Chapter 18: Exhibition

Donghai City, the largest city in Hua Country.

Located in the eastern part of Hua Country, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, it is an international metropolis that sees a large number of foreign tourists visiting daily.

In the bay, several large cargo ships slowly approached the port, loaded with goods from long overseas voyages.

Because multiple S-Class Magical Girls are stationed here at all times, and the city enjoys the highest level of security measures, it is one of the few major cities in Hua Country untouched by the Beast Disaster.

Its permanent population exceeds ten million.

Openness and inclusiveness are the main themes of this city.

Standing on its streets, you can constantly hear at least two foreign languages being spoken, especially this week, when a major International Exhibition is being held, with delegates from dozens of countries coming for exchanges.

If you are walking along Century Avenue in the CBD of Donghai City right now, you would see colorful national flags from various countries hanging along the roadside.

On the surrounding buildings’ LED screens, posters of Magical Girls from other countries are playing.

This is an international exchange exhibition about Magical Girls, aimed at showcasing magical equipment and facilitating communication between Magical Girls of different nations.

At this moment, Luo Xi was resting in a grand suite in the hotel district of Donghai Center Tower.

The room was decorated in an ancient architectural style. Upon entering, one could immediately feel the rustic elegance of the high-end furniture around.

A carved screen stood by the door, adding a layer of mystery when viewed from outside.

In the center of the room was an expensive Zitan table and chairs set. Hanging on the walls were scroll paintings depicting mountains and rivers. In one corner, there were several exquisite porcelain ornaments.

Luo Xi felt somewhat uncomfortable with this luxurious style of room. Coming from a rural area in Zhonghe Province, she had never experienced such lavish treatment.

The wooden floor gleamed with a polished shine, the pristine white walls were spotless, and the various tea utensils were fully equipped.

In the living room, there was even a Kaicheng fragrance table with an incense burner that had been lit with lavender incense at Luo Xi’s request.

The blue smoke curled gently through the small yet extraordinarily opulent grand suite.

Luo Xi sat on a chair by the glass wall, admiring the outside view.

Unlike Jing’an City where she usually stayed, the skyscrapers in Donghai City were taller and grander, rising above the noisy land and standing proudly among the clouds.

Being near the coast, she could see the vast East Sea here.

For someone who had lived inland, the ocean was a rather rare sight, and she longed for that boundless space where she could fly freely without restraint.

Having just arrived in Donghai by plane, Luo Xi was immediately surrounded by crowds. Many people were curious about her as a rising star among S-Class Magical Girls. 

***

After rejecting interviews from over a hundred media outlets, she finally broke through the crowd and arrived at Donghai Center Tower, the main venue of this exhibition.

The exhibition would officially start in half an hour, so for now, she had nothing to do but wait here.

Faintly from a few kilometers away, she could hear the singing from a Japanese Magical Girl concert at Donghai Stadium. They had come to Donghai for this exhibition, attracting many fans.

Indeed, Japan, the first country to coin the term Magical Girl, has turned it into a unique cultural export.

Recently, Hua Country has begun to imitate Japan’s Magical Girl idol model by launching domestic idols, which has brought in significant revenue. 

Luo Xi felt a complicated helplessness toward this trend, as after all, the true duty of a Magical Girl should be protecting the people against aberrant beasts, not just becoming idols for economic gain.

A knock sounded at the door. Luo Xi opened it.

Standing at the entrance was a formally dressed man with handsome features, wearing a golden triangular badge of the Saint Li Group on his chest.

“Hello, Miss Luo Xi. I’m the manager of Saint Li Group and the chief organizer of this International Exchange Exhibition. My full name is Lu Gaoyuan, but you can call me Mr. Lu,” the man said.

If Luo Zhizhou, Luo Xi’s brother, were here, he would recognize this man as the one who had quarreled with him two days ago on Seven-Six Da Street in Jing’an.

“Hello, Mr. Lu,” Luo Xi replied, noticing the exquisite Mini Gift Box in Lu Gaoyuan’s hands.

Lu Gaoyuan handed her the gift with both hands. “This is a small token of my personal regard. Please accept it, Miss Luo Xi.”

Luo Xi took the gift and invited him into the room.

“Thank you for your kindness.”

“Miss Luo Xi, we at Saint Li Group are honored that you are attending this exhibition. We hope to use this opportunity to introduce you to our services and unique advantages, and we look forward to cooperating with you in the future,” Lu Gaoyuan said, gesturing.

Saint Li Group is a conglomerate engaged in training Magical Girls, developing magical weapons and equipment for them, and providing other employment avenues related to Magical Girls. 

As far as Luo Xi knew, it was the only such company in all of Hua Country, monopolizing the Magical Girl market and maintaining deep cooperation with various Magic Control Bureaus and even the military.

Partnering with Saint Li Group would bring significant benefits to Magical Girls.

“Hmm, I will consider it,” Luo Xi said, somewhat hesitant about the offer.

