Chapter 103

Chapter 5: There Must Be a…

　Yuan Xiaoling turned her head and glanced over; Bai Ling was sleeping soundly at the moment. Her sleeping posture and demeanor were excellent, calm as water, with breaths so light they were almost inaudible.

　If it weren’t for the fact that Xiaoling had helped her grow a pair of Dabeitù, her breathing wouldn’t have risen and fallen slightly; otherwise, this nap would’ve been like being asleep forever.

　In short, saying she’d suffered greatly during this time was just too funny, let alone being exhausted from torment… yesterday, though, she was pretty worn out, for reasons unknown.

　But the question arose—Xiaoling only excelled at making people angry. How could she make someone happy?

　After a while, Bai Ling woke up too, opening her eyes to see a pair of giant white bunnies blocking her view, leaving her unable to see anything else.

　”You… what’s wrong?”

　”Nothing, it’s just…”

　Yuan Xiaoling maintained a squatting position, her little bottom inching back slightly, finally allowing Bai Ling a glimpse of her cute face.

　”Bai Ling, are you happy?” The blonde-haired maiden asked earnestly.

　Bai Ling was utterly confused.

　”My surname is Bai, not Fu.”

　”No, no,” Yuan Xiaoling clarified, “I’m asking about things that make you happy, especially those I can help with.” She lunged forward, “Take this seriously, be solemn.”

　In this pose, Bai Ling’s gaze tried to look into her cleavage but couldn’t delve deeper; the profound valley resembled a snow-white celestial star belt, its gravitational pull too strong.

　”Why are you suddenly asking me this?” Bai Ling wondered aloud.

　”Don’t mind it,” Yuan Xiaoling replied, “If there must be a reason, consider it a reward for all your hard work these days.”

　”Reward…”

　Xiaoling said it casually, but Bai Ling felt a flutter in her heart, imagining some indescribable things.

　”Indeed, rewards do bring happiness,” the white-haired maiden struggled to maintain her icy composure, “But… maybe another day. Let’s save it for later.”

　Primarily because yesterday was exhausting—taking care of Xiaoling and herself, working triple duty.

　Bai Ling wasn’t the same person she was two months ago when she was reborn. Back then, after experiencing despair and betrayal, even dying once, she had been in a state where life didn’t matter much. At that time, her heart was filled with negative emotions, venting without restraint, disregarding everything.

　But now, things were different. Now… living felt quite good, so taking care of one’s health was better.

　”Another day, huh?” Yuan Xiaoling mused silently.

　She thought about it and agreed; these days, they needed to focus on team integration and team building. It would be better to finish that first. Anyway, the weekly routine still had seven days left, plenty of time.

　”Then in a couple of days, after we finish the team building, I’ll reward you.”

　Xiaoling didn’t bother asking what kind of reward Bai Ling wanted; they could figure that out later. It probably didn’t need prior preparation.

　After getting up and eating breakfast, she went to “supervise” Luo Zou Cheng and Wu Bian.

　Whether it was Wu Bian’s misconception or not, he felt this dangerous Fifth-tier beauty had suddenly become very energetic, not letting him slack off even a bit.

　”Integrating the team is just pre-action deployment,” Bai Ling crossed her arms, coldly staring at him, “How many more days do you plan to drag this out?”

　Wu Bian attempted to explain: “It’s not dragging, it’s just that the guys were used to acting wild before, let them adjust a bit…”

　”Just two days, by tomorrow night we’ll assess.”

　”…Alright.”

　Registering names, forming combinations, announcing rules, and finally dividing into functional squads indeed didn’t take long.

　On the other hand, Yuan Xiaoling approached Luo Zhou Cheng, asking him about the aftermath of Tianhai Tower.

　”After Tianhai Tower caught fire, most industries and shops closed down. However, a part of them, after communicating with local authorities, temporarily relocated to the old department store market to handle financial matters,” Luo Zhou Cheng explained.

　This meant that the companies and stores originally located in the tower had set up temporary offices in the old department store market. Handling finances included matters like debt, equity, and insurance.

　As for “whether accidents caused by Spiritual Energy Manipulators should be covered by fire insurance,” it was still undecided, with all parties discussing. People at the old department store market were waiting for the result.

　Yuan Xiaoling was preparing to go there and check it out.

　”Old Department Store Market… Old Department Store Market…”

　Checking the rough location on her mobile phone, she told the driver the destination.

　”Hey, little beauty… big beauty, you’re going there?” The driver sounded surprised.

　Yuan Xiaoling asked, “Is there something special about that place?”

　”Not particularly special, but recently, the people going there are either debt collectors, insurance companies, or government officials,” the driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror, “Miss, you’re…”

　”I’m a student, just going to take a casual look.”

　The old department store market was a bit off-center but still within the city. It didn’t take long to arrive.

　Yuan Xiaoling got out of the car and looked around.

　The department store market was a vast open space, with small multi-story old buildings nearby, but the main area was an open-air zone.

