Chapter 43: Come on, Mr. Hacker, the Chivalrous One.

The Gan City Police Station was destined to be sleepless tonight.
Blinding spotlights, sniper scopes, patrolling officers, and all-seeing surveillance wove an impenetrable web around the area.

In this suffocating atmosphere, four figures slipped through the cordon, striding directly toward the station’s entrance.
Leading them was a golden-haired girl, her presence commanding, her expression icy.

Several stern-faced senior officers were already waiting at the door.
Upon seeing them, they hurried forward.
The lead officer, a middle-aged man, approached Jin Ling, snapped a crisp salute, and spoke with a mix of respect and the deference of a subordinate addressing a superior.

“Chief, you’re here! Rest assured, we’ve made every preparation!”

Jin Ling paused, not bothering to correct the bizarre title, merely raising an eyebrow.
Behind her, Ling Lan, Wei Re, and Xin Lü froze in unison, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Chief?
The transformation device… could do this?
It wasn’t issuing orders through some communication channel or creating illusions with magic.
It had, in some incomprehensible way, brutally warped the officers’ perception, paving the way for their actions!
In their eyes, Jin Ling, a magical girl of Gan City, had become their top boss—the “Chief.”
This subtle, reality-altering ability sent a chill through Jin Ling’s soul.
What kind of entity was the mastermind behind this?
The strings controlling the so-called “magical girls” were far tougher and stranger than she’d ever imagined.

Jin Ling showed no sign of unease, merely nodding faintly, slipping into the role with the calm authority of a seasoned leader.

“This way, Chief.”
The officer, not daring to slack, personally led the way.

Under his guidance, they passed through multiple checkpoints, arriving at the end of a seemingly ordinary corridor.
The officer stopped before an unremarkable wall, reaching to press a hidden seam.
After fingerprint and iris scans, the “wall,” perfectly blended in color and texture, silently slid inward, revealing a staircase descending underground.

“The room is a specially reinforced safe room, windowless, with this as the only entrance, completely eliminating any possibility of entry other than the front door.”
“We’ve also set up decoy rooms on other floors, heavily guarded to confuse potential intruders.”

The officer explained in detail.
Ling Lan and Jin Ling exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of gravity in the other’s eyes.
They had to admit, the police’s setup was meticulous.
Without insider guidance, no one would suspect a door hidden in that wall.

As the heavy alloy door opened, a stale mix of takeout food and teenage sweat hit them.
Inside the safe room, the lights blazed brightly.
Three boys lounged inside, bored.
The oldest, Zhang Biao, with dyed yellow hair, had his legs propped up, complaining irritably toward the door.

“Man, this dump doesn’t even have a window—it’s suffocating! When the hell can we leave?”

His entitled tone suggested he wasn’t a murderer but some young master on a casual visit to the station.

Jin Ling’s gaze turned frigid.
Without a word, her figure flashed, appearing instantly in front of Zhang Biao.

Slap—!
A crisp, resounding slap echoed through the sealed room.
Jin Ling held nothing back, her seemingly delicate hand carrying terrifying strength beyond human limits.
Zhang Biao was sent flying by the blow, crashing into the wall like a ragdoll before collapsing heavily to the floor.
The impact sent a faint ripple through the ground, barely perceptible…

Zhang Biao was utterly dazed.
Slumped on the floor, half his face swollen, blood seeping from his nose and mouth, his mind blank, unable to form a coherent sentence.
He couldn’t comprehend why this new “Chief” would strike so ruthlessly without warning.

“Jin Ling!”
“Calm down!”
Ling Lan and Wei Re rushed forward, each grabbing one of her arms.

The three officers guarding the room flinched, quickly stepping forward with forced smiles to mediate.
Jin Ling shook off their hands, her icy gaze sweeping over the stunned Zhang Biao and the other two trembling boys, then the placating guards, before landing on the lead officer.
Her voice carried a biting chill.

“Tell me, is it really necessary to protect scum like this?”

