Chapter 116-I Clean Up Garbage in a Wasteland World

Chapter 116 Intuition

Zhu Ning was to give a mission debriefing. In theory, she should report to the mission's person in charge, Hai Bo.

He'd been waiting for Zhu Ning to wake up and had been preparing in the conference room. Beside him was Yue Kaiyuan.

Yue Kaiyuan had come up empty last time and was itching for another shot. "She's definitely the metal-type Ability User. She lied last time."

Zhu Ning had slipped away before. This time, Yue Kaiyuan wouldn't let her escape.

Hai Bo had been so busy lately he'd grown a beard. Hearing this, he frowned. "She's not a criminal."

All the current procedures existed because they feared she'd been infected—a necessary precaution for the safety of District 103's residents. But Zhu Ning herself was the one who'd completed the mission successfully.

Leading a squad of Cleaners through a Contamination Zone was an achievement that deserved commendation.

As for whether she was hiding her Ability—that was her personal choice. Plenty of people preferred not to disclose their Abilities.

Yue Kaiyuan: "But she really is suspicious. I'm being rigorous here. Don't you think every one of her missions has been too unusual?"

Yue Kaiyuan thought Hai Bo didn't believe him. "Look—her very first mission, she ran into a Contaminant. The Demon Hunters had already cleared the Contamination Zone. A one-in-a-thousand chance, and she hit it."

"Second time," Yue Kaiyuan opened a folder full of documents, "the Mechanical Oceanarium. A Transparent Person showed up almost immediately. The Center still hasn't figured out what Transparent People even are."

"Third time is now. They went out to collect Contamination Spores and accidentally got pulled into a new Contamination Zone. After they come back, there's zero video evidence. Don't you think that's way too coincidental?"

Hai Bo: "Running into trouble on missions is normal."

Hai Bo worked in the Mission Center. He knew missions often went sideways. By that logic, nobody could withstand scrutiny. Who could predict when the unexpected would strike?

Look at anyone with suspicious eyes and everyone becomes a criminal.

Hai Bo: "I'll say it again—she's here for a mission debriefing, not as a criminal. You're here to assist with questions. Drop the interrogation act."

Yue Kaiyuan wanted to say more but was cut off by a knock at the door.

Fang Ying entered. "Zhu Ning is willing to give a mission debriefing."

She'd actually agreed? Yue Kaiyuan shot to his feet. He'd done thorough preparation. He was certain Zhu Ning wouldn't wriggle free this time.

Fang Ying added: "But she's specifically requested to debrief only to Team Leader Huo."

Yue Kaiyuan froze, thinking he'd misheard. Why? She was just a Cleaner—why would she choose Huo Wenxi as the person to report to?

The normal procedure would be Zhu Ning reporting to Hai Bo, with Yue Kaiyuan assisting. Huo Wenxi would either observe from outside or simply review the written report.

Who voluntarily invites the head of the Abnormal Incident Investigation Team?

Fang Ying: "Team Leader Huo has agreed. Sorry for the inconvenience—please wait."

Fang Ying's words were polite. The message was: they were no longer needed.

Yue Kaiyuan's expression soured. All his preparation—wasted. He asked, voice tight: "On what grounds?"

Fang Ying glanced at Yue Kaiyuan. She'd wanted to soften the wording but found no way to sugarcoat it. She relayed Zhu Ning's exact words: "She said she wants to see someone with real authority."

Yue Kaiyuan: "......"

Hai Bo, on the other hand, wasn't offended. He snorted with laughter—Zhu Ning was pretty entertaining.

Yue Kaiyuan's face went dark. Was Zhu Ning looking down on his rank?

......

Zhu Ning was brought into a sealed room.

The first thing she noticed was an abundance of green. There were no windows, but the interior was lush with vegetation—like stepping into a botanical garden. At the center stood a tree of indeterminate species, over five meters tall, stretching to the ceiling. Beneath it sat two sofas, surrounded by verdant flowers and plants.

Zhu Ning wasn't a criminal, so there were no restraints. The Sanitation Center was simultaneously wary of her and respectful.

Huo Wenxi was already inside when Zhu Ning entered. She still wore the same blouse from the other day. Her long braid was coming undone, and she looked less than well-rested.

Zhu Ning had clearly caused her a lot of overtime.

Huo Wenxi was smoking. She didn't even turn when she heard Zhu Ning. "Have a seat."

Zhu Ning sat opposite her, still in hospital garb with her hair loose—like a psychiatric patient coming in for a consultation, with Huo Wenxi as her doctor.

