Chapter Seventy-Six: I’m Not Exactly a Good Person...

After a long while, Chen Ou snapped out of his reverie and said apologetically, "Sorry, you two, I was distracted."
Xue and Meng fixed their piercing gazes on him, saying nothing.
Feeling embarrassed, Chen Ou scratched his head and then took a moment to compose himself. He cleared his throat lightly and said, "I overheard your conversation just now. I know eavesdropping isn't a gentlemanly act. Fortunately, I'm not much of a gentleman myself..."
He looked at the two women, whose expressions remained unchanged, and continued, "Actually, if you truly wish to join the Alliance, it's possible. I can make that decision. As long as your contributions are significant and you haven't killed anyone, I can clear your names."
As he spoke, he watched Xue and Meng intently, clearly waiting for their response.
After a moment's silence, Xue spoke up, "We've never directly killed anyone..."
A clever use of words, Chen Ou mused, marveling at Xue's rhetoric.
In truth, whether someone dies or not depends entirely on how you phrase it. If you can spin the story, it's not a problem.
So, I really don’t deserve to stand alongside Xiao Chi and the others... I'm not a good person in the strictest sense...
His face revealed a hint of darkness, yet his gaze remained resolute. In his eyes, not every villain was irredeemable.
Actually, Crimson himself once briefly joined Team Rocket, though it was to protect the Hoenn region. Crimson and Sakaki shared a mutual respect; there was no doubt about that. In fact, Crimson's moral ambiguity seemed even greater than Chen Ou's.
But the nature of their actions was different...
Compared to Chen Ou, who could use redemption as a bargaining chip and erase others' sins, Crimson was a genuine good man.
Chen Ou, however, understood his own situation and had no intention of changing his stance. He believed his actions were for the greater good of the world.
At heart, this was true. He wasn't ruthless; he had boundaries, albeit low ones.
In some ways, he was more like the elusive Sakaki. If Chen Ou hadn't arrived in Professor Oak's garden, but instead found himself in Team Rocket's territory, perhaps he would already be one of Sakaki's favored lieutenants.
His ambiguous nature, both dark and light, allowed him to thrive anywhere.
"No problem. But I will need to investigate your backgrounds further. However..." Chen Ou shifted his tone, looking at the pair of sisters before him with a smile, "Helping you clear your names comes at a cost. What can you offer me in return?"

Meng glanced at her elder sister, but Xue didn't look back. Instead, she replied in a cool, clear voice, "We can provide intelligence on the organization and serve as your undercover agents. I imagine you're interested in this group."
Chen Ou smiled, saying nothing, clearly waiting for Xue to elaborate.
He was intrigued by the change in Xue's tone. It made sense—twin sisters might have different temperaments for various reasons, but their voices should be nearly identical, with only subtle differences.
Yet, the disparity between Xue and Meng was striking. Chen Ou suspected that Xue's coquettish demeanor was merely an act.
A woman like Xue, seemingly gentle but truly cold and lonely, could never be someone who casually used her beauty to seduce others.
So he watched her with a hint of mischief, curious to see if she really possessed such nerve. Helping her clear her name would require much effort; if he couldn't find some amusement in the process, how could he let it pass so easily?
Xue saw that Chen Ou remained silent; she knew he had overheard her conversation with Meng.
"My sister and I can be your tools, but please don't make us do any dirty work," she said, biting her lip. "I can serve you..."
The last words seemed forced through clenched teeth, and a blush like sunset spread across her lovely face.
At that moment, Meng suddenly spoke, "I'll join my sister. As long as you let us live in the sunlight, we can be your lovers."
Chen Ou turned toward her; Meng's face was tinged with a faint blush, but her expression remained mostly calm.
He raised an eyebrow. The sisters' personalities were truly surprising. The seemingly enchanting elder sister was actually reserved, while the cold and aloof younger sister was, at heart, lively and pragmatic, willing to use anything as a bargaining chip for something she needed.
It was clear, though, that the price had to be something as valuable as freedom.
Chen Ou found the two girls increasingly fascinating.
"Let's set that aside. I already have a girlfriend," he said coolly.
Xue and Meng breathed a sigh of relief; his words meant he had essentially agreed to the deal. As for his claim of already having a girlfriend... Perhaps it was believable—perhaps not. A man's words and actions often differ in matters like this.
Of course, Chen Ou could see what the sisters were thinking, and he could only smile wryly. Why did no one trust him, a man of honor?
He was, after all, a man who kept his word.

Perhaps, probably, maybe, possibly...
"Let's change the subject, Xue," he said, turning to the still-blushing Xue. "Why did you try to attack me before, and why did you act so coquettishly and disgustingly? Honestly, that's what I'm most curious about."
He was being genuine—he really wanted to know.
"Ah, you found it disgusting? But before, all the men I tried it on loved it," Xue tilted her head in confusion.
Goodness, was she actually naive?
Without his passive lie detector, Chen Ou would never know if this woman was speaking the truth or just acting...
A born performer, he thought, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.
But he didn't press the matter. Looking at the two sisters who had completely upended their own personas, he suddenly felt he'd gotten himself into real trouble...
If they acted this way in front of him, could they really trust anyone else?
He sighed softly.
One step at a time.
"Now, you two should return as planned. I'll inform Wataru of your undercover status, and I'll handle your intelligence directly. If anything happens to me, you can go straight to him—he knows your identities and my promise, and will give you what you need."
Chen Ou looked at the two sisters, their expressions clearly complicated, and smiled. "I keep my word. Now that you've become my subordinates, I'll do my best to protect you. So, in exchange, I expect valuable intelligence from you, as much as you can safely provide. It's a fair deal."
Thus, Chen Ou gained his first true subordinates.