Don’t jinx it.

“Easier said than done.”

Ran Jiuyi had fought her way through countless powerhouses; she understood the difficulty better than anyone. Simply identifying an enemy’s specific ability was an arduous task in itself. Furthermore, Meng Shan’s squad consisted entirely of ordinary humans. A single misstep in combat against such foes would likely result in a total wipeout.

“And honestly,” Meng Shan continued, “the only reason we survived against so many freaks with weird powers was thanks to the logistics. The supply line was incredible. Basically, whatever the squad needed, we just sent a request and it would be there by the next day at the latest.”

“Especially those exoskeleton combat suits. They were rare as hell back then, but my whole squad was outfitted with them. Without that gear, we’d have been wiped out dozens of times over.”

“Back then, we had unlimited calls for air support and a decent level of command over nearby allied units.”

Recalling the past, Meng Shan sighed. “Not like now. Applying for travel expenses is a nightmare. The sheer amount of paperwork is insane, and God knows when the money will actually be approved.”

Ran Jiuyi asked, “Did the squad ever encounter any particularly troublesome enemies?”

“Every enemy we met was troublesome. In my memory, not a single one was easy to deal with. It usually took a massive effort just to take one down.”

Ran Jiuyi pressed further, “Then did you ever meet someone you just couldn’t beat? Or rather, what kind of enemy do you dread the most?”

The question made Meng Shan sink into thought for a moment. “The kind with relatively simple, solid abilities but a wealth of combat experience. Those are the ones I never want to see.”

“Like this ‘Bian,’ for example. Her ability has no obvious weaknesses, and her experience is off the charts. Just looking at this long list of confirmed kills gives me a headache.”

“Mm-hmm, true enough.”

A hint of pride leaked into Ran Jiuyi’s voice; she was clearly pleased.

“Exactly, exactly. After all, Bian is among the strongest tier of Magical Girls in the world.”

“Wait… Bian is a Magical Girl?”

“Doesn’t she look like one? She obviously is.”

“She really doesn’t look like…” Catching Ran Jiuyi’s displeased expression, Meng Shan swallowed the rest of his sentence.

“I should have guessed,” Meng Shan said, carefully scanning the photos in the file. Most of them captured Bian in the heat of battle. “I’ve seen my fair share of Magical Girls, but I’ve never seen one who dresses like a high-ranking villain executive.”

Ran Jiuyi was indifferent to the aesthetic. “I think it’s better this way. If people see a Magical Girl, you’ll get troublemakers harassing her because everyone knows most Magical Girls won’t hurt civilians. But face-to-face with a ‘villain,’ anyone with half a brain behaves themselves. People know that villains kill without blinking.”

This was spoken from Ran Jiuyi’s own experience. Back when she worked for the government, she relied on her villainous appearance and ruthless style. No matter where she went, no civilian dared to cross her. Her teammates, who were often too cute and soft-spoken, frequently failed to control a crowd. In those moments, Ran Jiuyi had to play the “bad cop,” teaching a few loudmouths a lesson to restore order.

“If you say so.” Meng Shan moved on. “So, how many people in this country could actually handle Bian?”

Ran Jiuyi counted on her fingers. “In a 1v1? I’d say no more than ten in this entire country could even fight her. As for winning? I don’t know. As for killing her? I don’t think anyone in this country is capable of that.”

“Then she really is a monster,” Meng Shan remarked. “No wonder her file’s security clearance is so high; I couldn’t get my hands on it through official channels.”

Ran Jiuyi shook her head. “She’s not that strong. There are still many powerhouses in the world she can’t beat. Not even looking that far back, she lost to a vampire recently. In terms of mana, experience, and technique, Bian was completely outclassed. If it weren’t for her incredible survival abilities—and the fact that the vampire didn’t bother to give chase—Bian would be dead.”

“But it doesn’t really matter,” Ran Jiuyi added. “There are maybe five people in the world as strong as that vampire, and perhaps fewer than thirty who can beat Bian. She just had a stroke of bad luck last time. It won’t be that easy to run into someone like that again.”

“…I feel like you just raised a massive flag there.”

The next morning, while Ran Jiuyi was processing documents as usual, the communicator at her neck vibrated.

“I’m hitting the restroom.”

Using the excuse to leave Meng Shan, Ran Jiuyi skillfully took out a concealed paper cutter. She sliced through her skin, extracted the communicator, and installed it into her phone.

“Hello, Chifuri? What’s up?”

“Nothing major. The Research Institute sent someone to find you. Apparently, they’re supposed to brief you on the specific effects of the potion or something. They didn’t go into detail, and I didn’t ask.”

Chifuri’s voice sounded exhausted. “It’s a nightmare; they told me this in the middle of the night. Anyway, I’m sending you the address. I hear the contact is already waiting.”

“Got it. I’ll head over as soon as possible.”