　The air conditioning facilities in the small houses weren’t great, so many people set up large umbrellas outside to cool off. They also found wooden tables, wrote their shop names on small signs, placed them on the tables, and called it an office.

　Yuan Xiaoling walked past, seeing various names on their desks, like “Q Fun Kids Wear,” “Dream Color Lo Skirt,” “Oupai Home”…

　Not far away, a few people were arguing about something. On closer inspection, a neatly dressed young woman holding a briefcase faced several men who were talking to her, and a familiar man gestured animatedly.

　”I’ve seen him, definitely seen him. I told you, for a period before he burned down the building, he was always loitering around our storefront. I immediately sensed his ill intentions back then.”

　”That’s right. Once he specifically came inside, claiming there was a power outage. That was strange too; I think he himself tampered with the electricity since he was doing electrical work back then.”

　”Why did he come inside? Possibly for a girl… Of course, I remember who it was. I know which school she attends and which class she’s in. If you resolve the insurance issues for us, I’ll tell you.”

　The supervisor of Yunhai Gaming Company, naturally, now renamed Ocean Gaming. Jokingly speaking, during this period, anyone daring to write “Yunhai” would risk getting attacked on the street.

　The boss fled, the store disappeared, but fortunately, game development was far removed from factory operations, so they hadn’t been found yet. The supervisor was reluctant to run away, as running would mean unemployment. Before unemployment, he figured he should try to get some money, thus focusing on the company’s insurance payout.

　He hadn’t anticipated that the insurance company wouldn’t be willing to pay such a large sum. Conveniently, the internal conflict among Spiritual Energy Manipulators served as an excuse, and despite government intervention, the three parties hadn’t reached an agreement.

　Today, government representatives came again, and the gaming company supervisor seized the opportunity to disclose what he knew, hoping for benefits. Based on his impressions, he guessed and fabricated these details, unintentionally hitting the mark.

　”First, give us her information,” the young woman said, “Depending on the intelligence value, we will appropriately reward you.”

　The supervisor was about to speak when suddenly, a sweet soft voice chimed in:

　”Are you talking about me?”

　He immediately stood up, and a few others sitting behind him rose as well.

　”It’s you!”

　Blonde hair, youthful face, colossal assets, beautiful maiden, Yuan Xiaoling!

　”It’s her, it’s her, leader,” he quickly told the woman, “The guy who burned down the building surely conspired with her.”

　Yuan Xiaoling remained silent, merely smiling as she looked at him, then at the briefcase woman.

　She appeared to be in her twenties nearing thirty, likely a government official, but Yuan Xiaoling didn’t believe in titles like “leader.”

　Running errands under the scorching sun, clearly just a gopher.

　”Hello Miss,” the young woman introduced herself, “I am Li Li from the Administrative Office of Tianhai City Countermeasures Group.”

　”You too, hello. I’m a sophomore in the Broadcasting Department of the Arts and Physical Education College at Tianhai University, named Yuan Xiaoling.” The blonde-haired maiden blinked her eyes.

　Uh… what kind of introduction is that?

　Li Li was taken aback, and the supervisor beside her was momentarily stunned too. But he quickly recovered, shouting, “Don’t believe her nonsense! I witnessed it myself; she definitely knows the guy who burned down the building, perhaps the plan to burn the building involved her.”

　Once he started, a few others from the gaming company chimed in.

　”It’s her, yes, I remember.”

　”I’ll never forget a girl like her if I see her once.”

　”Yes… I mean, it’s her!”

　Faced with their clamor, Li Li paused, then asked Yuan Xiaoling, “Someone mentioned earlier that you had contact with the suspect He Shu Yong related to the Tianhai Tower incident, and the meeting took place inside Tianhai Tower. Is that true?”

　”Yes.”

　Yuan Xiaoling nodded honestly, “At that time, I was interning at Yunhai Gaming Company. They bought me a cup of milk tea, lacing it with either a sedative or aphrodisiac. Uncle He feared I might fall victim and preemptively took me out.”

　Upon hearing the first half of her statement, a few faces lit up with joy, but upon hearing the latter half, their expressions drastically changed.

　”Don’t fabricate stories, there’s nothing like that.”

　”Defaming in front of leadership is illegal, you know that, right?”

　”Yellow-haired girl, food can be eaten recklessly, but words cannot be spoken carelessly!”

　While they were agitated, someone nearby holding a selfie stick quietly approached.

　He heard Yuan Xiaoling mention “Yunhai Gaming Company.”

　Amidst their clamor, the blonde maiden remained silent, standing there with a smile, nodding repeatedly as if agreeing with everything they said.

　When they ran out of steam, stopping due to thirst, she continued,

　”The situation is exactly as described. I do know Uncle He, but I was unaware of his plans beforehand. After all, if I had known his plans and lent a helping hand, Tianhai Tower would’ve collapsed more spectacularly.”

　Double damage from water and fire, plus dragons.

