Chapter 146

One hundred and twenty-nine million six hundred thousand people are cursing you… How is that possible?

Seeing the red-haired director's stubborn little expression, Li Ang initially believed her—though the sober director loved to lie, she was this drunk, surely she wouldn't still be unconsciously teasing him?

But Li Ang's trust lasted less than a second before he snuffed it out himself.

Although the Clearance Bureau's building covered a large area, compared to nearly one hundred thirty million humans, it was still absurdly small—not to mention just five or six floors, even if you added up the entire Police Department's space, it couldn't possibly hold this many people.

No matter how you think about it, it's just drunken rambling, right?

"Don't worry, don't worry."

He hooked the red-haired director's arm over his neck, bent his knee to nudge her rear, adjusted into a more efficient carrying posture, then carried her upstairs while soothing her:

"I'm really good at cursing. If they curse you, I'll curse right back for you."

"Liar—you're so honest, how could you possibly curse?"

"I'm not lying to you."

"If you're not lying, why won't you look me in the eye? Are you afraid I'll see you're lying?"

"…"

"Look at me! I don't believe your words—you love lying. I only believe what your eyes say."

"…"

So in your eyes, am I honest or not?

Seeing the red-haired director struggle again because he didn't reply, Li Ang activated his badge panel, switched out the Silver-ranked "Elite Performer" badge, then looked down at her with solemn sincerity:

"I'm not lying—I really am good at cursing. If those hundred million people upstairs curse you, I'll curse right back for you."

"Then… you'd better keep your word… if they curse me, you absolutely have to curse back for me!"

After staring into Li Ang's eyes for a long while, the drunken red-haired director finally calmed down, clutching his shirtfront and whispering:

"But don't curse too harshly—it was my doing they're cursing me… they're right to… I just… I just… have been cursed at for too long, and going up there alone is scary…"

"…"

Watching the red-haired director curled up, on the verge of tears, Li Ang froze slightly—he sensed something hidden in her words, something beyond mere drunken nonsense. Something might truly be up there…

Could it be dangerous?

After standing for a moment on the second-floor stairwell with the red-haired director in his arms, Li Ang hesitantly asked:

"Director, those people who curse you… do they ever come down?"

"No."

The red-haired director shook her head, leaning against Li Ang, her gaze hazy:

"They… stay on the fifth or sixth floor, guarding the top ten… twelve ant nests. Unless someone enters the fifth floor, they never come down."

Twelve ant nests?

He noted the cryptic name. Hearing that the one hundred thirty million "people" wouldn't come down, Li Ang finally relaxed slightly. He carried the director cautiously out of the stairwell, moving at a near-slow-motion pace, entering the reception room where the Taurus Director had visited last time.

After placing the red-haired director on the reception room's sofa, Li Ang rummaged through the chaotic room, found a thick wool blanket beneath a pile of empty bottles, draped it over her, then picked up a sofa cushion from the carpet, brushed off the dust, and propped it under her head.

Phew… finally got her settled.

Watching the director lie still on the cushion, her eyes fixed on him, Li Ang exhaled deeply.

A regular drunk is already troublesome; a drunk with terrifying combat power and endless secrets? The trouble level doubled instantly.

But thankfully, everything went smoothly—she was finally coaxed upstairs and settled. At least he'd repaid a little of his debt.

"It's late. Get some rest. I'm going downstairs to sleep."

After bidding farewell to the increasingly hazy-eyed director, Li Ang crouched to tuck the blanket around her, then turned to leave.

But as he reached the door, his vision blurred—he was suddenly yanked backward, his body lifted off the ground by an inexplicable force.

"I knew you were lying~"

She undid his collar button, hooked the hair tied around his neck with her pinky, then smiled triumphantly, gently tugging the hair to pull his face closer, winking at him with drunken fox-like eyes.

"You promised to curse for me, then tried to run off after luring me to bed? How dare you!"

"…"

This is torture… I should've drunk her dry first, then brought her up after she passed out…

Looking down at the red hair wrapped around his neck, knowing he couldn't break free, Li Ang sighed and continued soothing her:

"I'm not trying to deceive you—it's just late, and you're this drunk. I can't just sleep beside you."

"Why not?"

She scooted deeper into the wide sofa, clearing enough space for one person to lie sideways, then yanked Li Ang down onto it, grinning:

"Just sleeping beside me—nothing will happen. What are you afraid of?"

"…"

"Come on, lie down!"

Ignoring Li Ang's resistance, she dragged him down and pinned him to the sofa, then wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, burying her head in his chest, her voice muffled:

"Sleep, sleep—I'm so tired…"

"Uh… sleeping here's fine, but there's another sofa—I could move that one over…"

"No, this sofa is wide enough."

"It's wide, sure, but I roll over in my sleep—I might fall off…"

"I'll hold you."

"…"

This is deadly…

Feeling the sudden weight of her thigh across his body, and the indistinguishable entanglement of their positions, Li Ang's scalp prickled with numbness.

He wasn't resisting this—he just… this woman's combat power was terrifyingly excessive.

As a normal man, he'd naturally felt a flicker of desire when pulled down—but when she began hugging his waist, he distinctly heard the faint crack of his lumbar vertebrae shifting.

So this "deadly" isn't metaphorical—it's literal. She might actually kill him.

The fleeting thoughts that had just surfaced vanished instantly under this crushing bear-hug. Now Li Ang had no other wish—he just wanted to escape her drunken embrace before she squeezed the life out of him.

"Director! Director! Damn it, loosen up!"

He pushed twice, but couldn't budge her—his bones creaked under pressure—when suddenly, he felt dampness on his chest, and the red-haired director began trembling uncontrollably.