Pollutant Disguise Plan (POLLUTANT)
Cheng Feng had worked at the Contaminant Disposal Center for thirty years, rising from a junior employee to its Chief Director.
But this was the first time he’d encountered something so bizarre.
A Stage IV contamination patient with over 95% contamination levels—already sentenced to death—had suddenly seen her contamination levels drop inside the center and plummeting all the way to Stage III?
Even though the patient remained unconscious, this no longer met the disposal criteria.
The Hazard Manual hadn’t covered this scenario!
After scratching his head in frustration, Cheng Feng decided to draft a detailed report and submit it to the Anti-Contamination Control Center. Once approved, Qin Changye could take the patient away.
But to his surprise, Qin Changye, upon learning of his plan, refused.
"No, she has to stay here," Qin Changye objected from across the desk. "I won’t take her away."
Cheng Feng was baffled. "What? Wasn’t the whole point of you coming here yesterday to get her out of the Contaminant Disposal Center?"
"That was yesterday’s me. Today’s me is different." Qin Changye closed his eyes, adopting a solemn expression. "I just performed a divination. The one destined to awaken this woman is within your center. So she can’t leave—she must remain here."
"Only then can she fully overcome this trial and return to the world of the living."
Cheng Feng: "…"
Destined one? Return to the world of the living?
Do all Taoist priests talk in such riddles?
"Trust me!" Qin Changye said earnestly. "Director Cheng, you must support my work. We’re colleagues in this crisis—if you don’t help me, who will?"
"But our Contaminant Disposal Center has nowhere to place her," Cheng Feng said helplessly. "We can't just have her stay with the contaminated patients awaiting treatment, can we?"
That was indeed a problem.
The Contaminant Disposal Center existed to eradicate contamination—its primary purpose was the complete elimination of contamination.
Using every possible method to cleanse all contamination from the air and ensuring anything emitting contamination lost its ability to spread—that was the center's true purpose. Even handling contaminated corpses was just a secondary task.
Compared to disposing of bodies, they'd much rather focus on researching how to seal those damn contamination rifts once and for all!
Qin Changye suddenly had an idea. "Can we put her in the staff dormitory?"
Cheng Feng deadpanned, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Qin Changye: "..."
Just then, the office door burst open as a bespectacled girl rushed in with her arms piled high with documents.
"Director Cheng!" She dumped the stack in front of him. "A new batch of contaminated patients just arrived."
"Another batch?" Cheng Feng stood up abruptly. "Didn't we just get one a few days ago?"
"No choice—the branch center's overflowed! They couldn't handle the containment, so they shipped a truckload to headquarters!"
A vein bulged on Cheng Feng's forehead. "Is headquarters a garbage dump?! Nearby branches should handle this!"
"The branches are overflowing too! Everyone's workload is maxed out right now!"
"Boss! It's peak contamination season!"
Qin Changye could only watch as Cheng Feng swiftly donned protective goggles and a mask, grabbed the files, and stormed out of the office cursing.
So this was the Contaminant Disposal Center?
Busy. Insanely busy!
Thankfully their team leader was a master slacker, and their entire unit followed suit—avoiding work whenever possible. He even had time to tell fortunes under bridges.
Decision made: Li Zhiyan's cyber curse could wait a day.
Completely unaware of Qin Changye's thoughts, Cheng Feng scanned today's staff roster while walking.
Contaminated corpses needed immediate processing because even in death, they kept emitting contamination. Higher-grade Pollutants demanded priority, followed by contaminated patients. The real challenge with patients was timing; because if left untreated, they'd mutate into full Pollutants.
This was why the Contaminant Disposal Center worked closely with security teams—squads rotated monthly to handle contaminated patients.
"Have this group inventory the new patients," Cheng Feng told the bespectacled girl while pointing at some names.
She adjusted her glasses. "Boss, isn't this the new recruits' team?"
"Right. Isn't one of them socially phobic?" Cheng Feng scratched his head. "Regardless of whether he only likes dealing with corpses, I need to see how he handles emergencies."
