Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 155 Independent Operation, Six Spots!
The effects of the fog did not last long this season.

2 p.m.

The snow has completely stopped. Although the temperature has not yet risen, the sun has already pierced through the clouds, casting scattered patches of light on the ground.

After checking the fully written answer sheet, Cheng Ye handed it to Jiang Chuan and stood up, stretching comfortably.

No one expected that after being transported to the wasteland, they would one day need to use their problem-solving skills again.

Knowledge truly does change one's destiny; this answer sheet should earn him even more points than before.

Of course, the current situation means he's on a temporary break.

They don't need to go to the checkpoints to perform duties, nor do they need to participate in the subsequent assessment process.

Starting from the third round of assessments, the content changed to on-site preparatory work, involving a series of tedious basic tasks such as recruiting migrants, applying for supplies, and coordinating allocation.

All of this can only be started after obtaining the contract qualification.

“Starting from the third round, there will be ranking rewards for each stage, in accordance with the method you mentioned that day, Prosecutor Cheng.”

Jiang Chuan took the answer sheet, carefully folded it, stuffed it into a brown paper bag, sealed it, and then carefully put it into his backpack. "But you will only know the specific implementation rules after you obtain the contract qualification."

As he spoke, his eyes held a hint of undisguised emotion.

Although people cannot be compared, Cheng Ye is so young, yet he not only has outstanding martial arts talent, but also such a broad knowledge base.

This basically means that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the current trainee inspector will undoubtedly become a mainstay of the checkpoint in the future.

"Okay, it's really kind of you to come with me." Cheng Ye patted his armor, the metal plates making a slight clinking sound. "Just take the fish to Tianyuan Community for me later. I'm going back to take a shower and catch up on some sleep. My whole body is about to fall apart."

I wore the armor for a whole day. I didn’t feel tired when I was in the wilderness because my nerves were on edge. But now that I’m back in a safe environment, I belatedly feel the soreness in the muscles under the armor. I can’t even lift my shoulders.

Before the contract system officially begins, he must get himself into top condition.

Moreover, this wilderness expedition gave Cheng Ye a lot of new ideas: including some equipment for exploration, survival items, and most importantly, vehicles.

A round trip to Dabo Town is 120 kilometers, and we can't rely on walking or hitchhiking the whole way. We must get a dedicated vehicle before the contract is signed, otherwise the subsequent surveying and construction will be affected.

"No problem, I'll arrange for a guard to deliver it to you."

Jiang Chuan nodded and watched Cheng Ye turn and walk towards the bus stop.

It was clear that Cheng Ye's steps were light and quick, indicating that he had truly relaxed.

Only after the bus had completely disappeared from sight did Jiang Chuan turn away, his mind preoccupied, and walk toward another pickup truck parked at the checkpoint.

Cheng Ye is on holiday, but he, as a clerk, still has to keep busy.

As Jiang Chuan got into the car, he shook his head with a wry smile. A thought flashed through his mind: it seemed like the last time he had a proper rest was seven or eight years ago.

Cheng Ye suggested finding a lover, not because he didn't want to, but because he genuinely didn't have the opportunity or the time.

As Ding Yishan's clerk, he had to stay with Station Master Ding every day as long as he didn't take a day off. How could he possibly be idle?

The pickup truck drove into the central checkpoint. Jiang Chuan parked the car, took out a brown paper bag containing the answer sheets from his backpack, and walked straight towards the stationmaster's building.

Is the station manager inside? Are there any customers?

"There are no guests. The stationmaster is in his office." The guard shook his head and stepped aside to make way.

"Hard!"

Jiang Chuan nodded and went up the stairs to the third floor.

When he arrived at the office door, he raised his hand and knocked. Before he could knock a second time, the door was pulled open from the inside, revealing a familiar young and pretty face.

The woman was about 1.7 meters tall, and her long legs were particularly eye-catching. Even wearing loose jeans, she couldn't hide the straight and slender shape of her legs.

