Chapter 564: A City Engulfed in Contamination
by xennovel“What?”
Lu Xin listened, his expression one of surprise as he immediately shot a questioning glance at Han Bing.
Han Bing had meant to tell Lu Xin about this for a while and sighed softly, “There’s trouble at his home.”
After they cleared the special pollution from this city, we used his subordinates and his influence to help maintain order in Heichao City and clean up the battlefield in Main City, preventing any lingering effects from causing further havoc. I must admit, this Group Leader was an enormous help, quickly containing the situation and letting us all exhale in relief…
But it was at that moment that Group Leader invited us to his place for a short rest—and that’s when things took a turn.
……
At this point, she sighed quietly, “It was only then we realized that his entire family had already…”
Sigh…
Han Bing’s face darkened with sorrow as she murmured, “The pollution in Heichao City spreads through Black Grass. The more intense its influence, the deeper the contamination. I’m not sure if Group Leader had warned his family to avoid these substances, but his entire family—including his children—ended up gravely affected.”
Besides, being in Main City, the impact was even more severe.
In short, by the time we arrived at his home, only one ‘big wife’ survived—and she had already lost her sanity.
The moment they met, she accused him of ruining the whole family and even chased him down with a knife…
……
Although Han Bing hesitated to spell it out, Lu Xin had already pieced together what had happened.
He furrowed his brow slightly and asked, “What caused it?”
While the pollution in Heichao City had already claimed many lives, such a concentrated incident of casualties was extremely rare…
So why did it hit Group Leader so hard?
……
……
I’ve done a preliminary investigation.
She lowered her voice further, “In Group Leader’s laboratory, they produced a high-purity product…”
“Distrustful of others, he secretly stashed it at home. I queried his subordinates and learned he often did this—he trusted his family implicitly, repeatedly warning them to steer clear of these things, with only his big wife holding the keys. But what he never expected was that during the worst of the pollution, even his big wife completely lost her self-control.”
“In the end, he checked the safety box, and it was completely empty.”
“You can imagine what happens when a group of severely contaminated people huddle together…”
……
By then, Lu Xin had almost understood the whole story.
Even he found it all rather unbelievable.
Yet, after hearing Han Bing’s explanation, he finally grasped what he had witnessed earlier—Group Leader’s blood-red eyes and twisted expression—and he had so many thoughts swirling inside him that he couldn’t immediately respond.
……
……
“After discovering that, Group Leader nearly collapsed…”
After a pause, Han Bing softly sighed, “If it hadn’t been for Red Serpent comforting him, he might have completely broken down…”
“He is now suffering from a severe loss of familial affection.”
Just then, Red Serpent interjected in a hushed tone, “Because he still has emotional ties with me—even relies more on me for solace—despite everything, his will remains intact; he’s just drowning in guilt. Besides, by helping with our investigation he sort of understands the link between this pollution incident and Black Grass.”
“That’s why he became so determined, vowing to expel Black Grass from Heichao City, to…”
“…protect the remaining family.”
“But the reality is, if I were to lift my influence on him…”
She paused and lowered her voice considerably, “He would realize that he’s left with not a single relative by his side.”
“I suspect he’d immediately fall into an emotional collapse.”
“……”
Han Bing nodded and looked at Lu Xin, “So, we’re in a bind because we all understand…”
“What he’s doing now is utterly futile.”
“It’s expected that he’d face opposition from Heichao City, or even assassination. That’s why we had Mr. Gecko keep a close watch on him. In the end, we feel guilty—if we hadn’t dragged him into our investigation…”
“……”
Lu Xin understood what she meant and shook his head, “If we hadn’t involved him in the investigation, he’d already be dead.”
The whole matter was finally laid bare.
Although he was softly trying to console Han Bing, inside Lu Xin felt conflicted.
Was Group Leader trying desperately to atone for his own downfall, fighting back in a frenzy?
Or did he still cling to the hope of protecting his last remaining family, despite losing so many?
Thus, he spared no expense—even exposing the ugly underside of Heichao City.
But he didn’t realize that he no longer had any real family; the bonds he clung to were merely illusions.
……
……
The room fell into a tense, oppressive silence.
Lu Xin recalled that earlier when Yin Mao asked him about it, he admitted his dislike for Heichao City— not just because of its stinky tofu braised meat noodles, but because of Black Grass. Its pervasive influence had seeped into every corner, creating an aura even more repulsive than the mental pollution itself.
“In that case…”
After a long hesitation, he slowly ventured, “Could we perhaps let him try?”
……
Han Bing suddenly looked up at Lu Xin, her eyes full of puzzled concern.
Staring into his clear, determined eyes, she shook her head slowly and said, “I think we shouldn’t.”
“Firstly, because we don’t have the authority to do so.”
“Secondly, even if we tried, it would probably accomplish nothing…”
……
……
Lu Xin, though puzzled, listened intently.
