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In what felt like the blink of an eye, the training camp was rapidly approaching its conclusion.
Jacob specifically requested a day of leave, departing from the Patrol Team one day ahead of schedule.
He planned to use this precious time to travel to Silkridge City, where he would visit Davis's hometown and personally meet his sister and mother.
Jacob harbored deep reservations about trusting Davis completely. He had witnessed firsthand how Davis had betrayed and participated in killing Jett to save his own life when circumstances demanded it.
Although he had already used Davis's family members as leverage to ensure his cooperation, Jacob was naturally suspicious, cautious, and methodical in his approach. He remained uncertain about how much importance Davis truly placed on his family's wellbeing.
Jacob worried that Davis might be the type of person capable of abandoning even his own family members if it served his interests. Therefore, Jacob decided to personally visit Davis's family—his mother and sister—to observe the genuine relationship dynamics between them before making any final judgments about his reliability.
Speaking of his naturally suspicious nature, Jacob realized he was gradually developing traits similar to the historical figure Cao Cao, who was notorious for his paranoid tendencies and once killed an entire innocent family simply because he heard the sound of knife sharpening and assumed the worst.
...
Jacob rode a Flying-type Pokemon to reach Silkridge City efficiently. Since Flying-type Pokemon were prohibited within city limits for safety reasons, Jacob was forced to rely on ground transportation after arriving. He first withdrew a substantial amount of cash from a local bank, then purchased various fruits and snacks to bring as gifts. Finally, he took a taxi to the general vicinity of Davis's family residence.
Davis's family was clearly not financially well-off. They had originally lived in a nearby rural village, but ever since his sister had been accepted into a prestigious high school, the entire family had relocated to the city to make her daily commute more manageable. However, even within the urban environment, they could only afford to live in the cheapest available housing in an urban village.
Their home was located in a deteriorating communal apartment building situated in the old city's urban village—a cramped structure packed with all varieties of residents: young men with bleached yellow hair, flamboyantly dressed young women who were most active during nighttime hours, and even tattooed gang members. Thousands of people were crammed into this single overcrowded communal building.
Despite the high population density, the living environment was far from desirable. Not only were the surrounding facilities inadequate with unreliable water and electricity service, but the environmental conditions were also extremely poor. A large garbage dump was located nearby, and numerous garbage trucks passed through the area daily, leaving behind a persistent and pungent odor of rotting waste.
Consequently, anyone residing in this area who managed to accumulate even modest savings chose to relocate as quickly as possible. The only advantage this location offered was exceptionally cheap rent, and there were bus stops directly outside the building, making public transportation relatively convenient.
The slum resembled a pool of thick mud—some people seemed content to sink deeper into the mire until death, while others fought desperately to escape their circumstances.
...
Most of the residents in this area represented the lower socioeconomic class of Silkridge City, wearing worn and shabby clothing. Dirty children could frequently be seen playing on the dusty ground, rolling around while kicking up clouds of dirt, molding various Pokemon figures from mud, playing elaborate games of make-believe, and shouting enthusiastically about becoming the "Number One Pokemon Trainer."
Jacob wore a face mask both for his personal safety and to maintain complete anonymity, hoping to avoid being recognized and potentially causing complications.
As Jacob walked purposefully toward the apartment building, the surrounding residents couldn't help but steal glances at him from the corners of their eyes. It was obvious they had never encountered Jacob before—or rather, it was exceptionally rare for someone of Jacob's apparent wealth to appear in this urban village setting.
Even with the mask concealing his features, they could easily determine from his high-quality clothing and confident bearing that Jacob came from a well-off family background and was definitely not a local resident.
The apartment building itself was ancient and heavily weathered, with patches of green moss growing in the shadowy corners. Jacob walked along the cracked pathway, approaching an elderly man who was sitting peacefully on a plastic chair while enjoying the warm sunshine.
"Excuse me, sir, does Ruby live in this building?" Jacob asked politely while skillfully offering a Meloetta brand cigarette. This particular brand was considered premium tobacco in this world, known as a luxury item among cigarette enthusiasts.
Even though Jacob had never been a smoker, he always kept a pack on hand for social situations exactly like this one.
Accepting the cigarette Jacob offered, the elderly man carefully tucked it into his shirt pocket and responded with a knowing chuckle. "Ruby hasn't returned from school yet. Only her mother is currently at home, in the room located in the farthest corner on the third floor."
"Thank you very much, sir." Jacob offered another cigarette as a gesture of appreciation and began walking toward Davis's family residence.
...
"Who was that person?" A skinny young troublemaker with distinctively dyed yellow hair, wearing an oversized down jacket despite the weather, approached the elderly man after Jacob had departed.