But he was wearing a black vest that was clearly out of place with the weather, revealing his smooth arms. He had a faint, ambiguous smile on his lips and a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Hey, are you back?"

She looked Jiang Chuan up and down, her tone slightly teasing, "You dragged the trainee inspector from the station out for the night on your very first night? Jiang Chuan, you're something else, now you're even 'mentoring newbies'?"

Faced with this teasing, Jiang Chuan remained expressionless, pretending not to hear it, and lifted his foot to walk through the crack in the opened door.

But as soon as he took a step, the woman suddenly kicked him in the shin with a quick and urgent motion, which was full of ill intent.

thump.

Jiang Chuan reacted extremely quickly; the moment his expression changed slightly, he subconsciously shifted his body half an inch to the side.

But it was too late; their shinbones collided solidly, producing a dull thud.

Almost simultaneously with the collision, a barely perceptible blue arc of light flashed across Jiang Chuan's body, while a pale red arc of light appeared on the woman's body, like a thin veil wrapped around her skin, disappearing in an instant.

"Mu Shuang, this is the Central Checkpoint, not your Hundred Ghosts Gang's territory. I have no interest in joking with you here." Jiang Chuan frowned, his tone turning serious.

"Hey, you're not a kid anymore, why are you still so ill-mannered?"

Mu Shuang chuckled and withdrew her leg, not feeling that she had gone too far at all. "Now I am Station Chief Ding's clerk. According to the rules, if you want to enter the station chief's office, you have to let me search you first to make sure you are not carrying any weapons or threatening items before you can go in."

"you"

Jiang Chuan choked on his words.

"Huh? Forgot?" Mu Shuang laughed even more smugly. "Back when you first became a clerk, didn't you treat me the same way? You had the worst face of anyone else, and you even had to pry off my earrings during the body search."

As she spoke, her fingers produced a small throwing knife from somewhere, its blade gleaming coldly.

Jiang Chuan's expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously reached for his waist. Sure enough, the throwing knife had been taken away.

This woman's hand speed was even faster than it had been a few years ago, and much more discreet!

"Xiao Shuang, A Chuan just finished a mission, so don't bother him."

Ding Yishan, who was behind his desk, finally looked up, took off his reading glasses, and wiped them while offering a helpless word of advice.

"Understood, stationmaster!"

Mu Shuang immediately stopped smiling, gave Ding Yishan an awkward salute, and reluctantly stepped aside, not forgetting to make a face at Jiang Chuan.

"Ha, I won't argue with you."

Jiang Chuan took a deep breath, suppressing the helplessness in his heart.

He was Liu Kun's clerk and also one of the Ghost Kings of the Hundred Ghosts Gang.

Having spent so many years on the streets, Mu Shuang inevitably carried the bandit-like air of a scavenger, and always acted as he pleased.

"Tch, who wants to argue with you?" Mu Shuang curled her lips, walked to the sofa and sat down, the throwing knife in her hand spinning rapidly between her fingers like a butterfly fluttering up and down.

She and Jiang Chuan used to bicker quite a bit in the past few years, but unfortunately, Jiang Chuan has become more and more composed and harder to "tease" in recent years, which has reduced the amount of fun they had.

I was originally planning to mock Jiang Chuan for a while after he was arrested by a group of ordinary people from the community.

A half-step extraordinary being was actually tied up and interrogated by a group of ordinary people.

What a shame!

Judging from his calm and unyielding demeanor, it's unlikely that saying anything would elicit any reaction from him.

Sigh, how boring.

Jiang Chuan ignored Mu Shuang's subtle actions and walked straight to Ding Yishan's desk, handing him the brown paper bag. "Station Chief, this is Inspector Cheng's evaluation report. Also, we discovered quite a few things during our trip to Dabo Town."

"Oh, tell me more?"

Ding Yishan took the paper bag, twisted the cotton thread at the back with his fingertips, and pulled out a thick stack of documents.

