Chapter 119-I Clean Up Garbage in a Wasteland World
Chapter 119 Two-in-One
Are Contamination Spores an energy source?
Song Zhizhang froze, then slowly furrowed his brow. Zhu Ning's question was very direct.
Honestly, based on what he knew of Zhu Ning, she'd only been at the Sanitation Center for a little over a month—yet she was already probing the fundamental nature of how the Center operated.
Most Sanitation Center employees never even thought about this question. The majority joined for the high salaries. A small subset believed they were contributing to humanity.
Their work appeared thoroughly "righteous"—killing Contaminants, collecting Contamination Spores, purifying the land.
Of course, this was also the Sanitation Center's longstanding tradition. They really were protecting humanity's territory.
A company that only made money without any "idealism" would struggle to sustain itself. Because humans were strange like that—beyond money, they needed to find meaning in life to keep going.
Song Zhizhang was quiet for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. "Yes."
He couldn't sugarcoat this. It was simply the truth.
Song Zhizhang continued: "Contamination Spores are an energy source. After the Radiation, contamination spread and we lost vast tracts of land. The coal, oil, and metals humans once relied on became impossible to extract. When the disaster struck, we didn't just lose land—we lost energy."
Song Zhizhang: "Initially, humanity fell into an energy crisis. Massive numbers died from secondary disasters caused by energy shortages. Later, someone discovered that Contamination Spores could be used as energy. With special processing, a single Contamination Spore could generate enough power to sustain one ordinary person's electricity for three years."
Song Zhizhang narrated this like a history lesson. Zhu Ning and Lin Xiaofeng listened.
"The Sanitation Center emerged in response. They're currently the largest organization dealing with contamination. Private outfits exist too, but they're insignificant—the costs of processing Contamination Spores are far beyond what a small company can afford. You could say the Sanitation Center has monopolized this sector. Their branches are spread across every human base."
So District 103 was just one tiny cog in the machine.
Zhu Ning: "Who discovered that Contamination Spores were an energy source?"
Song Zhizhang: "Unknown. Completely no information."
The fact that Contamination Spores were an energy source was something you simply couldn't discuss openly. No history, no records. If you didn't ask, nobody would volunteer the information. Song Zhizhang himself had only realized it through his work.
Most people who knew kept quiet by tacit agreement. After all, you couldn't change the status quo.
Zhu Ning still knew far too little about this world—she had no idea what had actually happened before and after the Radiation.
Zhu Ning: "What about the Huo family?"
Song Zhizhang gave a bitter smile. "That's way above my pay grade. The Huo family is very low-key. I don't know much."
Completely unlike the Lu family. The Huo family had virtually no public presence. Even within the Sanitation Center, most people didn't know it was their enterprise.
Zhu Ning thought about it—Huo Wenxi really was quite mysterious.
If not for the fact that Zhu Ning happened to be dealing with her directly, she could have worked her entire career without ever learning the Huo family founded the Sanitation Center.
Song Zhizhang: "But Contamination Spores do have their upside. The powerful, stable energy supply directly drove technological development. Our tech is advancing at a breathtaking pace—scientific progress over the last century has been dozens of times greater than everything before it. It's not just contamination-based weapons. The protective barriers on the city walls, the city lights, the Sky Highway, the so-called A-Level Program activation—all of it consumes enormous quantities of Contamination Spores every day."
Humanity had survived this long precisely because of the energy generated from Contamination Spores.
Humans fought Contaminants, extracted Contamination Spores from them, and those spores in turn protected humanity.
They'd entered a cycle.
The laws of nature had never changed. Could Contamination Spores be understood as nature's "gift"? The earth was simply nourishing humanity in a different way.
Zhu Ning asked: "Ordinary people don't know?"
Song Zhizhang: "That's right. Most of them don't."
Ordinary people just lived their lives—though "normal" was a stretch. But merely surviving already took everything they had. They simply had no bandwidth for anything else.
Zhu Ning asked: "If the energy supply were cut off, who'd be affected first?"
