Pollutant Disguise Plan (POLLUTANT)
The security team wanted to send the containment facility personnel back as soon as possible, but night had fallen, making it unsafe for travel.
The pitch-black darkness of night easily triggered tension in humans, which was why Pollutants were most active after sundown.
This was also why the security team conducted their curfew operations at night, clearing out Pollutants under the cover of darkness.
So, the security team arranged temporary lodging for the containment facility staff, promising to send them back first thing in the morning.
To the containment facility workers, it didn’t matter where they slept. They were here on duty, and they hadn’t expected this assignment to be pleasant. The moment they signed up, they had already prepared to leave their lives here.
Shen Ji shared a room with one of his colleagues. Most of them hadn’t slept well on the transport, and after a full day of work, they were exhausted. His roommate quickly dozed off, his snoring rising and falling in a chaotic rhythm.
Tiny mushrooms quietly crept up to the head of the snoring man’s bed.
At their master’s command, they would immediately gnaw this noisy human to bits!
Shen Ji reached over, plucked the mushrooms from the bedside, and sighed before stepping out of the room for some fresh air.
Outside, there was still plenty of activity. With Pollutants active at night, the security team’s workload increased after dark.
They were in the middle of a shift change, and with the area brightly lit, the atmosphere surprisingly relaxed.
Standing under the lights, Shen Ji yawned.
[Interview time—as a Pollutant, how do you maintain such a healthy sleep schedule?]
"I’m the reporter here."
[Role reversal. Tonight, I’m the reporter.]
Shen Ji couldn't be bothered to respond.
The wind outside was strong, and he wore a white coat that made him quite conspicuous.
The young man had striking looks and an elegant demeanor. His glasses give him an air of untouchable refinement—like a lotus admired from afar but never to be defiled—drawing repeated glances from those around him.
So Shen Ji turned and walked toward a less crowded area, avoiding the onlookers' gazes.
[I suggest you go back and grab an umbrella. Why, you ask? Because the Control Center is about to start artificial rain to wash away contamination. No idea whose idea it was, but they firmly believe rainwater can flush the contamination down.]
"Does this look like a place where umbrellas are lying around?"
[A raincoat would work too.]
Fine, raincoats were indeed available.
The security team provided basic supplies for each member and always kept extras on hand for emergencies. When Shen Ji asked, they generously handed him one.
Carrying it by hand was inconvenient, so Shen Ji simply tore open the packaging and donned the transparent raincoat right there—under the watchful eyes of everyone—before strolling off casually.
Hands in his pockets (yes, the raincoat had pockets), Shen Ji walked with his head down until, after a while, he suddenly heard a strange noise.
When he looked up, he realized he’d wandered to the edge of the security team’s patrol zone. Beyond this point, there were no more lights.
And it was from this unlit patch of withered grass that rustling sounds emerged.
"Did the security team miss some contaminated individuals here?"
[Not that I know of. I’m not detecting any contamination readings.]
"Then… a person?" Shen Ji stared at the spot. "Who’s there?"
The grass rustled again for a few seconds before a tall figure emerged—wearing the familiar security team uniform and sporting that signature shock of white hair.
Shen Ji: "…"
Li Zhiyan stood in the grass, locking eyes with him while a strange basket hanging from his right arm. He seemed just as surprised to see someone here as his expression puzzled as they stared at each other. After a moment, he stepped out of the grass with a basket in tow.
"I remember you. From the facility… Shen Ji, right? What are you doing here instead of sleeping?"
Shen Ji exhaled quietly, unsure whether it was relief or exasperation.
A few seconds later, he met Li Zhiyan’s gaze calmly. "And what are you doing here, Mr. Li?"
"Me?”
Li Zhiyan didn’t seem to mind sharing his activities. He held out the basket for Shen Ji to see.
"Picking mushrooms. Autumn rains bring out a lot of them. This area’s full of varieties perfect for hot pot."
His basket was piled with all sorts of bizarre mushrooms—some pure white, others vividly multicolored, some with red caps and white stems that screamed deadly poison, the kind that could send you to the afterlife with one bite.
Shen Ji: "…"
"I—I came here because…" Distracted by Li Zhiyan’s absurd behavior, Shen Ji stumbled over his words before finally managing, "My roommate snores, so I couldn’t sleep. I went for a walk and accidentally ended up here."
"Rough night," Li Zhiyan said sympathetically.
"I’m about to make hot pot. Want to join?"
Shen Ji felt like he’d experienced a lifetime’s worth of speechless moments in this single evening.
"No, no," he quickly waved his hands. "You enjoy it. All yours."
[Aren't you fond of mushrooms?] The system gloated, [Why aren't you eating them now? Because they're poisonous? You're a Pollutant yourself! Mere toxic mushrooms shouldn't bother you!]
Li Zhiyan didn't seem interested in forcing others to eat poisonous mushrooms. After Shen Ji refused, he didn't press further.
Just then, a thunderclap cracked through the air. He glanced up at the sky, and soon rain began to patter down.
It was only then that Shen Ji noticed Li Zhiyan was also wearing a raincoat, though it was hard to see in the darkness, especially with his black-and-blue security team uniform blending into the shadows.
