Chapter 64: The Classic Three-Choice Dilemma
Chapter 64: The Classic Three-Choice Dilemma
Unaware of what transpired during his absence, Lyon had retrieved his confiscated documents and rushed to the Cleanup Bureau without even stopping for lunch, having already missed half a day's work.
Although the Cleanup Bureau didn't monitor attendance, as his first workday back, there were numerous tasks that had been put on hold for several days and needed to be resumed.
These tasks included wrapping up the aftermath of the Scale Gold Sect Holy Spirit attack, using the pretext of a family reunion at Ryan's house to investigate the whereabouts of the sheep offal, finding time to further boost his shooting emblem's progress, and keeping his promise to help Senior Emma from the Red Brick Road Hospital incident.
Oh, and today being Friday, according to the Lazy Witch's Rental Broom, a feline creature would knock on his door at 3:30 in the afternoon.
Lyon would have to take a leave later to buy some treats for the creature to ensure the witch's broom could be used normally. If time permitted, it would be best to also visit Happiness Apartment to mark a checkpoint, and if it was safe, he could even brush up on his parkour emblem proficiency...
As he carefully reviewed his to-do list, Lyon was suddenly overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks awaiting him, causing a headache. His impression of the secret police worsened.
As a trainee who had only been working for a little over a week, Lyon had already taken a four-day sick leave, disappeared for half a day without a word, and was about to request another leave in the afternoon. Even the easygoing Red-Haired Bureau Chief would likely...
...
"No problem, take the leave!"
Without even hearing Lyon's full explanation, the Red-Haired Bureau Chief, after merely understanding why Lyon was absent in the morning, swiftly approved half a day's leave with an unusually relaxed gesture.
"It's all due to force majeure, taking a leave for unexpected reasons is perfectly normal. Don't think of me as that bad~"
Seeing Lyon slightly relieved before him, the Red-Haired Bureau Chief cleared his throat and, with a shift in tone, smiled and said,
"However, while your leave is entirely justified, it is a bit excessive. If I report this many leaves to the higher-ups by the end of the year, it might give the impression that our bureau is slacking off... How about we try an alternative this time instead of reporting your leave?"
An alternative?
Lyon was momentarily taken aback by the suggestion, and after glancing at the Red-Haired Bureau Chief's squinted fox-like eyes, he became instantly alert. Hesitantly, he asked,
"Actually... I don't necessarily need to take a leave. If it's not possible..."
"Oh, come on! How could I possibly harm you?"
The Red-Haired Bureau Chief playfully scolded Lyon, who was on guard, and then smiled, saying,
"Don't worry, it's just a minor adjustment to your work schedule.
I'm thinking of not recording your leave this time, but instead, assigning you an off-duty field task without the field allowance... What do you say? Can you accept these conditions?"
In other words... The half-day leave I requested would be made up after work?
After considering the Red-Haired Bureau Chief's conditions, Lyon didn't find anything amiss. However, the Bureau Chief's squinted fox-like eyes made him feel uneasy.
"It's doable... But can I ask a few questions first?"
Lyon cautiously observed the Red-Haired Bureau Chief, who was smiling suspiciously, and tentatively asked,
"Is this field task far away?"
"It's a bit far from the Cleanup Bureau, but still within the Capital City."
"Will it consume a lot of time?"
"Not at all. With your... skills, it should be manageable within a night."
"Does it... involve facing very dangerous enemies?"
"No, it's a simple investigation task, your specialty."
"Well…?"
"Ugh! Why do you have so many questions?"
Seemingly exasperated by Leon's inquiries, the Red-Haired Bureau Chief glared at him. "One Emma is already a headache! Must you copy everything she does? Fine, since I'm free these days, if you're worried about the danger, I'll accompany you myself!"
Accompany me? Hmm... The Cleanup Bureau has one Bureau Chief and twelve directors, and below them are the twelve Zodiac District Branches. The Red-Haired Chief's capabilities are astonishingly powerful, and with her by my side, it seems highly unlikely that anything could go wrong...
After hearing the Red-Haired Chief's suggestion, Leon pondered for a moment. He couldn't think of any potential pitfalls and couldn't find a reason to refuse the arrangement, so he simply nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I'll take on this field task. However, I have quite a few unresolved matters at hand, so if possible, I'd like to delay the start by a couple of days."
"Sure, no rush... Oh, wait! Don't leave just yet, there's something else I need to discuss with you."
Seeing that she had finally found a partner to work with, the delighted Red-Haired Bureau Chief stopped Leon, who was about to leave, and said with a smile:
"The body of that toad from the Scale Gold Sect and the money it spat out are both excellent materials. If nothing unexpected happens during the creation process, you'll soon possess an incredibly powerful anomaly."
"That's fantastic!"
Upon hearing the Red-Haired Chief's notification, Leon, who had two functional anomalies and relied on his gun for combat, was overjoyed. His eyes lit up with anticipation as he asked, "What abilities will this anomaly have after it's created? Do you know?"
"I don't know, but I can assure you that you'll be the first to find out."
Smiling at the perplexed Leon, the Red-Haired Bureau Chief explained with a mischievous grin:
"According to the General Bureau, that toad's own dignity is also high enough to create a very advanced anomaly.
However, due to the severe damage it sustained, its power has diminished significantly, making it impossible to preserve all the concepts it embodies intact. We can only choose one of the three primary concepts as the core of this anomaly."
At this point, the Red-Haired Chief paused briefly before raising a finger.
"The first concept is money, or currency, to be precise.
By melting down the toad and its spat-out money and adding a bit of divinity to enhance its dignity, we can create an anomaly based on currency.
As the holy spirit of the Scale Gold Sect, money is the toad's strongest concept. Although the resulting anomaly won't be combat-oriented, its practicality will be astonishing, making it my top recommendation."
So... another functional anomaly?
Noticing Leon's furrowed brows at the mention of "no combat power," the Red-Haired Chief's expression turned solemn as she earnestly reminded him:
"Leon, I know you desperately need an offensive anomaly, but the value of an anomaly isn't solely determined by its combat abilities.
By choosing this anomaly, you'll have an endless supply of money for life. You can directly produce the corresponding currency and exchange it for whatever you desire, no matter where you go. This isn't limited to our world; it extends to the deepest ocean trenches, the far side of the moon, ancient kingdoms lost in the past, future worlds that span time, and even the demon-filled abyss.
As long as they possess intelligence and life and use a form of currency for trade, willing to engage in transactions with you, you can pull out the appropriate money and buy whatever you desire!"
(End of Chapter)
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