Chapter 193-I Clean Up Garbage in a Wasteland World
Chapter 193 The Eve
Huo Family Safe House.
Late at night, Xu Meng sat alone on the edge of her bed.
Her mind was a mess. She'd slept for a very long time, and in her dreams she'd seen all manner of bizarre things.
She dreamed of Cheng Mofei. Every version of Cheng Mofei. Cheng Mofei turned into a Snail-Human. Cheng Mofei writhing at her feet.
Cheng Mofei with his head down, bashfully calling her "Captain." Cheng Mofei who always silently walked at the rear of the formation, watching over every member of the squad.
After coming out of the Consciousness Cloud, Xu Meng had recalled many things that had long since faded—details sifted out by memory's filter.
Now, in a state of mental chaos, they all came flooding back.
Cheng Mofei's wristband rested on Xu Meng's knees. The blue screen was lit, displaying a few words: [Password correct. Full access granted.]
Knock knock knock—
Lynx's voice came from outside the door. "Captain?"
Lynx had heard movement from Xu Meng's room and already had one hand on the door handle.
Xu Meng discreetly put away the wristband. Her tone was flat: "What is it?"
Lynx was male—even though he treated Xu Meng like an older sister, he wouldn't barge into her room. Hearing her voice, he relaxed. "How are you doing?"
Xu Meng's voice sounded hoarse. "I'm okay. Just need a moment."
Lynx: "Should I let Zhu Ning know?"
Xu Meng: "I'll tell her myself."
Lynx stood outside Xu Meng's door. Hearing this, he paused. Earlier, he'd received a message from Zhu Ning.
[I've reported Cheetah Squad to the investigation team. Huo Wenxi will take over the investigation into Cheng Mofei's death. Something's about to happen in District 103. Find a way to leave.]
Zhu Ning hadn't explained the specifics—only told them to get out fast. The intel was absolutely credible. Today had been incredibly chaotic, with people scrambling to get to the docks.
But Lynx didn't want to leave. As long as Cheng Mofei's case remained unresolved, no one in Cheetah Squad could leave District 103 in peace.
Zhu Ning had sent the same message to both Lynx and Big Orange. Big Orange shared Lynx's stance.
Xu Meng had certainly received it too. They planned to wait for their Captain to make a decision. If she chose to give up, they'd follow her arrangements.
Lynx: "Get some rest."
Inside the room, Xu Meng listened to Lynx's movements. Her temples throbbed. It felt as though someone had taken a knife to the inside of her brain and stirred it randomly—leaving wounds large and small everywhere.
Xu Meng injected herself with a Sanity Healer, then opened her Sub-Brain.
Zhu Ning had sent her many messages:
[Captain, I went on a mission today.]
[I'm going here—I'll come visit you tomorrow.]
Zhu Ning must have entered a contamination zone on short notice. She'd once promised to always keep Xu Meng updated on her whereabouts. She'd kept her word.
[I was planning to visit you today, but I can't go out. They're calling me a demon.]
[I want to share intel with you, but by the time you wake up, Team Leader Huo will probably have already made her public statement. You can just watch it then.]
Xu Meng's breathing was heavy. When she tried to message Zhu Ning, she realized her hands were trembling.
She kept mistyping. She'd delete the errors, only to mistype again. It took her ages to produce a single line: [I'm awake. Don't worry.]
Zhu Ning seemed busy with something—she didn't reply for a long time. Xu Meng gripped the edge of the bed.
She was squeezing hard, crumpling the sheets. She breathed deeply, her entire being still submerged in Cheng Mofei's final message, unable to surface.
The Cheng Mofei in the video had looked so vivid, so alive. The information he'd revealed was beyond her comprehension.
She'd imagined it a thousand times—considered every possibility. Never this one.
Ding—
Four minutes later, Zhu Ning replied: [You scared me. I thought you were going to turn into a vegetable.]
Xu Meng's hands were shaking. Zhu Ning hadn't asked whether she'd remembered the password.
Compared to Cheng Mofei's investigation report, Zhu Ning cared more about Xu Meng herself.
Xu Meng had been undercover for years. Her greatest skill was lying—and concealing her true emotions. But for the first time, she found lying unbearably difficult.
It took her a long time to type out a single line: [I'm sorry. I didn't remember the password.]
Zhu Ning replied instantly: [It's fine. I have a rough idea of what's in there anyway. Your safety comes first.]
Zhu Ning was clearly busy—no time for small talk. She told Xu Meng to rest well and find a way out of District 103 as soon as possible. If they didn't have Travel Permits, Zhu Ning would figure something out.
Xu Meng said okay. Zhu Ning sent no more messages.
The room sank into an eerie silence. The safe house was dead quiet. Xu Meng covered her left ear—a sudden ringing had started.
Blue electronic light illuminated Xu Meng's face. She'd promised Zhu Ning that once the wristband was opened, she'd share the contents.
