Pollutant Disguise Plan (POLLUTANT)
The distance from Q City to the central district wasn’t far—just an hour by plane.
Normally, Li Zhiyan stayed at headquarters and rarely lingered at branch facilities for long. But this time, he had grown accustomed to Q City, even though its emergency lockdown had long been lifted
Though he claimed he was "too lazy to move," those who knew him understood he was waiting for someone who would never return.
At first, Li Zhiyan had wanted to refute the rumors, but then he realized this misunderstanding might actually help him "get closer" to Shen Ji. So he happily encouraged everyone to keep talking.
Everyone else: "......"
What a lunatic!
The moment they stepped off the plane, Li Zhiyan headed straight for the Contaminant Disposal Center, with Jiang Ying in tow.
"I’ve made contact with headquarters," Jiang Ying said with one earpiece in her ear and her eyes fixed on her laptop screen. "Tsk, quite a few people are still missing. Headquarters has already sent a distress signal to the Anti-Contamination Control Center."
"Accept it," Li Zhiyan said.
Jiang Ying didn’t even look up. "Already did, just now."
In a way, they had returned this time for Qin Changye.
Though Qin Changye was an A-class Mutant and a divine fortune-teller, he wasn't an offensive-type mutant. He lacked the ability to handle Pollutants—just like an ordinary person, he'd die if shot. At best, he could rely on his fortune-telling to hide safely somewhere for a few days until help arrived.
Li Zhiyan had recruited him primarily for logistical support and backline duties.
Yet despite having no capacity for dangerous missions, the man possessed an adventurous spirit, always charging headfirst into situations big and small. This time, when he divined that Pollutants had emerged at the Contaminant Disposal Center, Li Zhiyan knew he'd rush in.
Sure enough.
Now he had to clean up the mess again.
"Deduct Qin Changye's full attendance bonus for a month," Li Zhiyan said to Jiang Ying. "And cancel his annual bonus."
Jiang Ying twitched her lips. "Boss, is just docking his pay enough? He's the only one on the team who doesn't need money."
Unlike the others, Qin Changye was a genuine divine fortune-teller—renowned throughout the Central District. People everywhere were willing to pay exorbitant sums for a single reading from him, including several high-ranking officials from the Anti-Contamination Control Center. After all, Qin Changye was the only one who could grasp the threads of miracles.
The man had amassed a fortune from this and even occasionally distributed dividends to the entire team like a walking money vault.
Li Zhiyan snapped a photo of the surroundings outside the car window and sent it to an account. Still typing, he said: "We still need to make a statement. Deduct it," Li Zhiyan replied indifferently, his attention entirely fixed on his phone.
"What's the exact situation now?"
The car stopped, and Li Zhiyan finally finished sending his message. He and Jiang Ying stepped out.
The Contaminant Disposal Center had a fixed staff, and many brightened at the sight of Jiang Ying.
She smiled and greeted those around her while briefing Li Zhiyan.
"Escaped staff said that they were observing the Pollutant. It didn't do anything—just kept dancing. Those affected by its contamination while it danced lost their rationality and joined in. Thus, we've classified it as a primary psychic-type Pollutant."
This was bad news.
Such Pollutants rarely attacked humans directly. Instead, they became absorbed in their own obsessions, doing only what they desired. Yet in the process, they emitted intense psychic contamination, causing those nearby to synchronize with them and mimic their actions.
The very nature of their psychic contamination meant that once they appeared, the contamination level would never be low.
"Some staff members are missing, and the security team has been unable to enter the affected zone. Spatial distortions have been confirmed inside—those who enter either become trapped in certain areas or are transported to entirely unknown regions. The missing personnel likely lost their way because of this."
Jiang Ying flipped through the files before looking up. "We need to resolve this as quickly as possible. There are 26 Stage IV contaminated patients in the affected zone."
"If they mutate into Pollutants due to the high-contamination environment, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Even if just a third of them mutated, the trapped staff would suffer devastating losses.
This was the true culprit behind the Contaminant Disposal Center's high casualty rate.
"Understood," Li Zhiyan said. "Jiang Ying, stay here to organize the intel and assist survivors. I'll go in."
"Copy that!"
Jiang Ying quickly separated from Li Zhiyan.
She turned to speak with the escaped staff members, while Li Zhiyan alone entered the heavily guarded center. His appearance was too distinctive, so the guards immediately let him pass upon seeing him.
After Li Zhiyan entered, the gatekeepers whispered in surprise, "Why is Li Zhiyan here? Wasn’t he in Q City recently?"
"I heard he fell for someone in Q City but got abandoned after being led on. He was so heartbroken he decided to stay there and mope."
"Seems like Qin Changye is inside too."
"Qin Changye? The divine prophet? So he’s here to rescue his teammate."
"Wait, back to the original topic—what’s this about being abandoned?"