Huo Wenxi: "Per your request: no surveillance, no recording, no eavesdropping. Fully confidential environment. I won't be taking any notes. You can relax completely."

Zhu Ning: "I trust you."

A team leader of Huo Wenxi's caliber should have at least that much integrity.

Huo Wenxi fixed her gaze on Zhu Ning. "I'm surprised you asked to see me."

By her understanding, nobody wanted anything to do with the Abnormal Incident Investigation Team.

"I want to see someone with real authority," Zhu Ning met Huo Wenxi's gaze without flinching. "How much power do you actually have?"

"Pretty direct of you. Only willing to deal with the top brass?" Huo Wenxi smiled. Zhu Ning really did look down on Yue Kaiyuan.

Huo Wenxi: "Officially, I'm on the same level as Xuan Qing, Lu Qiqin, and Xie Jiazu. Same title, same salary."

Which meant very well-paid. Xuan Qing could authorize a twenty-fold bonus—Huo Wenxi could too.

Huo Wenxi continued: "But I have investigative authority over all three of them."

They were nominally equals, but Huo Wenxi could investigate any employee of the Sanitation Center—Xuan Qing included. If Xuan Qing slipped up and left evidence in Huo Wenxi's hands, Huo Wenxi could have the head of the Demon Hunters removed.

Huo Wenxi: "I can bypass those department heads and directly commandeer their staff."

Meaning if Huo Wenxi wanted to deploy Zhu Ning, she didn't need to go through Xie Jiazu—didn't even need to notify him.

This was what made the Investigation Team special—and terrifying. They operated independently from all other departments, took no part in internal politics, and reported directly to the highest-level director.

Huo Wenxi asked: "Does that meet your standards?"

Zhu Ning: "Barely."

Hah? Huo Wenxi laughed. Zhu Ning was truly something. Had she asked for Huo Wenxi specifically because she was the highest-ranking person Zhu Ning could currently access?

Zhu Ning asked: "Your Ability is some kind of intuition?"

Huo Wenxi answered cautiously: "Something like that."

She possessed a terrifyingly sharp intuition. That was exactly why Zhu Ning wanted this meeting.

Zhu Ning looked around. Huo Wenxi had disabled the surveillance. Since Zhu Ning was the one being held, the room was completely sealed, with guards at the door.

If Zhu Ning wanted to harm Huo Wenxi, this team leader probably wouldn't last long. Zhu Ning: "You're quite comfortable being in a room alone with me. You're not afraid I'll hurt you—is that because you sense no hostility from me?"

Huo Wenxi studied Zhu Ning more carefully. "Sharp. I can't say exactly why, but it's roughly as you described. My intuition tells me you genuinely mean me no harm."

Zhu Ning: "Am I a bad person?"

Huo Wenxi: "People shouldn't be simply divided into good and bad."

That was a topic too complex for a few sentences. All Huo Wenxi could say was that Zhu Ning was hiding secrets, but she probably harbored no ill intent toward humanity.

Huo Wenxi tapped ash from her cigarette. "So what did you want to tell me?"

Zhu Ning: "I'm the first to report?"

Huo Wenxi: "Yes."

Xu Meng still hadn't spoken.

Zhu Ning: "I'll tell you everything that happened during this mission. You won't need to ask anyone else—I alone can report on the entire incident. No one else saw the full picture."

Quite bold of Zhu Ning—claiming she alone could cover everything. Was she shielding Xu Meng?

Zhu Ning continued: "But I can't write this report. My clearance level isn't high enough. You'll probably need to write it yourself."

Huo Wenxi's brow furrowed. Her first instinct was that whatever Zhu Ning said next would be enormously troublesome.

What in the world had happened beyond the wall?

Zhu Ning said bluntly: "The Contamination Source in this mission wasn't human. It was a worm."

Huo Wenxi was startled. Zhu Ning rarely saw her look this surprised—it was almost satisfying.

One sentence, yet the information it contained was more than a person could digest in a moment. Zhu Ning herself had struggled to believe it when she first learned.

A worm could become a Contamination Source?

Especially for someone who'd worked at the Sanitation Center for years—accepting this required discarding everything they knew.

Zhu Ning narrated the entire incident like telling a story. She omitted the Xenomorph and the final devouring, but faithfully recounted her conversations with the worm.

As she spoke, she watched Huo Wenxi's expression. The further she got, the worse Huo Wenxi's face became. The cigarette between her fingers went unsmoked. When Zhu Ning finished, a long column of ash had built up. It snapped with a tap and fell onto Huo Wenxi's thigh.

