[{"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-196":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},2286032,4472,"Chapter 196: 195 Infiltration and Confrontation","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-196",196,"\u003Cp>Is this where the rebels live?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrying a metal drum filled with orange-red palm oil, he blended in with other rebel members assigned to procurement, entering a dilapidated warehouse on Patriot Street in batches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What appeared before Li Ang was not a dim, dusty storeroom cluttered with miscellaneous goods, but a lush valley dotted with numerous low buildings, where many people moved back and forth along manually dug dirt paths, busily preparing something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing something was wrong, he immediately took a heavy breath, then feigned exhaustion from carrying the drum, using the moment of shifting it to his other shoulder to glance around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other directions looked ordinary, with nothing distinctive to identify location—but in the northwestern part of the valley, he could faintly make out a towering, “7”-shaped giant tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That steel-framed tower, built by emissaries from the Kingdom of Krok, was a boarding platform for rigid airships; the short horizontal stroke atop the “7” was the “platform” for passengers to board and disembark, one of the capital’s landmark structures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the boarding tower is to the northwest… then this valley must be southeast of the capital?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having located the boarding tower with his exceptional vision and confirmed his position, Li Ang involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the size of the boarding tower, the valley was likely fifteen or sixteen kilometers from the capital—he had merely stepped through a door and suddenly found himself over ten kilometers away?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the Secret Investigation Bureau had turned the capital upside down and still couldn’t find the rebels’ hideout—this place wasn’t even in the capital! It would’ve been strange if they’d found it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly… this space-translocation anomaly’s ability is absurdly overpowered!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After carefully memorizing his discovery, Li Ang shifted the drum from his left shoulder to his right—and suddenly seemed to grow dizzy, stumbling half a step backward, then “instinctively” grabbing the warehouse doorframe and “reluctantly” steadying himself on the handle to keep from falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Materialism” showed no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad—though this door had space-crossing ability, the warehouse door itself wasn’t the anomaly; it was likely merely a vessel, or perhaps the “anomaly” wasn’t attached to the frame or handle at all, but to something else…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Baskins?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware of Li Ang’s ulterior motives, the fat uncle behind him, seeing him gasp, shift his shoulder, then suddenly stagger and grab the doorframe, quickly reached out to steady the drum and said with concern:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re not feeling well, just put the drum down and go home to rest—I’ll come back later and fetch it myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the fat uncle’s offer, Li Ang—who had no idea where “his” home was—shook his head immediately, then steadied his stance and, with “bulging veins” and “sweating profusely,” carried the drum forward, following the others into the warehouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kid… sigh… just like his father—stubborn as an ox, impossible to pull back…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching “Little Baskins’s” sweat-soaked clothes and strained, hunched back, the fat uncle—who carried a heavy sack himself—sighed, then quickened his pace to follow, ready to lend a hand if the boy collapsed, to prevent both the drum from breaking and the boy from injuring himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet strangely, Little Baskins had clearly looked on the verge of collapse, his body swaying—but he kept staggering forward for a long while, looking as if he’d fall at any moment, yet somehow held on and successfully delivered the drum to the warehouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man responsible for accounting nearly stumbled backward as he took the drum, barely avoiding being toppled to the ground by its weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After staggering two steps to steady himself and using his belly to brace the drum upright, he looked up at “Little Baskins” in surprise:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on? Why is this drum so full? Usually it’s only half-full.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh? So palm oil drums are normally only half-filled?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the accountant’s question, Li Ang—who had knocked out the real Little Baskins while he was filling the drum and assumed his identity—felt a flicker of embarrassment, finally understanding why the oil shop owner had looked so hesitant to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His family was small and always used small jars; he’d never bought such a large drum before. After knocking out the real Little Baskins, he’d simply assumed the drum should be filled to the brim before carrying it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The oil shop owner, having witnessed Li Ang’s assault on the real Little Baskins and being ordered by Amy to cooperate, hadn’t dared to warn him—and so Li Ang had walked off with this full drum…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wiping sweat he’d forced onto his brow, the handsome but cold-faced “Little Baskins” stretched his shoulders and said flatly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The oil shop owner gave me this much. I asked him, but he said it was correct, so I brought it back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unsurprised by “Little Baskins’s” coldness, the accountant pondered a moment, then said confidently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably this batch was nearly sold out, and the truck was