"Understood! I'll notify them now!"
Watching her dash off with the files, Cheng Feng leaned against the wall and rubbed his aching back.
Lately, he'd been feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the center's crushing workload.
Maybe... it was time to find a successor?
The more he thought about it, the better the idea seemed.
Their Processing Center wasn't like other places—no one was willing to come here, let alone take on the role of supervisor.
He needed to make plans soon.
Meanwhile, in Contamination Treatment Office No. 1, a group of people were listlessly recording data while incinerating corpses.
The work at the Contaminant Disposal Center was highly repetitive, extremely dull, and even more torturous than the Containment Facility.
Shen Ji wasn’t the type who enjoyed repetitive assembly-line work—otherwise, he wouldn’t have become a journalist.
Just as he was considering whether to resign in a couple of days, a bespectacled girl pushed the door open.
"Everyone!" she called out. "A new batch of contaminated patients just arrived. The boss wants you to record them."
Hearing this, the people around Shen Ji groaned. "Again? We haven’t even finished processing the last batch!"
"Seriously, has it been way too busy lately?"
"Stop complaining. Everyone’s waiting."
Shen Ji remained silent, maintaining his socially awkward persona, and followed the others to the transfer room.
Vehicles were unloading large canister-like devices, each as tall as a person, with semi-transparent glass panels revealing the mental states of the contaminated patients inside.
Though called "patients," these individuals could no longer maintain human forms, nor could they retain basic human cognition. Those who could still speak only uttered a few obsessive phrases.
At the Containment Facility, such cases had a specific term: [Contamination Transition Phase].
Shen Ji watched as the contaminated patients were unloaded one by one, a trace of regret in his eyes.
Back at the Containment Facility, he had been the one to send them onto these vehicles. Now, at the Contaminant Disposal Center, he had become the one unloading them.
"Alright, everyone, record the basic information of these patients in order!"
Shen Ji was familiar with this procedure. After being sent to the Contaminant Disposal Center, contaminated patients underwent a process called Contamination Assessment.
They were first assessed at the Containment Facility to confirm they were beyond treatment. Upon arrival at the center, they were tested again to double-check before disposal.
This two-step safeguard was meant to prevent rare exceptions—and to screen for the minuscule chance that a patient might miraculously awaken as a Mutant at the last moment.
But unfortunately, in the thirty years since the Contaminant Disposal Center was established, fewer than five such cases had been found.
Shen Ji had already been accustomed to recording contaminated patients at the Containment Facility, so he adapted quickly here, filling out the reports with both speed and accuracy.
Thus, when Cheng Feng finally eased the soreness in his back and arrived, this was the Shen Ji he saw.
The young man wore black-framed glasses and a white mask that covered the lower half of his face, making his sharp features even more striking.
He was intently observing the assessment device in front of a contaminated patient and meticulously recording data in his notebook. Even when faced with the grotesque, contamination-ravaged faces, he showed no trace of fear.
Cheng Feng’s eyes lit up—this kid had guts.
No wonder he had boldly claimed he’d rather deal with corpses!
By the time Shen Ji finished his round of recordings, his colleagues were still struggling to complete theirs.
Seeing Shen Ji work so quickly, the girl recording next to him exclaimed in delight, "Xiao Ji, you really don't seem like a newcomer. You're so skilled and meticulous—you must have a natural talent for this."
"Xiao Ji?" Someone nearby turned their head in confusion. "Isn't the new guy surnamed Shen?"
"But 'Xiao Shen' doesn't sound as endearing as 'Xiao Ji.'"
"I guess you're right."
Shen Ji: "..."
‘See, System? No matter where I go, people always end up calling me Xiao Ji. It's got nothing to do with me.’
[...Is this some kind of rules-based horror scenario?]
"Xiao Ji, are you good at this kind of data organization?" the bespectacled girl asked again.
Shen Ji hesitated as his eyes filled with confusion. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "When I was a kid, I liked counting ants?"
