Chapter 126: The Reason for Being Unqualified

Manager Qian’s office was filled with the scent of coffee beans. Lin Yu didn’t know why, but despite the coffee being obviously bitter and astringent, Manager Qian always held a steaming cup in his hand.

Today was no exception.

“Ahhh, Xiao Lin, Xiao Lin… you really gave me a huge surprise this time.”

Behind the desk, Manager Qian slowly raised his bone-china cup, stirring the dark liquid with a small spoon. The smile tugging at his lips couldn’t be hidden at all—it was practically drifting through the rising steam.

“I honestly didn’t expect that, at such a critical life-or-death moment, the one who stepped up… would be you, our least experienced newcomer.”

His gaze fell on the projected meeting slide in front of him. Highlighted in bright red font were the words: 【S-Class Assessment Complete】, beside which was a candid shot of Lin Yu—caught mid-battle, disheveled and miserable.

“The organization is very satisfied with your performance last night. It was practically a perfect submission. Even Director Bai—who’s notoriously picky—actually praised you. Said you ‘did a good job.’”

Manager Qian set his cup down, interlocking his fingers. His eyes, filled with sharpness even behind the smile, examined Lin Yu as if he were an artwork.

“Xiao Lin, you are the most successful high-risk investment of my entire career.”

Manager Qian’s endless praise buzzed in Lin Yu’s ears, like a drone through frosted glass—audible, but unreal. Not until the manager patted his shoulder did he snap back, jolting upright from the sofa.

“Ah… M-Manager Qian, wh-what is it?”

“Tsk…”

Qian frowned slightly, the always-smiling eyes flashing with a rare sharpness.

“Xiao Lin, I feel like your soul has floated out of this building. Something on your mind? Your aura today is like a deflated balloon.”

“N-no, nothing…” Lin Yu’s voice was as weak as that same balloon.

“Nothing, huh?”

“Then repeat what I just said.”

“…”

Lin Yu opened his mouth… nothing came out.

“See? You didn’t hear a single word!” Manager Qian rolled his eyes and leaned back into his ergonomic chair. “Alright, enough hiding. I’m a few decades older than you—don’t think I can’t read that vacant look. If you have something bothering you, just tell the organization. Don’t bottle it up. Affecting your work performance will get your bonus docked.”

He tapped his knuckles lightly on the desk.

“Now then—what’s troubling you? Emotional? Financial? If it’s emotional, we have on-call counselors who can arrange anonymous sessions for you. If it’s financial, I can help you apply for several high-yield urgent missions. Completely solvable.”

Lin Yu shook his head and sighed deeply.

“No, Manager Qian… I was just… thinking about a very serious question.”

“Oh?” Qian raised his eyebrows, interested. “Go ahead.”

“…Am I… too weak?” Lin Yu slowly lifted his right hand—the clean, pale hand that had been reconstructed after transformation. But in his mind, he could still clearly feel the moment the monster bit through his wrist—the bone-shattering pain, the powerlessness.

“I mean… as a magical girl. Combat-wise.”

“Even though I’m S-Class now, every time I face pollutants, I don’t feel like anime protagonists who fight effortlessly. I’m always struggling, panicking… and several times I almost died.”

“But the senior magical girls… they…”

“Ah—so that’s what’s bothering you! Small matter!” Before he could finish, Manager Qian slapped his thigh and waved his hand. “You finally noticed? Good, good! You’re starting to understand!”

He leaned forward, expression half-smile, half-mysterious.

“Alright… since you made great contributions this time, I’ll reveal a little secret to you, Xiao Lin.”

“Huh?” Lin Yu replied instinctively.

And then—he suddenly felt something was… off. Very off. But he couldn’t pinpoint what.

“Xiao Lin, if I told you… that back when the company recruited you, we never intended to train you into a qualified magical girl—how would you feel?”

“…What?” Lin Yu’s expression froze completely. Half a second later, he squeezed out a twisted smile, waving his hand frantically as if joking. “Hahaha, Manager Qian, you’re kidding, right? Is this some new kind of workplace motivation speech? Break me down first, then give a sweet date? I get it, I get it.”

