Chapter 450: Organs and Mao Fa

Your anomalous objects... actually filled up six whole floors?

Shaken hard by this absurdly outrageous answer, Hearing Li Ang couldn't speak for quite a while, and only after catching the slight upward curl at the corner of the red-haired director's mouth did he realize he'd been played again.

"Anyway, as long as I can get the sheep heart back, it's mine, right? Then I have no problem!"

Glaring irritably at the red-haired director's retreating back, Hearing Li Ang, played twice in a row, really didn't want to keep bullshitting with her any longer; after tossing out one line, he left the director's office with a dark expression.

And after he pushed the door and left, the red-haired woman, who had been gazing out the window, slowly turned her head back. Though her charming and winsome face was full of smiles, those moist, clear eyes held not a trace of joy—instead, they were as deep as two icy pools sealed in solid frost.

"The way things are now... is actually quite nice."

After muttering something incomprehensible, she, whose eyes held a hint of loneliness, gathered up the smile on her face, tipped her head back and drained the cup of plain water in one gulp, then, as if drunk, bent forward and collapsed onto the desk without moving. Soon, the soft and steady sound of snoring rose in the office.

And as the snoring slowly spread—second floor, third floor, fourth floor... all the way up to the topmost floor, where every window and air vent had been sealed shut to ensure no light could enter—within the entire six-story office building, countless tiny living things in their mouths all began producing faint, barely audible snores in unison.

"There's even such a thing!!!"

After reading the records in his hand regarding the Charl Waterworks Company's violations, the editor-in-chief of the social section of the Daily Essentials couldn't help but fly into a rage. He restrained himself and lightly thumped the restaurant table, then promised in a low, indignant voice:

"They actually dumped it into the public water pipes... Do these bastards have nothing in their heads except money? I have to blow this story wide open!"

"Mm..."

Hearing Li Ang, who had been lightly pressing his fingers against the sheep's head, looked at the editor's face full of anger, and a thick flash of disappointment crossed his own face. He then nodded expressionlessly, stood up, and began gathering the materials on the table.

"Since you've already agreed, let's call it a day for today. I hope you can follow through when you get back."

"I definitely will!"

After grabbing Hearing Li Ang's wrist, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Essentials stood up as well, and promised with eyes full of fervor:

"Leave it all to me! Once I get back, I'll definitely write this up exactly as it happened, and make those bastards get the punishment they deserve!

Oh right, these materials are still a bit thin—they'll probably only make Charl Department Store pay up, and the real culprits might still get away scot-free. Do you have any other evidence that can implicate those three?"

"Not for the moment."

Looking at the other man's soul, which held not a trace of anger but was instead brimming with panic, scheming, and malice, a thick flash of disgust couldn't help but pass through Hearing Li Ang's eyes.

Suppressing the urge to punch the man in the face, the disguised Hearing Li Ang pushed his hand away, expressionlessly put the materials back into the document bag, and then opened his mouth to say goodbye:

"Mr. Editor, since you feel the evidence is still insufficient, let me take these back and sort them out first. Once I've gathered enough evidence, I'll contact you again."

"Huh? No, no, that's not necessary!"

Seeing that Hearing Li Ang seemed about to leave, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Essentials seemed to get a little anxious, and hurriedly grabbed his arm to earnestly persuade him:

"Those victims are still waiting for compensation! Even though these materials aren't perfect, they're enough to get most people to take this seriously. How about you leave them with me first, and I'll rush out a report?"

"No need." "Why no need?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Hearing Li Ang directly flung his hand off, and said expressionlessly:

"Because if I hand this stuff to you, this report will probably never see the light of day."

"..."

Heh... got seen through, huh. Looks like this kid isn't as stupid as he looks.

Staring at Hearing Li Ang's unusually cold gaze, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Essentials slightly raised his brows, knowing the other man had already seen through his plan and probably wouldn't hand over the materials anymore.

After sizing up with contempt the Hearing Li Ang who only had his eyes exposed, and looking at his thin frame and shabby clothes, the Daily editor-in-chief—who moments ago had been full of warmth and enthusiasm, singing Hearing Li Ang's praises non-stop—curled his lip downward, sat right back down in his chair, and called out loudly:

"Waiter!"

After beckoning the waiter who had been glancing their way from afar, the Daily editor-in-chief raised his hand to point at Hearing Li Ang, and instructed with an indifferent expression:

"Close the door, and call two security guards over. This man just stole something from me—that thing in his arms is it."

"Yes, sir! Close the door outside!"

He looked at the Daily editor-in-chief, who was dressed in a fine Flock-tailored suit, with a folded silk handkerchief tucked into his breast pocket, and not missing a single one of hat, bow tie, watch, and cane, with high-top calfskin shoes on his feet.

Then he looked at Hearing Li Ang, who was wearing an ill-fitting, shabby trench coat, with a black gauze scarf covering his mouth and nose. The waiter didn't even need half a second to know what he should do.

Even though the two of them had entered the restaurant together just now; even though there was a table between them and not a single point of physical contact the whole time; even though the thing the wealthy gentleman was pointing at had been held in the masked trench-coat man's arms from the very start... none of this could sway his judgment.

After all, the customer is always right, and one of these two people clearly isn't a customer of this establishment, isn't that so?

"..."

Looking at the waiter who had called over four security guards and blocked him at the booth's exit, Hearing Li Ang couldn't help but frown, and turned his head to glare coldly at the Daily editor-in-chief, who was calmly adjusting his tie.

"You're trying to rob me?"

"I'm not robbing you. I just want to save your life, and while I'm at it, save that poor soul you ultimately chose."

After carefully smoothing out the wrinkles in his tie, the Daily editor-in-chief stood up leaning on his cane, and strolled over unhurriedly.

"Although you've kept your face covered the whole time, judging by your voice and your movements, you can't be very old, can you?

Heh, young man, your sense of justice is admirable, but you clearly don't understand how this society works."

After slightly raising his slender "cane" and wiping the mud and water off its tip on Hearing Li Ang's trousers, the Daily editor-in-chief said softly with a smile:

"For our country, the royal family is the heart, the nobility are the organs, parliament is the brain, the factories are the strongest muscles, the merchants are the bones that constantly produce blood, and as for the rest... they're just skin that sheds and regenerates on its own, and hair that gets replaced crop after crop."

Looking at the silently speechless Hearing Li Ang before him, the Daily editor-in-chief's smile faded slightly. Then, with eyes full of disgust, he leaned close to his ear and questioned him in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Let me ask you—when hair has a grievance with the organs, should I, as the tongue, help shout this matter out, letting the other foolish hair and skin boil over and cause more pointless chaos?

Or should I be a little smarter, directly block this meddlesome hair, and teach him how to shut that damn mouth of his?"

(End of Chapter)