Magical Girls Up to No Good

Could Ran Jiuyi actually pull it off? A giant question mark hung in Meng Shan’s mind.

He knew there was a high probability that Ran Jiuyi was Bian. Even if she wasn’t, she was at least a teammate or an enemy of the mysterious figure. He was certain of this because while she had at least tried to play the part yesterday, today she didn’t even bother with a disguise. She might as well have written “I am not an ordinary person” across her forehead.

Meng Shan had once harbored similar ideas. He’d believed that his private “nest egg”—large enough to last a lifetime—could easily fix the state of this building. But once he actually started, he realized that building a functional Magical Girl Dispatch Center required a staggering amount of capital and energy. To build a fully equipped facility, he would have to drain his entire secret savings.

Thus, he had chosen to use only the official salary he could legally spend in this country to renovate a single room, leaving his other funds untouched for the time being.

Perhaps Ran Jiuyi did possess such vast resources, but the bulk of them were likely stashed abroad. If they weren’t, she wouldn’t be wasting so much time in this city. Transferring large amounts of foreign capital into the New United Federation required layers of audits and the personal guarantee of high-ranking government officials.

The Federation’s foreign policy was notoriously conservative; even legitimate multinational corporations struggled with these hurdles for months. For someone like Ran Jiuyi—a person without a legal identity—it should have been impossible.

With this in mind, Meng Shan spoke up. “I appreciate the sentiment, but you don’t have to do this. It’s too much trouble for you, especially considering how difficult it must be to bring your money into the country.”

Meng Shan’s analysis was spot on. While years of mercenary work had left Ran Jiuyi with a fortune, she truly didn’t have a way to move it into this country on her own.

Could Chivli help? Certainly, she had the power. But she had already done so much for Ran Jiuyi; Ran Jiuyi didn’t want to trouble her further over a non-emergency project with such a high price tag.

Still, Ran Jiuyi replied with confidence. “Don’t you worry. I know what I’m saying. Just you wait and see.”

Her confidence wasn’t unfounded. There was one organization that definitely possessed that kind of power within this country: the Research Institute that had commissioned her recently. After taking the job, she had briefly investigated them. Though she couldn’t find anything beyond a few low-level members, one thing was clear—the organization was gargantuan, with branches in almost every region on Earth.

Once the mission was complete, she could talk to C65. Using the reward to buy this building and fix it up shouldn’t be a problem. Though five million seems a bit low… I’ll have to find a way to squeeze out some more cash.

Hearing her insistence, Meng Shan explained, “Forget it. I won’t be working here for that much longer anyway. Once the Three Little Ones have stabilized their lives, I’ll resign and head off to enjoy retirement.”

“Oh… is that so?”

Ran Jiuyi felt a bit awkward. She hated being in someone’s debt. Because of her, Meng Shan had nearly died. If she didn’t compensate him somehow, it would weigh on her mind for a long time.

Meng Shan saw right through her. Her attempt to “make it up to him” was far too sudden and obvious. “You don’t owe me anything,” he said. “In fact, if we’re being honest, the responsibility was mostly mine. If you really want to help, then just do some extra work today. I’ve been stuck in bed for days; I imagine the paperwork has piled up into a mountain.”

Ran Jiuyi laughed at that. “Is that all? Then I’ll help you finish it. But since it’s my first day, you’ll have to show me the ropes.”

“Of course.”

During their lunch break, the three girls—who all attended the same school—gathered as usual to eat and discuss the recent events.

Bai He’an was the first to broach the subject. “What do you guys think about Sister Ran becoming Big Brother Shan’s private assistant?”

“It’s a good thing, obviously,” Jiang Yunshu said between bites of food. “We haven’t known her long, but I think Sister Ran is a great person. Especially her cooking—it’s amazing. I was planning on going on a diet this week, but I accidentally overate again.”

Yi Ziling nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Sister Ran is very gentle. I can feel it. With her help, Big Brother Shan won’t have to be as busy as before.”

As she spoke, Jiang Yunshu’s voice took on a hint of envy. “She’s just… a little too perfect. Pretty, great figure, and so mature in the way she handles things.”

Looking at her two companions who had already been won over by Ran Jiuyi’s charm, Bai He’an shook her head. “On the surface, I agree. But don’t you think this is all a bit too suspicious? Big Brother Shan has always worked alone. Why would he suddenly want an assistant? And why would it be a woman of unknown origin like Ran Jiuyi?”

