Vol 2 Chapter 39 Begging
Around noon that sa day, in the Director’s Office of the Counterasure Bureau, Lin Yun was dealing with a rather troubleso guest.
A woman in a filthy, ragged robe was sitting in front of his desk, holding a takeout al box and shoveling food into her mouth like she hadn't eaten in days.
“Ahh, that hits the spot.”
Mouth still full, she mumbled, “Haven’t eaten this well in days. Feels amazing!”
“I sincerely hope this is the last ti.”
Behind the desk, Lin Yun rubbed his temples with a pained expression. “The Counterasure Bureau is neither a restaurant nor a relief shelter. Please leave as soon as you finish your al.”
“Ugh… mm! It’s not like I want to be here either!”
After swallowing, Yuan tapped her chopsticks against the box. “But I’ve been through a lot lately—seen the highs and lows of the human world. Been broke and starving, couldn’t even afford a decent al.”
“Broke and starving...”
Lin Yun’s eyelid twitched. Although puzzled, he kept his expression neutral. “What exactly happened?”
“Nothing much. Long story short, even a hero can’t survive without money.”
Yuan held her chopsticks between thumb and finger, then spread her hands. “I’ve got no money.”
“I know you don’t have money. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been arrested last ti for dining and dashing.”
Lin Yun nodded. “What I don’t get is how you ended up like this.”
Yuan looked even more disheveled than a few days ago. If her robe had only been shabby before, now it was downright filthy—like she’d rolled through a dumpster.
He still rembered her confidently declaring she was going to “have so fun in the human city,” striding off with flair. And now here she was, reduced to this. Honestly, it was embarrassing.
“It’s a long story... I originally wanted to find so work. But after a few days on the job, the foreman vanished. I don’t have a phone and no way to find him.”
Yuan set the chopsticks on the box and sighed. “Couldn’t get steady work, so I tried picking up gigs, but everyone kept asking for ‘qualifications.’ I didn’t even finish primary school—I went straight into martial arts training. I’ve got nothing to show.”
“So?”
“So I ran out of money, and my food stash dried up. No place to stay, nothing to eat.”
She licked her lips, clearly still savoring the al. “I tried sleeping in the park, but patrols don’t let holess people stay overnight. I got kicked out after one night.”
“The park was a no-go, so I looked for abandoned buildings, but most of them were so filthy I couldn’t stay. The clean ones were already taken by other beggars—who thought I was there to offer... other services.”
She waved her hand like brushing away bad luck and continued, “In the end, I had no choice but to sleep under a bridge. It was cold at night, but I’m a martial artist—we don’t get sick from a little cold.”
“Then at least figure out your als!”
At that mont, Semi burst in, sounding full of resentnt: “You couldn’t even get food, and you made dig through trash with the stray cats! How many tis do I have to tell you—I’m a fairy, not a cat!”
“You look so similar, though. If a cat can use claws to dig through trash, why can’t you?”
Yuan tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. “Even I go dumpster-diving when I can’t hold out during fasting…”
“All right, that’s enough—I get the picture.”
Sensing the conversation veering into chaos, Lin Yun cut in firmly. “If you’re going to argue, could you do it outside? You’re still wanted for destroying Bureau property. The Counterasure Bureau may not have the ability to catch you, but can you not treat this place like a marketplace?”
“Huh, we’re wanted already?”
Yuan blinked and turned to Semi. “Well? What do you think? Being wanted... kinda gives us villain cred, doesn’t it?”
“I’d prefer you acted like proper villains instead of con artists begging for change by pretending to tell fortunes,” Semi sighed heavily.
“I am begging at the Bureau now, aren’t I?”
“—Let repeat: the Counterasure Bureau is not a charity.”
Seeing the two about to draw up criminal plans in front of him, Lin Yun interrupted again, more forcefully this ti. “But if it’s really just food and lodging you need, it’s not entirely off the table. While the Bureau can’t support wanted individuals, I can give you a small amount of money in a personal capacity.”
“Wait, money? Seriously?”
Yuan lit up. “So begging at the Counterasure Bureau does work?”
“Let’s be clear: it won’t be much. Just enough to cover the bare essentials. In exchange, I expect you not to cause any trouble in Fangting City.”
Lin Yun rubbed his temples. “If you can’t manage that, I’ll escalate this to the higher-ups and see what The Kingdom has to say.”
It was mostly an empty threat. He’d already reported Yuan and Semi’s presence to Erald, who’d responded with a simple: “No major issue.”
He didn’t know where that confidence ca from, but since the Jewel Scepter had given the green light, he had no intention of getting more involved.
After all, Beast Core was no longer his concern—it belonged to Erald now.
He’d handed it over, knowing keeping it would only attract more trouble. There was no way he could fend off enemies alone. His priority now was keeping Fangting City stable. Letting Beast Core draw danger to him and the squad’s rookies would help no one.
Yuan might be manageable. But if soone with malice like hers showed up, the whole city would be in danger.
Given all that, Erald was clearly the best buyer. Say what you will about her, she was still on the Magical Girl side. Better Beast Core end up with her than with Claw Mark.
And now that she had it, the responsibility of protecting it also fell to her—a Jewel Scepter in power was far more capable than an injured Director.
That’s why Lin Yun could face Yuan with so confidence now—he didn’t have the item anymore. Nothing to worry about.
