[{"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-31":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},2285867,4472,"Chapter 31: 31 Non-Human and Target Practice","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-31",31,"\u003Cp>31 Non-Human and Target Practice\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After instructing Li Ang to be extremely careful about the “loving cuddles” from male colleagues, Heishanyang continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he merely wants to stick physical objects—say, a railway track with a missing section, or a stream dried up and broken apart—he could probably glue together several kilometers in a row with his strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if it’s conceptual sticking, he might exhaust his willpower after only fifty or sixty attempts, and the stronger the willpower of the target, the more terrifying his consumption becomes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like last year, he tried to glue his trust in that red-haired woman just to secure a suitable mission—and ended up suffering a complete mental breakdown, his willpower unable to control his body. He lay in bed for over three months before he could get up again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After explaining the abilities of that roll of tape, Heishanyang summarized:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In short, while an anomaly’s power has limits, it’s not entirely fixed. The higher your body and spirit can endure the consumption, the stronger the anomaly’s effects become.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take us, for example. Sure, we look weak now, but if you could bear the cost and push our power to its limit, we could still ignite the fighting urges of thousands at once and spark a small-scale war! Got it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I kinda get it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After nodding thoughtfully, Li Ang frowned and pressed further:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But you still haven’t answered my question. I didn’t ask about the anomaly’s ability—I asked how I can gain physical fitness like everyone else?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t I say from the start? You can’t rush this~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking a deep drag on his cigarette, Heishanyang squinted contentedly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take more missions, collect more anomalies, and use them often. You’ll naturally be affected, slowly transforming from a human into a ‘non-human’ being. And the more insane and extreme the anomaly, the faster your ‘transformation’ accelerates.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take us as an example. Previously, our transformation speed was on par with that crappy apartment—you could’ve used us for years and barely become slightly healthier than an average person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But after you gave us so many good things, our transformation speed has skyrocketed—roughly three to four times faster than that apartment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if you’re willing to kill a few bastards and offer up their evil souls to us, this speed can keep rising!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In less than a year, your physical fitness could reach the level of that tape guy, Harry! Interested in giving it a shot?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy really... never stops trying to lure me into the water...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Heishanyang’s relentless persuasion, Li Ang couldn’t help but frown in disbelief—but then his eyes suddenly widened!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait... didn’t it just say its past transformation speed was the same as Happy Apartment, and now it’s three to four times faster?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s exactly 0.4 and 0.1... So this “influence” and “transformation” is actually the anomaly’s “infection value”?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having realized the true meaning of infection value, Li Ang hadn’t even time to rejoice before he suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Heishanyang, who was still smoking heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I remember right, the Red-Haired Chief’s [Love Without Memory] has an infection value of 7! And your original infection value was only 0.1—just one-seventieth of hers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy shit, you’ve been bragging all day about being some great demon, and I actually thought you were badass! Turns out you’re this weak?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kid... why is he looking at us like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving Li Ang’s look—two parts disbelief, three parts shock, five parts deep disdain—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heishanyang suddenly shuddered, feeling a sudden hollow unease in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he have figured out that we’re dragging him down?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm... probably not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only those who’ve used an anomaly know its exact transformation speed. That red-haired woman used us too, but she’s absurdly strong—she probably couldn’t even sense whether our speed was fast or slow, and wouldn’t tell him anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah! He won’t know! He definitely won’t know!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough! Cough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he believed Li Ang couldn’t possibly have figured it out, Heishanyang cleared his throat nervously, hastily changing the subject:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway... while collecting more anomalies can make you stronger faster, don’t go too wild, okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not all anomalies are as reasonable as us—willing to protect you just because you get along. Many demand terrifying costs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For example, Emma! Her immortality is powerful, right? But do you know what she paid for it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior Emma...