Pokémon, but cultural invasion

At that moment, the fox thief realized that this human was quite different from any he had encountered before.

He seems to genuinely place stolen Pokémon on an equal footing with ordinary Pokémon.

"Now that you've joined Tingxiang Film Studio, you're a legitimate Tingxiang employee. From now on, stealing is strictly prohibited."

The cunning foxes also lowered their heads, clearly understanding that stealing was not a respectable act.

“I can’t control the thefts you committed in the past, but the theft that happened right under my nose this morning must be paid for.”

"Ache, why don't you take the feverish Little Fox and Mini Ice to the Pokémon Center first?"

The leader announced his submission, and the cunning foxes readily complied.

"Then I'll be going now." The patient and Mini Ice were carried away by A-Che.

The remaining cunning foxes trembled with fear.

Being caught stealing food would undoubtedly result in a severe beating.

"Get on the bus first, buy the ticket later."

Quanshu sighed and took out a stack of banknotes to distribute to them.

"This money is enough to pay off your repeated thefts at the fried chicken shop. Go apologize to the owner."

"Whoosh?"

The foxes were both happy and afraid. They were happy to be spared a beating, but afraid of having to apologize to the shopkeeper they had stolen from.

The fox thief took the lead, carrying the banknotes in his mouth as he walked at the very front.

With their leader setting an example, the cunning foxes picked up the banknotes one by one and followed behind.

On a commercial street in the southern district of Jinhuang City, a row of foxes walked orderly, a strange sight that drew gasps of amazement from passersby.

"Isn't that the local theft gang?"

"He dares to go out on the street after stealing..."

"They stole my takeout last time."

The pointing fingers and whispers from passersby made them feel like they were being pricked by thorns.

The words Quanshu had spoken when they left the alley echoed in the ears of the fox thief.

"After we finish this job, we'll leave Saffron City and go to a place where many Pokémon live together."

This time, it's not just about apologizing to the shop owner, but also about saying goodbye to the past.

The mark placed upon him from birth could not be washed away by an apology, a fact that Fox Thief knew very well.

But it began to yearn for the future depicted by the spring tree.

They can survive without stealing, earning their living honestly and respectably through labor, just like any other Pokémon...

"Are you guys here to steal fried chicken again?"

The shop owner was startled when he saw a group of cunning little foxes walk into the shop and frantically searched for Poké Balls.

The next second, the cunning foxes took turns placing the banknotes on the front desk.

They bowed and apologized one by one.

The other guests inside the room took out their phones to record the scene, marveling at it.

Who put on this performance art?

"I must be dreaming that the cunning little fox would ever have to pay money to apologize."

"What the hell!"

The fox thief bowed respectfully and apologized.

"It is you..."

The shop owner recognized it, and that day, out of kindness, he fed the rain-soaked fox thief a piece of fried chicken.

Seemingly craving the taste of fried chicken, the cunning foxes started stealing it every week after that day.

The shop owner was repeatedly frustrated that his misplaced kindness had been wasted on the dogs.

"This money has already bought two servings of the fried chicken you stole."

His expression was complicated. "Consider it compensation for emotional distress."

"This is the first time in my life that I've ever seen the cunning fox come to apologize in person. It's quite an eye-opener."

The shop owner waved his hand: "I forgive you."

The cunning little foxes, who had been looking down, all raised their heads and rolled around in a ball with joy.

"Don't steal my fried chicken next time."

Watching them leave, the shop owner laughed and cursed.

"If this place can even conquer the stomachs of Pokémon, I have to try it out and see what it tastes like," Nobuhiko said to Izumi on the street.

"I'm relieved now that the Great Thief Fox is gone, so I won't see you off."

"thank you very much for your help."

Quanshu left a lingering thought: "Don't rush to say goodbye, we might have opportunities to work together in the future."

Nobuhiko chuckled and said, "How can we collaborate when I'm a martial arts practitioner and you're a movie director?"

"Have you ever heard of martial arts movies?" Quanshu asked with a bright smile.

Chapter Twenty-Nine Conversation

"call out?"

Under the moonlight, the cunning little fox curiously stepped on the five large, emerald-green blades of grass on the ground with its front paws.

The part of the leaf buried underground pops out of the soil, and the round, blue Oddish glares angrily at the guy who disturbed its rest.

While shaking off the mud, it grumbled in dissatisfaction, "Zzz!"

The panicked little fox fled into the group of its companions gathered in front of the door.

The trumpet buds, bellflowers, and Bulbasaur on the lawn were sizing up their new companions.

