Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 135 A New Era Begins, The Path of the Extraordinary!
Never before had Cheng Ye felt that his shifts had been so unbearable.

Even the reduced overall duty hours are like an infinitely stretched rubber band.

After Liu Kun left, he held on until six o'clock in the evening, when his vision began to darken and his temples throbbed. He had no choice but to call out to Wang Kang.

"Xiao Kang, you take over for a bit, I can't hold on any longer."

"Alright!" Wang Kang held the book in his hands, clearly having also developed a "book addiction" along with him.

Upon hearing the call, he immediately put down his book, went to the back to wash his hands, and quickly walked to the inspection table to take over the work.

He originally thought that Cheng Ye didn't trust his abilities, but the reality was that even at this hour, there was still a long line of hundreds of people outside, and the difficulty of the inspection had increased dramatically.

Moreover, from the scavenger's intermittent narration, it can be seen that after the traveler's appearance, the danger of the wilderness was amplified exponentially.

The mutated beasts, which originally only roamed in specific areas, seemed to have been awakened by some force, and their aggression increased dramatically.

Some infected individuals, hidden deep within the ruins, began to emerge and roam freely in broad daylight.

The scavengers scattered from Happiness City were like a flock of startled birds, desperately trying to get back.

Looking through the registration booklet that was just changed this morning, it is filled with annotations and data, showing that the number of people entering the country in a single day has exceeded 1,500.

And this is basically the limit of operating at full capacity.

The three checkpoints combined can only process a little over 10,000 people a day at most; any more and things will get out of control.

Because if any link in the review, inquiry, or verification process fails, infected individuals could infiltrate the city and cause catastrophic consequences.

After Wang Kang took over, the inspection speed increased significantly.

But with so many people still queuing at this hour, things are bound to get turbulent.

"Roar!!"

As soon as the isolation door slammed shut, the two Hulk infected suddenly went into overdrive, their bulging muscles tearing through their tattered clothes as they roared and lunged at the inspection table.

Cheng Ye had only been curled up on the recliner for two minutes, and before his fingers could even touch the holster, he heard two crisp "bangs".

Wang Kang had already pulled out his Bison Fighting Pistol, with a faint wisp of smoke rising from the muzzle.

His posture was steady, and his eyes were calmer than a newcomer's. He fired two precise shots to the head, his movements even half a beat faster than the military knife next to him.

"Good job, well done!"

Cheng Ye sat up and couldn't help but clap his hands, a strange feeling suddenly welling up in his heart.

This is probably how Liu Bi felt when he looked at him back then.

Without repeated reminders or deliberate demonstrations, one can accurately hit all the key points and perfectly achieve or even exceed expectations.

Perhaps in the future, he will never find a "student" like Wang Kang who can so quickly accept all his requests.

"It's all thanks to Brother Cheng's excellent teaching."

Wang Kang turned his head and grinned.

This smile intensified Cheng Ye's feeling that he had become Liu Bi.

It even made him fantasize about what would happen if Liu Bi returned in another ten days or half a month.

At that time, did he already possess the means to contend with the unity of heaven and man?

Could he possibly send Brother B flying with one punch?
"Keep going, don't get cocky."

Cheng Ye smiled and waved his hand, then casually took out two bags of blue-packaged nutrient solution from the supply box next to him and leaned back in his chair.

Although Wang Kang seemed capable of handling things on his own, he knew in his heart that it was far from time to relax.

Looking at the long, winding queue outside the quarantine fence, and the figures constantly emerging from the thick fog, it seems the checkpoint won't be able to close on time at eight o'clock today as required.

The first wave of migrants will be arriving early tomorrow morning, so we must clear the backlog of people tonight, otherwise things will only get more chaotic tomorrow!
He tore open the packaging and drank it all in one gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, and Cheng Ye couldn't help but frown.

Compared to the nutritious drink in the yellow bag that smells of osmanthus, this blue bag is ridiculously unpalatable.

Sweet.

