The Drinking Party

Lin Yun was already quite used to Yuan's uninvited behavior.

Not to mention his previous act of coming to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau to beg without authorization, even when he challenged Larkspur to a duel, he would often suddenly appear while Larkspur was dealing with the Aberrant Beast.

In Yuan's own words, she had neither a cell phone nor any other means of contact. The best way to find the Larkspur was to stake out the Aberrant Beast. While that made sense, it still felt a bit strange.

No one finds it amusing to have enemies constantly appearing in front of them.

What brings you here?

Therefore, Lin Yun found it difficult to give him a friendly look, and could only maintain the most basic respect and politeness. "I don't think we're close enough to need to exchange holiday greetings."

Fortunately, Lin Xiaolu had just left the director's office, which gave him the time to pretend with her. But clearly, he didn't have much time left; his daughter wouldn't be back from the restroom for long.

He couldn't figure out the other person's intentions, but his mind was already racing, trying to figure out how to get rid of this person, and ideally, prevent them from coming into contact with Lin Xiaolu.

"Don't keep such a long face, it's the Lunar New Year."

However, Yuan clearly didn't care about Lin Yun's attitude. She simply walked in, casually sat down in the chair in front of the desk, and then placed the things she had been carrying on the desk. "Here, I brought you some gifts, consider it my New Year's greetings to your bureau."

"Gift?"

Lin Yun naturally didn't believe a word the other party said, but for safety reasons, he still glanced at the things Yuan had placed on the table.

--It was a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) labeled "Qingting River" and "20 years," among other things. Next to the liquor was a dark brown bag with a logo that read "Tasty Duck Necks," suggesting it was some kind of braised food.

Lin Yun naturally recognized both of these items.

The former is the best-selling local liquor in Fangting City, a frequent guest at banquets and parties, and Lin Yun himself has drunk quite a bit of it when entertaining clients; the latter is the name of a very popular braised snack shop near the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau. Lin Yun saw the shop on the street when he went to work in the morning, and it was still open for business even as the New Year approached, and it was thriving.

He recognized these two items, but it was somewhat puzzling that they appeared in the hands of a magical girl with "Claw Mark" and were referred to as "gifts."

"What does this mean?" So he asked directly.

"Literally, since it's a rare occasion to celebrate the New Year, I brought a bottle of wine and some snacks."

Yuan squinted and smiled, "Have a drink with me, Director Lin. This meal has cost me everything I have."

"... Why?" Lin Yun asked, puzzled.

"Why else? It's the New Year holiday, and I'm all alone in a foreign land. I need to find someone I know to talk to, right?"

As she spoke, Yuan reached for the neck of the liquor bottle and easily opened the seal with the side of her palm. "Do you have a cup?"

"Why are you looking for me?" Lin Yun remained unmoved.

"Because I don't know anyone else... All the workers on the construction site have gone home, and I still haven't gotten Cornflower's contact information."

Yuan tilted her head, seemingly troubled, and said, "After thinking it over, the only person I know who is usually there is you. Besides, Director Lin, you've been very kind to me before, so this bottle of wine is a token of my gratitude..."

"Where are your companions?" Lin Yun wasn't buying it at all.

"Companion? Ah, you mean Semi... that guy's Fairy."

Yuan looked at Lin Yun as if he were an idiot. "No one would go drinking with Fairy, would they? There's no atmosphere at all."

"I think under normal circumstances, wanted criminals wouldn't come to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau to ask people for drinks."

Lin Yun sighed, "Aren't you afraid I'll call someone to arrest you right now?"

"Before you can call for help, I can take you hostage first, Chief."

Yuan smiled and said, "I think someone as smart as you wouldn't do something pointless."

Lin Yun had no rebuttal.

No one in Fangting City knew Yuan's strength better than him. In their first encounter and subsequent sparring sessions, the combat skills she displayed were terrifying.

Putting aside the fact that he is currently an ordinary person, even if he were to transform into Larkspur, he probably wouldn't be able to defeat this carefree guy in a one-on-one fight.

