[{"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-38":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},2285874,4472,"Chapter 38","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-38",38,"\u003Cp>38 Negotiation? The Cleaver! (Part 2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think you’re trying to kill me!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the nodding approval of the other board members, the middle-aged woman’s chest heaved violently, as if all her blood had surged upward to her head; her clenched fists were icy cold as a corpse’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Directly letting Char Water Power go bankrupt would indeed avoid most compensation—seemingly a good solution for all directors—except for their own Char Department Store, because that hydro company also bore the name “Char.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she truly agreed to their proposal and allowed Char Water Power to collapse, most of the blame would fall squarely on her family, and what followed was all too predictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angry citizens couldn’t storm the Road Administration Department or resist the three old noble families, but they could boycott her other companies’ businesses and attack Char Department Store’s buildings scattered across the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her department store now held over seventy percent of the capital’s market share, once this scandal spread, every branch would instantly become deserted, plagued by endless harassment, theft, and robbery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… you won’t get away with this!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the cold, almost mocking expressions of the other directors, the elegantly dressed middle-aged woman gasped sharply, then slammed her fist onto the table:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t forget we’re the largest investors! And you all signed the agreement—Char Department Store has a veto right! As long as I say no, none of your proposals pass!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s your final answer, then I can only express my regret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After glancing at the middle-aged woman’s hysterical state, the middle-aged man of the Lionheart Family shook his head, interlaced his fingers, and leaned back in his chair with calm composure:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since you insist on unreasonable compensation and refuse to align with us on business philosophy, our Lyon Family will withdraw.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Additionally, according to the original contract, we must now hold a vote; if approved, we can still claim this year’s dividends—but judging by your condition…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After looking at the woman’s bloodshot eyes, the Lionheart Family’s middle-aged man shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Never mind. Let’s waste no more time. Lyon Family forfeits this year’s dividends. Wishing those who stay smooth sailing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… you’re being a cheat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing someone openly walk out now, the middle-aged woman snapped:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This year’s dividends won’t even cover half the compensation! And the water supply was under your control all along—now that disaster struck, you dare just walk away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough… Madame Char, that’s not correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elderly man with a rose emblem on his chest cleared his throat and reminded slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your veto right can decide whether a proposal passes, but it can’t dictate whether others leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, I’m sorry—I cannot accept your proposal. Our Ma Sai Family withdraws too. Wishing you smooth sailing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our York Family withdraws as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… you all…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the three old noble families collectively walk out—clearly coordinated beforehand—the desperate middle-aged woman instinctively turned her gaze to the remaining two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, this incident is a natural disaster, unrelated to our Road Administration Department.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving the frantic middle-aged woman a look of faint sympathy, the official from the Road Administration’s River Bureau shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though our dam was breached, the direct cause of this accident was Char Water Power’s failure to follow procedures. Our department will not allocate compensation funds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our Nongye Force is the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The official from the Nongye Force’s Water Bureau also shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our department doesn’t participate in water supply operations. Even if I petitioned for funding, it would be denied.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the only thing we can do is report this year’s losses from Char Water Power and forfeit our dividends. As for anything else, I’m powerless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So… in the end, it’s all dumped on me?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t leave!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the others rise to depart, the middle-aged woman, her insides burning, clenched her teeth and stomped hard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you leave, you’re not just abandoning water supply—you’re giving up all other business rights! No more dividends, and you won’t get back a single copper of your initial factory investment!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since we’ve decided to withdraw, we’ve already prepared for this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden-haired middle-aged man lifted his eyelids slightly, his expression as still as a deep well, and reminded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Madame Char, you seem to have forgotten: most of these hydro company operations were brought in by us. Under current commercial rules, if no one buys your ‘product,’ even the most powerful production capacity is meaningless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After withdrawing from Char Water Power, we can easily form a new company with identical operations—or wait until Char Water Power collapses, then buy its corpse for less than one-tenth the original price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and one more thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the now-pale Madame Char unconsciously clench her teeth, the golden-haired man’s lips curled slightly—his expressionless face showed emotion for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides hydro, we three have strong interest in the department store business. When our new department store opens, please join us for the ribbon-cutting ceremony—with you and Mr. Char.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… you planned this all along?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the golden-haired man’s smile, the middle-aged woman’s mind flashed like lightning—her entire body trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder… no wonder such a low-level accident happened! This whole thing was aimed at her family from the start!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The funds for building the hydro company had already locked up her family’s capital; now, with disaster striking just before return on investment, the massive compensation and ruined reputation would crush her department store, forcing it to surrender every market share it held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And these three days of negotiations weren’t about failing to agree on compensation—they were meant to delay her response, letting the scandal slowly spread and ferment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even allowing protesters to gather near the hydro plant, then having security beat them without fully driving them off—all to make the incident explode faster!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No! Not just that!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the directors who once revered her but now glowed with mocking contempt, the middle-aged woman felt the world spin—her feet stumbled violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, they didn’t need her family at all to build the hydro company. There was no reason to drag Char Department Store in and hand her family free money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was a trap from the start—from the moment they lured her family to invest and branded the hydro company with their name—their goal never changed: to swallow her department store whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I… I… how stupid was I!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom? Mom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her mother’s condition, the young girl with a baby face behind her rushed forward to catch her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, noticing her mother’s eyes rolling back, her mouth gasping “hehehe” without forming a single clear word, the girl’s face paled—her voice cracked with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone! Help! Someone, please!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1105,"2026-06-20T03:18:28.556Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1a1f139fc5ffbb8a097cc2d9fc1a2b940736f2f2560ca31edb497e1b675e692c","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-39","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-37",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-the-cleanup-crew-cover.jpg"]