Unlike the other two, Bai He’an had been silently observing Ran Jiuyi’s every move over the past few days.

“Maybe it’s because Big Brother Shan is still recovering and needs someone to help him,” Jiang Yunshu said uncertainly. “And she’s been helping us these past few days. She shouldn’t be a bad person, right?”

“Maybe so, but it’s too convenient,” Bai He’an argued. “Don’t you think the way Big Brother Shan ‘accidentally’ hit her with his car was a bit too coincidental? I’ve checked multiple times—there are indeed farmlands in that area, but none of the nearby villages host ‘agritourism’ activities. It’s an incredibly remote area. Why would an ordinary person be wandering around out there?

“Plus, she looks to be in her early twenties at most. Why is she so experienced in handling… those kinds of situations? She didn’t even have to think before she had everything perfectly arranged. Has she done this many times before?”

Yi Ziling was still reluctant to doubt her. “What if it really was a coincidence? What if Sister Ran just happened to be passing by and decided to help us?”

Instead of answering directly, Bai He’an asked another question. “Ziling, based on your experience, could your Healing Gel normally heal Big Brother Shan’s injuries in just three days?”

Before Ziling could answer, Jiang Yunshu jumped in. “Are you doubting Ziling’s power? She’s been the one healing all our wounds for the past six months. You should know how good her healing is.”

“You’re right,” Bai He’an countered, “but that’s the effect it has on us—on Magical Girls. Big Brother Shan is just a normal human. Ziling, you don’t have much experience healing ordinary people, do you?”

Yi Ziling nodded silently. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Meng Shan had repeatedly warned her not to use her healing powers in public.

“Remember three days ago when Ziling treated him? The Healing Gel only stabilized his condition. The actual restorative effect was minimal.”

At this reminder, the realization hit Jiang Yunshu. “I remember now! On the second day, when Ziling went to treat him, his wounds were already significantly better than they should have been.”

Bai He’an nodded. “Exactly. Every time Ziling treated him, there was no immediate, massive recovery. But every time we went back for the next visit, his wounds had improved drastically. This means that while we weren’t looking, Ran Jiuyi was doing something to him.”

“But that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Jiang Yunshu argued. “Even if she did do something, isn’t it good that he recovered faster?”

“And what if there are side effects?” Bai He’an pushed back. “Side effects that Ran Jiuyi didn’t consider, or simply didn’t care about?”

Under Bai He’an’s influence, Yi Ziling began to waver. “Sister He’an is right. If what Sister Ran did was a good thing, why wouldn’t she just tell us?”

Jiang Yunshu didn’t have an answer. In truth, she also felt that Ran Jiuyi’s identity was far from simple, but she had been unwilling to let herself be suspicious. But now, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t suppress the seeds of doubt growing in her heart.

“Fine, He’an. Ziling and I are convinced. Just tell us what you want to do, and we’ll follow your lead.”

“Yes,” Ziling added. “It feels bad to do this to Sister Ran, but for Big Brother Shan’s sake, I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Thank you for trusting me.” Bai He’an breathed a sigh of relief. It had taken some effort, but she had finally persuaded her teammates. “Here’s my plan: I suspect Ran Jiuyi is actually Bian—the mysterious enemy we fought that day.”

Neither Yi Ziling nor Jiang Yunshu spoke, their silence a tacit agreement. Between their trust in Bai He’an and the logic of the situation, they both harbored similar suspicions.

“But it’s still just a theory. We don’t have physical proof. So, we need to tail her. We need to know who she meets, where she goes, and exactly what she does. Conveniently, we have a long holiday coming up in a few days. We’ll arrange a schedule to keep her under 24-hour surveillance. If she’s really hiding something, she’s bound to slip up soon.”

“How long do we have to watch her?” Jiang Yunshu asked. “We can’t do this forever.”

“Just for the duration of this holiday,” Bai He’an replied. “She can’t possibly go that long without showing a crack in her armor.”

“And if we find out she really is Bian?” Yi Ziling asked nervously. “Are we going to fight her? If she really is that strong, can we even win?”

Bai He’an had already considered this. “You saw the battle that day. Individually, none of us stand a chance against Bian. That’s why, this time, all three of us have to strike together.”

“Is that really enough?” Yi Ziling asked, still worried. “Can we really beat her if we go all out together?”

Jiang Yunshu spoke up with her usual brashness. “What’s the problem? Last time we lost because we went in one by one like idiots. Next time we hit her all at once, there’s no way we’ll lose!”