Chapter 2-I Clean Up Garbage in a Wasteland World

Chapter 2 The Job

Beasts?

In the apocalyptic world Zhu Ning originally came from, all human cities had been breached. Hordes of zombies loitered right outside the gates. You want to see some fresh Beasts? Just take a step outside and you could cuddle up with them.

Fang Ying's expression was a sight to behold. She probably hadn't expected to hear such an answer, and for a moment, her face was a mixture of bewilderment. Was this newcomer really so bold?

Her original plan had been to follow the standard procedure: a long-winded explanation of what Beasts were, followed by some videos and data presentations.

The listener might be confused, scared, or even break down, and Fang Ying would then be responsible for comforting the employee. But Zhu Ning showed none of that. Her expression was perfectly calm, and she spoke of Beasts as if she were talking about wholesale cabbages at her doorstep.

Fang Ying was silent for a rare two seconds before continuing with the process. "Are you afraid of corpses?"

Zhu Ning gave a conservative reply, "Not particularly."

She had seen far too many corpses before—human, zombie, and some things she couldn't even identify. To her, seeing a corpse was like seeing a streetlight.

Fang Ying paused. As expected of someone chosen by "It". Regardless of her abilities, Zhu Ning at least had guts of steel. She had already been screened once by "It"; Fang Ying's part was merely a formality.

Fang Ying: "It's good to be brave. You can start work."

Zhu Ning: "...That simple?"

She had thought there would be some kind of test.

Fang Ying: "Technically, our work isn't very difficult. The only requirements are being brave, not being afraid of blood or gore, having high-pressure tolerance, and being in a good mental state."

Zhu Ning paused, then asked in a low voice, "Corpse collection?"

Fang Ying: "You could understand it that way. You need to clean up the scene."

Just as she thought. First asking if she was afraid of Beasts, then if she was afraid of corpses. It definitely had to do with dealing with these things. Zhu Ning quickly summarized the situation. First, this world had some kind of mysterious Beasts, and she didn't need to know what they were.

Second, the corpses of these Beasts required specialized personnel to collect and contain them.

The job wasn't hard, and she could start without an interview. Such a simple onboarding process likely meant it was a logistics unit. This kind of work usually didn't require facing conflict directly; you just followed behind the main force and picked up the scraps.

In her past life, Zhu Ning had lived every day on the brink of death. This job was almost laughably simple for her.

"With such a high salary, you can't find people?" Zhu Ning asked.

Five thousand NewCred for just three hours. According to the recruitment website's calculation, that was a daily salary of over ten thousand.

In the Wasteland era, where a vast number of jobs had been replaced by robots, a position like this would be fought over tooth and nail.

Fang Ying sighed. "There aren't many people who meet the qualifications. Most simply can't handle it. Our longest-serving employee has only been here for eight and a half years. Many switch careers after just three months."

Zhu Ning: "Why?"

A troubled look appeared on Fang Ying's face. "You tend to go crazy if you do it for too long. That's why we're constantly recruiting."

Zhu Ning: "Go crazy?"

"Yes," Fang Ying gave a wry smile. "Most people's minds just can't take it. But we monitor our employees' physical condition. The center will intervene and stop you when you can't handle it anymore. But don't worry, we won't force anyone to work. We cover treatment for any injuries, and there's a pension every month after you leave."

It sounded like warmth from the organization, tinged with cruelty.

"That's why our probation period is only one day. You can tell in a single day whether someone is cut out for it or not," Fang Ying said.

Zhu Ning asked, "What about robots?"

It sounded like there was some kind of psychic field involved. If humans were affected, robots should be fine.

Fang Ying: "They short-circuit."

Zhu Ning: "?"

Zhu Ning had assumed that since robots had no minds, they wouldn't be affected by the contamination. It seemed that without mental strength, one couldn't work at all.

Fang Ying: "I can't say much more. No amount of words can compare to experiencing it yourself."

"To be honest, we're in desperate need of new people. But the work is somewhat confidential, so I must be clear with you." Fang Ying pushed a stack of contracts in front of her.

Zhu Ning glanced at them. The non-disclosure agreement was mostly vague, generally stating that she must keep what she sees confidential.

One contract was for the probation period, guaranteeing her basic rights. There was also a safety protocol, which was incredibly long—a full twenty pages. Zhu Ning read it carefully. A few clauses were particularly concerning.

Clause 11: The Federal Sanitation Center will take full responsibility for any injuries or casualties during work, with compensation paid at three times the rate stipulated in Appendix 15.

Clause 35: For those who suffer permanent disabilities, the Federation will provide lifelong care.