He first flipped through the papers casually, then his fingers paused. This stack of answer sheets was more than twice as thick as the one Cheng Ye had submitted last time, totaling more than thirty pages.

Compared to the other prosecutors' responses received yesterday, this one carries significantly more weight.

"From the moment we set off..."

Jiang Chuan began to recall everything he had seen and heard on the way out of the city, from the mutated malaria mosquitoes and guardian spiders he encountered in the ruins of Dabo Town to the details of Cheng Ye's stop in front of the hydroelectric power station.

Although Ding Yishan's eyes were fixed on the answer sheet, he occasionally asked a couple of questions, clearly listening very attentively.

However, his expression remained unchanged despite the dangers of the wilderness ahead.

But when he heard that Cheng Ye had been sitting in front of the hydroelectric power station for two hours, carefully drawing diagrams, he couldn't help but laugh. "This kid really thinks he's an engineer. Does he want to switch careers and work for the Public Works Department?"

That's what he said, but when he turned to the section about hydroelectric power stations and his gaze fell on the page about "hydroelectric power station repair plan," the smile on his face gradually faded.

Although Station Chief Ding didn't understand professional engineering knowledge, having been in this position for so many years, his insight had long been honed. He could tell whether something was feasible at first glance. Compared to the first answer sheet, which leaned more towards "conceptualization," this one actually involved specific scheme design, estimated the quantity of various materials and manpower needed, and even made a rough calculation of the power generation after the repair. It was clearly much more solid and feasible.

"After waking up this morning, we went fishing by the Baishui River, hoping to catch more fish to bring back to the community, but then we encountered an accident."

Jiang Chuan's tone turned serious as he bowed slightly and said, "Station Chief, I must apologize to you. I have been staying at the checkpoint for many years and have neglected to learn about the wilderness environment. This time, my recklessness almost caused a problem, and I have failed your trust."

"Oh? What's going on?" Ding Yishan raised his head, but his expression remained calm.

"We encountered a mutated black-striped fish king."

Jiang Chuan did not hide anything and recounted his impatient behavior after encountering the Black Striped Fish King.

Even if he hadn't said anything, Cheng Ye wouldn't have said anything to him.

But now that he has realized the problem, he will not hide it, especially from Ding Yishan.

moment.

After listening, Ding Yishan remained silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking, "Come to think of it, it's been several years since you've gone out into the wilderness alone on a mission, hasn't it?"

“Yes, for a full seven years.” Jiang Chuan nodded.

During those seven years, he either handled daily affairs at the checkpoint or coordinated with Ding Yishan in the city, and almost never ventured into the wilderness again.

Occasionally, I would go out to assist the team; I had never personally taken on any tasks to this extent.

"Seven years, that's not a short time. How many seven-year periods does one have in a lifetime?"

Ding Yishan tapped the table lightly with his finger, his tone tinged with emotion, "Even the most cautious person will gradually lose their sensitivity to danger if they stay in a stable environment for too long. Especially in recent years, you have focused more on coordination between people and have become accustomed to dealing with intelligent opponents. It is normal to subconsciously ignore the chaotic threats in the wilderness."

“But Cheng Ye is different. Since he took up his post, the biggest threat to him has been these sources of infection, so he will naturally be more careful and vigilant than you.”

As he spoke, he closed the answer sheet on the table and put it into a paper bag. "But it's good, this incident serves as a wake-up call for you. If you want to become a prosecutor in the future, a sense of awe is an essential thing."

"Station Chief, how about I take Jiang Chuan's place and go to protect Prosecutor Cheng?"

Just then, Mu Shuang, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly stood up and walked quickly to the desk. Her tone was full of eagerness. "Jiang Chuan hasn't left the wilderness for seven years and is already familiar with the situation outside. I'm different. I travel in the wilderness and several surrounding provinces every day. I'm very familiar with dealing with infection sources and mutated creatures, especially in the area upstream and downstream of the Linjiang River. I can also help by following Inspector Cheng."

