The saying "Good news travels fast, bad news travels even faster" held especially true for Xia Huanao. The news of how Yu Mou had sneakily gotten the better of him spread like wildfire and was soon known to Meng Tianya and others. This information even came through the Minglong Nation's embassy.
Although Yu Longdu called Xia Huanao as soon as his phone was switched on to inquire about his condition, the mere sight of Yu Longdu's name on the screen gave Xia Huanao a headache. Usually, if Yu Longdu knew something, Shen Yu would soon follow. Moreover, this wasn't a strictly confidential matter like their competition for mineral veins, meaning the whole world was likely to know.
Xia Huanao reluctantly answered the call: "Hello, is that A'Du? I know what you're going to say. I'm fine. First, tell me if Xiao Yu knows. If Xiao Yu doesn't know, then you don't need to tell her."
Yu Longdu shook his head on the other end of the line, "She doesn't. At least, Shen Yu hasn't gotten any news from me yet. Since you said so, I naturally won't let her worry about you. But speaking of which, you're something else, aren't you? All sorts of bad luck seem to find their way to you."
Xia Huanao chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Let me tell you, to encounter trouble in the world and to basically come out unscathed from any major mishap, that's the treatment only a protagonist gets. Ordinary people can only dream of it, alright? But you're not just calling to check on me, are you? You must be really bored."
"Of course not. You caused Meng Tianya to nag us quite a bit about paying attention to your safety. While theoretically, no one on this island would dare to lay a hand on us, it's easier to dodge an open spear than a hidden arrow."
It was evident from Yu Longdu's tired tone when discussing the matter that Meng Tianya had been incessantly repeating himself. Xia Huanao feigned concern, "You're the one who's truly pitiful. He wouldn't come over and lecture me too, would he?"
As he was speaking, Meng Tianya's voice could be heard from the other end of the phone, "Not necessarily. With your abilities, you can usually handle self-preservation and escape. And I trust your strategic thinking. The best way to prevent you from participating in the competition isn't to target you, but Shen Yu."
Xia Huanao smiled, "I think so too. But our Xiao Yu should be safer than me now, right?"
"Naturally. We've also deployed high-level protection for the families of all participating members, to put your mind at ease."
...
After some idle chat with Meng Tianya, Xia Huanao finally braced himself for the most difficult hurdle of the day: Shen Yu's dreaded phone call. Xia Huanao stared at the time displayed on his phone screen in silence. Calculating the time difference, it must be past midnight in Minglong Nation. She could really call now.
Xia Huanao reluctantly connected the second call, and Shen Yu's concerned questions came rushing in: Where are you? Are you okay? When are you coming back?
Xia Huanao's answers were a well-rehearsed routine honed over years of cooperation with Shen Yu: Can't say, Should be fine, Don't know.
Shen Yu pouted on the other end, "It's always like this. Ever since we were little, you've always kept things from me..."
Xia Huanao quickly explained, "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. I just got out. Speaking of which, you're quite well-informed. Who told you about this?"
Shen Yu replied, "It was A'Du. A'Du just called me and told me."
Xia Huanao was momentarily stunned, then gritted his teeth and began to curse Yu Longdu, "That scoundrel, always stirring up trouble for me. Just wait until I find some time to deal with him..."
This call lasted for several hours. Although Xia Huanao wanted to hang up, Shen Yu wouldn't allow it. In the end, she only let him go after his phone battery died.
Xia Huanao hung up the phone, a smile on his face. Although Shen Yu was initially concerned about his safety, as the call progressed, he found himself on the defensive, reassuring her.
After ending the call, Xia Huanao sat on the bed, munching on a sandwich and contemplating the situation. Shen Yu had told him that Yu Longdu sold the information. While Yu Longdu could be unreliable at times, if he claimed he didn't leak anything, then theoretically, he was trustworthy.
The news dissemination in Minglong Nation was quite sophisticated. For a major event like this, if Xia Huanao wished, official news reports would only cover the extradition of the fugitive Yu Mou, completely obscuring Xia Huanao's involvement. Therefore, anyone who knew about his conflict with Yu Mou should only be members of the team, excluding Mu Zhishui, who had already left the island to find Green Flash.
Among the remaining team members who had Xia Huanao's contact information were Chu Xiaodie, Meng Tianya, Zheng Xiaoxiao, and Yu Longdu. Although Yu Rui was also familiar with Shen Yu, there was no need for her to know about such matters in principle, so she could essentially be ruled out. Among the remaining four, Yu Longdu had already been implicated, leaving only three options.
