[{"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-9":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},2285845,4472,"Chapter 9","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-9",9,"\u003Cp>9 Slots and Fire\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait three days… will it still be timely?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, the bandaged woman who had seemed friendly refused to act; worried about the hospital’s situation, Li Ang clenched his teeth and lowered his head to plead again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re willing to help, I can…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, this isn’t about the price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Interrupting Li Ang, the bandaged woman shook her head, her expression regretful:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The reason I’ve survived six years in the Clearance Bureau is that I never act without certainty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I sympathize with your plight, but I have my reasons for never taking unnecessary risks—I hope you understand my decision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understand? Of course I understand—what else can I do if I don’t? Drag you there by force?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing her unyielding refusal, Li Ang helplessly loosened his grip, his eyes slowly clouding with a faint gray of despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it sounded cold, she was right—she had no obligation to risk herself for his sake—but what about Anna?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, I could still return to the hospital and extract Anna before this “Uncontrolled Contaminant” causes a major incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if the nurse was telling the truth, stopping her medication and taking her away now would condemn her to a lifetime bedridden—she probably couldn’t even do chores like laundry or cooking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past years, her lung disease has already burdened the family terribly; given her outwardly gentle, obedient nature—but inwardly stubborn as hell—once she realized she’d become a complete burden, she might…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kid, don’t you dare back out on me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Ang wrestled between the two choices, hesitating whether to take Anna out, the black goat in his arms twisted its neck uncomfortably and warned anxiously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We made a deal—you help us find someone, and you buy us cigarettes! We found the person for you; if she won’t help, that’s her problem—but you still owe us every single cigarette!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right—there’s still this thing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if spotting a straw floating past, Li Ang’s eyes suddenly lit up; he grabbed the goat’s head, frantic:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about you? Can you handle this? If you can, as long as I’m still working in the Clearance Bureau, I’ll buy you a pack of ‘Gao Te’ every week!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk… You’re pulling this crap on me again… Are we giving you too much leeway?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Li Ang’s offer, the black goat’s face darkened with irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kid! You don’t seriously think I helped you find her just for your cigarettes? I’m a great demon—do you think I’d care about a cheap pack that costs three silver wheels?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listen up! If it weren’t for that red-haired bitch liking you, even if you knelt down and begged me to take your soul, I wouldn’t even bother—do you understand?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least three packs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shit! I asked for too little!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a disgruntled grimace, the black goat cursed itself for being weak-willed, then sighed heavily and shoved its head deeper into Li Ang’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh… why do I always fall for this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right now, with this goat head and goat brain, I can’t even rob anyone—chances are, I won’t get any money, and I’ll end up getting boiled alive, left with not even a copper wheel to buy a pack of cigarettes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn! Just thinking about it makes me furious! That red-haired bitch isn’t poor, but as soon as her salary comes in, she spends it all on booze—won’t even spend a single copper wheel on me!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once I’ve smoked enough to gather enough power to turn things around, I’ll smash every tavern in the royal capital—and burn down every alcohol-scented perfume factory too! Let that bitch drink not even a single hair’s worth!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the black goat seethed inwardly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it gathered its dwindling strength and branded Li Ang’s chest with a demon mark, granting him the right to “use” it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, familiar static buzzed again in Li Ang’s ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zzzt”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【First acquired usable anomaly: Hidden trait of the Chromatic Badge “Materialist Soul (Crimson)” activated】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Materialist Soul (Chromatic · Crimson · Non-Upgradable): …】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Wearing Effect: …】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Advancement Path: …】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Hidden Trait: Badge Slot 1, Current Slots: 4, Anomalies Required to Unlock Next Slot: 2】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the mechanical voice echoed, the virtual interface—previously showing only three slots—rolled open, revealing a fourth slot; a pale green badge shaped like a goat’s head and horns was already embedded within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Gained usage rights to the anomaly “Demon’s Horn,” successfully activated the Bronze Badge “Demon’s Favored”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Demon’s Favored (Bronze): After completing a filthy, despicable bargain and agreeing to perform an extreme evil sacrifice weekly, you earned the favor of a high-ranking demon】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Wearing Effect: Increased affinity with anomalies marked “Corrupted,” slightly reducing usage cost while greatly enhancing effect】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Advancement Path: Without being discovered by the former owner of “Demon’s Horn,” Olivia, complete ten agreed-upon evil sacrifices—this badge will automatically upgrade to the Silver Badge “Demon’s Friend”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Hidden Trait (No Wearing Required): Your soul has been tainted with a trace of demonic essence, making you more noticeable to certain evil entities】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Your contamination value has increased】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Current contamination value: 0.1】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hssss… You kid… you’re actually kinda my type!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying in Li Ang’s slightly uncomfortable arms, feeling the “like fish in water” harmony, the black goat lifted its head in surprise:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back then, when you could’ve cut that fat guy from the Road Administration, you held back—I thought you were some moralistic type, figured we’d never get along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this compatibility? You’re clearly no saint! Not outright evil, sure, but you’re definitely not carrying good intentions—haven’t you pulled a few scams and cons in your time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This compatibility is just the badge’s effect—I’ve been law-abiding my whole life, okay?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his solid reputation was unjustly accused, Li Ang’s mind was still clear—he wouldn’t reveal his secret to a demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After holding the chattering goat head for a moment, Li Ang was stunned to discover he’d temporarily gained the ability to peer into souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Centered on the goat head in his hands, thousands of flickering, faint “flames” suddenly glowed across a two-kilometer radius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hatred, betrayal, deception, envy, rage—countless cold, dark thoughts, burning like fire and searing the soul, appeared before Li Ang like blue phosphorescent ghosts drifting through a graveyard at midnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he focused his attention, he could pierce through layers of concrete and brick to directly see the seething malice within each “flame.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ang even felt a strange premonition—that if he simply reached out and plucked one, those cold, poisonous flames would instantly surge, burning all reason from the host, turning their faintly gray souls pitch-black, darker than charred coal.\u003C\u002Fp>",1093,"2026-06-20T03:18:28.556Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4ffbb05a87ccf767a0b5801d8d5d499b9a3eb27bbdaaa595a7b47701352bd06b","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-10","i-m-the-cleanup-crew-chapter-8",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-the-cleanup-crew-cover.jpg"]