I! Cleaner!-Chapter 748 - 683: Prejudice and Gentlemanliness

In response to Leon’s suggestion of the baiting proposal, the female Cleaner, acting as the bait, couldn’t help but be utterly defenseless on the spot.

Wait a second... so it’s either you eat me, or the fish eat me? Are you telling me if I don’t feed something today, we can’t get through this?

"Don’t get me wrong; this is a genuine proposal."

Seeing the female Cleaner barely holding back tears, Leon organized his words slightly and seriously promised:

"Although I can’t guarantee one hundred percent success, if you’re willing to jump down again, I have at least a seventy percent chance that we can get out of the tank and pass the Pisces Palace test."

If I jump down, we can pass the test?

Seeing sincere expressions on Leon’s face, the female Cleaner was momentarily stunned, then skeptically asked:

"Do you mean... you already understand what this test is about?"

"It’s still just a guess, but it should be close to the truth."

Leon smiled at the petite female Cleaner before asking:

"Do you remember what the Pisces director said right before leaving?"

Before the Pisces director left?

The female Cleaner thought for a moment and then hesitantly said:

"Told us to do our best?"

"Um... the sentence before that."

"The other fish tank was making a noise, and she needs to check it out?"

"Yes, that’s the key sentence."

Leon nodded slightly and explained:

"That sentence from the Pisces director proves that there are other Cleaners besides us also undergoing the test. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

And if the test’s main task is just to watch fish swim by the lake, then why separate everyone; wouldn’t it be easier to throw everyone into a single tank?"

"That does seem to make sense! So..."

"So, the Pisces Palace test should require cooperation, at least two people together."

Giving his judgment, Leon turned to glance at the lionhead goldfish in the lake, saying with certainty:

"The secret of these tanks is not too easy to find, but it’s not hard to see through once someone hints at it. Moreover, since it’s not a one-person per tank concept, the directors separate participants not because they fear Cleaners copying ’answers’ from one another, but there’s another reason.

And among the reasons I can think of, the most reasonable seems to be that the Pisces secret technique cannot be performed alone, at least not when initially learning; it requires at least one person to assist to succeed."

Requires at least one person to cooperate...

Following Leon’s thought, the petite female Cleaner tentatively said:

"You mean... to use the Pisces secret technique, one needs to be involved with interference, and another should complete the observation?"

"Correct."

Seeing the female Cleaner summarize swiftly after his hint, Leon couldn’t help but be slightly surprised, then nodded:

"That’s exactly what you meant... since if neither your nor my secret technique talents can find that ’real fish’, it’d be even harder for the other Cleaners.

Moreover, there’s plenty of other oddities.

Like why, when the Pisces director saw you being chased by the goldfish, she didn’t hurry to save you, likely because in her view, you getting chased is part of cracking the secret technique, so there’s no rush to rescue you.

And earlier, though you clearly showed resistance to me, strongly unwilling to come with me, yet the Sagittarius director forcibly sent us to Pisces Palace. I guess they did that to make up the numbers."

"Ah?"

Hearing Leon bring up previous events, the petite female Cleaner shivered and said awkwardly:

"Mr. Leon, I...I wasn’t resisting you, it’s just...just..."

"...just heard some not-so-good rumors from others, right?"

"Uh..."

"Those rumors are all false, mostly prejudiced against me."

Leon sighed helplessly and asked:

"Those calling me the Food God, spreading nonsense about how I’d eat people when hungry - aren’t they all still alive? If I were that crazy, would they still be around now?"

"But... but more than one person said so..."

Facing Leon’s justification, the petite female Cleaner shrunk her neck and cautiously said:

"For example, in our Aquarius Branch, there are two seniors who participated in the previous promotion test. After coming back, they swore they were swallowed by you and almost died in..."

"Indeed, they were swallowed, but do you see which one really perished?"

Hearing this, Leon replied with exasperation:

"The situation was urgent at that time; I was protecting them!

If I hadn’t quickly swallowed them, considering their level, could they have resisted the King of Nightmares’ attack? Or withstood the siege of a million Nightmares? If I weren’t there at the last promotion test, it’d be impressive if half of the participants returned!"

"..."

Well... it does kind of make sense?

Looking at the composed, clear-eyed Leon, devoid of madness, the petite female Cleaner nodded, tightening Leon’s jacket around her.

The seniors who attended the previous promotion test indeed returned safely from the Dream Realm, and other than being frightened, they weren’t really hurt. And when my clothing got wet, Mr. Leon immediately lent me his jacket, showing true gentlemanly behavior, so he...

"Enough small talk, you go into the water first!"

"?!"

Seeing the female Cleaner’s startled face, Leon considered a moment then explained:

"It’s not that I’m not taking care of you, mainly because you’ve been in the water once; you’re already wet. Plus, you’ve been chased by fish before, making you more suitable than me at this point."

"..."

I admit you’re making some sense... but I’m a girl, and you seem a bit older. Isn’t it typical for men to display some gentlemanly conduct under such circumstances?

Nervously glancing at the goldfish in the lake, the petite female Cleaner turned slightly and pleaded helplessly:

"Mr. Leon, can’t you..."

"How about this then."

Seeing the female Cleaner covered in slime and recalling how Anna would be unwilling to spend money on laundromats, and knowing if she really were swallowed by a fish, she’d persist in handwashing despite the cold, Leon decisively blurted out a fib:

"I take back my previous explanation; those from your branch claiming things are all rumors, like me eating people when hungry... Besides, I haven’t had breakfast today!"

"..."

Liar! You’re saying that just because you don’t want to go into the water!