The Cunning Fox is not commonly seen in the wild, and many Pokémon in orphanages are seeing it for the first time.

They listened anxiously to the sounds coming from behind the door.

"In principle, staff members of welfare homes should not let wild Pokémon into the homes."

In the hall, Izumi and the headmistress sat facing each other across a wooden table.

She put down the ledger in her hand and said helplessly, "But you are currently the biggest sponsor of the orphanage, so you have the final say."

Quanshu was not surprised at all; Lanxing accepting the cunning little foxes was exactly what he expected.

Taking advantage of the situation, he brought up the bet they made when they first met.

"These are the revenues from the two games so far, which have exceeded seven million."

Even though Lanxing was mentally prepared, she was still stunned when she saw the huge amount of money flowing through Quanshu's phone.

After the travel farm became a hit, she knew that Izumi would win the bet, but she didn't expect that day to come so soon.

"I'm willing to accept the consequences of my bet, and I will take responsibility to help you with the filming."

Lan Xing placed her hands on her knees, her back straight, her gaze level with his, her dignified posture like a stubborn green bamboo.

As the one who initiated the bet, Izumi wasn't worried that she would renege on her promise.

Given the Dean's personality, she will surely be a faithful follower of the bet.

His concerns were about other things.

"There are a few points I'd like to add regarding the cooperation in making my movie."

"First of all, the general direction remains the same. You are responsible for motivating the Pokémon in the welfare home to participate in the movie."

"Secondly, there's the remuneration. All the Pokémon involved in the film production received different remuneration based on the importance of their roles, and I donated them all to an orphanage after filming was completed."

"My film company covered the living expenses of the actors and Pokémon during the final filming period."

The supplementary information was beneficial to the welfare home, so Lanxing naturally had no objections.

She just couldn't understand why Quanshu would still voluntarily pay her a fee when the orphanage's funding mainly came from him.

Funds are simply being transferred from one hand to the other, and the total amount doesn't increase, so it seems pointless.

"I generally agree with your additions, but regarding the second point about Pokémon's pay..."

Lanxing hesitated, wondering if it was fair to the Pokémon if she refused to accept the payment.

“Dean, you seem to have made a mistake.”

Quanshu's gaze was deep and unfathomable. "Before you refuse the payment, you need to understand that my grandfather entrusted the orphanage to you; you are the director."

"I was just a passerby, helping to keep the orphanage running as my grandfather wished, nothing more."

"If my thoughts change one day, it's not possible for me to suddenly leave."

“After all, once my grandfather handed me over to the welfare home, I had no further connection with it.”

Quanshu rested his chin on his hands and asked in confusion, "I'm very curious about what made you decide to refuse the payment."

“Even close brothers should keep clear accounts. You seem to have inadvertently thought of me and the welfare home as a single entity, believing that I can support the welfare home indefinitely without compensation. This is not right.”

"unless..."

He paused slightly: "You think I'll become the master of this place?"

"Otherwise, I can't think of any reason to support you doing this."

Quanshu's words fell like a heavy stone to the ground.

The shock made Lan Xing's heart tremble, and she felt a slight ringing in her ears.

He's right. When did I start to think that Quanshu would continue to support the welfare home?

Perhaps it was on the night he came alone, his eyes burning with determination, that he proposed saving the orphanage.

Perhaps it was because he chose to improve the lives of Pokémon as soon as his game became a huge success.

Or perhaps it was the day he suggested that I quit my job and focus on working at the welfare home.

Without realizing it, she began to think that it was only natural for Quanshu to help the welfare home, but that wasn't the case.

Putting aside his relationship with the former director, the orphanage was merely a place that held childhood memories for Izumi.

That wasn't enough to motivate him to work tirelessly for the survival of the welfare home.

"I understand."

Lan Xing slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

After Quanshu arrived, she no longer worried about tomorrow's food and fuel, no longer racked her brains over the account books, and no longer worried about the future of the orphanage.

She was so relaxed that she wishfully thought this kind of life would continue indefinitely.

As a dean, it is undoubtedly a dereliction of duty to place one's hopes on others.

"I will accept the payment and will actively prepare for the filming."

Lan Xing stared intently at him, her clear amber eyes flashing with coldness and determination.

"So...please stop making jokes like that."

"of course."

The spring and the tree floated lightly by.

When a director stops advocating for the rights of his orphanage, it’s a bad sign.

He worried that Lanxing would be "spoiled" without financial pressure, but now it seems that his worries were unfounded.

The two discussed the actor selection for a while, and the tense atmosphere eased.