Only then did Huo Wenxi react, brushing the ash away with a tissue.

Zhu Ning couldn't read Huo Wenxi's thoughts, but since she hadn't been interrupted, she continued.

"Next, I'll report the intelligence I've gathered."

Zhu Ning: "I haven't seen Jiang Ping's past mission videos. I have too few reference cases and limited understanding of their mechanisms. But clearly, they're different from Contamination Sources inside the wall."

Zhu Ning recalled the worm while choosing her words carefully. "First: the Contamination Source is non-human."

This was the biggest difference. Inside the wall, Contamination Sources were deranged humans—Fishmen, Pigmen, people who'd lost control.

Many ordinary people who broke down couldn't even form a Contamination Source. They'd simply be drawn to a stronger Contaminant and become mindless husks.

"Second: they can open Contamination Zones at will."

Zhu Ning had no other data to reference. Recalling the mission, the Cleaners had passed through the forsaken village on their way to the rear mountains. The village hadn't been burned at that point—meaning they'd already entered the Contamination Zone on their first pass.

But at that time, the Zone hadn't been sealed. It was only on their return trip, when they entered a second time, that the worm sealed the Zone and trapped them.

This form of control was something Zhu Ning had never seen. Inside the wall, Contamination Zones were usually sealed. Demon Hunters had to spend time finding an entry point.

If this was true, virtually all existing rules about Contamination Zones would have to be rewritten.

"Third," Zhu Ning's tone remained perfectly even, "it admitted to having others of its kind. I'll temporarily call them Non-Natural Humans. I don't know how many exist inside the wall."

One worm had gained the chance to evolve. What about other organisms? What if they'd evolved too?

Imagine this: multiple entities like the worm existed inside the wall. Once they might have been plants, insects, birds—continuously fusing with human DNA and regenerating.

Eventually they'd be indistinguishable from normal people, fully integrated into society, capable of evading all detection. They could even join the Sanitation Center.

From the worm's words, Zhu Ning gathered that it seemed to have had no contact with others of its kind.

But that didn't mean the others hadn't banded together. And Zhu Ning couldn't be sure the worm had told the truth.

Having dealt with the Mother Worm firsthand, Zhu Ning knew it considered itself a higher species. It saw itself as a god.

It looked down on humans from above. Even sharing their appearance, it fundamentally regarded them as lesser beings—the way humans might feel about their pets, no matter how close the bond.

The worm could roam freely in the wild. Even if the entire world was contaminated, it could survive.

From a certain angle, this "superior species" was better adapted for survival.

Huo Wenxi hadn't said a word throughout. Zhu Ning: "That concludes my mission report. Reporting officer: Zhu Ning."

She'd even included a closing statement. The report was organized, logical, and included an analysis of the intelligence gathered beyond the wall.

This was exactly the kind of work an Outside-the-Wall Investigator did—scouting for clues and remnants of the old world to deepen humanity's understanding of Contaminants and nature.

But Zhu Ning's report wasn't supplementary. It was practically a teardown and rebuild.

Her message was simple: a non-human type of Contamination Source existed, could create Contamination Zones, could hide among humans, and some might already be inside the base.

If these entities released a Contamination Zone inside the wall—simply walked into a crowd and detonated—an instant catastrophe.

Walking bombs. No telling when they'd go off.

Huo Wenxi was silent for a long time. Zhu Ning's claims were so far ahead of the curve that anyone else hearing them might assume she was lying.

No evidence, no surveillance footage. Just her word. It would be easy to dismiss it as a fabricated story to save her own skin.

Huo Wenxi extinguished her cigarette and finally spoke: "You have zero evidence to support anything you just said."

This was her first utterance.

This mission couldn't produce a written report. No video support, no documents—only a survivor's verbal account.

With Psychic Contamination this severe, how many people still remembered accurately?

Zhu Ning could even relay partial truths mixed with embellishments, and Huo Wenxi couldn't disprove it.

And once such a report went public, it would cause panic and tip off any infiltrators.

Zhu Ning had been right—she was the only one who needed to report.

Zhu Ning: "Yes."

Huo Wenxi: "You also have zero evidence that Non-Natural Humans actually exist inside the wall."

Zhu Ning: "Correct."

Huo Wenxi: "So you're only describing a potential threat?"

Nothing currently supported Zhu Ning's theory. She was building castles in the sky.

Zhu Ning remained utterly calm: "The danger may have already occurred countless times. We just didn't know."

Non-Natural Humans could infiltrate the Sanitation Center, Eternal Pharma, Creation Technology. They could go anywhere undetected.