It felt like I'd just swallowed half a bag of sugar cubes; all that was left on my tongue was an overwhelmingly sweet taste, and even my throat felt sticky.

Fortunately, the effect was immediate.

Just two minutes after drinking it, a slight warm current spread from my stomach, giving me a slight boost of energy and making my eyelids feel less heavy.

Four or five minutes later, the energy completely surged up, and my head felt refreshed, as if it had been sprinkled with mint powder, somewhat like the invigorating effect of the blue potion concocted by the farming master.

"Not bad, it's good stuff!"

Cheng Ye smacked his lips, crumpled the empty packaging bag into a ball, and accurately threw it into the trash can in the corner.

If this blue bag of nutrient syrup could be as invigorating as it is now, without the side effect of the blue medicine that causes a splitting headache afterward and requires catching up on sleep, the cost would definitely not be low.

With a daily quota of 100 packs, this is practically the highest level of treatment.

I need to equip my extraordinary talent tonight, so I'll apply for 100 packets of yellow-bag nutrient syrup after get off work.

Even if extraordinary talent is monstrous, shouldn't that be enough?

No, just to be on the safe side, let Wang Kang apply for another hundred bags, just in case.

Cheng Ye was making plans in his mind, and couldn't help but call up the panel again and enter his personal interface.

He has looked at this page more than twenty times today, but it still feels fresh to him.

Too beautiful.

Ordinary skills and talents are simply lines of bold text, neatly arranged without any frills.

However, the Heart-Protecting Fire was framed in a small red frame, with the lettering also in striking crimson, and faint, fragmented flame patterns flowing within the frame.

As for the extraordinary seeds and braziers found...

Cheng Ye flipped his hand over, took out the pendant, and examined it closely.

The extraordinary seed resembles a miniature egg, entirely fiery red, with faint golden patterns embroidered on its shell.

The fire pit of the eagle is even more special; although it is called a pit, it is more like a small cauldron.

The body of the cauldron is made of translucent fire jade, through which three flames can be seen quietly lurking.

The three tripod legs, shaped like eagle feathers, stand upright towards the sky. The tripod body is engraved with several mysterious flame patterns. Upon closer inspection, the patterns seem to be alive, slowly flowing in the light.

"Not bad, although it's just a rice bowl, it's the second extraordinary item I own."

Cheng Ye tucked the pendant back into his collar and leaned back in the recliner for a short nap.

Only after she felt somewhat recovered did she get up and walk to Wang Kang's side to help keep an eye on the movements outside the isolation net.

By evening, the detection rate of infected individuals had increased significantly.

Gunshots were heard intermittently not only in area B, but also in the neighboring areas A and D.

Only Di Ruofei, the second-phase inspector who replaced Dong Xing, remained temporarily uninvolved in the inspection of Area C, which was responsible for checking outsiders.

However, this is only a temporary calm. When the migrants arrive tomorrow, Zone C will inevitably be the first area to be under pressure, and the pressure will be much greater than that of Zone B.

Just after the clock struck eight in the evening, the queue outside Quarantine Zone B not only did not shorten, but instead swelled up like a water-filled balloon to nearly five hundred people!

The beam of the searchlight swept across, revealing a dense, dark mass of people, making one's heart tighten.

With four more latent infected individuals detected just now, Cheng Ye was pondering whether he should slow down the pace and disperse the team when he saw two figures walking into the quarantine area.

The people who came did not look young, and their steps were steady.

Upon closer inspection, Cheng Ye's eyes lit up slightly; they were all third-term prosecutors from the East.

Especially the one on the left with a dark face, who turned out to be Song Hai, who had previously "run away".

Interesting.

Cheng Ye forced a smile and quickly stepped forward, "Prosecutor Song, what's this?"

"You're asking a question you already know the answer to, aren't you?"

Song Hai interrupted him with a dark face, his tone tinged with helplessness, "Alright, Prosecutor Cheng and Prosecutor Wang can leave now."

