novelraw Chapter 5 The Cleaner
Chapter 5 The Cleaner
The car door was flung open with a whoosh.
Several people got off.
They were wearing ordinary yellow Lalamove uniforms, looking like a group of movers who had been temporarily called in.
However, they moved quite quickly, and in no time they unloaded several ordinary cardboard boxes from the car that were marked "Fragile" and "Precision Instruments".
But if you put in a little more effort
You can still detect something is wrong.
The staff members had overly uniform expressions, their eyes so calm that they lacked any of the nonchalance or curiosity expected of temporary workers.
They look like they were made from the same mold.
Behind them,
He stood like a team leader. His work clothes looked equally old, but the collar was buttoned up meticulously. When he glanced around, his eyes held a sharpness that was completely different from that of a porter.
He first glanced at the security camera in the hallway.
Some surprises,
But just as he was about to call someone to retrieve the video footage, he suddenly discovered that the camera was just an empty shell, and his lips twitched slightly.
After a short while,
His complexion gradually returned to normal, and he looked at the black-haired youth behind him and said:
"Lu Zihai, go and retrieve any available video footage from the vicinity to see if you can find out who this awakened pseudo-human usually contacts."
"Okay, Captain Joe."
The staff member named Lu Zihai wore glasses, but they couldn't hide his two heavy dark circles, making him look like he might suddenly die at any moment.
After these staff members entered the room
They walked straight to Min Zhirou, whose heart had been removed, next to the sofa in the living room. Even though her heart was gone, they could still vaguely see her body trembling slightly, but these people ignored it as if it were just a piece of furniture that was commonly seen in the living room.
As for the remains of the abyssal beast emanating miasma in the center of the living room, they acted as if they hadn't seen anything at all.
Several people in the hall quickly opened the cardboard box. What was revealed inside was not miscellaneous items, but sophisticated equipment with flashing indicator lights and specially made restraint devices.
"Captain Joe, the containment equipment is ready."
"Um."
The middle-aged man, referred to as the captain, first half-squatted down and professionally and quickly examined the hideous wound on Min Zhirou's chest and her lost vital signs before standing up and walking to the aster and ginger flowers.
He nodded slightly, his tone steady yet tinged with kindness:
"Thank you for your hard work, Miss Magical Girls. I am Qiao Xiaopeng, the captain of the Fourth Branch of the Containment Division of the Security Bureau. You can also call me Engineer Qiao. In order to more accurately assess and handle this mirror event, I need to understand some details of the scene from you two, especially regarding the awakening triggers and behavioral patterns of the target."
"OK."
The aster flower nodded.
He then proceeded to recount his afternoon's events in a clear and organized manner, detailing everything he had experienced.
After listening to the story of the aster flower,
After a brief moment of thought, he raised several very targeted questions:
"Before the incident, to your knowledge, were there any unusual reports of missing persons in your school and surrounding area? Especially cases whose characteristics overlap with Min Zhirou's social circle."
"It seems not."
"In your daily observations, has the target, Min Zhirou, ever exhibited any unconventional cognitive statements or inexplicable, abrupt changes in behavioral patterns on campus?"
"no."
"According to your account, this Bai Yuzhe appeared here at a specific time at Min Zhirou's invitation, right? Could this be considered a premeditated and targeted contact?"
"That should be true."
"During this period, did Bai show any signs of injury or experience any physical incoordination?"
"No, Bai left the building shortly after meeting this imposter."
After receiving affirmative answers from Ziwan and Jianghua, Qiao Xiaopeng's face showed a look of understanding.
"Okay, I understand. Thank you for your cooperation."
Qiao Xiaopeng turned to the staff behind him and said, "The target has been confirmed as an Awakened Level 2 Dangerous Target, possessing proactive aggression and a desire to lure. The environment is stable; proceed with amnesia and containment immediately."
For pseudo-people,
Human society is highly divided. Some people kill without hesitation on sight, while others believe that as long as the false humans do not awaken, they can coexist peacefully.
Currently,
In Holly City, which belongs to the liberal faction, as long as the fake person does not kill or injure someone in the street, the Security Bureau's Containment Division will only take them into custody.
Instead of killing them outright.
......
While the two staff members were operating the equipment
A deep hum, completely different from the bread truck engine, came from the stairwell again.
Several sleek black vans, like elegant deep-sea creatures, silently glided into the scene and parked precisely next to the broken Lalamove truck.
