Chapter 127: Remember to Pay Back

In a dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of Yuhong City, the smell of rusted iron and dust hung in the air.

On the open space in the center of the warehouse, a few empty explosive packaging boxes were scattered, and the lingering scent of gunpowder had not fully dissipated.

A man with a full beard and goatee leaned against a rusted iron barrel, twirling a sky‑blue dagger in his hand, sneered at the person opposite, and said disdainfully, "I never thought I'd ever team up with a guy like you; telling anyone would be downright embarrassing."

The one he mocked was a red‑haired man sitting on the ground.

He wore thin‑framed glasses, cradling an old book with a thread‑bound cover in his hands; hearing that, he merely adjusted his glasses and replied evenly, "I didn't expect it either, to cooperate with someone who only uses Brute Force—though the outcome turned out smoother than anticipated."

The bearded man raised an eyebrow, kicked the nearby explosive box, and said with a hint of admiration, "The blast at Rainbow Gym was powerful enough; your bomb's force truly speaks for itself."

"Flames and explosions are the purest art," the red‑haired man closed the book in his hands, his gaze unruffled, and added, "I won't let my 'work' explode without any aesthetic."

"Alright, alright, stop pulling the art talk on me," the bearded man waved impatiently and asked, "What's the plan now? Rocket Team is surely hunting for the culprit everywhere; are we still staying in Yuhong City?"

"Retreat," the red‑haired man stood, brushed dust from his clothes, and said confidently, "Things will be chaotic here for a while; we've already sparked conflict between Rocket Team and the League. No further action is needed—just watch them turn on each other. Staying here would only draw more attention."

The bearded man nodded, sheathed his dagger, and said with a hint of nostalgia, "Indeed, it's a good time to head back to Hoenn, haven't seen the old buddies there in ages."

"You may look, but don't interfere," the red‑haired man said abruptly, his gaze sharpening, "Remember our rule: no action without orders. I don't want your whim to disrupt the Boss's plan."

The bearded man's smile faded, and he finally curled his lip, "Got it, got it, you're nagging. I'm just going back to check, not doing anything—besides, I don't want the Boss watching me."

The two said no more and walked out of the warehouse, one ahead of the other.

In Huo La's room, he and Bilan sat face‑to‑face, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

"It really wasn't someone behind you who did it?" Huo La stared into Bilan's eyes, his tone tinged with verification—after all, the force behind Bilan had always been mysterious, and he couldn't help but doubt.

"It really wasn't!" Bilan quickly shook her head, explaining urgently, "Putting aside the fact that we're not that idle, given my relationship with Li Jia Jie, even if we couldn't stop them we'd at least have warned Li Jia Jie in advance. This explosion was too sudden, no sign at all; I actually think it's more like something Rocket Team did—haven't they always been after the Gym's money?"

"Rocket Team…" Huo La rubbed his chin, nodded, then furrowed his brows, "It's possible, but something feels off. According to their usual tactics, after blowing up a Gym they'd seize the chaos to loot, yet Li Jia later verified that aside from the explosion damage, nothing was taken from the Gym. That doesn't fit their logic."

Just as the two fell into contemplation, the communicator in Huo La's backpack suddenly beeped.

He immediately pulled out the communicator, saw the name displayed on the screen, gestured "don't speak" to Bilan, and pressed the answer button.

"Gym Master Ma, what's up?" Huo La's voice tried to stay calm.

On the other end, Ma Zhishi's slightly rough voice said, "The Boss asked me to tell you that the Rainbow Gym incident wasn't done by our Rocket Team. He heard you were in Yuhong City at the time and even rushed into the fire to rescue people, so he specifically wants me to remind you—don't risk yourself for outsiders; your safety comes first. I'll transfer some money to your account shortly, as compensation from the Boss."

After a pause, Ma Zhishi added, "Besides, although Rocket Team doesn't shy away from any means, we would never pull such a tasteless stunt."

He hung up, clutching the device in silence—Ma Zhishi had called specifically to clarify, indicating Rocket Team had already verified the situation at great speed, even knowing about his rescue, clearly taking the matter seriously.

If it truly wasn't Rocket Team, the Rainbow Gym explosion becomes even more serious; causing such a commotion on Rocket Team's turf without them noticing means the force behind it is definitely formidable.

"Not Rocket Team? Then who could it be?" Bilan asked immediately after he hung up, her tone full of doubt.

"I don't know either…" Huo La shook his head, an uneasy premonition in his mind, "Things seem to be heading in a direction I didn't anticipate; this loss of control feels worse than dealing with Rocket Team."

"Then what exactly are they after?" Bilan furrowed her brows, increasingly feeling something was off, "Creating such a massive explosion, not stealing anything, not harming anyone, just blowing up the Gym? That makes no sense!"

Huo La leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and carefully sorted through the clues.

The explosion timed perfectly during Ash and Li Jia's battle, the location being Rainbow Gym right under Rocket Team's nose; afterward no faction claimed responsibility, and no casualties occurred… All signs point to one possibility: the opponent's goal wasn't theft but to "stir trouble."

He snapped his eyes open, his tone heavy, "Perhaps their target was never the Rainbow Gym; they wanted to use this explosion to provoke conflict between Rocket Team and the League, making the League think Rocket Team did it, and making Rocket Team think another force provoked them, even the League crying thief while catching a thief. With mutual suspicion and infighting, they could reap the benefits like a fisherman."

Bilan's complexion darkened after listening, "If that's true, the mastermind behind it is truly ruthless…"

"Alright, this won't be solved any time soon; you go rest first, I'll let you know if I hear anything." Huo La rubbed his forehead, his voice tinged with fatigue; from rescuing people at the fire to analyzing the explosion, his nerves had been on edge all day.

Just then, as if recalling something, he added, "Oh—by the way, that Water Stone I lent you earlier is worth about 50,000 League Coins on the market; remember to return it later."

"You!" Bilan snapped her head around, eyes wide, voice full of disbelief, "Didn't you give it to me voluntarily? It was an emergency; you said I could use it to evolve my Squirtle to rescue people, so why are you asking for it back now?"

"I lent it because I saw you were overly worried about Li Jia Jie's safety, fearing you'd be delayed," Huo La explained solemnly, showing no sign of concession, "The Water Stone isn't something you pick up off the street; I spent considerable effort obtaining it, so I can't just give it away for free. It definitely needs to be returned."

"How can you be so money‑greedy!" Bilan snapped angrily, glared at Huo La, turned and hurried out of the room, slamming the door with extra force, a "Bang" echoing, clearly still fuming.

Watching the shut door, Huo La couldn't help a slight smirk; he wasn't truly short of the 50,000, he just wanted to tease Bilan so she wouldn't stay on edge.

After all, today she didn't hesitate to evolve her Squirtle to save someone; that intention was far more valuable than 50,000 League Coins.

Nevertheless, teasing aside, what's owed is still owed—his wallet was indeed thin, so reclaiming a bit was a bit.