Pollutant Disguise Plan (POLLUTANT)
Chen Guo became the first patient in Q City’s containment facility to be discharged as "cured."
Though perhaps "cured" wasn’t the right word. She had sealed the contamination within her body, successfully awakening a contamination-based ability, making her the youngest mutant in all of Q City.
Several doctors coaxed her out of the ward like they would a child, then conducted a full-body examination. It was confirmed that she had awakened a sensory-type ability, making her extremely sensitive to contamination. However, due to her young age, she could only cry and express discomfort.
This promising talent had the doctors grinning from ear to ear.
Sensory-type abilities were rare, whether in the security forces or the containment facility. Those with such abilities could detect contamination earlier and across a wider range than machines, making them perfect for support roles.
"As a Pollutant, she could detect high-level contamination. As a Mutant, she’s a sharp sensory-type. It seems a person’s evolutionary path may differ, but the abilities they gain remain similar."
Shen Ji idly analyzed Chen Guo’s file with the system.
[However, Pollutants and Mutants differ vastly in terms of ability. Mutants can manipulate and utilize contamination, but they remain human—unable to wield contamination to its fullest potential. Pollutants are different. Contamination is their very essence. For them, using contamination is as natural as breathing.]
[According to the novel’s setting: Pollutants are a higher evolutionary tier than Mutants, surpassing them by a full rank in contamination-based abilities. That’s why Level S Pollutants are exceedingly rare in the story, each one a cataclysmic entity capable of devastation.]
[When Chen Guo was a Pollutant, her level could reach A or even A+. But as a Mutant, she’ll have to start from C and grow slowly.]
Shen Ji flipped a page.
Data and text reflected off his glasses, making him appear even more focused.
"Don’t overthink it. Web novels are written by humans. No matter how advanced the threat, the ending will always be humanity’s victory."
[While that’s true, you’re really raining on the parade. At least celebrate the fact that we successfully avoided detection!]
Shen Ji: "…"
A system that liked to celebrate? Shen Ji grew increasingly concerned for his own safety.
"Shen Ji." Someone called his name.
He turned to see Zhang Qingli walking out of the archives room, arms laden with stacks of documents.
"Your assigned patient roster has changed." Zhang Qingli handed him the topmost file. "This is your new patient."
With Chen Guo discharged, Shen Ji had one fewer patient under his care.
During the morning meeting, it had been announced that he’d be assigned a new one—or possibly two. The containment facility was unpredictable like that.
Shen Ji took the file. "Thanks."
"Don’t mention it." Zhang Qingli turned to leave. "Just don’t cause me any trouble."
[Zhang Qingli, D-Class Mutant, Ability: 'Danger Perception'. Experiences emotional agitation when facing hazardous contamination. Has maintained a poor attitude since the containment breach at the facility, with his demeanor serving as collective proof that dangers still lurk within these walls...]
[However, Zhang Qingli only grows agitated when threatened but unable to identify the true source of danger. Thus, he remains unaware that his distress might not stem from the facility itself, but from a certain staff member beside him—a Level S Pollutant disguised as a human.]
"Shut up." Shen Ji cut off the system's narration. "This is too cringey. I'm not interested in this novel."
[But this is exactly how the original work reads. How could you stand it before?]
The system argued back defiantly, [None of your three prepared plans worked anyway. Zhang Qingli wasn't suspicious of you specifically—his ability makes him emotionally extreme toward everyone. And here you were trying to extort compensation from him.]
"That's why I'm upset."
Shen Ji responded with casual righteousness, "I lost out on both reputation damages and internship experience."
[...]
Ignoring the system, Shen Ji turned to review his newly assigned patient files.
To his surprise, he recognized one case—the 'decaying organism' he'd previously examined with Dr. Wang.
"Due to lack of medical progress, partially exposed medical staff are being transferred to the general zone for diversified treatment attempts," Shen Ji read the notes aloud. "This contamination case presents unusually—external symptoms appear more severe than actual contamination levels, which remain relatively low."
After filing the documents, Shen Ji headed straight to Zone I.
The facility acted with remarkable efficiency. By the time Shen Ji arrived, both patients had already been transferred. Even through the isolation glass, their horrifying conditions were visible—limbs nearly completely rotted away and skeletal remains dangling beneath their hospital gowns.
Externally, they appeared terminally ill that were hovering at death's door. Yet the contamination monitor displayed a mere reading of 19.
Such minimal contamination levels had driven these patients to utter agony.
Standing in contemplation for a moment, Shen Ji frowned slightly.
"System, what treatment methods does the facility use for contamination? Can specialized drugs completely eliminate it?"
[Contamination illness is notoriously difficult to treat. Currently, the facility can only suppress the contamination. Even our medications are derived from new species that emerged after the Red Mist Incident—a highly toxic fruit that requires special detoxification processing before being administered. It merely contains the contamination.]
[True cure lies with Healing-type Mutants, who are exceptionally rare—not one in ten thousand, but one in a million.]
[Healing-type Mutants represent humanity's greatest treasure. Their existence is nothing short of divine blessing.]
Shen Ji studied the isolated patients thoughtfully, their reflections swimming in his pitch-black eyes.
When silent, no one could guess Shen Ji's thoughts. His gaze remained sharp and icy—when focused intently, it invariably inspired dread.
This time proved no exception, as Shen Ji suddenly voiced a terrifying remark:
"Should've just disposed of Chen Guo when I had the chance. What a hassle this has become."
[...Tell me, do you really have some terrifying side job?]
