Chapter 8: 8. A Proper Member of Society

8. A Proper Member of Society

For the second time that day, Li Ang burst out of the hospital room without a moment's hesitation. He avoided the packed reception area, climbed out through a second-floor window, and sprinted toward the Cleanup Bureau.

Since taking Anna away wasn't an option, there was only one choice left: rush to the Cleanup Bureau, report in, and bring back someone who could deal with a "runaway Infected."

He wasn't sure if it was the illusion of slowed time brought on by extreme tension, or if "reporting to the Cleanup Bureau" counted as work and earned him a boost from the "probationary" badge.

Though he hadn't slept all night and was utterly exhausted, Li Ang ran far faster than last time, reaching the Cleanup Bureau's building in short order.

Yet when he gritted through the burning pain in his lungs and stumbled into the office at the very back, all that greeted him was an empty room.

Where was everyone? Why was no one here?

Glancing through the window at the already-darkened sky, the anxiously-faced Li Ang suddenly realized it was long past civil servants' quitting time, and that mysterious red-haired woman had surely already left.

This is bad… Should I search the building first and see if there's anyone on duty?

Having come up empty, Li Ang clenched his teeth and was about to leave the red-haired woman's office when a muffled thud came from behind him, as if something heavy had fallen onto the carpet.

Li Ang turned his head in surprise and saw that a ram's-head ornament from the desk had dropped to the floor. Eager to find someone, he had no mind to bother with it. Just as he was about to turn and leave, the ram's-head ornament bizarrely twitched twice and somehow turned its front side around on its own.

Under Li Ang's stunned gaze, the ram's head—its mouth sewn shut—rolled its eyes twice, then glared viciously at him.

?!

A dim corridor, an office decorated lavishly yet bizarrely, and a ram's head with its mouth sewn shut by a thin red thread, glaring at you with a savage face…

"What the hell are you staring at, you bastard!"

A voice thick with fury rang in Li Ang's ear, shattering the terrifying atmosphere of the moment.

After rolling around on the carpet several times without managing to right itself, Heishanyang turned its glare on Li Ang with a huffy snort and "spoke" in a nasty tone:

"Aren't you going to pick me up? Back when I was still a great demon, something as clueless as you would've been swatted dead by me long ago!"

A great demon… that black goat? It's barely been over an hour—how are you already nothing but a head?

"You… hello!"

Recognizing this thing as the black goat from earlier, Li Ang—who was worried about his sister's situation—took a deep breath and asked directly:

"I just ran into a runaway Infected, at the hospital three blocks away. Is there anyone on duty at the Cleanup Bureau right now?"

Like hell there is! If there were anyone else in the Bureau, you think you could've just barged in like this? Those lunatics would've torn you apart long ago!

Just as Heishanyang rolled its eyes and prepared to keep "speaking" curses, Li Ang—who knew how to tailor his approach—hurriedly added:

"If you help me find someone! I'll buy you cigarettes! A pack of 'Gao Te'! No—two packs!"

"…"

Two packs, huh… tsk… I'm such a kind soul, I can never bear to see suffering in the world. Helping you out isn't out of the question, but the thing is…

"Sigh…"

Under Li Ang's tense expression, Heishanyang first let out a sigh, then shook its head with some regret:

"Forget the deal. I'm a demon of my word—I never take payment if I can't deliver. There's no one left in the Bureau right now. Even if I wanted to help you, there's nothing I can do."

No one left?

Hearing that, Li Ang couldn't help but ask anxiously:

"How can such a big building not have a single person on duty?"

"Can you blame anyone but that red-haired woman?"

Heishanyang said, looking thoroughly annoyed:

"It's all because her work is usually so sloppy,

every mission evaluation ends up mediocre. Worried she'd fail the year-end review, last month she sent everyone out to pad their numbers, and now the Bureau's so empty you could run mice through it…

Kid, let me tell you—don't let her looks fool you!

Sure, she's pretty—doesn't lose to those pure-blood succubi—but she's a drunk, greedy, petty, filthy slob. I've even seen her lock her office door and secretly pick at her toes! That stinking woman is nothing but a… huh?"

Halfway through its colorful tirade, it seemed to notice something. Heishanyang strained to turn its head and look east, then slightly parted its sewn-shut mouth and let out a cheeky grin at Li Ang.

"Consider yourself lucky, kid—on your first day you still get to snag some credit… hurry up! Pick me up and carry me. The one who can actually work just got back. I'll take you to find her and sort this out!

Oh, and remember the cigarettes you promised me! Two packs, not a single one less, or I'll kill you!"

As long as you can handle this, two packs? Two cartons, even!

……

Hearing that things had taken a turn for the better, Li Ang was overjoyed. He bent down, picked up the ram's head, and rushed out of the Cleanup Bureau. Following its directions, he ran nearly two blocks east and finally cornered a tall woman wrapped head to toe in bandages at a street corner.

"You're… mm… the Bureau actually hired someone new, huh."

After exchanging a glance with the ram's head in Li Ang's arms—seemingly gleaning a fair bit of information directly from it—the tall woman wrapped in bandages smiled and extended her right hand to Li Ang, her expression warm as she said:

"I'm Auntie Ai Ma. I've been with the Cleanup Bureau for six years, and I daresay I know the Bureau's business fairly well. If you ever need help with work in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

"O… okay…"

When Li Ang had first stopped this strange bandaged woman, he'd assumed she'd be another "colorful character" like Heishanyang. He hadn't expected to hear such a "proper member of society" opening line.

Still… she seems pretty easy to talk to?

Thinking of the situation at the hospital, Li Ang immediately pushed down his unease, gave the bandaged woman's hand a cursory shake, and spoke with some urgency:

"The hospital…"

"I'll go, but not right now."

The bandaged woman smiled gently and spoke unhurriedly:

"According to the Bureau's four-step operational manual, we should first observe carefully and determine the type and danger level of the anomaly, as well as the identity of the runaway Infected;

then, based on the victim's condition, make an initial guess at the Infected's ability and effects, and assess the potential impact;

next, find targeted tools and special items, confirm our own condition, and formulate a complete action plan;

only then do we initiate action, striving to control or eliminate the target with minimal casualties and impact, completing the cleanup."

Watching Li Ang, who seemed slightly dazed by the explanation, the bandaged woman kindly reminded him:

"The sun has already set now, and because our line of sight is obstructed, our mobility will be reduced. Moreover, after losing the suppression of the sun, most anomalies will become far more active at night. This is not a good time to act.

Besides, I just finished a mission lasting two and a half months. My stamina and condition are both at their limit, and I need at least a week of rest to guarantee enough focus. I'm not suited to immediately take on a new job of unknown danger level.

Therefore, the most correct plan right now is for us to head back to the Bureau of Cleansing first, and after the Director comes to work tomorrow, hand this mission over to her. So we should still…"

'Why are you pulling this routine again…'

Stunned by the other's professional, even somewhat cold attitude, Hearing Li Ang didn't know what to say for a moment, while the ram's head in his arms twisted twice and complained with a look of displeasure:

'Your Director has already gone to Wales County on a business trip, she definitely won't be back within three days. Are you really going to keep waiting for her?'

"I'll still wait for her to come back."

Looking at Hearing Li Ang, whose expression had suddenly changed, the bandaged woman named Auntie Ai Ma smiled gently once more, a faint trace of apology in her eyes as she said:

"From your expression… do you have a relative in that hospital?

Sorry, I have a reason to stay alive no matter what. When I can't be certain it's absolutely safe, I won't act rashly no matter the situation, so please wait three days!"