Chapter 71: 70 Charm Focus and Evidence

70 Charm Focus and Evidence

"It's my fault."

After checking the Witch's Broom on the desk and finding that it was temporarily unusable, the red-haired director reached up and rubbed her brow, then turned to Hearing Li Ang with a serious expression to make her self-criticism:

"I forgot to take your situation into account. The broom's previous owner was very rich, and a standard cat slave to boot—quite generous in that respect.

Although she told me that ordinary standard care for that cat would be enough, the 'ordinary standard' in her mouth is still a bit too high for normal people… um… but you don't need to worry too much."

After fiddling with the Witch's Broom and confirming that it was merely unable to be 'activated,' not that it had completely lost its 'anomaly,' the red-haired director offered some reassurance:

"The Bobby Laien Bureau has been in contact with that witch. I'll ask them to explain things to her on your behalf. Even if we can't reach her for the moment, it doesn't matter—as long as the broom is still in your hands.

According to the contract, that cat will still come next Friday. When the time comes, as long as you keep her company properly and don't use your washbasin to hold sand as her litter box again, the Witch's Broom should return to normal."

After hearing the red-haired director's words, Hearing Li Ang—who had a pile of matters piling up—couldn't help but frown and say:

"So… at the slowest, it might take a week?"

"A week at the slowest, maybe two or three days at the fastest—it depends on when that witch's ball game finishes."

After giving a rather uncertain timeframe, the red-haired director said with a smile:

"It's fine. If we have to wait a week, then we wait a week. There's no rush on the matter of infiltrating the Lane family. That dead sheep's heart shouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Besides, weren't you planning to move? It'll definitely be a real hassle when the time comes. This is a perfect chance to tidy up and deal with some miscellaneous matters along the way."

Fair point…

Thinking of the Marksman badge still stuck at Bronze, and the luggage at home that hadn't been packed yet, Hearing Li Ang nodded in agreement with the red-haired director, then seemed to remember something and hesitantly asked:

"Um… Senior Emma told me that the deeper your understanding of anomalies and the more anomalous objects you come into contact with, the more likely you are to be targeted by new anomalies.

The Blissful Apartment may be harmless and even protect its residents, but it's still an anomalous object, isn't it? If I move my whole family there…"

"Go ahead and move. They won't be targeted by anomalous objects."

The red-haired director waved her hand and said:

"Contamination begins with 'knowing.' They know nothing about the existence of anomalous objects—they neither realize they're using one, nor can they comprehend how anomalies exist. So they remain in the category of ordinary people and won't be targeted.

The only thing you need to be careful of is not using anomalous objects in front of them from now on, because once they move into the Blissful Apartment, the Bureau's Evil God Brain will no longer scramble their memories."

"I'll remember that."

After hearing the red-haired director's answer, Hearing Li Ang was finally completely reassured. He nodded, picked up the broom on the desk, and was just about to leave when the red-haired director called out to him.

"Wait, take a look at this."

This is… a newspaper? Could some anomalous incident have happened and made it into the papers?

Seeing the stack of newspapers the red-haired director handed over, Hearing Li Ang's expression tightened and he immediately slipped into working mode, flipping through them with full concentration.

'Winter Romance Blind Date Fair—Find the One Who's Right for You'

'Eight Practical Tips to Flatten Your Belly in Thirty Days'

'Meikou Intimates New Collection Now Available—All Meikou Friends Welcome to the Store for a Fitting'

'Spritz Perfume Here, and Just One Embrace Will Set Him Ablaze'

"……"????????

"Wrong! Not the 'Charm Focus'—the one I wanted you to look at is the next page!"

After snatching the marked newspaper back from Hearing Li Ang's hands, the red-haired director gave a small dry cough to cover her slight embarrassment, then pulled The Sun out from the stack, tapped the front page that filled the entire spread, and said with a tilt of her chin:

"There—the Water Company matter got leaked. It hit the papers just this morning."

