[{"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-155":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},2285991,4472,"Chapter 155","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-155",155,"\u003Cp>\"Leon Lane...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Leon held his sister’s family photo, pondering how to dig up the Bottle Director’s secrets to speed up the Bureau’s investigation into him, a group of people were studying his file, wondering how to remove him as an obstacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Must we act ourselves? Can’t we handle him with ordinary means?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After quickly flipping through the few documents in his hands, the short man seated at the far end of the long table couldn’t help but speak first:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His schedule is basically fixed—he leaves from Bridge Street every day to go to work at the Municipal District where the Police Department is located. If we lay ambushes in advance, maybe just a few bombs would do it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Useless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man across from him shook his head, gritting his teeth with furious hatred:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s from the Cleanup Bureau—he’s got more than one anomaly item protecting him. Ordinary alchemical bombs won’t kill him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then bomb his home!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The short man proposed again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if he’s protected by anomaly items, they can’t guard him 24\u002F7. We can sneak in at night and blow up the entire apartment on Bridge Street!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can’t get close.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young woman wearing a hat shook her head, speaking rapidly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The apartment has excellent visibility—the northwest balcony can directly observe the entire street. When I tried to pick it as my first sniper position during the Princess’s assassination, I’d barely climbed over the fence when I spotted a terrifyingly huge old man holding a giant pair of shears staring at me. I shot him—he wasn’t even fazed. He swung back with the shears and nearly killed me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Later, I brought twenty men to sneak in—but in the blink of an eye, they were all bound up by a white-haired old woman and thrown into the trash bin at the corner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That old man didn’t kill me, but he held those shears—over a meter long—and shaved my head, eyebrows, and even my nose hairs clean for over half an hour. They haven’t grown back yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After slightly tilting his head to show everyone his empty nasal cavity, the young woman sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Later I found out—the apartment itself is an anomaly item. The huge old man and the white-haired old woman inside have been dead for over ninety years. With those two ghosts guarding it, if we really want to sneak in and plant bombs, we’d need a full military unit with heavy weapons to storm it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, by the way—have any of you seen heavy weapons? Last month I secretly went to Lane Arms Company. They’d only completed half the heavy weapons ordered by the military, but their delivery report falsely claimed completion. Except for a few elite units, most haven’t been actually deployed yet. We could exploit this...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough, Charlotte. Your intel is very useful, but irrelevant to this meeting. We’re discussing how to deal with Leon Lane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Interrupting the young woman, the middle-aged man seated at the head of the table spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gentlemen, according to Barton’s report, this Cleanup Bureau employee is no weakling. For someone protected by anomaly items, ordinary methods stand little chance. You’ll have to act.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone, according to Barton’s recovered intelligence, this Clearance Bureau employee is no weakling. For someone with an anomaly, the chance of eliminating him with ordinary methods is slim—you’ll have to handle it yourselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sucking his teeth hard, a scruffy old man spoke up:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s a Cleanup Bureau employee. The person who gave us our abilities warned us—the Director of the *** Branch is terrifyingly strong. Even all of us together would just be walking into death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If Barton were still alive, we could kill him inside the replication space he created. But now Barton’s gone—if we kill him, that woman might come after us personally...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, she won’t. That woman in the *** Branch has her own duties—she rarely acts personally. And we don’t even need to kill him. Erasing his abilities and memories is enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the middle-aged man spoke, he turned to look at the dozing child beside him and tapped the table lightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Phoebe, you’ll join this mission. Your task is to make the target forget all information about us, and also erase his ability to peer into others’ souls. Can you do it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Phoebe, you join this mission too. Your job is to make the target forget all memories related to us—and his ability to peer into others’ souls. Can you do it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled awake by the question, the sleepy girl blinked, utterly confused:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the middle-aged man’s question, the drowsy little girl jolted awake, then blinked in confusion and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ambush Leon Lane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl sniffed, still bewildered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who’s Leon Lane?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A Cleanup Bureau employee. He exposed Barton’s identity and stole Samantha’s ability.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who’s Barton? Who’s Samantha?