I am Giovanni

Chapter 98: An Enthusiastic Youth

Giovanni smiled faintly, his eyes a little cold. He pulled out two one-hundred-Pokédollar notes. "I can give you the money, but are you sure you want to take it?"

Under his gaze, the group of teenagers suddenly felt a chill run down their necks, goosebumps appearing on their arms. They exchanged confused glances. "Why is it suddenly so cold?"

However, they were just a few local thugs and didn't realize what kind of person they were provoking. Giovanni's loose shirt perfectly concealed the Poké Balls at his waist. They were still happy about their small gain.

What's there to be afraid of? Only a fool wouldn't take money when it's offered. One of them reached out to take the notes from Giovanni's hand.

At that moment, the yellow-haired teenager suddenly rushed over, pushed the money back into Giovanni's hand, and said, "Don't give it to them! The beach chairs here are all free. They're lying to you."

Giovanni looked at the boy with some confusion. He has no courage, yet he dares to stand up for me. Interesting. He took back the money, turned his head, and asked the thugs, "Is what he said true?"

They exchanged glances, then fiercely cursed at the teenager. "You m*therf*cker from Vermilion City! Can't you just mind your business? Do you want us to teach you a lesson?!" They saw that Giovanni was about their age; though he was a bit sturdier, they had strength in numbers.

"And you," one of them said fiercely, "be smart and hand over the money!"

Seeing that they were about to attack, the yellow-haired teenager quickly grabbed Giovanni. "Run!" But when he pulled, Giovanni didn't budge, while he himself almost fell to the ground.

"Run?" Giovanni said, smiling as he steadied the boy. "They are not worthy." Looking at the teenagers surrounding him, he lightly rotated his wrist and beckoned to them. "Come at me.

All of you."

Seeing his relaxed and somewhat taunting posture, the thugs hesitated. Though usually arrogant, the person in front of them seemed to be no simple matter. However, their youthful passion and impulsiveness quickly dispelled this hesitation. They exchanged glances, deciding to act together.

"Hmph, don't think we wouldn't dare!" one of them said through clenched teeth, taking the lead to punch Giovanni. The others followed closely, attempting to overwhelm him with their numerical advantage.

A faint smile curved Giovanni's lips. He didn't move his body, only deftly sidestepping the first wave of attacks while swiftly reaching out and precisely grabbing the wrist of the teenager who had charged first. With a gentle twist, he made the opponent lose his balance and fall.

He then lifted his foot and stomped hard on the boy's chest, causing him to let out a scream and spit out a mouthful of sour liquid.

The yellow-haired teenager watched from the side, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected Giovanni to be so formidable. He wanted to help, but seeing him handle it with such ease, he worried he would only cause trouble if he intervened.

Just then, another teenager suddenly pulled out a wooden club from behind his back and swung it fiercely at Giovanni. He keenly sensed the movement and dodged the attack with a sidestep.

His eyes grew cold. He reached out, snatched the club, pulled hard, and then kicked the boy two meters away. He swung the club in his hand, and with a light squeeze, it immediately became covered in cracks and then broke into several pieces.

Seeing this, the thugs finally realized they had provoked someone they shouldn't have. They all stopped, their faces filled with fear. They looked at each other, then scattered, running faster than rabbits, though the leader couldn't help but utter a threat. "You just wait! Don't be so arrogant!"

"So you're that strong," the yellow-haired teenager said to Giovanni in surprise.

"It's fine," Giovanni smiled. "If it weren't for you, wouldn't I have just handed over the money?"

"I wish I had your physique and courage," the boy sighed. "That way, I wouldn't be afraid of them, and I could help more people."

"I think you're quite courageous," Giovanni said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Really?" the boy looked surprised.

"Yes, really."

"Thank you so much!" the boy said, thanking him repeatedly. "This is the first time anyone has praised me like this."

"You're welcome. If anything, I should be thanking you." Giovanni waved his hand casually. "By the way, I saw you looking at me earlier. Did you already expect something like this to happen?"

"No, no," the boy waved his hands repeatedly, blushing slightly. "I just heard you say you were going to Vermilion City. My family happens to run a boat, and we can take you there. Don't worry, our family is very cheap; it's only one thousand Pokédollars per person, and it's very safe."

As if afraid Giovanni would think he was lying, he added, "I'm not lying, it's true! Our family is really cheap."

"I believe you," Giovanni said, patting his shoulder to calm him down. "But I need to wait for my friends to come back before I decide."

Just then, Archer and Mars returned. They frowned at the mess on the ground. "Boss, what happened here?"

"It's nothing, just some minor matters," Giovanni waved his hand lightly. "How was it?"

"We found a cruise ship departing tonight," Archer replied. "That's the one. The deposit has already been paid."

The yellow-haired teenager, hearing this, immediately looked crestfallen.

Giovanni glanced at him, then patted his shoulder again. "Cancel it," he said to Archer. "I found something better. This young man said his family's boat is safer."

Archer did not object and nodded. "Sure." He gestured to Mars, who quickly ran off.

The yellow-haired teenager froze for a moment, then a brilliant smile bloomed on his face. "Perhaps we should just forget it, our family's boat can't compare to a cruise ship."

"It's fine," Giovanni told him, "it's all the same to me what I ride. Don't feel burdened. Besides," he added, a glint in his eye, "riding such a large cruise ship... isn't it easy to encounter pirates and the like? I just chose a safer option."

This was true; Giovanni would never risk his own safety. The yellow-haired teenager, however, thought Giovanni was just comforting him, but he couldn't bear to refuse again.

"Thank you, sir!" he said gratefully.