Chapter 752: Plan Success!

"Thank you, Li Ang."

After watching her daughter, who had been running around with William and Melanie all day, barely eaten two bites of cake before her eyelids started drooping and her little head nodded repeatedly, Emma tenderly picked her up, pressing her cheek gently against the top of Little Ellie's head.

"Ellie loved the fireworks you gave her—this wasn't just her happiest birthday ever, it was also the happiest day I've had in years. Ending it this way leaves me with no regrets."

"It's nothing. Ellie is a very lovely child—I truly like her."

Facing Emma's farewell-like words, Li Ang, who had already made up his mind, did not urge her further, but asked quietly with a calm expression:

"Senior Emma, are you prepared? Even if the Bureau exiles you to the Dead Realm, will you still go with him to your mutual destruction?"

"Mm…"

After a glance of guilt at Li Ang, Emma nodded slightly, her eyes filled with solemn resolve:

"All my clan are in the Dead Realm—Father, Mother, Grandfather… they're still in the City of Regret. I should've joined them six years ago. Now I'm just going to the place I should've been all along."

"I see… Since you've decided, I won't stop you."

After glancing at William, still forcing himself to eat cake but shoving his fork into his nose, and Melanie, already curled up in Anna's arms, snoring with a wrinkled little nose, Li Ang switched out the 【Master of Performance】, sighed dramatically as if playing a full role, and said farewell with a haunting tone:

"Senior Emma… goodbye."

Seeing Li Ang's eyes—four parts desolation, three parts solitude, and three parts unspeakable regret—as if bidding eternal farewell to something immensely precious, Emma's heart clenched painfully, and the words to stop him nearly slipped out.

But six years of pain and remorse—nearly two thousand nights of torment—and the hatred sharpened by that suffering, held her reason firm, turning her near-spoken promise into an equally dry, low whisper of farewell.

"Goodbye."

After hearing her reply, the last glimmer of hope in Li Ang's eyes faded. He gave a soft hum, offered a bitter smile, then rose from the table and took Melanie from Anna's arms.

"Anna, let's go."

"Alright, I'll call the carriage."

After a full day together, though Li Ang and Emma had deliberately avoided speaking in front of her, the perceptive Anna had already sensed something was off between her brother and Senior Emma. To spare their emotions, she took the initiative to lead William out of the cottage early.

After putting her daughter back to bed and gently tucking the blanket around her, Emma silently walked Li Ang out of the cottage, then wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a soft, warm embrace, her gentle eyes brimming with apology as she whispered:

"I won't see you off… Li Ang, I… if only I'd met you sooner."

"…"

It's not too late—not yet!

After gazing at her deeply, Li Ang said nothing, merely waved his hand, then carried the still-snoring Melanie slowly down the garden's pebble path.

"Since you're awake, get down and walk yourself."

"…"

"Stop pretending."

After walking a little further, Li Ang stopped and patted Melanie's tense little bottom, exasperated:

"Who sleeps with their legs stiff? And snoring faster than breathing? Even if you're faking, do it better!"

"Oh…"

After her disguise was exposed, Melanie, who had been scrunching her face to hold back, relaxed instantly. Her big, darting eyes opened, she glanced cautiously at Li Ang, then clung around his neck like a spoiled child and whispered slyly:

"Big brother, is Aunt Emma… I mean… are we not allowed to come visit Ellie anymore?"

You're such a clever little devil!

Seeing his sister clearly understood—perhaps even guessed that Emma was saying a permanent goodbye—Li Ang couldn't help pinching her little nose, exasperated:

"Stop guessing! Your Aunt Emma won't be harmed. When you and William aren't in school, you can still come visit Ellie anytime!"

"Oh…"

Still doubtful, Melanie blinked her big, watery eyes and asked curiously:

"Then… what just happened between you two…?"

"Your Aunt Emma thanked me for helping Ellie celebrate her birthday, so she hugged me out of excitement. What's there to read into? Oh, by the way!"

