A new recruit had arrived at the Logistics Department of the Central Magic Administration Bureau of Zhonghe Province.
The Logistics Department was located on the fortieth floor of the headquarters building.
Generally, the lower the floor, the less important the department, so within the Magic Control Bureau, the Logistics Department was considered a minor division.
Luo Zhizhou changed into his blue work uniform and carried a large box of items into the office.
Ma Xinyin had specially allowed him to first go home and bring his personal belongings to headquarters.
When Luo Zhizhou returned home, he told his father that he had found a steady job with a monthly income of over ten thousand. His father was skeptical but said nothing.
As soon as he entered, he bumped into the girl with striking eyes he had met yesterday. She looked at him as if she had seen a ghost.
“Hello, miss. Did I run into you a few days ago? Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Luo Zhizhou. I just got transferred to the Logistics Department today.”
“May I ask your name? We’ll be colleagues from now on.” Luo Zhizhou flashed what he thought was a charming smile.
“I… I’m Yu Feiyu. I have to go now.” Yu Feiyu hurriedly ran off.
At this moment, Luo Zhizhou was probably indulging in his own fantasy about his charm.
He approached his desk, which was in complete disarray—piles of documents everywhere. It looked like his coworkers treated this spot as a storage area.
“Hey, you must be the new guy, right?” a chubby employee next to him asked.
“Yes.”
“Your name is… Luo Zhizhou, right?” The man glanced at his phone, probably checking the personnel transfer list.
“Oh, this desk is yours. Sorry about the mess—these people are so lazy, they dumped all their stuff here. I’ll have someone clean it up later. I’m Li Zhiqiang. We’re colleagues from now on.”
“Thanks. By the way, that girl just now—Yu Feiyu—where does she sit?”
“Yu Feiyu? Isn’t she right next to you? There, that spot.” Li Zhiqiang pointed to the desk beside Luo Zhizhou.
Luo Zhizhou observed her workspace. Everything was neatly arranged, with a small flower pot as decoration.
Not bad. Luo Zhizhou liked this kind of quiet type.
“Don’t tell me you’re interested in her?” Li Zhiqiang suddenly lit up with curiosity. He was the kind of guy who loved gossip.
“Hey, hey, keep your voice down! It won’t be good if others hear.” Luo Zhizhou warned.
“Senior, got any tips?”
“Simple. Quiet girls like her are especially sensitive to flirting. If you just casually strike up a conversation, she won’t be able to resist. So, how to win her heart?”
“You’ve got to take it step by step. First, spend time together normally, let her get to know you bit by bit, and at the same time, give her small favors or care. But remember, never reveal your true intentions—that would ruin everything. Then…”
“Hey, hey, hey!” A male voice cut through half the office.
“What’s going on over there during work hours?” A tall man approached. He wore a different uniform than Luo Zhizhou and the others, with an ID badge on his chest.
Luo Zhizhou’s sharp eyes read the title: Head of the Logistics Department, Lin Shen.
“Minister, we’re just discussing the new guy’s desk situation. Look, there are tons of miscellaneous materials piled up there.” Li Zhiqiang responded quickly.
“So, you must be Luo Zhizhou?” Lin Shen said as he walked over to Luo Zhizhou’s desk and saw the mountain of papers.
“Hey, you lazy fatso, come clear this trash up.”
“Those aren’t mine…”
“I said they’re yours, lazy pig! Move this stuff now.” Lin Shen scolded, and Li Zhiqiang, fearing him, obeyed immediately.
“Now, let’s talk about you—” Lin Shen, clearly prepared, took out Luo Zhizhou’s ID card and handed it to him.
“28 years old. Lucky to have gotten a permanent position here. Our staff tends to get younger and younger; older ones usually get overlooked.”
“If you want to be promoted, forget it—I’m putting an end to that hope right now.”
“Thanks for the advice, Minister. I don’t have lofty goals anyway. Just looking to earn a living.”
“Alright then. You can start work tomorrow. Today, just get familiar with the operations.” Lin Shen said a few words and then walked away, looking busy.
Seeing Li Zhiqiang wheezing while moving the files, Luo Zhizhou felt sorry for him and decided to help.
“Thank you, young man,” Li Zhiqiang said.
“Are you older than me?” Luo Zhizhou wondered why he was called “young man.”
“I’m almost forty. I’m old now, can’t lose the fat, can’t do physical labor anymore.” Li Zhiqiang said.
But Luo Zhizhou couldn’t tell he was nearly forty; he always thought he was barely in his twenties, probably because his chubby figure made him look younger.
“I really wouldn’t have guessed you’re nearly forty. Maybe if you lost some weight, you’d look even younger.” Luo Zhizhou said as he lifted a big pile of documents.
“No choice. Everything’s tiring now, even walking is a struggle. I regret not controlling myself when I was young. Once you get fat as you age, there’s no turning back.”