The safety protocol used words like "injury" and "casualty."

"Is it dangerous?" Zhu Ning asked.

"Yes, but the probability is low. You'll hardly ever encounter it," Fang Ying said. "Generally speaking, by the time the Cleaners enter the site, it's already very clean inside."

After all, they weren't the vanguard. The ones taking the brunt of the danger were the front-line troops. In summary, it was the most slacker-friendly job within a dangerous profession—perfect for a slacker like Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning finished reading all the terms and signed without hesitation.

She had to work anyway, so she might as well do something that paid well. She had always liked the idea of earning a month's salary in a day and then lying flat for the other 29.

Fang Ying's employee wristband beeped. As an assistant, she was busy. Someone else needed her. She said to Zhu Ning, "Your work location for today is Sewer A7. Someone will take you there shortly."

Fang Ying operated her screen. "We use a prepayment system. I'll transfer today's attendance wage to you now. The commission will be settled after your work is completed."

Ding-dong. The Sub-Brain on Zhu Ning's wrist flashed. Five thousand NewCred had arrived. She was getting paid already? Zhu Ning had the surreal feeling that she was here to pick up free money.

...

Zhu Ning underwent a one-hour simple employee training, colloquially known as: Zero to Hero: Learn to Sweep Trash in One Hour.

The training time was counted as work hours, which made the training video feel particularly rewarding.

Zhu Ning watched the video very attentively. After all, it was still a somewhat dangerous job, and she didn't dare to be careless.

In the instructional video, the corpses were all bloody, mangled messes. It was almost impossible to tell what kind of Beasts they were from the video. All she knew was that their official designation was Contaminant.

Zhu Ning firmly memorized every step. She was a fast learner. In short, it was corpse collection plus battlefield cleanup. Simple enough for her.

After watching the video, someone led her to change into her "work uniform." Unexpectedly, changing clothes was the most time-consuming part. Because she was unfamiliar with it, it took her a full twenty minutes.

The uniform looked a lot like a biker suit—pure black, with a leather-like fabric. She also had to wear a solid black helmet. If she were to snatch a motorcycle and ride off now, she wouldn't look out of place at all.

Pressing a button on the chest would inflate the suit's interior, creating a buffer to resist the impact of a Beast's charge. It could even supply oxygen for extreme environments. There were several buttons on the arm that allowed for the injection of NutriStim or HealStim without removing the suit. Basic needs like eating, drinking, and waste disposal could all be managed inside the suit. When inflated, it expanded, looking more like a spacesuit.

The helmet's internal panel had a simple system for communicating with teammates and receiving remote guidance.

Zhu Ning recalled the first rule in the Cleaner's handbook: Never expose your skin.

Zhu Ning held her helmet but didn't put it on yet. Before her stood a man and a woman, her colleagues. The corpse collection squad—no, the Clean Squad—usually operated in teams of three. When a rookie joined, the original team would be broken up to accommodate them.

"Li Nianchuan."

"Xu Meng."

The three of them exchanged names. Everyone was wearing protective suits. Li Nianchuan had a clean-cut look, with fluffy, dark brown hair. He had an outgoing personality and seemed unable to hide anything; his thoughts were written all over his face.

Xu Meng's appearance and dress were very plain. Zhu Ning's quick glance revealed little information. Xu Meng handed Zhu Ning a gun. "For self-defense. The authorization isn't activated. Just keep it on you for good luck."

Zhu Ning examined the gun. There were no bullets in the chamber.

"Air rounds," Li Nianchuan explained. "When you fire, it instantly wraps air to form a bullet. The stopping power is decent."

Li Nianchuan added, "It's fine if you don't know how to shoot. We rarely need to use it. Today, you're just learning the whole cleaning process."

Zhu Ning didn't argue that she knew how to use a gun. She tucked it into the back of her waistband. Finally, Li Nianchuan handed her a cleaning pack. Zhu Ning had seen it in the video; it contained the tools she would need to sweep the trash.

"Let's go," said Xu Meng, the leader of their three-person team. "I'll take you to sweep some trash."

...

The work site was said to be a certain sewer.

They were transported by a dedicated vehicle. Being new to the city, Zhu Ning didn't recognize the roads and had no idea where they were going. She only knew that about an hour had passed when the flying car stopped at eight in the evening.

It was already dark. Two large floodlights had been set up in the wasteland, instantly illuminating the area as if it were daytime. Staff had put up a police cordon, and robots were maintaining order.

As Zhu Ning's team went in, another team was just coming out.