Meng Tianya was a long-standing official who didn't speak much, so it was unlikely he would specifically inform Shen Yu about such matters. As for Zheng Xiaoxiao, even if she had told Shen Yu, given Sister Xiaoxiao's authoritative stance over Xia Huanao, there was no reason for her to keep it from Shen Yu. Thus, it seemed...
After thinking for a long time, Xia Huanao decided not to dwell on it. After all, it wasn't a major issue, just causing Shen Yu some worry. Xia Huanao's top priority now was to find Aurora.
He glanced outside; it had grown dark again in Fenshui. This meant it was time to enjoy the so-called Fenshui nightlife. However, he had been awake for over ten hours since getting up this morning. If he were to pull another all-nighter for nightlife and Aurora, this young man would likely be done for. With that thought, Xia Huanao closed his eyes, took a deep breath, locked his door, and lay down on the bed, setting an alarm before falling asleep.
At 1:30 AM, the alarm rang insistently. Xia Huanao jolted awake, quickly got dressed, and headed out. As he passed the front desk on the first floor, he saw the Fenshui attendant looking at him with a resentful expression, as if he had abandoned her. Xia Huanao smiled at her, then left the Duoduo Ice Hotel to search for the day's Aurora.
As soon as Xia Huanao exited the hotel, the same people he had noticed at the airport began to follow him again. However, they only dared to trail from a distance, as Xia Huanao's departure time was rather ungodly.
Xia Huanao searched for Aurora in Fenshui all night, but to no avail.
Unlike Xia Huanao's search for Aurora, which was at times thrilling and at other times utterly tedious, Mu Zhishui's journey was remarkably smooth. After all, she was looking for Green Flash in the sunset, not the Northern Lights at dawn. The rarity was completely different.
Although Rockruff missed the final evolutionary opportunity for Green Flash on the first day's twilight, it did not dampen Mu Zhishui's spirits. She continued her search for Green Flash with a leisurely attitude.
With an address obtained from Xia Huanao, she boarded a ship and set sail for Fenshui's offshore islands. Although Rockruff was scolded by Mu Zhishui, it was still held by Magearna, who sat beside her.
The ship Mu Zhishui was traveling on was a piece of advanced technology from Rainbow Star Group. Although it was a yacht, its speed could reach an astonishing level, close to thirty-five knots, which was a significant blow to the shipbuilding industry of Lingyao Star.
This yacht, capable of traveling at thirty-five knots, reached the Fenshui offshore island mentioned by Xia Huanao in just one day. Although this island belonged to Fenshui, Fenshui seemed to pay little attention to it. After consulting nautical charts and confirming her destination, Mu Zhishui specifically had the ship circle the entire island but found no signs of human activity.
Mu Zhishui investigated and discovered that the island originally did not belong to Fenshui. However, after the fifth large-scale Pokémon discovery, Fenshui's Water-type Pokémon flourished. Furthermore, according to a certain Fenshui geographer, the island possessed abundant Pokémon resources, so Fenshui invested heavily to acquire it.
However, it turned out that the island did not hold the resources Fenshui so coveted. Since Fenshui had already acquired the island, selling it would seem foolish. Thus, they simply kept it as an offshore territory. Anyone willing to visit was welcome, with no entry fees.
Mu Zhishui believed that this approach was partly due to Fenshui's inability to manage affairs there and partly because the island genuinely held little value. It had no research value, no military value, and not even any tourist appeal.
However, these were not issues Mu Zhishui needed to consider. After sailing around the island twice, Mu Zhishui finally found a relatively suitable landing spot and quickly directed her ship to approach.
Upon docking at the shore, Mu Zhishui disembarked and first surveyed the island's terrain, then returned to her yacht. While the shore could accommodate the ship, the Rainbow Star Group's yacht was undoubtedly more suitable for resting.
Back on the ship, Mu Zhishui intended to report her findings to Xia Huanao. However, she glanced at the sky and, after calculating the time difference, realized it was likely deep night in Fenshui. She decided not to disturb his sweet dreams. Little did she know that Xia Huanao had already adjusted his biological clock and fully transitioned into a night owl, scouring Fenshui for Aurora. Nor did she know that deep within the island's forest, a group of eyes had already set their sights on Mu Zhishui, the plump sheep.