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man didn’t grow impatient. He explained patiently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were our comrades. Barton was the spy embedded in the Secret Investigation Bureau—a big, scar-faced uncle. Samantha was the aunt with bandaged hands who could heal others—or make them rot instantly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re our allies. Barton is the spy embedded in the Secret Investigation Bureau—the burly uncle with a scar on his face. Samantha is the aunt with bandages wrapped around her hands, who can heal others—or make them rot outright…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl nodded slowly, half-understanding. She rubbed her eyes and asked again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After nodding with a half-understanding expression, the little girl rubbed her eyes and asked again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... never mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubbing his temples in pain, the middle-aged man gestured to the seat beside the girl:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lucy, your sister’s amnesia is acting up again. She’s useless for discussion. Just implant the necessary information directly into Phoebe’s mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lucy, your sister’s amnesia has flared up again. She’s in no state to discuss anything—just pour the information you need directly into Phoebe’s mind!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hoarse, ancient voice spoke. The wrinkled old woman sat upright and extended her trembling hand to rest on the girl’s forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the strange \"sisters\" ready, the middle-aged man nodded approvingly, then instructed the wrinkled woman:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lucy, the target can peer into others’ souls. After the meeting ends and we select the ambush team, I need you to do one more thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To prevent the operatives from developing hostility toward the target and triggering unnecessary alertness, implant a false memory layer to temporarily overwrite their original memories. Any problem?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To prevent operatives from developing hostility toward the target and triggering premature alertness, implant a false memory to temporarily mask everyone’s original memories. Any issues?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nodding to the old woman, the middle-aged man leaned forward, palms flat on the table, and spoke directly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next, let’s first determine the ambush location. Any suggestions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suggest striking while he’s on his way to work!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man on his right, covered in burns, raised his hand and spoke coldly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We all go in together. Storm the Cleanup Bureau, kill the red-haired woman first, then burn the rest to ashes—and then...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We strike together—storm into that Clearance Bureau, kill the red-haired woman first, then burn every last one of them to ash, and then…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this proposal—more suicidal than deliberately reckless—the middle-aged man sighed and waved his hand toward the burn victim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a strange explosion, the burn victim vanished instantly. Only a dusty, empty chair remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having somehow expelled the burn victim, the middle-aged man groaned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to say such stupid things. Any more reasonable suggestions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s no need to say such foolishness. Do you have any suggestions that are even slightly sensible?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scruffy old man raised his hand, serious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about ambushing him during the Lionheart Duke’s succession ceremony?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lionheart Duke’s succession ceremony?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing the scruffy old man’s suggestion, the rebels fell silent for a moment, then began nodding one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening to the scruffy old man’s suggestion, the group of rebels fell silent for a moment, then began nodding one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perfect!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I agree too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man at the head of the table thought for a moment, then nodded with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A good choice. The Lionheart Duke’s succession ceremony will draw many high-ranking officials—even the royal family will send representatives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we’re lucky, we won’t just solve the Leon Lane problem—we can eliminate dozens of nobles and officials at once. The ambush site will be tomorrow’s succession ceremony.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the operatives—who volunteers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we’re lucky enough, we won’t just resolve Li Ang’s problem—we could eliminate a large number of nobles and officials in one stroke. Set the ambush for tomorrow’s inheritance ceremony!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young woman with the shaved head and loud mouth—once shaved by the giant old man—raised her hand enthusiastically:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can strike from five kilometers away—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the middle-aged man’s words, the young woman—whose head had been shaved by the burly old man and who never stopped talking—raised her hand enthusiastically:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again interrupting her, the middle-aged man shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your ability is stealthy and your range is long—ideal for assassination. But your destructive power is too weak. You likely can’t break through the target’s protective anomaly items.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Besides, we don’t need to kill him—just subdue him, then let Phoebe erase his memories and abilities. You’re not suited for this mission.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your ability is sufficiently stealthy and operates at sufficient range—ideal for assassination. But your destructive power is too weak; you may not break through the target’s protective anomaly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the chatty bald woman pouted, ready to argue, a thin young man stood up, excited:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was Barton who stayed behind to cover our escape—Samantha and I got away. This time, I—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry. You’re not suitable either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now isn’t the time to provoke the red-haired woman of the Cleanup Bureau. You were closest to Barton—I fear you’ll seek revenge and kill the target outright. That would make things uncontrollable. Stay behind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the young man sat down, disappointed, the middle-aged man stopped asking and named names directly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, besides Phoebe and Lucy, David and Luke—you two go with them. Your abilities are clearly the most suitable for this mission.