, gazed out the window in utter boredom.

It wasn't until the checkup that he realized he didn't just have external wounds and contusions—one of his feet was also fractured.

So he was currently recuperating.

Fortunately, the medical standards in the Orei region were quite impressive; a fracture counted as a minor ailment and he'd be healed and discharged in just a few days.

What surprised him was that Shibata had actually become a vegetable who couldn't wake up.

Even though he wished he could grind him to dust on the spot, when he had fought the Iron Armor Rhino earlier, he had never imagined this outcome — it didn't even die!?

Too bad the Iron Armor Rhino went berserk back then, so there was no chance to finish it off…

He felt immensely regretful.

What puzzled Baimu even more was Uncle Shibata's attitude, and that of Shi Yuan, the leader of the Quicksand Squad.

The first time he came, that guy brought a bunch of vicious-looking thugs, viciously saying he had to die in the hospital, making Baimu think the other side planned to make a move inside the hospital.

But then he turned around and left.

The second time he came, he switched faces entirely, greeting with a disgusting smile, bringing gifts, making small talk, saying nice things, going on about how it's better to resolve enmity than to keep it.

Only a fool would believe that!

Why so arrogant before and so deferential now?

When Shibata chose to try to kill him, the two sides fell into a life-and-death struggle. The killing intent Shi Yuan showed on his first visit didn't seem faked either, so the other party's current behavior was nothing but a disguise.

A disguise to make others lower their guard.

No matter why Shi Yuan was doing this, Baimu had to start thinking about how to deal with Shi Yuan as soon as possible.

And Shibata, the vegetable.

But then again, could there be someone behind Shi Yuan too — some executive he didn't know at all, for instance.

He had too little information.

Baimu shook his head and, out of habit, looked toward the other bed beside him.

Aron was fast asleep.

This guy had already been confirmed as a wild Pokémon. After being sent to the Pokémon Center for treatment, he was returned not long after, and was now squeezed into a large jar like an incubator, snoring away, deep in slumber.

The external wounds had healed, but the internal ones were unclear.

The doctor who delivered him also said he was a bit malnourished, and that it would be best to feed him some refined iron to build him up, or alloy steel would also work.

A gold-devouring beast indeed.

Baimu seriously doubted whether his little purse could hold out under the strain — with a full member's subsidy, things would probably be much easier.

"Goo."

A faint cry drew his attention; looking over, Aron had slightly opened his eyes.

"You're awake? Don't be nervous, this is a hospital. Is anything bothering you?"

Baimu smiled and opened the glass lid of the recuperation pod for him.

Aron froze, then suddenly sat up and looked around; after surveying the area, his gaze returned to Baimu.

"Goo!"

He saw Aron leap up, jump out of the recuperation pod and into Baimu's arms, nuzzling against him over and over with his head, just like a puppy.

"Wup!"

The latter let out a muffled grunt, feeling as if his ribs were about to be crushed, nearly passing out on the spot, yet at the same time feeling a bit surprised by the affection Aron was showing.

"As long as you're okay, as long as you're okay."

He had thought it would take several more interactions to win this guy's favor, but it had gone much more smoothly than expected.

An opportunity?

Baimu stroked Aron's head as he thought for a moment, then said:

"Aron, would you… be willing to become my partner?"

"Goo?"

Aron tilted his head up, not quite understanding his words.

Baimu said softly, "If you don't dislike me, I hope to gain your help — no, we can support each other, help each other, and live together in this place."

"Maybe it's a bit abrupt, but I urgently need your strength, and I sincerely hope you'll stand by my side."

He set Aron down on the floor, switched to a squat that wouldn't strain his left leg, and extended his hand in front of the Pokémon. "If you agree, please shake my hand."

The moment his words fell, Aron raised his front paw without the slightest hesitation and placed it in his palm.

"Godo!"

What else is there to say!

Aron nodded very seriously, as if answering a question that went without saying.

"Ah… thank you."

The smile at the corner of Baimu's mouth spread uncontrollably.