"Tomorrow, I'll see just how many surprises the Pokémon's inner voices and the System's scanning can bring me."
Feng Che lay on his bed, lost in thought for a long time before eventually drifting off to sleep.
In the middle of the night, he was jolted awake by a growling stomach. Rubbing his belly, he realized he had fallen asleep without eating dinner. He managed to endure until 6:00 AM—the official opening time for the Team Rocket cafeteria.
After washing up and changing into his black Team Rocket uniform, a handsome, sharp-featured youth stared back at him from the bathroom mirror.
As soon as he stepped into the cafeteria, he was greeted by the heavy aroma of various foods. Team Rocket followed a "wolf-like" corporate culture, but when it came to basic amenities, Giovanni was surprisingly generous. The sight of hundreds of dishes caused Feng Che's saliva to secrete rapidly.
Despite starving all night, he maintained his composure, selecting only a moderate amount of food. The breakfast buffet was a bargain—it cost only 1 credit to eat your fill. Comparing this to the prices of everything else, Feng Che finally understood what a "fortune" his accumulated credits truly represented.
He ordered a bowl of Zhajiang noodles, a plate of fried dough sticks, and a bottle of Moomoo Milk. The milk carried an extra fee due to its high nutritional value. Finding a secluded corner, he began to savor his meal slowly.
Before long, the cafeteria was packed. Feng Che pricked up his ears to listen to the chatter of the other members.
"Hey, did you hear? During the cultural exams, a 'god-tier' reserve member appeared. Full marks in every single subject!"
"Perfect scores across the board? My god... that's 100 bonus credits per class. That's 1,300 credits in total!"
"Talk about overnight wealth. I'm almost tempted to go mug him. I'd have to complete ten high-rank missions just to see that kind of money."
"Word is the higher-ups are protecting his file, so we can't find out who it is. But it doesn't matter; we know he's a reserve. We just have to ask around the trainee barracks. I bet it's some four-eyed nerd."
Feng Che watched as a man at the table next to him, who was wearing a pair of old glasses and looked exactly like a "nerd," silently took off his spectacles and tucked them into his pocket. This man had strikingly beautiful eyes, clear as the stars, hinting at a deep hidden intelligence.
Across the room, several other reserve members wearing glasses also quietly swapped them for contacts. No one wanted to be the target of a "nerd hunt."
"Actually, I think the guy is probably a genius. He'd look like one of those naturally gifted prodigies."
"Exactly. We shouldn't look for nerds; we should look for someone who looks exceptionally sharp. A mere bookworm couldn't pull off scores like that."
The conversation shifted instantly toward identifying anyone who looked "wise." Feng Che watched as the man next to him silently pulled his glasses back out and put them back on.
"We'll just keep a close eye on the training sessions. Whoever stands out the most is our guy," someone suggested.
"If you aren't afraid of offending the boss backing him, go ahead and keep playing your games," a voice cut in.
Feng Che looked up. It was Jessica, leisurely picking at a salad.
"Jessica, you must know who it is. You were on duty at the registration window," a petite Rocket girl said, clinging to Jessica's arm.
"I told you, I don't know. People like that usually have heavy hitters behind them. If I had to guess, though, it's probably a Psychic-type human. Only a Psychic could use their mental powers to achieve perfect recall of that much information."
"Of course! That has to be it. He's a Psychic!"
"We just need to check which of the recruits has psychic potential."
"Yeah! Once we find him, we'll force him to hand over the credits by any means necessary."
Jessica had intentionally thrown them a curveball. By pointing them toward searching for a "Psychic," she ensured they would only find the wrong people.
Feng Che noticed the man at the next table was now sweating bullets.
Oh man... don't tell me this guy actually is a Psychic, Feng Che thought with a twinge of sympathy. Run, my little scapegoat. Run.
While Feng Che could hear the hearts of Pokémon, he couldn't hear the hearts of humans. However, the anxiety in the man's eyes was clear as day. The guy was likely terrified.
Feng Che remained calm, finishing his noodles and washing them down with the Moomoo Milk. A warm current surged from his stomach through his limbs.
Moomoo Milk really is something else. If I can, I should raise a Miltank that produces high-quality milk.
After finishing, he walked slowly toward the assembly point. Even though it wasn't time yet, the area was already teeming with people huddled in small groups.
Small cliques are already forming, Feng Che noted. The idea of teaming up isn't wrong, but if the power balance isn't right, it leads to disaster. These groups will eventually turn into hierarchies—big fish eating small fish, and small fish eating shrimp, until even the shrimp are gone. That's the unique ecosystem of Team Rocket.
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