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Meyer's gaze settled on Jacob and the two masked figures standing beside him. His brows drew together tightly as he tried to gather every scrap of useful information from the scene, hoping to piece together their identities.
Unfortunately, the video feed offered nothing helpful. Beyond Jacob, the two mysterious figures, and a plain white wall behind them, there was absolutely nothing to work with.
"Champion Meyer, you need to make your decision quickly," Jacob said, his tone casual as he leaned back against the bed and shifted into a more comfortable position. "You only have one minute to think it over. There's a penalty for going overtime, though... hmm, I haven't decided what that penalty should be yet."
Jacob paused, tapping his finger against his chin in mock thoughtfulness. "How about this—for every minute you go over the time limit, we cut off one of Andrew's fingers?"
The playful manner in which Jacob delivered these words made Meyer's expression darken considerably.
Champion Meyer took a slow, deep breath. His face remained carefully composed, making it impossible for anyone to read his true emotions. When he finally spoke, his voice was firm and powerful. "I don't need to see your quote. Whatever amount you write down, I'll pay it."
"Well, well, how generous of you, Champion," Jacob replied, genuinely surprised by Meyer's immediate response. After a moment's consideration, though, he understood. If he had a son or daughter in this situation, he would likely respond the same way. "As expected from Champion Meyer himself."
Jacob then turned his attention to Andrew, a hint of mockery creeping into his tone. "Mr. Andrew, it's quite clear that Champion Meyer cares deeply about you. Congratulations—if nothing goes wrong, you should be able to return home alive and in one piece."
"Since Champion Meyer is being so cooperative, the quote I prepared is pointless now." As Jacob spoke, he casually tossed aside the note he'd been holding. "I might as well tell you directly what I want."
Watching Jacob's dismissive gesture, Meyer's face grew even more grim. It was obvious now that Jacob had been toying with him from the start. Even knowing this, Meyer had no choice but to swallow his anger. After all, Andrew's life was still in their hands.
"What do you want?" Meyer asked, his voice cold and measured.
"Do you happen to have a Legendary Pokémon?" Jacob asked with an almost flippant tone. "If you've got a Legendary Pokémon lying around, I can guarantee Andrew will make it safely back to the British Empire."
Listening to Jacob's mocking words, Meyer felt an overwhelming urge to reach through the screen and silence him permanently. A vein pulsed visibly on his forehead as he struggled to contain his rage. "No," he said through gritted teeth. "I don't have a Legendary Pokémon."
"Well, that's truly unfortunate," Jacob said, his voice dripping with exaggerated disappointment. "In that case, I'll need to think more carefully about what I want."
Jacob fell silent for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke again. "Alright, I've decided. Champion Meyer, for my first condition, I want a Pokémon—but not just any Pokémon. It must have at least Champion-level potential."
The demand was outrageous. Jacob was asking for a Pokémon with Champion-level aptitude, something incredibly rare and valuable.
"Absolutely not," Meyer refused without a moment's hesitation. "I can't obtain a Pokémon with Champion-level potential."
Pokémon with Champion-level aptitude were extraordinarily rare. Finding one was entirely a matter of luck. Some trainers searched their entire lives without ever encountering one, while others stumbled upon them almost by accident.
"Champion Meyer, don't be so quick to refuse," Jacob said, clearly having expected this response. He showed no signs of concern. "I'm not in any rush for this particular condition. You can take your time looking for one. Once you find it, we'll release Andrew. When you think about it, a single Pokémon with Champion-level potential is actually quite cheap—especially since I'm planning to return Barbaracle and all of Andrew's other Pokémon along with him."
"You can search at your own pace," Jacob continued smoothly. "If you don't find one in a day, take a month. If you don't find one in a month, take a year. After all, it's just one more mouth to feed and a few extra Pokémon to care for—we can certainly afford that much. We'll make the exchange whenever you finally locate one."
Meyer fell silent as Jacob's words sank in. Before he could formulate a response, Jacob spoke up again. "Actually, let me just lay out all my conditions at once. That'll be more efficient."
"The second condition is money—a substantial amount of money. I believe this should be the simplest request for someone in your position. The amount I'm asking for isn't excessive. I'll send you the details along with the account information later."
At Meyer's level of wealth and influence, money was indeed the least of his concerns. For someone of his caliber, money was practically just numbers on a screen.
If Champion Meyer wanted money, people would line up outside his door every single day, eager to hand it over to him.
"The third condition," Jacob continued, "is that I want a Duraludon. Its potential must be at least Heavenly King-level. I won't make things too difficult for you on this one. Of course, if you happen to have a Duraludon with Champion-level potential, you could give me that instead—it would satisfy both my first and third conditions at once."
"The fourth condition is that I want several S-rank items: a Cracked Pot, a Chipped Pot, an Auspicious Armor, a Malicious Armor, a Reaper Cloth, an Oval Stone..."
Jacob rattled off more than a dozen different items without pausing for breath. All of these items shared one characteristic—they were evolution items that allowed specific Pokémon to evolve.
Many of these items were virtually nonexistent in China and could only be found abroad. That's exactly why Jacob was seizing this opportunity to make such excessive demands. He was determined to obtain at least one of every S-rank evolution item available.
The second and third conditions weren't entirely unreasonable, but Meyer didn't even pause to consider the fourth condition. He refused immediately. "No. Even I cannot produce that many S-rank items."
"Champion Meyer, if you don't push yourself, how will you ever know what you're truly capable of?" Jacob replied with a smile. He had no intention of backing down. With Andrew in his custody, he held all the cards.
"You..." Meyer paused, suppressing his anger as he looked directly at Jacob. "What should I call you?"
Hearing Meyer's question, Jacob's lips curved upward slightly. He answered with deliberate mischief in his tone, "You can call me Giovanni."
Giovanni?
Meyer silently repeated the name in his mind. Although he knew with certainty that Giovanni was an alias, the name itself carried special significance in certain circles.
"Mr. Giovanni," Meyer said, looking directly at Jacob with a carefully controlled expression. "If you genuinely want a ransom, then I'm more than willing to pay it. However, if you continue making such unreasonable demands without any real intention to negotiate, I would rather not have this son at all."
"The Rockefeller family has no cowards!" Meyer's voice suddenly rose, becoming loud and stern. The words seemed directed at both Jacob and Andrew. "Andrew, do not disgrace the Rockefeller family. Remember that you are a member of the Rockefeller family—one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the British Empire!"
As Meyer's words washed over him, Andrew felt momentarily stunned. In that instant, memories flooded back—years of his father's earnest teachings and high expectations. His previously fearful and cowardly demeanor began to shift. A new sense of determination took root, and his eyes gradually became firm with resolve. "Father," Andrew said, his voice stronger than before, "the Rockefeller family are definitely not cowards."
Watching this transformation unfold, Jacob's brows furrowed slightly. If Meyer was truly prepared to abandon his son Andrew, it would be extremely problematic. Walking away empty-handed was not an option Jacob wanted to consider.
"Champion Meyer, let's take a brief break and continue this discussion in a few minutes," Jacob said decisively, immediately ending the video call. He turned to Raya, who stood beside him, and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "Andrew has regained his fighting spirit. I need to have one of the Pokémon give him some electrotherapy first—we'll increase the intensity this time. Wait here for me."
...
...
"Darkness covers all things, and I shall be the last ray of dawn breaking through that darkness, shattering it with thunder!" Jacob's clear voice rang out dramatically. "Go, Rotom—use Thunder Shock!"
A moment later, Andrew's agonized screams echoed through the room. The determination he had just built up shattered instantly under the assault.
"Ah! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" Andrew cried out desperately.