Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 139 The Migration Tide Arrives, the Landscape Changes Dramatically!

Boom boom boom boom boom.
Before dawn, the ear-piercing roar of engines exploded in the buffer zone.

Cheng Ye rolled over and mumbled a curse, "Which bastard started renovating so early in the morning? Doesn't anyone want to get some sleep?"
However, before he could finish speaking, he suddenly jolted awake!
Grass.

This isn't modern times; the apartment building only has five floors. Who would be renovating at this time?

Sleepiness vanished instantly, and Cheng Ye almost reflexively reached for the pistol on the bedside table. The cold metallic touch made his hair stand on end.

Immediately afterwards, he put the bewildered flame beside him into his spiritual space, then rolled to the ground, and the two spears under the bed were already in his hands.

With two crisp clicks, the safety latch opened smoothly.

He then used his foot to hook out the innermost armor box, ready to activate the Starfish Tear at any moment.

After completing this series of actions, Cheng Ye suddenly came to his senses.

Having lived in the wasteland for so long, I seem to have become a bit too sensitive!

The rumbling sounds outside didn't resemble an invasion of infected hordes or the evil deeds of infected beings. Instead, they were extremely rhythmic, carrying a strangely familiar, dull tremor, just like...
He frowned, crouched down, and moved to the window. He pinched a corner of the curtain with his fingertips and gently lifted it open a crack.

At this moment, the sky was just beginning to lighten, around five o'clock. A thin layer of morning mist, like a water-soaked veil, softly covered the earth, reducing visibility to no more than five or six hundred meters.

But when his gaze was drawn to the sky, Cheng Ye's breath caught in his throat, and his tense shoulders instantly slumped.

A false alarm.

So it was the air power of Happiness City!
The sky above was dyed into a flowing galaxy by flashing signal lights, with red, green, and yellow lights spreading out in the fog, weaving into a constantly moving net.

Helicopters of all sizes rose up like a swarm of migrating locusts from the inner city, forming a dense, dark mass as they flew toward the outer city, the air currents stirred up by their rotors causing the morning mist to churn endlessly.

Cheng Ye squinted, tilted his head back, and glanced at the steel structures that were slowly moving through the air.

Most conspicuous were several helicopters with fuselages as sturdy as elongated loaves of bread, their streamlined noses tilted slightly downwards, and their rotor hubs, like metal bowls placed on top, hovering above the buffer zone.

The side hatch was open, like a drawer half-open, with a ring of anti-slip steel strips welded around the edge. Several soldiers in camouflage uniforms stood at the hatch, half of their bodies leaning out, their glow sticks tracing regular arcs, seemingly directing the following echelons.

The dozens of helicopters diving forward were much smaller, gradually narrowing from nose to tail, resembling flying fish magnified more than ten times. Their tail rotors were encased in spindle-shaped ducts, and the sound they made when rotating was much sharper than the former, like a swarm of startled wasps rushing out of the defensive line in a dark mass. They must be assault models responsible for forward reconnaissance.

Of course, further up, there were many large helicopters moving slowly.

The fuselage is covered by a rounded radar dome, like a huge pebble, and the square equipment hanging under the belly of the fuselage flashes a red light from time to time, which is particularly eye-catching in the fog.

It flew relatively smoothly, with the cabin door tightly closed, but you could vaguely see blurry figures moving behind the porthole, probably the command aircraft responsible for reconnaissance and communications.

Cheng Ye roughly counted them, his pupils contracting slightly. The number of those he could clearly see was already over a hundred.

Further into the mist, more lights of varying sizes could be seen moving about.

"Is this the essence of Happiness City?"

Cheng Ye couldn't help but murmur softly, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the patterns on the gun barrel.

He already knew from the checkpoint's contribution system that Happiness City was not lacking in air superiority.

The regulations governing these aerial vehicles may even be more lax than those governing the large Jinbei vans on the ground.

But he never imagined that it would be this large in scale.

However, upon closer inspection, Happiness City has been established for 34 years.

Such a deadly weapon that can determine the course of a battlefield will never cease production as long as it is manufactured.

Over the years, this number is quite reasonable.

After watching for a while, Cheng Ye simply pulled back all the curtains and pushed the window open completely.

The roar of the engine instantly filled the room, and the airflow, carrying metallic vibrations, hit his face, as if an invisible hand was gently pushing against his cheek.