about to leave—he needed to clear the big drums quickly to head to the depot and fetch new stock, so he just dumped all the remaining oil into yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, heh—heh, Little Baskins, you got lucky today. You scored a small but nice bonus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Responding indifferently, the naturally aloof “Little Baskins” turned and walked away from the warehouse, retracing his steps. The accountant didn’t take offense at his rudeness; he merely smiled and called out to the next person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank goodness I chose this cold, expressionless face…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing back at the accountant’s expression and confirming no suspicion, Li Ang exhaled in relief, grateful for his choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy’s list of suspected rebel procurement agents had nearly twenty names; I picked Little Baskins because he was cold and quiet, and didn’t seem to fit in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not the most discreet, someone like him—with few words and few expressions—was least likely to slip up when information was scarce. A cheerful, talkative person would’ve been far harder to impersonate convincingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucky break!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surveying his surroundings, Li Ang immediately fixed his gaze on the building at the valley’s center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having successfully infiltrated, now came the mission: locate the suspected grandmother and grandson with memory abilities, and find a way to erase the Princess’s memory…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Baskins!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Ang prepared to begin his investigation, the fat uncle who had earlier steadied him hurried out of the warehouse after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catching up to the “stubborn” Little Baskins, the bearded uncle scolded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That drum was packed to the brim—why didn’t you call me to help? You carried it all the way back alone? Breaking the drum’s one thing, but what if you hurt your back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew it—luck is always an illusion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the familiar face approaching, Li Ang’s head throbbed with insufficient information. He forced himself to maintain Little Baskins’s blank expression and replied coldly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I tried lifting it—I thought I could manage, so I carried it myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nonsense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him still pretending, the uncle grew angry, eyebrows twitching:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I tried lifting it just now—I nearly wrenched my back. You carried that full drum all the way? How is your body holding up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, when you passed through the door earlier, you nearly fell—I saw it all! Why show off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn… I should’ve just endured it a little longer, not touched the frame or handle at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You kid, why are you so stubborn?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the boy lower his head in silence, still “stubbornly” refusing to speak, the uncle sighed and pleaded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you’re hurting inside, trying to distract yourself with work—but take care of your body. You won’t feel it now, but when you’re old—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know you’re suffering inside and want to keep busy to numb yourself, but take care of your body—don’t exhaust yourself too much. You might not feel it now when you’re young, but when you’re old, you will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Preoccupied with his mission and fearing prolonged conversation would expose him, Li Ang snapped his head up, glaring:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know my own body best! No need for your advice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know better than anyone how my body is! No need for you to lecture me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… what’s wrong with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled by the sudden outburst, the uncle froze, then eyed him suspiciously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Baskins? Today… you’re acting strange. You never talked to me like this before…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Baskins? You’re… acting strange today… You never spoke to me like this before…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh no… even with identical features, familiarity still reveals differences. Have I already been found out?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Ang’s eyes flickered, searching for a way to cover up, the uncle reached his own conclusion, his kind face now troubled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it Old Baskins? Has he been hitting you again? Did he steal your money to buy more liquor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it Old Baskins? Has he been hitting you again these past two days? Did he steal your money to buy more alcohol?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking Li Ang’s silence as confirmation, the uncle’s round face flushed red. He grabbed Li Ang’s wrist and rolled up his sleeve—sure enough, long, bruised streaks appeared on his elbow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it! That bastard! He’ll die one day from those two sips of rotgut!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After cursing, the uncle grabbed the “abused” Li Ang and marched back the way they came, furious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can’t keep indulging him! Come with me—I’ll get your money back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We can’t keep coddling him! Come back with me and face him—I’ll help you get your money back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh no… I just barely got in—now I’m being dragged out before I’ve even done anything?