[{"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-199":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},2286035,4472,"Chapter 199: 198 Problems and Another Test","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-199",199,"\u003Cp>“Barkins… I… I truly regret it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, in a small hut within the rebel settlement, after drinking a cup of cheap liquor with a gloomy expression, the fat uncle, face flushed with alcohol, hugged the neck of “Little Barkins” and wept uncontrollably:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If only you hadn’t gone to save me, maybe you wouldn’t have suffered so many injuries, wouldn’t have drunk so much after being discharged, and your family wouldn’t be in this state now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu wu wu… I… I really did my utmost to raise money for you—not just my house and my wife’s jewelry, but even the reserved position that would have kept me from being purged by the military—I sold it all, yet I still couldn’t gather even one-tenth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I didn’t not want to give you money—I truly didn’t!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I really tried—I even went to the relief bureau and begged on my knees… but your wife’s illness was truly beyond saving. If I gave you all my money to throw into it, not only would your son have no one to care for him, you’d likely starve to death, and so would my wife…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I’ve wronged my wife, I’ve wronged you, I’ve wronged your wife, I’ve wronged your son—I’ve wronged your whole family!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… in this lifetime… I’ve wronged everyone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry… Owen got drunk and mistook you for Old Barkins, made you witness his shame…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the incoherent sobs of the drunken fat uncle, a gentle-looking woman wiped her tears and, with a pleading expression, said to “Little Barkins”:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know I’m not the one to say this… but… could you please not blame Uncle Owen? He really did his best back then… please?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the woman before him—barely forty yet aged beyond her years—Li Ang nodded slowly, murmuring a vague “Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning of the two families’ past through the drunken, fragmented tales, even though he hadn’t lived through them as Little Barkins had, his chest still grew heavy, as if blocked by something, his breathing suddenly difficult—he suddenly wanted to step outside and breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Barkins…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Li Ang, head bowed in silence, the gentle woman sighed and spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You haven’t drunk, but it’s late already. Your home is on the other side of the valley—why not stay tonight? Sleep in Owen’s room?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking his head to decline her kindness, Li Ang said softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aunt Fenn, my home isn’t tidied yet, and… I want to go out and feel the wind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright… then fasten your coat, don’t catch a cold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stepping out under the woman’s tender warnings, Li Ang hurried along the dark dirt path toward the other side of the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an undercover mission, this reconnaissance was a complete failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from being a good listener to the fat uncle’s endless stories of the past, he gained little intelligence on the rebel leadership—even couldn’t determine where his own supposed residence was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But… it wasn’t entirely without gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least he confirmed that most of these rebels weren’t power-hungry schemers—they were just ordinary people trying to live peacefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding a slightly elevated spot to sit, Li Ang, in the night wind, observed the valley’s layout of buildings while seriously pondering what he should do next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the perspective of a Clearance Bureau agent, he had already located the rebel settlement, identified the leader’s identity, and established a foothold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he needed to do now was reveal his “abnormality,” join the rebels who possessed abnormal objects, complete his mission, help the Princess reclaim her identity, and eradicate the organization entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet beyond those eight or nine abnormal object holders, the entire rebel group numbered nearly a thousand—many of them, besides family members, carried warrants and bounties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They survived here in this valley only because of their leader’s strange “Gate ability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they returned to the capital, they’d be arrested and thrown into prison at once; their families would lose their means of survival once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though all this seemed unrelated to him—once he controlled the abnormal object holders, the rest wouldn’t fall under his duty—yet…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the coat the gentle woman had deliberately draped over him before leaving, then at the tear stains smeared on its front by the drunken fat uncle, and Li Ang sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assuming someone else’s identity… doesn’t seem easy at all…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Barkins?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Ang let out a long sigh, a middle-aged man with streaks of gray in his hair stepped silently from nearby shadows, frowning:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally willing to show himself? This man’s caution is extreme…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ang, who had long sensed his presence and deliberately approached, had already equipped his Performer Badge. Hearing the question, he flinched, turned with feigned surprise, eyes wide with bewilderment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader? What are you doing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not far from my home. Couldn’t sleep, came out for a walk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without pressing Li Ang’s counter-question, the middle-aged man answered first, then his eyes flickered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you? Why aren’t you home so late?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Home…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ang fell silent for a moment, then shook his head softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t have a home anymore?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing “Little Barkins’s” words, the middle-aged man frowned, pointing to a darkened hut in the distance:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Barkins, what are you talking about? Isn’t that your home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, so that’s “my” home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing listlessly at the hut, memorizing its location, Li Ang shook his head with cold indifference, speaking in a voice so faint yet utterly certain:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not my home. It’s just a house I live in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware he’d been baited, the middle-aged man’s heart trembled at “Little Barkins’s” reply, a hollow ache rising within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Little Barkins, that place was no longer home… and this kingdom, too, was no longer his kingdom…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much he changed or struggled, what had happened had already happened. No matter where this world’s kingdom headed—good or bad—it no longer concerned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His family was gone. His regrets could never be mended. For a man who had lost his “home,” wasn’t this kingdom just an empty house?