Pollutant Disguise Plan (POLLUTANT)
The facility always had members of the Academy of Sciences stationed there that were responsible for regularly inspecting and maintaining the contamination detection devices.
This time, one of them had come for repairs.
After examining the broken contamination detector, he scratched his head in confusion. "How did it break? I just checked it this morning."
"How did Dr. Shen notice something was wrong with it?"
Shen Ji pulled out his contamination value records and lied with a straight face, "When I reached this point in the sequence, the screen went black and wouldn't restart."
The man suddenly understood. "Ah, of course—you're the medical staff assigned to this patient, so you'd naturally check the contamination detector."
"Alright, just wait a moment. I'll replace it with a new one. I need to take this back to figure out why it malfunctioned."
Shen Ji nodded in thanks.
The Academy of Sciences member worked efficiently, quickly installing a new detection device. Shen Ji restarted it, and the green screen displayed the contamination level inside the isolation room: 0.
"Zero?" The man hissed in surprise. "Is this detector broken too?"
He tinkered with the device and checked it thoroughly before finally stroking his chin in bewilderment. "No, it's fine. Everything's working properly."
As he spoke, realization suddenly dawned on him. He froze for a moment before turning to meet Shen Ji's gaze.
At the same time, the contamination detector emitted an alert—the exact same tone as when Chen Guo's case had been detected.
"Scan complete—environmental contamination level in isolation room: 0. Patient's body contamination level: 0. No signs of contamination diffusion. No physical contamination markers detected. Clear human cognitive function observed. No mental abnormalities detected."
"Warning: Natural human detected in isolation room. Nearby medical personnel, please respond immediately!"
The man dropped his screwdriver in shock.
"I—I just witnessed a contaminated patient recover?!" He stared at Shen Ji excitedly. "Dr. Shen, he's cured, right?!"
Shen Ji nodded. "It seems so. I'll go find Dr. Wen and the others to confirm. Thank you for fixing the contamination detector."
"No problem, it's my job."
He packed his tools away, then peered curiously at the person in the isolation room. "He's cured... I'm so happy for him."
In the Containment Facility, whether medical staff or workers from other departments, everyone knew that once a contaminated patient was admitted, it was rare for them to leave. So whenever they encountered a recovered patient, they genuinely felt happy for them, even if the person was a complete stranger.
The original novel described the Containment Facility as a melting pot and the most impersonal place imaginable.
But Shen Ji disagreed.
He believed that the Containment Facility was actually the most humane institution in the entire story.
…….
Shen Ji walked while sipping his coffee, arriving at the patient ward checkpoint just as Zhang Qingli came out from inside.
"Drinking coffee at this hour?" Zhang Qingli glanced at his watch. "Eight in the evening?"
"Reliving the past," Shen Ji swallowed his coffee. "Back in the day, I used to survive on coffee at this hour. Had so many project proposals I wanted to kill myself."
Zhang Qingli didn't quite understand, but he nodded. "Oh, so you had it rough back then."
"By the way, your patient Chu Ye has recovered and is ready to be discharged from the Containment Facility. Li Zhiyan is here to pick him up—he’s already waiting in Zone I’s reception area."
Shen Ji nearly spat out his coffee.
"Who did you say is picking him up?"
"Li Zhiyan—our city’s S-class Mutant, Mr. Li." Zhang Qingli pulled a tissue from his white coat pocket and handed it to him. "Today’s the day the security team delivers the Undertaker’s corpse, so as the guarantor, Mr. Li came along and decided to take Chu Ye with him."
"He said he could sign Chu Ye’s discharge papers. Make sure you go and handle the handover."
The system sighed. [Apocalyptic novels are full of orphans—two orphans acting as each other’s dads isn’t that strange.]
What a dark joke.
After finishing his coffee, Shen Ji set the cup down in the break room and took the elevator down to Zone I. Sure enough, he spotted Li Zhiyan in the waiting area.
Though Shen Ji often called him a "white-haired emo freak," there was no denying that Li Zhiyan was strikingly good-looking.
