Chapter 883

"Then… let's try to live a few more years…"

Faced with Li Ang's Japanese-style question, the administrator aunt hesitated for a moment, then could not resist the temptation of witnessing the new poorhouse's completion, and ultimately agreed to Li Ang's proposal.

But even so, she couldn't help adding:

"But don't go to any great lengths—we've lived this long already, and we're very content. There's no need to go to extremes for our sake."

"Mm-hmm, definitely not."

Hearing the administrator aunt's words, Li Ang smiled and nodded outwardly, but inwardly he had already made up his mind: when the new poorhouse broke ground, he would carefully figure out how to preserve this elderly couple at all costs.

If the old couple truly felt they had lived enough and wished to rest forever, he had no reason to stop them—but right now, they clearly still had things they cared about, only they didn't want their presence to hinder the new poorhouse's completion. So he certainly had to "pull some strings."

Just as Li Ang, the hypocrite, was pondering how to become a power-hungry bureaucrat and quietly preserve the Happy Apartments, three familiar footsteps entered from outside.

Immediately after, Anna appeared at the apartment door, her face slightly darkened, dragging William, who wore a calm expression, by the left hand, and pulling Melanie, whose eyes were filled with despair, by the right.

"Anna, slow down, can't you walk slower?"

Melanie, one ear bright red from having been twisted hard, pleaded with a tearful face:

"It's not even five yet—we don't have to rush home, do we? And besides, I just saw Grandpa John fixing the fence in the little garden. Why don't you go help him first?"

"Melanie, just accept your fate."

Before Anna, her face dark, could respond, William, whose other ear was also bright red, spoke calmly:

"Knowing Anna, today's beating is unavoidable. If she vents now, we might get fewer blows. But if she holds it in longer, who knows what'll happen?"

"…."

Damn it… I just got two days off, and now I come back to this chaos…

Watching his brother and sister locked in battle at the door, Li Ang's lips twitched slightly. Then, under the administrator aunt's slightly amused gaze, he stepped forward with a sigh and asked:

"Anna… what trouble did they get into this time?"

"Huh?"

Hearing Li Ang's voice, Anna—who had been struggling with her sister, who was digging her heels into the steps to avoid going home—looked up in surprise, her voice brightening:

"You're home today…?"

"Big brother!!!"

Before Anna could finish, Melanie—who had been refusing to climb the steps—suddenly shot forward like a rocket, darted into the foyer, and expertly hid behind Li Ang, grabbing his pant leg.

"Big brother, you look awful!"

Seeing her savior appear, Melanie's previously despairing face lit up like a blooming trumpet flower. She winked urgently at Li Ang and pleaded eagerly:

"Are you too tired from work? Shall I rub your shoulders? Or maybe I can tell you a story?"

"We'll see…"

Seeing his little sister's unusually obedient behavior, Li Ang understood at once. He patted her head and gave her a helpless smile.

"In our family, we listen to Anna. She has to explain what happened before I know whether I'm tired or need someone to rub my shoulders."

"It's not that bad…"

Hearing Li Ang's words, Anna's cheeks flushed slightly. She scolded him playfully, then, under Melanie's desperate gaze, unleashed her signature sister-destroying move—twisting her ear, gripping it tightly and twisting it half a circle.

"We'll settle this when we get home!"

After issuing a tactical threat to her failed refuge, Anna yanked Melanie out from behind Li Ang, greeted the administrator aunt, then turned to Li Ang and asked curiously:

"Why are you home so early today?"

"Hmm… Lately I've been working overtime a lot, so the bureau gave me a few days off."

Without mentioning his "business trip" to the Kingdom of Kelo, he gave a casual excuse, then picked up William—who still wore a calm expression—and headed toward the stairs, asking curiously:

"Forget me—what exactly did they do this time to make you so angry?"

"Big brother, that's prejudice."

Hearing Li Ang's question, William put on a serious face and replied solemnly:

"William and Melanie may be mischievous, but we're not just troublemakers."

"So you haven't caused trouble lately?"

"We have."

"…."

"Big brother, don't misunderstand."

Seeing Li Ang's exasperated expression, William immediately spoke earnestly:

"Yes, we caused trouble—but Anna's angry not because of that. She's angry because our grades are bad. That's an intellectual problem, not our fault."

"You dare say that!"

Hearing William's explanation, Anna's face darkened further. She pinched him sharply and couldn't help complaining to Li Ang:

"Brother, you have no idea how infuriating they are!

The last question on this exam read: Due to excessively long waits for public carriages, the Road Administration Department plans to increase carriage frequency on Bridge Street, but due to limited funding, only two new carriages can be allocated.

It is known that Bridge Street originally had four carriages, operating 18 hours daily, and each carriage returns to its starting point to pick up new passengers after three hours. How should they be scheduled to maximize relief of waiting times?"

How to schedule them to solve the waiting problem?

After hearing Anna's recitation, Li Ang tried to work out the math problem.

The Road Administration had limited funds—only two new carriages, added to the original four, making six total. Each carriage completes a round trip every three hours, and the daily operating time is 18 hours, so each carriage can make six trips, totaling 36 trips.

If calculated that way, 36 trips over 18 hours means one every half-hour… Wait, no!

At this point, Li Ang suddenly realized the problem hid a devious trap.

Although it seemed each carriage could make six trips in 18 hours, in reality, the six carriages did not all depart at once—they departed at intervals. So only one carriage could complete all six trips per day.

"Hmm… This problem is indeed quite difficult for children."

Frowning slightly, Li Ang asked, puzzled:

"William and Melanie are transfer students—they've missed a lot of lessons. Not being able to answer is normal. Why are you so angry?"

"I'm not angry they couldn't answer—I'm angry they did!"

Anna snapped, exasperated:

"William's solution was to first give a speech on the street, denouncing the Road Administration for embezzling funds, inciting resentment among Bridge Street residents, and pressuring officials. Then demand an audit of the carriage company's books to check for overspending.

Once he found errors by the Road Administration or the carriage company, he planned to report them to a councilor, threaten to influence local voting, and force the councilor to propose increased funding.

Once the proposal was on the agenda, he planned to raise money to buy tabloids to incite public opinion, questioning whether the Road Administration—unable even to fund carriages—was corrupt, colluding with councilors, and using media pressure to force councilors to vote against opposing the proposal, ensuring the carriage increase would pass—so they'd never lack carriages again!