He paused, then pointed to his companion beside him: "The checkpoint will be open all night tonight, and Inspector Gu and I will take turns on duty."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xinjing, who was standing next to him, simultaneously revealed a formulaic smile.

Those who could get along with Song Hai were naturally also die-hard faction enthusiasts, their shrewdness was impossible to hide.

"Thank you both for your hard work, go and get some rest."

Gu Xinjing's voice was gentle, yet carried an unquestionable tone, "The station manager said we're going to be quite busy from now on."

Judging from these words, it was clear that both of them already knew about the traveler, but they just kept it to themselves and didn't say it out loud.

Gu Xinjing probably never imagined that the "traveler" who stirred up the storm was the one first discovered by this seemingly ordinary trainee prosecutor in front of him.

"Thank you, Prosecutor Song and Prosecutor Gu."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, then turned to look at Wang Kang, who was still packing his things, and asked, "Prosecutor Wang, aren't you leaving yet?"

Wang Kang seemed to wake from a dream, nodded quickly, and smiled as he picked up the three registration books on the table and handed them to Song Hai.

The handwriting in the notebook was neat, the annotations were clear, and even the characteristics of the infected organisms were marked in red pen.

Song Hai quickly flipped through two pages, his tense expression softening somewhat. He nodded and said, "Very neat, this has been a great help to us."

In the past, what they feared most about taking over the internship was these registration books.

Newcomers often record incomplete or missing information, requiring a lot of time to check and repair.

The content registered by Cheng Ye and Wang Kang exudes an old-fashioned rigor, which is reassuring to read.

"We'll just withdraw first."

Cheng Ye didn't linger for a moment, beckoning Wang Kang to walk towards the quarantine area.

Even during routine overnight testing, the infection detection rate increases significantly, multiplying the risk.

Not to mention at this critical juncture, it wouldn't be surprising to find three digits of infected individuals overnight. Fortunately, these are temporarily irrelevant to the two "junior interns."

The prosecutors from the Easterners are all seasoned veterans with over a decade of experience, far more experienced than the rest in dealing with this kind of chaotic situation.

As we walked out, we suddenly saw many unfamiliar faces at the checkpoint.

Especially in public areas, organized guard teams are lined up, their dark green uniforms forming a continuous line under the lights. At a rough estimate, there are at least three to five hundred people, who are heading to various checkpoints in batches according to instructions.

The heavy footsteps on the ground sounded like muffled thunder, and everyone realized that tonight would be a tough battle.

"Brother Cheng, what's next?"

Wang Kang looked at the heavily armed guards, his face pale. He stood side by side with Cheng Ye under the eaves, his voice filled with worry.

"Don't worry." Cheng Ye reached out and patted his shoulder, his tone relaxed. "If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. You and I are just small fry, no need to worry about this."

Actually, he was a little apprehensive, but over time, he got used to this precarious existence.

The main themes of this wasteland are danger and ruin.

Rather than worrying about the threat of death from the arrival of large numbers of migrants, we should look forward to the new life they will bring.

just.

"If only it had happened a year or two later."

The two stared blankly for a while until the last group of guards entered the inspection area, then they turned and walked out.

Cheng Ye took out his defense communication device and called Master Zhang. He then took Wang Kang to the newly built logistics office in the public area to collect the nutrient solution within their quota.

Each of them had a hundred bags; the yellow packaging bags were piled up in the box, heavy with contents.

"Brother Cheng, if you don't have enough, my share will all be registered under your name."

Wang Kang patted the box and laughed heartily, "I don't like drinking this stuff. I got tired of it after more than ten years in the inner city. It's not as good as big meat."

Every morning, he would go to the canteen at the entrance of the community to buy three packs of pork: one pack fried until crispy, one pack braised until flavorful, and one pack of plain pork. He would eat until his mouth was full of oil before he felt satisfied.

"Alright."

Cheng Ye paused, then pointed to the thick fog outside the city. "Maybe if there's a chance, I'll take you out to explore."