"You specifically chose New Year's Eve to come to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, and even sneaked into the director's office without anyone noticing, just to have a drink with me?"

Even so, he still couldn't understand the other person's logic. "Can I take that as you really having nothing better to do?"

"Perhaps?"

With a wave of her hand, the ink-black liquid metal transformed into two grappling hooks. She pulled two teacups from the nearby tea cabinet, slammed them onto the desk, and then pushed one of them in front of Lin Yun: "Of course, if you're willing to chat with me a little longer, perhaps I have something else to tell you."

Lin Yun glanced at the teacup in front of him, her hand remaining still, and continued to ask, "Anything else?"

"Let's drink first, then we'll talk."

Yuan stood up, moved a little closer to Lin Yun, poured the liquor from the bottle into a teacup, and leaned forward amidst the strong aroma of alcohol. "If you're worried, you can test this bottle of liquor using any methods you can. Nothing has been added to it, it's just liquor."

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, although there was a table between them, she was practically half-lying on it, so her face was very close to Lin Yun's. Her slightly open collar seemed to reveal something that shouldn't be seen by others. Out of politeness, Lin Yun immediately turned his face away.

However, with just a fleeting glance, he noticed that Yuan seemed different from her disheveled appearance on previous occasions. Not only was her hair neatly combed, but her clothes also appeared to have been washed, changed, and repaired, making her look quite clean and refreshing.

Is this preparation for something?

Similar thoughts flashed through Lin Yun's mind. Without making a sound, he took the teacup, used his magic to briefly examine it, and only after confirming that nothing else had been added to it did he bring it to his lips.

He knew that whatever the secret was, it seemed that only by drinking this cup of wine could he uncover the truth.

"Then I'll drink it," he thought.

The wine entered his mouth, a faint burning sensation spreading through his tongue. After confirming once again that there was no off-flavor, Lin Yun swallowed it, then raised the glass and gestured towards Yuan.

Yuan smiled with some satisfaction.

She then sat up again, returned to her previous seat, and picked up her own teacup. "That's more like it. You're just a grown man having a drink, why all the fuss?"

As she said this, she brought the teacup to her lips, tilted her head back, and gulped down two mouthfuls as if drinking water. After a thud in her throat, she slammed the teacup down on the table with a loud "ha!"

"Excellent! Fine wine on this festive day, truly a wonderful thing!"

After saying that, she opened the bag of duck necks next to her and pushed it to the middle of the desk. "Come on, don't forget the snacks to go with the drinks!"

Only at this moment did Lin Yun begin to believe, with a sliver of faith, that the person before him had genuinely come looking for someone to drink with.

But after realizing this, his doubts deepened even further—could there really be such a reckless person among magical girls, especially among experienced veteran magical girls?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question was destined to be difficult to find from the scene before him, and he could only pretend to blend into this drinking party that was only for the two of them.

Just like when she first came to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, Yuan seemed completely unconcerned about the consequences of being drunk, constantly refilling her own glass and urging Lin Yun to drink as well.

Lin Yun didn't respond to her words. Instead, he used his years of experience in drinking to follow Yuan and sip his drink casually. He seemed to be frequently moving his glass, but in reality, very few drops went into his stomach, and quite a lot was even quietly spilled on the ground.

He could drink, but he dared not get drunk. Although even if he got completely drunk, he could immediately regain his senses as a magical girl, the impact of being drunk on his thinking and judgment was something he was extremely wary of.

In addition, he secretly sent a message to Lin Xiaolu on his phone, telling his daughter that someone was discussing official business with him in the director's office, and asking her to go for a walk around the area before coming back.

After several rounds of drinks, when the liquor that Dang Yuan had brought was almost gone and the bag of braised food was reduced to a pile of broken bones, she finally leaned back in her chair with a slight sense of satisfaction.

"Ah, bliss, bliss!"

Despite having been grabbing the braised food with her bare hands, Yuan's hands remained clean and white. She patted her stomach, let out a burp, and said slowly, "Indeed, this is how the New Year should be to truly feel special."

Are you satisfied now?

Lin Yun's face appeared flushed, as if she were slightly tipsy, but she remained vigilant. "So, what was that 'other thing' you mentioned earlier?"