He had been carefully observing Jacob ever since his arrival and couldn't suppress his curiosity about the stranger's background and intentions.
"I have no idea. Didn't you notice he was wearing a mask? How could anyone possibly recognize him?" the old man replied, watching Jacob's retreating figure with interest. "But that person clearly has substantial money—didn't you see that Meloetta brand cigarette he gave me?"
The old man carefully removed the cigarette and inhaled its subtle aroma, displaying an expression of pure bliss as he savored the faint tobacco scent. "Fragrant, truly fragrant quality."
"Do you know who he was looking for specifically?" the yellow-haired young man continued his questioning with obvious interest.
"Ruby, naturally," the old man responded matter-of-factly. "I've always maintained that the little girl from the Gao family would eventually make something significant of herself. Look—she's already managed to climb the social ladder and transform herself into a phoenix."
Upon hearing the old man's casual observation, the yellow-haired man's mind began working actively, his eyes darting around as he contemplated various possibilities and schemes.
...
Reaching the third floor and walking down the long, dimly lit corridor, Jacob could hear frequent episodes of violent coughing echoing through the hallway. Living in such poor environmental conditions for extended periods, most residents had developed some form of respiratory illness.
Jacob's presence continued to attract considerable attention. Someone of his apparent social status shouldn't logically appear in a communal building of this type. Several residents from upper floors poked their heads out of their doorways, their eyes filled with unbridled curiosity about this mysterious visitor.
The neighbors on this particular floor and the ones below were all quite familiar with each other's daily routines. When an obvious stranger arrived, everyone gathered to observe the unfolding drama, genuinely curious about which resident this well-dressed young man was visiting.
"I'll bet five yuan he's here for Ruby," someone whispered.
...
Jacob walked purposefully to the room positioned at the very end of the corridor. The deteriorating wooden door stood slightly ajar, revealing darkness beyond. Standing carefully at the threshold, Jacob gently knocked on the door frame.
From within the apartment came a sudden, violent coughing fit—a heart-wrenching sound as if someone's lung was being torn apart. The coughing continued for an alarmingly long time before finally subsiding, followed by a hoarse voice calling out from inside.
"Who is it? The door isn't locked—please come in."
"I'm a friend of Davis's. He asked me to come and check on you," Jacob announced while pushing the door open and stepping inside. His gaze immediately swept around the cramped living space. The dim environment showed absolutely no natural light—the windows were tightly sealed shut, and the entire room was filled with the pungent, medicinal aroma of traditional Chinese herbal remedies.
"You're Davis's friend? Please, please sit down and make yourself comfortable," came a weak voice from the shadows. In the dim lighting, Jacob observed a middle-aged woman emerging slowly from an inner room. Her face appeared haggard and drawn, with an unhealthy pallor, extremely thin to the point of being skeletal, and deeply sunken eyes that spoke of prolonged illness. The middle-aged woman spoke softly while reaching for a plastic stool to offer Jacob. "Let me get you some water to drink."
"Please don't trouble yourself—you should sit and rest instead," Jacob insisted, pulling up a stool for himself while carefully placing the fresh fruit and milk he had brought on a small table. "Davis mentioned that you haven't been feeling well lately. I bought these fruits and milk specifically for you."
Listening to Jacob's thoughtful words, the middle-aged woman's pale, drawn face brightened with a genuine smile. "How is my Davis doing? Is he managing well at his construction job? He told me recently that he was promoted to team leader, and his salary increased quite substantially. How did you two become acquainted?"
Jacob listened carefully to the middle-aged woman's eager questions, maintaining a warm smile while responding to each inquiry thoughtfully. "He and I are good friends. We work at the same location. Since we're both young people, we naturally got to know each other over time."
Based on the middle-aged woman's genuine concern and detailed knowledge about her son's supposed work situation, Jacob already had his answer for this investigative visit. The fact that Davis maintained frequent communication with his family and used kind-hearted lies to protect his mother from worry proved that his relationship with his family was at least genuinely caring.
"That's absolutely wonderful to hear," Davis's mother responded joyfully upon receiving news about her distant son, her face radiating the kind of warm smile only a loving parent could display. "Davis has always been such a stubborn child—as obstinate as a mule. He usually wasn't very obedient when he lived at home. I hope he hasn't offended anyone at work."
"Auntie, let me reassure you completely," Jacob said, looking at Davis's mother's authentic smile with growing respect. "Davis is performing excellently at work. His supervisors appreciate his dedication, and everyone genuinely likes him. You can rest completely assured about his wellbeing."