Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 320 Bamboo Orchid: Isn't that too much?! My body won't be able to handle it!

Just as Zhu Lan was having a headache over the Galaxy Archaeological Team, the office door was suddenly pushed open with a "bang".

Her grandmother, Dr. Mustard, burst in and slammed a huge stack of documents onto Bamboo Orchid's large desk.

The tremor caused several pens to roll to the ground.

"Zhu Lan! Quick! Look at these!"

Dr. Jiezilan eagerly pulled out a few sheets from the pile of documents and spread them out in front of Zhulan.

Those were several high-resolution printed images, containing the ancient and mysterious emblem symbols from the Three Realms stage in the Pokémon games.

The key points were carefully marked in red next to the picture, and there were also handwritten notes next to it.

"Look here! And here too!"

Dr. Mustard Blue pointed to the details of the emblem, his eyes shining.

"After careful comparison, I found that these patterns in the game match extremely closely with the ancient totems and mural fragments I've collected over the decades from ancient ruins throughout Sinnoh!"

"These correspond to the three core figures in the Sinnoh mythos system—Dialga, the God of Time; Palkia, the God of Space; and—Giratina, the Lord of the Distortion World!"

She looked up at Zhu Lan.

"This means that the process of Arceus creating the world depicted in the Pokémon games is very likely not fictional, but based on some forgotten history or tradition!"

She became more and more excited as she spoke, and pulled out another picture, which was the character design of Arceus in the game.

"Even, look!"

"Arceus's depiction in the game is similar to the image of the creator god depicted on the oldest and best-preserved starting altar in the Sinnoh region —"

"There is an astonishing degree of consistency in the expression, posture, and especially the wheel-like object at the waist that symbolizes a thousand kinds of power!"

"This is no mere coincidence! It's almost as if that's His true appearance!"

She grabbed Zhu Lan's hand, her eyes burning with passion.

"This was all the work of that kid, right? The one you're so interested in! Oh, no, now we should call him Dr. Shiraishu!"

"You should contact him right away! Our Shenhe Town Historical Research Institute can provide him with a wealth of previously unpublished ancient documents and rubbings of historical sites as evidence!"

"Help him corroborate these mythological systems, publish them as authoritative papers, and truly record and preserve these potentially lost histories!"

Zhu Lan stared blankly at her grandmother, who was so excited that she was almost incoherent, for a moment before a gentle smile appeared on her face.

She gently grasped her grandmother's slightly trembling hand and said soothingly, "Grandmother, please don't get so agitated. Sit down and talk slowly. I understand what you mean."

Zhu Lan got up, first helping Dr. Jie Zilan to sit on the sofa next to her, and then poured her a cup of hot tea.

Then he took the comparative data, looked at it carefully, and was secretly amazed at the accuracy with which Bai Zhou had restored these ancient secrets in the game design.

This goes beyond the scope of "game settings" and is more like a rigorous academic research project.

"Don't worry."

Zhu Lan carefully put the documents away, her tone calm.

"Once I finish dealing with these urgent alliance matters, I will immediately contact Dr. Bai Zhou to discuss these matters in detail."

"Cross-referencing ancient documents is crucial for perfecting and verifying his theoretical system. I think he would value it highly and be very grateful for your help."

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She paused briefly and added a sentence.

"However, he seems to be busy with the all-around competition in the Johto region lately, so he's probably quite busy—"

"Oh, I see—you're busy with the competition—"

Upon hearing this, Dr. Mustard's excitement subsided somewhat, and he muttered a word of disappointment.

But soon, as if she remembered something more important, she frowned, took a step forward, grabbed Zhu Lan's hand, and her expression became unusually serious.

"Zhulan, it's not that your grandmother is nagging, but you need to—hurry up."

"You're not young anymore. Bai Zhou is talented, and his character—I think he's quite good too. He's good-looking enough to be a good match for you. Most importantly, you two can get along really well!"

"Young people like this are incredibly rare these days! You absolutely mustn't underestimate them!"

She looked at her outstanding granddaughter with eyes full of concern.

"Grandma really likes him, so you mustn't miss out on him because of your slow pace, okay?"

"Grandma, what nonsense are you spouting now!"

Zhu Lan's cheeks flushed red instantly, as if they were dyed with the sunset glow on the horizon.

