In the waiting lounge of Rongcheng International Airport, Oliver and Mu Xue sat quietly side by side.
Interestingly, both of them were wrapped up almost identically—scarves, hats, sunglasses, and thick down jackets—completely bundled from head to toe. At a glance, no one could tell what they actually looked like.
Ever since the discovery of the Fairy type, Oliver had become one of the hottest figures in the entire world. Naturally, he had no choice but to disguise himself just like Mu Xue. Otherwise, no matter where he went, someone would recognize him instantly.
On New Year's Eve, they had all stayed up past midnight, laughing and celebrating together before finally resting. Everyone had enjoyed themselves immensely.
Yet when Oliver saw Mu Xue again the next day, she had returned to her usual cool and elegant demeanor, as if the Mu Xue of last night and the Mu Xue of today were two completely different people.
Still, Oliver could tell—
The sense of distance in her eyes had quietly disappeared.
And despite having seen Celebi, a Pokémon she had never encountered before, she hadn't asked a single question about it.
All in all, the relationship between the two had become… subtle.
This period of time was technically after the New Year, but not completely past it. Many people who hadn't been able to return home before New Year's Eve were now rushing back to reunite with their families, so the airport was still crowded.
"By the way, I've never been to the capital before," Oliver said.
"What's it like?"
"Not much different from other cities," Mu Xue replied.
"But the League headquarters is a bit special. You'll understand once you see it."
Soon, it was time to board.
Their seats were next to each other, and the flight passed uneventfully. The plane pierced through layers of clouds and landed safely in the capital.
After getting off the plane, Oliver checked the time.
"The League didn't specify an exact time for us to report, right?" he said.
"How about we walk around the city a bit first?"
Mu Xue thought for a moment.
"That's fine—but don't take too long."
They said they would explore the city, but in reality, after eating lunch, they headed straight for the Xia Country Pokémon League Headquarters.
Everyone knew that the League headquarters was in the capital, but its precise location wasn't actually within the urban district. Instead, it was located in the outskirts, occupying an enormous area that encompassed several surrounding mountains.
Despite that, it didn't feel desolate at all. In fact, due to the heavy flow of people, it looked even more bustling than some of the city's quieter districts.
As the headquarters of the Xia Country Pokémon League, the complex was divided into four major zones:
Administrative Zone
Breeding Zone
Training Zone
Resource Zone
The Breeding Zone covered the largest area. It contained replicas of most ecosystems from around the world—lakes, deserts, plains, forests, underground environments, and more. Its primary purpose was to raise Pokémon, most of which were descendants of League members' Pokémon.
The Resource Zone was the second largest. Vast numbers of berries and other cultivable resources were grown there. Anything planted in this zone was, without exception, extremely rare and precious. Deep within this area lay the legendary Treasure Vault.
The Training Zone was used by the League's stationed combat personnel to train their Pokémon. Its facilities were incomparably advanced—far superior to even the most prestigious city Gyms.
Finally, there was the Administrative Zone.
Though it occupied the smallest area, it contained three massive skyscrapers, each eighty stories tall, housing nearly 70% of the League's staff.
Since the Administrative Zone was located right at the entrance, stepping into the headquarters meant entering the administrative area immediately.
As Oliver moved toward the entrance, a security officer raised a hand to stop him.
"Hello. Please present your League work credentials."
Oliver turned to look at Mu Xue.
She smiled faintly.
"Entering the League headquarters requires official League identification."
She took out her ID card and scanned it.
A green light lit up, followed by a mechanical female voice:
"Identity verified. Welcome, Heavenly King Mu Xue."
The security officer jolted in surprise and immediately snapped to attention.
"Greetings, Heavenly King Mu!"
Mu Xue said calmly, "He's here on official business. I'm bringing him in."
"Yes, ma'am!"
In truth, entering the headquarters building itself wasn't particularly difficult. Anyone with a bit of authority could bring someone inside. However, once inside, many areas were protected by strict security systems—without sufficient clearance, entry was impossible.
After entering, Oliver leaned toward Mu Xue and whispered,
"Oh, so you knew we needed your ID to get in and still let me walk ahead."
The corner of Mu Xue's lips curved upward.
Usually, whenever the two subtly sparred with each other, she was the one at a disadvantage. Getting to see Oliver trip up even once felt incredibly satisfying.
"That's because you walked too fast."
They entered the elevator.
"We'll first meet the League staff member assigned to handle your case," Mu Xue explained.
"All your procedures and credentials are with him. He'll take us to the Treasure Vault."
They soon arrived at the designated office. Mu Xue knocked on the door.
"Come in."
A deep, steady voice answered from inside.
The office wasn't large, and the furnishings were fairly simple—it was clearly a temporary space prepared to receive Oliver.
When Mu Xue saw the man inside, she frowned slightly.
"Why is it you?"
The middle-aged man laughed heartily.
"Why can't it be me? I specifically applied for this handover."
He then turned toward Oliver. "You must be Comrade Oliver."
As his eyes landed on Oliver's face, a flicker of surprise crossed them.
Oliver was momentarily confused.
Who is this?
He clearly seemed quite familiar with Mu Xue.
Seeing Oliver's expression, Mu Xue lowered her voice and explained,
"This is Yi Yunfei, the current Dragon-type Heavenly King of Xia Country."
Oliver instantly understood why Mu Xue had reacted that way.
After the publication of the Fairy-type paper, Oliver had received praise from all over the world. If there were any group that felt uncomfortable about it, it would undoubtedly be Trainers who specialized in Dragon-type Pokémon.
Yet this Dragon-type Heavenly King had personally requested to handle Oliver's reception and handover.
What exactly was he planning?
Yi Yunfei seemed to read Oliver's thoughts and laughed.
"Don't misunderstand. I just wanted to see what kind of kid could discover a brand-new Pokémon attribute. I'm not so petty as to hold a grudge over that."
Oliver possessed Aura perception (the Evergreen Power), making his senses extremely sharp.
He genuinely felt no hostility from this Dragon-type Heavenly King.
So Oliver stepped forward and extended his hand.
"Hello. I believe Xia Country's Dragon-type Heavenly King wouldn't be someone narrow-minded. I've heard a lot about you."
Yi Yunfei's impression of Oliver instantly skyrocketed.
He grasped Oliver's hand firmly.
He himself was a bold, straightforward man—much like the Fighting-type Heavenly King—which was why the two of them got along so well. Hearing Oliver's response, he immediately felt that Oliver was the same kind of person.
"Good!" Yi Yunfei laughed.
"You're a friend worth making!"
He picked up a special card from the desk.
"Let's head to the Treasure Vault. You must be eager already.
To be honest, I haven't been there myself in quite a long time."
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