"Hey, Director Lin, don't be in such a hurry."

It seemed she was indeed under the influence of alcohol, as Yuan's voice was several decibels louder. "Men who are too hasty are not popular with ladies, you know."

"I think I've been patient enough."

Pointing to the almost empty wine bottle in front of him, Lin Yun remained expressionless. "More than half an hour has passed since you came in asking for a drink. I think it's time for you to keep your promise, Miss Gladiolus."

As he said, half an hour had passed, and even though he had just sent a text message to temporarily stall Lin Xiaolu, this situation probably couldn't be maintained for much longer. If he let Yuan stay here like this, she might really stay until Lin Xiaolu came back.

As for the nickname "Gladiolus," there was obviously a calculation behind it. He deliberately called her by her code name when she was still serving in the Kingdom, in order to emphasize that he still hadn't accepted her as Claw Mark. After all, it was really hard to explain that the director of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau was drinking with a magical girl from Claw Mark.

Moreover, this code name was something Yuan herself revealed when they first met, as she was trying to conceal Claw Mark's identity in order to get away with it.

However, he did not expect that after he finished speaking, the kite in front of him fell into an inexplicable silence.

"Gladiolus..."

After a long pause, she murmured to herself, "It's been so long since I've heard that title from someone else, but for some reason, it feels like it was just yesterday."

"That's the code name you gave me yourself."

Lin Yun pointedly said, "Although I later found out that it was indeed a real code name, it was merely a former name."

"... Yes, it's already a former name."

Leaning back in her chair, Yuan nodded rather nonchalantly. "I'm no longer Gladiolus, the arbitrator of the Magic Kingdom, but Yuan, a cadre of Claw Mark."

"You seem unashamed to admit your betrayal of the Kingdom."

Lin Yun looked directly at her. "However, I don't see any awareness of being a villain in your behavior. Your actions are completely inconsistent with my understanding of the 'Claw Mark' organization."

"Yeah, you're right, I'm just a half-baked scoundrel."

Yuan smiled, "But, you mentioned your understanding of 'Claw Mark'... In your eyes, what exactly are we 'Claw Mark' like?"

"... a traitor who covets the power of magical girls, yet shirks the responsibilities that come with them, abandons the bonds with his colleagues, and chooses to side with the enemy."

After a brief pause, Lin Yun stated bluntly, "From any perspective, you shouldn't be considered a good group of people."

"Haha, you really show no mercy."

Yuan smiled and dismissed it, not at all like someone facing accusations. "I don't deny it, a half-baked villain is still a villain. You say I don't act like a bad person, but do you know? Whether intentionally or unintentionally, my hands are still stained with the blood of innocent people."

"I have no intention of investigating the truth or falsehood of your words, but I will tentatively maintain the prejudice that 'Claw Mark are always from evil people,' so I am suspicious of your behavior."

Lin Yun said expressionlessly, "Why did you do this? You've been staying at Fangting for almost two months. During that time, you've had plenty of opportunities to do evil. Since you're not a good person, why are you acting like an ordinary tourist?"

"Would you believe me if I said I really just wanted to come on vacation?"

Yuan blinked innocently, but seeing that Lin Yun didn't react, she immediately deflated. "Fine, this really doesn't make any sense. I give up."

"Since you're so eager to know the truth, I'll tell you."

She leaned on the table, her body reeking of alcohol, and swayed as she stood up. She then left her chair and staggered across the desk in front of her.

Before Lin Yun could react, she had already walked up behind Lin Yun.

Then, she placed her hands on the back of the chair, slowly lowered her head, and brought her mouth close to Lin Yun's ear.

"Let me tell you, the real reason I'm here tonight is actually..."

--"Who are you?"

Before Yuan could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a voice from the doorway.

Lin Yun and Yuan looked up together and saw that the door to the director's office had been opened, and Lin Xiaolu was standing there, staring blankly at the two figures.

She hesitated, seemingly lost in thought, before finally raising her hand, pointing at Lin Yun, and saying:

"Are you having an affair?"