Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl

Book 2: Chapter 181: The Intelligence Specialist

Vol 2 Chapter 181: The Intelligence Specialist"Let me think... where should I begin explaining..."

Despite some initial complications, Lin Xiaolu's Team 629 had finally assembled. With some time remaining before the practical examination officially began, the trio moved away from the densest crowd and settled on an open grassy area nearby. Then, the magical girl codenamed Mint began explaining what had happened earlier:

"Wouldn't it be more efficient if I start with the conclusion? Let me be straightforward then - it's perfectly normal that you sensed my location constantly changing through the number tag because I was indeed moving around continuously. But my purpose wasn't to mess with you or anything like that - I was gathering intelligence on our competitors."

"Gathering intelligence?" Lin Xiaolu wore an expression that clearly said "keep spinning your tale, I'm listening," while Bai Jingxuan beside her showed no signs of trust either.

"Hey, don't be so quick to judge. Let me explain properly. To be precise, it was more like scouting our competitors' team compositions."

Mint seemed understanding of their skepticism: "Aren't you curious? What kind of teams have the top-ranked magical girls from the 'Power Ranking List' formed? Were they paired with weak teammates or joined forces with other strong examinees? If we encounter them during the exam, having prior knowledge about their team strength distribution would give us a tactical advantage, right?"

"...That does make some sense."

Lin Xiaolu reluctantly nodded, acknowledging the logic. Having joined several examinee discussion groups recently, she was well aware of the Power Ranking List's existence. Initially, she had even mocked the compilers for being ignorant when Veronica wasn't listed, though she was quickly reprimanded afterward.

The evaluation criteria for the practical examination didn't solely focus on individual magical girls' performances - ranking positions carried more weight. This meant that even if her results would have been considered excellent in previous years, they might not guarantee a good score if her competitors were particularly strong this time.

Therefore, the first thing every team should consider after assembling was "how to outperform other teams."

"But how does this connect to you wandering around the field like you're taking a stroll?" While the explanation made sense, it still didn't justify her behavior, prompting Lin Xiaolu to press further.

"What other connection could there be? I went to verify things personally, of course."

Mint placed one hand on her hip: "Pretending to be friendly, exchanging congratulations and encouragement while secretly observing their team compositions - this is crucial intelligence work!"

"Hah? That's your excuse?"

Lin Xiaolu still looked unconvinced: "Setting aside how you even knew where the so-called top-ranked girls from the Power Ranking List were, can you really assess their teammates' strength just by looking?"

"Obviously not just by looking - it requires synthesizing multiple information sources."

Mint proudly raised a finger: "First, I've memorized every codename on the Power Ranking List and followed their information closely, so I can easily identify if any top-ranked girls were assigned to the same team."

She then raised a second finger: "Next comes track records. I've collected information on all promising examinees this year, knowing who has impressive combat achievements to estimate their strength range."

Finally, she raised a third finger: "Lastly, if someone lacks notable reputation, I rely on my sharp eyes! Don't judge by appearances - I have a strong intuition for capable people. Unless someone is deliberately hiding their true strength, few can escape my assessment."

"Really now?"

Lin Xiaolu raised an eyebrow: "Then prove it to me."

"Hmph, I'll show you then. Don't be shocked when I'm right."

Mint smirked: "You're from Fangting City, aren't you?"

"Oh?" This statement made Lin Xiaolu startle.

"Last year, Fangting City suffered a large-scale attack from Black Ember Dawn, with Ember Servant-level members appearing. The entire city was nearly destroyed. This incident is well-known among us magical girls from Central City."

Mint spoke with a mix of seriousness and boastfulness, her tone fluctuating dramatically: "Combined with the fact that you're qualified to take this examination, your Blooming Phase must be at least Bud-rank, meaning you were already magical girls before the attack. Therefore, regardless of specifics, you must have directly confronted Black Ember Dawn and survived that assault."

"Interesting." Lin Xiaolu finally gave a positive comment.

"Plus, based on my judgment, both you and this kid beside you who still looks like she wants to punch me - despite being elementary schoolers - possess considerable strength."

