Everyone could purchase twenty basic and ten intermediate energy blocks at 20% off the market price. Even if they just resold them at market price, that would bring in an extra 6,000 a month.
What's more, perfect-quality blocks were basically unavailable at market price—they always came at a premium. This meant Zhou Zhiwen was casually handing out perks worth ten to twenty thousand to each employee.
How could the team members not be thrilled? An ordinary member only made forty to fifty thousand a month, and now they were getting an extra half-month's salary. Who wouldn't love that?
After the team members paid and bought their shares, they happily left Zhou Zhiwen's office, each one beaming with joy.
But before they left, Zhou Zhiwen had laid down a rule: no one was allowed to spread the word outside. If anyone was found talking, they'd lose their share of the benefit.
So, even though everyone walked out smiling, they kept their mouths shut.
Now, only Zhou Zhiwen and Zhang Yang remained in the office.
At that moment, Zhang Yang's feelings were mixed—he wasn't sure if he was happy or sad.
Happy because Zhou Zhiwen had given him an extra share, meaning he got forty basic and twenty intermediate blocks a month. That was worth about fifty to sixty thousand, nearly half a month's salary for him.
Though his family had some money, it was just a small clan that couldn't provide him with many resources. The resources Zhou Zhiwen was giving him were hard to buy with cash, so Zhang Yang was genuinely pleased.
But what saddened him was that as long as Zhou Zhiwen stayed on the team, he'd always be the vice-captain—unless he switched teams.
However, these real-power departments were like a game of musical chairs; switching teams was no easy feat.
Zhou Zhiwen had kept Zhang Yang behind, originally planning to sell him a few more advanced perfect energy blocks. But after thinking it over, he decided that would be too flashy and attention-grabbing. So he dropped the idea, chatted with Zhang Yang for a bit, and let him go.
Every month, Wen Qi gave him a big discount, but it still cost over five hundred thousand. While he could make a small profit selling to the team, the remaining expense was still a hefty sum.
Though he had some savings over the years, relying solely on them wouldn't cover Wen Qi's prices for long.
He figured he'd only need about fifty advanced blocks a month for himself. The remaining fifty could be sold on the black market, where each one would fetch at least six to seven thousand at a premium. That way, he'd have enough money each month.
When Wen Qi got home, he noticed that in just a few hours, the house had become much cleaner, and a tempting aroma was wafting from the kitchen. The smell instantly made him hungry.
The Growlithe beside him was drooling at the scent of human food.
Wen Qi was speechless at the dog's pathetic state. He had no idea when this mutt had developed such a craving for human food.
But for the Growlithe's own good, Wen Qi couldn't let it eat too much.
Pokémon could eat human food, but it didn't provide any energy—it only staved off hunger.
So, for the Growlithe's growth, Wen Qi only gave it a little now and then, sticking mostly to energy blocks.
Thinking about how hard the Growlithe had fought today, Wen Qi decided to reward it with a treat.
Soon, the Audino brought the food to the table. Wen Qi took a bite and found it delicious, though not quite as good as what the Bellossom made. Still, it was far better than his own cooking.
He gave the Growlithe some energy blocks and food, while the Audino and Mr. Mime each got basic perfect energy blocks.
It was the first time the Audino and Mr. Mime had tasted such delicious energy blocks. Their eyes lit up, and they devoured them eagerly, looking utterly content.
Over the next few days, Wen Qi trained his Pokémon in the small world every morning and headed to the battle hall in the afternoon for fights.
All his other Pokémon got a chance to battle, with mixed results—wins and losses. Even when they lost, it was to Pokémon of higher levels.
Most of the battles ended in victory.
After several days of fighting, their levels hadn't increased, but the instability from their rapid earlier growth had been smoothed out. This not only solidified their foundation but also boosted their potential.
Still, not everything stayed the same. The Growlithe, Poliwag, and Sandslash each gained a level, while the Rhyhorn went up two levels, reaching level fourteen.
The most important gain was the battle experience, which was exactly what Wen Qi needed most.
He had originally planned to stay a few more days. The house was a bit small, but everything was convenient to buy, and having two Pokémon to take care of him was quite comfortable.
Just as Wen Qi was having breakfast today, his phone rang.
He picked it up.
"Qi-ge, when are you coming back? The old village head wants to talk to you about something and asked when you'd return."
As soon as Wen Qi answered, Wenhua's voice came through.
Hearing that the old village head was looking for him, Wen Qi grew curious and asked,
"Wenhua, did you find out what the old village head wants? Also, how are things in the village and on the farm lately?"
Wenhua paused to think before replying,
"Qi-ge, the old village head didn't say much, but things have been a bit unsettled in the village lately. A lot of Pokémon have been coming out of the forest for no reason, and they seem very wary and aggressive."
"There have been several incidents where Pokémon attacked villagers. No one got seriously hurt, but it's still dangerous."
"As for the farm, it's fine. With your Scizor around, basically no other Pokémon come near."
Hearing Wenhua's report, Wen Qi deduced that something must be happening in the forest. The old village head was calling him back, probably to ask for help.
There weren't many young people left in the village now; most were working elsewhere. If the old village head hadn't been desperate, he wouldn't have reached out to Wen Qi.
With that in mind, Wen Qi said,
"Wenhua, tell the village head I'll be back today. You all stay safe. If you're worried about your mom, you can have her come live on the farm. With the Scizor guarding it, as long as it's not a gym-level Pokémon, she'll be safe."
Hearing Wen Qi's arrangement, Wenhua was indeed worried about his mother. If Wen Qi hadn't been away from the farm, he would have gone back to protect her himself.
Now, having his mother come to the farm was the best option, since it was safer than the village.
Wenhua quickly said, "Thanks, Qi-ge. I'll go pick her up right away."
After a bit more small talk, they hung up.
Wen Qi sat on the sofa, deep in thought, while the Audino cleared the dishes and the Mr. Mime busied itself with cleaning. The Growlithe, seeing its master lost in thought, toned down its usual wild antics and moved quietly.
Wen Qi wondered what could be wrong with the forest nearby.
After racking his brain for a while, he still couldn't figure it out.
He decided to stop overthinking. Since the village had a problem, the shrewd old village head would have called the police by now.
Handling Pokémon incidents was usually the job of the search team.
Wen Qi picked up his phone and dialed Zhou Zhiwen's number.