Unlike Shen Ji, who deliberately downplayed his own attractiveness, Li Zhiyan couldn’t even if he tried—not with his snow-white hair and piercing blue eyes.
In anime, this combo would classify him as a bishounen, but in real life, it just made him eerie and impossible to ignore.
Yes, Li Zhiyan was exactly that kind of unsettling yet mesmerizing man.
Especially when he was cradling a potted plant in his arms.
The flower was on the verge of blooming as its blue petals were half-unfurled, tempting anyone to reach out and coax them open.
‘Why is he carrying a potted plant?’
[No idea… But Li Zhiyan’s contamination ability is Mimicry Butterflies. He’s deeply influenced by it, which is why he loves flowers, plants, and soil. Maybe he just likes having it with him.]
‘He carries around a potted plant with soil just because he likes it?’
Li Zhiyan noticed Shen Ji and stood up while still holding the flowerpot. "Dr. Shen, we meet again."
"Mr. Li." Shen Ji nodded.
He pulled out Chu Ye’s discharge documents and handed them to Li Zhiyan.
"This is Chu Ye’s release application. Our director has already signed it—once you add your signature, I’ll take you to him."
Li Zhiyan set the flowerpot down on the bench, took the pen and paper, and signed his name with practiced ease before picking the pot back up like it was something precious.
Following protocol, Shen Ji checked the signature and was surprised to find that Li Zhiyan had unexpectedly beautiful handwriting.
His strokes were bold and unrestrained, the vertical lines elongated yet not messy—instead, they carried a sense of freedom. Shen Ji glanced from the signature to Li Zhiyan and back again.
‘They say handwriting reflects personality, but I never would’ve guessed the protagonist could write like this.’
[Alright, alright. He’s the protagonist—it’s normal for him to have a few golden fingers.]
Leading Li Zhiyan into Zone I, they arrived at Chu Ye’s isolation room.
The moment Chu Ye saw Li Zhiyan, he knew he was here to take him home.
Shen Ji performed a final checkup to confirm that all his vitals were normal before unlocking the door.
With a gentle tone, Shen Ji said, "Congratulations, Mr. Chu. You’ve fully recovered and are free to leave the facility and return to normal life."
"Thank you, thank you!" Chu Ye beamed. "I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Dr. Shen."
He turned excitedly to Li Zhiyan, ready to share his joy—only to freeze at the sight of the flowerpot in his arms.
The smile froze on his face as he pointed at the flowerpot and asked Li Zhiyan, "What's this?"
"A thank-you gift for Dr. Shen." Li Zhiyan said earnestly, "After all, he's taken care of you for so long. As your friend, I should properly express my gratitude. But after much deliberation, I couldn't decide what to give. In the end, I chose to present my treasure. Dr. Shen, this is for you."
Shen Ji: "..."
Chu Ye: "..."
Before he knew it, a flowerpot was inexplicably shoved into his arms.
"This is a special variety," Li Zhiyan explained. "Even if Dr. Shen doesn't know how to care for flowers, it won't die. The blooms are beautiful and fragrant."
The system marveled, [A contaminated flower—no wonder it's a special variety.]
Shen Ji: "..."
He often found himself distressed by the protagonist's thought processes, but each time, Li Zhiyan would surprise him with even more bizarre logic, proving that his distress had come too soon—the real headache was yet to come!
"I'm so sorry!" Chu Ye quickly snatched the flowerpot from Shen Ji's arms while apologizing profusely. "Please don't take offense, Dr. Shen! This is just how he is—he didn't mean anything by it!"
He then shoved the pot back into Li Zhiyan's arms. "You can keep your contaminated plants to yourself! You can't just give them to people!"
"Even if it's just a low-level contamination below E-class, it's still unacceptable!"
Li Zhiyan looked puzzled. "But it's so pretty. Why can't I keep it?"
"No!" Chu Ye pushed Li Zhiyan out of Zone I while still bowing and apologizing to Shen Ji as he pressed the elevator button.
He looked utterly pitiful.
[People who befriend Li Zhiyan really have it rough.]
