Exposing Each Other’s Secrets

The teacher’s timid behavior on the podium—acting as if she had words she didn’t dare speak—did not escape Ran Jiuyi’s notice.

She’s probably terrified by my serious expression, she thought. This happens a lot.

With that in mind, Ran Jiuyi swapped her stern look for a friendly smile and said, “It’s quite alright, Teacher. Please, feel free to speak your mind. I won’t take offense.”

Unfortunately, it was useless. In the teacher’s eyes, this was nothing more than a superficial courtesy. If she actually spoke her mind, who knew what kind of retaliation she would face later?

“It’s nothing, really! Bai He’an is an exemplary student. There’s nothing negative to say at all.”

She really is scared to death, Ran Jiuyi thought, offering a silent apology. Dealing with monsters and criminals so often meant she frequently intimidated ordinary people without even trying.

“Then, on behalf of Bai He’an, thank you, Teacher.”

“No need for thanks! It’s all due to Student Bai’s own hard work!”

Seeing the teacher visibly deflate with relief, Ran Jiuyi sat back down beside Bai He’an. For the rest of the meeting, she decided it was best to keep her mouth shut.

Perhaps because of Ran Jiuyi’s presence, the conference concluded with record-breaking speed. Once it was over, not a single parent lingered to chat with the teacher; everyone bolted for the exit in one large swarm.

Ran Jiuyi could only sigh helplessly. Next time, she’d better sit out Bai He’an’s parent-teacher meetings.

“It’s over,” Bai He’an said. “Let’s go. We’ll wait for Big Brother Shan and the others.”

Ran Jiuyi waved her off. “Forget it. It’s boring if I tag along. Tell Meng Shan I’m heading out to grab some lunch. I’ll head back to work after I eat.”

On the other side of the building, Meng Shan was telling Jiang Yunshu something similar: “I have some business to handle. Tell Ran Jiuyi I might be a little late.”

And so, the two of them departed—one through the east gate, one through the west. One drove a car, the other transformed. One looped around to the east, the other to the west. Ultimately, they were both headed toward the exact same destination.

In her transformed state, Ran Jiuyi leaped across rooftops, moving through the city with ease. Her travel speed was significantly faster than Meng Shan’s, who was currently crawling through the midday traffic. However, to avoid leaving a trail, she stopped frequently to check for witnesses.

Because of these delays, by the time she reached her destination, Meng Shan was already pulling up in his car.

The two of them moved in sync: one found a secluded spot to revert to her human form, while the other found a convenient place to park.

The destination was a large automated parcel collection center. Since it was noon, the place was bustling, with crowds of people swarming every entrance. Thus, Ran Jiuyi and Meng Shan joined the slow-moving queues—one at the east entrance, one at the west.

“Section C, Locker 1, No. 201… Is it over there?”

“Section C, Locker 1, No. 315… Couldn’t it have been closer to the door?”

After entering, both squeezed through the crowds and walked, purely by coincidence, toward the same row of shelves. They arrived at the exact same spot and stared at each other in stunned silence.

Why is Ran Jiuyi here? Does she know what I’m up to?!

What is Meng Shan doing here? Did I leave a trail I didn’t clean up?!

The same question echoed in both their minds. Neither knew why the other was there. But as they thought about it, they realized it wasn’t that surprising; given who they were, it was inevitable they would eventually do exactly what they were doing now. It was just the timing that was unexpected.

“What a coincidence,” Meng Shan said, breaking the silence first. Thanks to his excellent emotional control, his expression was as sunny and casual as ever.

“Yeah, quite a coincidence,” Ran Jiuyi replied, her tone just as flat and composed as usual.

“Picking up a package?”

“Yeah. You too?”

They stood in silence for a moment. Then, with an unspoken understanding, they both reached for the same shelf and pulled out two identical-looking parcels. Both were shaped like flat document folders.

Looking at his own, then at hers, Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi both seemed to reach a sudden realization. The tension between them evaporated instantly.

“A package from City A?”

“Indeed. Yours is from City A too, I assume. What did you buy?”

“The records of a certain ultra-dangerous Magical Girl who’s wanted by half the globe. You?”

“The military history of a certain former special forces soldier. I heard he led an elite squad before being dishonorably discharged. I was curious to see what he’s been up to lately.”

“Funny. No one knows where that Magical Girl is either. Word is she used to work for the government before she called it quits and went rogue.”

They looked at each other, then suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“Hahaha…”

Let’s rewind to the night before last. Although they had established a partnership, neither of them fully trusted the other. Inevitably, they both decided to “open the box” on each other’s secrets.

