Staring at the work evaluation and the expectations from the superior leadership team, Xu Panfeng sat frozen in his office, his whole body stiffening in place.
He remained like that until his limbs began to go numb, yet he still showed no reaction.
“In your heart~ freely flying~ shining starlight…”
Only when his phone rang did Xu Panfeng snap back to reality. He pulled his phone out from the drawer.
Seeing the familiar number on the screen, Xu Panfeng was momentarily stunned, then quickly answered the call, switched to speaker mode, and placed the phone on the desk.
“Hello, is Director Xu there?” came a familiar voice from the other end.
“Cough, yes, yes, this is Director Xu. Miss Sapphire, may I ask what you need?”
Xu Panfeng cleared his throat and responded in his usual tone, careful not to let this sensitive young girl sense anything amiss.
“There are many suspicious points in the missing persons case that we can’t solve right now. I suggest you gather our department members back first and wait for the Public Security Department to come up with new leads before asking for their help,” Sapphire’s voice was calm, as casual as if she were asking a stranger for directions.
Hearing Sapphire immediately discuss work matters, Xu Panfeng felt comforted and deeply moved to have such a reliable Magic Girl in his department.
“Alright, I’ll call them back right away,” Xu Panfeng promised.
“Do you have anything else you need help with? If not, I’ll head back to rest,” Sapphire replied.
“No, you should get some rest. Remember to protect your personal privacy, or your parents might find out your location.”
“Don’t worry about that. I really don’t want to see their fake concern,” Sapphire responded casually. “By the way, Director Xu, there’s something I need to mention.”
“Go ahead,” Xu Panfeng nodded.
“Blazing Flame played an important role in this missing persons case. Without her, I wouldn’t have found the whereabouts of the missing,” Sapphire brought up Blazing Flame.
“You mean that kid who only recently appeared in A City and still refuses to report to the Monster Response Department?” Xu Panfeng asked, confused.
“Don’t call her a kid; she’s reliable. I think she already has the mindset and worldview of an adult,” Sapphire retorted, then added, “Anyway, when you hold the department’s Promotion Ceremony later, remember to include Blazing Flame.”
“Don’t worry, I can handle that,” Xu Panfeng said with a smile in his voice.
“I trust you. That’s all for now; I’ll head home to rest.”
“Alright, have a good day, Miss Sapphire.”
“Beep…”
Just as Xu Panfeng finished his polite words, the call was cut off by Sapphire on the other end.
Looking at the blue sky and white cloud wallpaper on his phone, Xu Panfeng’s previously gloomy mood instantly lifted.
Indeed, chatting with these energetic, motivated, and straightforward young people was refreshing. Just casual talk made him feel younger.
“Sigh…”
But as soon as his eyes landed on the neatly printed paper on his desk, Xu Panfeng felt a headache coming.
He wasn’t a mindless zombie; he clearly understood these were almost blatant hints.
The first paragraph praised his work achievements over time, letting him know his efforts had been recognized by higher-ups.
The second paragraph mentioned economic pressures, then “specifically” told him his department had special talents and asked him to research high value-added activities.
The intention was obvious.
His department was the Monster Response Department, responsible solely for handling monsters and their aftermath.
Economic stability or development had nothing to do with them.
These words were just an indirect way of seeing that he could command these special talents and hoping he would take the initiative to restart the previously banned Magical Girl Idolization Activities.
If he dared to restart the activity first and show results to boost A City’s economy, he would have a high chance of promotion.
This was what he had longed for most of his life. Now the opportunity was right before him, handed down by his superiors.
If he wanted this chance, all he had to do was reach out his hand and take it.
If it were any of his old friends, facing such an easy promotion, they would definitely grasp it without hesitation.
He could get promoted, A City could earn money, and the Magic Girls could earn money too.
Even the citizens of A City would have a legitimate, positive, and uplifting idol.
It was truly a win-win-win situation.
There was nothing to hesitate about—just tell Sapphire and Meteor they have work to do, and let them become idols. Everything would be settled.
Although Sapphire and Meteor were somewhat problem children, they would definitely take such beneficial tasks seriously.
After all, they were outstanding Magic Girls.
Without a pure heart full of love and justice, how could one become a Magic Girl?
So, just go for it.
For his future, and so Sapphire and Meteor could make more money and no longer worry about economic pressures in the future…
“…Sigh.”
As Xu Panfeng thought this, he sighed again.
The reason he insisted on giving the Magic Girls in A City 20,000 yuan monthly living expenses, despite opposition, was to free them from financial worries so they could focus on fighting monsters.
At the time, Magic Girls in most cities only earned 3,000 to 5,000 yuan a month. Due to the low pay, some Magic Girls had quit midway.
If it weren’t for their passion for the profession and willingness to shoulder responsibility in purifying monsters, more would have abandoned the role to focus on studies.
Statistics showed that after the Magic Girl Idolization Activities were officially banned, most Magic Girls gave up this unexpected power after six months.
It was exhausting and grueling, and fighting monsters could even cost their lives. Being a Magic Girl wasn’t a job for ordinary people.
Magic Girls like Sapphire and Meteor, who lasted almost until their college entrance exams, were indeed rare.
To thank them, after becoming Director, he even sold valuable virtual currency he owned and personally paid to buy them houses.
Because of this, his wife scolded him harshly.
Even now, she occasionally chastised him for spending money on outsiders instead of his own family.
“Looks like I’ve become the kind of person I hated most back then…” Xu Panfeng muttered to himself, recalling his past actions.
He did so much for Sapphire and the others just to ease their burden.
But now, for his own possible promotion, was he really considering pushing them into idol activities that would only increase their pressure?