"Nothing of the sort. It just triggered my DNA for meddling in other people's business."
Though calling it meddling might be inaccurate—those familiar with Shen Ji would argue it's more like 'never shying away from trouble.'
Shen Ji graduated from a prestigious media university. Even before finishing his studies, he helped expose a professor for academic misconduct and paper fraud, leveraging the internet to launch a massive public outcry.
The professor's students had sought media assistance to no avail—back then, the internet wasn't as developed as it is now. In the end, it was Shen Ji, an undergrad at the time, who stepped in and stirred up a storm, successfully exposing the professor and leading to his resignation. The students under the professor were then reassigned to other advisors.
It was a flawless victory and became the first highlight on Shen Ji's post-graduation resume.
His response to it all? He only does what he believes is right.
That's his life principle.
Cutting short the small talk with the system, Shen Ji began distributing medication to new patients—this time, of course, without any fungal filaments.
Due to their rotting limbs, the patients couldn't eat on their own. Their abdominal cavities were also severely decayed in multiple places. The only reason they were still alive was the effect of the contamination.
The facility's medication could slow the spread of the contamination, but their rotting limbs still caused unbearable agony, even with heavy doses of painkillers mixed in.
As Shen Ji administered the drugs, he saw the numbness in their eyes. Swallowing the medicine was so painful they wished for immediate death.
"It'll get better," Shen Ji reassured them while feeding them the medication. "Once the contamination is gone, your body's healing abilities will return. The wounds will close, and the pain will stop."
"Just hang in there a little longer."
[...If I didn’t know you were complaining about the hassle just a minute ago.]
'Finding something troublesome doesn’t mean I won’t do anything about it.' Shen Ji placed them in specialized soft containment units to prevent further damage to their decaying limbs.
'I’m a perfectly empathetic human being.'
That much was true—at least up to now, Shen Ji had never done anything harmful to humans. In fact, he was treating contamination disease at the facility.
How touching.
After finishing his rounds, Shen Ji left the isolation ward. The device he carried beeped right on cue.
Yes, today the facility had issued him a communicator—the standard type assigned to all mutated personnel.
Shen Ji opened the message and found it was a [Petition].
[URGENT NOTICE: The disaster contamination level in Q City has been elevated to Class C! Class C contamination requires facility personnel to assist the security teams. Vehicles will be dispatched to the contaminated zones for patient retrieval and transfer. This notice is being sent to all facility doctors and active mutated employees equipped with communicators. Participation is voluntary. Those willing to assist, please sign below.]
"Going into the contaminated zones?" Shen Ji recalled the original plot. "Isn’t this right before the Undertaker appears?"
[Correct. The Undertaker is about to make his debut.]
Good.
Shen Ji nodded and clicked 'Agree' on the petition, then signed his name.
He had been wondering how to reasonably enter the contaminated zones—now the problem was solved. As a containment facility doctor assigned to the retrieval team, his presence there would be completely justified. He even had an official work badge!
Perfect!
On the other side, the doctors awaiting the results were excitedly discussing Chen Guo's miraculous recovery.
As the discussion went on, Dr. Wang suddenly burst into laughter.
"I knew it."
Dr. Wang placed the received petition on the table. "He actually chose to agree."
Laughing turned to tears as the elderly doctor buried his face in his hands, weeping uncontrollably. The other doctors quickly gathered to comfort him, all wearing smiles—they knew these were tears of joy.
Not only had a patient been cured, but she had even awakened as a mutant after recovery. What extraordinary power this was!
To them... he might as well have been a deity descended from heaven.
Amidst the catastrophe of contamination, a powerful Healer Mutant had emerged that moved among the people to cure the afflicted, and turning miracles into reality.
No heroic tale could surpass this.
……..
"Captain, have you heard?" Zhou Ye squatted on the wall, chatting with Li Zhiyan, who was idly playing with his phone below. "A contaminated patient at the facility recovered and even awakened as a Sensory-type Mutant."
Li Zhiyan didn't even look up. "A Healing Mutant?"
"Not sure. The facility's keeping it under wraps—seems there's some secret involved." Zhou Ye stroked his chin like a mischievous kitten plotting. "Want to sneak in and steal their files?"
"Leave me out of it." Li Zhiyan refused to indulge the kitten. "Write your own inspection report."
Zhou Ye deflated.
The thought of the deputy captain making him write a 10,000-word self-criticism terrified him.
But he wasn't ready to give up. "Don't you think it's strange, Captain? A contaminated patient recovering in just a few days—unprecedented, right? Could even those top-secret healers at the Anti-Contamination Control Center pull that off?"
Li Zhiyan finally looked up, deep in thought.
Zhou Ye perked up immediately. "Captain, you're interested?!"
"I should recruit someone proper." Li Zhiyan nodded with utmost seriousness. "Our team needs a respectable face—someone utterly composed and reliable, the kind who makes people instantly trust our competence."
Zhou Ye: "...."
Before Zhou Ye could complain further, Li Zhiyan's demeanor shifted abruptly.
The lazy nonchalance vanished and instead replaced by a razor-sharp intensity that radiated danger.
Recognizing this transformation, Zhou Ye immediately scrambled down from the wall.
Before he could ask Li Zhiyan what had happened, the alarm on his body suddenly went off. Due to the urgency of the situation, the alarm automatically activated without manual operation.
"We need backup!... Backup!"
"...East District...massive contamination! Visible to the naked eye..."
"Level C!...The Undertaker!"
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