A middle-aged woman, dressed in a gorgeous kimono, with her hair coiled up, and appearing to be a housekeeper, was staring at them with scrutinizing eyes.
"You look very unfamiliar. Are you new here?" the female housekeeper asked, her tone unfriendly.
Laic quickly stepped in front of Jiang Han, immediately putting on a fawning smile and bowing deeply: "Yes, Madam Housekeeper, we just reported today and aren't very familiar with the rules yet."
The female housekeeper snorted coldly. The suspicion in her eyes hadn't lessened, but she didn't seem to find any flaws either.
She pointed her chin toward the other end of the corridor: "Since you're here, don't stand around. The kitchen just finished making the snacks the Master loves. You two, take them immediately to the Master's training room!"
"Remember, don't be clumsy. If you disturb the Master, you'll face the consequences!"
Having said that, she turned and left, the sound of her high-heeled wooden clogs tapping the floor gradually fading away in the empty corridor.
Jiang Han and Laic exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of surprise and... ecstasy in the other's eyes.
Someone really brought a pillow right when they were feeling sleepy.
They were worried about not finding the core figure, and now they had been directly pointed down a clear path leading to their ultimate goal?
"Let's go, to the kitchen." Jiang Han lowered his voice, a slight curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Perfect. I also want to see how the delicacy that even Violet Company couldn't handle is actually made." Excitement also flickered in Laic's eyes.
This messy situation seemed even more interesting than they had imagined.
The two circled around to the back of the mansion and located the kitchen.
Before they even got close, a strange smell drifted into their nostrils.
It was the aroma of food, mixed with a faint scent of ozone, like the smell of post-rain air concentrated a thousandfold.
The two exchanged glances, both having a guess in their hearts.
The kitchen door was slightly ajar. Instead of using the main entrance, they circled to a window and quietly peered inside.
The sight before them made even Laic, who was accustomed to Team Rockets' various experiments, pause slightly.
This was no kitchen; it was clearly a small extraction factory!
Steam billowed within the massive space.
Dozens of metal cages were lined up in rows, holding various Electric-type Pokémon.
There were listless Pikachu, Mareep with dull eyes, and Magnemite motionless in their cages.
Fine wires were connected to their bodies, all converging on a large, humming machine.
The machine was continuously extracting the electricity from their bodies. Through a pipe on the other end, streams of energy liquid, flickering with faint electric light, were precisely injected into the freshly cooked three delicacies noodles on the adjacent production line.
The moment the noodles came into contact with the energy liquid, they were stained with a faint golden halo, and the tempting aroma became even richer.
This was the secret of the so-called "electric three delicacies noodles."
There was no secret recipe at all; there was only the most barbaric and blatant exploitation of Pokémon.
"These Pokémon probably won't live much longer," Laic murmured, his tone devoid of discernible emotion.
Jiang Han's gaze swept over the numb-eyed Pokémon, his expression utterly impassive.
"Indeed, but they had better not die so easily."
Hearing this, Laic tilted his head and glanced at him. "What, are you getting soft-hearted?"
Jiang Han's mouth twitched, the curve as cold as a knife's edge.
"Soft-hearted?" He scoffed. "These Pokémon are already highly skilled in the process. If we can capture them alive and bring them back to Team Rockets, they can be put straight into production, saving a large chunk of training costs."
"..."
Laic was silent for two seconds, then shook his head helplessly, wearing an expression that said, "I knew you'd say that."
As expected of you, Jiang Han.
Truly maximizing the utilization of resources.
The two did not linger here. After understanding the situation, they turned and returned to the corridor.
They hadn't forgotten their task. They took a plate of exquisite snacks from a genuine kitchen helper nearby.
The snacks were placed on a wooden tray, emitting a sweet, rich fragrance.
"The Master's training room is at the end of the corridor. Just place the snacks outside the door, and don't go in and disturb him," a passing chef instructed them.
"Understood." Jiang Han nodded in response.
The two carried the tray and walked unhurriedly toward the depths of the corridor.
The door to the training room soon appeared before them. It was a massive pair of double wooden doors, dark brown in color, with a smooth surface devoid of any wood grain—clearly not ordinary material.
Beside the door stood a servant responsible for guiding people.
Seeing Jiang Han and Laic approach, he pointed to a small wooden table next to the door: "Put it here, then you can leave."
Jiang Han and Laic put the tray down, but showed no intention of leaving. Instead, they examined the large door with interest.
The servant frowned, feeling that these two newcomers didn't understand the rules.
He turned around, just about to speak a reprimand.
"Why are you still..."
Before he could finish, a precise hand chop landed on the back of his neck.
The servant didn't even groan, his eyes rolled up, and he collapsed softly.
Jiang Han withdrew his hand.
Laic gave him a thumbs-up. Then the two exchanged glances, no longer hesitating, and directly pushed open the heavy wooden door.
"Creak—"
The wooden door made a dull sound and slowly swung inward.
A wave of heat mixed with sweat and a strong smell of static electricity rushed out.
The training room was enormous inside. The floor and walls were covered in scorch marks of varying depths, and the air was filled with a faint smell of electric sparks.
In the center of the room, a burly, muscular old man stood with his back to them.
His upper body was bare, his bronze skin covered in scars, and he exuded a powerful aura.
Standing before him was an Ampharos, much larger than its ordinary counterparts, standing with its eyes closed. Arcs of electricity slithered like spiritual snakes across its golden skin, making soft "crackling" sounds.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, the old man slowly turned around.
When he saw the two sets of servant clothes on Jiang Han and Laic, his brow instantly furrowed into a knot, and undisguised anger and contempt burst forth from his eyes.
"Two servants?"
Fumino Go's voice was deep and explosive, filled with the majesty of a superior.
"Who taught you your manners? How dare you enter my training room without permission!?"
As his voice fell, a powerful aura instantly enveloped the entire room.
Laic, however, acted as if he hadn't felt it, and instead let out a sneer.
He casually took off the hat on his head and threw it on the ground, revealing his signature blonde hair, a devil-may-care smile on his face.
"Old man, who the hell is your servant?"
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his foot and kicked the plate of snacks they had just placed on the table by the door!
"Bang!"
The exquisite snacks and wooden tray shattered in the air, scattering across the floor.
Laic grinned, showing his white teeth, his eyes filled with provocation and killing intent.
"I'm here to take you out!"