Here, Li Ang narrowed his eyes in his 【Director】 manner, then threatened without any brotherly dignity:

"When we get back, if Anna asks you… about what you heard or saw just now…"

"Heard what?"

Melanie blinked her big eyes.

"I was just dreaming—I dreamed Big Brother bought me a new doll, and when I woke up, I was already in the carriage!"

You little sneak—you're blackmailing me now!

Li Ang stared at the opportunistic Melanie, torn between laughter and annoyance, then grumbled:

"Fine, I'll buy you one! But no next time! You're really…"

"Big Brother is the best~"

She kissed his cheek with a grin, then, exhausted from the day, yawned, closed her big eyes, curled up like a kitten in his arms, and murmured sleepily:

"Aunt Emma's nice, and Ellie's nice too… but Big Brother, you have to take care of yourself… you still have to buy me… hachoo… the doll… hush… you have to keep raising me… don't you dare break your promise…"

"…"

Indeed, the 【Master of Performance】 ability, though powerful, didn't work well on those who knew him too well—it was too easy to spot the difference from his usual self.

Watching his sister, who had started snoring again but clutched his shirt tightly in her tiny hand, Li Ang shook his head, then faintly smiled.

"Mm. I promise you, Big Brother."

…

"Clip-clop."

"Duuu…"

With the clip-clop of hooves and a long, shrill whistle, a carriage with a steaming boiler slowly pulled over to the roadside.

"No. 35 Bridge Street, Happy Apartments."

After handing the driver the pre-paid fare, Li Ang stepped onto the carriage step, placed the deeply sleeping Melanie on the seat, lifted William—who had been leaning on his leg—onto the carriage, then turned with a faint apology:

"Anna, I'll just…"

"I know."

Anna stepped into the carriage, pulled the sleeping Melanie onto her lap, and interrupted him, biting her lip slightly:

"Senior Emma is a good person, but you're my only brother. I won't stop you from doing what you want—but promise me you'll stay safe."

So you noticed too…

Looking at Anna's eyes—half encouragement, half worry—and then at Melanie, sleeping with a frown on her face in her arms, Li Ang felt a warm glow in his chest and gave a quiet hum.

It seemed that even if the 【Master of Performance】 could fool a true god, it could never deceive family members who knew his habits and nature too well—it was always a clumsy performance, easily pierced.

"Huh?"

At that moment, William, slumped against the seatback, struggled to open his bleary eyes, his face blank with confusion:

"What's going on? What's Big Brother going to do?"

"…"

Hmm… but only if the family isn't half-asleep or emotionally clueless.

"Nothing."

Ruffling William's tousled little head, Li Ang smiled and replied:

"Big Brother won't be going home tonight. I'm going to do something—if I don't do it now, I'll regret it forever."

"I get it."

Nodding with solemn understanding, William forced his eyes open and gave Li Ang a determined pep talk:

"Go for it, Big Brother! In The Emperor's Biography, I read that a true man doesn't fear before acting, and never regrets after!"

What nonsense…

"Go to sleep!"

Facing William's sleep-deprived, off-topic motivational speech, Li Ang couldn't help laughing and scolding him, then closed the carriage door, seeing off his brother and sister.

Looking up at the sky, Li Ang wiped the smile from his face, stepped out of Red Cedar Avenue, and waved to another carriage waiting by the roadside.

"To the Municipal District—Police Department!"

"Got it!"

…

This carriage, also waiting at the entrance of Red Cedar Avenue, had already spotted Li Ang's family preparing to hire a ride—but had arrived a moment too late, losing the fare to a closer cab.

It had assumed the job was lost—until it realized the family hadn't all boarded, leaving one behind, who now needed a late-night ride all the way to the distant Municipal District. An unexpected windfall.

"Fare: one silver wheel… Please, sir, get in!"

After receiving the silver wheel Li Ang prepaid, the driver, delighted to land a last-minute fare before quitting time, chatted cheerfully:

"Sir, are you with the Police Department?"

