Chapter 74 – If You Dare Cheat on Me Again, I’m Docking Your Pay

“It’s confirmed.”

“That Special-Grade Disaster really did flee from District 3 to our District 2 to commit another crime.”

“It really does love burning holes straight through buildings, huh?”

Standing before the building with flames roaring into the sky and thick smoke billowing overhead, Feng Yuanwei, Captain of the Countermeasures Bureau’s Second Squad in District 2, and Misaka Shirai, one of its main members, could not help but marvel at the terrifying power of that Special-Grade Disaster.

Misaka Shirai said, “Just yesterday, we were saying it hadn’t harmed any humans. I didn’t expect reality to slap us in the face this fast.”

“There were several hundred people in this building, right?”

Feng Yuanwei had just received an investigation report. “There were. Several hundred. They all belonged to an organization called the Shock Shark Gang.”

“This organization has operated in the black market for a long time. They’re a force to be reckoned with there.”

“Oh?” Misaka Shirai speculated. “It wiped out the Shock Shark Gang completely. Did the Shock Shark Gang offend it somehow?”

Feng Yuanwei shrugged. “Maybe. Unfortunately, everyone’s dead, and the building’s destroyed. There’s nothing left to investigate.”

The only thing they could be certain of was that this Special-Grade Disaster that loved burning straight through buildings had definitely come from District 3.

Feng Yuanwei had already spoken with Zhao Xing yesterday, and they had reached a consensus: District 2 and District 3, the Second Squad and the Third Squad, would work together to capture this Special-Grade Disaster that killed people, set fires, and burned holes through buildings.

“There’s not much value in investigating this place,” Feng Yuanwei said, changing tack. “Since it specifically came here to wipe out the Shock Shark Gang, then we’ll look into how exactly the Shock Shark Gang managed to provoke it.”

“Tonight, we raid the black market. While we’re investigating, it’s about time we cleaned up those criminals in the black market too.”

“Yes, Captain,” Misaka Shirai said. “I think we should contact Captain Zhao Xing again as well. Maybe after committing the crime, this Special-Grade Disaster has already run back to District 3. We need to have them raise their guard.”

…

Lin Xi was currently sitting on a train back to District 3.

After wiping out the Shock Shark Gang, she had run without the slightest hesitation.

The fire had burned everything cleanly, leaving nothing behind. Lin Xi was confident there was absolutely no way it could be traced back to her.

On the onboard television, the news was reporting on the building in the suburbs that had been burned down.

The report did not say this was the work of a Dark Realm Disaster.

“I destroyed a fraud ring for District 2 and did a good deed without leaving my name behind. I’m practically a living Lei Feng…”

Lin Xi felt the satisfying thrill of “leaving with a flick of her sleeves once the deed was done, hiding both herself and her name.”

“That’s what those damned bastards get for targeting Xinning.”

Lin Xi was determined to protect Angel-sama.

“Speaking of which, is Xinning really rich? To think she’d be targeted by such a nasty fraud ring…”

Lin Xi had no intention of telling Zhao Xinning about this. She was afraid it would scare her.

“I’ll just protect her quietly from beside her…”

…

“I’m back.”

Lin Xi pushed open the door.

Shi Yu was sitting at the desk, writing and sketching away.

Lin Xi walked closer for a look. “You’re really planning to draw a girls-love manga?”

“What else?” Shi Yu stopped her pen and turned her head. “Why are you back already?”

“Didn’t you say you were going to spend two days and two nights having fun with Zhao Xinning in District 2?”

“Ah, well, a lot of things happened,” Lin Xi said. “Xinning came back this morning.”

“Oh? What kind of perverted thing did you do to her? Did you make her angry?”

“I did not,” Lin Xi said. “You said before that ZERO’s business also includes taking down major fraud rings. I wiped out a major fraud ring in District 2. That counts as making a contribution, right?”

“Huh?” Shi Yu said in shock. “What are you even talking about? Weren’t you going to District 2 with Zhao Xinning for a trip?”

“Uh, it’s a little complicated…” Lin Xi sat down and explained the whole situation to Shi Yu from start to finish.

“If you don’t believe me, just check the news.”

Shi Yu turned on her computer. The moment she saw the building that had been burned straight through, she understood that Lin Xi had been telling the truth.

“You’ve got some nerve,” Shi Yu said as she browsed the news. “But the Shock Shark Gang seems to be an organization in the black market, not some scam ring.”

Shi Yu occasionally went to the black market to hunt for odds and ends, so she knew a fair bit about it.

“Huh? Then did I overdo it?” Lin Xi started to panic.

“It’s fine,” Shi Yu said. “It’s not like the Shock Shark Gang is any good. Besides, weren’t they planning to bully you and Zhao Xinning? This counts as self-defense.”

“Oh, self-defense. So I didn’t do anything wrong?”

“Nope.”

Since Shi Yu said so, the tiny bit of guilt that had just sprouted in Lin Xi vanished without a trace.

“The only question is,” Shi Yu said, “how did Zhao Xinning get on their bad side?”

“Could it really be like they said? Did Zhao Xinning go to the black market last night, kill their people, and set their shop on fire?”

“Impossible!” Lin Xi said firmly. “Absolutely impossible!”

“Xinning slept right beside me last night!”

Shi Yu: “…”

“Oh? So you went behind my back and secretly slept with another girl, huh?”

Lin Xi: “???”

“What the hell does that have to do with you?”

“How does it not have anything to do with me?” Shi Yu shot back. “We signed a contract. We’re a ‘contract couple.'”

“If you dare make me wear a green hat again, I’m docking your pay!”

Lin Xi: “…”

“Wait, what? You’re just looking for an excuse to dock my pay, aren’t you?”

Shi Yu recorded Lin Xi’s “cheating behavior” in the file. “Were you sleeping with your arms around Zhao Xinning? Or were you holding her?”

Lin Xi’s face flushed. She truly admired how this pervert Shi Yu could say such outrageous things so calmly. “Of course not! What are you even thinking?!”

“If you weren’t hugging her or holding her, then how can you guarantee Zhao Xinning slept beside you the whole night?”

Lin Xi: “…”

So the reason Shi Yu had asked such a perverted question was to make that point…

“I really can’t guarantee Xinning was beside me the entire night, but there’s no way Xinning would go around killing people and setting fires.”

“Everyone has another side to them,” Shi Yu said. “Take you, for example. You don’t look like the type to kill people and set fires either, but the moment you made a move, you killed hundreds of people and burned down a building.”

“On the surface, you’re harmless as a kitten. In reality, you’re a Perverted Witch.”

“Are you insulting me in a roundabout way?” Lin Xi said. “Anyway, Xinning is definitely not that kind of person. Haven’t you interacted with Xinning too? She’s obviously an angel, okay?”

“Even if the Shock Shark Gang isn’t some scam ring, they targeted Xinning and slandered her by saying she killed people and set fires. They deserved to die!”

“Fine, fine,” Shi Yu said. “Believe whatever you want. In any case, just don’t sleep with Zhao Xinning again.”

Lin Xi: “…”

“I’m hungry. Go make me dinner, my dear contract girlfriend.” Shi Yu beamed. “I already bought new cookware.”

“Wait a second,” Lin Xi said. “Didn’t we agree to take turns playing the ‘contract boyfriend’? Today you’re the ‘contract girlfriend’!”

“Are you sure you want me to go into the kitchen and cook?” Shi Yu asked with a smile.

Lin Xi sighed and headed for the kitchen.