Corridor Race

(Ceruno)

The narrow, secret corridor felt somewhat oppressive, but the decor was anything but shabby, revealing Dantai Xue's nouveau riche mentality. Not only was the floor covered with expensive wool carpets, but the walls outside the glass were also covered with turmeric-colored tiles, resembling the style of a museum.

Top of the head.

The artistic wrought iron chandeliers run from one end to the other, using dim, warm light bulbs. This allows for better observation of the people and events inside the private rooms without being easily noticed...

Honestly, isn't this a crime?

I drew my wand, and the bubbles I blew from its tip quickly spread throughout the corridor. Because I wasn't aiming for protection, the Bubble Membrane, which was as thin as possible, was almost invisible, but it was enough to block out external sounds.

"Okay, you can talk now."

Dantai Xue hesitated for a moment, then gently clapped her hands in front of the glass, trying to test the reaction of the guests in the private room with a faint voice. Only after confirming that they couldn't hear her did she boldly speak.

"Phew, your magic is quite useful in times like this! Why don't you come here every day? With perfect soundproofing, I can move around more freely."

"What are you talking about? My magic isn't for spying."

... and so on, perhaps that's not impossible either.

Referring to Miluno's plan to infiltrate "the Other Side" to investigate, I might also be able to sneak into the Dantai Society investigate this matter. However, I would need to have a new Ghost Combat Suit custom-made by Aunt Hefi. On the one hand, it needs to be tailor-made to my body shape, and on the other hand, the Energy Crystal Miluno used is too large. Even if I emptied everything out of the Crystal, my Crystal capacity wouldn't be enough to hold it...

Just as some thoughts were forming in my mind, Xiaoling's sigh interrupted my reverie.

"Wow, don't these two people find it disgusting?"

Following her gaze, I looked up and saw the guests, whom Dantai Xue had transformed into "magical girls," nestled in the soft sofa of the private room... feeding each other cream cakes.

If I remember correctly, the guests in this private room were two middle-aged men.

"How can you call this disgusting?"

Dantai Xue, however, had a different opinion:

"They haven't done anything shameful. Two lovely girls are snuggling together, sharing an exquisite strawberry cake. Doesn't it feel like a magical girl scene? Such a noble and pure lily can bloom on a man's corrupt soul. This is supreme... no, this is simply bliss!"

There's a pervert!

Dantai Xue is not someone you can associate with.

Xiaoling rubbed the goosebumps on her arms and quietly took a few steps back. She couldn't agree with Dantai Xue's unusual XP at all.

Dantai Xue, however, didn't seem to care and asked, "Speaking of which, we haven't had lunch yet. Is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll have the kitchen prepare it and bring it over."

"Just make some simple fried rice or braised noodles. The most important thing right now is to find our informant in the Dantai Society."

"Okay! Let's have the staff meal then!"

Xiaoling asked, "What are the staff meals?"

This name is a bit vague. Could it be some kind of boxed lunch?

Do the foreign chefs in the kitchen still prepare boxed lunches for the staff?

"Simply put, it's the leftover scraps from cooking for customers. The taste is guaranteed, but the contents might be a bit unclear, and we can't be sure what's in them."

Food blind boxes, huh?

This seemed quite interesting, and Xiaoling and I didn't object, so Dantai Xue used the walkie-talkie to order three mysterious staff meals.

"It might take a while, since there haven't been many customers ordering yet."

"It's alright, Snow Sis. Do you have any leads on the possible informants within the Dantai Society?"

When I asked her that, she rested her chin on her hand and thought about it seriously for a while.

"Hmm... it's hard to say... you heard what my father said, right? The Dantai Society Association hasn't been doing well these past few years, and many people have left to find other ways to make a living. Now, those who remain are all my father's confidants. You said that insider wanted my father to live, so everyone who's left is a suspect."

That makes sense, but the most suspicious person is still...

"By the way, what is that Grandpa Gong's identity? I saw him taking care of your father's daily life, but your father's attitude towards him doesn't seem like that of a servant."

I tried to approach it from the sidelines.

In the end, apart from Dantai Zhengchu and Dantai Xue, the only other person I've ever met in the Dantai Society is that old man.

"Ceruno, are you still doubting Master Gong?"

Having seen through my scheme, Dantai Xue sighed rather helplessly.

"Don't worry, he's absolutely trustworthy. Besides, he's retired and only comes back to visit occasionally. Back when my grandfather was in charge of the Dantai Family, he came to our house as a farmhand. He even watched my father and me grow up... Oh, back then the Dantai Family wasn't involved in the underworld; they were just wealthy farmers."

The Dantai Society was attacked by Monster twelve years ago, and its members, who harbor deep hatred for "the Other Side," would never agree with Old Man's ideal of achieving their goal through indirect means. However, some older people have a clearer perspective and are more rational in their thinking. Perhaps Grandpa Gong is one of those who agree with Old Man's ideals?

Keeping this question to myself, I asked again:

"What do the other members of the Dantai Society do all day? I don't see your father, the chairman, with anyone else around him. Is he just a lone commander?"

"That's why I told you not to apply movie and TV shows to real life!"

While fiddling with her phone, Dantai Xue explained:

"If you compare a gang to a company, then my dad is the boss, and the gang members are the salespeople. If the salespeople are always around the boss, then this company definitely won't last, right?"

That's absolutely true.

Following her analogy, I asked:

"What kind of business do your salespeople do? Do they collect protection money at the farmers' market? Or extort money from elementary school students outside the school gate?"

This is roughly what the underworld means by "business"... right?

Dantai Xue, however, put her hands on her hips in dissatisfaction.

"Looking down on people? That's your impression of petty thugs! How much profit can vegetable vendors and elementary school kids make? Listen carefully, even when gangsters collect protection money, they only target places that aren't exactly clean, like nightclubs, arcades, and other dirty establishments. Otherwise, how would they get leverage over the other party to make them hand over the money willingly?"

"Tsk, double-crossing me?"

"But that's all in the Past. Ever since magical girls started working part-time as city cleaners, the path of making money through violence, intimidation, and threats has become unworkable. Now everyone is developing gray industries, running children's training institutions, selling health products for the elderly, or selling porn online... cough, now the world's underworld doesn't dare to set foot in the black market. Even a lawless place like the 'Gan Triangle' has become much safer."

Xiaoling laughed and said, "Ha, isn't that a good thing!"

But Dantai Xue shook her head.

"You're wrong. Crime is also part of human nature. As long as human society exists, crime will not disappear. If the light of righteousness shines too brightly, crime will only hide deeper and deeper... until the day it erupts."

He lectured us while showing us his phone.

This is international news.

Mexico drug lords attacked the local police station...

In the form of a magical girl.

The hidden flower of evil has bloomed, and the trigger point is the Contaminated Crystal.