Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 138 A Comeback, The Prelude to a New Era! (Two Chapters Combined)

It's 11 p.m.

Happiness City, Inner City, Central Meeting Room.

After nearly twelve hours of intense discussion at the second migration meeting, the 1.0 version of the plan was finally finalized in terms of most of the details. The rest is to make continuous fine-tuning and modifications in practice.

The heavy wooden door was slowly pushed open, and the ministers filed out one after another, their steps hurried, their weariness barely concealed.

The implementation of the plan is just the beginning; countless details of its execution are already waiting in the buffer zone.

Everyone knew that behind this seemingly smoothly achieved plan lay enormous obstacles to its implementation.

But strangely, no one showed the usual dejected look after meetings. Instead, everyone wore a relieved smile, as if a thrilling game had ended, and even though they were exhausted, they exuded a sense of "satisfaction".

It's amazing, but it's true.

In the past, meetings always ended in buck-passing and shirking responsibility, with everyone avoiding responsibility as if it were a plague, fearing that the blame would fall on them.

However, in this meeting, everyone took the initiative to shoulder the responsibility. Since the responsibility had been clearly assigned, there was less anxiety about gains and losses.

Just like Yuan Gang's definitive statement before the meeting ended, as long as everyone has tried their best, the final result will be acceptable no matter what.

Although no one believed in this idealistic statement, it was at least a reassuring attitude, which was better than nothing.

The people left quickly, leaving behind only four major factions: the Extraordinary, the Technological, the Idealistic, and the Checkpoint.

Yuan Gang thought for a moment, then got up and left without saying a word, making way for others.

In an instant, only Liu Kun remained sitting in the first seat.

Unfortunately, once you leave, the feeling of control you once had, once surrounded by others, vanished.

None of the four factions made the first move. After a moment of silence, Hou Rui of the technology faction suddenly coughed lightly, breaking the deadlock.

"Station Chief Ding."

"Minister Hou." Ding Yishan nodded slightly, his face displaying just the right amount of calmness.

Hou Rui adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and said sincerely, "Regarding the facilities and personnel training resources that the checkpoint applied for before, after the outer city plan ends, the research institute will compile a list of what it can provide and try its best to meet the needs. I hope you can understand that the research institute has had a tough time these past few years, and the pressure has been considerable."

“I understand.” Ding Yishan smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening into a deep furrow. “With Minister Hou’s words, I, as the station chief, feel much more at ease.”

The two smiled warmly, chatting like old friends, without any hint of the rivalry that often arises when dividing profits.

But precisely because of this, Hou Rui couldn't help but curse inwardly, "That old fox Ding Yishan, he really won't act until he sees the rabbit."

He remained expressionless and continued to make promises, "Well then, the inspectors are about to go out on a deployment mission, and they can't do without enough protective equipment. The research institute will provide each inspector with a set of standardized monocoque armor, how about that?"

"That's wonderful! Minister Hou, you're so kind!"

Ding Yishan was overjoyed, but then shook his head regretfully, "It's a pity that the inspectors don't need armor. After all, they deal with migrants, and wearing armor every day would only make them seem distant."

"That"

Hou Rui paused on his knee with his fingertips, "How about giving every inspector unlimited access to weapons and ammunition? All the bills will be charged to our research institute, so the checkpoints won't have to pay for them."

"Minister Hou is joking," Ding Yishan waved his hand. "The prosecutors are there to lead residents in development, not to clean up an outbreak. Why would they need so much ammunition?"

"Then let's change it to..." Hou Rui paused, then swallowed the words back.

He suddenly sighed, "Station Chief Ding, let's be frank. Whatever your checkpoint needs, the research institute will provide it."

In the 1.0 expansion plan for the outer city, the checkpoints are undoubtedly the main implementers, and the inspectors are the core of the core.

If the tech sector wants to get involved and share in the power and future benefits, they have to be willing to make sacrifices.

But this young upstart couldn't get his roundabout tactics working at all against a veteran like Ding Yishan.

Let's just be honest.

Anyway, we're all departments in Happiness City, so we share the same fate, whether it's prosperity or adversity.

