Chapter 120-I Clean Up Garbage in a Wasteland World
Chapter 120 Confrontation
Gurgle, gurgle—
The spicy hotpot bubbled away. Li Nianchuan swished tripe through the broth while watching both their expressions.
Xu Meng had just come from the Sanitation Center. She looked the same as always—eating quietly, her presence barely noticeable even at mealtime.
Zhu Ning seemed to have no appetite. She'd barely touched her chopsticks. Li Nianchuan asked cautiously: "Zhu Ning, you don't like hotpot?"
This was a trending restaurant. Li Nianchuan had even paid a scalper's markup to get in.
Zhu Ning sighed at the bubbling red oil. "I used to love it. I've quit now."
Li Nianchuan: "?"
Quit? Why?
Zhu Ning sighed again, wearing a nostalgic expression. "I once worked as a cashier girl at a hotpot restaurant."
The setup was more or less the same in every hotpot place. Sitting by the pot with the din of customers around her, the lively bustle—for an instant she felt like every customer was a Contaminant, and opening the cash register would reveal severed fingers.
Working at the hotpot restaurant had given her a bit of a conditioned reflex. She could probably walk into this restaurant's kitchen right now and start serving tables.
Li Nianchuan really did know how to pick restaurants.
Li Nianchuan: "Cashier girl? You moonlight on the side? Not making enough? Want me to lend you some?"
That didn't add up—by all accounts, Zhu Ning should be richer than him.
Zhu Ning stared at the tripe, utterly unable to pick up her chopsticks. "I went on a mission once. It was also at a trendy hotpot place."
She was ostensibly talking to Li Nianchuan, but the words were meant for Xu Meng.
Li Nianchuan listened for a while, baffled. "When was that?"
He counted on his fingers. Zhu Ning was a newcomer—she'd only been on three missions, right? None of them involved a hotpot restaurant.
Xu Meng set down her chopsticks. "She's probably talking about a Grave Post mission."
"Grave Post?" Li Nianchuan exclaimed. "You actually managed to access Grave Posts?!"
His volume spiked. Fortunately, this was a hotpot restaurant—noisy enough to cover it. Zhu Ning: "Keep it down, will you?"
Li Nianchuan glanced around and lowered his voice. "You're incredible. You actually got picked by Prometheus?"
Li Nianchuan had tried at midnight once, tapping until his fingers were raw, and gotten absolutely nothing. He'd given up entirely after that.
Zhu Ning gave Li Nianchuan a long look. She suddenly understood a certain saying: the more you know about the world, the more it hurts. Li Nianchuan was so blissfully clueless that he was actually happy?
For a moment, she almost envied that kind of joy—a pristine beauty untouched by the filth of the world.
Zhu Ning had steered the conversation here deliberately. "What about you, Captain? Have you ever accessed one?"
Li Nianchuan looked over eagerly too. Xu Meng held Zhu Ning's gaze as she spoke: "Yes. I'm a Level 7 user."
They'd started a card game before that had never been finished. Now their positions hadn't changed. It was as if the Desolate Village had merely been a pause button.
They were back at the table, showing their hands.
Zhu Ning returned a smile. "As expected of our captain. Impressive."
She recalled that Lynx was Level 11. Xu Meng liked to keep a low profile—she'd definitely pick a middle value, maintaining a rank that was upper-tier but not conspicuous, high enough to unlock more missions.
Very much Xu Meng's style.
Li Nianchuan froze, then immediately understood. Xu Meng had clearly displayed her Ability in the Desolate Village. The situation had been too dangerous at the time, so he hadn't asked.
Now he had the chance, but he didn't dare. He looked at Xu Meng, then at Zhu Ning.
Xu Meng was an Ability User who'd apparently been hiding her strength all along—a hidden master in plain sight.
In Li Nianchuan's mind, Xu Meng had suddenly become an enigma.
And Zhu Ning was this year's strongest newcomer—bar none. She'd done the work of both Cleaners and Demon Hunters. This time beyond the wall, she'd proven she could excel even as an Outside-the-Wall Investigator.
Li Nianchuan sighed. He thought he finally understood why he'd survived this long—it had nothing to do with his own abilities.
A trash-collecting squad with two powerhouses in it. He'd survived purely because his teammates were carrying him.
Li Nianchuan didn't even want to ask what was going on between them. He couldn't participate anyway. All he could do was keep their secrets.
What was that phrase? This was the lying-flat life?
Zhu Ning: "If you're interested, next time I need to collect Contamination Spores, I'll call you."
Li Nianchuan's eyes lit up. He grabbed Zhu Ning's hand. "Boss Zhu, pleasure to meet you."
Zhu Ning quite enjoyed that. She hired him on the spot.
Xu Meng's gaze hadn't left Zhu Ning. "I remember that hotpot restaurant mission. Pretty interesting one."
Zhu Ning looked back. "You pay attention to missions that small? I can't match your level—I'm probably only around Level 4."
She hadn't logged into the Grave Post since her last mission. She wasn't even sure of her current level.
Xu Meng asked with a smile: "So you're Cosmic Cutie?"