Shen Ji stroked his chin thoughtfully. "But that flower really is beautiful—blue buds, green leaves. It's autumn, yet it's blooming so vibrantly."
"It might not be bad to keep it."
"Even better if we could add Li Zhiyan's butterfly to the pot."
[...What's the difference between your thought process and the protagonist's? You're both insane!]
Meanwhile, inside the elevator, Chu Ye finally let out a sigh of relief.
He turned to glare at the white-haired troublemaker, who was fussing over his flowerpot as if the earlier scuffle had damaged his precious plant.
"Li Zhiyan," Chu Ye said, "Aren't you usually so protective of these flowers? Why give one away now?"
Li Zhiyan calmly adjusted the leaves. "When poaching someone, you have to offer incentives."
Poaching? Incentives?
Chu Ye stared at the flowerpot, deep in thought. Was this really an incentive—or a curse?
Then, as if realizing something, he asked in confusion, "You give flowers when poaching people?"
Gifting flowers was a tradition—before the apocalypse, people often gave fresh-cut blooms to express affection. But after doomsday, no one cultivated fresh flowers anymore. Without supply, the custom naturally died out. Yet here was Li Zhiyan reviving the tradition by giving a living plant to a doctor.
Not to a patient—to a doctor.
Chu Ye couldn't help but wonder about Li Zhiyan's ulterior motives.
Ever since joining the Anti-Contamination Control Center, thanks to his formidable abilities, Li Zhiyan had enjoyed endless romantic attention. Sure, some lost interest after experiencing his eccentric personality firsthand, but most considered it an endearing trait.
Yet Li Zhiyan remained as dense as a block of wood and kept everyone at arm's length without the slightest intention of pursuing any romantic relationship.
Chu Ye often wondered if he was asexual—or perhaps his mutation had left him completely disinterested!
Only now did he realize: He wasn't impotent—he just liked men!
What's this about needing to give flowers when recruiting people? He never gave Zhou Ye flowers when recruiting him! Don't cats prefer chewing on cat grass?!
"Bro." Chu Ye patted Li Zhiyan's shoulder. "Be bold in pursuing love! You need to take the initiative."
Li Zhiyan gave him a strange look. "Where did your train of thought even go?"
"Aren't you supposed to be giving flowers?" Chu Ye pressed the elevator button again and shoved Li Zhiyan out as the doors opened. "Go deliver them!"
Li Zhiyan: "..."
Shen Ji, who had been waiting by the elevator: "..."
Chu Ye flashed Shen Ji a bright smile before swiftly closing the elevator doors.
Bright smile my ass! Open the damn doors! I need to clock out!
Though cursing internally, Shen Ji's expression remained perfectly composed, showing no trace of emotion as he calmly pressed the button for the other elevator.
It wasn't like there was only one elevator.
"I really must thank your facility this time. Chu Ye's contamination issue has persisted for quite a while, and it's been troubling him until now." Li Zhiyan cradled the flowerpot while chatting amiably with Shen Ji. "Are you sure you don't want to accept these flowers? They're the finest blooms from my garden."
Shen Ji glanced at the flowers. "They haven't even bloomed yet. How can you be sure they're the finest, Mr. Li?"
"Simple."
Li Zhiyan puffed up with pride. "They're the only ones that have bloomed recently—the others haven't even sprouted buds yet!"
Shen Ji: "..."
[...I actually think the protagonist seems more human like this compared to the original novel.]
'System, we can't mistake absurdity for humanity. That's unfair to normal people.'
[But don't you like these flowers? The protagonist came to deliver them twice now—just take them!]
'How can I accept gifts from the protagonist? I'm an upright journalist, a staunch villain! Being unavoidably tied to the protagonist is one thing, but being bribed by him is another!'
Shen Ji took the flowers.
[...]
'I'm just claiming my compensation for emotional distress.'
Li Zhiyan looked thoroughly pleased. "I knew Mr. Shen would appreciate my taste. Aren't they lovely?"
Holding the flowers, Shen Ji reached out and lightly tapped the pale blue bud.
