When he took a look at the caller ID, the screen displayed three bold words: [Gym Leader Lee].
As soon as he picked up, Serene's seductive and charming voice came through the phone, "I've been waiting at the hotel for two hours already."
"I'll give you half an hour. If you're not back by then… giggle giggle~"
Even though Serene's laughter was intoxicatingly sweet, Nathan couldn't help but shudder.
He trusted his sixth sense as a man completely.
He immediately put on a flattering smile and said into the phone, "Don't worry, Sister Lee! I'll be there in fifteen minutes, I swear!"
But the moment he hung up, bad news struck again.
The driver suddenly spoke in a gruff voice, "Kid, this isn't some black-market cab. Not even if you kill me could I get you to the hotel in fifteen minutes!"
In this world full of Pokémon, traffic laws had been revised time and time again!
Speeding in the city?
You'd better have your wallet ready before you even think about it!
But Nathan didn't care one bit. He cut straight to the chase and told the driver, "Fifteen minutes. I'll pay twenty times the current fare."
It wasn't that Nathan was flaunting his wealth or trying to show off in front of Wendy.
It was just that Serene, that alluring woman, was worth that much!
With just a few words from her lips, it was more effective than any expensive ad campaign!
After all, as mentioned before, in this world, advertisers would stoop to any low to sell things.
Even sky-high advertising budgets often didn't work on consumers who had been burned one too many times.
The only reason his product sold well in his small circle before was entirely due to personal connections.
At his level of popularity, he didn't even need to scam people to make money.
A mere wave of the hand would have countless people throwing cash at him. Of course, that also meant he had to play along in certain ways.
The driver's breathing grew noticeably heavier after hearing Nathan's offer.
He wasn't well-educated and couldn't even afford to raise a household Pokémon.
A fare twenty times the normal rate was easily equal to a month of overtime shifts for him!
"Alright, I'm in! Young Master, hold on tight—and close the windows while you're at it!"
Steeling himself, the driver even changed how he addressed Nathan.
Fifteen minutes later.
A taxi pulled up right on time in front of the hotel entrance.
Nathan looked fine, but Wendy's face had gone a bit pale.
In her eyes, there was not only fear but also a trace of excitement—like she had awakened some kind of forbidden thrill.
After paying the fare, Nathan brought Wendy into the hotel lobby.
And that's when things really got interesting.
Both the hotel manager and owner came out personally to greet them!
It wasn't just because of Serene—or rather, not only because of her.
Standing next to Serene was another beautiful girl accompanied by a squad of bodyguards.
No doubt about it—it was Evelyn Mist.
"This… is this the legendary love triangle showdown?"
Even though Nathan had no romantic intentions, a sudden fear of blades welled up in his heart.
It didn't matter if it was a kitchen knife or a hatchet.
Wendy, Evelyn, and Serene all looked at one another with amused curiosity.
Then, three pairs of stunning eyes turned to Nathan.
Their gaze seemed to say: "You've got quite the ambition, huh? Playing this game on hard mode already?"
But it wasn't the three women that truly made Nathan feel pressure.
What really gave him chills was the death stares from the female bodyguards.
Each one of them wore a black suit and black sunglasses, and had at least two Poké Balls on their belts!
In this world, there was only one word to describe such a setup:
Luxury!
Opulence!
Of course, it wasn't just about buying some Pokémon and hiring a few people that made someone a top-tier clan's bodyguard.
First of all, their Poké Balls were gold-colored. Second, the Pokémon inside carried serious power.
What shocked Nathan the most was that each bodyguard exuded a battle-hardened aura!
Even though Nathan frequently ventured into the wild, he didn't flinch.
But Wendy, just standing next to him, was already stiff all over.
Like a mouse caught in the eyes of a snake!
That kind of presence could only be developed on real battlefields.
And it definitely took no less than eight years to cultivate!
After calming down, Nathan couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy toward Evelyn.
Unless he became an officially recognized League Champion before turning thirty, this kind of elite protection was something he could only dream of.
Of course, Nathan did have things that Evelyn couldn't match.