Such an embarrassing username, yet Zhu Ning showed zero shame. She propped her chin on one hand: "Am I not cute?"
Steam from the hotpot billowed up. Zhu Ning sat there, chin in hand, smiling at her.
She had an indescribable quality—sometimes she'd be smiling, yet you couldn't shake the feeling she was dangerous.
Xu Meng said sincerely: "Very cute."
The last card was played. Zhu Ning had confirmed it—Cheng Mofei's wristband really was in her possession. That was what Xu Meng was after.
Li Nianchuan ate hotpot while listening to the two experts talk. He understood none of it. Were they internet friends meeting in person?
Li Nianchuan had originally planned post-dinner entertainment, but Zhu Ning and Xu Meng declined, saying they wanted to take a walk to aid digestion—sisterly topics that Li Nianchuan shouldn't be part of.
Li Nianchuan thought: Neither of you even ate. What's there to digest?
Before leaving, Zhu Ning and Xu Meng formally wished Li Nianchuan success with his restaurant, saying they hoped he'd achieve his dream.
Li Nianchuan had been suspicious about where they were headed, but hearing their well-wishes, he grinned so wide his smile nearly reached his ears. The grin didn't fade the whole way home.
Blessings from the big shots!
......
Zhu Ning and Xu Meng watched Li Nianchuan get into his car.
"Think he can actually make a go of it?" Zhu Ning asked lazily.
Xu Meng: "I think the further he stays from the two of us, the better his odds."
Zhu Ning snorted a laugh. If theirs had been a simple Cleaner squad, they probably would never have drawn such bizarre missions or faced such danger.
Her laughter faded when she noticed Xu Meng's blank expression. The moment Li Nianchuan left, Xu Meng had dropped every pretense. Between them now it was part enemy, part ally—with no telling which outweighed the other.
Xu Meng said she wanted to walk with Zhu Ning. She clearly knew District 103 better—she led the way while Zhu Ning followed, completely unconcerned about where she was being taken.
Xu Meng made small talk: "Are you going to keep taking Grave Post missions?"
Zhu Ning: "Yeah. I'll check when I get home. I'm still hungry."
Zhu Ning really hadn't eaten enough. She'd discovered that regular food no longer satisfied her. Ever since the black slime had parasitized her body, her food source had become Contamination Sources.
She was hungry again.
After dealing with Xu Meng, she might enter a Contamination Zone. Find something to eat first.
Xu Meng frowned. What did Zhu Ning mean? She could devour things?
As far as Xu Meng knew, Zhu Ning's Ability was Metal Manipulation. But that might not even be true—Metal Manipulation alone couldn't have killed the Mother Worm.
Zhu Ning was proving harder to deal with than she'd expected.
They walked deeper into increasingly deserted territory. Fewer people, no streetlights—only the glow from the Sky Highway above for illumination.
This was a cluster of unfinished buildings. Construction had halted partway through when the developer fled, leaving nothing but skeletal frames.
Orange warning tape blocked the entrance. Inside, a sign read: Federal Warning—Severe Contamination Present. Entry Prohibited.
But the walls were covered in graffiti. Someone had scrawled in a fury: Drop dead! The whole world can drop dead!
Someone else had splashed red paint: Give us back our hard-earned money!
A vein pulsed on Zhu Ning's forehead. This place had clearly seen a lot of history.
Despite being an abandoned construction site, Xu Meng walked in as if coming home. She lifted the warning tape and led Zhu Ning up, floor by floor.
A freight rail ran through the air above—no noise-dampening system installed. Each passing train rumbled deafeningly.
Xu Meng stopped. This was the 25th floor.
The unfinished building had no doors or windows. If Xu Meng wanted to kill someone, she could simply push her off the edge. Very convenient.
There was absolutely no surveillance here. Was this where Xu Meng intended to handle her?
Xu Meng flicked two sharp blades from behind her back—her weapons. The blades could apparently extend and retract at will. Zhu Ning had tested them before—they weren't metallic. Metal Manipulation was completely useless against them.
Xu Meng got straight to the point: "Cheng Mofei's wristband—it's on you?"
Zhu Ning's voice was perfectly calm. "I've been carrying it with me."
If Xu Meng was battle-ready, Zhu Ning looked like she was out for a stroll. Too relaxed—it made you wonder what tricks she had up her sleeve.
Xu Meng: "Do you plan to hand it over willingly, or do I take it by force?"
Lynx should have been the one handling this. But Xu Meng, for the sake of her history with Zhu Ning, thought she might be able to let Zhu Ning bow out gracefully.
Zhu Ning: "Same condition as before. I want to see what's on the wristband."
She suspected Xu Meng and Lynx were on the same side, so she restated her terms.
This was a condition Xu Meng would never accept. The mission didn't need more people knowing.
Her instincts told her Zhu Ning was extremely dangerous. And now Zhu Ning was Huo Wenxi's person, which cut off any possibility of Xu Meng recruiting her. She couldn't compete with the head of the Abnormal Incident Investigation Team for people.
The mission had been running for nine years. Too many had died. They couldn't afford any disruptions.
