Chapter 195 – Out of Options

A leak? A raid? A transfer? Xia Xun’s already foggy head spun even harder.

She drank the hangover soup first and took a moment to collect herself.

On the other end of the call, Su Tang sensed that something was off with Xia Xun and told her they could discuss it in person.

She had also arranged to meet Misaka Shirai. The three of them needed to have a proper conversation about last night’s attack on the Safe House…

…

“Are you all right?” Su Tang asked the moment she saw Xia Xun.

Xia Xun felt much better now. Even she could not understand how she had ended up drinking so much with Lin Xi the night before.

Perhaps the mood had simply carried them along?

In reality, there had been nothing spontaneous about it. Lin Xi had deliberately gotten her drunk to learn the location of the Countermeasures Bureau’s Safe House…

“I’m fine,” Xia Xun said. “I just had a little to drink last night.”

“With whom?” Misaka Shirai asked immediately.

Xia Xun hesitated.

“Why are you asking?”

“We both need to cooperate with Su Tang’s investigation,” Misaka Shirai said.

“What?” Xia Xun was rather displeased to find herself treated as a suspect.

“It’s very likely that one of you leaked the Safe House’s location, leading to last night’s raid,” Su Tang said.

“Their objective was obvious. They came to rescue that draconic disaster.”

“But they didn’t succeed.”

“After the two of you left the Safe House, I had a feeling the location might be compromised, so I transferred the prisoner.”

“My instincts proved correct.”

Both Xia Xun and Misaka Shirai looked grim.

If their carelessness had allowed the prisoner to escape, it would have been a severe dereliction of duty.

“So please cooperate with the investigation,” Su Tang said coldly.

Only Magical Girls had the authority to investigate other Magical Girls.

“It definitely wasn’t me,” Xia Xun said. “After I left the Safe House and parted ways with Shirai, I went home to change, then headed out for an appointment. I only spoke to one person all evening.”

“Who?”

“You know her too,” Xia Xun replied. “Lin Xi.”

“Lin Xi?” Of course Su Tang knew her.

Lin Xi was a close friend of her younger sister, Su Xiangxue, who never stopped singing Lin Xi’s praises.

Lin Xi and her friends had even visited Su Tang’s home before. Su Tang had an excellent impression of her.

“Did you see anyone besides Lin Xi?”

“No.”

“Did you mention the Safe House to her?”

“Of course not!” Xia Xun said heatedly. “The Safe House must be kept secret even from the people closest to us. Do you really think I don’t understand a rule that basic?”

Misaka Shirai cut in. “You may not have said anything while you were sober, but what about after you got drunk?”

Xia Xun had no answer to that.

How could she possibly remember what she had said while drunk…?

“Wait, Shirai. What exactly are you implying?”

“Don’t question me, and don’t you dare question Lin Xi.”

“Su Tang and I have both spent time with Lin Xi. We know perfectly well what kind of person she is.”

Xia Xun refused to believe the problem had come from her side.

“Shirai, maybe the leak came from your end.”

“I’m not saying you’re the problem. I mean there could be a problem inside the District 2 Countermeasures Bureau.”

“The Safe House is in District 2, after all.”

“But only the few of us and my Captain knew about it,” Misaka Shirai said. “I went straight home after leaving the Safe House last night. I didn’t speak to anyone else at all.”

If Misaka Shirai had spoken to no one, she could not have leaked the location, Su Tang thought. Xia Xun had spoken to only one person, but that person was Lin Xi…

Like Xia Xun, Su Tang did not believe Lin Xi could possibly be involved. Nor did she believe Xia Xun would reveal such a secret to her.

“All right,” Su Tang said. “I’ll question Shirai’s Captain and see whether he mentioned the Safe House to anyone.”

“Where did you transfer the prisoner?” Xia Xun asked.

Su Tang shook her head. “Once I have the improved Truth Serum from Dr. Vanessa, I’ll take both of you there.”

After the lesson of last night’s raid, Su Tang intended to tell no one.

Xia Xun and Misaka Shirai did not press her.

Once they parted ways, Xia Xun carefully searched her memories.

She remembered Lin Xi bringing up the news report about the captured Special-Grade Disaster before they started drinking.

But… what was strange about that?

It was huge news. Mentioning it during a casual dinner conversation was perfectly normal.

“After that… we started drinking together, didn’t we?”

Even with her hazy mind running at full capacity, Xia Xun could recall only Lin Xi taking her home, feeding her medicine, and changing her into a nightgown…

Mm. Lin Xi was so good to her!

That was the conclusion Xia Xun reached after all her careful thought.

She truly could not remember what she had said while drunk.

“I’m a professional. Even when I’m drunk, I’d never reveal anything confidential.” Xia Xun had absolute confidence in her professionalism.

…

“Ugh…”

“Getting Xia Xun drunk and learning the address didn’t help at all. All that work for nothing.” Lin Xi had taken the day off from school and was continuing to discuss their next move with her teammates in the Safe House.

“Could Xia Xun have given you a false address?” Qin Ling asked.

Lin Xi shook her head. “Once Xia Xun was drunk, she answered every question I asked. She even volunteered things I never asked about.”

The night before, Lin Xi had successfully learned the PIN to Xia Xun’s bank card. She had not asked for it; Xia Xun had blurted it out all on her own…

“The address definitely wasn’t fake. Su Tang must have transferred Thor in time.”

Lin Xi had learned more than the address from Xia Xun. She also knew Su Tang was guarding the Safe House.

To overcome Su Tang and rescue Thor, the team had devised what they considered a flawless rescue plan before setting out the night before.

Only to find the place empty.

“What do we do now?” Lin Xi was growing anxious. She was not worried that Thor would be tortured. She had asked a drunken Xia Xun about that too, and the Magical Girls had not subjected Thor to any torture.

It made sense. Magical Girls represented love and justice. How could they possibly do something so brutal?

What worried Lin Xi was the Truth Serum.

That was right. Xia Xun had told her about that too.

They intended to use the Truth Serum on Thor.

“If the Truth Serum works, won’t Thor give all of us away?” The mere thought made Lin Xi’s head hurt.

For once, Qin Ling was out of ideas as well. “Su Tang outmaneuvered us. She truly deserves to be Z City’s Chief Magical Girl.”

Qin Ling continued her analysis.

“Judging from the current situation, Su Tang probably won’t tell a second person where Thor is being held.”

“That means Su Tang is the only person who knows Thor’s whereabouts.”

“Lin Xi, what kind of relationship do you have with Su Tang?”

Lin Xi thought for a moment.

“Practically none. I’ve visited her home once, and she and her family probably have a pretty good impression of me.”

“Even so, there’s no way I can pump Su Tang for information the way I did Xia Xun.”

“I’ve got nothing.”

They were out of options.

“Either we capture Su Tang and force her to tell us where Thor is,” Qin Ling said, “or we pray the Truth Serum can’t make Thor talk. Our only chance to rescue her would be during the transfer to the Undersea Prison.”