Hanging up, she replaced the communicator and returned to the office. She said to Meng Shan, “I have some business to take care of. I’m borrowing your car.”

Meng Shan tossed her the keys without hesitation. “What kind of business?”

“Just meeting someone. Shouldn’t be anything big.”

Meng Shan nodded. “Make it quick then. And remember to bring back lunch.”

After yesterday’s events, the two had essentially laid their cards on the table. There was no longer a need for much pretense.

Following the coordinates, she arrived at a busy cafe. Customers were gathered in small groups, chatting away. Ran Jiuyi glanced briefly at the roof of a nearby tall building before stepping inside.

On that very rooftop, the “Three Little Ones” were lying flat on their stomachs, cautiously observing Ran Jiuyi’s movements.

“Did Sister Ran just spot us?” Yiziling asked uneasily.

Jiang Yunshu comforted her, “Definitely not. We’re so well-hidden, how could she see us?”

“But she just looked right at us!”

“It was just a casual glance. At this distance, combined with my illusion camouflage, I don’t think she could find us.”

Bai He’an’s voice betrayed a hint of flustered nerves, but mostly excitement. She hadn’t expected to catch Ran Jiuyi acting suspiciously on the very first day of surveillance. Even luckier, because they were still learning the ropes, all three of them were present. With the stars aligned like this, if Ran Jiuyi did anything shady, they would take her down on the spot.

Fantasizing about a perfect result, Bai He’an gave the order: “Let’s follow her. We’ll continue the surveillance inside the cafe.”

“Huh? Won’t we be exposed?”

Not just Yiziling, but Jiang Yunshu also voiced her concern this time. “Yeah, the distance is too close. I can’t guarantee we won’t be sensed.”

Bai He’an replied confidently, “It’s fine. Even if we’re caught, if she isn’t doing anything shameful, it won’t matter if she sees us. But if she is up to no good, we take her down right then and there.”

Seeing Bai He’an’s confidence, the other two remained silent. Under the cover of Jiang Yunshu’s illusions, the three slipped into the cafe.

As the trio was sneaking in, Ran Jiuyi was engaged in a staring contest with a white-haired woman sitting across from her.

After double-checking that she was in the right seat, Ran Jiuyi had to accept that this strange woman—who had been staring at her since she walked in—was her contact.

Normally, Ran Jiuyi didn’t know the people from the Institute, but they knew her. If this woman was from the Research Institute, she should have initiated the conversation long ago.

Unsure of the woman’s identity, Ran Jiuyi simply stayed still and sized her up in return.

She had to admit, this mysterious woman was beautiful—so beautiful she hardly seemed human. Ran Jiuyi scrutinized her for over ten minutes and couldn’t find a single flaw in her appearance.

The “Three Little Ones,” who had already taken a nearby seat, noticed the behavior. Yiziling whispered in confusion, “What is Sister Ran doing?”

Jiang Yunshu joked, “Looks to me like she’s fallen for that lady. I mean, she is gorgeous. Especially that white hair; you can tell it’s been meticulously cared for.”

“But that lady has been staring back at her for over ten minutes too.”

“Then it’s love at first sight for both of them.”

“Be quiet,” Bai He’an interrupted. “Whatever they’re doing, just keep watching.”

After a few more minutes, even the waiter noticed the two “statues.” Thinking they were dissatisfied with the service, the waiter hurried over. “Excuse me, ladies, is there anything you’d like to order?”

Only then did the woman across the table move. She glanced around and pointed at a nearby customer. “I’ll have whatever he’s having.”

Ran Jiuyi followed suit. “Make it two.”

“Certainly, ladies. Your order will be ready shortly.”

As the waiter turned away, Ran Jiuyi decided not to waste any more time. She asked point-blank, “Are you from the Research Institute?”

“I am.” The woman nodded. “Then you must be Miss Ran Jiuyi. I’ve heard a lot about you. Let me introduce myself: I am Cheng Ya, a scientist at the Institute.”

“Wait… you didn’t recognize me?”

“Of course not. That person at my house only sent me a text message; she seems to have forgotten the photo. All I knew was that Ran Jiuyi is female and quite good-looking. That’s it.”

Ran Jiuyi rubbed her forehead in exasperation. “Then why didn’t you just ask if I was Ran Jiuyi? At least say something!”

“No need.” Cheng Ya scanned the room, her gaze lingering for a fraction of a second on the spot where the three girls were sitting. “If you were Ran Jiuyi, you would eventually talk to me. If you weren’t, you would have eventually left.”

“And your definition of ‘eventually’ involves us staring at each other for over ten minutes?”

“Relative to our lifespans, it was indeed just a moment.”

“Fine. Let me ask this: what if someone else had talked to you?”

“Depends. Someone who fits the criteria of being young, beautiful, female, and approaching me at this specific time… there shouldn’t be many candidates.”