Magical Girl's Knight Brother

Chapter 665 The Mysterious Goldfish

After dinner, at Tang Zijun's home, everyone was packing up their preparations for the trip: portable underwater detectors, high-pressure resistant protective gear, emergency food and water, and changes of underwear... Anyway, Tang Zijun had plenty of personal space, so she could fit all sorts of things in there.

Around the appointed time, the encrypted satellite phone that Tang Zijun had placed on the coffee table emitted a steady and regular buzzing.

Tang Zijun answered the phone, and Shangguan Su's voice immediately came through, carrying an undisguised weariness and a hint of relief.

"Tang Zijun, it's me."

Her voice was hoarse from the intense work she had been doing.

"Sister Shangguan, how is it?"

"The paperwork...it's barely been completed, without any major hiccups, but..." Her tone shifted, filled with helplessness. "Mobilizing a special vessel capable of deep-sea operations, even the smallest scientific research support ship, requires coordinating with various departments, obtaining emergency permits, and avoiding sensitive areas. The process is too complicated. The fastest ship won't be delivered until the afternoon of the day after tomorrow."

She paused, her tone tinged with apology and a deep sense of helplessness. "I'm sorry, this is the fastest I can manage within my authority and capabilities, without causing an international dispute. I know you're pressed for time, so how about we wait a couple more days?"

"The day after tomorrow afternoon..." Chang Lei reached up and rubbed his face. "Not too early, not too late, just right at the most uncomfortable time."

Tang Zijun showed no surprise or disappointment, as if she had already anticipated this outcome.

"Sister Shangguan, thank you so much. We have another solution for the ship issue."

"Oh?" Shangguan Su's voice was clearly tinged with surprise. "You...found other ships? And were able to operate them on the high seas?"

Sensitive areas, deep-sea diving capabilities, and rapid deployment?

"I suppose so," Tang Zijun said, taking a sip of her cola. "We've made contact with Ms. Avran in Great Britain. Her family is willing to provide a special ship."

"Afraan? That noble magical girl from Great Britain?" Shangguan Su's surprise deepened, then she seemed to realize something, her tone becoming somewhat subtle. "A special ship? How special?"

Tang Zijun didn't beat around the bush and directly said that well-known name.

"Queen Anne's Revenge".

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

Shangguan Su was clearly quite shocked by the answer. A few seconds later, her voice rang out again, carrying a mixture of amazement, realization, and a hint of "I knew it."

"The Queen Anne's Revenge," the Blackbeard's ghost ship? So that legendary demon ship really exists, and is even being kept by their family?" Her tone was filled with admiration for the profound heritage of this ancient magical family. "Truly, an astonishing legacy. I remember the wreckage of that ship's flagship was discovered, wasn't it?"

"It is said that the ship itself was corrupted by negative energy and turned into a monster. It shouldn't be a problem for the monster to have a few masts broken off and then grow back."

"That's true."

Shangguan Su quickly adjusted her emotions and resumed her pragmatic approach as the bureau chief.

"I understand. Since there's a faster, more discreet, and... well, potentially more functional" option, that would be ideal."

She showed no intention of hindering us; on the contrary, she seemed relieved, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. "I will continue to follow up on the procedures and external coordination with the Bureau of Demonic Censors to ensure that your special vessel's operations are not unnecessarily interfered with. Just treat it as a civilian deep-sea exploration activity."

Finally, Shangguan Su's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible teasing and expectation.

"Deep-sea treasure hunt... Good luck! If, and I mean if, besides that hot potato trident, you happen to find some other 'unclaimed' little gadgets that have been sunk to the bottom of the sea for hundreds or thousands of years... remember to leave some research samples for our Magic Bureau too. After all, this is an extra bonus from an international collaborative project, and it can also provide us with some ideas for treasure hunting."

Tang Zijun's lips twitched slightly. "Sister, from what you're saying, our bureau's 'Tomb Raider Chronicles' project isn't over yet?"

"Hey!" Shangguan Su's pretty face flushed slightly on the other end of the phone. "Although we didn't find any valuable artifacts or ancient secret realms, we did open a brand new door for the archaeological world, hahaha..."

"No problem, Director Shangguan." Tang Zijun smiled and shook her head. "If I discover any valuable unclaimed items," she said, "I'll give priority to the Demon Surveillance Bureau."

He emphasized the words "unclaimed".

"Haha, that's great! I like you just the way you are. Let's keep in touch." Shangguan Su ended the call with satisfaction.

Hanging up the phone, Tang Zijun looked at everyone. "Let's continue preparing. We'll meet up with the Queen Anne's Revenge at midnight British time tonight."

After ending her call with Shangguan Su about the ghost ship, Tang Zijun's gaze fell on Su Siyao, who was sitting quietly to the side.

"Siyao." Tang Zijun's voice pulled Su Siyao back to reality.

"What's wrong, Brother Tang?" Su Siyao immediately stood up.

Tang Zijun looked at her. "After we leave, Luan Luan will be in your care."

The dream world is too dangerous, and it's not suitable for Su Siyao to stay there any longer. Searching for Poseidon's trident is also beyond the reach of an ordinary high school girl like her. So her current task is to take good care of Chang Lei's daughter.

Su Siyao was already mentally prepared for this, as evidenced by Tang Zijun bringing her back to the real world. So she didn't resist or throw a tantrum, but nodded instead.

"I understand. Don't worry, I will take good care of Luan Luan and protect her like my own sister. I will not let her suffer any grievances or be in any danger."

She looked at Luan Luan and gave her a warm smile. "Right, Luan Luan? We'll be happy too if we're with Sister Si Yao."

Luan Luan seemed to understand but not quite, but seeing Su Siyao's warm smile, she happily nodded her little head. "Mmm!"

