I am Giovanni

Chapter 81: A Captain's Gambit

Just as Giovanni finished his training and exited the training ground, a discordant voice rang out.

"Lord Giovanni."

Giovanni raised an eyebrow, slowly turned around, and seemed unsurprised by the newcomer. "Captain Ank?"

The newcomer was indeed Captain Ank, who had previously backed Arui. He was a thin man, almost without any flesh on his bones, but he was a Gym Leader-level trainer, and his strength was formidable.

Ank's face lit up when he heard Giovanni call out his name. "It truly honors me that Lord Giovanni knows my name," he said amiably.

"Do you have something you need from me?" Giovanni did not let his guard down. These old bones were full of bad intentions. He was also hinting at Ank; due to Madame Boss's orders, no one was allowed to harass the candidates privately.

If she found out, they would be punished.

Ank chuckled. He had already thought of what to say. "What could I possibly need? I just happened to be passing by and ran into you, so I thought I'd say hello."

But whether Giovanni accepted this flimsy excuse was another matter. He merely nodded, then turned to leave. "Oh. If that's the case, the greetings have been exchanged. I'll be going now."

Ank saw that Giovanni was clearly trying to refuse him, but he didn't get angry. "Giovanni, if you want to leave, I won't stop you. However, there's something you might not know..."

Giovanni's steps paused— a smile bloomed on Ank's face, a hint of triumph in his eyes.

"Tell me," Giovanni said, turning around.

Ank walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "That boy, Raven,1 who's competing with you... he's connected to Captain Price. They plan to find an opportunity to eliminate you, once and for all."

A murderous glint flashed in Giovanni's eyes, killing intent spreading from his body. "How do you know that, Captain Ank?" he asked coldly.

"Don't get agitated. I'm on your side," Ank chuckled, patting his shoulder. "I am a Captain, after all. I have my methods."

Giovanni's face remained cold, his eyes filled with distrust. "So what? Why are you telling me this?"

As if to make him trust him more, Ank continued, "You should know that I previously placed my bets on that boy, Arui, right? He had no luck. He died. Proved to be useless."

"So you want to treat me the same way you treated Arui?" Giovanni frowned.

"Of course not," Ank quickly shook his head. "You're different from that boy. We all know you're not someone easily controlled, which is why we initially chose the other two."

This was true. From every angle, Giovanni was not a puppet. "But I've already failed my investment. I have to bear the risk. I understand Price, just as he understands me. If Raven wins, I definitely won't survive, so..."

"So you want to take another gamble," Giovanni scanned him. "But you should think carefully. I'm not Arui. You won't gain anything easily from me."

"I know!" Ank gritted his teeth. "I just don't want to die. If you truly gain enough strength, I will sincerely call you Boss."

"That day won't be far off," Giovanni said, his own aura of confidence surging.

Ank's eyes held a hint of apprehension. He pulled out a box and handed it to Giovanni. "I know you have a Meowth that's about to evolve, so I've prepared a small token as a sign of my sincerity."

"You're quite willing to invest," Giovanni said. This time, he did not refuse. He lacked this resource and temporarily needed Ank's assistance. He took the box.

"I've seen your sincerity," he said, gently tapping the box. "But I have one question."

"Please speak," Ank said, immediately adopting an attentive posture.

"Logically speaking," Giovanni said, stroking his chin, "weren't you Petrel's subordinate before? It would be better for you to be under him, wouldn't it?"

Ank paused before replying. "Petrel... in his eyes, we are just expendable beings who can be replaced at any time. Once he takes power, our usefulness will be gone. He thought we didn't know, but if we didn't, how could we have made our choices as soon as the selection began? Besides," he added, his voice full of venom, "he also disrupted all my plans!"

"But what if I replace you then?" Giovanni asked.

"Then at least I'll have time to prove myself," Ank said, his fists clenched. "I'll still have value. And I know you're very good to your loyal subordinates."

"Oh," Giovanni looked at him deeply. "It seems you've already talked to Archer."

Ank did not hide it. "Yes. I sought out Captain Archer." From the moment he mentioned the Meowth, Giovanni had already guessed. It could be kept secret for a day or two, but over time, everyone would know who Archer was loyal to.

"He's quite thoughtful," Giovanni said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yes, he is very loyal to you," Ank said quickly.

"Let's go," Giovanni said, walking towards his room. "Accompany me."

Ank heard the subtle threat in his voice and immediately tried to explain, but after seeing Giovanni's back, he said nothing.

When they arrived outside Giovanni's room, Archer was indeed already standing there, waiting respectfully.