Hm? Besides me, someone else was actually keeping an eye on the Water Company matter?

Hearing that the Water Company affair had been leaked, Hearing Li Ang couldn't help but feel a surge of delight.

Although after Charl Department Store took on the compensation, the patients lying in the hospital had already been paid out, and the most important significance of exposing the truth had been achieved ahead of time.

But for Hearing Li Ang, who had seen the true faces of those three noble families, watching those bastards get entangled in trouble was itself a great thing. Only, this headline…

'"Sewage" Incident Deliberate? Thomas Lane: Evidence Fabricated'

Thomas… that's the name of that blond middle-aged man from the Lane family, right? So the Water Company matter has only been leaked, and there's no final verdict yet?

After reading this headline that could only be called 'neutral,' Hearing Li Ang couldn't help but frown and silently sigh.

If only the evidence hadn't been lost…

After finishing off that damned editor-in-chief at The Daily, he had originally planned to make a trip to Charl Department Store to hand over the evidence proving the sewage incident was deliberate, but he'd been ambushed by that toad right at that moment.

And when he'd been teleported from the shopping plaza to right in front of it, he was holding a sheep's head in one hand and the broom in the other—truly no third hand free—so the evidence must have been dropped at the shopping plaza.

Later, although he dealt with the toad, he was then smashed into the hospital by the Golden Wheel Mountain. By the time he woke up and went back to look, it was already gone—probably picked up by someone…

Damn! So it was you who picked it up!

After seeing the line in the report that read 'evidence obtained by the reporter from Charl Department Store headquarters,' Hearing Li Ang's face couldn't help but darken, and he could already guess what would happen next.

Sure enough, that blond fellow named Thomas, in his interview, had simply scoffed at the authenticity of the evidence, stating that the Water Company had never experienced any theft, and that deliberately pouring sewage to drag down Charl Department Store was sheer nonsense.

He even seized the opportunity to sneer at Charl Department Store, constantly hinting in his words that this was a trick by 'Old Charl' to shirk the massive compensation and shift public attention.

"Sigh…"

Seeing this far, Hearing Li Ang knew there was no point in reading the rest of the report.

As the major shareholder of Charl Water Company, if this evidence had been leaked by Charl Department Store, it would naturally carry a certain credibility. Even if the reporter wrote that he'd received an anonymous tip, it would at least make people a little suspicious and ensure the matter was taken seriously.

But that reporter had to be stubbornly honest, writing outright that the intel was something he'd just picked up—unafraid of people suspecting him of chasing rumors… sigh… oh well. Compared to others who don't even dare to report it, the fact that this guy dared to bring it out is already brave enough. Besides, he was just telling the truth—the evidence really was picked up.

After helplessly shaking his head, Hearing Li Ang didn't dwell on it too much, and calmly handed the newspaper back to the red-haired director.

"Don't you want to say something?"

Looking at Hearing Li Ang, whose eyes held more resignation and gloom than anger, the red-haired director couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and ask with a smile:

"Those three families escaped punishment—I thought you'd be unhappy. But looking at you, you don't seem angry at all?"

"Of course I'm angry."

Hearing Li Ang shook his head and said:

"But the purpose of my stealing the evidence was not to punish evil and promote good, but to ensure those patients could receive compensation, so they wouldn't be left lying on the hospital floor screaming in agony.

Though things aren't perfectly complete right now, the original goal has been achieved. I'll note the rest for now and deal with it when an opportunity arises later... Do you have anything else? If not, I'd like to head to the shooting range these next few days for more practice."

"Nothing~ Go ahead, go ahead~"

After watching Hearing Li Ang leave with a smile, the red-haired director took a sip of tea and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

So it wasn't a complete abandonment, but rather a plan to note it down and deal with it when an opportunity arises?

Come to think of it... I let him infiltrate the Bobby Laien family under the guise of a family reunion. He wouldn't take this "opportunity" to create some "big news" for me, would he?