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Chapter 111 Looking Back and Present

The commotion surrounding the points-based tournament has finally subsided, and various topics about the rookie tournament main event are now generating buzz.

Meanwhile, in the information department of the Poké Ball Building, Lin Dao, after reviewing the battle videos of the last batch of shortlisted players and confirming that everything was correct, uploaded the results and waved goodbye to his colleagues in the information department who had stayed up all night.

"You've all worked hard. Go back and get some rest. You'll have a few days off in the next few days."

Colleagues yawned and left one after another, and the huge office area suddenly became quiet.

Lin Dao left the office area and headed to his private office. He did not take the elevator and planned to walk there alone.

He sent Pikachu and the others home to rest early last night, and now they are surrounded only by the crisp morning air.

The chill of the season is already quite noticeable. I strolled over to the metal railing on the side of the building that connects to the skywalk.

When you place your hand on it, it feels icy cold.

The sky was still dark, and the sun was just beginning to appear on the eastern horizon.

The city was still asleep, with only a few scattered lights and automatic cleaning vehicles slowly passing by.

Almost a year.

As Lin Dao gazed at the gradually brightening sky, he suddenly realized that he had been in this familiar yet unfamiliar world for almost a year.

The date for the rookie competition was decided after repeated deliberation by him, Shen Yu'er, and Zhao Lan, and was deliberately placed after an important traditional festival.

At that time, people's holidays had just begun, their attention was most focused and relaxed, and they were most able to immerse themselves in the excitement and anticipation brought by a grand event.

Looking back on the past year, from explaining Pokémon to Li Hao by the campfire at the riverside campsite to calming Salamence's anger; from the nervousness of facing a national live broadcast for the first time to the miracle of New Edge City rising from nothing; from being alone to now having a team that trusts each other and followers all over the country—the steps have been fast, and the results seem to be good.

But Lin Dao knew in his heart how much of this "smoothness" was due to luck.

Choosing China as the landing site, a nation with a unique inclusiveness and collective spirit at its core of civilization, is the first stroke of luck.

The timing of its arrival was the second and most crucial stroke of luck, precisely during a window of opportunity when various countries were filled with suspicion and uncertainty due to the mysterious "player" and the subsequent threat from Sidson, and dared not act rashly.

He recalled that a few months ago, at a high-level briefing, Zhao Lan had shown him some of the declassified documents.

The cold, hard text and data in the document paint a picture of the world during the first three months after Pokémon's arrival.

Global panic, military standoffs, local conflicts, and the immense strategic anxiety among high-ranking officials in various countries after seeing the "Pokémon World Information Stream".

The almost catastrophic destructive power displayed by the legendary Pokémon Heatran in Mexico was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the fervent flame of "force control" that had just risen in the hearts of some people.

At that time, China adopted the most decisive yet difficult strategy of "contraction and observation," which involved a near three-month lockdown.

If it weren't for the energy of the Pokémon world simultaneously promoting the rampant growth of native crops, preventing a catastrophic shortage of basic food supplies, the situation would likely have already slid into an irreversible abyss. Hunger would have been enough to crush any restraint and rationality, dragging the relationship between humans and Pokémon directly into a spiral of hatred filled with blood and fire.

If we were to talk about coexistence then, it would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

I appeared precisely at that point when the tension was slightly eased, bringing with me the knowledge from Arceus's phone and the identity of "agent," becoming an opportunity that could be accepted by all parties and break the deadlock.

It is both a stroke of luck and a heavy responsibility.

"Lin Dao? What are you doing standing here in a daze?"

Shen Yu'er walked over carrying a stack of documents, her face showing a slight weariness from staying up all night, but her eyes were still clear.

She was slightly taken aback when she saw Lin Dao leaning alone against the railing, gazing into the distance.

"The meeting starts in twenty minutes, and I was just about to go to your office to call you."

She walked to his side and looked up at the increasingly bright morning light on the horizon.

"What are you standing there daydreaming about? From behind, I thought you were cosplaying The Thinker."

Lin Dao smiled and didn't answer directly, but said, "It suddenly occurred to me that it's been almost a year since I came here."

""

Shen Yu'er paused for a moment, then turned her head to look at him.

The morning light gilded his silhouette with a soft golden edge, and his gaze was fixed on the distance, somewhat unfocused.

A thought struck her, and she remembered his "home" that he could never return to. Her tone softened, carrying a hint of comfort.

"Perhaps—there will be a chance in the future to go back and visit?"

Lin Dao sensed the concern in her words, felt a warmth in his heart, withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and spoke calmly and clearly.

"Of course I miss the past. But I don't have that strong obsession with 'going back.'"

He paused for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the city beneath his feet, slowly awakening in the morning light, a city that embodied the hopes of two worlds. His voice was not loud, but it carried a heavy weight of power.

"Being here and watching Pokémon and humans clumsily and stumbling along, but ultimately exploring and building towards a better future—that's what I want to see most right now, and what I want to be a part of."

Shen Yu'er looked at his calm profile and his eyes reflecting the morning light, and was momentarily speechless.

A certain part of my heart felt gently touched, stirring up a slightly bittersweet yet warm feeling.

She suddenly felt a deep sense of gratitude for that unknown being who had chosen Lin Dao and sent him into this world.

"Let's go," Lin Dao said, turning around and returning to his usual tone. "Don't keep the leaders waiting."

"Mm." Shen Yu'er composed herself and quickly followed.

In the top-floor conference room, a number of people were already seated around the oval table.

Aside from the heads of several core departments within the group, most of the figures were projected via holographic projection technology that surrounds the walls.

The relevant departments that "attended".

Lin Dao and Shen Yu'er took their seats at the head of the table.

The meeting proceeded quickly without much small talk, getting straight to the point.

The first to speak was the head of the group's research department. He pulled up a complex set of three-dimensional structural diagrams and data streams, his voice rising slightly with excitement.

"Based on the technical blueprint and principles previously provided by Mr. Lin, and combined with our own accumulated expertise in precision chemicals and biological separation, the prototype of the first-generation large-scale multiphase substance separation and extraction machine has passed all safety tests and performance verifications!"

He paused to make sure everyone had heard him before continuing.

"Simply put, this machine can efficiently and stably separate and purify the effective active ingredients in tree fruits, certain herbs, and even some Pokémon-related products without damage."

"The separated substances can become the basic raw materials for new types of foods, such as basic flour that mimics the texture and nutrition of flour but is easier for the human body to absorb and has a gentle energy-boosting effect," and can also serve as the core material for synthesizing more advanced energy cubes.