Bathed in the powerful hum, he walked back to the bedside and put down his gun, but did not push the armor case back under the bed.

Starting today, armor cases must be carried at all times. The Outer City Plan has been launched, meaning that battles could break out at any time.

The flame in the spirit space peeked out from below the field of vision again, its little head tilted, and it made two "ee-yah" sounds, as if complaining about being woken up.

After testing last night, Cheng Ye discovered that the spiritual space, which was visible even with his eyes closed, did not expand with his strength, but rather grew along with the development of the flame.

For example, after being fed some dry firewood, when he possessed the body again, there was more room to move around, and it was no longer as cramped and tense as it had been at the beginning.

But it still felt cramped, so last night I simply let the little guy sleep face down next to my pillow.

After opening their eyes, the space automatically expands, and the flames can be brought into reality.

Although only he can see it, it's enough to keep the little guy from always being cooped up in darkness.

"Alright, don't show yourself during the day." Cheng Ye reached out and gently rubbed the bald little head of the flame, feeling a warm sensation on his fingertips.

This kind of interaction always made him feel novel, especially the sense of intimacy that came from the bottom of his heart. It was as if he had suddenly grasped something in this lonely wasteland, which abruptly dispelled much of his loneliness and gave him an extra sense of spiritual sustenance.

This little guy is just too small, and his appetite is quite small. The dry firewood he ate last night still hasn't been fully digested, and his little belly is still bulging.

When Cheng Ye withdrew his hand, the flame made a "yee-yah" sound again, rubbed its head against his fingertips, and then disappeared back into the spirit space.

He pushed open the security door to go wash up, but the lively atmosphere in the hallway surprised him.

This time of day should have been quiet, but it was now crowded with people carrying basins of water and towels draped over their shoulders, all heading to the water room.

What's even more surprising is that everyone had a smile on their face, showing no signs of annoyance at being woken up by the early morning roar.

"Huang Sheng, what are you grinning about with your big teeth showing?"

Cheng Ye walked over and saw Huang Sheng and the other two squatting by the window at the end of the corridor, pointing and gesturing while their smiles stretched almost to their ears.

"what."

Huang Sheng turned his head and saw him, his smile widening even more. "Sir, the last time I saw a scene like this was nine years ago, at the 25th anniversary military parade in Happiness City! I thought I would have to wait until next year to see it again, but I didn't expect to see it ahead of schedule this year!"

Grand military parade.
Cheng Ye searched his memory, but couldn't find any clear images.

It seems that the predecessor really had no interest in these displays of force, and was too lazy to even join in the fun.

"You recognize all those helicopters?" He followed Huang Sheng's gaze and looked out the window.

"Of course, they're all old acquaintances!"

Huang Sheng patted his chest and pointed to the various helicopters in the sky as he introduced them.

The bread-shaped helicopter, named "Air Bus," can carry around thirty people. In the past, Happiness City even had a residential air route.

It was only after several serious accidents and the high cost that it was stopped.

Now, its main responsibility is maintaining order in the air, essentially acting as the eyes of the command center.

Of course, this is also due to the significant reduction in radar effectiveness. Although fog holes no longer appear, fog has extremely strong signal shielding properties, which reduces the effectiveness of all radar equipment to some extent.

We can only resort to this relatively primitive command method again as a supplement.

Secondly, the flying fish-shaped helicopter was named "Swordfish" because it was lightweight, fast, and used for reconnaissance.

The helicopter at the very top is named "Aerospace Command." The round bumps on its fuselage are for signal enhancement, and the square boxes hanging below can capture dynamics within a ten-mile radius, specifically to supplement information for ground command.

As Cheng Ye listened, he gradually understood.

Everything, all of it, was done on such a massive scale.

It's probably not just about properly arranging the first wave of migration that's arriving today, but also about flexing their muscles.

We must let those migrants from outside witness the terrifying power of Happiness City firsthand, so they understand that even if they cannot enter the buffer zone, this sanctuary city has the ability to protect them.

Only in this way can the subsequent resettlement work in the outer city proceed smoothly.

"They were able to build a sheltered city from scratch in the wasteland and become the leader of a province."

"My previous concerns that the higher authorities would be at a loss in the face of the influx of migrants were really unfounded."

After washing up, Cheng Ye picked up his backpack and armored case and went downstairs.

