Chapter 54: A Sudden Shift in Tone

"Do you feel stuffy? Would you like us to open the window?" the soldier on the left asked politely.

Qian Lin: "..."

It was indeed stuffy, but I didn't need the window open.

Though he had no idea where this vehicle came from or what brand it was, purely by sensation, its ventilation and air conditioning were absolute perfection. The temperature was flawless, completely avoiding that heavy, stifling heat that usually accumulated when too many people gathered in a confined space.

That wasn't the point, however.

Qian Lin sighed, "Well, I just mean the atmosphere is a bit too serious. It doesn't really suit me, so... could we loosen up a little?"

The squad leader in the front passenger seat turned his head at that moment. His youthful face carried a resolute determination that belied his age. "Comrade Qian Lin, we are on a mission, and during a mission, we cannot afford to relax."

"..." That made sense. If he had known it would be like this, he would rather have argued with the transport supervisor than accepted the ride.

Qian Lin laughed dryly, "There's no harm in relaxing a little, is it? Being overly solemn isn't always good either. Generally speaking, in situations like this, shouldn't one person stay on high alert while the others relax just a fraction?"

The squad leader nodded, "You are right, but this mission is of the utmost importance. We absolutely cannot afford even a momentary lapse in vigilance. And most importantly..."

He took a deep breath, "There are cameras in the vehicle."

Qian Lin: ???

What did that mean?

"Ahem..."

As if to answer Qian Lin's question, a voice came through the console at the front of the vehicle the next second: "Being wound too tight isn't good either. Just as Comrade Qian Lin suggested, the necessary vigilance must be maintained, but the rest of you can relax just a bit..."

"Someone at the control center will keep an eye on you at all times... but I won't."

"Understood!" The squad leader in the passenger seat raised his hand in a salute.

Qian Lin felt somewhat sheepish. He had known there would be surveillance inside the vehicle, but he had only just learned that the control center could communicate directly with them.

Well, at least they could relax a tiny bit now, right?

Just as Qian Lin breathed a sigh of relief, the soldier on the left suddenly stared at Swablu with starry, girlish eyes. "So this is Swablu! It's my first time seeing a Pokémon subdued by a human. It's so well-behaved~"

The last three words were spoken in the Sichuan dialect, carrying an inexplicably adorable charm.

Qian Lin wore the classic expression of an old man on a subway.

Wait a second, didn't your persona shift a little too fast?

"Chirpy?" Even Swablu was stunned.

The soldier on the right glanced at Swablu and shook his head. "If you ask me, Pangoro looks much cooler. Besides, when you think of the Sichuan region, you immediately think of pandas. Pangoro is clearly a Pokémon custom-made for our Sichuan region."

"That's true," the soldier on the left agreed with a nod.

With that, he looked at Qian Lin in the middle. "Speaking of which, Comrade Qian Lin, where are Growlithe and Pangoro? Did you put them inside Poké Balls?"

"Ah? Yes." The sudden shift in tone left Qian Lin slightly unaccustomed, but he instinctively replied, "Growlithe and Pangoro are relatively large, so I temporarily had them stay in their Poké Balls."

At this mention, Qian Lin looked around the interior, which still had plenty of space, and felt a bit awkward. "I previously thought I'd be driving myself."

Although the previous car had plenty of room, it still wasn't quite enough for Pangoro. This vehicle, however, was certainly spacious enough to easily accommodate Pangoro's frame—as for Growlithe...

Don't assume Growlithe was tiny; its build was that of a large dog, and a chubby one at that. An ordinary car might not have been able to fit it comfortably.

If it had evolved into Arcanine, fitting it inside would have been entirely out of the question.

At any rate, these soldiers weren't truly given to stony silence.

Over the next period of time, Qian Lin chatted and exchanged words with them. Under normal circumstances, these soldiers were no different from ordinary people, save for the fact that they remained remarkably mindful of their posture whether standing or sitting.

The vehicle's route was the highway. Nowadays, apart from urban expressways, virtually all highways had been sealed off, with personnel stationed at every toll booth twenty-four hours a day as part of the defensive perimeter.

With wild Pokémon descending upon the world, many highways had been seized by them because highways cut through the wilderness, tunnels, and remote areas—places genuinely swarming with Pokémon.

Even some service areas along the highways had been occupied by Pokémon and turned into nests.

In short, humanity had it rough.

Roughly four hours later, the vehicle pulled into the An City Service Area. Located not far from the city outskirts, this service area remained under human control. Though of limited practical use, it still served as a vantage point to observe conditions along the highway.

Parking the vehicle, the soldiers stepped out first to scout the area. Only after confirming everything was clear did they wave to signal Qian Lin to come down.

The very first thing Qian Lin did upon exiting the car was stretch lazily. Sitting in the vehicle for so long had left his back rather sore, but the stretch made him feel a hundred times better.

Like a Siberian husky that had been cooped up indoors for too long, Swablu spread its wings and flew out the moment the door opened, circling to stretch its body while emitting joyful cries.

The squad leader from the passenger seat walked over to Qian Lin, dropping his previous stern tone to speak quite casually, "We've covered half the distance. We'll rest here for a bit, grab a bite to eat, and continue our journey in half an hour."

"No problem." Qian Lin had been wanting to rest for a while; sitting in a car for four consecutive hours was genuinely hard to endure. "Sorry to trouble you, Squad Leader Fu Xing."

Squad Leader Fu Xing, newly turned thirty, was a local from Sichuan. He had remarked that there wasn't much else to say about himself, and Qian Lin hadn't pried further.

Fu Xing didn't reply, merely giving a wave of his hand before calling the other men to retrieve the necessary equipment from the vehicle, beginning to prepare food at a safe distance from the service area's fuel station.

Qian Lin looked ahead. Although designated as a highway, the entire stretch of road was occupied solely by their vehicle. Occasionally, fleeting glimpses of Pokémon like Diglett, Dugtrio, or Geodude could be seen along the roadside.

Ground and Rock-type Pokémon seemed relatively abundant in this region, alongside Grass and Normal-type ones.

Originally, this livestream was supposed to take place in a location chosen by viewer polls, but due to the incident involving humans attacked by Ghost-type Pokémon, Qian Lin had no choice but to prioritize this area.

It wasn't that this matter was inherently more important than what the viewers wanted, but when a crisis landed right on your doorstep, was there really any choice to be made?

Qian Lin took a deep breath, hoping the situation ahead would prove simple enough to handle.

He took out the Poké Balls for Growlithe and Pangoro, giving them a gentle toss. "Come out, Growlithe, Pangoro!"

"Awoo~"

"Roar~"

Accompanied by the flash of opening Poké Balls, the figures of Growlithe and Pangoro materialized, hitting the ground and expanding to their full sizes.

Growlithe happily bounded forward, wagging its tail and rubbing its head against Qian Lin's thigh.

Pangoro puffed on a bamboo shoot, crossing its arms as it watched the scene. Though it might sound a bit terrifying, Qian Lin genuinely saw something resembling the radiant warmth of a mother on Pangoro's face.

"Ahem..." Qian Lin gave a dry cough.

He wasn't trying to slander Pangoro, but judged purely by what met the eye, Pangoro's visage was indeed... quite intimidating.