Chapter Forty-Six: The Hands-Off Manager
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South District Branch of the Judgment Bureau, Bustling Street · Cafeteria
Gazing at this familiar yet strange place, Violet Lilac felt an inexplicable melancholy in her heart.
Familiar because since becoming a magical girl, this had been her usual spot for meals and refreshments.
She had tasted dishes from every window and knew exactly which cafeteria aunt might have shaky hands.
Strange because in just a year, everything had changed beyond recognition. Back then, this space had not been so spacious and bright. How could the cafeteria undergo such a major renovation in such a short time after she left briefly?
The cafeteria, Qiuyuan No.1 Middle School—every place she left seemed to undergo major renovations.
Violet Lilac had not observed for long before several crisp female voices came to her ears.
“Hello, are you Miss Violet Lilac?”
“Hello, Vice Captain.”
“Senior Xiaolan, we meet again.”
Turning her head, Violet Lilac saw a woman in a grayish-brown trench coat walking toward her with two girls in blue and white uniform skirts.
All three were acquaintances.
One was her sister, one a future student, and one a current colleague.
Sometimes, fate was truly mysterious.
“Yes, hello. You can call me Xiaolan,” Violet Lilac smiled lightly.
“Senior Xiaolan, why did you transform and come over?” Xia Qing asked, puzzled.
“During rush hour, the traffic is terrible, so transforming made it more convenient,” Violet Lilac explained with a smile.
“Oh, I see.”
Chen Yuyi’s gaze lingered on Violet Lilac as if trying to discern something from her.
This was their first meeting, and her understanding of Violet Lilac as a magical girl came solely from files.
Violet Lilac, magical girl.
Joined the Magical Girls Headquarters in 2020.
By 2021, she had cumulatively slain a hundred disaster beasts of the “Asura” level.
In 2022, she served as captain of the S-class magical girl squad in Yeqiu City; her squad was renowned nationwide.
In 2023, she mysteriously disappeared without a trace.
Only at the start of 2024 did she reestablish contact with the Headquarters, applying to rejoin the Yeqiu City squad.
Age unknown,
Power unknown,
Identity unknown,
Compared to other magical girls whose details were fully recorded, Violet Lilac was shrouded in countless mysteries.
After a brief glance, Chen Yuyi offered an apologetic smile.
“I’m terribly sorry, Xiaolan. The recent events in Guancheng District have kept me so busy that there wasn’t even a proper welcome ceremony for the new members. We’ve kept things simple. When we have time, let’s have a proper meal at the Fookangxiang Restaurant in Tianxin District.”
“No matter where, it’s the same,” Violet Lilac said, noting Chen Yuyi’s insincere smile.
It felt less like an apology and more like an eye-wash, as if resenting her for coming to Yeqiu City and doing nothing.
“Alright then, let’s eat.”
As the host, Chen Yuyi led the way, introducing the flavors of each window: some were spicy, some salty, some sweet.
The variety was rich, though not encompassing all eight major cuisines, it accommodated tastes from all directions.
After all, Yeqiu City had been the frontline in resisting the Black Tide, attracting many magical girls from other provinces for support.
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Food, drink, and accommodation were well guaranteed.
Chen Yuyi ordered a bursting eggplant rice bowl; Violet Lilac chose a spicy scrambled egg rice bowl; the other two shared an Orleans set meal.
Among the cafeteria dishes, Violet Lilac’s favorite was still the spicy scrambled eggs.
The chili here was genuinely hot, and she truly liked it.
Even after a year, she still missed it somewhat.
Unfortunately, today she was disappointed.
The dish looked the same—covered with chili peppers—but the taste was different: mildly spicy but not appetizing.
“Xiaolan, what are your plans moving forward?”
Chen Yuyi had been observing Violet Lilac closely, noticing the disappointment in her eyes.
Knowing Violet Lilac liked spicy food instantly ruled out many provinces in the Xia nation.
“We’ll see how things are arranged. I have no objections,” Violet Lilac replied, nibbling delicately, maintaining the appearance of a girl eating.
If she ate alone at her own pace, she would have already gone for seconds by now.
“Alright, a while ago, Xiaoqing just joined us and isn’t very familiar with theory or magic skills. Xiaoqing and Xiaoxue have similar theoretical knowledge but lack practical experience. I hope you can help guide them.”
Chen Yuyi wasn’t sure of Violet Lilac’s true strength, but given her impressive record, teaching novices should be no problem.
“Sure, no problem. Add me on CCSA.”
Violet Lilac placed her phone, newly outfitted with a fresh case, on the table. The screen displayed a QR code.
CCSA was a communication app developed specifically for magical girls in the Xia nation, packed with features—almost like a MOOC platform for magical girls. It contained videos of veteran magical girls fighting disaster beasts and detailed records of these beasts.
The magical girl certification exams had theory and practical parts; theory exams were taken via the app.
In emergencies, magical girls could send out distress signals, alerting others within several kilometers.