On the side of the vehicle, the silver Möbius strip logo gleamed with a cold luster in the dim light, exuding a sense of high-tech sophistication.
The car door opened silently upwards.
A team of people dressed in black suits, moving with mechanical precision, quickly disembarked from the vehicle. They made no eye contact with the Containment Department staff or the magical girl, as if they were in two parallel worlds.
The group set up a strangely shaped device in the center of the room.
It is shaped like a suspended metal gyroscope.
At the moment of startup,
An invisible ripple swept across the entire space—
hum...
With a low-frequency energy fluctuation that made your teeth ache,
The Shadow Claw Beast's corpse, which was gradually fading into nothingness under the purifying power of the ginger flower, was quickly and forcefully anchored back to reality by a brute force.
Before the body was anchored,
Although the staff of the Containment Department could sense the abnormality with instruments, they were not physically harmed, but rather experienced psychological discomfort.
however,
The situation changed drastically when the Shadowclaw Beast's corpse was forcibly solidified by the man in black, and its outline became unusually clear.
A foul stench mixed with decay,
Like an invisible shockwave of miasma, it swept through the room with lightning speed.
Asters and Ginger Flowers are magical girls.
Almost the instant the miasma swept out, a faint magical shield appeared around them.
However, the Containment Division members operating the equipment nearby were different. They swayed suddenly, instinctively covered their foreheads, and began to show signs of pain on their faces.
Even worse, some people lay down on the ground and started dry heaving.
however,
The group of men in black made no response.
Like the most efficient slaughterhouse assembly line, they silently and precisely arrived beside the abyssal beasts and began their work:
The two men used their specially made dismemberment knives to cut up the massive corpse into pieces, much like butchering pork. Accompanied by the sickening cracking of bones and the muffled thud of muscle fibers being forcibly torn, the knives quickly sliced the enormous body into several pieces.
Dark, viscous blood and fluids from unidentified tissues splattered onto their uniforms, but they ignored it, quickly stuffing the body parts into a cold, sealed box.
In just a few minutes,
Apart from Min Zhirou, the junior who was completely devoted to Bai Yuze, all traces of the Abyss Beasts and the battles in the living room were completely erased, restoring it to the appearance of a standard apartment showroom.
Only the lingering stench and chemical solvent smell in the air prove that something had happened here.
After doing all this,
The group of men in black didn't even leave a single word; just as they had arrived, they silently withdrew and got into their vehicles.
And at this moment,
Qiao Xiaopeng, who had been standing to the side, suddenly spoke, his words filled with disgust and anger:
"Gao Ming, if possible, I hope you will come back to clean up the site after we have completed containment next time. Otherwise, the miasma emitted by the manifestation of the Abyssal Beast will seriously affect the physical and mental health of our team members."
For this,
The leader of the men in black turned his head, a professional smile playing on his lips.
"Captain Qiao, I completely understand your concerns about the health of the team members. But please put yourself in their shoes—if we, the scavengers, are a few minutes late waiting for the procedure to complete, allowing this highly dangerous miasma to corrode the surrounding environment for a few more minutes… can you, personally, or rather your Containment Division, bear the responsibility for the potential large-scale demonization of citizens that this could trigger?"
"you.....!"
The leader of the men in black ignored Qiao Xiaopeng's anger and instead turned his gaze to the aster and ginger flowers beside him. A warm smile immediately appeared on his mocking face:
"Two beautiful magical girls, the Federation currency earned from slaying the Abyssal Beast has been deposited into your accounts. If you slay any new Abyssal Beasts or need assistance in the future, please feel free to call our Genji Biotechnology service hotline. We are always ready to provide you with the best follow-up service!"
-
downstairs,
The Containment Division and Genji Technology personnel arrived quickly.
It disappeared quickly.
As the engine sound faded into the distance,
Several vehicles bearing the silver-white Möbius strip logo slowly drove into the entrance of the residential area, eventually disappearing into the cherry blossom trees at the street corner.
Murong Yu gently pushed up her glasses, turned her head to look at Chen Xihan, who was standing beside her with her arms crossed, and said softly:
"It seems that this is the company that Bai wants to join. But the people at this company are really arrogant. They don't even respect the people from the Security Bureau."
Chen Xihan crossed her arms and snorted coldly:
"It depends on who from the National Security Bureau comes. If it were the director of the Secret Service, would these guys dare to be so arrogant?"