Yuan, anwhile, found his calm response oddly interesting. “Not causing trouble is easy. I don’t like bullying the weak anyway. But this money... you’re really just going to give it to us? No extra demands?”
“You staying quiet is already a huge favor to the Bureau.”
Lin Yun narrowed his eyes. “As for anything else... I doubt you’ve got anything worthwhile to offer.”
At that, he noticed her staring at him oddly.
“Hmm... decently good-looking. I’d say you count as handso. You’re even a Director.”
Yuan rubbed her chin. “If you do want sothing special, I could consider it.”
“No thanks.”
Lin Yun remained completely unmoved. “Just take the money and go. Please don’t linger here.”
“Hahaha, look at you. What man could possibly be into soone as scruffy as you?”
Semi, never one to miss a jab, chid in. “Quit dreaming.”
“Ugh.”
Even soone as thick-skinned as Yuan looked a little wounded. “That harsh? Do I have zero feminine charm?”
“Sorry. You’re very pretty. But I’m married.”
Lin Yun’s tone didn’t waver. “And I love my wife very much.”
“Fine, fine. Forget I said anything.”
Yuan dropped the empty box onto the desk, acting defeated. “Just to confirm—you said no trouble. But if I challenge a Magical Girl to a sparring match, that’s not trouble, right?”
“As long as you don’t kill anyone or destroy property, it’s not considered trouble.”
Guessing her intentions, Lin Yun fought the twitch in his jaw and spoke calmly. “That said, neither I nor the Bureau wants to see that happen.”
Personally, he wanted to shut down the idea entirely—he was far too busy to indulge a martial-arts junkie. But logically, cornering her would just make things worse. He had to couch his disapproval in softer, indirect terms.
“Then could you give Chrysoberyl’s contact info?”
Clearly, Yuan had only perked up more. “I haven’t seen her in days!”
“We have strict confidentiality rules. The Bureau doesn’t give out Magical Girls’ personal info.”
Lin Yun replied sternly, “And even if we did, you don’t have a phone.”
“Oh, right. I don’t.”
Yuan nodded, only just realizing that. “But it’s fine. If I have money, I can use a public phone. Actually, since we’re going this far, why not throw in a phone—”
“Denied.”
Lin Yun cut the conversation off with chilling finality.
In the end, he handed Yuan a few thousand yuan—just enough to cover temporary lodging and als—and escorted the troubleso pair out of the Bureau.
Only then could he get back to work.
As Director, Lin Yun’s job wasn’t just internal admin. He also had to deal with other Bureaus and coordinate with Fangting City’s governnt.
Over the past month, the Moon Festival, Spring by the Lake, and the recent Bureau attack had drained the city’s finances. Between compensation for fallen agents and rebuilding costs, the burden had fallen squarely on the governnt’s shoulders.
So officials were not happy.
They knew Lin Yun had powerful connections, but that didn’t stop them from complaining—demanding tighter Bureau regulations and fewer “unnecessary” expenses.
He’d even had to schedule a visit to City Hall to explain the recent budget spikes and smooth things over—otherwise, the Bureau might lose funding.
The Counterasure Bureau employed over a thousand people. Cutting even 10–20% of funding would cause severe strain. And that would lead to far more headaches down the line.
While sorting through paperwork and pondering these issues, ti slipped into the evening. The end of the workday.
He still had things unfinished, but he couldn’t stay any longer—he had another appointnt: a visit to Erald’s lab.
These days, he went often.
Partly because the Beast Core deal was done, and his treatnt for True Form injuries had begun. He needed to undergo evaluations and minor therapy under Erald’s care.
But also because of soone else: Hong Siyu.
It was no surprise that Erald was the one who helped her regain her Magical Girl powers. She’d said that since Hong Siyu hadn’t been retired for over ten years, there were ways to recover her Magic Source.
She was vague about the specifics—clearly not an official thod.
Why she’d done it was easier to understand. When Hong Siyu was sent to The Kingdom for treatnt, it happened to coincide with Erald’s first negotiations with Veronica. To sweeten the deal, Erald had asked for Hong Siyu’s consent, then went ahead.
That power didn’t co without risks.
On paper, Hong Siyu wasn’t officially part of The Kingdom, nor had she gained lifeti Magical Girl status like Veronica. In terms of her identity, she was now essentially an “illegal Magical Girl,” just like those in Claw Mark.
And the power itself? Also problematic.
In the two years she lived in Fangting City, her body had been tainted by a Ravager’s magic source. Even though Veronica had later severed that connection with a pair of scissors, her True Form had mutated.
Now that Hong Siyu had regained her powers, her body wasn’t stable.
Unlike Veronica, whose symptoms ant she sotis couldn’t stop transforming, Hong Siyu had the opposite problem—she couldn’t turn back.
In a way, it was better than Veronica’s condition. But only because Veronica’s case was so severe.
According to Erald, now that she had the Beast Core, she could attempt treatnts to stabilize Hong Siyu’s condition. That’s why Hong Siyu had been receiving ongoing care at the lab.
It had, undeniably, beco a bargaining chip that influenced Veronica’s decision.
So now, even if work was piled sky-high, Lin Yun always carved out ti after hours to visit Erald’s lab—for updates on the treatnt’s progress.
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