[{"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-51":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},2285887,4472,"Chapter 51: 51 The Heartwarming Sandwich","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-51",51,"\u003Cp>51 The Heartwarming Sandwich\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope you mean what you say this time!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pressing his temples again, the weary old Charles hesitated briefly, then sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, he saved my wife. Once we find him, be gentle—don’t hurt him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood, we’ll remember!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Then go. Bring me back what’s mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the detectives left with their new mission, the exhausted old man slumped back in his padded office chair, pressing his index and middle fingers together as he rubbed his throbbing temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m just getting old…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Charles Department Store grew stronger, these years of comfort have dulled my vigilance far too much. If it were twenty years ago—or even ten—I would never have let things reach this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I couldn’t bring myself to act harshly, I should have halted the hydro company’s project from the start, instead of letting it slide to the point where I didn’t even demand control, allowing those bastards to slap ‘Charles’ on their names…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as old Charles was massaging his aching head, thinking he must quickly groom a worthy heir while he still had the strength to hold the throne, someone knocked on his office door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tap. Tap-tap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the knock, the old man stiffened, as if a switch had been flipped—he instantly returned to his sharp, capable demeanor, straightening his slightly hunched back, glancing down at his papers as he called out loudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, it’s us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a weary voice, a young woman with a doll-like face in a business suit helped Charles’s wife, her face flushed with anger, into the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Charles!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the office door closed and they confirmed no sound could escape, the middle-aged woman, having reached her limit, shrieked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on with the company shares? You gave away forty percent all at once—is Charles Department Store still Charles Department Store?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dare come to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the woman could speak, old Charles already knew what she’d say—he slammed his fist on the desk, glaring fiercely:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened with the hydro company? Did any of the problems I warned you about come to pass? If I hadn’t acted fast and hadn’t refused to rely solely on you to negotiate, Charles Department Store would already be gone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Charles mention the hydro company, the woman’s confidence wavered, but she pressed on:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, you didn’t have to give away forty percent—and most of it came from my family’s side…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you hadn’t given away forty percent, would you even be standing here yelling at me now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not hiding his exhaustion in front of family, old Charles leaned back in his chair, rubbing his brow with weary resignation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you remember? Fifteen years ago, when Charles Department Store nearly collapsed, I refused to give up a single share. I opposed giving away shares more than you ever did. But this time, we have no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It may seem resolved now, but the solution was too brutal—we made huge profits, but we crushed every competitor’s interests all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you know? We’ve dragged the price standards of fifteen entire industries to rock bottom. The Business Alliance is furious. If we don’t give them a share of the pie, what do you think will happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his wife suddenly shudder, as if grasping the truth, old Charles spoke without expression:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This year, Charles Department Store will become truly massive. But after year-end, when the hype fades and the compensation is paid, Charles Department Store won’t belong to the Charles family anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the support of the Business Alliance and the councilors,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I alone cannot hold onto this company—not even guarantee our basic safety. Then we’ll all end up together in prison. Do you understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his wife, pale as death and barely holding herself upright thanks to their daughter’s support, old Charles, still not satisfied, pounded the desk and raised his voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know what’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done? If you don’t, I’ll tell you: your greatest stupidity is believing everything always follows the rules!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You think a veto clause in a contract can stop the old nobles from scheming?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You think seizing factories and retail channels forces everyone to back down?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You think once the company grows big, we can ignore the Business Alliance’s opinion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re utterly foolish!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his wife, ashen-faced and leaning on their daughter to keep from collapsing, old Charles’s eyes flickered with pity—but he hardened his heart and added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“People play by the rules with you because they know they can’t beat me outside the rules!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now we’re the ones who started dumping goods, breaking the unwritten rules, pushing everyone to the brink. Do you still expect them to hold back and keep playing fair?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At a time like this, if you don’t quickly give up shares and bring capable people on board to share the burden, are you just going to sit on your pile of gold and laugh until you die?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad! You… you shouldn’t talk like that. Mom just wanted to help you—she just lacked vision a little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Dad, think about it—how many people have risen from nothing to become one of the top three merchants in the capital in just twenty years? How could anyone else’s vision compare to yours?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After glancing nervously at her trembling mother, the doll-faced girl quickly signaled with her eyes and tried to smooth things over:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad! Mom was a pampered noblewoman before she ran away with you. She learned to wash clothes, cook meals, stayed up all night helping you manage inventory and accounts, and fought alongside you all these years—how hard has that been?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All these years, except for this one misjudgment, she’s managed company affairs flawlessly, never caused trouble. And when I was little, you were always busy—she had to care for me while learning how to…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pulled her hand away from her daughter’s grip. The woman, whose features bore six-tenths resemblance to her daughter’s, still faintly echoing her youthful innocence, pressed her lips together and turned her head away stubbornly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A mistake is a mistake. Why bring up the past?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Running away with you was my own choice back then. Now that I’ve made a mistake, it’s my own doing—I don’t need to trade past sacrifices for sympathy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And look at your father—he’s about to collapse from exhaustion if no one watches him. Stay here and keep an eye on him. Too many people are coming to buy now; the staff can’t handle everything. I’m going to supervise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom, your illness just improved—maybe I should…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t need you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his wife storm out the door, old Charles fell silent for a moment, then waved his hand at his daughter, who still looked ready to speak:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t try to console me. I’m not blaming her. I said what I did so she’d remember this lesson. As for the past, I remember it better than you do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you know? Because I was too poor to give your mother proper care, after giving birth to you, her health suffered—she barely had any milk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, I was working day and night to support the family, unable to help. The once-pampered noblewoman had to wear a tattered apron, braving winter cold, holding your crying, starving self door-to-door, begging—finally kneeling to beg for just a little milk…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling those hard days, old Charles’s eyes darkened:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I rushed home early, worried about our situation, and saw that scene—I swore then: even if I had to sell my soul to a demon, become a monster without conscience, I’d make sure you two lived well! Ah… looking back now, it’s just…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve never feared anyone in my life—except your mother. I could never say no to her. When we were setting up the hydro company, if I’d held out just a little longer, maybe we wouldn’t be here now… Forget it. Let’s not talk about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He touched the four stacked metal boxes on his right, confirming the locks were still intact, then shook his head slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on. Your mother’s health is fragile—we should go…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s bad!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as father and daughter rose to leave, the office door burst open. A sales clerk in uniform rushed in, panicked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss! From the cash box at the shopping plaza… something crawled out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gur! Gur!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two deafening croaks from outside interrupted the clerk’s words. At the same moment, a calm, clear male voice echoed simultaneously in the hearts of over fifty thousand people surrounding Charles Department Store:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You who chase wealth—I ask you:”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After struggling to climb out of the massive cash box, a giant toad, drenched in coins of every kind, puffed its golden cheeks, croaked loudly, and spat out a river of golden coins. Then it squinted and smiled kindly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are these gold coins I’ve spat out enough to buy your life?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1477,"2026-06-20T03:18:28.556Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b9ce39c3c5106c97b81ed71278270957ed5201c679e7a46469177df945a6567c","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-52","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-50",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-the-cleanup-crew-cover.jpg"]