What, You Want Me to Recruit Team Members

The corner of Siwei Yan's mouth twitched slightly.

For some reason, every time he heard his captain use that stern, upright face to say things like "it won't take much of your time," his brain would uncontrollably conjure up a bizarre image of the captain foaming at the mouth and collapsing to the ground the very next second.

Sin, what a sin... He shook his head quickly, forcefully shaking this disrespectful "stereotype" out of his mind.

In all fairness, having spent these years together, Siwei Yan respected Captain Kensei Muguruma from the bottom of his heart.

This captain always carried the air of an old-school hero from a bygone era, a big brother figure who took meticulous care of every member in the division.

Even when faced with a slacker and slippery character like him, Captain Kensei would, at most, scold him with a straight face; he had never truly punished him.

Siwei Yan put on a well-behaved smile and walked quickly to stand before Kensei:

"Captain, what exactly do you need me for? If it's Lieutenant Kyunnan Shiro asking you to urge me to update again..."

He spread his hands, his expression conveying "I can't do it":

"You know how it is, I have to eat, and that book Hell Girl really has no readers. The stats are buried in the abyss; if I keep writing it, I won't even be able to afford 'White Burn' anymore."

Hearing the words "Lieutenant," the originally stern face of Kensei Muguruma flashed a hint of helplessness.

He shook his head slightly and said softly, "It's not entirely about that, but... it does have something to do with her."

He looked up again, his gaze returning to its usual seriousness:

"You know that tomorrow is the day the Central Spirit Arts Academy graduates choose their divisions. By custom, I should have gone there personally..."

He paused, thought for a moment, and then said it anyway:

"It's just that Lieutenant Kyunnan Shiro decided at the last minute that she wants to go for an outing in the West Rukon District tomorrow, and she specifically requested my company."

"Oh--!" Siwei Yan understood instantly.

He deliberately drew out his tone, squinted his eyes into two slits, and stared at his captain with a meaningful look, saying nothing more.

Good grief! So in your heart, going on an outing with the lieutenant is more important than bringing fresh blood into the division, right?!

Although Lieutenant Kyunnan Shiro was indeed a genius who had reached her position within two years of graduation, who could say how much of your personal feelings as Captain Kensei were mixed into that?

Besides, even if Lieutenant Shiro really wanted to go on an outing, didn't the division have a Third Seat and a Fourth Seat?

No matter how you looked at it, it shouldn't fall to a lowly Fifth Seat like him to represent the Ninth Division for recruitment!

And... Captain Hirako of the Fifth Division had just "warned" him earlier not to go to the academy. If they ran into each other tomorrow, how awkward would that be?

Of course, Siwei Yan didn't dare let a single word of these rebellious complaints slip out; he simply condensed all his protest and disdain into those two squinted eyes and his subtle expression.

Kensei Muguruma remained calm, seemingly long accustomed to this silent accusation from Siwei Yan.

He changed the subject and threw out an option:

"If you don't want to go to the academy, that's fine. There happens to be a lot of division work piled up in the barracks that needs to be handled..."

He pointed to a corner of the barracks, to the document room where a faint light still shone even in the dead of night, his tone flat:

"Go complete the handover with the Third Seat now. Starting tomorrow, you will be fully responsible for it."

Siwei Yan's face changed drastically. He quickly put on his brightest smile and patted his chest with a loud thud:

"Don't do that, Captain! That Third Seat is a dull stick who can't even squeeze out a fart; can he recruit anyone for us? Such a heavy responsibility concerning the future of the division should be left to me! I guarantee I will find a way to trick... ah, no, recruit a few geniuses back!"

Division work? That's a mountain of documents three stories high every single day!

Even without reading the content, just stamping them would ruin my hands!

Compared to that, facing the death stare of Captain Hirako is nothing!

"Geniuses aren't necessary." Kensei Muguruma glanced at him sideways, the disdain in his eyes couldn't have been more obvious.

"If a few more 'geniuses' like Kyunnan Shiro and you come along, our Ninth Division won't be far from disbanding."

Siwei Yan was already used to this look. He quickly turned around, laughing it off as he hurried toward his room:

"Then it's settled, Captain! Tomorrow's recruitment is on me!"

He moved with wind at his heels, quickening his pace to leave; it was better to get back to his room and sleep early to avoid any more "accidents."

"Bang!"

Siwei Yan slammed the door shut and finally let out a sigh of relief.

Muttering "finally fooled him," he reached out to untie the sash of his Shinigami uniform.

As his gaze swept across the room, his movements suddenly froze.

In an instant, he straightened up, his left hand patting the dust off his clothes as if nothing were wrong, while his right hand silently reached for the hilt of the Zanpakuto at his waist.

