Chapter 124

“There’s something, but it’s not a big deal…”

“Whatever the size of the issue, just spit it out already! I’ve been swamped these past few days, sitting on that chair for over ten hours every day. Just say it already!”

“Uh… Alright then…”

The chatter from the group of women in the stairwell was already loud enough, and with Leon’s current Taint Value at “a staggering” 2.6, his physical capabilities far surpassed those of an average person. Naturally, those jokes didn’t escape his ears.

He had originally intended to pretend he hadn’t heard anything, but seeing the female police officer’s slightly red ear tips and her somewhat fidgety demeanor made Leon feel awkward as well.

Subconsciously glancing at the female police officer’s smooth long legs, Leon cleared his throat dryly, pushing the vivid descriptions from those women out of his mind. He then took the initiative to thank her:

“To be honest, I mainly came here to thank you. If you hadn’t convinced your father, I’d probably still be locked up underground for a few more days. Oh, by the way, there’s also the hospital bill…”

“Ah! You don’t need to pay back that money!”

The usually very assertive “Disgraceful Rebel” rarely spoke so softly in front of her, and right now, the female police officer felt incredibly comfortable inside.

She waved her hand dismissively, biting her lips to hold back a smile, and said generously: “My dad hasn’t received a salary for the last two years, but he’s still a high-ranking official, so our family has some savings left over. We don’t have to spend extra money on food or lodging, so your hospital and medicine costs are no big deal to us. Don’t worry about it.”

“Uh… It’s not that I want to pay you back…”

Hearing this, Leon hesitated a bit before explaining: “Our work at the Clearing Bureau is rather special, and we often encounter danger, so all such expenses can be fully reimbursed. So… Could you change the name on the bill to mine?”

“Alright… I’ll do it when I get off work…”

After agreeing to Leon’s request with a somewhat exasperated tone, the female police officer scratched her toes hard inside her shoes and then turned her head slightly, her eyes wandering as she whispered: “So… You came to see me just to thank me and ask me to change the bill? Is there nothing else?”

“Of course there is!”

Upon hearing her words, Leon couldn’t help but feel a little excited. Then, he touched the [Infected Blood Bandage] in his pocket and seriously said:

“I want to meet the prisoner you escorted before—without any other observers. Do you think you could arrange that for me?”

“Huh? You want to meet her?” The female police officer was taken aback for a moment, then her expression dimmed slightly as she pouted and nodded:

“It might be possible… The most important case earlier was the assassination attempt on the princess, and I really wouldn’t have been able to arrange a private meeting for you back then. But now, the top priority is the Lane Family Blood Night case. The importance of the princess assassination case has dropped significantly. We might not even need the director’s approval… Anyway, come upstairs with me first, I’ll check with the director…”

Phew… As long as I can meet her!

After hearing the female police officer’s words, Leon couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. Then, amidst the whispers of a group of undercover officers, he followed her into the stairwell, his eyes full of anticipation.

During these few days while I was recuperating, I thoroughly studied the abilities of this bandage and found that when combined with the [Holy Spirit Pendant], which gains strength through trading flesh, it’s practically an abnormal version of a perpetual motion machine!

In the future, if I encounter another Anomalous Item like the [Aspiration], which controls thousands of people to attack me, I can reinforce the Holy Spirit Pendant by trading blood and flesh while using the [Infected Blood Bandage] to drain the enemy’s health to heal myself.

With this kind of “war-sustaining-war” approach, I can basically maintain the maximum power output of the Holy Spirit Pendant until I collapse from excessive pain and fatigue. If I can obtain the usage rights of this bandage, it will undoubtedly drastically enhance my combat ability! The only problem is, the real “owner” of this bandage is still alive.

If it were one of those items that Jerry gave, which have already changed hands several times, once they’re seized, they can be used directly. However, the [Infected Blood Bandage] is different.

This Anomalous Item was “created” by the female prisoner and her Investigator husband, born out of their painful lives. As its creators, they possess the highest level of “authority” over it.

So if the female prisoner doesn’t agree, even if I have the bandage in my possession, I won’t be able to use it. I must first gain her approval to truly own it.

Otherwise, I’d have to wait until she’s executed for the assassination attempt on the princess, like what happened with the hospital director at Red Brick Road Hospital. Afterward, I would send her body and the bandage back to the General Bureau for a forger to reforge it.

But considering my significant “contributions” during the Lane Family Blood Night, it’s clearly better to talk to the female prisoner directly and try to gain her approval.

Even if I don’t tell her that I almost destroyed the entire Lane family, just telling her that I personally eliminated Bobby Lane should greatly soften her attitude and make her willing to hand over the usage rights of the Anomalous Item… Hmm… Or I could hint at it a bit more…

…

Why isn’t he saying anything?

Not hearing a single word during the climb upstairs, the thoughtful female police officer couldn’t help but glance back and noticed Leon lost in thought. She glanced again.

This Disgraceful Rebel… seems a bit absent-minded? Although the misunderstanding has been clarified, knowing that Leon didn’t actually join the rebels but was just overly radical due to past experiences…

One reason is that she’s used to calling him that, and the other is that Leon’s attitude is far more radical than the average rebel. Thus, the nickname stuck. And the silence from the daydreaming rebel made the female police officer start overthinking.

Could he still be thinking about those jokes from earlier? Like wrapping it around his waist…

Thinking about this, the female police officer felt the gaze behind her become hotter, and her body involuntarily tensed. Her long legs subconsciously squeezed together tightly, feeling a little uneasy under someone’s stare as she climbed the stairs.

“Hmm?”

Her sudden change in posture pulled Leon out of his thoughts about how to gain the female prisoner’s approval.

Looking at the female police officer ahead who had suddenly slowed down, with her legs inexplicably tightened and her gait becoming quite strange, Leon pondered for a moment and recalled their previous conversation. He then cast a sympathetic look toward her back.

Sitting on a chair for more than ten hours a day… Hmm… This is something that can be understood tacitly but not spoken aloud, right? (End of Chapter)