“No. It’s not a speech.” The smile disappeared from Manager Qian’s face. His eyes fully opened—within them, no hint of humor. “I’m serious, Xiao Lin. From the very beginning… the company intended for you to become a defective product.”

“…???” Lin Yu felt like his skull cracked open. Words wouldn’t come out.

Manager Qian sighed and shook his head gently. “I understand, I do. You must feel betrayed by the whole world.”

“Alright, don’t look like that. Let me explain.”

He opened the lacquered drawer, took out a pack of soft-pack Zhonghua cigarettes, and pulled two out with practiced ease.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but since you’ve been directly ‘blessed’ by Wanbian Mojun… the organization can’t treat you like before.”

He handed a cigarette toward Lin Yu. Lin Yu hesitated—he hadn’t smoked in ages. This magical-girl body had a physiological aversion to nicotine and tar. Still, he accepted. Partly because it was his superior’s offer, partly because… he needed something to prove to himself he was still a man.

Ding—

The lighter clicked, flame reflecting in Qian’s amused eyes.

Lin Yu took a deep inhale—

Hooo—

Cough! Cough cough—!!

He instantly choked, trembling violently, eyes red, coughing as if his lungs would come out. He grabbed the water bottle, gulping frantically.

Manager Qian simply watched in interest.

“Pathetic… Once an entire-pack-per-day smoker. Now can’t even handle one stick.”

“…Just say it.” Lin Yu’s voice was hoarse.

Qian snapped his fingers—a holographic screen appeared. Lin Yu’s ID photo appeared beside a rapidly flashing warning label:

【POLLUTED BY WANBIAN MOJUN — UNSTABLE】

“That thing personally marked you. Meaning the company doesn’t dare put you through extreme stress testing anymore.”

“Extreme… testing…?” Lin Yu trembled.

Manager Qian nodded calmly and switched slides—a full magical-girl training flowchart appeared. Hundreds of hours of simulated training. Tactical coaching. Energy-control learning. Month after month of preparation…

But for Lin Yu—all of it had been skipped.

“We basically shoved you straight onto the battlefield.”

Lin Yu couldn’t speak. Everything he once blamed on “lack of talent”—wasn’t talent. It was deliberate.

Qian continued gently: “You wonder why, right? Why no proper training? Why push you directly?”

He slowly exhaled smoke.

“It’s because of your nature. Your spiritual compatibility.”

“Ordinary people can only accept positive energy. But you… you can accept both positive and negative spiritual power without rejection.”

“So the high-risk research division wanted to test something—whether your soul could tame extreme negative energy.”

His voice dropped: “If one person could safely control the destructive power of negative energy… it would revolutionize human civilization.”

Lin Yu let out a bitter laugh. “So I’m… the sacrifice?”

“Sacrifice?” Qian tilted his head. “No, no. This is mutually beneficial.” He spread his hands. “You provide the company with the possibility of a miracle. The company gives you a ticket into the upper world.”

“Otherwise, Xiao Lin… where would you be?”

He casually described the life of an ordinary graduate—the crowded subway, the tiny pay, the impossible housing, the family burdens, the sudden illnesses that could collapse everything.

“Compared to that…” Qian smiled warmly, “isn’t being used better than being useless?”

Lin Yu couldn’t refute. After a long silence, he nodded stiffly.

Manager Qian chuckled and leaned forward. “Honestly, if I were younger, I’d want to try becoming a magical girl too. At least you get paid 40,000 a month, and you look good in a skirt.”

Lin Yu couldn’t help it—he snorted. The suffocating heaviness eased slightly.

“Alright…” He rubbed his temples. “Keep talking.”

“And give me another cigarette.”

Qian handed him one. Then he sighed.

“Anyway… as for the experiment… We truly didn’t expect Wanbian Mojun to personally intervene.”

“That kind of being normally wouldn’t care about small fry like you.”

“Now that you’re polluted, though stable, your risk increases. The board won’t let us push you anymore.”

“If one day you completely lose control and become a Witch—we’d all be screwed.”

“…Witch?” Lin Yu’s fingers trembled.

“Manager Qian… what exactly… is a Witch?”