Chapter 147

Is she... afraid?

Stopping her struggles and assessing the red-haired director's condition, Li Ang couldn't help but freeze slightly, then, enduring the crushing pressure comparable to a hydraulic press, leaned close to her ear and whispered:

"Are those people starting to insult you?"

"Mm…"

After a faint sob, the red-haired director nodded slightly, then, as if desperately fleeing something, trembled uncontrollably while burying herself deeper into Li Ang's arms.

Stop digging in— if you keep this up, I'll vanish entirely!

Though the red-haired director's pitifully weak demeanor was heartbreaking, Li Ang felt his own ribs creaking and his lungs compressed by a third in an instant—he decided he was the one suffering more.

Interlocking his hands against her forehead, he pushed with all his strength until he finally freed his lungs, then gasped two deep breaths, red-faced, before covering her ears with his palms.

"How's that? Can you still hear them?"

"I can hear…"

Nodding pitifully, the red-haired director whispered through sobs:

"They're not insulting me through my ears—covering them won't help…"

If not through the ears, then where? Spirit? Soul? But when he used the Black Goat before, he'd looked up the stairs—seen nothing at all!

After straining to listen for ages without hearing any "insults," Li Ang could only slap her back firmly and urge:

"Listen… loosen up a bit, you're holding too tight…"

"No…"

Rubbing her head against Li Ang's chest, the red-haired director sounded like a five-year-old girl, sniffling:

"If I let go, you'll run away like everyone else—I won't allow it!"

You won't let go, but I can't take this! If you squeeze any tighter, I won't run—I'll lose my soul first!

Feeling the iron bars of her arms tightening around his back, Li Ang pounded her shoulder hard, trying to soothe her:

"I won't run! I swear I won't! And not only won't I run—I'll insult them for you!"

"R-really?"

"Really. Don't believe me? Look into my eyes!"

"Then… then I'll look…"

After rubbing her cheeks twice against his chest, she lifted her tear-red eyes, skeptical, glanced at Li Ang, then finally released her arms—only to grip his front lapel again, pitifully whispering:

"Actually… you don't have to insult them. Just don't sneak away like the others and leave me alone to be cursed…"

"Mm, I won't run."

I definitely won't run! If you grab me again like that, I'm truly done for!

Just trying to move away had nearly snapped his waist; he'd barely coaxed her into loosening her grip. Now, Li Ang dared not stir a muscle.

To prevent her from being triggered during her "curse" and suddenly crushing him with another bear-hug, Li Ang considered, then reached out, gripped her shoulders, and slowly turned her sideways.

Once their embrace shifted from face-to-face to nearly back-to-back, Li Ang gritted his teeth and locked his arms around her with all his might, pinning those lethal limbs in place.

He must not let go until she sobered up! Another frontal hug like that, and his bones would snap with a crack!

"Li Ang… you're so good…"

Unable to see his grimacing effort, feeling the "warm" and "strong" embrace behind her, the red-haired director, streaked with tears, curled up and finally rested trustingly against him, then whispered regretfully:

"When Emma used to live in the bureau, she'd sometimes hug me to sleep. But once, after I got drunk and hugged her all night, she refused to let me hold her again—moved back to Redwood Street the next day…"

"…."

So the previous victim was Senior Emma?

Hearing this, Li Ang, tears stinging from pain, shuddered violently and clung even tighter.

Don't let go! Absolutely don't let go!

Even Emma, with her immortality, couldn't survive a night of the director's hug—I have no such safety net. If she turns around again, I'm finished!

And that damn Black Goat—how dare it claim my luck is fine? All I wanted was to help the director up to her room after drinking, and I nearly got strangled to death—how is that "fine luck"?

…

"By the way, Li Ang."

Just as Li Ang prayed she'd fall asleep quickly and not roll over, the red-haired director, now comforted by the embrace, stopped trembling and calmed down, leaning against him softly:

"Do you want to know what's upstairs?"

Huh?

Hearing her, Li Ang paused, then reminded her:

"Director, though I don't know what's upstairs, according to confidentiality protocols, anything guarded by the Yellow Zodiac Branch Director should be classified from Level Three Incident Handlers."

"It's fine."

The red-haired director shook her head:

"Unlike other Level-Equal Anomalies, this object's existence isn't secret. Not just branch directors—many senior Level One and Two staff know about it, even that it's in my possession.

Such information, even if highly dangerous, is categorized as public secret lore, like the Watchtower Palace. Telling you won't violate protocol—you can listen safely."

Somehow… the director's speech suddenly sounded much more coherent. Had she sobered up after all that?

Sensing something off, Li Ang pondered briefly and realized she wasn't truly seeking answers—she just needed someone to listen. He loosened his grip slightly and nodded:

"Go ahead. I'm actually curious."

"Good. Hold me tighter. I'll tell you."

Clearly craving the warmth behind her, she pressed herself deeper into Li Ang's arms, her cheeks now mostly freed of wine-red flush, closed her eyes, curled up, and whispered:

"The object on the top floor is an Anomaly with a number: 004. The one hundred twenty-nine million six hundred thousand 'people' constantly insulting me? Together, they form another numbered Anomaly—currently 013. Both are currently under my control."

Numbered? 004? 013?

"The numbers are assigned by the General Bureau's scholars—before you proposed 'Li Ang Value'—based on user compatibility, past performance, effect intensity, range, cost, and impact to rank Anomaly strength manually."

Sensing Li Ang's confusion over the numbering, the red-haired director didn't elaborate further, but continued softly with eyes closed:

"Generally, the lower the number, the more terrifying the Anomaly's maximum potential. Your Holy Spirit Pendant—if fully unlocked—could rank within the top 150.

And if you collect all seven pieces of the Black Goat, given your exceptional compatibility, it might even climb into the top 100 when used by you."

The Black Goat… that thing constantly brags it's invincible beneath the True God—and it only has a chance to crack the top 100? Only after riding the Gold-Rank Badge's enhancement?