Saint Li Group could provide many advantages, both financially and in enhancing her power, but signing a contract with them also meant losing some freedom and being bound by their terms.

“This is our preliminary cooperation contract.” Lu Gaoyuan took out a contract and handed it to Luo Xi.

Luo Xi examined the contract carefully and found it was not as strict as she had imagined — she could still maintain a considerable degree of freedom, receive a good salary, and only needed to test some new equipment for Saint Li Group. 

The contract did not conflict with her duties to the Magic Control Bureau, so it seemed all benefit and no harm.

“Please allow me some time to think it over,” Luo Xi said thoughtfully.

“We have enough time to wait for your reply,” Lu Gaoyuan glanced at his expensive diamond-studded watch and continued, “The exhibition is about to officially begin.”

“Miss Luo Xi, would you accompany me to start moving? You are one of the core guests of the exhibition, and I can introduce you to some of its content.”

Luo Xi had no reason to refuse.

“Then I’ll trouble you.”

The exhibition was held in the banquet hall on the first floor. As soon as she entered, a pink-haired girl dashed toward Luo Xi.

“Sister Luo Xi! I’ve missed you so much!” the pink-haired girl hugged Luo Xi tightly.

“Uh……Liu Jingjing?”

“Call me Tao Ying!” The girl named Tao Ying pouted in dissatisfaction.

“Alright, little Tao Tao, you’re here too.”

“My mission is to be stationed in Donghai City, so of course I have to be here!” Tao Ying noticed the man behind Luo Xi. “Hey, isn’t that Lu Brother?”

Brother!? Luo Xi didn’t understand the relationship between those two.

“When did you get yourself a brother?”

“Well, just a month ago. Lu Brother asked me to sign some contract, and I signed it. He also gave me lots of gifts and many fun things! So from then on, he’s been my dearest big brother!”

Luo Xi couldn’t help but admire Lu Gaoyuan’s business skills — he had so easily won over an S-Class Magical Girl.

Lu Gaoyuan, following behind, smiled and said, “Miss Luo Xi, don’t mind us. This is just a mutually agreeable cooperation.”

Tao Ying let go of Luo Xi and then took her hand, leading her further into the exhibition hall.

Luo Xi saw many Magical Girls from other countries here.

“Natasha! You’re stealing food again!”

“I’m just a little hungry… The food in this restaurant is so delicious! Karenna, you should try it too.”

Two Russian Magical Girls were chatting quietly in a small restaurant at the end of the corridor.

Luo Xi passed by them, and Tao Ying curiously observed the two foreign girls inside.

“Miss Luo Xi, these are Russia’s S-Class Magical Girls Natasha Vladimir and Karenna Petrova,” Lu Gaoyuan introduced to Luo Xi, greeting the two in Russian.

Natasha wore a cute Gothic-style skirt and looked about twelve years old. Karenna was much more mature, roughly Luo Xi’s age.

“Karenna, there’s a Hua Country person greeting us.”

Karenna seemed to recognize Lu Gaoyuan. “Paga Te6s Bugetb!” she said to him.

Tao Ying was curious about their conversation. “What are they saying? I don’t understand.”

“This is our Hua Country’s S-Class Magical Girl, Lan Feng, or rather Luo Xi. The younger one is Tao Ying,” Lu Gaoyuan explained to Natasha and Karenna.

“Hello!” Karenna smiled and waved at Luo Xi and Tao Ying.

“Miss Luo Xi, she’s welcoming you,” Lu Gaoyuan translated for Luo Xi.

“Hello!” Luo Xi responded in Chinese.

“Natasha is so cute! Almost as cute as me!” Tao Ying was enthusiastic and immediately moved closer to Natasha, wanting to hug her.

Natasha was shy and somewhat flustered by the sudden closeness from this strange foreign girl.

“Natasha, looks like you’ve made a Hua Country friend,” Karenna said, relieved to see Natasha interacting since Natasha had been very shy and friendless since childhood.

Karenna glanced at Luo Xi with some curiosity. They were the same age and probably easier to get along with.

However, due to language barriers, they didn’t talk much. After a few minutes of exchange, they waved goodbye.

“Miss Luo Xi, this area exhibits our group’s products. Please take a look,” Lu Gaoyuan led Luo Xi to an exhibition zone filled with reporters interviewing the managers and eagerly reporting on Saint Li Group’s new products.

Most eye-catching was a skirt-style combat uniform displayed in the center of the hall, specially designed for Magical Girls. 

According to the person in charge, this uniform could effectively enhance Magical Girls’ magic utilization rate and protect them with special measures during crises, though the “special measures” were not elaborated upon.

Of course, most reporters cared more about the combat uniform’s appearance and sexiness, since the design was somewhat revealing—whether intentional or not.

“Mr. Lu, this uniform…” Luo Xi began.

“Oh, this is our group’s newly launched Nanometer Uniform, which is more functional than the self-generated uniforms Magical Girls usually wear.”

