After resting at the Pokémon Center for the night, Hisoka boarded the S.S. Anne the following morning. He was boarding for free under the guise of an applicant for the security detail, so he didn't use the ticket the beautiful young girl had given him.
Including Hisoka, only four bounty hunters had come to apply: a large bald man wearing a tank top, a young man with a face like a sharp-muzzled monkey, and a curvaceous, sultry woman in tight leather clothes who possessed a rather ordinary face.
"Everyone, please wait a moment. The Captain will be here shortly!" A young man dressed as a sailor led the four of them into a lounge and closed the door behind him as he left.
The few people in the lounge glanced at one another but remained silent, seemingly contemplating their upcoming mission. Only the sultry leather-clad woman cast a flirtatious wink toward Hisoka.
Clack! Clack!
The sound of leather boots hitting the floor approached from the hallway. The door to the lounge was pushed open forcefully, and a white-bearded old man nearly two meters tall walked in with a vigorous stride.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Tiexin, the Captain of the S.S. Anne!" the old man said in a deep, resonant voice. "Take out your Ace Trainer ID cards. I need to verify them..."
The four people present were all worldly individuals. Although the old man spoke quite rudely, he was clearly their superior for the coming week. As bounty hunters, they only cared about the money; the employer's attitude meant nothing to them.
"Everything is in order!"
The sailor holding a laptop looked toward Captain Tiexin and nodded.
Tiexin nodded back and turned his gaze to the four applicants. "I hereby announce that all four of you have been hired by the S.S. Anne. I originally intended to recruit five bounty hunters for external security, but unfortunately, only four showed up. I'm sure you are all clear on the compensation: 25,000 a day.
All facilities on the cruise ship are free for your use. The contract is for one week. If nothing happens, you're essentially being paid handsomely to play for a week. However, I must warn youif any emergency arises, you must give it your all. Otherwise, don't blame me for being unkind..."
"Don't worry, Captain. we have at least that much professional ethics," the sharp-faced youth chimed in. "Right, everyone?"
...
The room fell into silence. The large bald man, the woman in leather, and Hisoka all ignored him. While the youth spoke, his eyes never left the woman in leather, his lecherous gaze making Hisoka find the situation somewhat amusing.
"Alright!" Captain Tiexin waved a hand to cut off the youth's attempts at further conversation. He said solemnly, "Xiaohai, take these four to their respective rooms. Then, notify the first mates and all executives that I have an emergency meeting to convene!"
"Right away, sir. Everyone, please follow me!" It was the same young sailor from before. He smiled at the group and led the way out of the lounge.
Seeing the captain's clear intent to dismiss them, the four walked out of the room.
"Little brother, how old are you this year?" As they walked, the woman in leather bumped her shoulder against Hisoka's. "My name is Lisa. Let's get to know each other!"
Hisoka scratched the back of his head, putting on the act of a sunny youth. "Hisoka. Fifteen years old."
"Wow!" Lisa covered her red lips in feigned surprise. "You're quite impressive, little brother. Getting an Ace Trainer license at fifteen? You really are a genius."
"I just passed the exam in Vermilion City..." Hisoka put on a bashful expression as if embarrassed by the praise.
"My room number is... feel free to drop by when you have time!" As she reached a corner, Lisa suddenly leaned half her body back, lightly brushed her jade-like hand over her lips, and blew a kiss to Hisoka.
"Tsk, tsk!" At some point, the sharp-faced youth had appeared beside Hisoka. With a covetous look, he said, "Little brother, I'm certain that woman wants to jump your bones. Talk about an old Tauros eating tender grass. Her face might be average, but that body is top-tier. If you go, you'll be in heaven."
While the youth was lost in his lewd daydreams, he opened his eyes only to find that the brat's silhouette had already vanished around the bend. He quickly chased after him. "Hey! Hey, little brother, don't walk so fast! Let's be friends!"
...
In the meeting room!
"Captain Tiexin, is what you're saying true?" A middle-aged man with a large head and a receding hairline asked anxiously. "Is Team Rocket really planning something against the S.S. Anne?"
"I don't know the specifics." Captain Tiexin didn't even look at the board member who had spoken. He continued, "According to our intel, Team Rocket already has eyes and ears on the ship. However, to avoid causing panic among the guests, we haven't conducted a large-scale search."
"Why not search?!" Another executive slammed the table and stood up, shouting angrily. "Captain Tiexin, do you realize the scale of the loss we'll face if Team Rocket carries out any sabotage on the S.S. Anne?"
Boom!
Tiexin slammed his massive, fan-like palm onto the conference table, startling the angry executive so much that he recoiled instantly.
"I am the Captain of the S.S. Anne. What I say goes!"
"Hmph, fine... but if anything happens, you take full responsibility," the executive muttered tremulously.
Captain Tiexin lit his pipe and took a long drag before continuing. "I have already notified the Pokémon League. They are very concerned about Team Rocket's movements this time. Therefore,
they have dispatched several Investigators to assist us. The League has issued an order: no one is to alert the enemy before or during the operation. Anyone who interferes will be treated as an accomplice of Team Rocket."
"Now, let me introduce you!" Captain Tiexin pointed to a young man with shoulder-length hair dressed in a formal suit beside him. "This gentleman is the Chief Investigator of the Special Operations Unit."
The long-haired youth put down the pencil he had been spinning, revealing a fox-like countenance with eyes narrowed into thin lines.
"My name is Baijie. It's a pleasure to meet you."
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