Xu Chuyao said she would announce the appointments in the QQ group, but to show respect, the team members still voluntarily gathered in the activity room, listening as their thunderous beautiful girl boss called out names one by one.
“Cheng Li, you are brave and valiant. I bestow upon you the title of Crisis Response Specialist, with a position equivalent to Deputy Director of the local Rapid Response Office under the Security Department.
Shi Lei, you are steadfast as a rock. I bestow upon you the same title.
Zhong Ming, you are quick-witted and agile. I bestow upon you the same title.
Wu Jia, you…”
Even though the positions were the same, Xu Chuyao still read out each name individually, and even used a unique four-character phrase to describe each person, making it feel very ceremonial.
You Jia, calm and composed; Yu Yuwei, diligent and tireless; as for Shen Ning—
“Like a flood dragon entering the sea, a kunpeng soaring to the heavens, flying nine thousand miles in a single bound, a sword’s light chills the nineteen provinces, as if a demon-subduing lord descended from the heavens—truly the earthly Grand Duke of the Year! I bestow upon you the title of Crisis Response Specialist, with a position equivalent to Deputy Director of the local Rapid Response Office under the Security Department!”
Even though the position was still the same, the description was much, much longer, her tone even more dramatic, as if she’d added a bunch of useless special effects.
“Yaoyao’s mouth sure can flap. Give her a good smack and she’ll quiet down.”
Shen Ning wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but ever since leaving the Love by Fate game, her Sexually Repressed Shadow seemed more aggressive.
It was as if it had actually learned something real.
“Because our tactical guidance can’t surpass your current level,” Broken Shadow explained softly, “The more you learn, the more we’re able to explain.”
…So it’s my problem?
Shen Ning understood now. Maybe, in the timeline belonging to the Sexually Repressed Shadow, it really would get handy.
Unlike the absent-minded girl, the rest of the group was extremely excited.
“We’re really lucky. Last time, our operation just happened to expose the Security Department’s undercover agents, which made the leadership furious and led to a big departmental purge,” Zhong Ming said with emotion, “So a bunch of positions opened up at once, just in time for us.”
That’s not quite it.
Xu Chuyao thought to herself, the higher-ups had known about the department’s dirty business for a long time and had just left it alone, probably waiting for people like her to make a name for themselves, then open up positions for her.
On one hand, it gave them a reason to push her up; on the other, it let everyone know that this genius, big-chested girl was part of their own faction.
But she didn’t say any of this out loud. Such dark matters were better saved for Mi Xiaolu when she got back—Mi Xiaolu liked stories.
Shi Lei wiped the corner of his eye, looking like an old veteran: “When I was a kid, I often dreamed of getting promoted to an official. I didn’t expect my dream to come true so soon.”
Cheng Li nudged him: “Isn’t this scene exactly the same as your dream?”
“Uh, there’s a bit of a difference. In my dream, I was the Grand Marshal of all the armies under heaven.”
Hearing this, Xu Chuyao couldn’t help but laugh: “Then you’d better dream of something else, because the one in that position now is the guy surnamed Wen.”
In fact, no one really knew who this Wen was or how impressive he might be. They just figured, since Commander Xu said so, the guy must be someone big.
Everyone chatted and joked happily, while Shen Ning zoned out alone in the corner.
But she wasn’t just spacing out; there were still two versions of herself accompanying her, and they were having a very serious and important discussion.
“Just say a cat showed up in your bedroom, it can do backflips after the meeting, but only at night. That way, you can trick her into coming to your bedroom at night,” the Sexually Repressed Shadow suggested.
Shen Ning glanced at it silently, thinking, do you take Xu Chuyao for a fool?
“Hey, but you know, Yaoyao really can be silly sometimes, especially after a good smack—her brain goes blank and she turns mute.”
Broken Shadow shook its head: “Such a disgrace to culture.”
The Sexually Repressed Shadow’s constant talk of smacking and other nonsense was just too much for its worldview.
It’s not that Shen Ning didn’t believe the Sexually Repressed Shadow, but she had to ask: If you have to trick Xu Chuyao into the bedroom before you can do the deed, but she only gets silly enough to trick after the deed, then the question is—how do you smack her before you trick her, or trick her before you smack her?
“This… this is a problem of putting the cart before the horse,” the Sexually Repressed Shadow said stiffly, “Yaoyao once said this kind of problem can be solved with quantum effects…”
“Shen Ning, stop spacing out! I’m asking if you’re coming or not.”
The thunderous girl’s sweet voice interrupted the girls’ quantum mechanics debate.
Shen Ning was a little confused—coming where?
Broken Shadow explained: “She means there’s a concert tomorrow. The Mayor specially invited an idol band, and sincerely invited her to attend. She’s asking if you’ll go with her.”
“I’ll go!”
The girl quickly agreed.
“Of course you’re going. I was just letting you know. Don’t tell me you’d dare refuse me?” Xu Chuyao cutely made a little fist, “Tomorrow morning at nine, meet at the school gate.”
After saying that, she turned and floated away, telling the others “You’re dismissed.”
Watching the girl’s fluttering skirt, the Sexually Repressed Shadow stroked its chin.