“It has built-in nanotechnology that adapts to various spells and changes to achieve optimal performance; it also contains a microchip that monitors combat status and health, preventing communication loss during battle.”

“Moreover, it has an emergency escape function that reduces casualties among Magical Girls. As for the special function, that is Saint Li Group’s secret…” Lu Gaoyuan rattled on endlessly, making Luo Xi’s ears almost blister.

“Wow! Is it really that amazing? Lu Brother, I want to wear it too!” Tao Ying was amazed by the introduction and eager to try on the combat uniform.

“Sorry, little Tao Ying, this uniform is only a prototype now; the real one is still in testing.”

“Eh, that’s no fun.” Tao Ying ran off on her own.

Tao Ying wandered around the exhibition, looking for interesting things, but because the crowd was too dense, she accidentally bumped into a big sister.

“Big sister, sorry…” Tao Ying touched her head—she had just bumped her head on this big sister’s… chest.

Tao Ying blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“It’s okay, little one. What’s your name?” The golden wavy-haired girl said. She didn’t look like she was from Hua Country, but spoke fluent Chinese.

“My name’s Tao Ying, Tao as in ‘peach’, Ying as in ‘cherry’.”

“That’s an interesting name. My code name is Golden Eagle, but I prefer people to call me Elsa Belladonna. As you can see, I’m from the United States of America,” Elsa smiled at her, her smile somehow having a magical charm that deeply attracted Tao Ying.

“Ah, Big Sister Elsa, your Chinese is so fluent!”

“Hehe, that’s because I love this country, so I learned Chinese.” Elsa reached out to pat Tao Ying’s head.

At this moment, Luo Xi followed over and overheard their conversation.

“Oh wow, this is Miss Elsa, daughter of the current President of the United States of America and also an S-Class Magical Girl.”

“Being able to invite you to this exhibition is a blessing I could never repay in eight lifetimes,” Lu Gaoyuan’s nagging voice appeared again, and Luo Xi was starting to find it annoying.

“Uh, who are you?” Elsa looked curious at the sudden appearance of Lu Gaoyuan.

“I’m Lu Gaoyuan, manager of the Eastern Division’s Human Resources Department at Saint Li Group, and the chief organizer of this exhibition. Miss Elsa, this is Hua Country’s S-Class Magical Girl Lan Feng,” Lu Gaoyuan introduced the two.

“Just call me Luo Xi, Miss Elsa, pleased to meet you.” Luo Xi said. She didn’t expect to meet such a national figure today, but she wasn’t particularly nervous, perhaps because Elsa was so approachable.

“You’re the organizer of this exhibition? That surprises me. I expected organizers to be more ‘serious’,” Elsa teased Lu Gaoyuan.

Lu Gaoyuan sensed the sarcasm in Elsa’s tone and quickly changed the subject.

“Miss Elsa, how do you feel about this exhibition? Saint Li Group has invested heavily, inviting top Magical Girls from many countries and displaying many of the latest products.”

“This exhibition has helped me make many friends. What surprised me most was Hua Country’s rapid development. In just a few years, it has prospered far beyond my home country, the United States,” Elsa said. 

In recent years, Hua Country’s development momentum has been strong, and since the Beast Disaster subsided, its international status has risen rapidly, surpassing the sunset West America.

“And Miss Luo Xi, you’re the newly promoted S-Class Magical Girl? I hadn’t seen you before.”

“Yes, I became S-Class two years ago,” Luo Xi answered.

“Big Sister Elsa! I’m S-Class too!” Tao Ying shouted.

“Oh? At such a young age, becoming S-Class—you have great potential.”

“Of course, I’m amazing!” Tao Ying put her hands on her hips proudly.

Elsa looked puzzled. “Mr. Lu, where are my old friends? Why haven’t I seen them here?”

“Well, there have been some small-scale Extradimensional Beast incidents around Shenzhou recently, so they went to handle those,” Lu Gaoyuan replied, having received several beast attack reports this morning.

At this moment, several people in military uniforms entered and whispered something into Luo Xi’s ear.

Her expression immediately changed.

“Miss Luo Xi, what’s going on?” Elsa asked.

“I have to leave, there’s a Large Extradimensional Beast in my province.”

“This… Miss Luo Xi, you have to leave now? The next phase of the exhibition hasn’t started yet…” Lu Gaoyuan said incredulously.

“Yes, duty comes first.”

“Sister Luo Xi… are you leaving me again?” Tao Ying’s eyes welled up.

Seeing Tao Ying’s pitiful look, Luo Xi felt reluctant but could only announce her departure.

“Taking responsibility is the virtue of a Magical Girl. Miss Luo Xi, I believe in you,” Elsa gave her a signature smile.

“Thank you for your compliment, Miss Elsa. I’ll be going now.” Luo Xi said, bidding farewell to everyone before boarding her return flight.