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the young man sat down with obvious disappointment, the middle-aged man stopped asking and simply called out by name:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who first suggested planting bombs replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scruffy old man nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then it’s settled.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming the team, the middle-aged man watched the selected operatives rise and approach Lucy to receive memory overlays. He nodded in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they’d received the memory overlays, he waved his hand to everyone in the room. The strange explosion sounded again. All of them vanished, leaving only chairs covered in dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finalizing the specific candidates, the middle-aged man nodded in satisfaction as he watched the several individuals rise and walk toward Lucy, willingly accepting the memory overlay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the several individuals completed the memory overlay, he waved his hand toward everyone in the room; the strange detonation sounded again, and all within the room vanished instantly, leaving only chairs covered in dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man on the main seat appeared as if he had aged decades in an instant; his once jet-black temples were now streaked with strands of white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, no one can survive into the future?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the empty conference room and the dusty chairs, the middle-aged man, visibly older, let out a long sigh, then struggled to his feet, controlling his future body as he walked toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his last attempt at change, he still could not alter the kingdom’s downfall—the war faction, led by the Princess, was utterly defeated; the entire kingdom was dragged into an eleven-year brutal civil war. The once-thriving capital was reduced to ruins by bombardment, countless people displaced, living worse than death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In those futures where he successfully assassinated the Princess, the royal family and nobles surrendered voluntarily—first ceding land and paying reparations, then handing over all ports, mines, and resources, even forcing the abolition of the legal currency. The once-prosperous nation was nearly drained dry, yet the common people barely managed to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for himself and the “rebels” he had gathered… in every future, none of them existed—only he remained, enduring the agony of a fallen homeland, barely clinging to life, for only by surviving could he repeatedly send news back to the past, trying…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…to save his homeland, now with no way out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After shuffling to the door, the aged middle-aged man took a deep breath, gripping the rusted door handle with bony, knotted hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come on! The Lyon family, responsible for the military’s massive deficits and the army’s weakness, is now utterly extinct. A new Duke of Lionheart has taken his place. Let’s see what this future holds!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Squeak!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the old hinges groaned, it felt as if he had pushed open the gate between two worlds. Warm, almost blinding sunlight poured in, accompanied by a burst of loud noise, washing over the middle-aged man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… this is?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the neat, elegant buildings, bustling streets, massive airships trailing ribbons overhead, and crowds gathered around a strange giant screen at the corner, discussing animatedly, the middle-aged man froze in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Success! I’ve finally succeeded! The kingdom is saved!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A surge of uncontrollable elation seized his heart. Tears and snot streaming, the middle-aged man collapsed to his knees and let out a hysterical roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! You scared me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong with you? Why scream out of nowhere?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prince Lyon got caught cheating—why’s he so happy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guards! Guards! There’s a madman here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the curious stares and chaotic pointing of passersby, the middle-aged man, having seen a beautiful future for the first time, suddenly raised both arms and shouted toward the sky in ecstatic joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long live the kingdom! Long live the kingdom!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled by his shout, the crowd stepped back in unison, then whispered among themselves, baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this guy insane?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s his problem? Why scream ‘long live the kingdom’ out of nowhere?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, wasn’t the kingdom gone long ago?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What? The kingdom is gone?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the conversation between two old women carrying baskets, the middle-aged man shot up from the ground, lunged forward, and knocked one of them to the ground, screaming wildly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could the kingdom be gone?! Who did this?! Who did this!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-no… not me! Not me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrified by the “madman’s” actions, fearing he might bite her, the shopping woman trembled and pointed toward the giant screen at the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prince Lyon did it! Go find him! It’s not my fault!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Lyon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the woman’s gesture, the middle-aged man stared at the strange screen, watching the handsome man on it waving his hands repeatedly, insisting the affair was pure rumor—that he had done nothing that night. He froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lyon… Lyon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kill him! I’ll go back and kill him now!\u003C\u002Fp>",2458,"2026-06-20T03:18:28.556Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","38245c6bdabc55a530a6ca866ae4610837d37af94350d2d68a0de68134d508b6","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-156","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-154",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-the-cleanup-crew-cover.jpg"]