No one would mention the past conflicts or the overt and covert difficulties until the outer city was built and the migrants were properly settled.

The "disaster" brought by the traveler acted like a powerful adhesive, binding all the factions back together. Everyone was working towards the same goal, and for a moment, they even had the tacit understanding of the Great Expedition era more than a decade ago.

Looking at the earnestness in Hou Rui's eyes, Ding Yishan remained silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "Minister Hou is straightforward, so I'll be frank too. We need quite a few things, but I might not be able to give you a specific list right now."

"Hmm?" Hou Rui raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes behind his glasses.

“That’s how it is,” Ding Yishan explained slowly. “After all, it’s the prosecutors who are leading the team. I can’t just wave my hand and turn all their efforts into a boost to the development of the checkpoint.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Kun, who was sitting in the main seat, suddenly looked up and glanced over, a look of realization flashing in his eyes.

Is this still Lao Ding?

When has he ever prioritized the personal interests of a prosecutor over the development of a checkpoint?

However, Ding Yishan seemed oblivious to the look in his eyes and continued speaking to himself, "Here's what I'm thinking: after the inspectors leave, whatever their needs are, they should first report them to the checkpoint, and we'll review whether it's reasonable. If it is, then we'll submit a list to you for a second review to see what we can provide, how about that?"

This statement left room for maneuver, neither making a definitive statement nor denying the possibility of conflict, while also allowing both sides room to maneuver.

Upon hearing the words "secondary review" and "what to provide," Hou Rui suddenly smiled, a hint of goodwill appearing in his eyes.

Regardless of Ding Yishan's intentions, at least this proposal is for the overall development of Happiness City and to pave the way for the implementation of the outer city plan, rather than simply expanding the power of the checkpoint.

If he were to refuse again, it would make him seem inconsiderate.

“Alright, Station Chief Ding, it’s settled then.” Hou Rui nodded. “You submit the list, and I’ll review and approve it.”

He paused, then added, "Our institute will do its best to cooperate, but there are some things we hope you can understand. The institute may not have enough stock."

"Don't worry, I'll keep things under control." Ding Yishan nodded again.

The two exchanged a smile, their understanding now clear.

Then, the three tech-savvy individuals rose to take their leave, their steps light and quick, clearly satisfied with the outcome.

As for how the technocrats obtained enough power and benefits during the construction of the outer city.

This is not a suitable time to talk, and it's unlikely that any concrete results will be achieved.

We have to wait until the outer city is built up and reaches a certain scale before everyone can get involved in the distribution.

The outer city is still far from being finalized; being too hasty will only cause us to lose control over the allocation process.

Only three factions remained in the meeting room.

The idealists remained seated in silence, while Karl-Heinz, a member of the transcendentalists, turned slightly, his gaze first sweeping over Liu Kun in the main seat before finally settling on Ding Yishan.

"Station Chief Ding."

“Minister Karlodickinson,” Ding Yishan nodded in response.

The man who used to target the checkpoint and Liu Kun's bald head showed no sign of unease at this moment, appearing quite calm.

After a pause, Carlos Dikinson stated frankly, "During the construction of the outer city, the Legion is responsible for clearing the surrounding environment to minimize the risk of infection sources mixing in. But as you know, no matter how hard we try, there will always be some deeply hidden special sources of infection that we cannot completely eliminate."

“That’s true.” Ding Yishan nodded in agreement. “Our checkpoint inspectors also rely on repeated interrogations, meticulous observation, and a series of other methods to catch these fugitives.”

"So here's what I'm thinking: if a powerful source of infection were to infiltrate, it would definitely pose a danger. I'm planning to draw personnel from the Crusader Legion and the Blood Dragon Legion to equip each inspector with a guard of fifty men. What do you think?"

“That’s great, Secretary Karlodickinson is very thoughtful.”

Ding Yishan's eyes lit up, and his tone was earnest, "Although the inspectors in our station have some experience traveling all over the country, their individual strength is only enough to protect themselves. They might not be able to control the situation in a chaotic situation. Having a guard would certainly reduce a lot of trouble. However..."

"Station Chief Ding, please speak frankly."

"In case a mother source appears."