This was a harder question. Song Zhizhang thought for a moment and answered carefully: "The first to be affected would probably be ordinary people—the other four citizen classes—because the protective barriers would fail and contamination would spread. But each district has different supply systems, and contamination infection takes time. When the entire world loses its protection, I personally believe first-class citizens would be hit hardest."
Song Zhizhang: "Most first-class citizens live in the Divine Kingdom..."
Zhu Ning frowned. "The Divine Kingdom?"
"Yes," Song Zhizhang said. "It's the colloquial name for District One. It's a floating island—suspended in the air above the maximum altitude Contamination Spores can reach, so it's virtually contamination-free. The island stays airborne by continuously burning Contamination Spores. If the supply is cut, the entire island could simply fall out of the sky."
Song Zhizhang figured ordinary people might actually be more resilient. If the island crashed and first-class citizens—those hothouse flowers—lost their shelter and had to face contamination head-on, starting from the same line as everyone else, their survival rate wouldn't necessarily be higher than the other four classes.
District 103 seemed like a bustling metropolis to Zhu Ning—her world had nothing like this level of technology. Floating cars, aerial rail lines, skyscrapers.
But District 103 was just a waste-processing zone. It didn't even compare to normal districts.
Technology had created a sanctuary. Contamination Spores had an altitude limit and couldn't drift beyond a certain height. So humanity had built an artificial island floating in the sky.
Called the Divine Kingdom.
If religion once drew a line for who got into heaven based on devotion, kindness, or merit—this world was far more blunt. The rich went to heaven; the poor went to hell.
Below the Divine Kingdom, everything was hell.
There were no gods in this world. But humanity had already carved out a realm for the divine to dwell in.
Jiang Ping had protected humanity, devoted his entire life to the cause, and in the end lost himself out there—choosing to hand his body over to a worm that fancied itself a god.
Every Contamination Zone Zhu Ning had entered ultimately traced back to one root cause: poverty.
Zhu Ning's fingers tightened around the milk glass, nearly crushing it.
Her hunch had been right. Ordinary people's wages were low, but a Sanitation Center employee could earn in a year what a normal person made in a lifetime.
The most lucrative industry in this world was anything contamination-related. And the threshold for who got to work with contamination was set by those on top.
"We're nothing but consumables."
That phrase surfaced again. Zhu Ning suddenly realized that Li Nianchuan, who didn't seem all that bright, actually possessed a quiet wisdom.
Li Nianchuan had figured this out long ago. That was why he was so at peace with himself. Most citizens of the Wasteland were simply a type of "expendable resource."
There would always be more humans manufactured to replenish the energy supply, because in this godforsaken world, humans were already being mass-produced like products.
New humans rolled off the assembly line, then were crushed by this high-pressure society into new Contaminants.
Humans killed the humans who'd become Contaminants, extracted resources from the process, and used those resources to protect the survivors.
This entire chain could even be called "justice"—because it was just.
If Zhu Ning entered a Contamination Zone again, she'd repeat the exact same cycle.
She suddenly understood why the Sanitation Center had always felt contradictory to her—protecting talent on one hand, treating ordinary employees' lives as disposable on the other.
The Center paid exorbitant salaries. In return, everyone tacitly agreed to the same rules: the more money you wanted, the more danger you accepted. When the moment comes, I can sacrifice you without hesitation.
Just like the Mechanical Oceanarium—while Zhu Ning and the Grey Eagle Squad fought for their lives inside, the Center's leadership had ordered the building sealed.
Just like beyond the wall—collecting Contamination Spores was the mission. If it had to be done, it had to be done. No completion, no escort home.
Everyone from top to bottom accepted this rule.
There was no black or white. This was a murky, chaotic gray.
Humans lived inside the wall as if living inside one giant Contamination Zone—the background painted in gray lines, oppressive emotions with no outlet, surrounded by hideous monsters.
Was the apocalypse truly approaching? Hadn't it already arrived?
Zhu Ning's grip on the glass tightened. The milk's surface rippled violently from the force.
