Chapter 549: Number

Is she... afraid?

Stopping his struggle and identifying the red-haired Director's state, Li Ang was slightly startled. Then, enduring the overwhelming pressure comparable to a hydraulic press, he leaned into her ear and asked softly:

"Are those people starting to scold you?"

"Mm..."

After a slight sob, the red-haired Director nodded slightly, then, as if desperately trying to avoid something, began to tremble uncontrollably while desperately burrowing into Li Ang's arms.

Stop burrowing, if you keep burrowing, I'm afraid I'll be gone!

Although the red-haired Director's exceptionally weak appearance was pitiful, feeling his ribs creaking and his lungs being squeezed of thirty percent of their air in an instant, Li Ang felt he was the more pitiful one.

Crossing his hands to press against the red-haired Director's forehead and using all his strength to push outward, he finally saved his lungs. Li Ang, whose face was flushed red, took two deep breaths, then reached out to cover the red-haired Director's ears.

"How about this? Can you still hear them?"

"I can hear them..."

Nodding pitifully, the red-haired Director sobbed in a low voice:

"They aren't scolding me through my ears; covering my ears won't help..."

If it's not the ears, then what is it? Spirit? Soul? But when I used the Black Goat to look upstairs, I couldn't see anything at all!

Straining his ears to listen for a long time, but still not hearing the so-called "scolding," Li Ang had no choice but to pat the red-haired Director's back hard and urge:

"Be good... loosen up a bit, you're holding on too tight..."

"I won't..."

After rubbing her head in Li Ang's arms, the red-haired Director seemed to have turned into a five- or six-year-old girl, sobbing:

"If I let go, you'll run away just like everyone else. I don't want that!"

You don't want that, but I can't afford it! If you keep squeezing like this, I might not be able to run, but my soul will probably run away first!

Feeling the two iron gates behind him tightening, Li Ang couldn't help but pat her back vigorously, trying to coax and deceive her:

"I won't run! I definitely won't run! And not only will I not run, I'll help you scold them!"

"Re... really?"

"Really, if you don't believe me, look at my eyes!"

"Then... then let me see..."

After rubbing hard against Li Ang's lapels, she raised her head with red eyes, looked at Li Ang suspiciously, and finally pulled her arms back, grabbing Li Ang's lapels again, and said pitifully:

"Actually... you don't have to scold them. As long as you don't run away secretly like others, leaving me alone to be scolded, that's enough..."

"Mm-hmm, I won't run."

I definitely won't run! If I get caught and hugged again, I'm afraid I'll really be done for!

Just a moment ago, he had wanted to leave and almost had his waist snapped. It had taken so much effort to coax her into letting go, so Li Ang naturally didn't dare to act rashly now.

And to prevent her from being stimulated while being "scolded" and suddenly reaching out to give him another bear hug, Li Ang pondered for a moment, then chose to reach out and hold the red-haired Director's shoulders, turning her around bit by bit.

After changing from the face-to-face embrace to a posture of being nearly back-to-back, Li Ang gritted his teeth and used all his strength to hug her back, locking those fatal arms firmly.

He absolutely couldn't let go until she was sober! If she turned around and hugged him again, his bones would definitely snap with a crack!

"Li Ang... you're so good..."

Unable to see Li Ang's gritted-teeth expression while exerting force, and feeling the "warm" and "powerful" embrace behind her, the red-haired Director with tear-stained cheeks curled up, finally leaning into his arms with peace of mind, then said softly with a hint of regret: "When Senior Ai Ma still lived in the Bureau, she would occasionally hug me like this to sleep. But one time when I was a bit drunk, I hugged her back and slept all night, and after that, she wouldn't let me hug her anymore, and the next day she moved back to Red Cedar Street..."

"..."

So the previous victim was actually Senior Ai Ma?

After hearing the red-haired Director's words, Li Ang, who was in tears from the pain, couldn't help but shudder all over and hugged her even tighter.

Can't let go! Absolutely can't let go!

Even Senior Ai Ma, who had an immortal body, couldn't handle the Director hugging her all night. He didn't have an immortal body to fall back on. If she turned around and hugged him, he would really be finished!

Also, that damn Black Goat, how dare it say my luck is fine? Just meeting the Director drunk and wanting to send her upstairs to rest, I could encounter a life-and-death crisis and almost be strangled to death. Is this what you call fine luck?

"By the way, Li Ang."

Just as Li Ang was desperately praying for her to fall asleep quickly and not have the habit of tossing and turning, the red-haired Director, who had received the embrace, finally stopped trembling uncontrollably and calmed down, leaning on him and saying softly:

"Do you want to know what's actually upstairs?"

Hmm?

Hearing her words, Li Ang was slightly startled, then reminded her:

"Director, although I don't know what's upstairs, according to the confidentiality regulations, things guarded by the Director of the Zodiac Branch should be kept confidential from Level 3 incident handlers."

"It doesn't matter."

The red-haired Director shook her head upon hearing this:

"Unlike other anomalous objects of the same level, its existence is not a secret. Not only the branch directors, but many old employees at Level 1 and 2 also know about it. It has even been classified as a public secret, just like the 【Watchtower Palace】. Even if I tell you, it doesn't constitute a violation, so you can listen without worry."

I get the feeling... the Director's speech has suddenly become much more logical. Is she sober after all that tossing?

Li Ang, who sensed something was wrong, pondered for a while. He vaguely saw that the red-haired Director wasn't really trying to enlighten him, but needed someone to listen to her pour out her heart. He loosened his arms slightly, nodded, and said:

"Then tell me, I'm actually quite curious."

"Good, hug me tighter, and I'll tell you."

Seeming to be quite attached to the warmth behind her, she squeezed into Li Ang's arms again. The red-haired Director, whose wine-red cheeks had faded by more than half, closed her eyes, curled up, and said softly:

"What's placed on the top floor is an anomalous object with a number; the number is 004. As for the 129,600,000 'people' who have been scolding me, they add up to another anomalous object with a number; the current number is 013. Their owner is currently me."

Number? 004? 013?

"The number I'm talking about is an artificial ranking of anomalous object strength combined by scholars at the General Bureau based on factors such as user, past combat record, effect intensity, scope of effect, cost paid, and impact produced, before you proposed the Li Ang Value."

Seeming to know that Li Ang would have questions about the numbering, the red-haired Director didn't continue but closed her eyes and explained softly:

"Usually, the lower the number an anomalous object receives, the more terrifying its effect when pushed to the limit. Like your Holy Spirit Pendant, if it could be pushed to the limit, its number would probably rank within the top 150."

"And if you gathered all seven parts of that goat, given the super-high compatibility with you, it would have a chance to squeeze into the top 100 when used by you."

Black Goat... that thing claims to be invincible under the True God all day long, and it's only in the top 100? And it has to be after being enhanced by the Golden-rank badge to "have a chance" to squeeze in?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 550 =====

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