Li Ang, walking with light steps, climbed in and nodded:

"Yes."

"So late… working overtime?"

"Yes."

"Oh my, still working on cases this late? Your department must be exhausted!"

The talkative driver glanced sideways at his passenger, whose expression was calm and whose figure blurred in the night, then brightened the carriage lamp slightly and continued his driver's natural gift for chatter:

"Speaking of cases, The Sun recently published a special on unsolved crimes. A female reporter named Nicole dug up every unsolved case in the kingdom, one by one—caused a huge stir. Are you going in because of her?"

"Yes, exactly."

"Ahahaha, she's really put you through it! I heard from other Police Department passengers I've driven…"

"Duuu…"

A sharp, lingering whistle sounded again, momentarily drowning out the coachman's noisy chatter, as the box-shaped steam carriage carried Li Ang away from the roadside toward the municipal district.

The other Li Ang, left behind on the roadside, glanced at the "himself" sitting upright inside the carriage, returning to work overtime, and nodded with great satisfaction.

To outdo Director Taurus, the Third-Generation Director had truly poured all his strength into crafting this anomaly, and with the material upgraded from Sacred Spirit shards to a true god's weapon, the new primary anomaly's effects were comprehensively enhanced.

Compared to the 【Sacred Spirit Pendant】, which genuinely altered matter through spirit, the 【Desire-Dream Invader】, which used the Dream Realm's power to erode reality, required a "dreamer" as a stepping stone to unleash its influence—but consumed far, far less energy.

When it was still the 【Sacred Spirit Pendant】, merely turning solid stone bricks into mud for a brief moment nearly drained its power, and it could only last a few seconds before reality reverted.

Now, after merely exchanging two words with the coachman and expending about 1. Contamination Points, he had successfully used the coachman's soul as a stepping stone to pull a dream-figure named "Li Ang Returning to the Bureau for Overtime" from the Dream Realm.

This "Dream Li Ang" could be clearly seen only by the coachman; to others, he appeared as a hazy shadow—but he was undeniably real, and would genuinely disembark at the Police Bureau to work through the entire night, vanishing only when the coachman awoke the next day.

The 【Desire-Dream Invader】, which had created "Dream Li Ang" with just a few words, not only triggered subtly and consumed minimal energy, but also maintained its effect for an exceptionally long duration… Though its lethal potential had slightly decreased, its functionality far surpassed Director Taurus's 【Sacred Spirit Pendant】.

No wonder he's the second-best anomaly smith—the Third-Generation Director truly knows his craft!

After silently giving the bald-headed old man a thumbs-up in his mind, Li Ang turned with a light step and walked in the opposite direction of the steam carriage, pondering how best to proceed.

One might act out of anger, but before acting, one must first think clearly—especially the consequences. Otherwise, one is truly foolish!

For one thing, if the long-overdue Marquis Jin Juan suddenly died, the General Bureau's first reaction would surely be to investigate Senior Emma, and likely turn its attention to him as well.

The General Bureau's investigators could never detect the 【Desire-Dream Invader】, forged from a true god's weapon and possessing such high ontological rank. After all, if they could detect something like this, they wouldn't be investigators.

At best, these investigators might detect a slight disturbance in the coachman's soul—but they would obtain no concrete evidence.

These ambiguous clues give him room to argue with the Bureau; the "himself" who left with the carriage and truly worked overtime at the Bureau can help him pass basic lie-detection methods.

If he survives all that, all he needs to do is hold firm.

With the Director's and Director Taurus's trust, plus the major achievement of exposing the Aquarius conspiracy and saving the Watch Palace, he now has a "halo" protecting him. Without concrete proof, mere suspicions won't be enough for anyone to press hard.

And if someone still insists on digging, he'll find a reason to counterattack and drag that person down with him—to be licked raw by a Divine-Class Brain-Eater!

As for what reason… isn't it right here?

Whoever dares suspect me did it is a spy who took Aquarius Director's bribe and tried to frame a hero!

Plan complete!

(End of Chapter)