"Don't worry about that." Karlodickson thought Ding Yishan was going to make some harsh demands, but when he heard it was about this matter, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "Although our Happiness City hasn't dared to explore the extraordinary field on a large scale in recent years, it has still cultivated a lot of talents."

“Those who seem to be extraordinary.” He looked at Liu Kun, paused, and said, “There aren’t many extraordinary individuals, but we’ve cultivated quite a few half-step extraordinary individuals. In addition to the resources promised at the meeting, I’ll allocate two more eight-person teams, all composed of half-step extraordinary individuals, to be responsible for the security of the outer city day and night, and to respond to the inspector’s needs at any time. What do you think?”

While extraordinary individuals are extremely rare, cultivating someone who is halfway to extraordinary status is not particularly difficult.

The three legions, the Cross Legion and the Blood Dragon Legion, are both controlled by the Extraordinary Faction, with a daily force of around 50,000, which can be expanded to 100,000 during the recruitment season.

It's not surprising that they could select promising talents from so many people, train them intensively, and assemble several half-step extraordinary guards.

"That would be the best, thank you, thank you so much!"

Ding Yishan stood up, shook hands with Carlos Dickinson, and made no further requests.

He knew that the extraordinary faction could probably only muster this much manpower.

"Minister Liu."

After shaking hands, Carlos Dikinson turned to Liu Kun and said sincerely, "I personally apologize for our previous attitude towards you and hope you can forgive us."

Liu Kun stood up calmly, and the moment their palms touched, a powerful aura suddenly spread out.

A barely perceptible spark flashed in Liu Kun's eyes, and Carlos Kinsen's expression changed drastically.

Is this the aura of someone about to enter the second stage of transcendence?
"It's alright," Liu Kun said calmly. "It's all for Happiness City, I understand, but from now on..."

Before he could finish speaking, Karlodkinson flashed a smile, and the two stopped talking at the same time.

Some things don't need to be said outright.

The first step to extraordinary success is a common one in Happiness City, and he and Hou Rui are among them.

However, once you reach the second step of the extraordinary realm, only the core members of the faction possess this power.

How did Liu Kun manage to reach this level all by himself?
If Ding Yishan were to join the superhumans, with two superhumans stationed at the checkpoint, it might truly regain its former glory!

Soon, Karlodkinson, with a complicated expression, led his men away, leaving only the idealists still sitting in their seats.

This time, however, it wasn't Yu Hong who came over; instead, Ding Yishan tidied up the documents on the table and took the initiative to walk to the chair at the end and sit down.

"Minister Yu."

"Station Chief Ding." Yu Hong's expression was gentle, his eyes revealing undisguised goodwill.

"I won't say much, but there's something I'd like to ask you."

"You said."

"I don't trust anyone else. I'd like to ask you to send some people to protect the key personnel at our checkpoint."

"Oh, how much?"

“Not many.” Ding Yishan stretched out his hand and made a “5” gesture.

"Are these few people enough?"

“Protect some promising talents,” Ding Yishan explained. “This is an excellent opportunity, and I plan to send them out to test the waters.”

"Seedlings?" Yu Hong nodded thoughtfully. "That's no problem. I'll arrange the manpower; you can manage it then."

"it is good!"

After he finished speaking, the conference room fell into a brief silence.

Yu Hong seemed to be thinking about who should be in charge of security. After figuring it out, he named five people in a row, all of whom Ding Yishan had heard of.

After receiving Ding Yishan's nod of approval, he continued, "When do you plan to transcend the ordinary?"

“No rush.” Ding Yishan smiled. “We need to leave Harlin some motivation, otherwise the checkpoint will have a hard time getting things moving.”

"You're quite carefree; just don't let it go wrong."

Recalling the scenes of Ding Yishan's rise to power, Yu Hong stood up, left a single sentence, and drifted away with his men.

Finally, only Ding Yishan and Liu Kun remained in the conference room.

Their eyes met, each holding a complex mix of emotions.

Two marginalized figures became the core of the entire Happiness City in a single day—who could have imagined that?
However, that's the reality; only a few days have passed since their last visit to the conference.
The situation has completely reversed!
"Let's go, Lao Ding, let's talk outside."

