Chapter 163 Secretary
After looking at the back of Ash leaving, Archer turned his gaze to the young woman sitting on the sofa. Archer's eyes grew increasingly gloomy; he no longer had much patience for this secretary.
"For the last time, which research room stores the Master Ball research and development materials?" Archer's voice sounded just as Ash opened the door to leave.
He wasn't questioning Ash, but the young woman on the sofa—the secretary of the president of Silph Co.
Hearing Archer's question, Ash paused, resisting the urge to turn around, and continued walking, while paying attention to the situation behind him.
"Dream on! I'll never tell you Rockets anything!" The secretary's voice was full of hatred as she glared at Archer.
"In that case..." Archer, unfazed by the secretary's hostility, looked at the door and called out, "Ash, wait!"
"Master Archer, are you calling me?" Ash paused, turned to face Archer, and lowered his head slightly.
"Yes," Archer beckoned Ash over. When Ash stood before him, he pointed at the secretary. "Since she won't reveal the Master Ball information's location, she's of no use. Make her disappear."
Fear flashed in the secretary's eyes, but she gritted her teeth, determined not to cry out. She understood Archer's meaning—to eliminate her.
Ash froze, quickly regaining his composure. He nodded and said, "Yes, Master Archer."
Ash approached the secretary, noting her terrified but unyielding expression. He reached out and restrained her hands behind her back effortlessly.
"Still refusing to talk... Your loyalty to the president is commendable," Archer remarked, a hint of appreciation in his voice, though nothing more.
"Take her away, and report back to me when it's done." Archer waved Ash off.
"Understood, Master Archer." Ash nodded, gripping the secretary's bound hands with his left hand and pushing her forward with his right.
Archer dismissed Ash and the secretary; such trivial matters didn't deserve his attention. He returned to his desk, examining the computer displaying a map of the entire Silph Co. building. From there, he sought to pinpoint the Master Ball's laboratory.
As for the secretary... even without her, Petrel could surely coerce the president into talking. The Master Ball's manufacturing materials would inevitably fall into Rocket hands. He also wanted the president to understand, through the secretary's demise, that Team Rocket showed no mercy.
"You'll all perish! The Alliance won't let you get away with this, Team Rocket!" the secretary shouted as Ash pushed her along, drawing the attention of nearby Rocket members.
"What's happening here?" A Rocket member, seemingly in charge of the floor, approached with a puzzled expression.
"Master Archer ordered me to take her away and eliminate her," Ash explained.
The Rocket member, startled, nodded slightly. He had no authority to interfere with Archer's commands, as Archer was the Fourth Executive of Team Rocket.
Reaching the elevator, Ash pushed the secretary inside but didn't press any floor buttons. He hadn't anticipated events unfolding this way, even deceiving Archer.
Perhaps due to overconfidence or arrogance, the Rockets, having seized control of the Silph Co. building, didn't seem to believe outsiders could infiltrate their ranks. This allowed Ash to successfully locate someone possessing crucial information.
Now Ash had two options: escape with the secretary from the first floor, potentially extracting more current information from her, or take her to the president's office on the eleventh floor, find the president, and escape together.
Ash glanced at the elevator buttons. The Silph Co. building had eleven floors, with the president's office on the top floor. However, there was no direct access...
To reach the eleventh floor, he needed alternative methods—other elevators or staircases. The only person who knew this information was the secretary.
Inside the elevator, the secretary fell silent, seemingly resigned to her fate. According to Archer, she no longer had any value in this world.
"The passage to the eleventh floor, is it on the tenth floor, or somewhere else?" Ash asked suddenly.
The secretary, startled by Ash's voice, looked up in surprise. She also noticed the elevator hadn't moved.
"I'm not with Team Rocket. I was sent in by Interpol. The Alliance knows what's happening here and is sending people to rescue Silph Co."
Ash had no way to prove his words, only offering a sincere gaze. Pikachu, perched on his shoulder, nodded in agreement.
Ash had made his choice. He would find the president of Silph Co. and rescue him before the Rockets could react.
The secretary didn't expect Ash to say such a thing, and she reacted after being stunned. She quickly thought about the authenticity of Ash's words in her mind. After a few seconds, she felt that there was no need for Ash to lie to her.
Because it is impossible for the Rockets not to know how to get to the eleventh floor; after all, she was brought from the eleventh floor to the seventh floor.
Of course, she also suspected that this might be some kind of conspiracy by the Rockets, trying to achieve some purpose through her. For example, they might be seeming to take her and the president away and then set out to find where the information is located.
However, she felt that the possibility of this is very small.
She doesn't know the situation outside, but if she and the president can escape, they will definitely be tracked down, and it is absolutely impossible to hide their location because Silph Co. has no back door!
"Can I really...can I trust you?" The secretary looked at Ash with complicated eyes. She didn't know if the decision she made was right, but she...had no choice.
"Please believe me!" Ash clenched his fists slightly and nodded sincerely to the secretary, and Pikachu did the same.
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