During the recent Guancheng District disaster, CCSA was invaluable for locating magical girls, though ultimately, they couldn’t help much.
Looking at the unfamiliar QR code, Xia Qing and Bai Youqing fell silent. At the moment Violet Lilac took it out, they instinctively opened WeChat.
Just as they were about to scan, they realized it was a string of English letters instead. Their hands froze, and they quietly withdrew.
Their silently resentful gazes simultaneously turned to the same person—the Iris magical girl squad captain, Chen Yuyi—who was now bowing her head, eating heartily.
Seeing it was impossible to hide, Chen Yuyi awkwardly looked up and cleared her throat a few times, masking her guilt as a magical girl captain for her inaction.
“Ahem, I’ve been too busy lately and forgot to help you apply, but it’s not too late now. Let Xiaolan help you. Also, help Han Xue with it too.”
Chen Yuyi wiped her mouth with a tissue, looking a bit embarrassed. But there was no other way; besides magical girl affairs, she was also a homeroom teacher responsible for students’ academic performance.
With the Black Tide crisis over, her focus naturally shifted to the students. Otherwise, it would be a disservice to them.
If not for the excellent welfare benefits for retired magical girls, she would have quit long ago.
Now that Violet Lilac had arrived—clearly a top-tier figure—Chen Yuyi was straightforward.
She approached the shorter Violet Lilac, grasped her hand tightly, eyes glistening with tears.
“I’ve been longing for you these days, finally you’re here.
I can go to the frontline and fight disaster beasts without issue, but I really lack experience leading teammates. Xiaolan, Xiaoqing, please take care of them.”
Violet Lilac’s cheeks flushed; she wasn’t used to physical contact, especially from the opposite sex, and wanted to pull her hand away but found Chen Yuyi gripping tightly.
It felt like: unless you agree, I won’t let go.
After a long moment, she sighed deeply.
“Uh… Sister Chen, there’s no need for that. Since I’m here, I will do my best.”
“Ha ha, then it’s all yours, Xiaolan!”
Chen Yuyi’s voice was clear and pleasing, her face the kind of beautiful and enduring type, yet at that moment Violet Lilac found her face utterly detestable.
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Alright, alright, so this is how it’s going to be.
Who’s the captain here, you or me? You just arrived and already dumped all the newcomers on me.
Though wearing a smile, Violet Lilac’s mind swore profusely.
The school leaders are heartless, and you as captain are no better.
“In that case, Xiaoqing and Xiaoying are yours. I have other matters and will leave first.”
Chen Yuyi seemed aware she had gone too far, but the Guancheng District park incident was huge, with six special agents missing.
That event involved witches, abyssal demon princesses, and disaster beasts. She had to quickly provide a satisfactory report to her superiors and simply had no time to train newcomers.
Well, no choice but to entrust this task to the newly arrived vice captain.
No sooner had she spoken than she grabbed her grayish-brown trench coat and hurried away.
Xia Qing and Bai Youqing never expected that a simple meal outing would end with them being mercilessly abandoned by their captain.
Xia Qing: “……”
Bai Youqing: “……”
Violet Lilac: “……”
The table fell into an endless silence.
“Have you eaten enough? I still have some points on my card; you can buy whatever you want.”
Watching Chen Yuyi’s departing back, Violet Lilac quietly turned to the two junior magical girls before her.
“We’re full.”
“We’re full.”
To be honest, Bai Youqing was still a bit hungry, but being treated to a meal by a girl who looked younger made her feel uneasy.
“Good. Since you don’t have CCSA yet, add me on WeChat first.”
“Alright, Senior Xiaolan.”
“Okay, Sister Xiaolan.”
Two crisp phone vibrations confirmed their friend requests were accepted.
“Fine, let me know when you’re free tomorrow via WeChat. I’ll come right away. Also, I’ll set up your CCSA permissions. If possible, I hope you can drop the ‘Junior’ from your names.”
Looking at the sky, Violet Lilac gave a few final reminders.
“Okay, thank you, Senior Xiaolan.”
“Okay, Sister Xiaolan.”
Watching Violet Lilac leave with a displeased expression, Xia Qing turned to Bai Youqing and lamented, “We got abandoned by Chen Yuyi.”
“Huh? No way,” Bai Youqing nodded belatedly.
“Sister Yuyi only said she’s busy, didn’t say she was abandoning us.”
“Alas, I guess we won’t see Sister Yuyi for a while.”
Xia Qing sighed, then immediately brightened with curiosity.
“Sister Yuyi said you were saved by Senior Xiaolan. Can she tell how strong she is?”
“Well, I didn’t see Xiaolan’s fight, but I think she must be very powerful. Remember those two magical girls that day? They couldn’t transform inside, but Xiaolan could.”
“That’s a relief. As long as we have a strong ally, I’m satisfied.” Xia Qing nodded contentedly.
A magical girl above the Blooming Level?