Chapter 88: 87 A Hundred Years of Cultivation Grants You a Shared Boat Ride, Ten Years…

87 A hundred years of cultivation grants you a shared boat ride, ten years…

【Bronze-level hidden badge “Connection” activated, you have received resource support from within the organization; after fulfilling the provider’s conditions, you may claim the resource】???

Upon hearing the prompt in his ear, Li Ang, holding a broom and a shopping bag, waiting at the intersection of the municipal district for a ride to visit Laien ’s home, paused slightly.

Damn, no wonder it’s a hidden badge—how long has it been since I got it? Already secured me some resource support.

Even though I still need to fulfill some conditions to claim it, since it’s from the Cleanup Bureau, it’s almost certainly related to anomalies—maybe even an actual anomaly.

According to Senior Emma, the Bureau averages three missions and three to four months of work to acquire just one anomaly, and even then, it’s not guaranteed to be usable.

Compared to that, if the resource turns out to be an anomaly and the conditions aren’t too harsh, this exchange is downright advantageous!

…

“Beep!!!”

Just as Li Ang hesitated whether to go back and ask what this resource support actually was, a sharp whistle sounded, and four powerful, tall horses pulled a massive carriage slowly toward the platform.

Forget it—the carriage’s here… and I don’t even know how long it’ll take to fulfill those conditions. The investigation into Laien ’s home has already dragged on too long. I’ll deal with the resource after I get back.

Having made his decision, Li Ang stepped forward. When the carriage door settled firmly at the boarding area, he ducked inside the twenty-seat carriage and took a seat near the back.

Compared to the front rows near the door, the rear seats were closer to the boiler behind, but far noisier—unbearable in summer.

But now, with winter arriving in just a few days, and Li Ang’s coat old and insufficiently warm, it was undoubtedly the most comfortable spot.

Yet just as Li Ang leaned back contentedly, savoring the pleasant warmth against his back, he heard hurried footsteps and a familiar, anxious shout from outside the carriage.

“Wait! We’re getting on too!”

No way, could I really be this unlucky?

Recognizing the voice, Li Ang’s face darkened. He instinctively shrank back, hesitating whether to get off right now.

But in that single second, the voice’s owner sprinted from the rear of the carriage to the door, leapt with powerful legs, and stepped directly inside—the woman was a female police officer from the Secret Investigation Bureau.

“What the hell are you doing? Want to die?”

The carriage had already begun to pull away from the platform. Though still within a single step’s reach, it was still dangerous. The ticket-selling aunt, furious at the ununiformed officer’s reckless move, shouted:

“If you don’t want to live, go crash into another carriage! Don’t endanger mine!”

“Oh! Sorry! So sorry!”

The female officer exhaled in relief, then quickly apologized with an embarrassed expression, explaining:

“We’re in a hurry—this train only comes once every hour and a half. I was afraid you’d leave without us, so I ran hard. I promise it won’t happen again… um… could you pull the carriage back a bit? There are others behind us…”

“Hmph, these young kids, always clumsy… Pull back a bit!”

After grumbling a few more complaints, seeing the officer still apologizing, the ticket-selling aunt didn’t press her. She called to the driver to stop again and let the other two people on.

But as the two women and one man stepped into the carriage, straightened up, and prepared to walk toward the rear, the ticket-selling aunt blocked them, scowling:

“Only two seats left. One of you get off!”

What?

Hearing her, the three froze in unison. After a moment’s hesitation, the female officer spoke up:

“Let them sit. I can stand in the aisle…”

“Are you messing with me?”

Cutting her off, the aunt slammed her hand hard against the sign nailed to the carriage wall, glaring:

“This is a four-horse express! No standing allowed!”

“But—”

“But what? You’re so pretty, why do you keep talking nonsense?”

The aunt, visibly impatient, continued shooing them:

“Let me say it again—this is an express! There are no handholds for standing passengers!”

“If we have to brake suddenly on the road, you’ll fly from the back row straight to the front and lose your face scraping against the floor!”

“So get moving! One of you three get off! This train’s already late—if we don’t leave now, I’ll be further behind!”

Seems it’s really not possible… What now?

Hearing the aunt’s words, the man among the other two immediately shot the female officer a questioning look.

Should we wait for the next one? Or wait for one of the Bureau’s official vehicles?

The female officer instantly understood her colleague’s meaning, then shook her head firmly.

The next train is over an hour away, and this is the municipal district—private cabs rarely come here. If we miss the appointed visit time, getting another chance to see Laien ’s family will be impossible.

“You get off.”

Giving her colleague a glance, the female officer placed a hand on the third person’s shoulder and said seriously:

“Don’t worry. It’s against regulations to have one less officer, but I’m here.”

“Alright then…”

Remembering her past “glorious record,” the male officer figured she could handle escorting a frail female prisoner alone. After a brief hesitation, he nodded.

He slipped something into her hand, then stepped off the carriage. The female officer, smiling warmly, draped an arm around the pale-faced woman’s shoulder and half-pushed her toward the rear of the carriage.

…

Just as the ticket-selling aunt said, the four-horse express was full—only two empty seats remained, in the very last row, near the noisy boiler.

The five seats in the last row: on the right, a whispering young couple; on the left, a young man wrapped in an old coat, his head covered, snoring against the carriage wall.

Maybe… swap seats with someone?

Looking at the prisoner she held, the female officer hesitated. She wasn’t bothered by the noise—she worried the restrained prisoner might attack. She wanted to move her to a seat against the wall.

Though the prisoner had been compliant since arrest, now there was only one officer. What if she decided to escape? She was confident she could subdue her instantly—but if someone got hurt, it’d be bad.

“Excuse me…”

“Hey, you two women in the back—what are you doing?”

The aunt, unable to wait any longer for departure, shouted loudly:

“Sit down already! Or get off! Don’t waste my time with your nonsense!”

The female officer flinched, then quickly dragged the prisoner into a seat before the aunt could throw them off.

“Beep!!!”

Amid the shrill whistle and neighing horses, the steam carriage pulled away from the platform and accelerated. The boiler and water tank behind began screeching. The female officer tapped the man wrapped in the coat on the shoulder and asked politely, softly:

“Sir, excuse me—could you please switch seats with my friend?”