The people around him looked even more bewildered. "What does that have to do with counting ants?"
Shen Ji lowered his head. "...Sorry."
Everyone: ...
[Is this really social anxiety? No way? Shen Ji, look at their expressions—I’m pretty sure it’s more exasperation and fear than anything else!]
‘As long as it ends the conversation, whatever. I’m not actually socially anxious—just leaning into the stereotype.’
‘Damn it, why did I have to say I was socially anxious when I joined?’
The others silently studied Shen Ji’s features.
His face was strikingly distinctive. Even though he habitually wore a mask that covered the lower half, his sharp, aggressive handsomeness was undeniable. Here was a guy who looked effortlessly cool and aloof—yet was supposedly a socially awkward introvert.
The impossibly handsome young man lowered his head and apologized softly.
His voice was quiet, but the cold edge in his tone was unmistakable.
The contrast was unreal.
...Stop apologizing—we’re the ones who should be sorry!
After the apology, Shen Ji went back to recording data—this time helping the slowest colleague to catch up. He meticulously noted down each number, his dark eyes reflecting the equipment before him.
The guilt in the room deepened.
He might not be great with words, but Shen Ji was clearly a good guy!
Cheng Feng had been observing everything. He nodded approvingly and marked a check next to Shen Ji’s name.
After a moment’s thought, he added a second check.
This young man was impressive.
……..
Meanwhile, Qin Changye was still in Cheng Feng’s office.
Though he hadn’t brought his tortoise shell or copper coins, as a legendary Taoist priest, he didn’t need them to divine the future!
So he pulled two pens from the drawer, set them on the table, and began his calculations.
"Let’s see who He Linqiu’s destined benefactor is."
"It’s someone in this Contaminant Disposal Center—I know that much. But where exactly?"
"...Huh? Why am I being led to calculate something else? What am I supposed to divine? The safety of this center? What? Is something going to happen here?"
Qin Changye’s brow furrowed as he swiftly recalibrated his divination.
"Time: 18:35. Location: Contaminated Patient Transfer Room. Number of people: 36."
"Disaster, terror, sacrifice... A contaminated patient?!"
Qin Changye shot to his feet. "One of the contaminated patients is going to mutate into a Pollutant—and it’s at least a Level C, [Dancer]."
"No! We need to evacuate everyone now!"
He slammed his hand on the office alarm before sprinting toward the [Contaminated Patient Transfer Room].
He remembered Cheng Feng mentioning earlier that a new batch of contaminated patients had arrived—transferred from another branch center due to overflow.
That meant these patients had been confined for an extended period, with their contamination levels worsening over time.
Until they mutated into Pollutants on the spot.
The staff at the Contaminant Disposal Center reacted with practiced efficiency. The moment the alarm sounded, everyone evacuated swiftly. As the department with the highest casualty rates, their crisis response was impeccable.
No one questioned or complained—only a desperate will to survive.
Qin Changye pushed through the dispersing crowd and rushed to the Contaminated Patient Transfer Room. Just as he arrived, he saw Cheng Feng leading people out in a hurry.
"Mr. Qin?!" Cheng Feng asked anxiously. "What happened? Did you trigger the alarm in my office?"
"It was me. We need to leave now! Leave this to the security team!" Qin Changye said. "I calculated that a contaminated individual is about to mutate here."
"What?!"
Before Qin Changye could explain further, a sharp crack echoed through the room. The sturdy anti-contamination glass around them suddenly fractured, the sound sending a jolt through everyone’s hearts.
The alarm lights flashed red.
"Warning!" The alarm blared sharply. "Environmental contamination levels have risen by 76%!"
"Warning! Environmental contamination levels have exceeded 90%!"
"Warning! Warning! Pollutant detected!"
Shen Ji stood at the back of the crowd, tilting his head slightly as he observed Qin Changye.
The moment the alarm sounded, both Qin Changye and Cheng Feng immediately positioned themselves in front of the others—a protective stance.
Even if he was usually cryptic and hard to read, when danger struck, Qin Changye instantly transformed into a guardian.
