I really want to retire, salted fish!

"Little A's Assistant reminds you: Please investigate the anomalies in the alternate dimension of the First Emperor's Mausoleum. For the savior, accidents often mean danger."

"Reward: 100 BP points, Energy Cube Crafting Technology Lv.1"

There was definitely a problem...

The system notification confirmed his suspicions, and Bai Zhou's heart sank slightly. He made a firm note of the matter.

"Stop eating."

He scooped up the Gastly, which was burying its face in the bowl and eating with its mouth full of steam.

"Look at you, you've gotten so round! Go take a shower and go to bed."

"Gah!" (I protest!)

The protest was invalid.

Gastly was ruthlessly dragged into the bathroom.

The next morning.

Bai Zhou yawned as he went downstairs, ready to sneak off to his workstation for some pleasant time slacking off, but was caught by Professor Oak.

"Little White, come here!"

Professor Oak, beaming, put his arm around him and enthusiastically led him forward.

"Things have been piling up lately, so to improve efficiency, I've had to temporarily move your workstation here...! Just ask me if you need anything, it'll be very convenient!"

Bai Zhou paused, took a half step back, and looked up to confirm the doorplate—Dr. Oak's Office.

Isn't this your old office?

Noticing his confusion, Professor Oak scratched his head, his smile tinged with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry to trouble you to share an office with me for now. This isn't Kanto, and arranging a separate office for you would be a bit of a hassle... Of course, if you want to work in your own room, that's perfectly fine too!"

"No, no, no!"

Bai Zhou quickly waved his hand and immediately replied.

"I was afraid... afraid of disturbing your work."

The main reason is that he can't slack off while staying under the boss's nose.

"How could that be!"

Professor Oak waved his hand, pressed him down to the desk, and pulled out several reports labeled "Ghost Energy Tide" from the drawer and handed them over.

"I investigated the abnormal energy fluctuations that were previously monitored, and the conclusion is that it is highly likely to cause restlessness among Ghost-type Pokémon throughout the city! Take a look at the report first."

Bai Zhou quickly flipped through the pages, his brows gradually furrowing.

"Energy appearing out of thin air? That's unlikely... Is the source of the diffusion not yet located? That jade coffin isn't..."

"You've grasped the key point so quickly?"

Professor Oak's eyes lit up, full of admiration.

"That jade coffin is indeed the source of energy, but in reality, it doesn't actively emit energy! There are other reasons for that energy diffusion! We tried moving the jade coffin, but no matter what method we used, we couldn't budge it an inch."

His tone turned serious.

"The problem is, if we don't intervene, all Ghost-type Pokémon in the city could be continuously affected, and the consequences are unpredictable... So I'll have to trouble you to work overtime these next few days to help me analyze and extract this data, provide insights, and then enter it into the electronic file. Thank you for your hard work!"

"No problem, leave it to me."

Bai Zhou agreed, pondering in his heart.

The jade coffin is opened... Gastly awakens... An energy tide from another dimension...

Accident?

Or is it the mastermind behind it all?

Is the purpose that mysterious jade coffin?

It seems necessary to remind Professor Oak to pay attention to the local factions...

Even if it's just a false alarm, it's never a bad thing to be more vigilant.

Thinking of this, he immediately revealed all his speculations and thoughts.

"The mastermind behind it all..."

Professor Oak stroked his chin, looking serious.

"We really can't let this go unchecked. I'll report it to the alliance and request..."

"etc!"

Bai Zhou quickly interrupted, fearing that Professor Oak might call in all sorts of strange and monstrous figures.

"Speculation may not be accurate, and making a big fuss could alert the enemy. Perhaps... we should investigate secretly first? Besides, if the alliance gets involved and it turns out to be a false alarm, it won't be easy to clean up the mess."

"Investigate covertly? That works. It shouldn't be a problem to leave it to Zhu Lan, but she doesn't seem to know this place very well..."

Professor Oak pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the white boat, when suddenly it lit up.

"Great idea! I'll leave this to you! I'll have Zhu Lan assist you and ensure your safety. Go ahead and do it!"

Ah, this—

What I really meant was that you could have just let Ms. Zhulan investigate; there was really no need to involve me. I have my own job to do.

Bai Zhou was stunned. The words of refusal were on the tip of his tongue, but they were blocked by Professor Oak's ardent gaze, which seemed to entrust him with a great responsibility.

Wanting to cry but having no tears.jpg

His suggestion to conduct the investigation was correct, but he didn't intend to get himself into trouble too!

White boat, oh white boat!

Why did you have to say something?

Now look what's happened! You've shot yourself in the foot, needlessly increasing your workload. Are you satisfied now?

"Oh, right, there's one more thing."

Professor Oak seemed to just remember something, slapped his forehead, instantly switched back to relaxed mode, and looked at Bai Zhou with a smile.

"Regarding the promotion of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen! Online promotion is already in full swing and the results are pretty good! I'm thinking, how about we hold a formal, grand offline launch event? You could personally go on stage and explain it, what do you think?"

"I don't think... it'll work."

When the topic turned to games, Bai Zhou became clear-headed, setting aside distractions and analyzing the issues logically and clearly.

"Firstly, press conferences are too formal, costly, and have limited impact. Games are essentially for playing, not luxury goods or everyday necessities. Players care more about the actual experience than the spectacle of a press conference. Secondly..."

He pointed to himself.

"As an unknown nobody, I have no influence. If you or an influential champion like Ms. Zhu Lan were to endorse me, the effect would be doubled. Moreover, the core value of the game is not only the combat gameplay, but also the collection and social aspects. Instead of holding a press conference, we should invest resources in targeted advertising and community operations."

"Is that so..."

Professor Oak seemed thoughtful, perhaps a little regretful.

"So, we have no choice but to cancel the press conference...?"

"However, there are alternatives."

Bai Zhou then changed the subject and revealed his own plan.

"I can do a live stream to demonstrate gameplay, explain battle knowledge, and share training tips. It's intuitive, fun, and highly interactive, and it can also build up popularity in real time to warm up the Pokémon Studio account."

Live streaming has low costs, high traffic, a large audience, timely positive feedback, and makes it easy to earn business points (BP).

If the live stream is well-executed, Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen could easily become a mainstream hit, even accumulating a large fanbase before its release.

Moreover, you don't necessarily have to show your face when you're live streaming!

Building a following and generating buzz for your studio's account is a sure-fire way to make money.

"Live streaming? Great idea!"

Professor Oak slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up.

"It's settled then. Let's organize a live stream once the online promotion is almost complete."

With the plan finalized, Professor Oak sat back down contentedly, keeping his accomplishments hidden.

Bai Zhou was left standing there alone, sighing silently.

Data analysis, crisis investigation, game streaming...

Suddenly, I feel like I have so much more to do.

I really want to retire as a salted fish!