"Really?"

Wang Kang's eyes lit up instantly, like two small flames had been lit.

Neither the original owner nor Wang Kang were content with mediocrity; otherwise, they wouldn't have secretly learned those "useless" poems and songs in a world where everyone was just trying to survive, hoping to one day be able to show themselves in front of others.

"It's hard to say, we'll see."

Cheng Ye smiled, not giving a definitive answer.

The two men, each carrying a heavy box, walked out. Just as they reached the door, they saw Mr. Zhang's bus swaying and wobbling as it drove by, its headlights casting a warm yellow glow in the fog.

Do you need to charge it?
Cheng Ye hesitated for a moment, but then thought about it again and suppressed the idea.

It's best to avoid trouble during this particular time of night.

The migrants will arrive tomorrow, and the Public Works Department is definitely busy with infrastructure-related arrangements. If they are caught charging their devices abnormally, it will be a real hassle to explain.

Moreover, Liu Kun has already finished his search, and what he needs to do next is to develop slowly and look for a suitable opportunity.

Unlike before, when we were constantly on edge, once things stabilize, we'll have plenty of space and time to plan our next steps.

The bus bumped its way back to the neighborhood.

As night fell, the fog outside the car window grew thicker and thicker, even blurring the familiar streetlights.

Before getting out of the car, Cheng Ye paused, intending to remind Master Zhang to be careful, but Master Zhang spoke first, his tone somewhat tentative: "Prosecutor Cheng, is something big happening outside?"

"Mm." Cheng Ye nodded slightly, without denying it.

"No wonder!" Master Zhang slapped his thigh and suddenly realized, "The Public Works Department started recruiting people this afternoon, saying that we drivers who used to drive construction machinery need to be on standby and ready to be dispatched at any time. I was wondering if I needed to fix something."

“There is indeed considerable danger, but it also holds opportunities,” Cheng Ye said cautiously. “You’d better be careful. The specific details should be officially announced in a couple of days, so don’t be too nervous. We prosecutors will be with you then.”

"understand!"

Mr. Zhang smiled frankly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkling together. "Prosecutor Cheng, don't worry, we bus drivers have been prepared for this day for a long time. Otherwise, why would the Public Works Department give us so many subsidies every month? To put it bluntly, it's like training an army for a thousand days to use it for one day."

He paused, then looked at Cheng Ye, his tone filled with genuine concern: "It's easy to drive construction machinery. When I was young, I drove big trucks all over the country without any fear. But you must be even busier at the checkpoint. You must take good care of yourself."

"You're worried about me now?"

Cheng Ye laughed heartily, shook his head, and pushed open the car door. "Let's go, drive slowly."

He and Wang Kang got off the bus carrying the nutrient solution, and only after watching the bus slowly drive away did they turn around and walk into the residential area.

Yet, I felt a pang of emotion; the people of this wasteland seemed to possess a strange self-awareness.

Those who enjoy protection never take it for granted; instead, they are always prepared to pay the price for this security.

Perhaps Mr. Zhang also harbors dreams of making achievements and climbing the social ladder, which makes the danger before him seem insignificant in comparison.

"Brother Cheng, shall we go together tomorrow, or..."

As he opened the security door, Wang Kang asked in a low voice, "If you're tired, I can take the early shift."

"No need, just come at the usual time."

Cheng Ye grinned, "This might be your last peaceful night's sleep, so cherish it and don't take it lightly."

"Then I'll head back right away."

Wang Kang made a move to run away. Having overcome the initial period of distress, he had fully regained his carefree nature. He waved to Cheng Ye and ran down the fourth floor.

As Cheng Ye watched him leave, he was about to close the door when three doors in the hallway creaked open at the same time.

Huang Sheng, Zhu Xiang, and Wu Zhihong peeked out, their faces showing a cautious anticipation, each carrying a small stool, clearly having come prepared.

"come in."