Her gaze was somewhat unfocused, and she dared not look her grandmother in the eye. Her voice unconsciously softened, tinged with a rare shyness, as she protested softly, "He and I—we're really just friends, academic colleagues, please don't misunderstand—"

"Friend? Hmph, don't I know you too well?"

Dr. Mustard Blue snorted, his tone carrying the knowing wisdom of someone who's been there and a hint of mockery.

"The way you looked at him when he gave his speech, and the tone of your voice when you talked about him to me afterward—were you just friends?"

She paused, then adopted a more realistic tone, speaking earnestly.

"You need to understand how difficult it is to find a truly outstanding partner in this day and age who shares your interests and can understand and support your career!"

"Not to mention people like you, whose values, hobbies, and even areas of knowledge overlap significantly!"

"He's now a rising star in academia, the world-renowned Dr. Shiraishu!"

"Look at yourself again!"

I?

Do I have a problem?

Zhu Lan was a little confused and subconsciously looked down at her figure and attire.

It should be convex where it should be convex, concave where it should be concave, and tender where it should be tender — cough cough.

In short, she felt she was quite capable, and that someone probably liked her a lot too.

Dr. Mustard looked his granddaughter up and down, and then began to "criticize" her.

"You're only decent enough for this championship title; everything else about you is absolutely terrible!"

"Even making the simplest dish turns the kitchen into a scene from a Pokémon battle; their life skills are practically zero!"

"To be honest, if things go well, you're actually marrying above your station!"

"And also—"

Dr. Mustard lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of imparting a secret.

"You're too shy, too proud, and sometimes too stubborn. When it comes to relationships, you sometimes have to be a little more proactive!"

"There are plenty of beautiful, smart, and proactive girls out there. If you always remain so lukewarm, someone else will snatch them away, and you'll regret it later."

As the grandmother got more and more excited, the topic had completely veered from academic collaboration to "marriage-urging strategies" and "the battle for grandson-in-law".

Zhu Lan felt both embarrassed and amused, and quickly pulled over a chair to sit next to her.

They refilled her tea and gently massaged her shoulders, trying to stop her from continuing to "output" through their actions.

If I don't interrupt her, she'll soon turn me into a "leftover woman" who can't do anything but fight and has no charm!

"Grandma, please have some tea to calm down and soothe your throat. Please say less."

Zhu Lan used a "coquettish" tone, her voice so sweet it could drip honey.

Unfortunately, this trick had little effect on Dr. Mustard.

The old lady picked up her teacup, blew on it, took a sip, then looked up at Zhu Lan with piercing eyes and posed a question that struck at the heart of the matter.

"Alright, Grandma won't nag anymore. Just tell Grandma the truth—"

'

She stared into Zhu Lan's somewhat flustered eyes and asked, word by word.

"Do you actually like that child?"

"I----"

Zhu Lan was taken aback by this blunt question, and all the prepared "friendship theory" and "collaboration theory" instantly got stuck in her throat.

Like?

Many images involuntarily flashed through her mind.

A composed profile at the summit, relaxed laughter during late-night online gaming, the occasional glimpse of a deep gaze, and even that reassuring composure in times of crisis—

A warm and slightly itchy feeling quietly welled up from the softest part of my heart and quickly spread to every part of my body.

It made her feel slightly dizzy.

Is this liking someone?

She wasn't sure.

A champion's mind can analyze the most complex battle situations and decipher the most obscure ancient texts.

But at this moment, I felt an unprecedented confusion and—a secret sweetness—about this vague feeling in my heart.

She wasn't sure if this was what textbooks defined as "liking," but her heart was already racing uncontrollably.

Thump, thump—

Seeing the obvious wavering and confusion in her granddaughter's eyes, Dr. Mustard glared at her irritably.

"Hmph, not honest at all! Just like your grandfather back in the day!"

She decided to add fuel to the fire by throwing out the ultimate "interrogation".

"Then—Grandma, let me ask you another question."

"If, and I mean if, that child suddenly stood in front of you now, holding a ring, and very earnestly proposed to you—"

Dr. Mustard deliberately slowed his speech as he described the scene.

"What would you do? Say yes or no?"

Please, please, please—a marriage proposal?!

This word was like a bolt of lightning, striking into Zhu Lan's chaotic thoughts!