His body turned bit by bit, facing the dimmest shadow in the corner of the room, while his feet moved lightly, cautiously retreating toward the door.

"Clang--!"

The next second, he drew his blade with a fierce strike!

The bright edge of the sword traced a cold arc in the dim room, pointing straight at the corner!

"Who is it?! You have some nerve, daring to break into the Ninth Division barracks at night!" Siwei Yan's voice was icy.

"Captain Kensei is right there in the courtyard. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

He paused, feeling his back press firmly against the door panel. With a slight sense of security, he used his heel to quietly nudge the door, attempting to pry it open.

"Come out now, and I can still talk to you reasonably. If you actually alert Captain Kensei, you'll be stuck eating free prison slop in the cells out back for a few days!"

"Click."

The door was pushed open slightly, and a sliver of bright moonlight spilled through the gap, illuminating that shadowy corner.

In the corner, the silhouette of a furry, pitch-black creature was clearly outlined by the moonlight.

"Meow~?"

A small, jet-black cat sat there, tilting its head and looking over innocently with a pair of brilliant, golden slit pupils.

It even raised a front paw, extended a tiny, pink tongue, and began to lick it in a leisurely manner, looking incredibly adorable.

Seeing this, Siwei Yan seemed to let out a sigh of relief. He slowly sheathed his Zanpakuto, a relaxed smile appearing on his face:

"What the hell, it's just a stray kitten that got lost..."

However, instead of closing the door, he threw it wide open with a loud "clatter"!

Immediately after, he whipped his head around and shouted toward the courtyard:

"Lieutenant Mashiro! Come look! There's a super cute little black cat in my room!!!"

Damn it! That's no cat! That's a massive disaster!

How did the Shihoin Clan's "Lady Yoruichi" end up here?!

But as the saying goes, where there is a venomous snake, there is an antidote within seven steps!

The black cat, currently licking its paw, froze instantly. A flash of confusion crossed its golden slit pupils, immediately replaced by sheer terror!

"Meow-ooo!!!"

It let out a shrill scream, its four paws pushing off with explosive force as it turned into a streak of black lightning, darting out from the corner of the room.

That fluid, powerful black figure was as beautiful as a phantom under the bathing moonlight.

However, just as it was about to leap into the air to jump over the outer wall—

A petite figure appeared out of thin air with even greater speed, grabbing it mid-air and pulling it tightly into her arms.

"Yay! You're so cute! Where did you come from, little baby? Are you lost? Let big sister give you a hug~"

Lieutenant Mashiro had appeared out of nowhere.

She was still wearing her loose Shinigami uniform, her hands pinning the struggling black cat firmly against her chest. She rubbed her cheek vigorously against the cat's head, completely ignoring its desperate "meow-meow" protests.

The black cat was terrified, kicking its limbs wildly and twisting its body in a desperate attempt to break free. It cast a pleading look toward Siwei Yan, letting out a miserable howl: "Meow—!"

Siwei Yan! You bastard!!

"Oh my, is the little kitty hungry? Don't be scared, don't be scared, big sister has lots of yummy snacks in her room~"

Mashiro paid no mind to the cat's life-or-death resistance, happily hugging it as she turned and walked toward her own room.

After two steps, she seemed to remember something, turning back to give Siwei Yan a dazzling smile:

"Little Siwei! When I get back from my outing tomorrow, remember to update two chapters of Hell Girl! Otherwise... hehe!"

"Yes! Mission guaranteed! Have a safe trip, Lieutenant!" Siwei Yan stood at attention instantly, straightening his back and giving a perfect, standard salute as he watched Lieutenant Mashiro "kidnap" the constantly wailing black cat back to her room.

Not until that door clicked shut did Siwei Yan finally relax, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh.

He pressed his palms together and bowed haphazardly toward the direction of Mashiro's room, muttering under his breath:

"Namu Atian... may the gates protect you."

As far as he knew, no animal "cherished" by Lieutenant Mashiro had ever walked out of her room "unscathed."

Even if the victim was the renowned "Flash God of the future," Yoruichi Shihōin, she would likely not escape this fate!

Siwei Yan scurried back into his room, slammed the door shut with a "bang," and, still feeling uneasy, laboriously pushed his heavy wardrobe over to wedge it firmly against the door.

Only after doing all this did he finally lie down on his bed, feeling at ease.

On the verge of drifting into sleep, he vaguely heard the sounds of humiliating and desperate cat screams coming from the distant room.

The sound was so beautiful, so conducive to sleep.

Siwei Yan turned over, a peaceful smile on his lips, and drifted into an even deeper slumber.