During this time, Zhao Zheng was growing increasingly anxious. He knew for certain that Dr. Chu Feng was hiding some major secret, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't uncover it, and it itched at him relentlessly. If not for his desire to claim all the credit for himself, he would have reported this to the organization long ago. Still, Zhao Zheng had a strong gut feeling that this was something extremely important. If he could discover it on his own, it would be a monumental achievement—perhaps the organization would even reward him with resources to train a Champion-level Pokémon, and then he could become a Champion-tier trainer himself.
Zhao Zheng had been watching Xiao Wu for a while now. He noticed that Xiao Wu's daily routine was incredibly rigid: either eating, helping out in the lab, or heading back to his dorm to rest. It was airtight, leaving Zhao Zheng no openings to exploit. But finally, an opportunity arrived.
Xiao Wu had recently gotten a promotion. Though happy, he had something weighing on his mind and couldn't sleep well every night. After all, for an ordinary person harboring a huge secret, insomnia was inevitable. If anyone else knew this secret, killing to keep it quiet would be common practice. Even if they didn't go that far, they'd at least have a Psychic-type Pokémon erase the person's memory. But that method caused severe brain damage—even a Champion-level Psychic Pokémon using that ability would harm the brain, affecting memory. Only a Grand Champion-level Pokémon could erase memories without injury. But Champion-level Psychic Pokémon were rare, and Grand Champion ones were even rarer—so rare that even Dr. Chu Feng struggled to find one. So Dr. Chu Feng had no choice but to keep Xiao Wu close, offering him perks to keep the secret.
What Dr. Chu Feng didn't anticipate was that this seemingly tight arrangement would still be noticed by Zhao Zheng—a classic case of a flaw in an otherwise perfect plan.
Since entering the lab, Xiao Wu hadn't been home. Recently, his family called to say his mother was ill and asked him to visit. Xiao Wu planned to secretly ask Dr. Chu Feng for leave and slip away quietly, knowing full well that the secret he carried couldn't be exposed, or it would spell big trouble. Dr. Chu Feng, aware of the reason for the leave, didn't stop him and agreed to create some diversions to make it seem like Xiao Wu hadn't left the institute. But such tricks only fooled those who weren't paying attention. For someone as observant as Zhao Zheng, they were useless. Zhao Zheng had placed a monitor outside Xiao Wu's door, so he'd know the moment Xiao Wu left.
That morning, while working in the lab, Zhao Zheng felt something was off, like something was missing. After a while, it hit him: Xiao Wu wasn't around. He asked around, but no one knew where he was—it seemed Xiao Wu had vanished after last night. Zhao Zheng's heart skipped a beat. *How is Xiao Wu gone?* he thought. *Did Dr. Chu Feng take him away? But that doesn't make sense—there was no warning.* Unable to sit still, he told the other lab supervisor that he felt unwell and needed to rest. The supervisor, concerned, urged him to get checked and granted him three days off, telling him to come back when he felt better. Zhao Zheng quickly thanked him, feigning illness as he left. Passing by Xiao Wu's dorm, he grabbed the monitor.
Back in his room, Zhao Zheng checked the footage and saw that early that morning, Xiao Wu had hurriedly left with his luggage, apparently heading home from the institute. Zhao Zheng's eyes lit up, sensing his moment had come. *I wasn't afraid of Xiao Wu leaving,* he thought, *just that he'd stay holed up in the institute. Now that he's gone, my methods can finally work.* He was glad he'd thoroughly investigated Xiao Wu's background and knew where his home was—otherwise, finding him would have been a hassle. With that, Zhao Zheng quickly packed up, told the guard he was going to the hospital, and rushed off.
Though Zhao Zheng wasn't yet at the quasi-Champion level, he was no slouch, owning several Gym-level Pokémon. His favorite was a Hypno. This Hypno, now at level 58, specialized in hypnosis. If he could find Xiao Wu, the Hypno's ability would easily put him under and extract the information.
After leaving the institute, Xiao Wu was on edge the whole way. Though he feared the secret leaking would cause trouble, his worry for his mother's health outweighed everything, driving him forward without a second thought. Eager to get home, he made several transfers and finally arrived. Seeing his mother weak in bed, Xiao Wu's eyes reddened instantly. Fortunately, after asking around and observing, he found her illness was minor, which eased his mind a bit. He then quickly took her to the hospital.
The hospital was packed. Xiao Wu bustled about, registering, paying fees, and accompanying his mother through various tests. After treatment, he carefully helped her home. By the end of the day, he was exhausted, his back aching. After settling his mother to rest, he dragged his weary body to his room, didn't even change clothes, and collapsed onto the bed. Completely off guard, Xiao Wu had no idea danger was closing in. Just as he closed his eyes to rest, Zhao Zheng's Hypno crept into the room.
The Hypno's eyes flickered with a strange, mystical light. It approached Xiao Wu gently and slowly released its hypnotic power. Caught off guard, Xiao Wu fell into a deep sleep, his consciousness fading, unaware of anything around him. At that moment, Zhao Zheng tiptoed over to him.
Seeing Xiao Wu successfully hypnotized, Zhao Zheng didn't rush to ask about the coveted secret. He knew impatience would ruin everything—if he pushed too hard, Xiao Wu's subconscious might resist, undoing all his work. Taking a deep breath to steady his excitement, he spoke slowly:
"Xiao Wu, how's the weather today?"
Xiao Wu mumbled unconsciously, "Don't know."
Zhao Zheng continued, "What did you eat today?"
Still groggy, Xiao Wu replied, "Nothing."
Starting with trivial matters, Zhao Zheng gradually guided Xiao Wu's thoughts. His voice was soft, carrying a persuasive force: "Are you tired from work lately?"
Xiao Wu answered instinctively, "Yeah."
Zhao Zheng pressed on, "Are the colleagues at the institute easy to get along with?"
Xiao Wu murmured, "Not bad."
As these harmless questions loosened Xiao Wu's mind further, Zhao Zheng steered the conversation toward the institute: "Has the institute started any new research projects lately?"
Xiao Wu mumbled, "Don't know."
Frowning slightly, Zhao Zheng persisted, "What specific work did you usually do at the institute?"
Xiao Wu said slowly, "Testing samples."
As Xiao Wu's answers edged closer to the key information, Zhao Zheng's heartbeat quickened, but he forced himself to stay calm, patiently guiding: "Did anything unusual happen while testing the samples?"
Xiao Wu paused, and Zhao Zheng's heart leaped into his throat, fearing Xiao Wu might snap out of it. But after a moment, Xiao Wu spoke again: "Yes."
Zhao Zheng's eyes lit up, and he pressed, "What was it?"
Xiao Wu's voice grew hesitant: "In a batch of energy cubes... I detected... life energy."
Zhao Zheng's heart jolted. "And then?"
Xiao Wu continued, "The doctor found out, took me into the lab, and told me not to tell anyone."
With this crucial piece of information, Zhao Zheng nearly cheered in excitement, but he held back, carefully asking for more details. Confirming there was nothing else valuable to extract from Xiao Wu, he smirked triumphantly, knowing he now held a secret that could change everything.