Unaware of the guards’ gossip, Li Zhiyan stepped into the facility for the first time, despite having received countless complaint letters from Cheng Feng.
A full-area map of the department was posted at the entrance, but it was now useless. Under the influence of Pollutant, spatial distortions had occurred in every sector, and following the map would only lead to getting lost.
Li Zhiyan snapped his fingers. With a click, a small butterfly appeared before him.
He pointed ahead. "Lead the way."
"As for the route..." He pondered briefly. "Fly toward where the contamination is strongest."
The blue butterfly fluttered its wings and began moving forward, with Li Zhiyan following leisurely with his hands in his pockets.
He wasn’t in too much of a hurry.
Though Qin Changye lacked offensive abilities, he was still an A-class mutant and a divine prophet. He could easily find a safe spot to hide for a couple of days.
The butterfly turned into a stairwell. Li Zhiyan followed, but the moment his foot crossed the threshold, he found himself not in a staircase but in a sealed office space. A few desks cluttered with unfinished documents filled the room.
At one of the desks, a middle-aged man in a hazmat suit—his belly protruding—was dancing.
He strained to lift his head, attempting an elegant arch of his neck, but the layers of fat only made his flesh jiggle.
Li Zhiyan picked up the ID badge the man had flung off during his twirl.
[Name: Li Tong. Position: Director of Stage II Contaminant Cremation.]
One of the missing.
After appreciating the performance for a moment, Li Zhiyan marked the room and left with the butterfly.
Outside, the next batch of dancers awaited.
This time, a man and woman spun in circles in the hallway with dark circles under their eyes. Electronic shackles—reserved for special personnel—clamped around their ankles, displaying their identities.
These two were convicts volunteering at the processing center.
Li Zhiyan paused to admire their routine.
After a few seconds, he remarked, "Not as good as the last one."
……..
Meanwhile, down another corridor, dozens of people huddled together, awaiting Qin Changye’s divination results.
The hallway was long and wide—they were on one end while the Pollutant on the other.
The Contaminant Disposal Center had designed this passage for efficient corpse transport, but now it served just as well for evading contamination.
Truly versatile.
Amid the murmurs, Qin Changye finally looked up. "I’ve got it!"
Eyes lit up around him. "Where are the guards? Are they coming to rescue us soon?"
Qin Changye shook his head earnestly. "Listen to me first."
"'Danger ahead, safety behind' means we can't go forward—that path holds great peril. But moving backward is safe. 'Avoid fractured paths' tells us to steer clear of broken areas, like those shattered glass panels. Finally, we must take the white door."
After studying the surroundings for a long while, Qin Changye finally looked up and spotted a small white door.
"That's the one!"
Someone familiar with the place twitched at the corner of their mouth.
Cheng Feng said flatly, "That's the isolation chamber for storing corpses."
"Completely sealed—no exits except that door."
"Trust me! My divinations have never been wrong!" Qin Changye scrambled up from the ground. "Something beyond our common understanding must be happening here, so we can't limit ourselves to normal logic.”
[He's right.]
The system suddenly spoke up. [I've detected spatial distortions throughout the contamination zone. The doors that open may not lead to expected spaces.]
[In their perception, this was the door to the isolation room, but walking through it led to other areas. The same applied to doors elsewhere.]
Shen Ji looked at the group. "But we don’t have any other options now. Should we give it a try?"
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.
Though crawling into an isolation room meant for storing corpses was bizarre, they truly had no alternative. Staying any longer in this highly contaminated environment might mean they’d soon be dancing alongside the deceased dancer.
Thus, Qin Changye was the first to stand up. He pulled open the narrow white door—originally designed for horizontally placed bodies—forcing him to stoop low as he crawled inside. The moment he entered, he mysteriously vanished.
Those left behind froze for a second before their eyes lit up with realization. One by one, they began crawling through.
Cheng Feng was the last, guarding the rear to ensure everyone else went ahead before following.
Shen Ji also squeezed through the isolation room door. The passage was only two meters deep, so he emerged within seconds.
When he jumped down from the passage, he found himself in what appeared to be another office.
He glanced around in confusion—no one else was there.
[The others have been teleported to different locations.] The system was still analyzing the distorted space. [Is this teleportation random or governed by rules? Let me calculate!]
Shen Ji exhaled in relief. "At least I don’t have to pretend to be socially awkward anymore."
Stretching his arms, he muttered, "Where is this? The incineration chamber?"
[This is Stage II Cremation Control. The incineration chamber is the one on the screen.]
Shen Ji instinctively turned toward the surveillance monitor.
At that very moment, a man strolled casually into view on the screen.
Dressed in a security team uniform—though worn carelessly, with the jacket unbuttoned and hanging open to reveal a black undershirt—his long white hair draped messily over his shoulders, adding to his disheveled aura.
