Chapter 4: 4 The World Beneath the Surface

4 The World Beneath the Surface

With the mindset that he should try to live if he could, or at least scam a severance payout if he couldn’t, Li Ang entered the gloomy, tomblike Cleanup Bureau and followed the crumpled directional signs down the corridor until he found the innermost office, then slammed his fist against the familiar door.

“Anyone in there? I’m here to apply!”

“Squeak.”

As the rusty metal hinges groaned open, the heavy black door swung inward—and out stepped not the red-haired female interviewer, but… a black goat standing upright on its hind legs?

“What’re you staring at? Never seen a demon before?”

Offended by Li Ang’s stunned gaze, the black goat, cigarette dangling from its mouth, expertly blew a smoke ring, then flared its lips caked with suspicious white foam and glared at Li Ang with venomous fury:

“I’m fucking amazed. Did someone crush your balls? We amplified your dark thoughts sevenfold—and you still didn’t stab that fat bastard?”

“???”

Demon? Standing goat? You amplified my dark thoughts? So I wasn’t out of control just now?

A flood of questions crashed into Li Ang’s mind—but before he could ask, a massive empty beer bottle spun out from inside the door and cracked squarely against the goat’s skull.

The goat, moments ago brimming with arrogance, didn’t even grunt. It rolled its eyes back, stiffened, and collapsed straight into Li Ang’s arms with a thud.

“Zzzt!”

【Encountered an incomprehensible special entity. Unique badge “Materialist Soul (Crimson)” activated. Your cognitive boundaries expanded. Partial information on this entity acquired.】

As the familiar shrill hum faded, the crimson badge vanished—and suddenly, strange text hovered in the air above the goat’s head.

【Name: Demon’s Horns (Corruption, Knowledge, Whispers)】

【Appearance: Two spiral-patterned obsidian horns. After being offered as sacrifice—a Welsh mountain goat—and properly completing the corruption ritual, the sacrifice transforms into a black goat that smokes, walks upright on two hind legs, and calls itself a demon.】

【Abilities: Amplify dark thoughts, vast knowledge, occult lore】

【Cost: One pack of “Gao Te” cigarettes, or one sinful soul】

【File: Acquired and reported by Olivia, Head of Division Six of the Cleanup Bureau, during the Aslan Campaign. Later claimed for personal use.】

【Note: Though no deaths resulted from this corruption item, there are numerous indirect injury records. Over forty employees of the Road Administration Department were injured or forced to resign within five years.】

【Evaluation: Possesses terrifying power to easily ignite war, yet its physical form is as frail as an ordinary goat, and it is deeply afraid of men from Wales.】

【Corruption Level: 0.1】

In less than 0.01 seconds, Li Ang memorized every detail. Staring at the now-dulled crimson badge on the virtual panel, he froze, holding the unconscious goat.

Amplify dark thoughts? Corruption level?

Before Li Ang could process these bizarre details, the red-haired female interviewer stepped out, carrying an equally massive beer bottle.

“Why are you back?”

After downing a gulp of ale, she frowned at Li Ang’s bloodshot eyes and snapped, voice sharp:

“Didn’t I make it clear? Someone like you—a normal person—isn’t suited for the Cleanup Bureau. You should just go…”

“Wait a minute!”

Seeing she meant to shoo him away, Li Ang, desperate to cling to this last lifeline, blurted out:

“I’m not normal! No—I mean,

I have special abilities beyond ordinary human limits. Maybe they’re exactly what you need!”

Abilities beyond ordinary human limits?

Hearing this, the red-haired woman’s eyebrows lifted slightly, her eyes flickering with skepticism. She crossed her arms and replied indifferently:

“Alright. Tell me then.”

Tell me then… Since he planned to join just to scam a severance, he had to demonstrate his value—but how could he explain the badge?

After swiftly assessing his situation, Li Ang’s eyes darted, then he deliberately omitted the badge and said:

“My observational skills are unique. I can identify special things—and if I make direct contact, I instantly gain related information!”

