Ground level.
Luo Zhizhou unlocked his phone; Yuying had sent another message.
“Mr. Luo, I don’t need your money anymore.”
Luo Zhizhou replied, “Why? Your father’s illness still needs more funds for treatment.”
“No need for you to worry about it, Mr. Luo. Thank you for your help. I’ll transfer the extra money back to you later.”
“Why?”
No response came from the other side.
Luo Zhizhou decided to go to the Old City District tomorrow to ask her about the situation in person.
“Hmm? Little Luo, did a girl call you?” Li Zhiqiang asked.
“Nothing much, just a friend.”
It was still the same food stall, but most shops in this Food Street had already closed; many people had chosen to leave Jing’an City because of all the troubles.
“Not many people today.”
“That’s because of some pranks and vandalism; everyone ran off. Plus, it’s made my family uneasy. My father even wants me to quit this job and leave Jing’an City,” Li Zhiqiang said with dissatisfaction.
“That can’t be helped. Maybe things will improve once those troublemakers are caught.”
“Little Luo, I’ve never understood why you ran in the opposite direction that day.”
“I must have been confused then. Luckily, I had my sister.”
“Your sister is that S-Class Magical Girl Luo Xi, right? I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t said so. Having such a sister is really great; unlike my family, it’s just me who’s doing well.”
“My parents rely on me. By the way, didn’t your sister scold you for running the wrong way? Didn’t she say you were reckless?”
“She did scold me… she even slapped me,” Luo Zhizhou recalled the moment and wanted to slap himself again.
“Are you and your sister not on good terms? Slapping you sounds a bit extreme.”
“It’s nothing. It was my fault. My sister’s reaction wasn’t unreasonable; I understand her.”
“So, what do you plan to do about your relationship with her?”
“Honestly, I don’t have to handle it. She’s planning to forgive me. She asked me to meet her in Jing’an City Park two hours from now, saying she wants me to spend some quality time with her.”
“Having such a good sister is truly a blessing.”
“You two should get along well from now on.”
“Definitely. I don’t want to disappoint her again.”
“Sigh, I don’t want to disappoint my parents anymore either. I’m seriously thinking about quitting this job. Damn it, you know what?”
“Someone from the neighboring department died during the recent attack—strangled to death. I saw the photos shared in the group chat; it was horrifying.”
“I definitely don’t want to stay in the Magic Control Bureau anymore. Little Luo, you better leave too. Staying there is a life-threatening risk.”
“That’s true. My sister’s worried about my safety too. She mentioned it during our call just now. I guess I have no choice but to quit as well. My direct supervisor is even—”
“That Director Malju? He was suddenly dismissed yesterday. Nobody knows why. We low-level employees don’t get any information. But I heard the new director isn’t ordinary.”
“How so?”
“They say he was transferred from Tianfu Province. Tianfu Province is basically the domain of the Saint Li Group.”
“This person must be their pawn, sent to control the Zhonghe Province Magic Administration Bureau. The internet’s buzzing about the Saint Li Group trying to control all Magic Administration Bureaus nationwide, controlling all Magical Girls. We can’t be careless.”
“You watch too many conspiracy theories.”
“Conspiracy theory? This is no joke. Those two Magical Girls from Tianfu Province, Lei Mang and Lan or something—they’re clearly spies.”
“They’re everywhere, gathering intel, and they’re very powerful. It’s hard not to suspect they’re planning something.”
“Keep your mouth shut or they might have someone deal with you.”
“Ha, let them try. I’m just a rotten life; what’s so great about living?”
Just then, Li Zhiqiang’s phone buzzed with a message alert.
“Oh, let me see, breaking news—”
Li Zhiqiang’s expression instantly turned to disbelief.
“No way, Tianlin is dead!?”
At this most critical moment, Tianlin was assassinated.
The killer blended into the crowd as she disembarked from the plane and shot her in the head. She died instantly.
The assailant, armed and resisting the police, was subsequently killed.
“Huh? Let me see that,” Luo Zhizhou took Li Zhiqiang’s phone.
“How is this possible? The murder weapon was a 9mm handgun!?”
This was beyond Luo Zhizhou’s understanding. For an S-Class Magical Girl, no firearm caliber could penetrate her magical shield. With even minimal caution, assassination by gun was virtually impossible.
“The culprit is a civilian, possibly connected to those thugs who attacked the Magic Control Bureau a few days ago. Maybe they incited the killer,” Li Zhiqiang analyzed.
“But this is absurd—a S-Class Magical Girl killed by a handgun…”
“Maybe the bullet bypassed the shield through some higher-dimensional space trickery. That’s what everyone online is speculating. As for higher dimensions and all that—I don’t quite believe in it.”
Luo Zhizhou felt a chill.
Fear gripped him.
Fear that his sister might suffer the same fate.
“Li Zhiqiang, I have to find my sister now. Goodbye.”
“Hey, wait! The bill isn’t paid yet…”
Luo Zhizhou got off the bus and arrived at the agreed meeting spot. He immediately called his sister.
He anxiously waited for her to pick up, glancing around. The place was deserted, which only made him more nervous.
Beep beep beep……
The call connected.
“Luo Xi! Are you okay?”
“Brother, I haven’t arrived yet. Why are you calling so early?”
“Did you see the news? Tianlin was assassinated!!”
The mood turned heavy.
“Ah? How could this happen… she had even promised to meet me before…”
“Luo Xi, your priority now is to protect yourself. Be alert for anyone suspicious around you!”
“I know, brother. You be careful too. I’m on my way to you now. I’ll hang up first. Take care!”
“You too.”
Luo Zhizhou put away his phone. He wanted to sit down but couldn’t calm his mind. Instead, he went to the riverside, hoping the distant scenery might ease his nerves.
The enemy’s ability to assassinate an S-Class Magical Girl was formidable and not to be underestimated. But why target the newcomer Tianlin in Zhonghe Province?
If anyone were to strike first, it should have been Luo Zhizhou himself. Yet during the earlier fight, Tianlang hadn’t tried to kill him—at least, not proactively.
Tianlang’s goal seemed to be to capture him alive. If they truly wanted him dead, the previous battle would have finished him off.
Luo Zhizhou couldn’t understand why Tianlin was attacked first.
There was only one possibility flashing through his mind—
It wasn’t Tianlang and her team.
Relying on this deduction, the next most likely target was—himself.
By the time he realized this, it was too late.
A gunshot startled the birds nearby.
Bang.
A bullet fired from the bushes struck Luo Zhizhou’s chest…
Then several more shots rang out. Bullets pinged off the railing and struck the ground around him.
From the small forest, several soldiers appeared, clashing with another group of similarly dressed soldiers hidden in the bushes. It was this group that was shooting at Luo Zhizhou.
Gunfire intensified, even the rattle of machine guns echoed…
A firefight erupted.
Despite the pain, Luo Zhizhou made a decision.
Summoning every ounce of strength, he vaulted over the railing and plunged into the river, avoiding being riddled with bullets.
However, having been hit in the lung, his life was already counting down.