Shen Ji’s eyes widened slightly. Before he could react, the man in the footage turned, his piercing gaze locking onto the camera.
Those cerulean-blue eyes remained as unnaturally vivid as ever. Even after all this time, the edgy protagonist hadn’t lost his striking presence.
Shen Ji couldn’t help but blurt out, "...Holy shit."
[HOLY SHIT!!! WHY IS THE PROTAGONIST HERE?!]
"You said Li Zhiyan never set foot in the Contaminant Disposal Center in the original novel!"
[We’ve already passed the novel’s abandoned plot point—everything from here is uncharted territory! But why is he spawning here?!]
[Ahhh! I found it! Qin Changye messaged Li Zhiyan before getting trapped! Li Zhiyan came looking for him!!]
[What do we do now?!]
"Stay calm." Shen Ji kept his eyes fixed on Li Zhiyan in the footage. Seemingly finding nothing of interest, the protagonist began searching for an exit.
He watched as Li Zhiyan circled the room before finally pulling open a door and stepping out then vanishing from sight.
A faint sense of longing tugged at him.
It had been a long time since he’d last seen Li Zhiyan.
"Li Zhiyan came here for Qin Changye. His secondary mission is eliminating Pollutants and finding the missing. All we need to do is avoid becoming one of those targets."
"Before Li Zhiyan neutralizes this Pollutant, we’ll steer clear of him and find our way out."
"Then we won't run into Li Zhiyan."
[Hiss, you're absolutely right.]
The system immediately perked up, [Let me scan the surrounding routes again. We need to avoid the protagonist and get out of this dangerous place immediately!]
While the system was scanning, Shen Ji opened the video replay and stared at the person inside for a while.
"Tsk," Shen Ji clicked his tongue, "He doesn't seem particularly upset."
[Why would he be upset when you've clearly shown you're not dead?] The system sighed, [Stop overthinking about the protagonist. I've detected a route—let's move.]
"Got it."
Shen Ji closed the video and switched back to real-time, then pushed open a door as instructed by the system.
Only to be greeted by five burly men dancing.
Shen Ji: "..."
Five towering, bear-like men in security uniforms were clumsily attempting ballet around a dancing girl. With no prior dance training, their strained toes were already mangled and possibly fractured as blood soaks through their shoes.
Shen Ji stepped forward to try to pull them away.
Unexpectedly, all five men and the dancing girl suddenly turned their heads in unison to stare at him. Their movements froze and their lifeless eyes reflected Shen Ji's figure.
"Stop dancing," Shen Ji said. "Honestly, it's kind of awful."
"Not that I'm insulting you—just stating facts. Forcing dance moves without any training looks terrible."
"Even newly grown legs need some adjustment time, right?"
[...Only you would say something like this.]
The dancing girl let out a piercing scream while glaring at Shen Ji as if he were her mortal enemy. But in the next second, countless fungal threads descended from the ceiling, rapidly multiplying and enveloping her completely. In an instant, she was devoured down to the last morsel.
The moment she disappeared, the five men collapsed limply to the ground, unconscious.
Having only consumed minimal contamination, the fungal threads began wailing—they'd expected a full meal.
"Stop crying," Shen Ji patted their tiny mushroom heads. "This wasn't the main body anyway—barely any contamination aura. The real thing's probably still in the transfer room."
The fungal threads immediately perked up before scurrying back up to the ceiling.
Transfer room! Transfer room!
Let's go chew it up now!
"Hey," Shen Ji called after their rapidly disappearing forms, "With space this distorted, can you even reach the transfer room?"
[It'd be better if they couldn't.] The system muttered darkly: [You don't want the mushrooms running into the protagonist either, do you?]
Shen Ji: "..."
Damn, for a moment I forgot Li Zhiyan's target is the contamination source.
Whatever, those little things probably wouldn't dare compete with Li Zhiyan for prey.
Shen Ji continued following the system's designated escape route.
[This spatial distortion is so annoying.] The system complained: [It's not random—there's a pattern, but multiple overlapping cycles keep shifting. One second you can reach Zone A, the next you're in Zone B, completely scrambling all routes.]
[So you've got to open doors within specific time windows, understand?]
"Got it."
Shen Ji adjusted his black-framed glasses. "That unlucky bastard Li Zhiyan must be hopelessly lost in here."
[Him getting lost would be perfect—buys us more time to escape.]
The system said: [The door on the right. Enter and immediately take the left passage. We only have a three-minute window—miss it and our route will be disrupted.]
Shen Ji pushed open the right-hand door. His first instinct was to verify the left passage, but the moment he stepped through, screams pierced the air.
"It hurts! I can't stand up!
"My leg, my leg!"
Then came another familiar voice: "Stay still! I'm injecting you with contamination suppressants—stop thrashing!"