"It's raining. Let's head back," Li Zhiyan said, locking eyes with Shen Ji. "Also, give me your contact info."
Shen Ji met his gaze, puzzled. "Why?"
"I might need to reach you for something later," Li Zhiyan replied.
Though Shen Ji wanted to refuse, doing so would draw too much attention. After all, Li Zhiyan was a well-known figure in Q City—not just an S-class Mutant but also a pillar of the Anti-Contamination Control Center. Whether for work or personal reasons, everyone coveted his contact details.
In the end, Shen Ji reluctantly pulled out his phone and exchanged numbers.
Once he had the number, Li Zhiyan left satisfied with the basket in hand.
Watching his retreating figure, Shen Ji curiously labeled the new contact as “Protagonist”.
After a moment's hesitation, he added a few more words.
“Troublesome Protagonist".
……….
Early the next morning, Shen Ji and the others from the facility were escorted back by the security team, finally free from any further encounters with the protagonist.
Due to the earlier confinement incident, the facility managed to squeeze out half a day off for them and told them to return to work the following day.
But as facility staff, they all went to check on their assigned patients first. Shen Ji did the same, only to find one of his charges missing.
Chen Guo's mother: Lin Yujuan.
Her medical file was stamped with three bold red characters: "Fully Recovered".
"Looking for Lin Yujuan?" Zhang Qingli, his colleague from Zone I, said. "She's been discharged. She’s living with her daughter now. Your patient roster’s been adjusted."
Shen Ji flipped through the files. “...And a few more have been added."
People don’t want to work.
People don’t like overtime.
People resist increased workloads.
"You only got five more. I got seventeen," Zhang Qingli said, even more despairing.
Still, they understood why their patient counts had risen.
The Undertaker incident in the East District had left many contaminated. Fortunately, the Undertaker had acted swiftly, so only Zones I and II were overloaded with patients. Everyone was relieved—things could have been worse if it had reached Stages III or IV.
Medical staff undergoing concentrated treatment due to occupational exposure were also assigned to each of them, pooling their knowledge to find better solutions.
Shen Ji noticed an additional line beneath these new patients:
‘New contamination trait: Patients appear to talk to themselves at night.'
[Even less like Hui's contamination now. Your little mushrooms wouldn’t be lonely enough to talk to themselves.]
‘If they could talk, they’d probably chirp like birds all day.’
[Is avian-personification really fitting for mushrooms?]
After briefly checking on the patients, everyone took advantage of the rare half-day holiday to go for a meal together.
Shen Ji wasn't opposed to such social activities—during his time as a reporter, these kinds of gatherings were countless, and they were an inevitable way to build rapport among different people.
The restaurant wasn’t inside the facility but a short walk beyond the facility’s dormitory.
The location was a bit out of the way, but it seemed the facility staff frequented the place often, as the owner was quite familiar with them.
“It’s your first time here—what would you like to eat? The food’s pretty good, and we come here a lot.”
Zhang Qingli pointed at the food display in front of them and said to Shen Ji, “Order whatever you like. How it’s cooked depends on what the chef feels like making.”
Shen Ji stared at the vibrant green vegetable display for a few seconds before asking, “Do you have mushrooms?”
“Mushrooms? Wild ones?” Zhang Qingli sucked in a breath. “Hmm, I don’t think they have those.”
"Ordinary mushrooms might be available, but wild ones are out of the question. After all, those need to be foraged, and with Q City under such strict lockdown, no one can go out—so of course, they’re unavailable."
Shen Ji nodded. "That’s what I thought too."
"Then why ask?"
"Better to ask than not."
Zhang Qingli fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "You look like the stoic, cold-faced, no-nonsense type, but you’re actually a deadpan comedian?"
[He’s discovered your true nature!]
Shen Ji: …
What nonsense!
In any case, Shen Ji didn’t order anything.
He just ate along, since he wasn’t paying—this meal was hosted by Dr. Cheng Gu, the lead organizer of the relief effort and the one who had arranged the gathering. He even gave an impassioned speech about the mission and handed out bonuses to everyone present.
A meal with bonuses is a good meal!
Shen Ji took a few bites. As a Pollutant, he hadn’t had much warm food since crossing over, so eating something hot now was almost moving.
But good luck always comes with a bit of misfortune, and Shen Ji was no exception.
Just as he was feeling touched, his phone buzzed with an incoming message.
Shen Ji didn’t put down his chopsticks. Instead, he fished his phone out of his coat pocket with his other hand—and then saw the sender’s name.
[Troublesome Protagonist]
‘Why is the protagonist texting me?’ Shen Ji was baffled. ‘Are we close? No way! We’re practically strangers.’
[I’m not sure either, but… well, do you want to see what he sent?]
Shen Ji and the system nervously opened the message.
Inside was a colorful photo—vibrant hues, flattering lighting and a bright red tomato broth paired with a rainbow assortment of mushrooms.
The sliced stems were pitch-black, and even the steam rising from the pot seemed dyed in rainbow colors.
Sitting across the table was Zhou Ye, looking like a man facing imminent doom as he stared at the pot in horror, with his expression screaming that he was about to flip it over any second.
Shen Ji: …
‘System, how is he not dead from poisoning yet?’
[…Uh, maybe S-class Mutants are immune to all toxins?]
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