Years of ingrained routine, the biological clock honed by countless early mornings, asserted itself as Xiaoyuan jolted awake. Her hand reflexively tightened around the photo album clutched to her chest. Disoriented, she looked around, finding herself in a confined space enclosed by gray canvas walls – the tent.
Memory flooded back – leaving her 'home,' following Xiu, the dusty factory, the bizarre partnership offer. A wave of fear, sharp and sudden, washed over her. 'What have I done? Leaving the familiar, however miserable, for this… this unknown?' The sultry, suffocating feeling of panic resurfaced.
"What did I do…" she whispered, pressing her hands to her forehead, feeling an embarrassed flush creep up her neck and into her ears.
But just as quickly as the fear erupted, it subsided, replaced by a strange sense of calm, almost resignation. The tense knot in her stomach loosened. Whatever lay ahead, it couldn't be worse than the life she'd just escaped.
Carefully, she unzipped the tent flap. The attic space outside was still dim, lit only by the weak pre-dawn light filtering through grimy windows. She scanned the room. The dilapidated sofa where Xiu had lain down was empty.
Her eyes widened momentarily in renewed panic. 'He left? He abandoned me here?' She scrambled out of the tent, looking around frantically, but Xiu was nowhere in sight.
Heart pounding, she rushed towards the metal staircase leading down to the main factory floor. As she reached the top, she saw it – a faint light emanating from the warehouse area below, the one filled with printing machinery. Relief washed over her. He hadn't left.
'What's he doing down there?' Curiosity piqued, she descended the stairs quietly, peering through the partially open warehouse door.
Inside, Xiu sat cross-legged on the dusty concrete floor, surrounded by scattered machine parts and open manuals. In his hands, he held a complex-looking component, examining it intently under the beam of a portable work lamp. The box containing the manuals they'd found last night sat open beside him. He seemed completely absorbed.
Perhaps sensing her presence, Xiu looked up sharply, his eyes meeting hers through the doorway. "What is it?" he asked, his tone neutral, preoccupied.
His direct question startled Xiaoyuan out of her spying. Embarrassed at being caught, she pushed the door open fully and stepped inside, forcing a smile. "Oh, uh, nothing! Just… wondering what you were doing up so early."
"Told you last night," Xiu replied without looking up again, his attention already back on the machine part and the open manual. "These machines need repairs before they're operational." He didn't pause in his examination. "It's still early," he added distractedly. "You could sleep for another hour or so. We'll officially start the workday around seven."
But Xiaoyuan didn't leave. She lingered near the doorway, watching him work for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "What… what will my job be?"
"Nothing official yet," Xiu answered casually, still not looking up. "For today… just focus on cleaning up the main hall and the office space upstairs. Make the place… presentable."
Hearing her assigned task, Xiaoyuan nodded silently and turned to leave, heading off to find cleaning supplies. She returned moments later with a broom and dustpan, beginning the daunting task of tackling the years of accumulated grime in the cavernous warehouse, working quietly while Xiu remained engrossed in his mechanical puzzle. He glanced up briefly as she started sweeping, acknowledged her presence with a slight nod, then immediately returned to his focused rhythm of study and repair.
— — —
Later that morning, during a brief breakfast break – simple ration bars and water shared amidst the dusty machinery – Xiu formally introduced Xiaoyuan to his companions.
"This is Abra," He said, gesturing to the floating psychic type meditating nearby. "You've seen it before. This one," He indicated the green insectoid Pokémon carefully cleaning its scythes, "is Scyther. And this little one," He picked up Happiny, who was currently trying to 'help' by playfully batting at loose wires, "is Happiny."
He then took the opportunity, while they ate, to explain the core business plan in more detail, moving beyond the simple concept of 'piracy'. He outlined the target market segments, the types of books and manuals in highest demand (breeder guides, skill encyclopedias, advanced training texts), pricing strategies, potential distribution methods – information gleaned from his recent market research and online reconnaissance.
He was also frank about his motivations. "Training Pokémon properly," He explained, gesturing towards Abra and Scyther, "requires resources. Good food, supplements, equipment… it all costs money. Serious money." His own Pokémon's development was already hitting early plateaus that couldn't be overcome by simple physical training alone. "The bonus I received from the park… it's a good start, but it won't last forever, not with three mouths to feed and train. We need a sustainable income source."