However, as they searched, both found massive gaps in the other’s personal history—as if someone had intentionally scrubbed the data. But that didn’t stop them. If official channels were a dead end, they would take the unofficial route.

Both logged into their respective “special” accounts to hunt for reliable information brokers. In the New United Federation, information was strictly controlled. Consequently, the number of brokers was far fewer than in other countries, and reliable ones near a remote place like City D were even scarcer.

To get the intel as fast as possible, they both coincidentally chose the same broker in City C—the nearest major hub.

“Do you have intel on Bian? I want everything.”

“Do you have intel on a retired soldier named Meng Shan? Give me everything you’ve got.”

“Yes, yes, I have it all. But it’ll cost you this much.”

The prices were steep, but both knew that information was the one thing you never cheaped out on. They both agreed to the deal without hesitation.

The broker, originally thrilled at the massive payday, suddenly felt his smile vanish.

The same city. The same rush delivery. The same physical document format.

What the hell is this? Internal alarms blared in the broker’s head.

Are they trying to triangulate my location by calculating the delivery times to different spots in the same city? Or are they comparing two identical packages—packaging and postage—to see if I’m working alone?

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious these two transactions became. But the deals were done; he couldn’t cancel now without ruining his reputation. After much deliberation, he prepared the two sets of intel, packaged them personally, and sent them out to the same destination.

Even so, the broker didn’t relax. He knew all too well that the world was full of people with “odd” abilities. He couldn’t rule out the possibility that the two packages were being used as a medium for some kind of tracking power. All he could do was wait and regret his life choices, mentally vowing never to take two orders from the same city in such a short window ever again.

Back in the present, the two of them slowly stopped laughing. It was truly a staggering coincidence.

“How much did you pay for yours?” Ran Jiuyi asked.

Meng Shan held up three fingers. “And you?”

Ran Jiuyi held up four.

Meng Shan grinned. “Looks like my haggling skills are better. I bought the same kind of info but spent less.”

“You have a lot of nerve,” Ran Jiuyi countered. “The info in your hand is practically public knowledge. Anyone with a few connections could dig it up. My file, on the other hand, is definitely more niche. I doubt you could find this easily in any other country.”

“You’d be surprised,” Meng Shan said. “Even with strict controls, plenty of these ‘restricted’ files have been sold abroad. After all, you managed to buy yours here, didn’t you?”

Both holding their overpriced dossiers, they suddenly felt like they had wasted a significant amount of money.

“Um…” Ran Jiuyi hesitated, then said, “If you don’t mind, should we study our ‘purchases’ together? Just in case there’s something missing from one of them.”

“…Fine.” Meng Shan agreed after a moment of hesitation. They were already this far; they might as well be direct. “You’re right. We spent a lot on these; it would be a waste if they’re incomplete.”

“Should we open them back at the office?”

“Sure. Take my car, it’s easier.”

And so, the two who had just finished doxxing each other arrived back at the Dispatch Center together to display the results of their investigations.

Meng Shan pointed at a specific document. “A top-tier fugitive wanted by most countries in the world. A cold-blooded mercenary with blood-stained hands, responsible for numerous massacres and terrorist acts… Bian is even more famous than I imagined.”

Ran Jiuyi replied, “True. But she can’t quite compete with this soldier. The former Captain of the ‘Warrior Squad’—the New United Federation’s most elite unit, specifically designed to hunt Transcendents during the war with the Republic of Verdana.”

“We’re even, then.” Meng Shan scanned another page. “This says Bian was involved in several terrorist attacks targeting civilians. Is that true?”

Without missing a beat, Ran Jiuyi said, “Lies. From what I know, Bian hates killing. She’d never slaughter civilians. Most likely some other organization did it, and the blame was pinned on her because she was in the area.”

“Wait, this seems off,” Ran Jiuyi said, sliding a sheet of paper toward Meng Shan. “It says this soldier led the Warrior Squad to hunt down dozens of Transcendents in just three years, with only three casualties in his unit. Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?”

“No, that’s accurate,” Meng Shan replied. “And everyone in the squad was an ordinary human.”

“Wow. That’s impressive. How did you do it?”

“It wasn’t that complicated. The most dangerous thing about those ‘special’ types is their unknown abilities. All you have to do is determine the specific details of their powers beforehand—active time, range, number of targets, things like that. Then, you just deploy countermeasures. If they’re close-range fighters, use long-range snipers. If they’re long-range, use smoke screens to get in close. If they can regenerate, you use frost or fire.”