Chapter 432: Question

"Director, the investigation mission is complete..."

"Hmm?"

After taking a look at Li Ang who entered the door, finding that he was not only covered in dust but even had bandages on his hands, the red-haired Director, who was drinking plain water, couldn't help but be slightly startled, then asked curiously:

"This mission was just to investigate the situation, and you can peek at other people's soul states in advance, how did you end up like this? Is that anomalous object very dangerous?"

"The anomalous object is not dangerous, it's even a pretty good thing, but the problem is it doesn't quite get along with me..."

After briefly talking about his encounter, looking at the red-haired woman who was smiling and smiling in front of him, Li Ang, whose face didn't look very good, hesitated for a while, then couldn't help but ask:

"Director... can I ask you something?"

Hearing this, the smile on the red-haired woman's face suddenly disappeared, and she pressed her shriveled money bag vigilantly.

"Li Ang, it's really not that I'm stingy, it's just that as the Director of the Virgin Bureau, although my salary is a bit higher than yours, my usual expenses are also exceptionally large, so... hmm..."

"You misunderstood, I'm not asking to borrow money from you, I really want to ask you a question..."

After blinking speechlessly, Li Ang recalled the information he saw and frowned deeply:

"Director, before coming to report to you, I went to the file department of the Road Administration Department next door and applied to read the records from more than ninety years ago. I found the Happy Apartment... hmm... that is, the file related to the anomalous object today."

"The poorhouse donated by that old couple accommodated more than three hundred orphans and disabled people at most, but except for getting a little water fee discount from the Water Company because of the large number of water users, they didn't get half a bit of help from the Kingdom, basically relying on their savings to maintain the poorhouse's expenses."

"Later, after the old lady was seriously ill and found that she might not last long, she applied to the Road Administration Department thirty-something times, hoping to turn the poorhouse into a legal municipal facility, and then use her property to continue operating it, at least until the people inside passed away before taking it back and closing it, but it just never passed."

After briefly stating the situation, Li Ang took a deep breath and clenched his fists:

"I've been thinking on the way, this is clearly a win-win good thing, why couldn't the approval pass?"

"Those people without labor ability could rely on the old couple's property to maintain the poorhouse and barely survive; the Road Administration Department didn't need to pay anything, not only didn't need to occupy extra expenses, but didn't even need to send extra people to manage it."

"But why did the person in charge of the approval at that time rather watch those orphans and disabled people be driven out, and starve and freeze to death under the 'Happy Apartment' sign they once called home, than pass her application?"

"You are wrong, the Road Administration Department has to pay quite a lot."

Hearing Li Ang's question, the red-haired woman closed her eyes slightly, then asked back calmly:

"Suppose you were the person in charge of this aspect at the time, then let me ask you, the Kingdom clearly has its own poorhouse, why didn't the poorhouse you presided over receive those people, but instead was accommodated by the poorhouse built by citizens? How exactly is your work done?"

"Also, if you take over this poorhouse, even if you don't need to send people to manage it usually, there must be a person in charge. Are you willing to take responsibility if a fire or other accident causes casualties? If the fire was caused by people in the poorhouse, can you accept being dismissed for poor management?"

"Finally, receiving a poorhouse donated by citizens cannot be considered a merit, and once it becomes a legal facility recognized by the city, if this poorhouse cannot be maintained because there is no income, the person in charge will definitely be held accountable."

"How could anyone be willing to do this kind of thing that has no benefits, but takes on a pile of trouble, and is almost bound to leave a stain on the resume?"

"..."

It's so similar... sigh...

Looking at the young man who was speechless and whose face was getting worse and worse after being asked by himself, the red-haired Director sighed slightly in her heart, then stared into his eyes and reminded him sternly:

"Li Ang, I understand you can't stand these things, but don't forget that our Cleaning Bureau's work is just to keep 'anomalies' out of the lives of normal people. The rest of the things are not something we can intervene in casually."

"According to the agreement between the Cleaning Bureau and major Kingdoms, unless it involves anomalous objects, it is absolutely not allowed to use 'non-human' power to interfere. This is both the survival code of the Cleaning Bureau and the bottom line that major Kingdoms can tolerate."

"So listen well, absolutely, absolutely do not cross this line, and think more when doing things. Don't harm yourself, you know?"

"You are overthinking, I really didn't want to do anything..." Li Ang couldn't help but clench his fists hard, then lowered his head and asked back calmly:

"That was more than ninety years ago. Not only are the people who were driven out dead, but even the person in charge of the approval is dead. What else can I do?"

"..."

Yes, you really can't do anything about this, but what about the Road Administration Department and the Water Company? What about more things you meet in the future?

Glancing at the shopping bag shaking slightly in Li Ang's hand, the red-haired Director sighed again in her heart, and her gaze toward Li Ang gradually became complicated.

Although I can't use soul vision to check your state without that sheep head, I know that damn sheep head too well. From the moment you lowered your head and didn't speak, it was already excited and started to tremble...

"Then that's it... You worked hard today."

Without continuing to discuss this topic, after taking the report Li Ang wrote and glancing at it, the red-haired Director tried her best to suppress the strange sense of déjà vu in her heart and comforted him softly:

"Seeing that your hand is injured, I'll give you another half-day off. Go home and have a good rest."

"Don't worry, I won't force you to turn a blind eye to those things, nor will I stop you from investigating the Water Company. I even got you an anomalous object that can protect you, which will be delivered tomorrow, so that you can retreat safely after causing trouble."

"But you must remember, when you want to do something, you must find a suitable reason to intervene like this Water Company incident, and absolutely cannot use 'anomalies' to influence ordinary people casually. This is my bottom line, and also the bottom line of the Cleaning Bureau!"

"Hmm, I remember..."

Looking at Li Ang, whose face still didn't look very good, the red-haired Director couldn't help but reach out and rub her eyebrows, then continued to urge:

"Li Ang, I know, you are the kind of person with strong moral values and a strong sense of justice. I actually don't dislike your character, and even admire your persistence in holding onto your bottom line after struggling in hard days for so long."

"But you also have to understand that even if we have extraordinary abilities, we are ultimately members of humanity, cannot exist independently from the human group, and still have to follow some basic rules of social operation."

"Even if you are the King of a certain Kingdom, or even the Director of the Cleaning Bureau, you can't make everything go according to your own ideas, and you can't manage everything you can't stand... I know these words may not sound good, but I still hope you can think more about it."

"I will... sorry, I disturbed you today."

After saying goodbye to the red-haired Director who had repeatedly urged him deeply, Li Ang walked slowly back to his office, his eyes fixed on the other shopping bag on the table, but his brain kept recalling the Director's evaluation of him.

Is my moral view noble?

Is my sense of justice strong?

Is my bottom line firm?

His own pension for martyrs that was embezzled, the alchemy factory that caused Anna's lung disease and refused to compensate, and hundreds of patients who are still lying in the hospital corridor after drinking the dirty water provided by the Water Company.

And those poor people who were ruthlessly expelled from the poorhouse and died in despair in the cold winter of ninety-four years ago, whose names were not even worthy of being recorded...

Although saying this sentence seems to have some inexplicable shame, I am really curious now, is there a problem with me? Or is it this damn world?

"Let's go."

After standing at his desk for a while, Li Ang reached out and picked up the shopping bag full of gray cigarette boxes, then touched the sheep horn of the Black Goat that had been chipped by the scissors, and said softly thoughtfully:

"Find a quiet place... I'll treat you to a smoke."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 433 =====