X
A gust of wind seemed to brush against her face.
Su Qingyao instinctively narrowed her eyes, raising a hand to shield herself.
Yet, this was merely an illusion, a trick of perception caused by the sudden immersion into an overly dense magical environment. There was no actual wind.
From the indifferent reactions of the surrounding magical girls, it was clear her action was perfectly normal.
Realizing this, Su Qingyao ceased her slightly exaggerated display, strolling forward as she surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings.
Contrary to her expectations, the tower’s interior décor was indistinguishable from that of the external Public Security Bureau.
If anything, the ‘fantasy creatures’ that were quite rare outside were remarkably common here. Various peculiar little beings, each with a strange artistic style, moved freely amongst the people.
Some conformed to typical stereotypes, appearing as black cats or other pet-like forms. Others were bizarre contraptions like paper airplanes or wind-up toys.
Su Qingyao, however, was quite familiar with them.
It lacked the profound shock she had felt when sensing the fragment above her head earlier.
This was simply a normal, symbiotic state.
Beyond that, one other detail struck her as distinctly odd: the sheer scale of the space.
Though it was clearly a circular building, the moment Su Qingyao stepped inside, she distinctly perceived the wall behind her as ‘straight,’ its curvature stretched to an almost negligible degree.
With a curious expression, Su Qingyao surveyed her surroundings, finally spotting a directional sign suspended from the ceiling.
The office number provided by the person who introduced themselves as Xu Yanqing was quite detailed, allowing Su Qingyao to clearly identify her destination.
Otherwise, she might have wasted more time asking for directions.
For instance, she nearly bumped into a somewhat carefree-looking red-haired woman.
“Hey there, little sister!”
A sudden greeting startled Su Qingyao, causing her to turn and look at the person beside her.
Though her appearance suggested a maturity in her twenties, the yellow gem on her bracelet clearly revealed her identity as a magical girl. “Do you know where the nearest staircase is?”
Su Qingyao tilted her head. “Actually, I’ve just arrived myself.”
“However, if you’re asking about the stairs—”
The young woman elegantly raised her hand, pointing distantly in one direction. “Please follow this way. It’s at the end, turn right.”
“Alright, thank you very much~”
The magical woman clapped her hands together, her thanks delivered with a hint of playfulness.
****
Su Qingyao’s destination was an office on the fourteenth floor.
As the young woman had anticipated, the tower’s internal floors were astonishingly high, and the elevator only serviced a select few.
Most stops were for several consecutive floors.
For instance, the fourteenth floor was connected to the fifteenth and sixteenth.
Stepping out of the antique-styled, evidently valuable elevator, Su Qingyao was met with a long corridor, illuminated by magical lamps.
The young woman could only proceed by checking each office number.
“1409… 1413… Ah, there it is, 1425.”
Murmuring to herself, Su Qingyao casually pushed open the office door.
“Hello?”
“Is anyone here?”
Inside, only a cat-shaped fantasy creature was present. Rendered in a distinctly 3D cartoon style, they were meticulously grooming the fur on their lower abdomen, around their private parts.
“Eh?”
Su Qingyao and the creature froze simultaneously.
Xiaohua, reacting a step faster, immediately arched their back, adopting a stance as if ready to hiss.
“Who are you, meow! What are you doing barging into this kid Yanqing’s office, meow!”
‘Ah, a fantasy creature,’ Su Qingyao thought.
Su Qingyao rarely encountered a fantasy creature that directly vented its anger at her.
After all, she had always taken care to conceal her own unique qualities.
“Hello, I’m here for a job interview.”
Su Qingyao lowered herself, politely greeting them.
“Eh, why didn’t you knock, meow!”
‘Ah, it seems I was impolite,’ she realized.
“My apologies. I was a little distracted just now.”
Su Qingyao bowed slightly, apologizing to the little creature who had unconsciously placed themselves in a position of authority.
This time, it was their turn to be surprised.
“Oh, you actually apologized, meow.”
“Well, what more is there to say, meow? It’s fine, meow.”
As a senior, Xiaohua naturally knew the background of the two magical girls interviewing today. Both, without exception, had come from outside the city, seeking further development through work within its walls.
Xiaohua had expected everyone to laugh off the situation while playfully ruffling their fur. They never anticipated the new country magical girl would be so polite.
‘What has the world come to, meow!’
“First, find an empty chair and sit down, meow. I’ll pour you something to drink, you good child, meow.”
As Xiaohua spoke, they wagged their long tail, scattering a multicolored aura that settled on a nearby teapot. It transformed into an invisible hand, pouring Su Qingyao a cup of hot tea.
The young woman did not refuse. She accepted the hot tea and found an empty chair to sit in.
During the brief period before the main person arrived, Su Qingyao carefully observed the office’s layout.
If Chen Jingye’s office was a sea of chaotic documents, then the current office was comparatively more ordinary.
Firstly, the number of files was limited, and all were meticulously stored in document cabinets along the wall.
Secondly, regarding the workstations, it wasn’t like Chen Jingye monopolized an entire office. Instead, the space was evenly divided into four sections, though only two workstations were in use.
One workstation was impeccably organized, maintaining a pristine, clean desktop as its ideal state, with teapots and coffee makers placed there. The other, however, had been extensively decorated. It was adorned with numerous cute stickers and trinkets, and even stuffed with several plush toys to fill the empty spaces.
The personalities of the two workstation owners were not difficult to deduce.
The missing deputy leader, as mentioned by Chen Jingye, was likely the latter, whose workstation décor was noticeably softer and more personal.
Only a short while passed, and the steam from the teacup had yet to dissipate.
The office door was abruptly pushed open.
A brown-haired young woman, wearing round-framed glasses, strode in, her clothes disheveled at first glance, looking as though she had just woken up.
Yet, after rushing to her workstation and taking a sip of cold coffee, she instantly became energetic with exaggerated speed, swiftly regaining her capable demeanor. Su Qingyao watched, somewhat dumbfounded.
“Xu Yanqing.”
She briefly introduced herself. “You must be Su Qingyao…”
Xu Yanqing stared intently at Su Qingyao’s face for a long moment, finally, grudgingly, uttering ‘Ma’am’ through gritted teeth.
“Just Su Qingyao is fine.”
“Alright, let’s keep this brief. I don’t intend to directly train you and the other person today.”
“Your goal today is simply to familiarize yourselves with the ‘office area’ where you’ll be working with me over the next two days.”
“While it might sound a bit harsh, I believe for both of you, this should be an entirely new space.”
Xu Yanqing’s tone remained crisp and efficient, though this time, she was clearly controlling her emotions—or rather, the lack thereof was a form of control in itself.
Su Qingyao sighed inwardly.
It was certainly better than the aggressive tone from their initial phone call.
However—
“Excuse me, is there another person joining us for this work?”
“Indeed. However, regarding compensation, I can assure you it will be no different from what was initially promised.”
Xu Yanqing tucked one hand into her pocket, while the other raised her index finger, swaying it gently. “I guarantee it with my own salary.”
“Ah, I wasn’t concerned about that.”
Su Qingyao took a small breath, asking softly, “What I wanted to ask is, where is that colleague right now?”
The office door was suddenly pushed open with a loud bang!
“Ha-ah—”
Gasping for air, the familiar voice made Su Qingyao’s slender eyelashes tremble slightly as she turned her gaze in confusion.
It was none other than the energetic, mature magical girl who had asked for directions earlier.
“Ah! You’re the—kind little sister!”
She recognized Su Qingyao as well, exclaiming in surprise.
“How did you get up the stairs so fast?”
You’ve got to see this next! Into the Halo will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!
Read : Into the Halo