How long had they existed? How did they reproduce? Had they infiltrated the Federation? What were their plans?

Zhu Ning had no proof it was true. Huo Wenxi had no proof it was false.

Zhu Ning: "That's why I wanted to see you."

Huo Wenxi was an intuition-type. She didn't need evidence—only her instincts.

The person in the entire Sanitation Center best suited to receive this intelligence was Huo Wenxi. She operated independently from all departments.

She had the authority to act on it—exactly what Zhu Ning needed.

Huo Wenxi rubbed her brow. Her intuition had been right. Zhu Ning was trouble. Everything centering on Zhu Ning was trouble.

Huo Wenxi: "You asked to report only to me so I'd clean up after you?"

Zhu Ning: "I stumbled onto terrifying intelligence. Blabbing about it could get me killed early. If I'm going to hug a thigh, it might as well be a sturdy one."

Huo Wenxi: "......"

Zhu Ning: "If Non-Natural Humans really have infiltrated the base, I think you could use this intelligence to gain an advantage."

Huo Wenxi: "And if they haven't?"

Zhu Ning: "Then consider it a heads-up from a lowly employee. I'm just a bottom-rung worker giving a mission report because you asked me to. The rest—finding leads, verifying claims, deciding on action—that's your job."

Huo Wenxi: "......"

What an innocent tone.

A rare talent calling herself a lowly employee?

Zhu Ning: "I know I have no evidence. If you didn't require a mission debriefing, I'd have gone straight home to sleep and taken this to my grave. I'd never have brought it up without proof."

So this was the Sanitation Center's own policy at fault.

Zhu Ning: "If you'd rather pretend you heard nothing, that works too. I can cooperate."

Zhu Ning wore an I totally understand expression. Huo Wenxi let out a laugh. Zhu Ning was really... she didn't even know how to describe her.

Wonderfully strange?

Zhu Ning was like a startup CEO who could only paint grand pictures—spinning a concept into a magnificent vision. Huo Wenxi was the angel investor being conned. Zhu Ning had told her a vivid story, and Huo Wenxi was the sucker writing the check.

Huo Wenxi: "Who else knows?"

Zhu Ning: "Xu Meng and Li Nianchuan have a general idea. They should both be safe. No one else knows."

Four people total. The situation was containable.

Huo Wenxi: "How did you kill the Contamination Source?"

Zhu Ning had skipped that part.

Zhu Ning: "I'd rather not say."

She didn't trust Huo Wenxi fully either. Huo Wenxi was simply the best available option.

Huo Wenxi could accept that. If Zhu Ning's claims were true, practically no one could be trusted. Keeping her cards close was wise.

Smart, actually. Rather than lying to her face, better to openly say she didn't want to answer.

Huo Wenxi asked: "Why choose me? What if I'm one of them?"

Zhu Ning: "Intuition. I really don't have many options."

The debriefing was mandatory. So she picked Huo Wenxi. Simple as that.

Huo Wenxi leaned back into the sofa and looked up at the tree overhead. After hearing Zhu Ning's story, she almost felt the tree was alive.

She was quiet for a while, then asked: "So you want me to use my intuition to believe you?"

Huo Wenxi was known as the "little oracle"—a somewhat teasing nickname implying she was mystical and eccentric.

Some people thought her intuition was entirely unreliable.

Zhu Ning: "No. I'm not asking you to believe me."

Zhu Ning paused. "I'm asking you to trust your own Ability."

She wasn't presumptuous enough to ask for belief. Huo Wenxi's survival tool was her intuition—so trust the intuition.

Huo Wenxi gave a wry smile. Silver-tongued and a master at painting grand visions. Zhu Ning should go into business—cleaning up trash was a waste of her talent.

Huo Wenxi didn't respond. She lit another cigarette. Through the curling smoke, she studied Zhu Ning with care.

Zhu Ning was her investigation subject—riddled with suspicious points. Xuan Qing was equally interested in her. Zhu Ning seemed connected to many incidents, even at the center of several bizarre events.

This strange intelligence, combined with Zhu Ning's own "history," made trusting her difficult.

And it sounded very much like Zhu Ning had done something inside the Contamination Zone that she didn't want exposed. So she dangled this intelligence to divert attention, reducing suspicion of herself.

Cling directly to a powerful ally. Manufacture a shared, formidable enemy. As long as Zhu Ning was useful and loyal, her personal issues suddenly became "minor."

An effective tactic. Huo Wenxi couldn't afford to ignore it.

Zhu Ning calmly accepted Huo Wenxi's scrutiny. She had a feeling the answer had already been decided.

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