Chapter 23: Is This Too Stimulating?

"Mr. Gao Guang, it's just a matter of finding two people; is that difficult for your esteemed organization?"

Lusamine felt this young man was brushing her off.

Upon hearing this, Gao Guang merely smiled.

"Our organization has only just arrived in Alola; we have a huge pile of matters to handle right now."

Gao Guang said indifferently.

"At present, we haven't even fully digested the Alola territory yet, and our manpower is already insufficient."

"Chairman Lusamine, we are very willing to establish a good cooperative relationship with you, but asking us to pull manpower to help you find two people during this period is not very realistic."

Gao Guang tilted his head slightly, looking at Lusamine.

"Moreover, we Team Rocket are a dark organization; finding people is not our specialty. You should hire a private detective instead."

Upon hearing this, Lusamine gazed deeply at this young man who looked carefree and unrestrained.

"These two people are extremely important to me. Please have your esteemed organization help me; there will be a heavy reward afterwards."

Although Gao Guang spoke in a very convincing manner, Lusamine did not believe him.

If Team Rocket truly intended to help, they wouldn't be unable to spare manpower; he was just demanding benefits.

After all, what Gao Guang said at the beginning was 'not easy to handle,' not 'impossible to handle.'

"I see. Since Chairman Lusamine is so sincere..."

Gao Guang slowly raised the corners of his mouth and signaled to Caitlin.

Caitlin took out a document prepared in advance and handed it to Lusamine elegantly.

They even prepared the conditions in advance?

Lusamine controlled her facial expression, took the documents, glanced at them twice, and then frowned tightly.

"Please, Chairman Lusamine, purchase these properties and then transfer them to us. Is that acceptable?" Gao Guang asked with a smile.

What had been troubling Lance all along was that Alola locals were unwilling to sell land to him, and even fewer were willing to rent it out.

But if it were Lusamine, there would be no such problem; she was not only a local of Alola but also had an excellent reputation there.

Of course, the premise was that Lusamine was willing.

"Mr. Gao Guang, isn't this a bit excessive?" Lusamine looked up at Gao Guang, her gaze sharp as a blade.

"With so many properties, no matter how subtly I operate, anyone with a mind will easily notice. Where does this leave the Aether Foundation?"

Lusamine's tone already carried a hint of chill.

Purchasing properties and then transferring them to Team Rocket was not difficult; the difficulty lay in doing it without anyone knowing.

Once the outside world discovered the Aether Foundation was 'colluding' with Team Rocket, the persona and image she had worked so hard to maintain for so many years would completely collapse.

But Gao Guang was not in the slightest hurry.

"If Chairman Lusamine finds it difficult to handle, we can proceed slowly; there is no need to purchase everything at once. As for the money to buy the properties, we will provide it."

Gao Guang smiled, looking at Lusamine.

"Of course, if Chairman Lusamine is unwilling, we will not force you."

Lusamine's expression remained unchanged, but her heart was extremely angry; this Team Rocket youth was pushing people too far!

Her pupils gradually lost their highlight and gradient; Lusamine's hollow eyes made one's skin crawl all over.

This was Lusamine's physiological habit; when she developed paranoid tendencies, her pupils would change.

"You must help me find these two children." Lusamine's tone was cold.

And this statement implicitly meant she agreed.

Compared to Cosmog, she was willing to bear such a small risk!

"Of course. Pleasant cooperation, Chairman Lusamine."

Gao Guang's smile deepened; watching the high-and-mighty Lusamine in this very displeased yet forced-to-bow state was quite interesting.

After exchanging a few more simple words, Lusamine left, claiming she had other matters to attend to.

"When a person has a weakness, they are really too easy to manipulate."

Gao Guang leaned lazily against the back of the chair, took a sip of red wine, and said indifferently.

How should one put it?

If Lusamine were not so desperate to retrieve Lillie and the small Nebula, she would absolutely never have agreed to such conditions.

"These two people must be Chairman Lusamine's children, right?"

Caitlin picked up the photo and took a look; it was easy to guess the relationship between them.

After all, whether it was Gladion or Lillie, both bore some resemblance to Lusamine.

But this made it even stranger, didn't it?

They were blood relatives, yet Lusamine was actually risking it to seek out a dark organization like Team Rocket to retrieve her own children.

"And... Gao Guang, Gladion is a member of the organization, isn't he?"

Caitlin looked at Gao Guang, the corners of her lips involuntarily rising slightly; she had never seen Gladion, but Gao Guang had mentioned Gladion when contacting Malva on organizational matters previously.

The meticulous Caitlin had remembered it.

"That's right. Gladion joined the organization a while ago." Gao Guang nodded.

As for telling Lusamine? Why tell her?

As for talking about lack of integrity and such, it was laughable; do you talk about transactional integrity with a dark organization?

Besides, Gao Guang would take Gladion to meet Lusamine, but not now; the current Lusamine was obsessed with the Ultra Space and Ultra Beasts, acting as if possessed.

Gladion's 'special attack' effect on the current Lusamine was not significant enough yet.

Only after Lusamine 'repents and reforms' will both Lillie and Gladion be the children Lusamine cares about immensely.

"Gao Guang, you are truly good at lying."

Gardelia recalled the conversation just now between Mamon and Lusamine and couldn't help but make such a remark.

But she didn't dislike it; on the contrary, with such status and position, if one isn't cunning, how can one grow strong and powerful?

"Find an opportunity, and we can completely take over the Aether Foundation; by then, the planning for Alola can take a huge leap forward."

Mamon's eyes flickered slightly; in his plan, Lusamine was a person he absolutely had to control, after all, no one was more suitable than her.

And the Aether Paradise was also a good place.

"Mm~"

Gardelia's fair and exquisite face wore a smile; her soft and clear response seemed to carry a hint of a nasal tone.

So cute.

Meanwhile, Mamon was already pondering how to use Lillie and Gladion to blackmail Lusamine back to normal when the time came.

Surely, for the sake of her deeply loved children, this great mother under normal circumstances would be willing to make sacrifices.

"I call you sister, and you call me dad? Hiss~ Isn't that a bit too stimulating?"

Mamon muttered to himself; he felt he shouldn't be the kind of person who would do such a thing... right?

"Mamon, did you say something just now?"

Gardelia was puzzled; Mamon's voice was too soft, and she hadn't heard clearly.

"Nothing, I was thinking about how to take down Lusamine."

"?"

(End of this chapter)