Together, they cleared Luo Zhizhou’s desk. Luo Zhizhou didn’t find it hard, but Li Zhiqiang was already out of breath.
“Luo, have you been in the military? You look strong, lifting stuff like it’s nothing.”
“About eight years, I guess. Thinking back, I was lucky to survive. I kept training my body the whole time I was enlisted.” Luo Zhizhou replied.
“That’s strange. If you served eight years and then retired, why didn’t you get yourself a Magical Girl wife?” Li Zhiqiang was puzzled.
“Back then, ten years ago, the international agreement on Magical Girls’ marriage restrictions probably wasn’t in place yet…”
“I remember retired Magical Girls were matched with retired soldiers—it benefited both parties. But I gave up at the time because I already had someone I loved.”
“Thinking about it now, it was naive. The one I loved had long died. Now, I regret not marrying sooner.” Luo Zhizhou said.
Actually, he had another reason he couldn’t share—the scandalous fact that the true form of an S-Class Magical Girl was male.
“You’re really confused. What’s the point of serving in the military if not for money and a wife? If I served for a few years, I wouldn’t be stuck here, but my body just doesn’t qualify.”
“Well, serving taught me a lot, at least I have the honor of defending my home—even if it’s not much.” Luo Zhizhou sighed helplessly.
Luo Zhizhou fiddled with his desk for a while, during which Li Zhiqiang taught him many work-related things. Luo Zhizhou thought he was a decent guy.
After a full day, dusk fell, and it was finally time to get off work. The two decided to grab dinner together.
“Are you new to Dong’an City? Want me to take you to try some local specialties?” Li Zhiqiang asked. He was a native of Dong’an.
“I’ve stayed here before but never really had a chance to explore. Honestly, I don’t know much about this city. I’ll leave it to you, Brother Li.” Luo Zhizhou replied.
Stepping out of the Magic Control Bureau building, Luo Zhizhou noticed a familiar young girl standing by the roadside, seemingly waiting for someone.
When the girl turned around, Luo Zhizhou was surprised to see it was Bai Lingluo, the girl he had met a few days ago.
“That’s Bai Lingluo. She’s pretty strong—one of Zhonghe Province’s top A-class Magical Girls, second only to the S-Class Magical Girl Luo Xizhi.”
“But I heard a new S-Class named Porcelain Moon recently made a comeback…” Li Zhiqiang was explaining, but halfway through, Bai Lingluo was already walking toward them.
“Hey, why is she heading this way?”
Luo Zhizhou knew he must have been recognized.
“Mr. Luo Zhizhou… what are you doing here?” Bai Lingluo asked.
“Ah? You know her?” Li Zhiqiang looked at Luo Zhizhou in surprise.
Luo Zhizhou brainstormed for five seconds and said, “Well, I recently got a permanent position at the Magic Control Bureau. Since I was in the military, it was easier to get this job.”
Looking at the two of them, seeing their lingering doubts, he added, “Miss Bai Lingluo, we only met briefly before. It’s really lucky to see you again.”
“Um… Mr. Luo, do you have some time to come with me?” Bai Lingluo seemed rather downcast.
Li Zhiqiang gave Luo Zhizhou a meaningful look.
Luo Zhizhou had no choice but to say, “Alright, Miss Bai Lingluo. What’s troubling you?”
Bai Lingluo grabbed Luo Zhizhou’s hand, pulling him along.
Li Zhiqiang was dumbfounded.
“Can you come with me to the National Cemetery?” Bai Lingluo’s voice was trembling with tears.
“Sure, I don’t have anything urgent.” Luo Zhizhou agreed.
Li Zhiqiang watched as the two boarded the bus and thought to himself that a couple was being made.
But for Luo Zhizhou, things were far from simple.
The bus stopped again in front of the National Cemetery.
All along the way, Bai Lingluo held Luo Zhizhou’s arm silently.
Getting off the bus, Bai Lingluo led Luo Zhizhou to Bai Lingyi’s grave.
“Did your companion die during that mission?”
Luo Zhizhou’s question pierced Bai Lingluo’s emotional defenses, and she began to cry softly.
He patted her shoulder comfortingly. “It’s alright, it’s alright. If you want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.”
Between sobs, Bai Lingluo managed, “Thank you, Mr. Luo Zhizhou…”
But she said no more and just wept.
Luo Zhizhou was at a loss. He looked at Bai Lingyi’s tombstone. In the reflection of the marble, he seemed to see Bai Lingyi’s lonely figure.
At that moment, Fate Rain began to fall again.
“Here we go again—facing this unbearable past once more.”
After Bai Lingluo finished crying and calmed down, Luo Zhizhou stood by Bai Lingyi’s tombstone and said, “Let me tell you the story of me and her.”