Lin Xiaofeng and Song Zhizhang both looked over. Just a fraction more pressure and the fragile glass would shatter in Zhu Ning's hand.
But Zhu Ning didn't let it break. She took a deep breath. Her clenched fingers slowly relaxed. The milk settled back to calm. Not a single crack on the glass.
She drank the warm milk with steady composure. Her lowered lashes hid her eyes, making it impossible for Song Zhizhang to read her thoughts. Then she set the empty glass on the coffee table.
When she looked up, her gaze was perfectly serene—as if the words she'd just heard hadn't caused the slightest emotional ripple.
Song Zhizhang was stunned. He'd expected Zhu Ning to explode with anger. Instead, she was like a still lake—beneath the placid surface, infinite energy lay concealed.
He truly understood now why Zhu Ning possessed such extraordinarily high sanity. Terrifying emotional control, measured to the millimeter. Even when emotions surged, nothing leaked out—just like that glass of milk, not a single drop spilled from start to finish.
Zhu Ning leaned back into the sofa and looked at Song Zhizhang. He held the superior position, yet somehow felt like the one being looked down upon.
What kind of mission had Zhu Ning just returned from? Song Zhizhang hadn't seen her in action, yet he could clearly sense she was stronger than before.
Her rate of growth was still accelerating.
Frightening—because the timeframe was so short.
Zhu Ning: "Is this why you left the Sanitation Center?"
Song Zhizhang fell silent again. Zhu Ning wasn't aggressive, but her questions were impossible to dodge.
Song Zhizhang answered honestly: "Yes."
Zhu Ning: "You were originally from District 103 too?"
Song Zhizhang took a deep breath. Under Zhu Ning's relentless pressure, he was gradually losing ground, perpetually on the verge of surrender.
"I was a Demon Hunter in District Two. After retiring, I came to District 103." Song Zhizhang anticipated what Zhu Ning might ask and volunteered his identity outright. "I came here because this is the waste-processing center—known as the Forsaken Land."
If District One was the Divine Kingdom, then District 103 was the garbage dump.
Whether for good or ill, a place extreme enough would attract people.
Song Zhizhang had been in District Two before—judging by the number, clearly better than 103. What kind of person would voluntarily come to a garbage dump?
Zhu Ning didn't press him on why he'd retired.
She blinked. "Did you just wake up?"
Song Zhizhang was thrown by the pivot. He'd expected Zhu Ning to press her advantage and dig deeper—if she'd kept asking, he would have talked.
But Zhu Ning preferred Song Zhizhang to speak on his own terms. She'd wait until the day he was ready.
Zhu Ning: "Were you about to have breakfast? I'm hungry too."
Song Zhizhang: "......"
Was she treating his place like a cafeteria?
Zhu Ning had only had NutriStim today—no actual food. She genuinely wanted something to chew on. She turned to Lin Xiaofeng: "Are you hungry?"
Lin Xiaofeng had probably been mulling over Song Zhizhang's words. Caught off guard by the question, she hesitated. The red hat floated in midair, glancing between Zhu Ning and Song Zhizhang before nodding.
Zhu Ning said shamelessly: "See? Xiaofeng says she's hungry too."
Song Zhizhang: "......"
He sighed. "I'll go cook. Make yourselves at home."
Zhu Ning ate a meal at Song Zhizhang's that defied categorization—afternoon tea for Zhu Ning, "breakfast" for Song Zhizhang, and for Lin Xiaofeng, a portion that size usually counted as a snack.
Zhu Ning asked: "What have you been teaching her?"
Song Zhizhang: "Some basic self-defense."
As a former Demon Hunter, Song Zhizhang had plenty of skills. Zhu Ning studied him—bundled up so tightly with no skin showing, there was no way to tell if he was injured.
Zhu Ning: "Did you get hurt?"
Song Zhizhang felt a twinge of phantom stomach pain at the memory. "No."
Zhu Ning: "Oh."
Song Zhizhang could tell she didn't believe him: "Really, I didn't."