Xu Meng had broken her promise.
...
Zhu Ning closed her Sub-Brain. The pale blue glow on her face vanished.
Song Zhizhang asked: "What's wrong?"
Zhu Ning frowned. "Hard to say. Something feels off about Captain."
Xu Meng's reply speed had been absurdly slow. Was this the legendary after-effects of brain damage?
A strange feeling nagged at Zhu Ning—difficult to describe. It was oddly similar to what she'd felt the first time she saw Xu Meng's silhouette at the Eternal Pharma Foundation.
Zhu Ning didn't dwell on it. She was too busy right now.
Given the situation, there were only so many people Zhu Ning could look after. She simply couldn't spare attention for Cheetah Squad.
Her family was here.
Shen Xingqiao and Ye Fei were sitting in her living room. Zhu Ning had called them over. Her reputation was so bad now she was practically being labeled a contaminant.
The two of them hadn't wanted to go far—they'd been nearby the whole time. It only took ten minutes to walk over.
After hearing what Zhu Ning had to say, Shen Xingqiao's expression turned heavy. What Zhu Ning had spoken of back then was about to come true.
Ye Fei, on the other hand, looked completely off-topic and asked: "Boss, did you start a family?"
Zhu Ning: "..."
After everything she'd just told them, that was his first question?
It wasn't just Ye Fei who wanted to ask—Shen Xingqiao was curious too. She'd never been inside the Dignified Queen Club before and hadn't known Zhu Ning's new home looked like this.
One man in the house, and a transparent little girl in a red hat. The girl was shy—she kept hiding behind Song Zhizhang.
Shen Xingqiao had a sudden impression—like one of those trashy soap operas where the heiress goes missing, and when they find her she's lost her memory and started a new family with some poor guy in the countryside.
Ye Fei: "It's fine, I can join this family—ow, why'd you hit me?"
Before he could finish, Shen Xingqiao elbowed him. She glared and hissed: "Join what? Did I approve?"
Shen Xingqiao found Song Zhizhang displeasing no matter how she looked at him. And where had this big kid come from?
Song Zhizhang was a man of the world, with high emotional intelligence. Yet for once, he genuinely felt awkward.
Right now he was like a cabbage being picked over and found wanting.
Song Zhizhang: "Um, we're not in that kind of relationship..."
Shen Xingqiao pressed: "Then what kind of relationship?"
"I..." Song Zhizhang suddenly felt flustered. He looked to Zhu Ning for help.
Shen Xingqiao: "Do you like her?"
Song Zhizhang opened his mouth. He nearly blurted it out.
"Enough!" A vein pulsed on Zhu Ning's forehead. These people were insufferably noisy. She shut it down definitively: "Anyway, that's the situation. You're all leaving together."
Shen Xingqiao dropped the Song Zhizhang issue. She'd promised to look after Zhu Ning. The moment she and Ye Fei left, Zhu Ning's personal safety would become a problem.
"Zhu Ning, we—"
"Stop." Zhu Ning: "Don't argue with me about this. I can knock you both out and have you dragged away."
Shen Xingqiao and Ye Fei both shut up. When Zhu Ning was angry, nobody dared provoke her.
Zhu Ning softened her voice. "I'm going to sleep. I have a mission tomorrow."
Even sleep was a luxury right now. Zhu Ning had to ensure she was in peak condition.
Besides, she didn't want to keep talking. If this went on it'd never end—what were they supposed to do, group hug and cry?
Shen Xingqiao and Ye Fei didn't protest further. Zhu Ning was under pressure. What they should be doing was cooperating.
Lin Xiaofeng said softly: "Then can I sleep with you tonight?"
Her voice was tiny. With so many people around she didn't dare speak up, mustering all her courage to make the request.
Zhu Ning had taught her: if you want something, just say it. Don't suppress your needs. Zhu Ning would fulfill them.
Zhu Ning's heart melted. "Sure."
Shen Xingqiao: "Can I sleep with you too?"
Ye Fei: "Me too."
Shen Xingqiao: "You're a guy."
Ye Fei: "So what? We've slept together since we were kids. We just did it the other time too."
Zhu Ning: "..."
She felt surrounded by a swarm of bees, constantly buzzing—giving her a headache. But she didn't mind it.
In the end they moved the coffee table aside and laid out a floor bed, placing five pillows in a row.
Zhu Ning slept in the center. Lin Xiaofeng slept on her left, arms wrapped around her waist.
The little girl was quiet and well-behaved—aware of the upheaval but not fussing or complaining.
Shen Xingqiao lay on her right. Ye Fei next to Shen Xingqiao.
Song Zhizhang hadn't planned to join such a childish activity. He was about to leave—give them some private time—when Zhu Ning said: "Where do you think you're going? Lie down."
Song Zhizhang: "..."