“Let me teach you—when you’re watching the concert, there might be a chance for a little move. Look, the audience seats are all dark, no one will notice. And with Yaoyao’s status, she’ll definitely be sitting in the VIP section, no outsiders to disturb you.”
Broken Shadow asked, “What if you get caught on the big screen by the cameras?”
“It’s not an e-sports match. Why would a concert camera focus on the audience?”
Shen Ning didn’t take this advice.
Closing the door was a girl’s bottom line.
The concert was a plan the Mayor had made long ago, originally to ease the tension brought on by the city lockdown and to dispel the gloom after the Commerce Plaza tragedy.
No one expected the Clown Gang would be wiped out so quickly, but it made for a perfect celebration.
It’s worth mentioning that for the rest of today, the Academy sent people to join the interrogation remotely by video. The subject was the leader of the Clown Gang’s Center City branch, the one wearing the vulture mask. The detention location was the Security Department’s interrogation room, and at the same time, all the criminals previously held by the Academy were transferred there.
After all, you can’t really treat the school as a prison.
The person attending the video conference from the Academy was Xu Chuyao.
“Heh, you people are always so high and mighty. You never think about us low-level Spirit Power Users. The only way for us to achieve our ambitions is through the Supreme Society’s great ones. How could I possibly betray them?”
The Vulture was a rare tough nut, not only refusing to cooperate in the interrogation room, but even angrily ranting:
“The Society is the hope of all us low-level Spirit Power Users. When the grace of promotion arrives, all of you will be wiped out.”
Xu Chuyao was supposed to be just an observer, just like the people in the videos when she was the lead interrogator. But she couldn’t hold back when she heard this:
“Pfft, wait, you mean the Supreme Society has a way to help you all advance? Is he really that awesome?”
Everyone turned to look.
The Security Department officer in charge of the interrogation hesitated. Technically, he should have reminded this cute-looking girl to mind the interrogation process and not talk nonsense, but seeing that no one else said anything—not even Long Jun—he stayed silent.
If I speak up now, am I overstepping?
As the lead interrogator hesitated, the Vulture widened his eyes: “How dare you question us? The great ones would never lie to us!”
“So if he says it’s true, it’s true? Then I say it’s not, and that means it’s not.”
Xu Chuyao lazily held up two fingers: “Let’s make two assumptions. First, their so-called advancement method only works for First Rank and Second Rank Spirit Power Users. After you advance, the Clown Gang will be on equal footing with the Supreme Society. Do you think the great ones of the Supreme Society would really let you stand as equals with them?”
“He…”
The Vulture hesitated.
“Second assumption: the method works for everyone, and everyone gets promoted by one rank. But then, if everyone levels up, it’s the same as no one leveling up. Aren’t you still at the bottom of the Spirit Power User ladder?” Xu Chuyao blinked innocently, “Because after you wipe us out, only you guys are left.”
The Vulture was speechless.
Unfortunately, even though he later spilled everything he knew like beans from a bamboo tube, there was still no useful information.
They knew there was a Supreme Society, knew there were several “great ones”, but didn’t know any of their names—only that one of them had the title “Professor”. As for contact methods, it was all one-way; if the others didn’t contact him, he had no way to reach them.
Xu Chuyao didn’t care about all that. She just enjoyed the chance to roast people in the video conference, then left. Tomorrow, she was off to watch the concert with her girlfriend.
“How’s this outfit?”
The meeting time was nine in the morning, but Shen Ning got up at seven-thirty. It was still dark on a winter morning. After quickly washing up and eating breakfast, she stood in front of the mirror picking out clothes.
Even though she was the only one in the bedroom, the girl wasn’t talking to herself; she was asking her reflection in the mirror—or more precisely, the shadow that floated by from time to time.
Broken Shadow had wanted to say something poetic, like “the dew turns to frost on the withered grass,” but decided that was just too narcissistic and didn’t say it.
The Sexually Repressed Shadow, however, gave some practical advice: “I told you when you bought clothes, your chest isn’t big, so dresses don’t suit you. Outfits with clear separation between top and bottom and a bit of emphasis are best, or those evening dresses with some decoration at the chest.”
It wasn’t worth wearing an evening dress just to watch a concert, so Shen Ning chose the former: a dark, long-sleeved shirt, a short coffee-colored skirt, and black stockings.
That’s just how winter is—you can’t go without stockings. Any other socks, whether ankle or knee-high, would make it feel cold under the skirt.
“This’ll do. Let’s go.”
The timing was just right, because she knew Xu Chuyao always liked to arrive half an hour early, and today was no exception.
When the girl saw her girlfriend, she finally understood where the Sexually Repressed Shadow’s comment about “big-chested girls suit dresses” came from. Xu Chuyao was dressed in a white spaghetti-strap dress, showing off a dreamlike, proud figure, like someone who’d stepped out of a childhood magazine.
“Hey, how did you know I’d arrive early? You guessed right again. Let’s go then… hey?”
Xu Chuyao walked over and waved her little hand in front of Shen Ning’s eyes: “What are you daydreaming about? Pfft, let’s get going—”