Zhu Ning watched him with a knowing smile: "Okay, I believe you."
Song Zhizhang: "......"
Why did she keep teasing him?
Song Zhizhang: "But I don't know what you actually want to train her for."
Zhu Ning had only asked Song Zhizhang to look after Lin Xiaofeng. What was the end goal?
Zhu Ning paused. She'd initially recruited Lin Xiaofeng thinking she needed teammates, but across several missions she'd never considered bringing Lin Xiaofeng along.
Because she subconsciously still thought of her as a child.
What did Zhu Ning actually want her to become? A Demon Hunter who'd enter Contamination Zones with her? A Cleaner surrounded by rotting flesh collecting spores?
She was too young. Zhu Ning held a lingering hope that children in this world could be a little happier—at least happier than the adults.
Not that level of despair, where even kids couldn't choose their own futures.
In theory, Lin Xiaofeng could choose to do nothing. She should have the right to be an ordinary person.
Song Zhizhang's conversation with Zhu Ning hadn't excluded Lin Xiaofeng. If Contamination Spores were the world's bedrock, then Lin Xiaofeng deserved to know the truth.
After Song Zhizhang finished speaking, Lin Xiaofeng hadn't said a word. She seemed a bit down.
Zhu Ning: "We'll figure it out later. It hasn't been that long."
Lin Xiaofeng had only been out of the Mechanical Oceanarium for less than a month. There was plenty of time. No rush. Zhu Ning hadn't decided to become a competitive shooter overnight either.
Lin Xiaofeng could grow for a few more years and Zhu Ning could afford to wait. She didn't need help right now.
"Um," Lin Xiaofeng said tentatively, her voice timid, "can I become a Demon Hunter?"
Lin Xiaofeng wanted to be a Demon Hunter. She didn't want to spend her life under someone else's wing.
Her progress had already been remarkable—from a little girl who didn't dare say she was hungry, to the first time she mustered the courage to say she hadn't eaten enough.
She'd gone from not being allowed to choose even a pair of socks, to selecting a red hat under Song Zhizhang's encouragement to represent herself.
She'd gone from practicing only harmless, innocent smiles, to being able to hurt Song Zhizhang with ease.
From a forced-to-perform cute internet celebrity, she was voicing her own wishes for the very first time.
Her father had chosen her path before. From the day she was born, she'd never considered the question. Now she had her own choice.
She said she wanted to be a Demon Hunter. One day, she'd enter Contamination Zones alongside Zhu Ning.
No more waiting at home while Zhu Ning went on missions—forced to wait like a helpless kitten.
Revenge wasn't Zhu Ning's task. It was Lin Xiaofeng's.
The journey might be long and hard to adapt to, but Lin Xiaofeng was willing to try.
She was just an ordinary little girl. She could only half-understand Song Zhizhang's words. But she understood enough.
If she was destined to be a consumable, she'd be a formidable one.
When the floodwaters came, she could climb a little higher, die a little slower.
She could stop being a burden. She could protect herself. Maybe even protect others.
So Lin Xiaofeng said firmly: "I want to be a Demon Hunter."
Zhu Ning blinked, then quickly broke into a grin. "That's awesome!"
She didn't ask why. She just said that's awesome! Lin Xiaofeng's face flushed red. She wasn't used to this.
Expressing your own thoughts didn't get you shot down. It didn't invite mockery. Zhu Ning would only say: that's awesome!
Being around Zhu Ning felt safe—not physically safe, but a safe space to express yourself.
You never had to worry that anything you said would be laughed at.
Lin Xiaofeng said again: "I want to be a Demon Hunter."
She repeated it. The second time, her tone was lighter—as if a stone that had been pressing on her heart for ages had finally been rolled away, and relief flooded in.
Lin Xiaofeng: "I'll help you eventually. I just need to learn."
Zhu Ning patted Lin Xiaofeng's head. She could only see a little red hat, so she just rubbed the hat.
Zhu Ning: "Until I find a better teacher, you'll have to make do with Song Zhizhang."