Shen Ji glanced to the side. Through the gaps in the isolation chamber, a disheveled woman locked eyes with him. Beneath her tangled hair, her mouth was smeared with blood. She coughed up more blood, yet stretched her crimson-stained lips into a wide, eerie grin directed at Shen Ji.
Then, she began to twist and writhe.
[‘The Dancer’—Level C Pollutant, mutated from a contaminated patient.]
The system began relaying basic information about the entity.
[She was contaminated in a D+-class contamination zone known as [Dream]. This contamination event causes some victims to sink into the quagmire of their dreams, deluding themselves into believing they’ve attained everything they desired. The moment they are awakened, they immediately undergo contamination reactions, believing the ones who woke them stole everything from them.]
[This individual is 47 years old. Before the Red Mist Incident, she was a dance prodigy who dedicated her life to the art. During the Red Mist Incident, she was contaminated and had her legs severed by her own dance instructor, leaving her permanently disabled and unable to stand.]
[Her intense fixation caused her to fuse with ‘Dream’, crystallizing into this Level C Pollutant—‘The Dancer of Dreams’.]
Contamination was the monster born from obsession—yet, in a way, it was also the means to fulfill that obsession.
After all, only contamination could give her legs back.
Meanwhile, the others finally remembered that Shen Ji was a C-class Sensory-type Mutant. Following his gaze, they spotted the woman wedged in the gap.
The Dancer twisted her way out unnaturally but made no move to attack. Instead, she rose onto her toes, lifted her arms, and began to dance slowly before the crowd—like a mechanical figurine in a music box.
Her white ballet shoes gradually darkened with blood, yet she seemed oblivious, spinning gracefully with her arms outstretched like a swan.
No one dared to breathe.
Cheng Feng and Qin Changye shielded the group while carefully guiding them backward step by step toward the emergency exit.
But no matter how hard they tried, the door wouldn’t budge.
Qin Changye clicked his tongue in frustration. "The air barrier—a signature of contamination zones."
Fortunately, most people here were Mutants, especially since this was a Contaminant Disposal Center. Everyone had been mentally prepared for such situations
So they cautiously spread out to search for a way to escape. It was during this search that they realized the dancing woman paid them no attention at all
She just kept dancing with her eyes filled with obsession and completely indifferent to anything around her except her movements.
"None of the doors will open," one person said. "Are we just going to wait for the guards to notice that we're missing and come looking for us?"
"Pretty much," Qin Changye replied with his gaze fixed on the still-dancing woman. "But it's too quiet."
"What do you mean?"
"In my calculations, it should at least be a Level C Pollutant. Why is it so passive? Why hasn’t it caused any trouble?"
He found it baffling. "We're standing right next to it... I feel uneasy."
No sooner had he spoken than the person beside Shen Ji trembled and raised a hand. Shen Ji followed the others' gazes toward him.
"I... I'm in pain," the man stammered, his voice shaking. "I felt it earlier, but I thought I just twisted my ankle. Now it's getting worse—it hurts so much I can barely stand it."
The moment he finished speaking, he let out a bloodcurdling scream and collapsed to the ground while clutching his leg.
"It hurts! It hurts so much!" he wailed. "My leg—!"
Cheng Feng rushed forward and pinned him down before rolling up his pant leg. His calf was bright red and radiating intense heat as his flesh visibly melted.
With another scream, the man shoved Cheng Feng away and scrambled to his feet—only to start dancing on the spot.
As he danced, his screams faded and the skin on his leg began to heal.
But here was a tall, burly man, someone who had never trained in dance, now awkwardly mimicking the movements of the Dancing Woman. Their motions grew increasingly synchronized, until they were perfectly matched—two "Dancing Women" twirling together in the empty space.
The onlookers were stunned by this development.
"Hiss—" Someone else sucked in a sharp breath, his voice laced with terror. "M-My leg hurts too..."
Shen Ji spoke calmly. "Administer the contamination inhibitors first."