Cheng Ye waved, and the three of them filed in, carrying stools, and the door closed gently.

After the door closed gently, the already small room suddenly felt cramped. A faint smell of dust and sweat filled the air, but the cramped space didn't feel like a meeting; it felt more like a secret plot.

"Sir, is it outside?" Huang Sheng had just started to speak when Cheng Ye raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Yes, the first group of migrants will arrive tomorrow."

Cheng Ye moved the nutrient solution box to the corner, turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, facing the three people. "Due to special circumstances, there may be more than 500,000 migrants arriving in Happiness City."

The words fell.

The three of them visibly gasped for breath, their eyes widening, but none of them made a sound.

“This is just an estimate.” Cheng Ye paused, then added, “The actual number is likely much higher.”

He looked at Huang Sheng: "You guys should have received the news about the big infrastructure project, right?"

"Yes!" Huang Sheng nodded vigorously, his eyes still somewhat dazed. "The Public Works Department started taking inventory of equipment this afternoon, saying they were preparing materials for a million people. I thought they were taking advantage of the autumn construction season, but I didn't expect it to be like this."

"Don't scare yourself." Cheng Ye tapped the bed board. "This is a good thing, and also a challenge. If you do well, the opportunity to climb up will come."

As a member of the Public Works Department, Wong Sing was bound to be involved in the resettlement infrastructure for migrants.

Zhu Xiang is at the Medical Department. With hundreds of thousands of people flocking in, medical resources are definitely strained, and it's precisely the time when manpower is needed.

Wu Zhihong, on the other hand, was promoted to a squad leader in charge of a district by the buffer zone security department after his meritorious service last time. This position sounds prestigious, but in reality, it is a dirty and tiring job that involves facing chaos.

Cheng Ye pondered for a moment, then looked at the three of them, "Don't be in a hurry, all three of you. I might need you sometime, so don't rush off with the others."

"Use us?"

The three exchanged a glance, their eyes lighting up instantly, their faces beaming with undisguised delight.

Having enjoyed a delicious meal with Cheng Ye last time, the three of them are now quite craving more.

Immediately, the three of them stood up at the same time, almost knocking over the small stools they were sitting on. "Sir, please give us your orders. No matter what we need to do, even if it means going through fire and water, we will have no complaints!"

"Don't be so serious. Don't mention going through fire and water later. What I need you to do are all good things, and you won't be the ones taking any risks."

Cheng Ye waved his hand, his tone becoming more relaxed, "Alright, go back and rest, get plenty of rest."

He knew only a limited amount of information about the specific arrangements for the migrants, so he couldn't say much.

But I imagine that a detailed plan will be finalized after the migration conference.

Seeing that he had no intention of saying anything more, the three of them wisely refrained from pressing him for details and quietly slipped out, carrying their small stools.

The moment the door closed, Cheng Ye heard suppressed whispers of excitement coming from the hallway and couldn't help but shake his head.

As a storm brews, some are filled with fear and unease, while others are eager to get started.

In truth, he should be considered the former, since the dangers ahead are unpredictable and the more he knows, the more afraid he becomes, but everyone around him is the latter.

Perhaps that's the allure of the wasteland. Danger and opportunity are like twins, forever bound together; you can't choose just one.

I sat and pondered for a while.

Cheng Ye opened the window, letting the cool, misty breeze flow in and dispel the stuffiness in the room.

After catching his breath, he pulled the two boxes of nutrient solution to the bedside and plopped down on the floor.

With a thought, a light blue panel automatically unfolded before my eyes.

Open your palm, and the pendant quietly appears.

It has been almost four months since I transmigrated to this world, which is exactly 116 days.

From initial fear and trepidation to now holding the extraordinary seed in his hands, he has finally reached this point.

The situation is changing.

Even he, a trainee prosecutor, might have to step out of the defense line and actually go to the dangerous wilderness to carry out a mission.

It's time to embark on the path of the extraordinary!

(End of this chapter)