As a contaminated species, the flower looked almost artificially beautiful. Its translucent blue petals revealed faint yellow stamens inside and emitting a delicate fragrance. The leaves were so vividly green they seemed painted—truly the most exquisite flowers Shen Ji had ever seen in his life.
Li Zhiyan stood opposite him, watching Shen Ji with admiration gleaming in his pale blue eyes.
A beautiful man holding beautiful flowers—utter perfection.
His fingers itched. His photography dreams stirred again—he wanted to capture this moment.
With a soft ding, the elevator arrived, and both Shen Ji and Li Zhiyan stepped inside.
In the confined space, the subtle floral scent became more pronounced, and Li Zhiyan's presence grew even more noticeable.
Shen Ji glanced at Li Zhiyan, his gaze scrutinizing, as if assessing how this real-life protagonist differed from the one in the original novel.
Humans are visual creatures and instinctively drawn to beauty—even if that beauty came with an utterly abstract personality.
But as long as he kept his mouth shut, he was a pretty little thing.
For a protagonist, he really was quite good-looking.
Li Zhiyan noticed his gaze and met Shen Ji's eyes.
Those beautiful blue eyes curved slightly, as if completely accustomed to being the center of attention and effortlessly absorbing all the attention directed his way.
"Mr. Shen," Li Zhiyan said, "have you ever considered a career change?"
"For example: switching to my side?"
Shen Ji fell silent for three seconds before speaking. "Mr. Li, are you deliberately using words that are easily misinterpreted?"
"No, I always talk like this."
"Don’t you find it amusing to use neutral terms, then watch others misinterpret them and question you with flustered expressions?"
Li Zhiran grinned with enthusiasm. "It’s a very entertaining game."
"Mr. Li, your personality is rather childish."
"I thought you’d call me insane instead."
Shen Ji: "…"
His self-awareness was overwhelming.
"I’m not planning to switch careers," Shen Ji forcibly steered the conversation back. "The facility is a good place. I enjoy working there."
"Being passionate about work isn’t a good thing. I hate overtime the most."
Li Zhiran sighed regretfully. "If you join the security team, I could abuse my authority to grant you long vacations."
Now that was tempting!
The system screamed: [Don’t be corrupted by a capitalist’s sugar-coated bullets! Think about our mission! Think about the original ending of Hui!]
"Though it’s tempting, I’ll have to decline. I can’t abandon the patients here."
Li Zhiran laughed—whether because he couldn’t hold it back after hearing this insincere remark was unclear.
But this was exactly what Li Zhiran liked about Shen Ji.
His eyes resembled a young wolf cub’s, but in truth, he was a wolf. He simply disguised himself quietly, donning a tie and glasses to pretend he wasn’t a wolf but a gentlemanly sheep.
Li Zhiran hadn’t met someone so full of life in a long, long time.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
Shen Ji stepped out while carrying the flowerpot.
"Next time you want a vacation, come find me," Li Zhiran suddenly said as Shen Ji exited.
Shen Ji paused and turned to look at him.
"I’ll file an assistance request to the facility, specifying your involvement. That way, you can take a break."
It was a strange feeling. Shen Ji figured it was probably because he’d never met someone so unorthodox, which made Li Zhiran intriguing.
Shen Ji said, "We’d get caught, wouldn’t we?"
"Well, if we do, I’ll be the one facing consequences, not you." Li Zhiran waved at him. "Goodbye."
The elevator doors closed, ascending and cutting off all sound.
A few seconds later, Shen Ji’s lips curled faintly.
He was already good-looking, but this smile made him breathtaking—all the sharpness and coldness softened by his black-framed glasses returned, making him strikingly handsome.
"System, he’s quite interesting, isn’t he?"
[How boring can a protagonist be? An interesting protagonist is an eternal truth.]
Shen Ji carried the flowers back to his dorm and placed them on the windowsill.
Tendrils of mycelium crept over from all directions, with their mushroom heads peeking out curiously to observe the bouquet. Some strands coiled around the stems when Shen Ji wasn’t looking and intertwined with the translucent blue blossoms.
"Don’t eat them," Shen Ji warned. "They’re ornamental. Not up to food safety standards—you’ll get poisoned."