"Oh~"
Upon hearing this, Murong Yu slowly turned her head. Her expression was innocent and focused, just like that of a close best friend.
"I've heard that the newly appointed Director of the Secret Service is highly decorated and handsome. Should I try to make contact with him for you?"
"asshole!"
Chen Xihan's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and she reached out to pinch Murong Yu's soft cheek.
"Don't think I don't know that the new bureau chief is a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties! Besides, how many times do I have to say it? I don't like anyone, I'm a lesbian, okay?!"
"I know, I know, let go!"
Murong Yu's cheeks were being pinched, and her little hands were waving wildly in the air.
"snort!"
Chen Xihan gave a soft snort and just let go of her hand, when Murong Yu quietly took two steps back while holding her textbook.
What are you doing?
Murong Yu rubbed her slightly flushed cheeks, then timidly raised her eyes and added in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz but clear enough:
"Sister Xihan, you are a lesbian, but I am not."
"roll!"
After the two girls had played and joked around for a while,
They then parted ways.
Murong Yu chose to go home for dinner, while Chen Xihan went to Min Zhirou's room, took out her phone, took a few photos, and sent them to the person whose WeChat profile picture was an anime shark.
quickly,
Then the other party called, their voice clear and melodious, like a mountain stream, clean and clear.
"Xiaohan, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing. It's just that the bookworm you asked me to keep an eye on was lucky; he just escaped from the clutches of the fake man."
"Are you injured?"
Are you asking me, or him?
"...Ask them all."
Chen Xihan snorted lightly, "Don't worry, I've been keeping an eye on him these past few days, he won't get hurt."
The person on the other end of the phone spoke, sounding somewhat helpless:
"Well, it would be helpful if you could help take care of them a little when you have time. There's really no need to keep an eye on them all the time."
Chen Xihan scoffed lightly: "Sis, when you say 'take care of her,' isn't that just looking for trouble?"
"....."
The person on the other end was clearly taken aback by her words again.
Chen Xihan curled the corners of her mouth, revealing a smug look on her face.
"Just kidding. I just think this guy is basically a shut-in who only goes between school and home and never goes out. What's there to protect him for?"
"Yes, I know."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xihan's eyes narrowed instantly, and her voice carried a hint of mischief: "Sis, tell me honestly, what exactly is your relationship with this guy?"
"It's nothing, we're just ordinary junior and senior high school classmates."
Do you think I believe that?
"Then don't believe it."
The person on the other end of the phone clearly didn't want to discuss this topic any further.
"Xiaohan, is there anything else?"
Chen Xihan pursed her lips. Although she really wanted to get to the bottom of it, since the other party was unwilling to say more, she didn't press further and simply changed the subject.
"Sis, weren't you doing just fine in Ninomiya City? Why did you suddenly apply to come to our Fuyuki City?"
"We only recently discovered that an S-class Abyss Beast had escaped from Ninomiya City to Holly City."
"what?"
Chen Xihan's fingers paused for a moment.
"S-Rank Abyssal Beast!"
The person on the other end of the phone seemed to sense her nervousness and gently comforted her:
"Don't be nervous. Although this S-class Abyss Beast is cunning and treacherous, it rarely causes serious damage to the city. It is one of the more stable ones among the S-class Abyss Beasts."
"That's not right either."
Chen Xihan tilted her head slightly, and her fingers began to casually twirl the ends of her hair again.
"According to you, the danger level isn't high. We, the Gladiolus Judgment Team, can handle it. What are you doing here, a magical girl captain from Ninomiya City...?"
Speaking of which,
Her words suddenly paused, and a sly glint flashed in her bright eyes.
"Could it be for someone?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a voice that revealed no emotion.
"Xiaohan, I've noticed you seem to have gotten a bit cocky since you started university. Will I have to call you 'older sister' soon?!"
Chen Xihan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Actually, it's not impossible. I think Xiaoyin sounds quite nice too."
"Hehe~"
The person on the other end of the phone laughed, with a hint of teasing: "Xiaohan, you can do it. I hope you can maintain this confidence on the training field in a while."
Chen Xihan gave a light snort, her chin held high, her words brimming with confidence:
"Bring it on! Who's afraid of who! Haven't you heard the saying, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river,' never underestimate a young girl's potential!"