[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-the-cleanup-crew":3,"chapter-i-m-the-cleanup-crew-i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-149":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I'm the Cleanup Crew!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2285985,4472,"Chapter 149: 148 Investigating the Clouds of Suspicion (Part 1)","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-149",149,"\u003Cp>After drinking half the night with the red-haired director and spending the next day asleep on her desk wrapped in a blanket, Leon opened his eyes again, his head pounding, to find the sun already sunk below the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Leon, we are investigators from headquarters, assigned to investigate the ‘Wild Heart Rampage Incident’ you handled. Are you ready to answer questions now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the man’s eyes blank with confusion, his gaze unfocused, likely unable to tell if he was human or dog, the young female investigator frowned and raised her voice again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We are investigators from headquarters, assigned to investigate your case. The preliminary inquiry is complete; please cooperate with our questioning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh... cooperate... definitely cooperate...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After blinking and struggling to process the situation, Leon suddenly perked up, threw off the blanket, and tried to sit up—yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tugged at the red-haired director’s arm twice, but it had no effect; she still clung to him tightly on the desk. Leon pushed her lightly, grimacing as he leaned in to remind her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director! Let go! The investigators are here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director! Wake up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the stunned stares of the two investigators, Leon took a deep breath and spoke with obvious embarrassment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll cooperate fully with the investigation, but could you help me out first? Get me loose? And... please be gentle—I think my ribs might be broken...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After decades as investigators, they’d never encountered such a request...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging a glance with the stunned female investigator, the elderly male investigator shook his head, scribbled a few notes on the form, then slowly approached, cautiously extending his hand toward the red-haired director’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sssss!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the elderly investigator’s palm neared the director, a sharp sound tore through the air—the entire office dimmed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To everyone’s shock, tens of thousands of crimson hairs erupted from the director’s desk, stretching endlessly; in the span of a single heartbeat, they wove into a massive scarlet “cocoon,” binding every living thing nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of vital points on the elderly investigator’s body were instantly “bit” by thousands of living hairs. Leon stared closely—each hair’s tip had already pierced his skin. If the red-haired director so much as willed it, they could pierce straight through, shredding everything inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-haired director, who had been drunk moments before, now had her eyes wide open, cold and merciless as she stared at the two investigators, frozen in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s you... you scared me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After glancing at the elderly investigator, she seemed to recognize him. A look of realization crossed her face, and the crimson hair in the room instantly retracted—the office returned to its normal state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry. I drank too much last night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her retract [Murderous Blood Hair], both investigators exhaled in relief. The older investigator smiled calmly and stepped back. The pale-faced young female investigator bit her lip and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Olivia, I will report everything that just happened, truthfully.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm-hmm, report it, report it~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at the defiant female investigator, the red-haired director nodded, then yawned carelessly, rolled over, and lay back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this had been two weeks ago, she might have cared. But after the Ryan Blood Night disaster at year’s end, the bureau’s annual evaluation was certain to be last place—whether this was reported or not made no difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m already dead last. What’s the point of you reporting me for disturbing the exam site?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, whether I have results or not doesn’t matter—I’m just done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if provoked by her apathetic attitude, the female investigator bit her lip again, then turned to Leon, now free, and said coldly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Leon, since you’re out now, can you begin cooperating with our investigation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the red-haired director, lying back on the desk with her back to them, spoke with irritation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re going to investigate, do it somewhere else. Why investigate in my office? Don’t you see I need to rest? Get out, get out! I just finished a night shift—I’m exhausted!” ????\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the director’s words, watching the female investigator’s face turn from pale to red to ashen, Leon inwardly groaned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director! Are you worried my shoes don’t fit, planning to have these two investigators give me a smaller pair?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After you stirred up this fire, even if Ryan Blood Night really was my fault, even if I’m completely innocent, these two will surely find a way to smear me now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, let’s go, let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the furious female investigator beside him, the elderly male investigator seemed mild-mannered. He wasn’t angered by the director’s rudeness; instead, he gently pushed her back toward the door, saying with a chuckle:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The number of personnel in the Crimson Bureau is the smallest in the Zodiac Bureau. Director Olivia is always busy with official duties. After pulling an all-nighter, wanting rest is perfectly normal. We really shouldn’t disturb her...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What rest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly disgusted by the director’s behavior, the female investigator yanked her arm free and snapped angrily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at all these empty bottles on the floor. How can you claim she was working? I’m reporting this today! Someone as emotionally unstable as her, drinking all night in a branch bureau—how can she be director of the Zodiac Branch? Not to mention...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I will definitely report today's incident! How can someone who is mentally unstable and spends all night drinking at the branch office become director of the Zodiac Branch? Not to mention...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the weary investigator’s expression darkened. He snapped:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know nothing. This isn’t your business!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You know nothing at all—this is none of your business!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the third rule of investigation? Recite it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All... all decisions must be based on facts. Personal emotions must not influence the investigation...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what should you be doing now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The relationship between the two investigators seemed almost like master and apprentice. After being scolded, the young female investigator took a deep breath, clenched her lips again, turned sharply toward the red-haired director, bowed deeply, then spun on her heel and stormed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bowing respectfully to the red-haired director as well, the elderly investigator smiled kindly at Leon:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Leon, since Director Olivia needs rest, we’ll proceed to your office. And please don’t be overly tense—it’s just a routine inquiry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Li Ang, since Lady Olivia requires rest, let us proceed to your office first. Also, please don’t be overly anxious—it’s merely a routine inquiry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that at least one investigator hadn’t been provoked by the director, Leon exhaled in relief and rose to follow the elderly investigator out of the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they left the office, Leon was about to speak and ease the tension when he felt a faint itch on his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he looked down, he saw a single red hair emerging from his collar, drifting toward the back of the elderly investigator. It twisted twice in his blind spot, forming a symbol resembling an exclamation mark, then stuck silently to the back of his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Ang looked down, he saw a strand of red hair emerging from his collar, drifting toward the back of the elderly investigator, then twisting twice in his blind spot, forming a mark resembling an exclamation point that quietly adhered to the old investigator’s lower back.\u003C\u002Fp>",1219,"2026-06-20T03:18:28.556Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","63d0edb8d6afcbe3baea8dba32ea32c1248183363c1c55875c764979ba83a793","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-150","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-148",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-the-cleanup-crew-cover.jpg"]