Song Zhizhang: "Hey, hey—isn't that a bit much?"
Zhu Ning: "Just start with him. If he doesn't work out, I'll swap in someone else."
Song Zhizhang: "......"
Since when was this a competitive position?
Song Zhizhang's teeth were practically grinding: "Miss Zhu, are you freeloading off me?"
Zhu Ning: "Then name your price. Anything."
Song Zhizhang had been a Demon Hunter in District Two. He genuinely had the skills to teach. Far more professional than Zhu Ning's self-taught methods.
Demon Hunter training included theory and foundational courses. Everything else was experience. Song Zhizhang was worth top dollar.
"You've definitely gotten rich again from this mission," Song Zhizhang rested his chin on one hand and looked at the red hat floating beside Zhu Ning. "I'm actually quite fond of Xiaofeng. When she grows up, just have her buy me a deluxe medical insurance plan."
Zhu Ning: "...?"
Song Zhizhang hadn't been kidding about not being able to afford healthcare?
Even the profits from Contamination Spores weren't enough?
Wait—Zhu Ning suddenly had a theory. She looked at Song Zhizhang's high collar. Was he ill? Was all his money going toward maintaining his current condition?
Zhu Ning frowned. Song Zhizhang smiled gently, extending his fist toward Lin Xiaofeng. "I'm officially your teacher for now."
Lin Xiaofeng lowered her head, then reached out too. A transparent little fist lightly bumped Song Zhizhang's larger one.
Lin Xiaofeng: "I'll work hard to earn money and buy you medical insurance!"
Song Zhizhang: "You really don't need to shout that so loudly."
Lin Xiaofeng, thinking she'd embarrassed Song Zhizhang in front of Zhu Ning, immediately understood. She whispered: "Then I'll buy it for you secretly."
Zhu Ning burst out laughing.
......
Zhu Ning went back to rest.
Having a meal seemed to release all the pressure. She felt completely relaxed.
Other people were handling the complicated stuff—she didn't need to worry. She flopped onto her bed and slept, spending a solid two days recovering before the exhaustion finally faded.
Her sleep schedule was completely out of sync with normal people. It was now 7 PM.
A normal person worked nine-to-five with weekends off. Zhu Ning, on the other hand, went into Contamination Zones at all hours, day and night. She always felt like her time in the Wasteland exceeded two months—it should have been years.
Was it because she'd entered too many Contamination Zones?
Whenever she overslept and woke, she felt a subconscious disorientation—as if she'd drifted slightly out of sync with the river of time.
As if she were a human being adrift outside the timeline.
After waking, Zhu Ning didn't get up. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
Not long ago, black slime had been flowing across that ceiling, trying to swallow her whole.
How many days had it been?
She'd only had the Xenomorph for two weeks. In terms of resource acquisition efficiency, she'd been extremely productive.
Huo Wenxi was handling the Desolate Village situation. With a stronger patron running interference up front, Zhu Ning could finally catch her breath and deal with her own problems.
Every time Prometheus assigned her a mission, why was it so certain she'd come back alive?
What about this time? Had Prometheus known in advance that Zhu Ning would succeed?
Zhu Ning couldn't even guarantee her own survival each time. Beyond the wall was incredibly dangerous—she'd barely made it back.
She couldn't figure this out, and she understood Prometheus even less.
How could she contact Prometheus?
Zhu Ning produced the Blank Card and released it. Cheng Mofei's Employee Wristband lay silently in her hand.
After gaining data manipulation abilities, Zhu Ning had tried to crack Cheng Mofei's wristband—but it was completely useless. Something like a data wall had been erected inside, blocking her out entirely.
Was the Employee Wristband managed by Prometheus's system?
Zhu Ning was already an experimental subject. Her data manipulation abilities still couldn't breach Prometheus's defenses.
She still needed a password. What was it?
What had Cheng Mofei actually been investigating? Zhu Ning had initially assumed it was about her batch of experimental subjects, but now it seemed more likely to be something happening in District 103.
Was it related to that Idol? Connected to the Contamination Source beyond the wall?
