Chapter 35 – Date Operation
Having collected her reward, Lin Xi didn’t want to stay in the Countermeasures Bureau building for a single second longer.
While it appeared secure, it felt anything but safe to her. Lin Xi felt like a fish in a net or a bird in a cage-a suffocating sense of confinement.
She had promised yesterday that once she got the prize money, she would treat Xia Xun to a meal. Since it was almost noon, she decided to use this as an excuse to make a quick exit.
“Miss Xia Xun, I didn’t earn this reward all on my own. So, lunch is on me!”
“Thank you. I won’t stand on ceremony then,” Xia Xun said. “My things are still in my office. Would you mind coming with me to pick them up?”
“No problem.”
Lin Xi followed Xia Xun to her luxurious private office.
“Meow!”
A white blur lunged from the side, making Lin Xi jump.
It was a Big White Cat.
“Little Mi!” Xia Xun darted in front of Lin Xi, her hands moving with lightning speed to intercept the white cat mid-air. She scolded it crossly, “Little Mi, that was very rude!”
“Miss Lin Xi is my friend.”
Xia Xun pulled the white cat into her arms and tapped its head twice as punishment. After the scolding from its owner, the white cat curled up quietly in Xia Xun’s embrace.
“I’m so sorry, Miss Lin Xi. Did it scare you?”
“No… it’s fine…”
Lin Xi tried to steady her nerves. She had indeed been startled. She never expected that her first ‘enemy attack’ after entering this building would come from a Big White Cat.
The cat’s amber eyes stared straight at her, making Lin Xi feel a bit guilty. It couldn’t possibly sense that I’m a witch, could it? Fortunately, it seemed perfectly submissive toward Xia Xun.
“What a… what a cute Big White Cat…” Lin Xi praised, though she didn’t mean a word of it.
Wait, are cats even allowed in the office building? Just how many privileges does Xia Xun have?
“Miss Lin Xi, her name is Little Mi,” Xia Xun introduced. “She’s a bit shy around strangers, so I really am sorry for her behavior just now.”
Xia Xun stroked the cat’s head, apologizing alongside Little Mi. Lin Xi insisted it was no big deal.
Setting the cat down and grabbing her bag, Xia Xun said to Lin Xi, “Let’s head out. I know a fairly nice restaurant.”
Since she was the one being treated, it was only natural to let the guest choose. Lin Xi agreed, “Alright, let’s go there.”
They hadn’t walked more than a few steps before Little Mi followed them.
“Hmm?” Xia Xun knelt down in front of Little Mi. “Now isn’t the time for a walk. Wait in the room like a good girl.”
But Little Mi pressed herself against Xia Xun’s calf, refusing to go back.
“This is…” Xia Xun looked a bit helpless. Seeing this, Lin Xi said, “Let’s just bring Little Mi along.”
Lin Xi had a nagging feeling that Little Mi was wary of her. Was it just her imagination? If Shi Yu found out she’d been intimidated by a cat inside the Countermeasures Bureau, she’d never hear the end of it for at least six months.
Xia Xun picked Little Mi up. “Then let’s all go eat together.”
Once they stepped out of the Countermeasures Bureau building, Lin Xi felt like a fish returning to the ocean or a bird escaping its cage. The inexplicable pressure vanished instantly.
She discreetly put on her micro-earpiece.
Shi Yu’s ear-splitting voice rang out: “Perverted Witch! How dare you cut off contact on your own?!”
Lin Xi muttered under her breath, “I had to go through a security gate. There was nothing I could do.”
“You were in there for so long, were you stuck at the security gate the whole time?! Fine…” Shi Yu paused. “What’s the situation now?”
“Now, uh, I’m taking Xia Xun out to lunch.”
“Excellent. Then let’s begin the ‘Date Operation’ plan.”
“Huh?!” Lin Xi was baffled. Date Operation? “What the hell is that? Since when did we make a plan like that?”
Shi Yu hit her with a soul-searching question: “You finally managed to lure Xia Xun out; do you really intend to just eat a meal?”
“Lure? Don’t make me sound like a human trafficker!” Lin Xi was exasperated. Who would even dare to try and kidnap a Magical Girl?
Shi Yu told Lin Xi to shut up and just follow orders. “This is a golden opportunity to squeeze some useful intelligence out of Xia Xun!”
Lin Xi: “…”
“Miss Lin Xi,” Xia Xun turned around. “Are you getting tired of walking? The restaurant isn’t that far, but we can call a cab if you’d like.”
Lin Xi had intentionally lagged behind to make it easier to talk to Shi Yu. She hurried forward a few steps to catch up to Xia Xun’s side. “No, I’m not tired at all.”
