"How did your exam go?"
After finishing his own battle and leaving the examination hall, Renjiro sent a message to Shu Wan, genuinely curious about her results.
Shu Wan had taken her exam at Anhui University of Finance and Economics, a location different from Renjiro's. Their paths hadn't crossed during the practical exams, so Renjiro could only ask about her performance through a message.
A few moments later, Renjiro's phone vibrated with Shu Wan's reply.
[Shu Wan: Not bad at all! I scored 85 points. What about you?]
Renjiro smirked slightly at her response. His fingers danced over his phone screen as he typed back.
[Renjiro: I got full marks.]
It didn't take long for Shu Wan to respond. Just two minutes later, her excited message appeared.
[Shu Wan: That's amazing! Now I'm really curious. Who was unlucky enough to get matched with you? 🤭]
After her exam, Shu Wan had been scrolling through her phone, waiting for this very message from Renjiro. She could easily imagine the scene—her friend's opponent probably didn't stand a chance.
Renjiro let the corner of his mouth curl into a sly grin as he replied.
[Renjiro: Take a wild guess. It was someone I really wanted to meet.]
Shu Wan paused for a second, thinking about it. Then, almost without hesitation, she replied.
[Shu Wan: No way… It can't be… Cao Ruifeng? Or Logan? 🤭]
She knew about the history between Renjiro and those two. Both Cao Ruifeng and Logan had bullied Renjiro in the past, back when he was still trying to find his footing. Now that Renjiro had grown so much stronger, it made sense he'd want to face them.
[Renjiro: You're smarter than I thought. You guessed it on the first try. It was Cao Ruifeng.]
For a moment, Shu Wan stared at the screen in disbelief.
[Shu Wan: Are you serious?! 😲]
[Renjiro: Of course. Why would I lie about something like that?]
[Shu Wan: So… how many points did he get?]
[Renjiro: Three points.]
The moment Shu Wan read that number, she burst out laughing. She could just picture the expression on Cao Ruifeng's face as he realized how thoroughly Renjiro had bested him.
Cao Ruifeng, who always boasted about his strength and looked down on others, especially Renjiro… now reduced to a humiliating score of just three points.
[Shu Wan: Hahaha! Serves him right. He used to bully you so much. This is karma at its finest.]
She felt no sympathy for Cao Ruifeng. He had always been arrogant, always trying to push Renjiro down. Now he was getting exactly what he deserved.
[Shu Wan: By the way, what are your plans for the summer vacation?]
It was a natural question. The long-awaited break stretched nearly three months, the longest holiday they'd ever had since starting high school.
[Renjiro: I'm planning to make some money during the break.]
Renjiro's fingers paused briefly as he thought about the busy weeks ahead. Li Zhenhua had contacted him just the night before. The company was preparing to launch the Ultra Ball into the market, and everything was set to start rolling in Shuangyang City.
He would be involved in the initial stages, ensuring everything went smoothly. Once things were on track, he planned to step back, becoming more of a figurehead than an active manager.
And of course, there was the Rocket Team.
The current group was little more than a ragtag bunch—enthusiastic, but without true direction or strength. Renjiro intended to change that. He would train them, forge them into a real force to be reckoned with. His great ambitions couldn't wait. Once he began university and started seeking out Mew's information, he wouldn't have time for this anymore.
[Shu Wan: Good luck with that! 💪]
Reading Renjiro's message, Shu Wan felt a wave of admiration. She knew Renjiro didn't come from a wealthy background. To her, it seemed like he was planning to work hard over the summer to earn his tuition and living expenses.
[Renjiro: You too. Make the most of the break.]
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Logan had just finished his own exam. Without wasting a second, he messaged Cao Ruifeng.
[Logan: Boss, how did it go? Didn't you say you were in the same hall as Renjiro?]
Logan's curiosity burned. He remembered clearly how Cao Ruifeng had bragged about his chances, confident he'd show Renjiro who the better trainer was.
Cao Ruifeng stared at the message for a long time before finally replying.
[Cao Ruifeng: I lost. I lost to Renjiro, and it was a miserable defeat.]
He hesitated before typing that out, but there was no point in lying. The truth was too obvious, too heavy to hide.
[Logan: What?! No way! You actually matched up against Renjiro?!]
Logan was stunned. Out of so many candidates, what were the odds that his boss would end up facing the one opponent no one wanted?
[Cao Ruifeng: Yeah. And Teddiursa didn't earn a single performance point beyond the basic rating points.]
Cao Ruifeng felt hollow as he sent that message. Teddiursa had tried its best, but in front of Renjiro's Beedrill, it might as well have been standing still.
Logan's jaw dropped as he read the message. No performance points at all? That meant… at best, Cao Ruifeng had scraped together five points. But with only three, it was clear even that hope was dashed.
[Logan: Boss, it's not the end. Your family has money, right? Just throw some cash at the problem. Get into a school that way.]
He tried to lift Cao Ruifeng's spirits. From his perspective, this was just a bump in the road. With the right resources, they could still succeed.
But Cao Ruifeng's response was quiet, almost broken.
[Cao Ruifeng: Maybe… maybe I'm just not cut out to be a trainer.]
The words shocked Logan. His boss—the guy who had always talked about becoming a top trainer, who had trained Teddiursa diligently for three years—was now doubting himself.
The defeat had shaken him to his core.
[Logan: Come on, Boss. Don't say that. Renjiro is just… a monster. None of us can compete with him right now. That doesn't mean you give up.]
Logan typed frantically, trying to pull his friend back from the edge.
But Cao Ruifeng sighed as he stared at the message.
[Cao Ruifeng: You don't get it. You weren't there. You didn't feel what it was like to face him. It wasn't just that he was stronger. It was like… no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, I was nothing in front of him.]
Logan frowned, feeling helpless. But then, an idea hit him.
[Logan: Boss… what if there was a way to get stronger? What if there was an organization that could help us? Would you join?]
[Cao Ruifeng: What organization?]
[Logan: Team Rocket.]
Logan felt his heart race as he sent that final message. A few weeks ago, he would have laughed at the idea himself. But now, after experiencing what Team Rocket offered him—a generous sign-up bonus, promises of training, even powerful Pokémon—he believed.
And maybe, just maybe, Team Rocket could help Cao Ruifeng regain his confidence, too.
---