I! Anomaly Cleansing Agent!

Your anomalous item… it filled up six floors? Stunned by this absurd answer, Leon was left speechless for a good while. It wasn’t until he caught sight of the slight upward curl at the corners of the red-haired bureau director’s mouth that he realized he’d been played once again.

“As long as I can retrieve the sheep heart, it’s mine, right? Then I have no issues!”

With a disgruntled glare at the retreating back of the red-haired bureau director, Leon, who had been duped twice, couldn’t bear to continue wasting his time with her nonsense. He left a parting word and stormed out of the office with a scowl.

After he pushed the door open and left, the red-haired woman gazed out the window before slowly turning her head back. Despite the alluring smile on her delicate face, her moist, clear eyes held not a trace of joy but instead were as deep and cold as two icy pools.

“The current situation… is actually quite nice.”

Mumbling something incomprehensible, her eyes betraying a hint of loneliness, she retracted her smile, tilted her neck, and drained the glass of plain water in one gulp. She then slumped forward onto the desk without moving, and soon enough, soft and steady snoring echoed through the office.

And as the snoring gradually spread, from the second floor, third floor, fourth floor… all the way to the topmost floor where every window and vent was sealed off to ensure no light would intrude, countless tiny creatures within the six-story office building began emitting barely audible snores in unison.

…

“There’s such a thing!!!”

After finishing the report about Chaer Water Power Corporation’s illegal operations, the chief editor of the Social Edition of Daily Highlights couldn’t help but furrow his brows in anger. He lightly pounded the table in the restaurant, his eyes brimming with indignation as he quietly vowed,

“Adding contaminants into public water pipes… these despicable fellows only care about money, don’t they? I must expose this matter!”

“Hmm…”

Leon, with his finger resting against a sheep’s head, looked at the editor’s infuriated face. A flash of intense disappointment crossed his expression before he nodded expressionlessly and started gathering the documents on the table.

“Since you’ve agreed, we’ll call it a day here. I hope you’ll follow through on your promise after returning.”

“I certainly will!”

The chief editor of Daily Highlights stood up, gripping Leon’s wrist earnestly, “Leave this to me! After going back, I’ll definitely write an honest account of this incident so those wretched individuals get their just desserts! By the way, the evidence is somewhat thin; it might only result in Chal Department Store compensating. The real masterminds may still manage to stay untouchable. Do you have any more incriminating evidence against those three?”

“Not yet.”

Glancing at the soul radiating confusion, scheming, and malice rather than anger, Leon couldn’t suppress a wave of disdain flashing across his eyes. Suppressing the urge to punch the man in the face, the disguised Leon pushed away his hand and expressionlessly gathered the documents back into the file bag on the table before bidding farewell:

“Mr. Editor, since you believe the evidence is insufficient, I’ll take these back for further organization. Once I gather enough proof, I’ll contact you again.”

“Ahhh? No need for that!”

Seeing Leon seemingly about to leave, the Daily Highlights chief editor seemed anxious and hurriedly grabbed his arm, pleading,

“The victims are waiting for compensation! Even though the evidence isn’t perfect, it’s enough to grab most people’s attention. Why don’t you leave them here for now? Let me rush out a report first?”

“No.”

Fed up, Leon directly shook off his hand and said expressionlessly, “If I give it to you, this report probably won’t ever come out.”

“…”

Hmph… So you figured me out, huh? This kid isn’t as stupid as he looks.

Staring at Leon’s unusually cold gaze, the Daily Highlights chief editor raised an eyebrow, realizing his intentions had been uncovered and Leon wouldn’t hand over the materials anymore.

Looking down disdainfully at Leon, whose face was partially covered, noting his thin frame and shabby attire, the previously amiable and enthusiastic editor who praised Leon nonstop now curled his lips downward, sitting back in his chair casually, shouting: “Waiter!”

Waving at the waiter who’d been eyeing them from afar, the editor pointed at Leon with an indifferent face and ordered,

“Close the door and call two security guards over. This guy just stole my stuff. The thing in his arms—that’s it.”

“Alright sir! Close the door outside!”

Glancing at the Daily Highlights editor dressed impeccably in a Frock high-end suit, with a neatly folded silk handkerchief in his chest pocket, complete with hat, bow tie, watch, walking stick, and polished leather shoes.

Then glancing at Leon, wearing a poorly fitting old coat with a black scarf covering his mouth and nose, the waiter didn’t even hesitate a second before knowing exactly what to do.

Not even considering that these two entered the restaurant together; or that there was no physical contact between them during their entire interaction; or that the wealthy gentleman’s finger pointed at something that had been cradled in the masked man’s arms the whole time—none of these facts swayed his judgment.

After all, the customer is always right, and one of these two clearly wasn’t a customer of this establishment, right?

“…”

Watching four security guards summoned by the waiter block the exit of his booth, Leon frowned slightly, looking back coldly at the Daily Highlights editor calmly adjusting his tie.

“You’re resorting to force?”

“I’m not forcing anything; I’m saving your life—and also the poor soul you’re planning to drag down with you.”

Carefully smoothing out the creases in his tie, the Daily Highlights editor leaned on his cane and slowly approached.

“Even though you’ve kept your face hidden, judging from your voice and actions, you’re pretty young, aren’t you? Your sense of justice is commendable, but clearly, you don’t understand how society works.”

Gently raising his slender “cane,” he wiped off some mud from its tip onto Leon’s pants before smiling faintly and whispering,

“For our country, the royal family is the heart, the nobility are the organs, parliament is the brain, factories are the strongest muscles, merchants are the bones that continuously produce blood, and the rest… are merely skin that sheds and regenerates on its own, and hair that grows anew season after season.”

Looking at the silent Leon, the Daily Highlights editor’s smile faded slightly before leaning closer with disdain in his eyes and quietly questioning him in a voice only they could hear,

“Let me ask you this: when hair has an opinion against the organs, should I, as the tongue, shout it out loud, causing other foolish hairs and skins to boil up in unnecessary chaos?

Or should I be a bit smarter and intercept this troublemaking strand of hair, teaching him how to shut his damn mouth?”

(End of Chapter)