Chapter 469: Li Ang Value
「……」
You pick bullshit! So all this time I've been talking to a dog?
Seeing the red-haired director's eyebrows slowly rise and her eyes involuntarily glare at him, Li Ang quickly spoke up:
«Director, please don't rush—I have reasons for choosing this way. »
Better damn well have them!
After shooting Li Ang another irritated glare, the red-haired director snapped:
«Speak! If your reason's unreasonable, you'll take my choice—and today counts as absenteeism! »
«Uh…»
Seeing the director clearly angry and already resorting to retaliation, Li Ang didn't speak immediately. After organizing his thoughts, he asked:
«May I ask first—if I choose the first option, roughly how long would it take to reach the level you mentioned? »
«That's hard to say. »
The red-haired director frowned. «The more and stronger the anomalies one possesses, the greater the impact on oneself, and the faster one transforms into a 'non-human.' Every cleaner's situation is different. »
«Then let me rephrase. »
After thinking for a moment, Li Ang lifted his broom and said:
«Ignoring practicality, and focusing only on impact and transformation speed—how many anomalies of this level would I need to reach that threshold? »
Measuring by the Witch's Broom…?
After hearing Li Ang's words, the red-haired director unconsciously pondered this question she'd never considered before.
Though flight ability was extremely valuable—for survival and reconnaissance—the Witch's Broom itself wasn't particularly powerful.
The toad's power, though severely depleted, was a divine spirit steeped in divinity, even having preliminarily grasped concepts and rules through faith. If calculated this way…
«Approximately…? To reach its maximum potential, you'd need close to ninety. »
After stating the required number of anomalies, the red-haired director herself felt it was too high, and added with a frown:
«But you can't just count Witch's Brooms. Its strengths are stability, low consumption, and flight—it's not fast at transformation. Most anomalies transform much faster, nearly double or more. »
«Mm, I see. »
Nearly double? I recall the Witch's Broom's contamination value is exactly 0.5?
After hearing the director's words, Li Ang quickly estimated the strength of the new anomaly in his mind, then ventured:
«Let's assume a hypothetical value to describe an anomaly's transformation speed and the power needed to reach its maximum potential. Let's set 'most' anomalies at 1, and the Witch's Broom at 0.5. »
«According to your earlier statement, if ninety Witch's Brooms are needed to reach maximum effect, then the upper limit of the first option should be around 45. Is my calculation acceptable? »
Huh?
Hearing Li Ang's measurement method, the red-haired director glanced at him in surprise.
Anomaly effects varied wildly and were influenced by the user's own strength; their power was nearly impossible to quantify, so only rough estimates based on experience were possible.
But if one abandoned calculating usage effects, and focused only on transformation speed and the power needed to reach maximum potential… perhaps it could work?
«…This way of calculating should be acceptable. »
After considering this line of thought and finding no glaring flaws, the red-haired director smiled warmly, her eyes full of approval as she told Li Ang:
«Your calculation method has real value. Write it up and submit it to me—I'll forward it. If the bureau adopts it, you might get promoted outright. Worst case, you'll still get a hefty bonus. »
«Huh? Okay! I'll go right now…»
«Stop! »
Seeing Li Ang trying to slip away, the red-haired director's smile vanished. She flicked a finger toward his back, controlling his hair to drag him back.
«Bonus is bonus—your reckless choice isn't settled yet! These are two separate matters! »
«…»
«What are you staring at? »
Glaring at Li Ang, the red-haired director grumbled irritably:
«Using your method, the first option's Li Ang Value is 45, the second is 43 or 44, the third is weakest—maybe 41 or 42 at most! Why pick the lowest? That's even more infuriating! Explain yourself! »
Shouldn't this be called Contamination Value? Li Ang Value sounds so awkward…
Watching the director's mood shift so rapidly—smiling for two seconds, then glaring at him again—Li Ang sighed and explained:
«I think the first option, while having the highest upper limit, is far too 'late-game.' According to Senior Emma, the bureau averages one anomaly per three missions, and each mission lasts one to three months. »
«So to gather 45 Li Ang Values—even with decent luck, it could take twenty or thirty years. And you'd have to pray those decades pass without any sudden events like that toad… Do you think that's possible? »
«…»
«Also, buying items requires someone willing to sell. Even if I survive those twenty or thirty years and complete two hundred missions without dying, many things simply aren't for sale. »
«Even if I could buy weapons or hire mercenaries through the bureau from the Kingdom's military, forget encountering a divine spirit—just one more Red Brick Road Hospital, and no amount of troops would be anything but cannon fodder. »
«Even if I set up twenty cannons in the capital and blast the whole building to rubble, how would you explain it to the Kingdom? »
«…»
«Besides, given the bureau's relationship with the Kingdom, when you truly need artillery support, can't you just call for it? Do I need to pay for it myself? »
«…»
«And beyond raw power, the first option has other problems. »
Glancing at the red-haired director, now lost in thought, Li Ang added:
«Do you understand economics? Mass 'overissuance' of unplanned currency must cause devaluation—would that disrupt ordinary people's lives? »
«And if a powerful person seizes authority, the Scale Gold Sect might not reclaim it—but if a rookie like me takes it, would their true god start targeting me? »
«Also, once I've used my ability enough times and it leaks, and I'm watched—do I have the strength to protect myself? Must I pay Senior Emma to guard me twenty-four hours a day? »
«And…»
«Enough, enough, I get it! You've got a point! »
The red-haired director waved her hands, rubbing her temples with a pained expression:
«Bottom line—you're still too weak! If you were a branch director, you wouldn't have all these problems. »
(End of Chapter)
End of Chapter