Liu Kun stuffed the documents into his briefcase, sighed, and the two left the conference room one after the other.

The staff at the entrance immediately rushed in to clean.

After a day of meetings, the floor was littered with cigarette butts and nutrient solution bags, and was filthy and messy.

It will most likely continue operating tomorrow, and the holes in the wall need to be repaired overnight.

As they walked out of the venue, Jiang Chuan hurriedly came to greet them, but his steps suddenly faltered, his pupils contracted slightly, and a look of disbelief flashed across his face.

"Sir, you..."

"Go drive." Ding Yishan waved his hand. After a whole day of running around, he finally showed signs of fatigue, and his voice was hoarse.

"Sit in my seat, I'll see you out."

Liu Kun took over the conversation and led Ding Yishan toward the black pickup truck parked not far away.

Seeing this, Jiang Chuan had no choice but to start his car and follow the pickup truck at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Before he could process what was happening, if his earlier intuition was correct, Ding Yishan was now in perfect harmony with nature.

But when I entered the venue in the morning, it was clearly not there yet. What happened in one day that could suddenly break through for someone who had been stuck in a bottleneck for many years?
The black pickup truck drove out of the venue area and turned straight onto the main road leading out of the city.

The driver and passenger windows were both open, and the whistling night wind swept through, ruffling the stray hairs at their temples, but it couldn't cool the burning thoughts in their hearts.

They walked in silence, both gazing ahead in tacit agreement, each lost in their own thoughts.

Only after the car passed through the gates of happiness and entered the desolate buffer zone did Liu Kun break the silence, looking ahead and saying, "Tell me, what triggered you today?"

"No, no one provoked me." Ding Yishan shook his head and chuckled, his fingertips lightly tapping on his knee. "It's just... I've figured some things out." "Have you decided?"

"Ah."

"It's good that you've made up your mind." Liu Kun sighed, and the atmosphere in the car fell silent again.

It wasn't until the pickup truck left the city and arrived in the somewhat desolate southern suburbs, stopping in front of several large, unfinished construction sites, that Liu Kun lightly applied the brakes.

“I used to come here when I was thinking about things, back when there weren’t these construction sites.”

The two got out of the car, and Liu Kun pointed into the distance and said:
“Although this place was previously enclosed by the Happiness Defense Line, no one dared to set up a camp here. So many years have passed, and I never expected it to become so lively now.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Chuan parked his car on the side of the road. After getting out of the car, he did not approach them, but stood at a distance, deliberately giving the two of them space.

Liu Kun paused, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, and handed one to Ding Yishan.

pat.

After lighting the cigarettes, the two stood side by side on the roadside, puffing away and enjoying their own smoke.

After half a cigarette had burned out, Liu Kun finally spoke, "Old Ding, there are some things I can't say before you reach the state of oneness with heaven and man, because it relates to whether you can truly transcend the ordinary in the end."

“I understand.” Ding Yishan nodded, twirling a cigarette butt between his fingers. “Actually, I had a vague idea in my mind, but I just didn’t dare to ask.”

"It's different; you know too little."

Liu Kun interrupted him, suddenly throwing out a question, "Guess how many superhumans are there in Happiness City right now?"

Ding Yishan paused for a moment, then pondered, "Thirty people?"

This is already an overestimation, including even the elders and the city lord.

"wrong!"

Liu Kun exhaled a smoke ring, his tone calm yet carrying a thunderous undertone, "The number of extraordinary individuals has exceeded one hundred."

hum.

Ding Yishan's heart sank. He had never imagined that Happiness City had quietly accumulated so much of this terrifying existence, comparable to the Mother Source.

It's important to understand that each extraordinary individual represents a belief. When so many beliefs intertwine and collide, the consequences are simply unimaginable!
"But do you know why Karl Dickinson has been trying to win me over?"

Liu Kun noticed Ding Yishan's confusion, but instead of answering directly, he posed a new question.

"why?"

"Because even extraordinary individuals are divided into different levels, and what they mass-produce are the lowest-level extraordinary individuals."