　Hearing her say this, Li Li’s expression shifted slightly.

　The supervisor gleefully jumped up, pointing at her, “Good, I knew you harbored sinister intentions and dared to provoke leadership openly. Leader, such unruly students should be arrested and thoroughly investigated to uncover any organizations behind her arrogance, possibly connected to the arsonist… Uh!”

　His passionate speech was interrupted by a sudden change. An imposing man had stealthily approached, grabbing the supervisor by the neck and lifting him up.

　Sensing the spiritual energy leaking into the air, Li Li hastily retreated a few steps. Turning her head, she discovered the blonde busty maiden standing perfectly still, watching the scene with interest.

　”What are you doing!”

　”Release the supervisor!”

　”Leadership is still here; what are you doing? This is a crime!”

　The muscular man ignored them, raising the selfie stick and addressing his phone,

　”Yes, this is the supervisor of Yunhai Company hiding here, changing the company name to disguise himself. But justice prevails, escape is futile.”

　He paused briefly, continuing, “You’ve also heard what the young beauty said—he has drugged girls before, and it’s certainly not the first time. This proves the corruption within their company!”

　Yuan Xiaoling smirked, thinking how coincidental it was to stumble upon a “justice execution” scene.

　Judging by his actions, he was likely recording a video.

　”Allowing such individuals to roam freely would endanger countless blossoming youths. Brother, I’m here today for this very reason.”

　Li Li watched helplessly, remaining silent and refraining from interfering. Over the past month, she had encountered and handled numerous similar incidents. The group’s advice was to treat it as an “internal conflict among Spiritual Energy Manipulators” to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

　The muscular man extended the selfie stick further, his hand gripping the supervisor’s neck turning a bluish-green hue, then—snap!—he broke the supervisor’s neck.

　While committing the act, his expression seemed somewhat uneasy. He hadn’t done this many times before, finding it unpleasant initially, but learning that it brought fame and profit, along with online tips, made it worthwhile.

　Speaking of which, that girl really was stunning.

　The muscular man turned off the recording on his phone, glancing a few times at the blonde busty maiden, preparing to leave when he heard her say,

　”This matter ends here.”

　”What?”

　Yuan Xiaoling looked at the muscular man who had turned around, maintaining a calm expression, “I said, this matter ends here. You shouldn’t continue doing this.”

　He had painstakingly tracked down the gaming department, indicating that most of the commerce bosses were nearly wiped out, leaving little to gain. But human desires are insatiable; enticed by profit, they would continue digging deeper, implicating anyone remotely related, even employees of the chamber of commerce, leading to further “trials.”

　The Yun Family might even fan the flames, considering Tianhai City was merely a petri dish to them.

　”Haha, little beauty, I’m actually helping you,” the muscular man chuckled, “Just watch and don’t interfere…”

　Smack!

　A water frog’s webbed paw slapped across his face, sending the muscular man stumbling backward, nearly falling onto the ground, water splashing into his nose and ears.

　”Calm now?” Yuan Xiaoling tilted her small face upward, looking at him.

　”Calm,” the muscular man carefully stowed away his phone, “Today’s the last time.”

　With that, he hurriedly fled.

　Yuan Xiaoling didn’t chase after him, glancing around. By the time the muscular man appeared, most surrounding people had already scattered.

　”Please wait.”

　The woman named Li Li cautiously approached, “Excuse me, are you the Water Goddess?”

　Their group had gathered much information about the Tianhai City circle, including the most popular female water-type Spiritual Power Manipulator. Massive water constructs, water-element animal companions, and the golden-haired youthful bust maiden were the personal tags of the Water Goddess.

　”If there’s no one else, then it should be me,” Yuan Xiaoling responded.

　She didn’t know the stance represented by the woman and wished she had consulted Bai Ling earlier.

　”Water Goddess阁下, have you consolidated the Spiritual Energy Manipulators of Tianhai City?” Li Li asked her, her face showing excitement.

　She was truly excited. During this period, the entire office… no, the entire Countermeasures Group, even the whole Tianhai City, awaited such a figure to emerge.

　Yuan Xiaoling puckered her lips slightly.

　”Change the address. My name is Yuan Xiaoling. I intend to consolidate them, but it’s not entirely complete yet.”

　”Then, when Miss Yuan feels it’s appropriate,” Li Li handed over a business card, presenting a smile even more professional than a white-collar worker, “Please contact us.”

　It read—[Tianhai City Countermeasures Group Office]

　Yuan Xiaoling accepted the card, pondering for a moment before asking, “Do you want me to replace the Chamber’s former responsibilities?”

　”Somebody needs to step up and lead this circle to prevent chaos.” Li Li glanced at the corpse on the ground with a snapped neck.

　”Alright, I’ll think about it when I return home.” Yuan Xiaoling tucked the card away, planning to consult Bai Ling.

　At this moment, Bai Ling sat absentmindedly on a table, the team list in front of her, thoughts drifting toward rewards.