“Then I’ll walk a bit slower,” Xia Xun said, decelerating to match Lin Xi’s pace. “Are you really not tired? You seem a bit out of it. Did you not sleep well last night?”
I didn’t sleep at all… No matter what, Lin Xi could never admit that she had spent the entire night binge-reading yuri manga.
“Yeah, I had a bit of insomnia. Didn’t sleep great.”
Hearing this, Xia Xun began sharing some of her best tips for dealing with insomnia.
The two chatted as they walked, arriving at the restaurant a short while later.
Once inside, they sat across from each other. While looking over the menu, Lin Xi teased, “Should we order a lunch set for Little Mi too?”
“No need,” Xia Xun shook her head. “Little Mi doesn’t like this kind of food.”
Does it prefer cat food? Just as the thought crossed her mind, Lin Xi received an instruction from Shi Yu: “Hand the menu to Xia Xun and tell her she can order whatever she likes.”
Lin Xi: “…”
Since she couldn’t speak out loud to Shi Yu, she pulled out her phone and quickly typed a message: This is a high-end restaurant! ‘Whatever she likes’?! I only have five thousand, not fifty thousand!
“You have to bait the hook to catch the fish. We need to maximize Xia Xun’s favorability,” Shi Yu commanded firmly. “Do as I say!”
You jerk! After sending her silent curse, Lin Xi forced a smile-though her heart bled for her wallet-and handed the menu to Xia Xun.
“Miss Xia Xun, please, order whatever you like!”
Xia Xun took the menu. “Thank you.”
She only ordered two dishes, and neither was particularly expensive.
Shi Yu issued another instruction: “The atmosphere is set. While you eat, steer the conversation toward the bank robbery case.”
Without leaving a trace, Lin Xi naturally shifted the topic toward the heist.
“Miss Xia Xun, I saw on the evening news last night that the bounty on the Jinrui Bank robbers has gone up to two million.”
“If I provided a useful lead, would I really get two million?”
“Of course,” Xia Xun replied. “Shuguang Technology has money to burn. Two million is actually on the low side; I expect they’ll raise it again.”
“Is that so?” Lin Xi felt no excitement whatsoever about her own rising “market value.” “Does that mean they haven’t found any useful leads yet?”
Xia Xun shook her head with a troubled expression.
Phew. Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief. “Are you the one in charge of this case?”
Xia Xun suddenly stopped her chopsticks. Lin Xi immediately apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m just an outsider poking my nose into things. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s fine. I think you’re a person with a strong sense of justice, Miss Lin Xi.”
“Heh, ehehe…” Lin Xi scratched her head sheepishly. If Xia Xun knew I was one of the robbers, I wonder what she’d think?
“You’re right, I am involved in the case,” Xia Xun said. “We suspect-“
“Wait! Miss Xia Xun, is it really okay to tell me?”
“Of course it’s okay,” Xia Xun said. “I could tell you everything and it wouldn’t matter. It’s not like you could be a member of ZERO.”
Hearing the word “ZERO,” Lin Xi nearly dropped her chopsticks.
The robbers were three members of ZERO-how did Xia Xun and her team hit the bullseye so accurately?!
Lin Xi was panicking internally, but she maintained a calm facade.
It was time for her acting skills to shine.
“ZERO?” Lin Xi asked with feigned shock. “What is ZERO?”
“Uh,” Xia Xun thought for a moment before explaining, “A group of weirdos with screws loose? New-age terrorists? The Countermeasures Bureau has many definitions for them, but generally speaking, they’re criminals we need to catch.”
Your definitions are spot on! Lin Xi couldn’t help but give Xia Xun a mental thumbs-up. Shi Yu was definitely a weirdo and a terrorist!
“The Captain and I suspect the Jinrui Bank robbery case was their doing. Unfortunately, the victim isn’t being very cooperative with the investigation, so we don’t have any hard evidence yet.”
The “uncooperative victim” referred to Commissioner He, the representative sent by Shuguang Technology. He had consistently refused to reveal any information regarding the safe that had been moved out of the bank vault.
Xia Xun and Zhao Xing were at a dead end.
“That’s not the only thing giving me a headache,” Xia Xun added, venting her frustrations to Lin Xi. “Miss Lin Xi, the person who destroyed the Lava Explosion Bear yesterday wasn’t some Nameless Hero. It was actually a certain Special-Grade Disaster.”
Lin Xi felt like she was sitting on a bed of needles.
After all, the bank robber and the Special-Grade Disaster currently causing Xia Xun such a headache were one and the same: herself.
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