Their uniforms were slightly different, more like flexible armor. If Zhu Ning's suit was a biker outfit, theirs was something out of an Iron Man movie.

Zhu Ning had struggled on the edge of life and death in her past life. She could tell with one glance that this group was different. They carried a palpable, murderous aura. This must be the legendary vanguard force.

Xu Meng led the way. Upon seeing the armored soldiers, she stopped in her tracks to let them pass.

It seemed this armored unit was of a higher rank. When the two groups met, the Cleaners had to yield. Zhu Ning had no choice but to stop as well. The other team walked straight past the three of them without so much as a greeting.

As one of them passed, he let out a low laugh: "Scrub."

Li Nianchuan wanted to step forward and argue, but Xu Meng grabbed his arm, only letting go after the armored soldiers had left.

Xu Meng was already used to it. Li Nianchuan was clearly indignant. "What's with the attitude?"

The three of them were wearing helmets, their communication shared. Zhu Ning asked, "Who are they?"

"Demon Hunters. They specialize in killing Contaminants." As expected of the team leader, Xu Meng's voice was much calmer. She explained, "The pressure is immense. Many of them are in a bad mood after completing a mission. Just think of it as an occupational hazard."

Zhu Ning pondered what the vanguard force must go through. That team of armored soldiers all seemed on edge, as if they were itching for a fight to vent their stress.

Li Nianchuan scoffed. "It's all high-tech now. With such good weapons and Combat Suite guidance, anyone could do it."

In a high-tech era, humans relied more on technology. With artificial intelligence and high-powered weaponry, soldiers were essentially just pawns on a chessboard.

Zhu Ning asked curiously, "Why didn't you become a Demon Hunter?"

Li Nianchuan sighed. "My psychic level isn't high enough. I'd be easily contaminated."

Zhu Ning said, "Oh," understanding now. It seemed there were conditions. Those with high enough psychic levels went to the front lines to fight Beasts, while those with lower levels swept the trash behind them.

Li Nianchuan seemed a bit embarrassed. "But we're the ones who contain the Contaminants. They'd be screwed without us too."

Zhu Ning casually agreed, "Right, right, we're the best."

Hearing the sarcastic tone in her voice, Li Nianchuan asked, "Do you want to be a Demon Hunter too?"

Most people thought being a Demon Hunter was cool, while being a trash-sweeping Cleaner was low-class and boring.

Zhu Ning rejected it outright: "No."

Was he kidding? She had spent a lifetime fighting zombies. She was here to be a slacker.

Li Nianchuan: "..."

Zhu Ning's reply was a bit too blunt.

Li Nianchuan patted her shoulder. "Good colleague. There aren't many Cleaners with a sense of professional pride like you anymore."

Zhu Ning: "Of course. I saw the potential in our job from the very beginning."

More money, less work, no danger. It was her dream job.

"Alright," Xu Meng interrupted their idle chat. "Let's get to business. Li Nianchuan, report."

Li Nianchuan immediately dropped his playful demeanor and recited the data: "E-Level Mission. Contamination area: two thousand five hundred cubic meters. Contamination level: minimum thirty percent, maximum fifty-five percent. Sixteen Contaminants, all deceased."

Zhu Ning listened to the string of numbers but didn't have much of a concept of what they meant. Cubic meters?

It was hard to explain. Xu Meng said, "You'll understand once you go down and experience it."

First time is strange, second is familiar. After three times, Zhu Ning would have these numbers down cold.

"Zhu Ning, you go down first," Xu Meng ordered. "I heard from Fang Ying that you're very brave. This is a good chance for you to get familiar with the scene."

Li Nianchuan thought about it being Zhu Ning's first time. "Maybe I should go. She's still a rookie."

Zhu Ning: "No need, I can handle it."

There was no need for courtesy over such a small matter. What should have been a manhole cover was now a large, chiseled hole, courtesy of the Demon Hunters.

A rope was hung beside it, specifically for the cleanup crew that followed. Zhu Ning grabbed the rope and leaped down like a nimble fish. It was a deep drop.

After landing, Zhu Ning untied the rope. There was a slight sound from the rope; Li Nianchuan and Xu Meng must be coming down as well. Her helmet was equipped with night vision. Zhu Ning scanned the scene, and then she froze.

She had mentally prepared herself for this, watched the video, and listened to the advice of her seniors. She had seen her fair share of things in the zombie world and had even let her imagination run wild.

But as it turned out, she had been too conservative. Her imagination was far too conservative.

Author's Note:

Cleaner Handbook, Rule #1:  Never expose your skin.

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