Chapter 117 Meowthth, Licking to the End, Nothing Left.
The style suddenly changed. Under Xia Mu's words, Jessie miraculously escaped her previous psychological predicament and adopted a girlish demeanor.
And it must be said, she was indeed very alluring and beautiful.
Jessie's face shape was definitely celebrity-level. As Xia Mu said, if Jessie changed her hairstyle, she would absolutely outshine most beauties.
Just like the beautiful pictures of Jessie that Xia Mu had seen in his previous life, she was definitely a mature and elegant woman among mature women.
Jessie's problem was solved; as for other aspects, let's leave them aside for now.
Xia Mu turned his gaze to James, immediately making James's heart tighten and causing him to swallow again.
This inexplicable bad premonition made James guess that Xia Mu must also have information about him.
Jessie had been thoroughly investigated; he was probably the same.
At this moment, he felt not only awe but also fear towards Xia Mu.
He didn't know that Xia Mu knew all this because of her understanding of the original plot; their life experiences were all written in the encyclopedia.
"James, I won't go into your past. Compared to Jessie, you're incredibly lucky. You could say you don't know how lucky you are. If I told you, you'd probably feel terrible… Besides, you probably suggested coming to me this time because you saw hope for a new path in me." Xia Mu didn't reveal too much about James's past.
In short, he was just a rebellious teenager yearning for freedom and running away from home, and he still didn't want to go back.
James did have a tragic past, but in the eyes of most ordinary people, his tragic life was happiness.
James was grateful that Xia Mu hadn't exposed his identity and past; he genuinely didn't want Jessie and Meowthth to know his true identity.
You'll never believe why I moved to… Karachi
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He worried that their different identities would cause them to lose their friendship and create a rift between them.
Xia Mu remained silent, but Jessie and Meowthth were naturally curious, though they didn't press the matter.
"As for you, Meowthth, I can only describe you with one phrase: a simp, a simp, and in the end, you get nothing."
Without mincing words, Xia Mu went straight to the harshest point. Although Meowthth was a cat, the term "simp" was prevalent in this world, so he understood.
Before Meowthth could react, Xia Mu continued, "However, your only success was that, in pursuit of Meowzie, you learned human habits and even learned to speak human language. Even though you ultimately failed in love, you were unexpectedly valued by Giovanni… Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Because you had no value beyond speaking human language, Giovanni abandoned you, and now you're just a member of the team."
After saying this, Xia Mu fell silent, and Meowthth stared at him as if he were a ghost.
It had never told anyone these things, but Xia Mu knew.
"W-how did you know, Meowth?" Meowth asked fearfully.
"Don't worry about how I know. Actually, I'm quite interested in you. You can become stronger too, but you've used up all your potential on developing your mind. However, in terms of strength, you're not weak; it's just that you're not good at fighting, and you don't want to fight," Xia Mu replied.
Meowth was speechless for a moment, unsure how to continue communicating with Xia Mu.
Jessie and James, on the other hand, were incredulous at Meowth.
They never imagined that the usually unassuming Meowth had such a complicated past, learning to speak to pursue Meowzie—something Meowth had never mentioned before.
The atmosphere quickly became extremely tense.
Because Xia Mu kept blocking the alley's exit, Jessie, James, and Meowthth felt immense pressure.
This was intentional on Xia Mu's part.
The three of them were too impulsive; to recruit them, he needed to win their complete loyalty.
Therefore, a combination of carrot and stick was necessary. First, he needed to clearly explain their information, letting them know he knew them inside and out, eliminating any need for trickery. Then, he would gradually win them over psychologically.
Only in this way could he ensure their unwavering loyalty.
Of course, Xia Mu wasn't stingy; as long as they were genuinely loyal, he would reward them handsomely.
"Have you thought it through? Will you choose to develop alongside me and forge a new path, or continue as members of Team Rocket? I won't force you, but if you follow me, you must be prepared to completely sever ties with the past! Breaking promises isn't terrible; those who are fickle and unreliable are the most dangerous and least trustworthy,"
Xia Mu said seriously.
All that verbal sparring had been for this.
The three exchanged glances, trying to glean their thoughts from each other.
"Coming to you was indeed my idea. Jessie and Meowthth were dragged here by me, and they've already agreed with my thoughts. But what kind of guarantees can you give us, and what are we supposed to do following you for..." James stepped forward and spoke.
Before he could finish, Xia Mu immediately understood his meaning.
It was simply about how much their future would change after following him, and what they would gain.
"What I can give you is that you won't have to worry about Team Rocket's bad reputation anymore. I will use my methods to help you clear your name and give you legal status.
"Then, from now on you will truly have freedom and will live a life at least free from worries about food and clothing. I won't say I'll instantly elevate you to the upper class, but you certainly won't have to worry about money anymore.
"Of course, that alone isn't enough for you to follow me, so I won't beat around the bush! You roughly understand my identity. What I can give you is power and money. While you enjoy all that I give you, help me lay the foundation for a nascent business empire.
"I need absolute loyalty!" You might be surprised why I'm doing this, because I'm the eldest son of the Xia family. At the very least, I could inherit the family business directly, without having to put in so much effort. But that's not what I want. What I want is to build my own business empire. However, my abilities are limited, and I have many things to do, so I need people to assist me. And you three just happen to be perfect.
"Speaking of which, Jessie and Meowthth might not fully understand, but James, you should! We all want to rely on ourselves. One day, when you have enough wealth, you won't need to be bound by your parents anymore."
Xia Mu paused here.
The bait had been thrown in; now it was time to see their reaction.
Xia Mu felt he had acted well and should be able to hook them.
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(End of Chapter)