Zhu Ning knew Song Zhizhang was prone to overthinking. The whole family was lying here together—Song Zhizhang going upstairs alone would just be lonely.
Song Zhizhang reluctantly lay down fully clothed beside Ye Fei. The moment he settled, he felt Ye Fei's gaze.
Ye Fei's eyes were wide open, staring directly at Song Zhizhang.
The lights went out. For a long time no one spoke. Nobody could fall asleep in a situation like this.
"Hey, do you think if we actually purify the place, will the underground contaminant disappear? Wouldn't that leave a void?" Ye Fei couldn't help speaking up.
He'd expected Shen Xingqiao to hit him or Zhu Ning to tell him to shut up. But nobody interrupted.
Shen Xingqiao: "Can't even imagine it. If it's gone, would the ground collapse?"
If it was really that enormous and the thing below disappeared, wouldn't the surface sink?
Zhu Ning: "I can't figure it out either."
What would the end look like? Would the contaminant truly vanish? Never having experienced it, even their imagination fell short.
Shen Xingqiao: "If it disappeared, would District 103 become the first patch of purified land?"
Ye Fei perked up at this. "That makes sense! Then it wouldn't be us who can't get Travel Permits—it'd be them who can't get tickets to come here."
Shen Xingqiao: "If I scalped Travel Permits then, could I get rich?"
Ye Fei: "I think that's totally viable. Boss, we're going to be rich."
Zhu Ning found it amusing. Though she didn't have the Initial Instance's memories, they must have gotten along exactly like this.
How wonderful. This kind of bond—forged from growing up together—was truly precious. The gap between her and the Initial Instance wasn't so vast after all.
"Zhu Ning," Song Zhizhang had been silent this whole time, but now he spoke: "You're going to succeed."
Auspicious words shouldn't stop. Ye Fei immediately chimed in: "Wishing you a smooth mission tomorrow."
Shen Xingqiao: "Come back alive."
Lin Xiaofeng tightened her arms around Zhu Ning's waist: "Be safe."
Zhu Ning had been in this world for two months. Most of that time she'd spent running for her life. This was the first time she felt this good—this warmth of being surrounded by family. She'd experienced it now.
"I'll take all the good luck I can get."
She really needed encouragement right now. Encouragement was meaningless—just empty words anyone could rattle off by the dozen. Such platitudes wouldn't change reality. But she liked hearing nice things.
"You can do it."
"You're amazing. You're the best."
Zhu Yao used to say that when she was little—said it so much that Zhu Ning's ego had soared sky-high at a young age. People often wondered: where did Zhu Ning get all that confidence?
Every time, Zhu Ning thought: born with it.
The logic of psychic contamination was repetition. Repeating mad whispers. Repeating horrific visions.
Negative things looped like brainwashing, stripping away reason.
So Zhu Ning loved positive repetition. Repeat a kind word enough times, and she'd believe it.
Zhu Ning had been exposed to terrifying contamination many times. But a person's anchor was still the little things.
Shen Xingqiao and Ye Fei would lay down their lives for her. Huo Wenxi had left her two Travel Permits. Song Zhizhang would take good care of Lin Xiaofeng.
She often questioned what made a person human, what it meant to be alive. But right now none of that mattered. Even if she died tomorrow, today had been worth it.
Zhu Ning didn't force herself to sleep that night. The five of them kept talking—the longer they chatted, the lighter the mood became. None of them knew when they'd drifted off.
Apocalypse countdown: Day Five.
Eight AM. All five woke up. Song Zhizhang had packed supplies. Shen Xingqiao and Ye Fei didn't need to bring anything.
Now they just had to wait for the Huo Family's car at three PM.
While waiting, at nine AM, their Sub-Brains all chimed simultaneously.
Ring ring ring—
A notification popped up, titled: "URGENT: Required Reading for All District 103 Residents!"
Zhu Ning didn't know what Huo Wenxi had done. She'd initially assumed Huo Wenxi would make an internal report within the Sanitation Center—she hadn't expected it to be district-wide.
No concealment. Huo Wenxi was fighting to let District 103's residents learn the truth as soon as possible.
In an instant, tens of thousands of Sub-Brains were opened, pale blue light playing across every face.
The central plaza. Roadside billboards. Subway television screens. Abandoned electronic displays in the landfill. Every screen capable of transmitting information was commandeered.
The garbage-collection bots stopped picking up trash—their screens had been overridden by a higher-level AI.
On countless screens, Huo Wenxi's face appeared.
Her long hair was pinned up. An eyepatch still covered her right eye. The injury didn't make her look weak—if anything, it added an air of steadiness.
"Hello, everyone. I am Huo Wenxi, Investigation Team Leader of the District 103 Sanitation Center. Today I will be delivering a public investigation report to the entire district. Unfortunately, a district-wide contamination event is imminent..."
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