Did Xu Meng have a connection to this wristband?
Maybe she knew the unlock password.
Coming out of the Desolate Village, Zhu Ning had many unresolved questions. The most pressing one was Xu Meng.
Xu Meng had only temporarily set aside her hostility. Since Huo Wenxi had said she was safe, she might come knocking.
What would Xu Meng do? Which faction did she belong to?
Ding ding ding—
Zhu Ning's Sub-Brain lit up. A message from Li Nianchuan. He'd created a group chat with Zhu Ning and Xu Meng.
[Li Nianchuan: I'm out of the hospital!]
[Zhu Ning, Xu Meng: Congrats.]
Li Nianchuan had been discharged pretty quickly this time. Zhu Ning thought for a moment, then sent him a fiery red rose emoji as a commendation.
This time, she could only send a digital version of a burning flower.
Li Nianchuan recalled the flaming wings from last time and sent an exasperated emoji.
If Li Nianchuan had been discharged successfully, it meant Xu Meng was safe too. They'd both signed the confidentiality agreement.
She wondered how things would be handled from here.
[Zhu Ning: You didn't lose your mind?]
[Li Nianchuan: I've improved, okay?]
[Zhu Ning: Congrats!]
Li Nianchuan had been steadily improving. It would be a shame if he retired now.
[Li Nianchuan: I've filed my resignation! How about we grab a meal together? My treat—I want to thank you both. Consider it my farewell dinner.]
Li Nianchuan was deeply grateful to Zhu Ning and Xu Meng. He could really go open his restaurant now. He genuinely wanted to treat them to dinner and thank them in person. He could also sense some kind of rift between Zhu Ning and Xu Meng.
He had no idea what the tension was about.
After sending the message, Li Nianchuan felt a bit anxious—afraid the friction between them had become irreconcilable, that they wouldn't even want to see each other.
But the very next second—[Xu Meng: Absolutely, I'll be there.]
Zhu Ning followed immediately: [Of course I'm coming. I've missed you guys so much.]
Li Nianchuan: "...?"
Everything seemed perfectly harmonious. So why did something feel off?
Li Nianchuan picked a restaurant and set a specific time. They'd meet there on schedule.
Zhu Ning and Xu Meng were about to come face to face.
......
Sanitation Center, Cleanup Department.
The Cleanup Department's head was named Xie Jiazu. He rarely appeared in public and was known as the Center's most dedicated slacker. Both Xuan Qing and Lu Qiqin found his work ethic deeply questionable.
He was so lax that Zhu Ning, as his employee, had never even met him.
Xie Jiazu had appeared twice. The first was when Zhu Ning and Li Nianchuan accidentally entered a Contamination Zone—he'd met with Xuan Qing to arrange Cleaner training.
The second was now. He'd just returned from another meeting and was opening his office door.
Someone was already waiting inside. Xu Meng sat with her back to the door, her Sub-Brain glowing as she appeared to be messaging someone.
And Xu Meng was actually smiling—typing while she smiled.
Xie Jiazu rarely saw her display such overt expressions. "Who are you chatting with that's making you so happy?"
Xu Meng looked up at Xie Jiazu and frowned. "What's it to you?"
Anyone else would have been shocked. Xie Jiazu was a department head. Xu Meng was a lowly Cleaner. Yet she spoke without a shred of deference.
Xie Jiazu didn't seem bothered. He sat across from her. "You haven't changed a bit."
He was nearly forty, wearing a suit with slicked-back hair—the picture of a corporate elite.
Xu Meng switched off her Sub-Brain. "Is my situation resolved?"
Xie Jiazu: "Simpler than I expected. Huo Wenxi wrote the mission report."
Xie Jiazu still found it bizarre—why had Huo Wenxi authored the mission report? And the report was obviously problematic, yet he couldn't challenge it.
Xu Meng's exposed Ability should have triggered an investigation. Her case was actually resolvable—she'd been a Demon Hunter before, and her Ability had once been registered.