Liu Kun smiled sternly, "You don't need to tell me what your conviction is today, but you should know that the strength of your conviction determines how powerful the extraordinary beings you can bind."

Before he finished speaking, he waved his hand lightly.

Wow.

A flash of fire suddenly appeared in the darkness of the night, and a blazing eagle with a wingspan of over four meters suddenly appeared, circling high in the sky and bringing with it a scorching airflow. Its immense pressure instantly enveloped the surroundings.

A faint blue light suddenly flashed across Jiang Chuan's body in the distance as he struggled to resist, but even so, he was almost forced to his knees by the oppressive force.

Ding Yishan's pupils suddenly contracted.

“This is my extraordinary creature, Flame King.” Liu Kun waved his hand, and the giant eagle rapidly shrank in size, circling and landing on his raised arm.

Ding Yishan subconsciously leaned closer to take a look, but as soon as he turned his head, he was forced to take several steps back by an invisible force.

"Stop fooling around." Liu Kun snorted, and the Flaming Eagle on his arm cried out, obediently withdrawing the flames and power around it.

Director Liu, Ding Yishan, approached again, his gaze falling on Liao Ying, a look of amazement flashing in his eyes.

What a beautiful eagle!

Its feathers are reddish-gold, and upon closer inspection, it appears as if flames are flowing at the base of its feathers.

Especially those eagle eyes, which even revealed a touch of human-like agility.

"I found Yan Wang in the no-man's land during my last field mission."

Liu Kun stroked the eagle's back, his eyes filled with tenderness and nostalgia. "Back then, it was so small, just a fledgling eagle. Over the years, I've raised it step by step, and it has given me immense power. It's just a pity that it didn't inherit much of the extraordinary power. If I could have obtained the complete extraordinary ability, I'd probably be an elder of Happiness City by now."

"Uh," Ding Yishan raised an eyebrow slightly.

He had come into contact with quite a few extraordinary individuals, and even dealt with them at every meeting, but because he had not yet reached the state of oneness with the universe, he always deliberately avoided this deeper information.

After all, revealing these things to someone with extraordinary ambitions in advance is tantamount to secretly tripping them up and deliberately setting obstacles, which is why Liu Kun has kept it a secret from him for so many years.

Now that he has obtained the ticket to "harmony between man and nature," Liu Kun seems to have finally breathed a sigh of relief and found someone to confide in.

"This is very different from the mass-produced superhumans you mentioned?"

“Of course.” Liu Kun nodded emphatically, his tone tinged with disdain. “The Tech Faction currently has more than sixty superhumans, all thanks to the evolutionary elixir they developed. You can think of it this way: their superhuman beings are essentially all from the same template. At most, there are some minor variations due to differences in each person’s beliefs, but the general approach is exactly the same.”

"Those are the ones that are allocated to us every six years?"

"Hmm." Liu Kun grinned. "Do you know why I kept advising you not to compete with Harlin, and to relax and find a belief that can shatter distractions? Ha, if that silly kid really sat in your position and became a superhuman through the original liquid, he would only be the most useless kind. I could crush him with one finger."

Ding Yishan remained silent for a moment.

The infighting at the checkpoint was partly his tacit approval and partly Liu Kun's covert instigation.

Liu Kun kept advising him not to fight with Harlin for the sake of Chaofan, and even said that it would be fine to let him be the stationmaster, but he never said why.

Now, the truth has finally come out.

"I'm not saying this to discourage you; on the contrary, you're on the right path!"

Liu Kun changed the subject, his tone filled with satisfaction, "Old Ding, we're brothers in misfortune, we both climbed up from the very bottom. I understand your aspirations, and you know my ambitions. Ordinary extraordinary abilities can't realize our ideals; we must take the path of ultimate strength and ascend to the position of elder to have the opportunity to put our ideas from all those years into practice."

He gazed at the outline of the construction site in the distance, his voice deepening, "These past few years you've been bogged down in the trivialities of the checkpoint and haven't been out since, so you might not know the situation outside. During the recuperation period after the Great Expansion Era ended, every super sanctuary city was rushing forward in the realm of the extraordinary, and Happiness City was already considered slow. When the next Great Expansion Era arrives, it will inevitably be another chaotic war dominated by the extraordinary, and the trouble then will be far more terrifying than anything we've ever experienced."