Eternal Pharma was hunting Zhu Ning. Huo Wenxi was protecting Zhu Ning. She'd completed the Desolate Village mission through some mysterious method that nobody could explain. No matter how you looked at it, she was a dangerous person.
If you had to pick a partner, Zhu Ning was absolutely not a good choice.
Xu Meng: "I don't agree."
Zhu Ning was somewhat disappointed. No one was budging. So they'd have to fight for it.
She'd been hoping the art of negotiation could resolve this. Apparently not.
Zhu Ning said: "You're Leopard Squad."
She used a declarative sentence. She was certain Xu Meng was Leopard Squad.
Xu Meng frowned. If Zhu Ning's earlier words had merely annoyed her, this one was dancing right at the edge of her patience.
Zhu Ning knew about the Leopard Squad. She might have already seen the wristband's contents.
Xu Meng didn't answer the question. She simply said: "This is your last chance."
If Zhu Ning backed down now, it wasn't too late.
Zhu Ning held firm: "I want to see what's on the wristband."
Xu Meng struck without another word. Zhu Ning had only seen Xu Meng use a blade before, but back then she'd been holding back, and Zhu Ning hadn't gotten a clear look.
This time she could see everything. The long blade came slicing through. In that instant, Zhu Ning felt the crushing pressure rushing toward her—she could even hear the blade humming.
In that split second, her instinct was to block. A steel rebar materialized in her hand—the unfinished building was full of scrap metal. Rebar met blade.
Screeeeech—
The blade cut through the rebar like a knife through tofu. There was a momentary catch, but it didn't hold.
Zhu Ning was already prepared. The next instant, she flickered—she'd pushed her movement speed to maximum, yet Xu Meng was just as fast. The blade barely grazed Zhu Ning's shoulder.
So fast. This was Xu Meng's true speed—on par with the highest setting of acceleration items.
Xu Meng was ruthlessly efficient. At this point, there was no need to hide. Or perhaps Zhu Ning had worn her patience to nothing.
So Xu Meng hadn't held back at all.
Zhu Ning only dodged. Xu Meng wanted to test Zhu Ning's true strength.
Zhu Ning moved faster than any normal human. Xu Meng was equally quick—she could flicker like a flowing shadow.
No matter how Zhu Ning dodged, Xu Meng clung to her like a shadow.
Bang bang bang—
The walls suddenly exploded. Steel rebars burst through the concrete like bones breaking through skin. The rebars arced through the air—inside this building, Zhu Ning had absolute control over every piece of metal.
The erupting rebars were like a monster's claws—or a cage. In the blink of an eye, they converged behind Xu Meng, their shadows carving her figure into fragments.
Zhu Ning was curious how Xu Meng would respond. Dodge? Or turn and cleave through them?
But Xu Meng did neither. The sharp rebars closed in on her back, already tearing through her clothes. One more second and dozens of steel bars would have pierced clean through her body.
The instant the rebars touched her skin, her entire form dissolved into a black shadow. Silent and seamless. The rebars punctured the shadow.
The air froze. The pitch-black shadow had been stabbed full of holes—dozens of them—like a tattered piece of cloth.
The next moment, the shredded shadow seemed to melt, dripping down to the floor, pooling and flowing across the ground, then coalescing into a new Xu Meng.
What a bizarre Ability. She couldn't be killed by conventional weapons?
Xu Meng raised her eyes. The black of her pupils dissolved, revealing a pair of golden vertical pupils—like a leopard in the depths of the mountains.
Reborn, Xu Meng finally revealed her true nature. Gone was the quiet, unassuming demeanor. She became searingly aggressive, killing intent radiating outward.
If Li Nianchuan were here, he'd be stunned. His mild-mannered, low-key captain had transformed in the blink of an eye—like a house cat becoming a leopard, baring its razor-sharp claws.
In the darkness, Xu Meng's eyes were dangerous—the gaze of a large feline before the hunt.
She took a step forward. "You're not going to fight back?"
She'd tried several times to draw out Zhu Ning's true strength, yet Zhu Ning still hadn't retaliated. Why?
Facing Xu Meng at full killing intent, Zhu Ning went still instead. "I don't think there's any need."
Xu Meng moved with supreme grace—not a sound as she approached. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
Zhu Ning: "No."
Xu Meng raised her blade. "Give me a reason."
Zhu Ning had better not say it was because she was a teammate. Their bond didn't run that deep.
Zhu Ning didn't flinch at the gleaming steel—her eyelashes didn't even tremble. She'd always known Xu Meng looked ready to kill, radiating murderous energy, but she would never actually follow through.
She had a better reason. "Because I might be Cheng Mofei's investigation target."
Screeeeech—
Xu Meng's blade, a palm's width from Zhu Ning, veered violently off course. The unstoppable edge raked across the wall, erupting in a brilliant shower of sparks.
A freight train thundered past. The entire building shuddered.
Xu Meng stared at Zhu Ning coldly.
What was she saying?
Zhu Ning's expression was blank as she continued: "I'm an experimental subject from Eternal Pharma."
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