Impossible…

The red-haired woman silently shook her head inside.

Though many are born with “anomalies,” this kind of forced information acquisition is almost certainly a “conceptual” anomaly—the hardest kind, effective only if one’s own “status” is significantly higher than the target’s.

So if he truly could do this, his base status must be terrifyingly high—perhaps on par with a god of chaos from another dimension. But would something of that caliber come here to apply for a job?

Still, though she didn’t believe him, she didn’t outright dismiss him. Instead, she tilted her chin toward the unconscious goat and said calmly:

“There. It’s a ‘special thing.’ You’ve already made contact. Now tell me—what makes you so special?”

Phew…

Hearing the “test,” Li Ang quietly exhaled.

His greatest fear had been being turned away without a chance. Now that he had one, as long as the badge held up, this job was his—after all, intelligence was valuable to any organization.

And if the Cleanup Bureau truly valued information skills, even if he wasn’t promoted, he wouldn’t be treated as cannon fodder. Maybe he’d even get special treatment, helping him survive a few more rounds in that horrifying monthly death rate.

He’d walked in prepared to trade his life for a payout—but who, deep down, wouldn’t rather live?

…

Hoping he might live a few more years, Li Ang steadied himself and answered selectively:

“This goat’s true form is the pair of horns on its head. Its ability is to amplify others’ dark thoughts, and it possesses extensive occult knowledge.

It craves ‘Gao Te’ cigarettes and sinful souls. It currently belongs to someone named Olivia. Over the past few years, it caused numerous injuries and forced resignations among Road Administration Department staff. It fears men from Wales…”

As Li Ang recited each detail from the badge, the red-haired woman’s indifferent expression gradually hardened. Finally, she narrowed her eyes and began studying the gaunt young man before her.

The abilities—amplifying dark thoughts, craving Gao Te cigarettes—were easy to guess. The goat’s role in injuring Road Administration staff was public knowledge. But its true form being horns, and her name? No ordinary person could know that.

And the fact it fears men from Wales? She’d never heard that before.

So if he was telling the truth, his innate “anomaly” status must be terrifyingly high—even if not on the level of a god of chaos, it was certainly higher than this demon goat’s.

Thinking this, the red-haired woman tossed back the last of her ale, then raised the heavy empty bottle and slammed it hard against the goat’s head.

“Ugh… I’m… damn it! Olivia! You bitch! You hit me with the bottle again!”

Under her glare, the goat swallowed the half-spoken name and, clutching its head with its hooves, growled bitterly:

“I was once a great demon! Can’t you show me a little respect?”

“Heh. The things you’ve done? You don’t deserve my respect.”

Tilting the bottle to catch the last drops clinging to its rim, the woman pointed at Li Ang, eyes half-lidded, and said to the goat:

“This boy from Wales just gave me a bottle of ale worth two silver wheels. From now on, you’re his.”

From Wales?!

Hearing this, the goat shuddered, staring at Li Ang with alarm and dread—then quickly realized she was lying. It crossed its arms, sneered, and scoffed:

“Ha! Don’t fool me. It’s two months until year-end review. Headquarters will send inspectors. Even you can’t pull this kind of stunt now!”

“Correct. I’m lying.”

The red-haired woman nodded, openly admitting his guess, then smirked and asked curiously:

“But… you’re terrified of men from Wales, aren’t you?”

Damn it! How did she know?!

As the goat’s eyes darted, scrambling to hide its weakness, the woman, having verified the truth of his claims, chuckled softly, turned, and extended her pale right hand toward Li Ang with a warm smile:

“Good. You’re exactly the kind of person we need. From now on, you’re a member of the Virgin Cleanup Bureau.”

Phew… That was hard.

Hearing he’d been hired, Li Ang, tense until now, exhaled deeply, his face relaxing slightly—yet…

Wait. Something felt off.

Replaying her words, Li Ang’s eyes widened in shock.

Say that again? What the hell kind of bureau are you?