It was not yet six o'clock, but the streets of the buffer zone were already crowded with people. Most of them were residents who had been woken up and were not sleepy, and who were confused about the situation. They gathered in twos and threes by the roadside to discuss the situation, and their eyes would occasionally glance at the sky.

Not long after, Mr. Zhang's bus came swaying and wobbling.

It was exactly six o'clock.

Ding.

The defense communication device suddenly beeped, and Cheng Ye did not turn it off, which meant it was an emergency notification from headquarters.

Upon opening the window, a notice addressed to all residents popped up on the screen:

[Announcement from Happiness City Broadcasting Station to all residents]

[Dear residents, when you receive this message on your device, it signifies that the autumn migration of the 35th century has begun ahead of schedule. Due to the combined effects of climate change and the external environment, a large number of new residents will be moving to Happiness City, becoming new members of this sanctuary.]

As a super-sanctuary city that has stood in the wasteland for 34 years, Happiness City has activated its Level 2 emergency response plan: checkpoints have been reinforced with 300% more personnel, 16 supply routes at the material reserve have been activated in advance, the Crusader Legion and the Blood Dragon Legion have been fully mobilized, all procedures are in place, and the city is capable of handling an unexpectedly large-scale migration.

[Residents are requested to maintain their normal daily lives and not to pay excessive attention to developments around the migration routes. Please turn on your radio at 6:30 every morning for a live broadcast of the latest resettlement details, resource allocation plans, and new resident integration plans. This broadcast will also be simultaneously broadcast to the receiving terminals of the migration team to ensure information symmetry and transparency.]

Since its founding in 2, every step of Happiness City's growth has been inseparable from the mutual support and assistance of all its residents. Let us welcome new partners in building our home with an open and inclusive attitude. The warmth and happiness of this city will forever be written by us together.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. The radio station wishes you and your family peace and well-being.

The brief announcement cleverly packaged the impact of the travelers as the autumn migration.

For Happiness City, the autumn relocation in previous years was actually not worth mentioning at all, at most 10,000 to 20,000 people. The buffer zone was more lively because of the population relocating from the industrial zone.

The real peak migration season was actually the period immediately after he arrived here.

In late spring and early summer, after the ice and snow melt, refugees will flock to the sheltered city in groups.

“Take it one step at a time and gradually tell the residents the real situation, keep raising their expectations. If they accept 30,000 to 50,000 people, it will be easier to understand if they accept 70,000 to 80,000. If they accept 70,000 to 80,000, then even if they accept hundreds of thousands, it won’t be too shocking. It will most likely be presented as a major opportunity for urban development.” Cheng Ye pondered, put away his defense communication device, and boarded the bus.

"Master Zhang, let's take a look around the central checkpoint first."

"okay."

The bus assigned to him naturally didn't have to follow the usual fixed route.

As we drove along, we saw many police officers on duty at the intersection, busy directing the flow of people.

But no one stopped or questioned Mr. Zhang's bus, since the clerk had already marked it at the security terminal at the checkpoint, and the bus's passage permission had already been entered into the system.

When they were about a kilometer away from the central checkpoint, Cheng Ye rolled down the car window and could vaguely hear the noisy voices coming from ahead.

The migrants influenced by the travelers rushed here almost day and night, and a large number of them arrived last night.

Although the North and South checkpoints were open all night, the Central checkpoint was not opened at the same time. Therefore, the refugees who arrived at night could only camp outside the defense line and wait to enter the city after dawn.

"Prosecutor Cheng, your car cannot go any further; the area ahead is under lockdown."

When they were 300 meters from the checkpoint, two guards from the central checkpoint came up to Cheng Ye, gave him a standard military salute, and spoke respectfully.

"Have the migrants arrived?"

"We've arrived!" the guard nodded in response.

"how many people?"

"The current notification from above is for 47,000 people."

Good guy.

More than 40,000 people?

Cheng Ye didn't have a specific idea at the moment, so he just signaled Master Zhang to park the car on the side of the road, opened the car door himself, and walked towards the central checkpoint.

This is where he has been on duty for more than a month. He can find every corner with his eyes closed, so it is naturally familiar to him.

The closer you get, the clearer the noise outside becomes. A hum of voices surges in like a tide, mixed with children's cries, adults' shouts, and the crisp sound of metal objects colliding.

