Chapter 174

"Thud!"

"Ow…"

Rolling over in his sleep and falling off his desk, Li Ang groaned as his head throbbed, staggering to his feet from the rug, the world before him seeming to split into three and cycle endlessly.

The director… is truly a dangerous woman. Literally dangerous.

Recalling the brutal drinking session last night, after healing his broken ribs, Li Ang shuddered with lingering dread.

Though his director was a good boss who looked out for him in every way, she was also an irredeemable drunk.

Previously, no one could keep up with her, so she drank alone in silence—but once she met me, whose drinking capacity barely matched hers, she seemed to have discovered a new world, drinking more and more enthusiastically as the night went on.

By the time she was fully drunk, even a dog that wandered into the Clearance Bureau could be dragged to the table and force-fed; yesterday, I was caught faking drunkenness twice, and she propped me up by the shoulder, pouring me down again…

But this drinking session wasn't entirely wasted.

Looking at the three red hairs wrapped around his right hand, Li Ang, pale from hangover, couldn't help but smile faintly, a look of quiet relief crossing his face.

Anna and the other two live in Happy Apartments, guarded at night by Old Man Zhuang with his giant shears, protected by the Safe Haven Blessing during the day, and now with these hairs I got from the director—this time, they're fully protected, and I can finally rest easy…

Ugh… my head hurts… Even though it wasn't a waste, I clearly drank too much…

After rubbing his throbbing temples and staring at the still-swirling world before him, Li Ang sighed as he sat back at his desk, silently vowing that next time the director tried to drag him into another drinking session, he'd refuse outright, just like Senior Emma.

It might seem like kicking the dog after the mill's done, taking the benefit and then denying the giver—but this job of drinking with the director isn't something any human should endure. If I ever drink with her like this again, I'll be a dog!

"Woof…"???

Seeing the tiny husky lying on its back on the desk, groaning and reeking of alcohol, Li Ang blinked, dazed, then glanced uncomprehendingly toward the director's office.

I was just joking—I didn't think you'd actually get a dog drunk too!

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Li Ang carefully flipped the husky over, patting its back, and the pup, mistakenly dragged into the drinking session, let out two weak, puppy-like burps before finally coming to, opening its bleary, drunken dog eyes.

"Woo, woo-woo-woo…"

(That scared the dog out of me—how can anyone force-feed a dog?!)

After weakly complaining to Li Ang, the husky wriggled like a fat caterpillar, its short legs wobbling as it crawled into the bottle on the desk and dragged out the photo that had gotten it drunk all night.

"Woof, woo…"

(The thing you put in here changed—I need to go back to sleep…)

"Go ahead, go ahead…"

Watching the husky stagger into the bottle and collapse without a sound, Li Ang rubbed his brow, then warmed his palms and pressed them over his eyes until the world stopped spinning, before reaching for the photo on the desk.

【Name: If (Substitution, Modification)】

【Appearance: A brand-new photograph of a beautiful woman smiling outward from the frame; staring at her for too long makes one unconsciously feel a strange envy toward her.】

【Ability: Substitute identity, modify the world.】

【Cost: None.】

【File: One of many functional anomalies created by the Water Bearer Director of the Clearance Bureau to fulfill a wish, temporarily designated 0006.】

This anomaly lost its original power entirely due to its creator's resistance and denial, but after certain traumatic events, the creator's thoughts gradually shifted,】

【and a new desire emerged—thus allowing this damaged anomaly to be repaired.】

【Evaluation: An extremely powerful functional anomaly, capable of nearly costlessly substituting any person you wish, even erasing all traces associated with them.】

【Unfortunately, the human heart is harder to control than the entire world; even if you can alter the world, you cannot change someone who doesn't love you—they love only the identity you borrowed.】

【If someone seeks happiness through it, they will only gain greater disappointment—perhaps this pain of unattainable longing is the true cost of using it.】

【Contamination Level: 9】

【Due to your special connection with the anomaly's creator, you hold full permission to use it.】

【Your contamination level has increased.】

【Current contamination level: 4. 】

This thing… is Anna's family photo?

Looking at the photograph, now fully repaired but otherwise transformed into an entirely different anomaly—its world-modifying power retained but everything else changed—Li Ang's brow furrowed deeply.

"The creator's thoughts changed."

"A new desire emerged."

"Even if you can change the world, you cannot change someone who doesn't love you."

This painfully desperate explanation, combined with the identity-substitution ability and the familiar-looking beautiful woman in the photo…

Could Anna have fallen in love? With the woman in the photo? To the point that the anomaly itself changed?

Oh no.

With barely any known information and a hangover-fogged mind, Li Ang barely deduced this possibility—and immediately grabbed his head, frantically tugging at his hair.

What the hell is going on?! I just slept one night—and now the whole version's changed?!

…

"Tap-tap-tap!"

As Li Ang, drowning in existential doubt, prepared to ask Black Goat whether he'd slept one night or one week, a polite knock came at the door.

"You're finally awake."

Pushing the half-open door aside, seeing Li Ang had gotten off the desk, Jerry sighed in relief and asked:

"Li Ang, someone came to report a case today—claims everyone suddenly forgot her. I suspect she was targeted by some anomaly ability.

The director's still drunk from yesterday and hasn't woken up; the only ones without assignments now are Emma and me, and neither of us is good with soul or mental anomalies.

So if you're free, come lend a hand? If we get anything, we split based on effort—if it's a soul-related item, it's all yours. Deal?"

"Well… I don't have any assignments, but something seems to have happened at home…"

Glancing at the photo on the desk, Li Ang, though tempted by the offer, remembered the anomaly shift involving Anna and declined:

"How about this, Senior Jerry—I need to go home first. If there's nothing urgent there, I'll… uh…"

That reporter… why does she look familiar?

Watching the woman in the hallway, gazing curiously at him after the door opened, Li Ang froze, then looked again at the photo on the desk.

It's the same person.