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having slipped up just by improvising slightly, Li Ang dared not act further. He let the uncle drag him along, glancing back repeatedly as they moved farther and farther from the suspicious building at the valley’s center…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d only let himself slip a little, and already he’d been caught out. Li Ang could no longer act freely; he let the fat uncle drag him along, glancing back over his shoulder every few steps, moving farther and farther from the suspicious building at the valley’s center…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Ang was reluctantly pulled to the entrance, about to cross the space-translocating door and leave the rebel valley, the old iron warehouse door suddenly twisted, then exploded into a red wooden door carved with floral and bird patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a soft creak, the red door opened from outside, and a middle-aged man entered—relatively young, but with streaks of white in his temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a soft creak of the hinge, the redwood door was pushed open from outside, and a middle-aged man entered—relatively young in appearance, but with streaks of white in his temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stepping in from outside and seeing Li Ang and the uncle inside, the man smiled warmly and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a moment—I’ll reset the destination.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, we’re in no hurry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the man, the uncle instinctively straightened his posture and bowed respectfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader, you look worn out—please take better care of yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leader, you’ve grown pale lately—please take better care of your health.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leader?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, Li Ang’s pupils contracted. He quickly imitated the uncle’s posture, lowering his head, while memorizing the man’s face in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Secret Investigation Bureau had searched for years without success—and now, the rebel leader stood just two meters away. This face must be etched into memory… hmm… why does his face seem slightly familiar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Secret Investigation Bureau had searched for years without success—and now, the rebel leader stood just two meters before him! He must memorize this face… hmm… for some reason, his features seemed oddly familiar…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware that one of the two men before him was an infiltrator, the leader turned and walked toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ang’s eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After closing the door again, the middle-aged man reached out and touched the plaque on the edge of the rosewood doorframe; the luxurious rosewood door twisted and transformed back into an old iron storage door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go on, I’ve reset the destination.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Chief!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, no need to thank me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ang, who had watched the entire operation, stared thoughtfully at the plaque on the doorframe, while the middle-aged man, having inadvertently revealed his secret, smiled and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Owen, you and little Baskins are drenched in sweat—did you just return from shopping? Why rush back without resting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen, the fat middle-aged man, hesitated, then sighed and confessed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Nathan, little Baskins was beaten again yesterday, and his money was stolen. I’m afraid old Baskins will squander it, so I wanted to take him right away to get it back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the fat man’s words, the middle-aged man recalled the morning’s scene and, glancing at the bruise on “little Baskins”’s elbow, his smile faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You won’t make it in time to find him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking his head slightly, the middle-aged man looked at “little Baskins,” his expression tinged with regret:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This morning, when I met a friend on Patriot Street, I saw your father on the opposite side—he staggered out of a tavern, drunk. He must’ve spent all your money drinking through the night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But before I could approach him, he urinated right against the Memorial Wall for the War of National Defense. The patrolling guards spotted him, kicked him a few times, and took him away to jail. Your money is probably gone for good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It doesn’t matter. Whether beaten or robbed, I’m used to it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppressing his inner turmoil, Li Ang—who planned to infiltrate the rebel leadership by pretending to be an “anomaly” through forced salutes—maintained his dead-eyed, apathetic adolescent facade while his eyes, faintly longing, asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief, how… how can I gain powers like yours?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he couldn’t beat his drunkard father, he craved power? Such a childish, shallow wish could never give rise to a true anomaly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the boy before him, the middle-aged man silently shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already investigated this reclusive boy and concluded he lacked the conditions to become an “anomaly”—he hadn’t even placed him on the observation list for the Water Bearer Director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the fresh and faded bruise marks on Li Ang’s thin arms, then recalling the iron combat medal that old Baskins had angrily “spat” onto the wall along with phlegm that morning, the middle-aged man fell silent for a moment, then sighed deeply and extended his palm toward “little Baskins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give me one of your hairs. Let me take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2397,"2026-06-20T03:18:28.556Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9a65414a427d10bfd1885b42ad0da8a3b7fb44476ef402a6989409f54c9d1fc8","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-197","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-195",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-the-cleanup-crew-cover.jpg"]