The inn Xia Hunao had arrived at was quite famous in Liuling University, mainly because, according to students, its success rate for finding partners was exceptionally high, with over a dozen couples seen leaving the establishment each year.
However, for Xia Hunao, a temporary lone wolf, being in such a place was a bit uncomfortable, as it would always remind him of Shen Yu.
After getting the room key from the proprietress, Xia Hunao dragged his tired body to the room. He opened the door, stepped inside, and then immediately retreated...
What was wrong with this inn? As Xia Hunao walked down the corridor, he had been about to praise it, thinking, "This inn is great, the soundproofing is excellent; I can't hear anything." But once inside the room, Xia Hunao regretted his words. Had all the soundproofing budget been used for the outer walls? Once you entered the room, it felt as if there were no walls at all!
With a dark expression, Xia Hunao went to find the proprietress. To his surprise, she replied matter-of-factly, "Young people have strong desires. Don't you understand? They're all students from the same school. Just bear with it."
Xia Hunao returned to his room, closed the door, and grumbled indignantly, "Next time I come, I'm bringing a Jigglypuff. As soon as I get in the room, I'll start singing. With Jigglypuff's singing power and this inn's soundproofing, not a single one of them will get any sleep!"
After a few curses, Xia Hunao collapsed onto the bed. He hadn't been able to sleep on the flight back at all. Even though he'd been woken by nightmares midway, he still couldn't sleep.
Sitting on the bed, staring blankly, Xia Hunao didn't realize when he had fallen asleep. When he woke up, it was the next day.
Xia Hunao, carrying his Poké Balls, first went to Tong Ruo's office. He cautiously peeked in from outside, checking if Tong Ruo was there. Tong Ruo, with a slight glance, spotted the sneaky Xia Hunao acting suspiciously: "What are you doing lurking there? Sneaking around, why don't you come in!"
Xia Hunao rubbed his hands together and entered the office, "Sister Ruo, I have some questions I'd like to ask. Can you answer them for me?"
Tong Ruo put down the document in her hand, "Oh? Questions? What questions do you have? Didn't you take a long leave specifically to resolve issues?"
Xia Hunao understood that Tong Ruo was displeased with him, as an assistant, for abandoning his post, even though he had taken a long leave...
"Sister Ruo, I wasn't..."
Unsure what unequal treaty Xia Hunao had signed, Tong Ruo's expression softened, "What do you want to ask?"
"Sister Ruo, does the League provide 24-hour protection for trainers in secret realms?"
Tong Ruo picked up the document again and placed it in front of her, "No. For junior trainers like you entering junior secret realms, it's unlikely for major incidents to occur. Even if staff are arranged, it's mainly to ensure there are no energy surges or similar issues. What's wrong? Why are you asking about this now?"
Xia Hunao shook his head, "Nothing, just asking. I did go to a secret realm for training, so I'm concerned about my safety."
Xia Hunao used this excuse to steer the conversation away. After a few more words with Tong Ruo, he went to the No. 6 Auditorium to check on the preparations for the Pokémon Contest.
Inside the No. 6 Auditorium, observing the interior that looked completely overturned, Xia Hunao slightly lifted his chin with his right hand, "Old Niu, if the conditions allowed, wouldn't you have loved to tear down and rebuild this little auditorium of ours as well?"
Xia Hunao had intended to be polite and express his surprise, but to his astonishment, Niu Lan'er actually nodded, "You're right. If the engineering budget you provided wasn't so limited, we would have truly wanted to tear down and rebuild this auditorium of yours. After all, the style inside is completely different from the outside."
Looking at the futuristic decoration style inside, Xia Hunao asked Niu Lan'er, "How about we black out the windows to see the effect?"
Niu Lan'er nodded and led Xia Hunao backstage, "This should be the main operating interface. You don't need a manual; you'll figure it out by playing around with it."
Xia Hunao looked at the rather large control console and asked, "No, aren't there any smaller remote controls or anything? You're not going to make me come backstage every time, are you? That would be too tiring."
Niu Lan'er took out a piece of paper from his pocket, "This, this is the phone number left by the company that installed the backstage control console. You can call them directly to inquire."
"Thanks a lot."
Xia Hunao eagerly took the slip of paper from Niu Lan'er, looked at the string of numbers written on it, and dialed, "Hello, is this Budaho Shi Technology?"
Xia Hunao always felt that with such an unlucky name, this company should have gone bankrupt, yet it inexplicably stood firm in the Liuling City market.
"Yes, I'm the receptionist at Budaho Shi Company. How may I assist you?"
"Oh, I'd like to inquire about the order you previously accepted for Liuling University..."