Han Bing explained earnestly, “Actually, I understand Mr. Single Soldier’s thoughts and share his view.”
“Heichao City was built on Black Grass, and the troubles it has caused are enormous—not only tormenting its own people but spreading its poison far and wide.”
“If we could clean it up, it would undoubtedly be beneficial.”
“But we have to acknowledge that some issues aren’t as simple as they appear. Heichao City has its own nature and will; even if we force someone willing to eradicate these evils into power, the city itself will resist him.”
“Take Group Leader, for example. He has amassed considerable prestige during the investigation and order restoration, and he is determined to eliminate these problems. Moreover, if we were to aid him, elevating him in the chaos of Heichao City would be a breeze. However, we must admit that such actions barely address the root problem.”
“It’s highly likely that not long after we leave, he’ll be assassinated.”
“Even if we send protectors, he’d soon realize he’s powerless, unable to truly make a change.”
“This situation can be seen as the inherent polluting nature of the city itself.”
“We can clear the pollution caused by foreign mysterious creatures, but cleansing the city of its own taint is nearly impossible—as if removing an external influence is easy, but erasing the inner flaws is another matter entirely.”
“Forcing a change in a person is akin to killing that person.”
“Similarly, forcibly altering a city means killing the city itself.”
……
……
Though Lu Xin hadn’t given it much thought before, after listening to Han Bing, he immediately understood.
He furrowed his brow slightly, “So what can we do now?”
“Wait for the new Administrative Main Hall to be established, then take our due payment and leave…”
Han Bing replied, “Of course, we could also use this opportunity to sign agreements with Heichao City that benefit both Qinggang and ourselves. Right now, those in power in Heichao City are practically lining up at the Steel Drawbridge. But we have our own rules, and we shouldn’t meddle in such matters. I’ve already reported it to Qinggang.”
“Ultimately, it should be Mr. Su and his team who decide what to do.”
“Of course…”
After a brief hesitation, she continued, “We all know that even Mr. Su might not have a perfect solution. After all, when Central City tried several times to change this situation, Heichao City’s operations only expanded further…”
……
She had explained everything as she understood it, looking at Lu Xin intently, hoping he would grasp the full picture.
Lu Xin, too, began to ponder deeply.
Just then, Yin Mao—who had been silently sitting nearby—suddenly burst into tears, as if regaining his senses had left his mind in disarray. Triggered by our conversation, he cried out, “Why do this?”
He bawled, “My business was just starting to take off—I was hoping to build my future on it…”
“Why did you suddenly leave me out?”
……
His cries revealed a lot to Lu Xin.
No wonder earlier when Yin Mao struck at Group Leader, he tossed aside his staff and grabbed a gun.
Deep inside, he had nurtured a burning obsession to kill Group Leader.
That Miss Sun—what she said turned out to be true.
Although Yin Mao was indeed influenced by her, upon hearing Group Leader’s words he became overwhelmingly hostile and resentful, even affecting his own state of mind—so much so that he not only wanted to kill Group Leader, but his fixation grew extreme.
Perhaps even without Miss Sun’s influence, he would have done the same eventually.
The pollution in Heichao City had indeed infiltrated every corner.
……
……
Deeply moved, Lu Xin felt a strange sensation welling up inside him.
Had he listened to Han Bing’s explanation earlier, perhaps he wouldn’t have acted as he did.
He wasn’t sure whether his forced actions were right or wrong, or if they would make him a monster in others’ eyes.
Yet this time, he found himself driven to do something.
Maybe it was because he felt more determined now?
“You’re absolutely right…”
Lu Xin slowly remarked, “Indeed, whether it’s due to rules or other concerns, we really shouldn’t interfere with this city. Yet, given how dire things are, I still want to do something…”
“This…”
Han Bing, listening to Lu Xin’s measured tone, showed a trace of worry on her face.
“The rules of the Special Cleaning Department clearly state that we must not engage in these acts, but rules are immutable…”
Lu Xin slowly looked up at her, “Aren’t they?”
Uttering such words—so common among ordinary people—required him a great deal of courage.
At that, Han Bing’s expression stiffened and her heart seemed to suspend mid-air, leaving her speechless.
“Besides, perhaps we aren’t even in violation of Heichao City’s laws.”
Lu Xin continued in a slow, almost self-directed tone, “After all, even that woman said that in Heichao City these things are illegal by law—yet they have no intention of enforcing them…”
“So why not carry out a moderate correction?”
…
Looking at Lu Xin’s earnest, contemplative face, Han Bing suddenly felt a wave of panic.
Gathering her courage, she whispered, “So what does Mr. Single Soldier plan to do?”
Lu Xin, as if having pondered deeply, slowly responded, “Recently, we’ve been discussing the Mental Overlord situation…”
“And I have indeed given it serious thought. I keep thinking…”
“Mental Overlord…”
“Shouldn’t he be used for more than just eliminating pollution?”