"Can I say no?"
Six short words. They silenced the group chat for a full minute as everyone stared at their screens, completely shell-shocked.
He was actually refusing???
A 17-year-old kid was looking at a 100-million-dollar salary and finding a reason to say "No"?
Was he crazy, were they crazy, or had the entire universe just glitched out?
Did we read that right? Can you type that again?
Anna Lee was having a panic attack for him. She knew Lorze's family was just average. If he took that money, combined with his pure white Ralts, his potential for the future would be limitless beyond comprehension.
Are you really going to throw away the chance to beco a god?
Or are you just being a greedy bastard who wants to haggle for more?
Baby, please don't be this greedy!
Mother Xue was also in disbelief. It was the first ti in her life a man had ever rejected her. After a long pause, she hurriedly pressed for an answer: "Why? Is there a reason? If you think 100 million isn't enough, we can negotiate a higher price."
Facing a literal king's ransom, Lorze simply shook his head and typed: "No need for more. 100 million is already an overwhelming amount of money. But this ti, it really isn't about the cash. I have other considerations."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Right now, it's just a pipe dream. Not worth ntioning."
"Does your 'pipe dream' conflict with staying at Snowhide?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows until we get there?"
"You really won't reconsider? What if I make it 300 million?"
"No, thank you. If Auntie Xue is willing, just give a salary of 10 million. We can keep our relationship as a partnership."
"..."
Mother Xue went silent again. She never expected this outco.
When she grit her teeth to offer 100 million, she had actually questioned if he was even worth that much.
But it turned out he didn't even care about that much money.
Mother Xue didn't know what he ant by "pipe dream." Was he just bluffing to raise his stock, or did he genuinely have a world-conquering ambition?
If it was ambition, it was terrifyingly vast.
He was 17. At that age, to refuse 100 million for the sake of a goal—how powerful must that goal be?
And Lorze had used the word "partnership." Did he intend to start his own company and go solo?
If so, she absolutely couldn't let him leave. What if he beca their deadliest competitor?
He'd just casually dropped the secret of the Hondew Berry, revealing a massive profit margin.
Who could guarantee Lorze didn't know the secrets of every other "trash berry" in the world?
What if he knew everything, and he'd only told them about the least valuable one? How could Snowhide ever compete with him then?
Mother Xue was in a state of high anxiety. She could not let this boy slip through her fingers.
But just as she was about to ask Elena for a way to trap him, Elena contacted her privately.
"Xu, are you seriously trying to sign him for that much?" Elena was genuinely startled by her bestie's offer.
"Didn't you say he was worth it?" Mother Xue countered.
"I admit his discovery is priceless. But Emotional Energy technically falls under the scope of the Umbreon research. Under the contract he already signed, that data belongs to Snowhide. You don't need to throw extra cash at him. The 10 million he asked for is more than enough," Elena advised. She'd rather that money go to her research grants. She had so many projects; who wasn't short on cash?
More importantly, there was a top-secret project that only she and Xue Xu knew about. They had founded Snowhide specifically for that project, not for profit.
Once that project was realized, any wish could be granted—even bringing the dead back to life. Why worry about short-term margins?
"But... what if he has other discoveries besides Emotional Energy?" Mother Xue was terrified that Hondew Berries weren't his only secret. The boy clearly had a deep, pre-existing understanding of the bond between humans and Pokémon.
Is the research in his head really limited to what he told us?
Would soone that smart really show his entire hand on the first turn?
In Mother Xue's eyes, Lorze was a tactical genius. There was zero chance he had stripped himself naked for them already.
Why else would he demand his own private research lab?
Just to study Pokémon Abilities?
He could have shared a lab with others for that.
It was obvious: he felt his research was too sensitive for prying eyes. He had no intention of sharing his real work.
What if one of his hidden projects was the key to their own "Secret Wish" project?
"You're overthinking it. Science isn't like a battle. All the easy discoveries were picked clean over the last half-century. What's left are the impossible puzzles. Even if he's a genius, how much ti does a 17-year-old have outside of school? Understanding Emotional Energy is already a lifeti achievent for most," Elena shook her head. She'd spent her whole life just to perfect the Egg Group theory.
How could a boy have more?
Scientific breakthroughs are 50% luck. Many scientists discover one thing and then spend the rest of their lives in total silence.
So, while Lorze was a freak for figuring out Emotional Energy at 17, who could guarantee he wouldn't just fla out and disappear?
"I get what you're saying, but what if..." Mother Xue was still uneasy.
"There are no 'what-ifs.' Even if he has more, as long as you maintain a perfect relationship with him, he'll be a partner, not a rival. If you try to force him to stay now, you'll just make him hate you. Don't lose the forest for the trees," Elena rolled her eyes. Since when did her brilliant bestie beco so indecisive?
"I see..." Mother Xue sighed. She was finally convinced.
Forced fruits are never sweet. They only lead to resentnt. As a master of psychology, she should have known that. She'd let a 17-year-old rattle her composure.
Fine. Emotional Energy alone was a massive win. She shouldn't be greedy.
She'd follow Elena's advice and focus on a long-term, healthy partnership.
After a long pause, Mother Xue spoke in the chat again: "Very well. If you have grander dreams, Auntie Xue will support you. But 10 million is too little. I'll give you an annual salary of 20 million bucks. Your main focus will be Emotional Energy research and helping us refine the Pokédex app. You have full access to all company resources. Anything you need from our vaults, you just take it. How does that sound?"
"Thank you for your understanding, Auntie Xue," Lorze replied, letting out a breath of relief. He had been worried about a confrontation.
Truthfully, Mother Xue offering 100 million and being open to haggling proved how highly she valued him.
From her perspective, he was a 17-year-old kid who happened to stumble upon a world-shattering theory. He was a goldmine to be cultivated.
But to offer 100 million right out of the gate... that wasn't "cultivation." That was a "skip the dating and marry " move.
And it was impossible.
Not because Lorze hated the idea of marrying into a rich family—he loved it—but because he knew the knowledge in his head was worth infinitely more than that.
If he tied himself exclusively to Snowhide, how could he ever go solo later?
Is 100 million a lot?
Yes. But what if he developed Pokéblocks? If he was the only person on Earth who could mass-produce them, how much would he make?
He could literally buy the Snowhide Corporation with the change in his pocket!
Why would he settle for being an employee and letting them take the lion's share?
Of course, it was too early for that. He wasn't even sure if he could make Pokéblocks yet.
But even without them, his brain was a library of billion-dollar ideas.
The Fairy-type. ga Evolution. Z-Moves. Dynamax. The hidden effects of dozens of other "trash" berries.
Any one of those would crush Snowhide's current market value.
He wasn't stupid enough to hand over world-class discoveries for a asly 100 million a year.
Besides, the money wasn't even the point. He really did have a "pipe dream"—a plan so massive it would eventually require the cooperation of the entire global society to pull off.
But that was for later. For now, he just needed to invent the Fairy-type.
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