Before he could finish, the receptionist on the other end said, "Oh, the request from Liuling University? That was handled by our temporary worker, Xie Shun. He was fired by our company for embezzling project funds. If you need it, we can provide you with Xie Shun's contact information and assist you in claiming damages."
Xia Hunao was bewildered by the other party's response. He hadn't said anything yet, and they had already done something like this. This made Xia Hunao suspect that something was amiss.
However, Xia Hunao didn't intend to get involved. He just wanted to ensure his Pokémon Contest went smoothly.
He dialed Xie Shun's number and asked, "Hello, is this Mr. Xie Shun?"
A weak voice came from the other end, "Yes, I'm Xie Shun. What is it?"
"I'd like to ask, does the backstage control you previously made for Liuling University have a remote control?"
Xie Shun's voice remained unchanged, "No, but I can make one. Give me a moment, and I'll bring it to you."
Xia Hunao heard the static from the hanging up of the phone and pursed his lips, "Tsk, what can I say? I've never seen such a listless researcher before."
Despite sounding listless, as if on his deathbed, Xie Shun was incredibly capable. In less than half an hour, he handed Xia Hunao a finished remote control.
Looking at Xie Shun, who was wearing slippers, with messy hair, his clothes dirty and emitting a strange odor, Xia Hunao asked, "What were you busy with before you came over?"
"Nothing much, just fixing my car. Is that all? Then I'll be going."
Saying that, Xie Shun turned and left. Xia Hunao watched his retreating figure, unsure how to comment. After a long while, he said, "With his slow pace and his appearance, I really felt like killing him."
Niu Lan'er thought the same, "Indeed. If I had someone like that in my engineering team, I'd curse him to death."
However, looking at the remote control in his hand, Xia Hunao nodded, "Let's test it first. Please close the window."
Immediately after, strange noises from Xia Hunao echoed from within the No. 6 Auditorium. Rumors began to spread throughout Liuling University.
After spending the afternoon experimenting, Xia Hunao, satisfied, placed the remote control in the drawer for backstage operation. Then, he took out his phone and inquired in the group chat for Pokémon Contest participants.
Chairman Xia: "How is it, participants? How are your preparations coming along? Is there anything else our organizing committee needs to prepare? If so, remember to message me privately."
As soon as Xia Hunao posted, the atmosphere in the group immediately became lively, and Xia Hunao's private messages also started to buzz.
Xia Hunao replied to them one by one, and during lunch, he took the time to call Zhang Hong.
"Hello, Zhang Hong, have you finished what I asked you to do earlier?"
Zhang Hong, likely eating, replied indistinctly, "It's almost done. All that's left is to make the outer casing. How about you, have you applied for the patent yet?"
Xia Hunao panicked: Oh no, I was so focused on training in the secret realm that I forgot about registering the patent.
Despite his panic, Xia Hunao said self-righteously, "Of course! What kind of person do you think your boss, Xia, is? I've handled it perfectly."
Zhang Hong on the other end seemed to know something, "But I couldn't find it on the Pokémon League's official website."
Xia Hunao uttered a second lie to cover the first, "That's because we have something big going on. You know, your boss is an honorary researcher. I have certain special privileges to a certain extent. After all, I'm about to do something big, you understand?"
Zhang Hong was indeed fooled by Xia Hunao's explanation, "So that's how it is. Then there's no problem. I'll just wait to get paid and buy equipment."
"Then when will you deliver the item? I need it this Sunday."
"Don't worry, boss. You'll have it by Sunday, or I won't take any money!"
Hearing Zhang Hong dare to swear by his money, Xia Hunao knew it was a sure thing. As soon as he hung up the phone, he heard a woman behind him ask, "What special privileges do our honorary researcher have? I had no idea?"
Xia Hunao turned around to see Zheng Xiaoxiao and Tong Ruo standing very close to him. He quickly took two steps back, "Xia, Sister Xiaoxiao, why are you here?"
"I heard from Ruo Ruo that you were back, so I knew you'd come to see. How is it? Does this venue meet your expectations for the Pokémon Contest?"
Xia Hunao nodded, "Of course. I think this venue is absolutely amazing. Both the design of the venue and the on-site special effects are extraordinary."
Zheng Xiaoxiao smiled and nodded, "That's good. Now you don't have any excuses to change the subject. Tell me, what have you, our honorary researcher, concocted this time?"
Caught off guard by Zheng Xiaoxiao, Xia Hunao smiled awkwardly at the two older sisters, "Sisters, have you had lunch? Let's go to the cafeteria now."
Tong Ruo took out a plastic bag from behind her. Inside the bag was a lunchbox, "We've already eaten. This is for you. Now, tell us, what have you been up to?"