[…How novel. You’re lecturing Hui’s contamination about food safety.]
"Such beautiful flowers… It’d be a shame to eat them."
He poked a petal lightly before picking up his phone and snapping a photo of the potted flowers.
Compared to Li Zhiyan, that half-baked amateur with nothing but photography dreams, Shen Ji was a proper journalist who had formally studied photography and filming. Before transmigrating into this novel, he'd been diligently working in the field, and even now could effortlessly recite filter values and shooting techniques.
After taking the photo, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Now this is a proper, presentable photo. Whatever monstrosity Li Zhiyan took doesn’t even compare."
He sent the freshly taken photo to Li Zhiyan and tossed his phone onto the bed before continuing to fiddle with the flowers. After all, they were contaminated-resistant—not so easily damaged.
…….
The special vehicle left the Containment Facility, with Li Zhiyan and Chu Ye seated in the back.
Li Zhiyan let out a faint yawn, barely resisting the urge to fall asleep right then and there.
"Don’t sleep!" Chu Ye shook him. "Tell me what’s going on between you two!"
"How did it go when you were alone earlier? Did he agree? I saw you gave him the flowers but didn’t bring him back—did it fall through?!"
Li Zhiyan swatted his hand away. "He’s doing fine at the Containment Facility, so of course it’s not easy to poach him. I’ll have to keep trying."
Chu Ye rubbed his hand while giving him a disdainful look. "With your emotional intelligence, trying won’t help. Listen to me—keep making yourself seen around him. Once he gets used to your presence, then you can slowly work your way in!"
"...That actually makes sense." Li Zhiyan nodded. "Alright, I get it."
Now it was Chu Ye’s turn to be stunned.
Huh? Since when was Li Zhiyan this obedient? Every other time, he’d rather drive Chu Ye up the wall than listen.
Has he changed?
So Chu Ye asked skeptically, "You’re really going to follow my advice this time?"
Li Zhiyan yawned again. "Nope."
"I was just politely agreeing. Stop bothering me, I want to sleep."
Chu Ye: ...Of course.
The car wasn’t moving fast, and the road to the Containment Facility was well-paved.
Li Zhiyan leaned against the seat, drowsy, when suddenly—ding dong—his phone chimed with a new message notification.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he checked the sender and was surprised to see it was from Shen Ji.
Ever since exchanging contact details, Shen Ji had never properly acknowledged him. Li Zhiyan could clearly sense that Shen Ji wanted nothing to do with him—so much so that he couldn’t even be bothered to maintain surface-level politeness. Li Zhiyan wasn’t stupid; he’d noticed the distance in Shen Ji’s eyes whenever he looked at him.
He had no idea what he’d done to offend the man.
Li Zhiyan opened the message—and the next second, he bolted upright with all sleepiness gone, startling Chu Ye beside him.
Chu Ye leaned over to look at his phone.
There, displayed on the screen, was a photo of the flowers Li Zhiyan had given Shen Ji. Despite being taken at night under artificial lighting, Shen Ji had captured them in a way that made them appear both solitary and breathtakingly beautiful. The contrast between the dark edges and the blue-white petals was striking—anyone who saw it would instinctively praise its beauty.
"This is really well taken," Chu Ye admitted, equally impressed. "Wait, were the flowers actually this pretty? How come I never noticed before?"
Li Zhiyan examined the photo from every angle, reluctant to close it. Eventually, he long-pressed to save the image, then reopened it to admire it again and again.
After staring at it for a while, Li Zhiyan suddenly declared, "I’ve decided to go with your plan."
Chu Ye gave him a strange look. "What plan?"
"Seeking attention, taking it slow!" Li Zhiyan clung to his phone, his blue eyes brimming with admiration. "His photography skills are really good. Looking at this photo makes me feel like I'm getting closer to my dream of becoming a photographer."
"Do you think he'd teach me how to shoot?"
Chu Ye:...
So in the end, it was your photography dream that moved you? You're making the first move just for your photography dream?
What happened to you being drawn to the perfect Healing-type Mutant?
I shouldn’t have worried about you!
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