Her words finally sparked genuine fear in Zhang Biao and his companions.
Zhang Biao, clutching his face, slurred through his pain.
“Hey… hey! You’re cops! It’s your job to protect us!”

Ling Lan let out a cold snort, arms crossed as she stood to the side.
“What, the kid you buried alive didn’t deserve protection?”

Zhang Biao fell silent, speechless.
Li Qiang, quick to react, jumped in, shouting defiantly.
“Who says we did it? Where’s the proof? It was clearly those two weirdly dressed freaks from the news!”
Feeling emboldened by his own logic, his voice grew louder, a smug sneer on his face.
“Besides, we’re still kids! Even if we did it, the law can’t sentence us to death! What can you do to us?”

His words froze the room’s atmosphere.
Even the usually soft-hearted Wei Re trembled with rage, clenching her fists, itching to punch him herself.
Jin Ling’s killing intent flared again.

“Chief! Chief, please, calm down!”
The lead officer, sensing the situation spiraling, darted in front of Jin Ling, hurriedly changing the subject.
“Let’s… let’s check the defenses elsewhere! Focus on the mission, yes, the mission!”
He was genuinely afraid she’d beat someone to death.

Jin Ling shot him a fierce glare but ultimately didn’t strike again.
She stared daggers at the boys, took a deep breath, and threw a withering glance at the guards before turning to leave.

“Xin Lü, stay here.”
“Ling Lan, Wei Re, and I will patrol outside. Contact us immediately if anything happens.”

“Yes.”
Xin Lü nodded softly, quietly moving to a corner of the safe room.

The heavy alloy door slammed shut, sealing everything inside.
Inside, Zhang Biao spat a bloody glob onto the floor, cursing viciously.
“What kind of bullshit Chief? Thinks she’s hot shit!”
“My dad’s never even hit me like that…”
As he grumbled, he instinctively touched the back of his neck.
For some reason, since earlier, he’d felt a chilling sensation behind him…
As if something invisible was brushing against his skin, exhaling cold air.
The feeling gave him goosebumps.

In the corridor, the officer trailed behind Jin Ling, wiping sweat from his brow, sighing awkwardly.
“Look, Chief, don’t be mad. We don’t want to shield these punks either, but… reality’s reality. We don’t have a choice.”

Jin Ling glanced at him, asking coldly, “How’s that?”

“On one hand, they’re not of legal age, so the law ties our hands.”
The officer paused, glancing around before lowering his voice.
“On the other, Zhang Biao and Li Qiang come from powerful families. Someone higher up pulled strings…”

Wei Re gritted her teeth, unable to hold back.
“So what?”

The officer faltered, then offered a slick, helpless smile.
“So… well, as officials, we’re not always in control. Sometimes you have to… go along to get along.”
He chose his words carefully, landing on an idiom.
“You know, ‘mingle with the dust of the world.’”

“Mingle with the dust…”
Ling Lan repeated the phrase slowly, a mocking curve to her lips.
What a poetic way to justify it.

The three said no more, the atmosphere heavy.
Soon, Jin Ling assigned their defense zones.
She would patrol inside the station, checking for any possible intrusion routes.
Ling Lan would guard the corridor outside the safe room, the final line of defense.
Wei Re was sent outside to monitor all surveillance feeds on a tablet, reporting any disturbances.

The three took their orders and sprang into action.
When Wei Re reached the station’s entrance, she was engulfed by blinding flashlights and a cacophony of voices.
A long cordon had been set up, but the area was packed with people.
Countless reporters aimed their cameras, hundreds of onlookers held up phones, and the dense crowd surrounded the station, their clamor threatening to drown out the night sky.
This had become the city’s focal point.
Shouts, cheers, and camera shutters blended into a roaring sea of noise.
Everyone awaited the shocking death notice—would it come to pass, or fizzle into a joke?

Wei Re glanced at the time on her tablet.
23:43.
Seventeen minutes until midnight.
She took a deep breath, gazing at the city’s glittering lights, and whispered to herself.
Come on…
You righteous hacker, do your thing!