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Heishanyang’s question, Li Ang’s expression subtly shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d long been curious about Senior Emma’s immortality, but she’d clearly seen the Chief’s files and knew his ability came from touch—so she’d always avoided physical contact with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she’d been so kind to him: saved his sister, even gifted him a sidearm. Even if he was curious, he had to show some restraint—he couldn’t just pry into her privacy... though he still really wanted to know a little...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh, such an easy-to-persuade virgin! When we bumped into her in the hallway last time, your eyes were glued to her! I knew you were interested!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Li Ang’s unmistakable curiosity, Heishanyang chuckled, swallowing the last seven or eight cigarette butts still smoldering at his lips, then grinned as he chewed the still-smoking ends:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here’s the deal: go kill a truly evil bastard, vent your anger, and offer up his evil soul to us—and I’ll tell you what Emma paid. How about it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(╬￣ Min ￣)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey? If you don’t want to, just say so—why are you snatching my cigarettes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? You’re actually going to hit me? Damn it! You really think I have no temper? Fine! If you’ve got guts, don’t kick me! Let’s settle this fairly—both of us bite each other, okay? Fuck!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the target at five hundred meters pierced clean through, Li Ang’s face showed no triumph—only grim seriousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving Heishanyang a good beating for his mouthy insolence and tossing him back into the Clearance Bureau’s office, Li Ang didn’t head home. Instead, he took his heavy sniper rifle to the neighboring Police Department, borrowed a quiet shooting range using his Clearance Bureau credentials, and began training for his shooting badge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to maximize his hit rate in future missions, he didn’t just mindlessly rack up live-fire shots—he chose targets at maximum effective range and trained methodically, shot after shot, refining his feel. Yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hit rate was heartbreaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing a stationary target at five hundred meters, even with the cumulative hit bonus from [Materialist Soul], he needed an average of four to five shots to land one hit—seven to eight rounds out of ten missed entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, that one shot that hit in the hospital was pure luck—and with Senior Emma helping adjust the rifle’s sights. His actual shooting skill was still that of a complete beginner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the scope, he saw the holes in the paper target—all in unimportant areas. He shook his head, then blew sharply on his whistle and picked up the small red flag beside him, waving it toward the range officer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shooting at five-hundred-meter extreme range had exceeded his current limits. This hit rate meant nothing in real missions. Better to reduce the distance to around three hundred meters and train for practical, combat-relevant accuracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh, he definitely switched targets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The range officer, hearing the whistle, glanced over and saw Li Ang holding the small red flag for three hundred meters. His eyebrows lifted, then he turned to his colleague. Both simultaneously smirked, exchanging knowing glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When this kid walked in with his rifle, demanding five-hundred-meter targets, we’d already advised him to start at half the max range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because bullet drop becomes harder to control the farther out you go—near maximum kill range, rounds sometimes even tumble mid-air. Predicting impact points is no joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the difficulty of a full five-hundred-meter target is vastly greater than a half-range two- or three-hundred-meter one. For a kid who barely touched a gun, half-range is more than enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this kid’s young, already at the top of the Junior Public Service rank, almost brushing against Assistant Public Service—he’s probably got huge pride, wouldn’t dream of listening to two range officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We offered good advice, but he insisted on trying how far he could shoot, stubbornly demanding five-hundred-meter targets... And now? Realized he couldn’t hit anything, so he finally switched? Guns are fair—they don’t care if you’ve got a rich dad!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer in charge of changing targets chuckled, pulling the control lever. With a series of gear clicks, the three-hundred-meter half-target slowly rose, while the five-hundred-meter full-target lowered and retracted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other officer started to rise from his seat to swap the target paper—but the first grabbed his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? What? Hey, let go! I need to change the target!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Change what target?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer operating the lever snorted with amusement, lifted his colleague’s ear muffs slightly, and shouted over the constant gunfire:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sit down and rest! I recognize that rifle—heavy-duty, effective range only about 470 meters. Shooting at five hundred is over-range. Hitting it would be a miracle!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure, we’ve got guys here who can shoot over-range—but they’re all old pros with nearly twenty years under their belts. Look at this kid—he’s maybe sixteen or seventeen. How’s he supposed to hit over-range? Did he start handling guns in the womb?