"And what about the torch?"

"Their paths are different, so don't delve too deeply into it. But I can assure you that they are also researching the extraordinary, only they are researching something deeper, the fundamental forces that create the extraordinary, rather than how to control those forces."

Liu Kun smiled, his eyes sharpening. "I've found the way. Before long, I'll have power no less than Yu Erlan and Aubrey Dean. When that happens, it will only take a word for our checkpoint to regain its former glory."

"I just didn't expect you to give me such a surprise today, which left me both surprised and delighted."

Ding Yishan's eyes widened in shock, his face filled with astonishment.

Yu Erlan is the deputy director of the research institute, the current leading figure of the science and technology faction, and also a superhuman second only to the elders.

Aubrey Dean was the Grand Commander of the Crusaders, wielding immense power and influence.

Liu Kun is already close to reaching this level?

"What, you think you're the only one working hard in secret?"

Seeing the surprise, Liu Kun took a big puff of his cigarette and flicked the butt into the mud.

The spark flashed and disappeared in the darkness, much like the anger he had suppressed over the years—it would flare up and then vanish.

"Don't worry, we're always of one mind. Our beliefs come from ordinary people, and are fundamentally different from those who are built on resources and are almost hypnotized by the mind."

“You did the right thing today. Next, our checkpoint will strike hard and take back the power that is rightfully ours. We will make them pay back double what we have given them over the years!”

At the height of his excitement, Liu Kun revealed a rare hint of domineering power, "Don't rush to become extraordinary. Once we've finished dealing with things in the outer city, I'll go deep into the wilderness to find you a suitable item for your extraordinary abilities. If our checkpoint personnel are to become extraordinary, they have to be the best of the best. We need to let this wasteland know that the inspectors at Happiness City Checkpoint are not some worthless nobody!"

"Well, I see."

Ding Yishan also quickly finished his cigarette, and the two of them lit another one and started puffing away.

The breakthrough to the state of oneness with man finally shattered the last barrier between the two.

As Liu Kun spoke, his tone gradually became incoherent.

One moment he'd be cursing the humiliation of being suppressed all these years, the next he'd be reciting a few names, his teeth clenched in hatred.

Seeing that his face was flushed in an unusual way, Ding Yishan was taken aback, but did not dare to say anything to remind him.

He vaguely guessed that Liu Kun must have had a tough time over the years, but he never expected that he had gone through so much in secret.

Even the strongest beliefs will inevitably change after being worn down by the passage of time.

"By the way, we also need to train the prosecutors below properly; the two of us alone are not enough."

Liu Kun flicked his cigarette ash and suddenly changed the subject, "Do you have any candidates? I've got my eye on a promising young talent!"

"Yes, I do have a few good ones here. With some training, they might become the backbone of the station, which is why I invited people from Yu Hong's group."

"Alright, since you know what you're doing, I won't interfere any further."

Liu Kun nodded, then added, "Old Ding, what about Cheng Long?"

"Cheng Long?"

Ding Yishan's expression darkened, and he didn't reply.

"I've taken care of the trouble with Cheng Long. Cheng Ye is a good kid; I'm very satisfied with him."

"Ok?"

Ding Yishan was clearly stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening.

He had told Jiang Chuan today that he would help Cheng Ye fend off the trouble left behind by Cheng Long, and he was thinking of asking Liu Kun for help, but he completely forgot about it after the meeting.

But now, Liu Kun actually brought it up himself. How did he also discover Cheng Ye?

"What, you found him too?"

"Hmm." Ding Yishan pondered for a moment and nodded. "The information is wrong. He's different."

"You can just glance at those documents. Over the years, you've focused on building your beliefs and left all the grassroots work to Harlin. Relying solely on those documents has led to some disconnect. It's time to gradually take over again."

Liu Kun pondered and made arrangements, "I took care of Cheng Long's old grudges for those at the superhuman level, but I can't get involved with those at the half-step superhuman level. After all, many people were ruined by Cheng Long back then. Although they were ultimately at fault, you know how blood feuds are."