"Whether it works or not, just use it."
Everyone turned to stare at Shen Ji, who suddenly remembered his socially awkward persona. He tried to act the part but ultimately gave up.
Regretfully, he retrieved a contamination inhibitor from his hazmat suit. "Everyone has one in their standard kit, right?"
At his words, the group frantically searched their own suits for the inhibitors—standard issue for all employees in case of emergencies. The situation had unfolded so abruptly that they’d forgotten they were carrying them.
As they injected themselves, Cheng Feng asked Qin Changye if he needed one. Qin Changye hastily shook his head, claiming his A-class mutation made him immune to contamination.
Shen Ji stood up and approached the Dancing Woman. She and the infected man were still dancing. After a moment of thought, Shen Ji grabbed the spinning man and yanked him to the ground with a loud thud. He pinned him down, rummaged through his suit for an inhibitor, and injected him.
Once done, Shen Ji released his grip. The man swayed slightly, then got back up and resumed dancing.
Everyone: "..."
"Wow." Qin Changye adjusted his small sunglasses and poked Cheng Feng. "Your employee here is quite bold!"
Cheng Feng: "..."
If I told you he's actually socially awkward, would you believe me?
…….
At Q City's Contaminant Disposal Center, Li Zhiyan received his third call today from Wen Jingyu at Q City's Containment Facility.
The old man had been berating him for a week straight.
But Shen Ji's departure wasn't something Li Zhiyan could control—if it were up to him, he wouldn't have let Shen Ji leave either. Left with no choice, Li Zhiyan muted his phone and waited for Wen Jingyu to finish venting before hanging up.
After today's routine call ended, Li Zhiyan planned to complain to Shen Ji about their director's terrifying behavior and lament how inhumane Shen Ji was being.
How could he leave him to bear such immense pressure alone?
Just as he unlocked his phone, he saw a text from Qin Changye.
[Qin Changye: Captain, a minimum Level C contamination has appeared at the Contaminant Disposal Center. The specific contamination model is unknown since I calculated it. I’m heading there now to assist.]
After reading the message, Li Zhiyan immediately called Qin Changye.
"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently out of service. Please try again later."
Jiang Ying had just walked in with her laptop when she noticed the grim expression on Li Zhiyan’s face.
"Boss, what’s wrong?"
"Qin Changye calculated that a Level C or higher contamination has appeared at the Contaminant Disposal Center. He rushed over, but now his phone is unreachable."
Jiang Ying’s eyes widened. "You mean the headquarters?"
She quickly pulled up records. "Headquarters just received a batch of Stage IV contaminated patients transported from P City today. P City experienced a D+-class contamination incident codenamed [Dream]. The contamination level wasn’t high, but because it was a special type, there were a lot of contaminated patients. This batch was forced to be transferred to headquarters after the branch facility exceeded capacity."
"Tsk." Jiang Ying frowned. "According to headquarters’ records, they were still in the middle of cataloging the newly arrived patients when everyone suddenly went offline."
"So the contamination source must be among these patients."
Li Zhiyan nodded. "Pack your things. We’re heading back to headquarters."
"Got it! It’s been a while since I last saw Teacher Cheng." Jiang Ying began securing her laptop. "I wonder how he’s doing now."
A thought suddenly struck Li Zhiyan.
If he hadn’t poached Jiang Ying, she would’ve been the next Director of the Contaminant Disposal Center.
Back then, he had encountered Jiang Ying at the Q City branch and recruited her—only to later learn that she had been sent there for training.
She was Cheng Feng’s prized apprentice, and Li Zhiyan had essentially stolen her right from under him. The middle-aged man had been so furious that he filed daily complaints against Li Zhiyan, sending one grievance letter after another to his office.
Li Zhiyan: "......"
He had finally escaped the flood of complaint letters. Would bringing Jiang Ying back now revive that nightmare?
Translator:
I think that flood of complaint letters will be doubling soon if you snatch back his another soon to be apprentice aka your beloved Shen Ji.
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