After swiping through several isolation doors, Cheng Ye climbed up to the office building outside the checkpoint and stood on the fourth-floor observation deck to look out.

For a moment, he almost held his breath, his mind filled with only that classic meme:

[So many people.jpg]

The wilderness outside the checkpoint was usually so deserted that one could see the ruins of the city, with few traces of human activity.

But now, a dense mass of people stretches from outside the defense line all the way to the edge of the ruins, a dark, endless expanse.

Looking to both sides, there is no end in sight.

The air above the crowd seemed to be distorted by their breaths and body heat, and even the sunlight rippled when it shone through.

Some people sat on the ground wrapped in tattered blankets, some were checking the supplies in their backpacks, and some teenagers with backpacks were chasing and playing in the gaps in the crowd, only to run back dejectedly after being scolded by an adult.

Further afield, makeshift shelters stretched out in rows, with canvas, plastic sheeting, and even tattered burlap sacks serving as materials for shelter from the wind and rain, making it dozens of times more spectacular than a tent camp!
"This is only the first wave?"

Cheng Ye stood there, stunned, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Those theoretical plans suddenly seemed pale and powerless in the face of so many living, breathing faces.

How much water and food will 47,000 mouths consume today?
How many batches of people will be sent to the city for screening? How will they be accommodated?

How can we identify potential sources of infection in this crowd?
A series of questions flooded my mind instantly.

Cheng Ye couldn't help but rub his temples; this was much more difficult than simply dealing with the infection wave.

Even extraordinary individuals cannot suppress such a large crowd with force.

Ultimately, development still depends on brains, wisdom, and effective methods!

"Fortunately, I still have to be on duty for three more days, so I don't have to go out and deal with the first wave of resettlement."

Cheng Ye let out a long sigh of relief and turned to walk out of the checkpoint.

I don't know if the negotiations with Ding Yishan have yielded any results.

But even if the system of contracting out prosecutors is approved, he, as an intern, certainly won't be among the first batch.

Several fifth-term inspectors, along with a group of fourth-term and third-term inspectors, are the main force at the checkpoint.

In the face of the first wave of chaos, these pillars of stability are needed to stabilize the situation before subsequent contracting can be carried out in batches.

Back at the car, Cheng Ye called over two guards and got a general understanding of the migration wave.

For example, the male-to-female ratio, family ratio, place of origin, whether there is a collective settlement, etc.

If the goal is to divert migrants to the South Checkpoint, this information will be the focus of the inspection.

Inside the car, Mr. Zhang was fiddling with the radio. As the knob spun through the noisy bands, a burst of uplifting music suddenly came through, accompanied by a clear singing voice.

Cheng Ye suddenly turned his head, feeling that the sound was familiar for some reason, and then listened again.
Huh? Isn't that Wang Kang's voice?

He was stunned for a moment, and sure enough, after listening for less than two minutes, another slightly immature male voice came up.

The moon is above me, and the road is beneath my feet.

Footprints strung together towards the clouds, a kettle swaying as it played half a song.

Master Zhang paused, turned around in surprise, and met Cheng Ye's somewhat awkward smile.

"It's a hobby, one of my interests."

Cheng Ye touched his nose; he never imagined he would hear "himself" singing on the radio.

I must say, he sang quite well, with a youthful clarity in his voice.

However, the lyrics and melody are different from modern tunes, suggesting that they are songs unique to this world.

After he finished understanding the basic situation and got on the bus, it was exactly 6:30.

Mr. Zhang started his car and drove towards the south checkpoint. During a break in the radio music, a gentle and sweet female voice rang out.

Good morning, Mimi, dear residents of Happiness City!

[This is Happiness City Morning Radio, here to greet you every day at 6:30 AM. I'm the little sun who's wearing three layers of lipstick and still not sweet enough, and I'm here with plenty of energy to say hello!]

[I have some really exciting news! A huge wave of new residents is heading to our Happiness City! There's already a long queue outside the Happiness Defense Line in the buffer zone. Little Sun peeked out the window—wow, a whole sea of ​​people! Welcome, new friends! Now that you're in Happiness City, we're all one big, loving family!]

[Don't worry, don't worry! Happiness City has been preparing for this for days! We want to give our new neighbors more than just 99 points of hope; we'll add an extra point of sweet, cloying sense of belonging. Okay, now it's your little sun's turn to announce the latest arrangements for new residents in Happiness City. Listen carefully, little mouths, no words!]