“If Cheng Ye stays in the city, no one will dare to touch him, but if you plan to send him out to the outer city for a stroll, what’s meant to happen will happen.”

"This." Ding Yishan waved to the distance, and Jiang Chuan immediately jogged over.

The blue flame king on his body seemed very uncomfortable, and snorted impatiently before turning into a streak of fire and disappearing back into his spirit space.

"Sir, Director Liu." Jiang Chuan bowed respectfully, barely daring to breathe.

"Jiang Chuan, what is Cheng Ye's current strength?"

"Uh..." Jiang Chuan was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting to be asked this. He thought carefully and said, "I should have reached the level of the Legion's elite and have already come into contact with the four forces. The first one I've been training is Dragon Force, and I'm progressing quite fast."

“Dragon Power.” Liu Kun nodded slightly.

Reaching the threshold of the fourth level at this age is indeed quite fast.

But that's far from enough. Anyone who has just opened their meridians can easily handle it, not to mention those in the Embryo Realm, the Unity of Heaven and Man, and those who are half-step into the extraordinary realm.

"Alright, Lao Ding."

Liu Kun pondered for a moment, "I'll have Xiao Shuang stay with you and protect you for a while. You don't need to leave the city for now; staying inside the defense line shouldn't cause you too much trouble."

He paused for a moment, then continued with the instructions: "The people Yu Hong sent are to secretly protect Cheng Ye. Jiang Chuan will openly support him, at least to show the attitude of our checkpoint, so that those 'trash' know their place."

Back when they were both working their way up from the bottom, they cultivated their own trusted confidants.

Jiang Chuan is Ding Yishan's right-hand man, while Feng Shuang is Liu Kun's confidant. Both of them are currently at the half-step extraordinary level.

"This"

Jiang Chuan was stunned. He had followed Ding Yishan for so many years, and the current situation was critical. If he left...
"I will follow Director Liu's instructions."

Ding Yishan nodded directly, "Xiao Shuang has a bad temper. She can be more restrained here. If she goes to contact Cheng Ye, she'll probably start arguing every few days, which would be more troublesome."

"clear."

Seeing that Ding Yishan had already said so, Jiang Chuan had no further objections and bowed in agreement.

Moreover, he had previously mentioned to Ding Yishan that he wanted to protect Cheng Ye, and now his wish had come true.

"Alright, A-Chuan, go wait over there."

Liu Kun waved his hand, his tone tinged with exhaustion, "I'll talk to Lao Ding for a couple more minutes, then I'll go back to sleep. I've been working so hard, I need to get some rest so I can fight the tough battles ahead."

After sending Jiang Chuan away, Liu Kun squatted down and patted the empty space next to him.

Ding Yishan understood immediately and also squatted down.

The night wind whipped up dust from the ground, brushing against their tired faces.

"Old Ding, do you remember?"

Looking at the dark, desolate wilderness in the distance, Liu Kun suddenly laughed, "Back then, the two of us would always squat like this, right under that dilapidated watchtower at the checkpoint, staring blankly at the gray sky outside."

Ding Yishan immediately laughed, his wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkling together. "How could I not remember? Back then, I was always thinking about when we could push the Happiness Defense Line outward by ten miles, when we could completely clear out the ruins of Chuan City and turn it into our territory."

"Yes, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye."

Liu Kun picked up a small stone and casually drew lines on the ground. "The old watchtower was destroyed by the infected long ago. The brothers have been replaced time and time again. The scars on our arms have scabbed over and fallen off, fallen off and scabbed over again. Only the two of us can still stick to our original intentions and guard this mess."

"Back then, when we were squatting, we were thinking about how to survive. Later, when we were squatting, we were thinking about how to climb up. Now, we're squatting here."

Liu Kun paused, the pebble hovering in mid-air between his fingers, his eyes suddenly becoming exceptionally bright, as if burning with scorching heat:
"It's time to realize our dreams!"

　P.S.: This is an 8.4k-word combined chapter, an extra chapter for the guild leader, Little Tiger, who is very sleepy. Thank you so much for the generous donation!
　　P.S. 2: I'm setting up this bowl to ask for votes!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)