That was Cheng Feng's voice.
Shen Ji turned toward the source, which lay in the exact opposite direction of the left passage.
[Shen Ji, move.]
Shen Ji stood rooted in place.
Before the system could urge him again, a heavy thud echoed from the commotion, followed by Cheng Feng's hoarse groan and an escalation of shrill screams.
After one last glance at the left passage, Shen Ji sprinted toward the right.
[Fine.] The system sighed regretfully and began recalculating the route.
[I knew it would come to this.]
As Shen Ji dashed down the right corridor, he found Cheng Feng pinned beneath a toppled crate. A vial of contamination suppressants lay shattered nearby, while a man writhed and shrieked on the floor, and clawing at his legs as though something monstrous clung to them.
The man was even grabbing nearby tools to bludgeon his own limbs.
[Stage II mental contamination.]
[The contamination's obsession—yearning to dance while haunted by memories of her teacher injuring her leg—has manifested. Once contamination reaches a certain threshold, victims exhibit leg-related compulsions.]
[Currently, it seems he’ll sever his own legs by any means necessary.]
Shen Ji first heaved the crate off Cheng Feng and pulled him free, then snatched up the suppressants. After checking the packaging to confirm it contained sedatives, he approached the contaminated man. Just as the man raised a tool overhead, Shen Ji seized his wrist and shoved him aside.
Before the man could react, the needle plunged into his neck.
The liquid entered his bloodstream. He convulsed once.
Shen Ji withdrew the syringe, scanned the area, and locked onto a nearby transparent isolation chamber meant for contaminated corpses. Dragging the man across the floor—leaving a smeared trail of blood from his battered legs—he hauled him to the chamber.
Cheng Feng watched, stunned, as Shen Ji swiped his access card to open the chamber and unceremoniously shoved the man inside.
The contaminated patient struggled weakly, but the sedatives took effect, leaving him limp.
Only after sealing the chamber and maxing out the isolation protocols did Shen Ji turn back to Cheng Feng.
The entire sequence had been executed with ruthless efficiency—so fluid that Cheng Feng was still processing it.
"Mr. Cheng?" Shen Ji asked. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes." Cheng Feng nodded reflexively. "I'm fine. Not a scratch."
Shen Ji exhaled in relief. At least this detour wasn’t wasted.
But Cheng Feng’s astonishment only grew.
Though he’d interviewed Shen Ji and approved his hiring, the process had been a mere formality—any Mutant would’ve been accepted.
Shen Ji had only joined two days ago. He barely knew anyone at the Contaminant Disposal Center.
But now, Cheng Feng felt he might have stumbled upon a treasure.
This person possessed a strong sense of justice and willingly stepping in to help colleagues in trouble. His exceptional initiative was evident—before Cheng Feng could even react, he had already injected the contaminated patient with suppressants and locked them in an isolation room. Most importantly, he had the capability.
He could single-handedly subdue a contaminated patient in the throes of an outbreak!
Cheng Feng mentally ticked off countless checkmarks in his little notebook while growing increasingly satisfied with Shen Ji.
First candidate: He’s the one!
"Can you stand up?" Shen Ji crouched down to help Cheng Feng up. "We’ll leave him here for now and go ahead."
Cheng Feng struggled to rise, but his back had been strained, and the moment he stood, pain twisted his expression.
Thankfully, Shen Ji kept holding him, preventing another fall.
"The layout here is bizarre," Cheng Feng sighed helplessly. "I’ve been in this place for thirty years, and even though I know the routes are wrong, I still instinctively follow the paths in my memory. That’s why I keep getting lost."
"You’re new here, Xiao Ji, so you probably don’t have this problem."
Cheng Feng added, "You lead the way. I’ll follow you."
[Perfect! No need to brainstorm—we can just decide the route!]
The system continued directing, [The previous path is blocked. This time, go right. There’s a conference room—push open that door.]
Shen Ji supported Cheng Feng as they walked forward. When they opened the conference room door, however, they didn’t find a meeting space but a document archive instead.
Inside, rows of meticulously organized files lined the shelves. Shen Ji even spotted a list of deceased staff members.
"Ah, this is the confidential archives," Cheng Feng said. "Normally, only the designated successor of the Contaminant Disposal Center can enter."
Cheng Feng thought silently: To think we randomly ended up here… Is the heavens themselves telling me this young man is the rightful next director?
Meanwhile, Shen Ji was quietly complaining to the system.
‘A place only the designated successor can enter, huh? Tsk, I wonder how many designated successors there’ll be after this contamination accident.’
‘By tomorrow, it’ll just be another archive trampled by a hundred people.’
[…Can you not crack jokes at a time like this?]
[Shen Ji, oh great Mushroom King, please take this seriously.]
Shen Ji: "…"
He was being serious!
And was the joke really that bad?!
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