[1. We're building a new fence for Happiness City! The existing Happiness Defense Line will be expanded outwards, just like the expansion plan proposed by Deputy City Lord Yuan in the 30th year of the New Era. Happiness City will make a concerted effort this autumn to create space that can accommodate a million people. I can't wait to see it! Our homes will grow bigger like an inflating balloon, and maybe we'll even be able to run across provincial borders in the mornings!]

[2. The outer city construction is a great thing that benefits all residents! Happiness City will provide enough building materials, completely free of charge, to build a large community that can accommodate at least one million people. Moreover, these communities have super complete supporting facilities, including schools, medical points, nearby factories, and all kinds of facilities needed for daily life. Everything you can think of has already been arranged, ensuring a comfortable and convenient living experience!]

[3. Let's talk about the details of the distribution of supplies, which everyone is concerned about. Starting today, the price of nutritional syrup will return to 2 Happiness Coins per bag! However, within the designated outer city area, we have set up a total of 75 distribution points. Each new resident can receive 15 bags of nutritional syrup for free by presenting their ID. Now that you're here, you no longer have to worry about food!]

[4. Detailed rules regarding resettlement are also here. Starting today, residents can apply for residency in the outer city or move to the buffer zone first. Please note that if you choose to settle in the outer city, housing will be automatically allocated after the outer city is completed.]

The currently designated area is: no less than 45 square meters for individual residences and no less than 75 square meters for family residences. If the family has more than 6 people, an additional 10 square meters will be added for each additional person. Furthermore, you can apply for the "neighborhood preference" policy, settling down in the same community and becoming neighbors with good friends—just thinking about it makes me happy!

[5. Regarding the recruitment details for the job positions, starting today, all departments will be open to everyone, waiting for you to join us. There are countless positions available, including community management, material distribution, facility maintenance, and infrastructure construction. Whether you are an experienced veteran or a newbie looking to learn new skills, you can find a suitable place. Not only are the benefits generous, but you can also meet many new friends at work!]

[6. Detailed rules regarding construction preparations, effective today]

[7. Detailed rules regarding the outer city planning, effective today]

【8】

Little Sun's broadcasts still maintain their leisurely tone.

Since the fog cave erupted, Cheng Ye had heard it twice, and each time he was a little impatient because of the slow pace.

But listening to it now on a swaying bus has a unique and special feel to it.

Not only did I not feel annoyed, but I actually enjoyed it.

Leaning back in his chair, he listened quietly, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

From these seemingly trivial details of the resettlement, Cheng Ye could easily piece together a conclusion: the prosecutor's contract system had most likely been approved.

But to his utter surprise was the positioning of the outer city construction.

It seems that the higher-ups do not intend to use this area as a settlement for migrants and continue to build up layers of boxes. Instead, it seems that they want to take this opportunity to completely reshuffle the existing buffer zone structure.

Was this idea conceived after intervention from the elders, or was Happiness City planned for this long ago?
Cheng Ye was temporarily confused, but one thing was certain: the construction model of the outer city coincided with his previous ideas.

Sure enough, instead of choosing the simple and crude "radioactive expansion," they added another buffer zone outside the buffer zone, spreading out disorderly like a pancake.

Instead, it completely followed the mature experience of Xinhuo and decided to develop outwards in the form of satellite cities.

This is absolutely a milestone in the history of Shelter City’s development, and it deserves to be recorded in the annals of Happy City’s development.

Because choosing this model means overturning the existing order.

The absolute superiority of the main body of Happiness City will inevitably be weakened, and the inherent advantages accumulated by the old residents based on their seniority and status as early arrivals will gradually disappear as the outer city expands.

If you give up and try your luck outside, you'll soon be overtaken by daring and enterprising newcomers.

Better living conditions, superior living environment, higher income, and brighter career advancement will all be gradually grasped by the newcomers.

Conversely, the inner city's transcendent status will become increasingly prominent, like the core area on Mount Sinker, becoming an unparalleled symbol of the top, drawing a clearer line at the "pinnacle."

Overall, however, this is undoubtedly the best of times for newcomers to Happiness City.

From this moment on, the myth of getting rich with your own hands will officially begin!
　P.S.: As we all know, after a brief surge, there's always a long... cough cough, here's 6.6k words, consistent updates for a day, double updates tomorrow~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)