Chapter 487: Truth and Advancement

"You guessed right; that young man with a crying face should indeed be a Director."

After hearing Li Ang's retelling of the situation, the red-haired Director thought for a moment and explained:

"Because I thought it unlikely you would meet other Directors, I hadn't told you this yet. To become a Director of the Cleanup Bureau, besides needing sufficient strength, one must also have the aptitude to master corresponding secret arts.

Director Jin Niu, who came to deliver the anomalous object earlier, mastered a secret art related to forging, capable of breaking free from material limitations to produce anomalous objects of superior quality. The secret art mastered by Director Shui Ping, on the other hand, is said to be capable of directly creating anomalies under certain conditions.

So if I'm not mistaken, the elderly couple at Happiness Apartment likely met this generation's Director Shui Ping... calculating the age, it could also be the previous generation's Director Shui Ping."

As expected, a Director of the Cleanup Bureau!

After verifying his conjecture with the red-haired Director, considering her attitude of extreme respect toward the other Director, Jin Niu, Li Ang, who didn't know the situation well, hesitated slightly, then asked as tactfully as possible:

"Director, may I ask, what is the usual 'reputation' of that Director Shui Ping?"

After looking into Li Ang's eyes, the red-haired Director immediately understood what he meant, and asked back with a slight frown:

"Do you think... that in the matter of creating Happiness Apartment, Director Shui Ping might have had ulterior motives?"

"I do have a little suspicion. I feel that Director Shui Ping's actions don't quite conform to logic."

Seeing that she wasn't angry because he had "offended" a Director, Li Ang directly admitted his suspicion, and reminded her with a quite serious expression:

"Let's assume for a moment, if he were a person who loved to 'meddle in other people's business' and acted out of pity, after learning of the elderly couple's plight, he should have helped get the poorhouse application passed, right? Such a thing shouldn't be difficult for a Director, should it?"

"Of course, it's not excluded that he has a relatively old-fashioned personality, values the Cleanup Bureau's regulations, wouldn't act against ordinary people unless necessary, and wouldn't use the Cleanup Bureau's privileges casually. But if he were such a person, why didn't he report it according to regulations after creating the anomaly?"

After finishing his reasoning, seeing the red-haired Director's brow furrowing deeper and deeper, Li Ang paused slightly, then took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and continued:

"Also, I think his move of putting the elderly couple's souls into the apartment is the most suspicious part.

When the elderly couple died, their hearts were likely already full of hatred. After their souls were put into the apartment and they saw with their own eyes the people in the poorhouse being driven away and freezing or starving to death one after another because of the municipal office's inaction, this hatred likely escalated even further."

"With such heavy hatred in their hearts, Director Shui Ping gave them the possibility of becoming anomalies. Once their anger and hatred reached the extreme, they would likely 'awaken' into anomalies and find their 'enemies' to slaughter them wantonly."

"Plus, what caused all this wasn't just the actions of one person, but the widespread indifference and dereliction of duty of the entire collective. Their scope of slaughter would easily expand infinitely, accumulating and absorbing more and more dangerous concepts until they completely lost control!"

"You're right; this matter indeed has that possibility, but based on this alone, it's hard to prove Director Shui Ping has a problem."

After nodding slightly to acknowledge Li Ang's judgment, the red-haired Director frowned and pondered:

"Although I think your judgment is very reasonable, if nothing else, the fact that the elderly couple eventually became positive anomalous objects is enough for him to defend himself."

"I think the result of the elderly couple should be an accident."

Recalling the landlady's words, Li Ang said softly with a complex expression:

"When Director Shui Ping decided to 'create' the anomaly, he likely only considered the evil of human nature."

"Although he noticed the elderly couple's anger and hatred, he might not have noticed that they weren't angry for their own plight, but were in pain for the suffering of others."

"Even their own personalities weren't extreme and crazy. Even though they had huge hatred because of unfair treatment, the underlying color of their souls remained kind."

"As for the subsequent development, it should also be different from what he designed. He likely didn't expect that the elderly couple's kindness, day after day for decades, would also earn them the gratitude and thoughts of those who had received help."

"Those hundred-plus people who died smiling near Happiness Apartment, and more people who felt happy because they were 'still here'."

"The longing and blessings of these people gathered together, not only diluted the hatred in the elderly couple's souls but also became a high wall blocking them from the abyss, preventing them from being completely swallowed by hatred."

"I'm afraid that's really how it is..." After nodding to acknowledge Li Ang's judgment, the red-haired Director said with some emotion:

"Part of it is anger and hatred toward evil, and the other part is pity and blessings for the weak? These two emotions correspond exactly to evil object extermination and accidental risk avoidance.

No wonder the two abilities of that Happiness Apartment are so different and almost have no connection. It turns out these two seemingly unrelated abilities had different causes from the beginning. This is truly... sigh..."

After shaking her head and sighing along, the red-haired Director slowly sat up straight, and for once, praised him with a serious expression:

"Li Ang, you did very well!"

"Although I felt that apartment was a bit strange before, because it had no record of hurting people besides you, and its strength wasn't very high, I didn't continue to dig deeper."

"If you hadn't been extra careful and asked about these things, what Director Shui Ping did would likely have been covered up!"

After finishing these words with a face full of approval, the red-haired Director's expression gradually turned serious.

"As for the problem of that Director Shui Ping, we still need to wait a while."

"Unlike Director Jin Niu, their true identities are almost all confidential, and they won't even reveal whether they've been replaced. I can't determine if he is the same person as the current Director Shui Ping."

"But I will find a way to pull in a few other Directors to talk to the Directors I'm familiar with, and strive to launch an investigation into him immediately! If after the investigation, it's discovered that he really has a problem... then there will be an accounting for this matter!"

Although the red-haired Director didn't say what the accounting would be, looking at the chill emanating from those slightly narrowed fox eyes that made one's back feel cold, the answer was self-evident.

Truly... didn't expect that drunkard to have such an imposing side...

"As long as you have a plan, that's fine."

After looking at the red-haired Director with half-surprise and half-appreciation, Li Ang nodded slightly, then said his goodbyes:

"I just felt this matter was very strange, so I came to report it to you. If there's nothing else, I'll go first..."

"Don't go yet, there's still something."

After calling out to Li Ang, who wanted to leave, the red-haired Director crooked her finger, controlled the red hair on Li Ang's neck to drill into his chest, and took out his ID.

"Don't worry, it's a good thing."

Taking the seal from the drawer and stamping Li Ang's ID, the red-haired Director said with a smile:

"After Director Jin Niu went back yesterday, she thought you were quite outstanding in terms of strength and other aspects, so she used her recommendation quota to move your file up... Congratulations, you've been made a regular employee ahead of schedule."

Meaning... I'm no longer a "probationary worker"?

Although Li Ang had long known that with his merits, becoming a regular employee shouldn't be a problem, hearing this news still made his heart jump with joy.

Since he's a regular employee, shouldn't the Black Iron-level 【Probationary Worker】 badge also advance to 【Worker】?

"Buzz..."

Sure enough, after the red-haired Director handed the ID back, a harsh buzzing sound rang in Li Ang's ears once again.

【Under the recommendation of Olivia, Director of the Virgo Cleanup Bureau, you successfully navigated the back door of Director Jin Niu, gained her appreciation, and completed your regularization one month ahead of schedule】

【Your Black Iron-level badge "Probationary Worker" has successfully advanced to the Bronze-level hidden badge "Connected Person"】

"..."

????!

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 488 =====