Play with Sister Siyao!

A hint of approval flashed in Tang Zijun's eyes as she continued, "It's relatively safer here. If you have time, go home and visit your parents. Although the Demon Surveillance Bureau is backing you up, you can't stay away from home for so long at your age."

"In addition, please organize your mission logs and observation records from the time you assisted Qin Nan and the others in the dream world, as well as from when you followed us on our missions. Please connect with and archive these records with the intelligence department of the Magic Supervision Bureau as soon as possible. This will be very valuable for them to keep track of the dynamics of the dream world."

"No problem." Su Siyao immediately puffed out her chest, a hint of excitement even flashing in her eyes. "I was planning to do it anyway, even without you saying so."

Her voice brightened, filled with the anticipation of a young girl. "This is important practical data; it might even be a plus when I apply to become an intern agent at the Magic Bureau."

Joining the Bureau of Demon Surveillance, becoming a true, recognized agent, and fighting alongside Tangcao has always been her goal.

Seeing Su Siyao's sudden burst of enthusiasm for her career, Tang Zijun and Chang Lei couldn't help but smile wryly.

This girl adjusted her mindset pretty quickly.

After giving a few more brief instructions on daily life and safety, Tang Zijun glanced at the ticking hands on her watch.

"Time is up."

He said no more, nodded to Su Siyao and Luan Luan, and then his gaze swept over Chang Lei, Tang Cao, and Xiao Xiao. Tang Zijun raised his hand, and the azure power of spacetime flowed from his fingertips as if it were alive. He did not choose the doors and windows, but instead pointed to the huge LCD TV screen on the living room wall.

hum...

The calm screen surface instantly rippled like water rippled by a stone, creating deep, ever-expanding, swirling blue waves.

"I'm leaving." Tang Zijun took a step forward, and her figure instantly disappeared into the dark blue mirror, as if sinking to the bottom of the water and vanishing from sight.

"Wait for me, bro!" Tang Cao cheered and jumped inside excitedly.

Xiao Xiao also took a deep breath and followed suit.

Finally, it was Chang Lei's turn. His eyes calmly swept over Su Siyao and Luan Luan, he nodded slightly, and then silently slipped into the dark blue passage.

hum!

As everyone entered, the blue ripples on the television screen suddenly collapsed inward, emitting a slight spatial hum, and instantly returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

Suddenly, only Su Siyao and Luan Luan, whose little hand she was holding, remained in the huge living room.

Su Siyao was still waving goodbye when the smile she had been trying so hard to maintain to cheer on her friends slowly faded away, eventually turning into a sigh of disappointment that was hard to hide.

She looked down at the adorable little girl beside her. Luan Luan was also looking up at her with her little face upturned. The excitement and curiosity she had shown when watching the ghost ship were gone from her big eyes. Instead, there was a hint of innocent quiet and a vague dependence in her eyes.

"They're all gone...they're all gone..." Su Siyao murmured softly, letting go of Luan Luan's small hand, and looked around the suddenly empty living room with a sense of helplessness.

The air still seemed to linger with Tang Zijun's calm demeanor and Tang Cao's chattering voice... Now, only she and this excessively quiet little girl remained.

A faint sense of grievance at being left behind and a heavy sense of responsibility intertwined in her heart... She looked down at Luan Luan's clear, watery eyes. The little girl seemed to sense the change in her emotions and reached out her small hand to gently grab the hem of her clothes.

"Sister Siyao..." Luan Luan's soft voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

The call was like a warm current, instantly dispelling the gloom in Su Siyao's heart. She squatted down, a warm smile with a touch of older sisterly responsibility blooming on her face, and gently rubbed Luan Luan's soft hair.

"Yes! Big sister's here! They've all gone to save the world and fight the big bad guys. We also have a very important mission!"

"A mission?" Luan Luan blinked her big eyes, full of curiosity.

"Yes!" Su Siyao nodded vigorously, trying her best to make her voice sound energetic and confident.

"Our mission is—to protect our home! And wait for their triumphant return! And while we're at it..." She winked playfully. "...How about I tell you some thrilling stories from my past adventures? Want to hear them?"

"I want to hear it! I want to hear it!" Luan Luan immediately clapped her hands, a happy smile appearing on her face. The slight unease she had just felt was instantly replaced by anticipation for the new story.

"Alright! Let's go to the bedroom, cover ourselves with our little blankets, and listen to a story!" Su Siyao straightened up, took Luan Luan's little hand again, and led her towards the bedroom.

The little girl's hands were soft and warm, which made Su Siyao feel much more at ease.

Taking care of a child...shouldn't be too difficult, right?

As they passed the fish tank in the corner, Su Siyao glanced at it habitually. Inside the tank was a slightly larger goldfish, entirely golden-red, that always liked to dart in and out of the crevices of the artificial rocks.

Su Siyao suddenly stopped, a look of obvious surprise on her face.

"what?"

She stopped and pulled Luan Luan closer to the fish tank, staring intently at the goldfish.

The goldfish swam calmly in the clear water, its flowing tail fins swaying, occasionally releasing a string of sparkling bubbles against the tank wall.

"That's strange..."

Su Siyao couldn't help but mutter to herself, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

"It's been so long since I fed you, yet you're still living quite well."

She stretched out her finger and gently touched the unusually active goldfish through the cold glass tank.

The goldfish seemed to sense something. Instead of being scared away, it swam happily in the direction she was pointing. Through the glass, its round, seemingly intelligent eyes stared straight at her, its mouth opening and closing as if it were silently greeting her, or perhaps... asking for something.

Su Siyao's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

An indescribable, subtle chill crept up my spine.

Isn't this goldfish a little too energetic?

I feel a bit... mentally...

Weird?