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Ang’s single phrase—“That’s not home”—pierced his chest with seventy or eighty bloody holes, the middle-aged man sat down beside him in silence, both breathing the night wind together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the “homeless boy” broke the silence first, gazing at the valley’s lights, asking softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader… can we truly change this country? Can we ensure these tragedies never repeat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, we can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he himself barely believed it, the middle-aged man still nodded seriously, offering a convincing lie:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This country is beyond saving. If we keep striving, we’ll eventually sweep it into the trash heap, then on its ruins…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impolitely interrupting, Li Ang’s voice was confused:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After you confirmed I had no talent for abnormality, I thought deeply—how can I change the kingdom without that kind of magic power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I realized… I can do nothing. Even we, under your leadership, can do nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the middle-aged man’s stunned expression, “Little Barkins” spoke slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though I’m poorly educated, watching both upper and lower councils, I see that what those elites call ‘politics’ is simply convincing more people to believe you, accept your judgment, follow your words—and thus gather enough power to change the status quo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But what we’ve done these years is only to make enemies everywhere—nobles hate us, merchants fear us, the royal family hunts us, even ordinary people distance themselves. Only when driven to despair do they see us as their last, desperate option.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader, do you truly believe this can change the country? And even if you succeed, how can you guarantee the ruins will birth the future you describe—and not another kingdom, born rotten and destined to decay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing these questions, each a knife plunged into his heart, the middle-aged man leapt to his feet, staring at “Little Barkins” with alarm:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who taught you this? Or… are you not Little Barkins?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader? What are you talking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing him, “Little Barkins” looked up in shock, bewildered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who else would I be? And I didn’t learn these from anyone—they’re my own thoughts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, Li Ang sighed deeply, briefly recounted what he’d heard at the fat uncle’s home, then looked at the middle-aged man with wide, yearning eyes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Leader—you’re our leader because you understand the most. I have more questions for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle Owen and… my father—they fought for the country, that’s not wrong. The kingdom gave them generous compensation, that’s not wrong either. My mother and I did nothing wrong, and Owen did everything he could for us—so why did it end like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My mother died in a hospital. My father became a drunkard. I had to endure daily beatings. Owen, who tried so hard for us, must carry guilt for life… Can you tell me why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And under your leadership, we can only destroy—dare not show our faces, confined to this tiny valley—can we truly change any of this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Barkins must be real… right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stammering a few half-hearted replies, the middle-aged man hastily fled the rocky ledge, his doubts erased by the torrent of soul-shaking questions—but his mind had crashed. In the night, he wandered aimlessly back to his dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did I even go talk to him? Why not just leave? What kind of questions were those? Why couldn’t I answer any of them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just because he failed the talent test, Little Barkins could think this deeply? I lived through so much in my past life—but why can’t I understand any of this? Is the gap between people really this wide?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staggering to his door with a mind full of tangled questions, the middle-aged man reached for the latch—then froze, his gaze snapping to the nearby tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader, it’s me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the middle-aged man’s cold stare, a stout, flushed, reeking man stepped from behind the tree, offering an awkward, sheepish grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Owen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After slightly frowning, the middle-aged man lowered his guard a little and asked with puzzlement:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s so late—why are you here without resting? Is there something urgent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually… it’s not urgent… I just want you to use that watch to test Little Baskins again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding out a hair he’d picked up from the drinking table, both hands cradling it, the fat uncle—now somewhat sober—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>explained with a pleading expression:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader, Little Baskins carried a whole barrel of oil by himself today—he was already exhausted, and over these past two days he’s been beaten and barely slept. His condition must’ve been poor, so he just barely missed your standard, falling short by a hair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The boy didn’t pass your test, and he hasn’t spoken all day. Even he, who hates drinking more than anyone, actually drank two sips tonight, and he’s been distracted ever since. I… I’m worried about him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader, if it’s not too much trouble, could you test him once more? What if he passes this time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that’s why—you really do treat him like your own son…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the hair in the fat uncle’s hand, the middle-aged man helplessly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Owen, this test isn’t like a physical exam that drops because you didn’t sleep well or just exercised hard… hmm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he met the fat uncle’s pleading gaze, the middle-aged man paused slightly, then remembered Little Baskins’ strange questions, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s hesitation, the middle-aged man nodded as if under some unseen impulse, took the black hair from the fat uncle’s hands, and gently rubbed it against the side of the wristwatch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Squeak~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the middle-aged man’s manipulation, the sound of gears meshing returned; the watch quickly opened its “mouth,” swallowed the hair, and began grinding it again with force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Owen, I’m willing to test him again, but don’t get your hopes up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the watch began its scan, the middle-aged man gently warned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This device measures more than just the body—it leans heavily toward spirit, will, and other intangible aspects. And Little Baskins has always fallen short in these areas, so even if we test again, it’s likely still…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the needle not waver at all, but snap directly to the far right with six crisp clicks, locking firmly in place—and even faintly straining further right—the middle-aged man’s eyes bulged instantly as he gasped sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh???????”\u003C\u002Fp>",2065,"2026-06-20T03:18:28.556Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","93a9a6367dccb16b1ac343cdb6240de13e7ec507ea424908fd7c87ad5890ea85","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-200","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-198",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-the-cleanup-crew-cover.jpg"]