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, true. Then I’ll just rest a bit longer~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware that his low hit rate wasn’t due to poor skill but the rifle’s inherent range limit, Li Ang still lay on the ground, firing shot after shot to rack up his shooting badge count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After adjusting the target to three hundred meters, his hit rate soared—he no longer missed a single shot, and nearly every round struck vital areas of the target. Only about once every twenty shots did he slightly miss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the sun began to sink, Li Ang, averaging two shots per minute, completed 200 live-fire rounds, upgrading his badge from Iron to Bronze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Shooter: Though you’ve handled firearms for a short time, through exceptional talent and hard training, you’ve become a qualified shooter.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Worn Effect: Through extensive practice, you’ve internalized the distribution pattern of bullet impact points. When consciously adjusting your aim, your shooting accuracy increases significantly.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Advanced Path: Complete 5,000 live-fire shots or 30,000 simulated triggers to automatically upgrade this badge to Silver Badge “Shooting Expert.” Current progress: 0\u002F5,000, 0\u002F30,000】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Hidden Trait (no need to wear): As a firearms enthusiast, your shooting stability slightly improves when using your familiar firearm.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To improve further, I need another five thousand shots?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading the badge system’s prompt, Li Ang estimated his shooting speed: to complete five thousand rounds properly would take roughly forty hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the progression from Bronze to Silver followed the same 200-to-5,000 ratio, the time required might reach over a thousand hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While careful, deliberate practice would improve his fundamentals, it likely wouldn’t match the boost from a high-tier badge. So... should he try to cheat a little?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thought it, did it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the sole goal of grinding the badge, this time Li Ang didn’t hold his breath and focus—he loaded the air tank, picked a rough spot, and fired blindly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Switching from precise aiming to random shooting dramatically increased his speed. Excluding reloading and air refills, he fired over ten rounds per minute. Thanks to [Materialist Soul], about five or six of those wild shots still hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Li Ang stopped shooting and checked the 【Shooter】 badge panel, he grimaced—the “proficiency” meter remained stubbornly at 0\u002F5,000, not even a single point advanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So... only careful, proper practice works after all...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking his head, Li Ang abandoned the shortcut idea, glanced at the sky, then disassembled his sniper rifle into parts, bundled them into a large canvas bag, and trudged out of the range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shortly after he left, a female police officer with wheat-colored skin and a black uniform strode in. After scanning the empty positions, she chose the recently vacated range in the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked weary, burdened by some inner thought. After greeting the two officers in a hoarse voice, she took her chosen rifle to the firing position and raised a small yellow flag signaling five hundred meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the distant target slowly rose, the female officer took a deep breath, bit her lip hard, pressed her eye to the scope’s viewing position, and steadied her long fingers on the trigger...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the target with five or six large holes, she frowned, then waved a small black flag, summoning the range officer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This target hasn’t been changed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pointing at the distant wooden target, the female police officer said flatly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can take a look—there are still bullet holes from the previous shooter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Sorry, sorry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the female police officer’s words, the range manager hurriedly apologized, then smiled and explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A stranger we’d never seen before just arrived—his stance looked awkward, he fired a few shots, then voluntarily switched to the half-distance target. We assumed he hadn’t hit the full-distance target, so we didn’t rush to replace it. Sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a wave of her hand indicating it didn’t matter, the female police officer squinted at the target paper through the sight, then frowned and asked coldly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see the holes on the target are all fairly large—these aren’t from standard firing. They’re from nails that went beyond the firearm’s maximum range by over thirty meters and tumbled uncontrollably, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t we recently emphasizing control and minimizing unnecessary lethality? Why is someone still practicing something that guarantees death if it hits?”\u003C\u002Fp>",2244,"2026-06-20T03:18:28.556Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b2d514d54a32c11c804b8e2df468785d83b21d6b27e3480ed7f38403312e4521","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-32","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-30",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-the-cleanup-crew-cover.jpg"]