An absurd yet incredibly vivid image unfolded uncontrollably in my mind!

It was a quiet and warm afternoon, with sunlight streaming into the ward through the white curtains.

It seemed as if I had just gone through a long and exhausting "battle" and was slowly waking up from a deep sleep.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Bai Zhou sitting by the bed, holding a tiny baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, sleeping soundly.

He turned his head to the side, looked down at the child, and had an incredibly gentle smile on his lips, a smile that looked particularly charming in the sunlight.

Then he noticed she was awake, turned his head, met her gaze, and spoke in a voice as soft as a feather.

"Awake? Look, this is our little one, the eleventh—isn't he adorable?"

"Mmm...cute..."

She responded unconsciously with a soft murmur, her face radiating the gentle smile of a new mother.

The next second, she suddenly realized something was wrong!

"No! That's not right!!!"

Zhu Lan suddenly broke free from this overly "prolific" and outrageous delusion.

She jumped up from the chair as if she had been burned, her face instantly turning as red as a ripe fruit.

White steam, symbolizing "overheating," was even visibly rising from above!

She frantically fanned herself with her hands, trying to cool down her head which was burning up.

Ten, eleven?!

That's too much! Your body won't be able to handle it!

Even hatching Pokémon eggs doesn't happen this fast!

No! That's not the point!

What kind of crazy things am I even imagining?!

Dr. Mustard:

The old lady watched speechlessly as her granddaughter reacted with surprise and overreaction, clearly thinking of something strange, and silently finished her tea.

I found it both funny and a little helpless.

Alright, it seems there's no need to ask anymore.

This reaction says it all.

This child probably doesn't even fully understand his own thoughts yet.

"Alright, alright, look at you, so pathetic."

She shook her head, stood up, and patted off non-existent dust from her clothes.

"Oh, by the way, were you having a headache about the Galactic Archaeology Team just now?"

"Before I came, Wusong specifically asked me to tell you that the people he sent to keep watch reported that the Galaxy Archaeological Team had withdrawn from Tianguan Mountain today."

"However, according to Wusong's analysis, their operation doesn't seem to have been entirely fruitless; it appears they've 'hit' a specific target."

"They've already sent people to the city, so you need to pay close attention to this matter and coordinate things properly within the alliance."

She walked to the door, then looked back at Zhu Lan, who was still trying to cool her cheeks, and left with a meaningful remark.

Sometimes, only by stopping can you see what you truly want. Don't wait until it's too late to regret it.

The office door was gently closed with a soft "click".

In the spacious champion's office, only Zhu Lan remained.

She slowly lowered her hand from the fan, the blush on her face not yet completely gone.

She walked to the window, gazing at the tranquil night scene of Shenhe Town and the blurry outline of Tianguan Mountain in the distance. Her eyes were somewhat unfocused as she fell into a long reverie.

My emotions were like the surface of a lake where a pebble had been thrown in; ripples spread outwards, and I could not calm down for a long time.

After a long while, she made up her mind, walked back to her desk, and picked up her personal cell phone.

My finger hovered over the screen for a moment, and finally, I gently tapped the number that I had long memorized.

"Contractor: White Boat"

Special Abilities: Superpower, Intimidation, Superpowers

「掌握技能：神话学Lv.5、武道Lv.5、厨艺Lv.3、编程Lv.3、钓鱼Lv3、能量方块製造技术Lv.5]

"Assets: 15121 BP (expected to grow to 21112 BP based on the impact)"

System Evaluation: Super Donghuang Man (Your overall abilities have surpassed the norm)

Bai Zhou scanned his personal panel, his gaze lingering for a moment, especially on the string of slightly fluctuating numbers following "Assets".

The corners of his rebellious mouth curled up in an uncontrollable, slight arc.

It can't be suppressed, it's simply impossible to suppress!

You should know that when he first returned to the capital, he only had a little over three thousand BP points in his pocket, and he was penniless.

How long has it been?

My assets skyrocketed to 15,000, and are about to break the 20,000 mark!

really!

The decision to put that mysterious alpaca into the game and have it "become more approachable" and "spread the glory of creation" was absolutely correct!

The point is to make this "mortal scum (crossed out) the great creator god Arceus work hard for him and make him money!"

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