Mint closed her fingers into a fist: "Without doubt, our team composition is top-tier!"

"...Almost entirely correct, except for one thing."

Lin Xiaolu looked down at her: "I'm not an elementary schooler. I'll be 15 soon."

"15?"

This time it was Mint's turn to scrutinize Lin Xiaolu skeptically before reluctantly admitting: "Well, you're really... petite... uh, youthful-looking... er, slow to mature."

"Want to fight?" Lin Xiaolu raised her wand.

"I surrender! I don't want to get disqualified for causing trouble at the exam site."

Mint immediately raised both hands: "Anyway, you should believe me now, right? When it comes to intelligence, I'm a professional."

"Tch... whatever. Just hearing you mention 'Fangting City' is convincing enough."

Though clicking her tongue in displeasure, Lin Xiaolu wasn't violent enough to attack a newly-met teammate. If word of such behavior reached Veronica after the exam, it would surely damage her mentor's opinion of her. So she endured the provocative comments and spoke rationally: "So you're saying you abandoned your two teammates and ran around like an unleashed dog because you could locate the top-ranked girls from the Power Ranking List?"

Naturally, since Mint had used such impolite descriptions, Lin Xiaolu saw no need to be polite either.

"Just observe the crowd density before the exam, reactions during team assignments, emotional fluctuations and noise levels from certain teams after assembly, plus a little intelligence work."

Mint raised her phone, displaying her social media friends list: "Not to boast, but I'm friends with most people on the list. When I message 'Where are you? I want to see your team,' they usually reply if they see it. If anything, they think I'm being friendly and appreciate it."

"And nobody suspects your motives?" Lin Xiaolu was dumbfounded.

"Hey, I'm ranked 31st on that list myself. Besides, when I approached them, I hadn't even reunited with my own teammates yet - doesn't that make me seem extra considerate?"

Mint grinned: "If I had regrouped with you first before gathering intelligence, that would seem suspicious. But putting my own teammates aside to check on theirs? That's putting friendship first!"

"So you left us hanging for such a ridiculous reason?"

Lin Xiaolu frowned: "Do you know how long I spent searching for you? I even thought my device was broken!"

"My sincere apologies."

Surprisingly, Mint actually bowed her head in genuine apology this time: "I know it was disrespectful, so I planned to explain properly and apologize afterward."

"...Don't let it happen again."

Feeling Bai Jingxuan's wrist twitching with restrained violence, Lin Xiaolu shook her head at her before turning back to Mint: "You claim to be ranked 31st on the Power Ranking List and say you specialize in intelligence work, which suggests you take this exam very seriously. I hope you can actually translate these advantages into results for our team."

Undoubtedly, her first impression of this teammate was far from positive.

Though appearing cool and handsome at first glance, Mint's speech was flippant, her pre-assembly actions were self-centered, and her words bordered on offensive. If rating teammates on a ten-point scale, Mint currently scored a four at most in Lin Xiaolu's evaluation.

The only reason it wasn't lower was because Mint's claims of being an "intelligence specialist" and "ranked 31st" did sound impressive. While confident in her own abilities, Lin Xiaolu wasn't arrogant enough to assume she was vastly superior to those on the Power Ranking List.

The practical examination ultimately tested real capabilities. No matter how unpleasant someone might be, as long as they possessed sufficient strength and were willing to cooperate for victory, they could still be valuable teammates.

Lin Xiaolu's slightly positive assessment of Mint stemmed mainly from the thought that "this person might actually be competent."

But soon, another doubt emerged.

"...Since you claim to be so well-informed, is this Power Ranking List something you're involved with? How reliable is your 31st ranking anyway?"

Adhering to the principle of full information sharing within teams, she asked bluntly: "Is this ranking based on personal connections rather than actual strength?"

"Huh? This? Don't worry, it's definitely not based on connections - completely accurate."

Despite the sharp question, Mint laughed it off cheerfully, pointing a thumb at herself:

"After all, I'm the one who ranked myself 31st!"