Now Xu Meng's files were locked by Huo Wenxi. Xie Jiazu had planned to pull strings for Xu Meng, only to find it completely unnecessary—there was nothing left for him to do.
After confirming Xu Meng's safety, Xie Jiazu had gotten her out of the Medical Department.
Xie Jiazu looked at her. "Is Huo Wenxi protecting you?"
In any workplace, it was best to understand the relationships at play.
Xu Meng frowned. Definitely not. She'd never dealt with Huo Wenxi, and Huo Wenxi probably considered her suspicious. Not having her investigated inside and out was already mercy.
It had to be something Zhu Ning had done.
Zhu Ning really did have some skill. She'd actually managed to cover something this big. If even Huo Wenxi was helping Zhu Ning, then Zhu Ning had latched onto a patron Xu Meng couldn't afford to cross.
Did Zhu Ning have a personal connection with Huo Wenxi?
No—Xu Meng guessed Zhu Ning had probably leveraged the worm's intelligence. If the worm had spoken the truth, District 103 might be in danger.
Was that connected to what she herself had been investigating?
Lost in thought, Xu Meng answered vaguely: "I suppose."
A deliberately ambiguous answer—a form of self-protection. Huo Wenxi wasn't here anyway.
Xie Jiazu grew more curious. "What actually happened beyond the wall?"
Xu Meng: "I signed a confidentiality agreement."
She cut him off before he could ask further. "I'm fairly certain violating the agreement would get me killed by Huo Wenxi."
Huo Wenxi would absolutely follow through. Signing a confidentiality agreement with Huo Wenxi was like making a deal with the devil—betray it, and the kill order would chase you to the ends of the earth.
Xie Jiazu spread his hands: "Just asking."
He quickly changed the subject, as if genuinely uninterested. "How have you been?"
Xu Meng: "Fine."
Xie Jiazu: "That's pretty dismissive."
Xu Meng always kept a low profile around others. But with Xie Jiazu, she was surprisingly forceful. "And you? How's being department head treating you?"
The question carried a hint of sarcasm. Xie Jiazu wasn't the least bit offended. "It's alright."
Xu Meng looked out the window, mind drifting to the past. "Out of everyone from back then, you've done the best for yourself."
Xie Jiazu: "It's alright."
Xu Meng scoffed wordlessly—the disdain was overflowing without her uttering a single word.
Xie Jiazu: "I thought you'd thank me. I've done quite a lot for you, after all."
He was reminding Xu Meng. When she'd needed a new identity, Xie Jiazu had gone to great lengths to arrange it. He'd given her a flawless cover, allowing her to continue working as a Cleaner at the Sanitation Center.
Nobody would suspect a Cleaner. She blended in among the masses of employees—completely unremarkable.
Otherwise, she'd have ended up like the others—either purged or transferred to a branch office in some distant district.
That she was still here at all was because of him.
Xu Meng pulled her gaze from the window and gave Xie Jiazu a smile. "Thank you."
She was smiling, but her tone held no warmth. Ice-cold.
Xie Jiazu didn't care about her tone. "You're welcome, Captain."
Author's Note:
Intel gathered today:
1. Contamination Spores are a core global energy source.
2. The wealthy live in the Divine Kingdom.
During revisions I noticed some confusion about the map. Basically: the rest of the world is contaminated. The human Survivor Base has a honeycomb structure—each district is one cell, with hexagonal walls. Every district has five layers of protective walls plus an Iron Dome barrier. Buffer zones separate the districts so that if one cell falls, the others aren't contaminated along with it. Some districts have already gone dark, meaning they've been infected and abandoned. Districts are connected by highways; during martial law, travel requires permits. The Divine Kingdom floats as an island above the entire honeycomb base. First-class citizens mainly live in the Divine Kingdom. District 103 is at the very north of the Survivor Base—closest to the true outside world. It's so far away you can't even see the floating Divine Kingdom from there. The closer a district is to the Divine Kingdom, the safer and higher-ranked it is.
Bonus chapter for 50,000 NutriStim! Two-in-one!
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