For starters—
A Master-level ace Steelix, and an enormous Dynamax one at that.
Even if it couldn't run rampant in human society…
It was still something money alone couldn't buy—not even for the Mist family.
…
"Little guy, I don't know if you're fearless or just clueless—three dates in one day? Aren't you afraid your body won't hold up?"
Serene was the first to speak, her teasing words as bold as her age—an age that carried a certain… hunger.
Evelyn and Wendy's cheeks flushed slightly, while the bodyguards' death stares practically radiated murderous intent.
Rolling his eyes at Serene, Nathan sighed, "Auntie, don't you think your mind's a little too dirty?"
"And stop looking at me like that. Let me introduce someone—this is Wendy Dale, a junior-level breeder and a future member of the studio."
(TN: Change Beginner to Junior)
"As for Serene—she's the Gym Leader. The effects of those Pokéblocks should be confirmed by now, right?"
"Well, I can tell you this much—the Pokéblocks are effective even up to Champion level! It's just that blocks of that grade are really difficult to produce."
"And Evelyn here is an investor in the studio. The 50 million investment came from her, but she won't interfere with any decisions."
After rattling all that off, the death glares finally faded, and the atmosphere eased.
To onlookers who didn't know what was going on, Nathan now looked like an absolute veteran of love.
With just a few words, he had a mature beauty and two stunning girls wrapped around his little finger.
A role model for the rest of us!
No doubt the internet would soon be flooded with juicy rumors.
But anything involving Evelyn probably wouldn't survive more than three seconds online.
"Wait, your studio members… they're not all girls, are they?" Wendy suddenly asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
Even though she trusted Nathan's character, it never hurt to be cautious.
"Relax. Besides you, it's just a brother-sister duo who help make Pokéblocks."
"Of course, if you're still worried, you can have your own separate place. We've got money to spare."
Shrugging, Nathan replied with a clear conscience.
Finally, the tension of the "love triangle battlefield" completely vanished.
The hotel manager and owner exchanged glances and quietly slipped away.
Now that the Mist family heiress was involved, this was way out of their league.
Compared to the massive family conglomerate with branches across the nation and even the world, their little hotel was like an ant next to Ultraman.
"Anyway, this isn't the place for business talk. Let's continue in my room," Nathan said, a bit exasperated as he glanced around.
Serene and the others nodded in agreement.
By now, quite a crowd had gathered with phones out.
Most weren't even hotel guests, but security couldn't exactly stop them either.
Once inside Nathan's room, Serene looked around in surprise. "Wow, I didn't expect your place to be so clean!"
"You didn't switch rooms last night just to impress your big sis, did you?"
She emphasized "sister" with particular force, likely still salty over being called "auntie" earlier.
No matter how pretty a woman was, age was always a touchy subject.
The prettier they were, the more sensitive.
"I didn't have time for that. Right now, we should talk about our collaboration."
"I've already reached an agreement with Miss Evelyn—ten percent profit share, plus a few exclusive high-quality Pokéblocks."
"Wendy's salary is also easy to settle. I trust her completely—otherwise I wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to bring her here."
"You're the only one left now, Sister Lee~!"
Leaning back in his chair, Nathan reclined comfortably.
If it weren't for needing to maintain his image, he probably would've flopped down like a couch potato.
"You really don't hold back. Such a cold little man," Serene said, rolling her eyes flirtatiously.
But she understood—nothing in this world came for free.
If she'd believed in him yesterday, Nathan might've shown her a different side.
But life didn't work on "what ifs."
After a quick jab, Serene composed herself and said seriously, "Actually, I've already tested your Pokéblocks."
"In terms of both nutrition and performance, there's only one way to describe them—unbelievable!"
"I'd be thrilled to work with you. So how do you want to collaborate?"
There were many ways to structure a partnership—it all depended on Nathan.
Tapping his chin, Nathan smirked and said, "My initial idea was to supply you with limited-edition Pokéblocks on a regular basis."
"After all, at this stage of the studio, I can't provide anything too high-end."
"Only after making a name for myself in Emerald City will I consider releasing top-tier Pokéblocks to boost our reputation."