He looked directly at Xiaoyuan. "Working a normal job, saving pennies… it's too slow. I learned that the hard way in my… previous life." He avoided specifics. "So I found a business opportunity here, a gap in the market, and decided to invest everything I had into it. If this works," He gestured around the dusty factory, "we can generate the funds needed not just to survive, but to actually thrive. To give these guys," He nodded towards his Pokémon, "the resources they need to reach their full potential. And," He added, meeting her gaze again, "to eventually get strong enough to deal with… other matters."
"I have some… other business to attend to this afternoon," Xiu said after they finished eating, already gathering his backpack. "So, I'll leave the cleaning and organizing here to you for now. There's enough basic food stored in the office attic for you to make something for yourself later if I'm not back by evening. Don't wait up for me."
With those brief instructions, he recalled his Pokémon and left the factory quickly, leaving Xiaoyuan alone amidst the dust, the silent machinery, and the daunting task ahead. She watched him go, then took a deep breath, picked up her broom, and resolutely walked back towards the main hall, determination hardening her features.
— — —
Xiu, meanwhile, was heading back towards the Light Red City Pokémon Center. He rented a private communication booth this time – more expensive than the public terminals, but offering better security and potentially faster connection speeds. The cost still made him wince, but it was a necessary investment for the next phase of his plan.
'Computers aren't widespread here yet,' He mused, settling into the booth. 'So I can infer that public understanding of network security in this world is minimal, meaning that even large organizations only employ a rudimentary level of security...' He focused his attention on the terminal, flexing his fingers, a familiar tingle of anticipation running through him. 'Time to see just how 'naked' their databases really are.'
His target: the Ōto Bookstore chain's central inventory and digital manuscript database. Piracy required source material, after all. And buying the books legitimately was out of the question.
— — —
"It's almost midnight! Time to call it a day, don't you think?"
Xiaoyuan's voice echoed slightly in the cavernous printing workshop. She peered into the maze of machinery where Xiu had been working almost non-stop since returning late that afternoon. After a moment, Xiu emerged, wiping grease and sweat from his brow, looking utterly exhausted but with a triumphant glint in his eyes.
"How's it going?" Xiaoyuan asked, stepping closer, noticing the dark smudges on his face and clothes. He'd clearly been wrestling with the old machines all evening.
"Good," Xiu replied, nodding tiredly but with satisfaction. "No major damage to the core components. Just years of neglect, seized parts, clogged lines. I'm confident I can have the main press operational within three days." His engineering background proving invaluable. He then turned the question back to her. "What about you? How's the… other project going?"
"Found quite a few potential names already," Xiaoyuan reported, holding up a notepad filled with handwritten lists. "But…" She hesitated, then asked the question that had been bothering her since Xiu had assigned the task earlier. "Why are we collecting this information? Names, addresses, family connections… of prominent families in the city?" It felt intrusive, almost like spying.
Xiu, already squatting down to examine a problematic gear assembly, chuckled softly without looking up. "Think about it, Xiaoyuan," he countered. "Who do you think our primary customers should be?"
"Trainers, right?" she answered tentatively, echoing his earlier explanation. "People who need the knowledge to raise their Pokémon?"
"Yes, Trainers need the books," Xiu agreed. "But need doesn't always translate to purchasing power, especially for expensive academic texts. Trainers are a target market, yes. But they're not our first target market."
His words confused her again. It sounded like a contradiction.
Seeing her confusion, Xiu paused his tinkering and looked up, explaining patiently, his tone serious. "I managed to… access some internal documents from Ōto Books earlier," He said carefully, glossing over the 'how'. "Market research, user surveys. They've already done the demographic breakdown for us. Guess what? Registered adult Trainers only account for about seven percent of their high-end book sales."
He held up his fingers, ticking off the larger segments. "Students – university level, technical schools studying Pokémon-related fields – they make up thirty-one percent. Professional Breeders and Cultivators? Twenty-four percent." He paused for emphasis. "The rest? Researchers, academics, teachers, veterinarians… professionals whose careers depend on having the latest, most accurate Pokémon knowledge."
He leaned back slightly. "So, Xiaoyuan, who should we target first?"