Jiang Chuan's expression changed slightly, and his lips moved, but he did not refute.

"Do you really want to protect Cheng Ye, or do you feel uncomfortable staying by this old man's side?" Ding Yishan looked up at Mu Shuang, his eyes filled with a hint of teasing.

"Oh, no way!" Mu Shuang's cheeks flushed slightly as she was caught off guard, and she stammered with a laugh, "I'm used to being out in the wild. I feel uncomfortable if I don't get involved in some fighting and danger every day. I really can't handle the greetings and paperwork in this office. I'm afraid I'll be clumsy and delay your work."

"These words don't sound like someone who doesn't know how to welcome or see off guests."

Ding Yishan tapped the table lightly with his finger, his tone tinged with satisfaction.

To Mu Shuang's surprise, he didn't refuse directly. Instead, he changed the subject and looked at Jiang Chuan:

"After all these years, A-Chuan is indeed no longer suitable for fieldwork. I kept him in this small buffer zone and put him in charge of the station's coordination and the development of the system for the lower-level staff. He did an excellent job, which saved me, the station chief, a lot of trouble. In recent years, the internal struggles at the checkpoint have been fierce, but the guards, clerks, and observers below have not been affected in the slightest. It is all thanks to A-Chuan leading the people to hold things together."

His voice slowed, tinged with a barely perceptible sigh: "Sometimes I wonder if it's too unfair to A-Chuan to send him back to those days of living on the edge, adventuring in the wilderness!"

"My lord." Jiang Chuan looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with astonishment, and couldn't help but call out.

"Alright, these are just my honest thoughts."

Ding Yishan waved his hand, interrupting him, and then looked at Mu Shuang, "Xiao Shuang has also grown a lot. I originally thought that you were still that impulsive and easily angered girl, but I didn't expect that after training in the Hundred Ghosts Gang for so many years, you have become much more stable and more methodical in your work."

"Station Chief, you flatter me!" Mu Shuang became even more embarrassed, her voice softening. "I was just doing what I was supposed to do, following the instructions of Director Liu and you."

She and Jiang Chuan were almost a full twelve years apart in age. When Jiang Chuan was 25 and working as a clerk, she was only 17. She followed Liu Kun and ventured into the wilderness, her personality as wild as a little leopard.

Jiang Chuan is now 36, and she is 28; they are no longer the impulsive young girl they once were.

“Okay, then you can go and follow Cheng Ye.” Ding Yishan pondered for a moment and made a decision. “After the contract system is implemented, when it’s inconvenient for me to go out for inspections, Achuan will have to go to the various satellite cities on my behalf. The inspectors in the station are all familiar with him, so it will be easier to communicate with him.”

"However, we probably won't need you for the time being."

"Oh?" Mu Shuang was stunned. She subconsciously tossed the throwing knife she was twirling to Jiang Chuan, her tone tinged with doubt. "Does the station chief not trust me? Or does he think I'm not capable enough to protect Prosecutor Cheng?"

"You little rascal, how come you've picked up some of that bandit's air about you? You talk like a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of outlaws and江湖义气, a code of honor among outlaws)?"

Ding Yishan chuckled and pointed at her, "What are you thinking? In the first round of the contract, only 12 satellite cities will be activated. No matter how high Cheng Ye's ranking is, I don't plan to send him out. Let him go to Dabo Town when the second and third rounds of satellite cities are launched."

"Ah, why is that?" Mu Shuang was stunned.

Yesterday, when she was going through the documents, she could tell that Ding Yishan valued Cheng Ye very much. Not only did he have Jiang Chuan accompany him on the survey, but he also specifically instructed her to pay close attention to Cheng Ye's thoughts. It was obvious that he wanted to cultivate Cheng Ye as a key talent.

But now, Cheng Ye is being placed after the first round, which is really illogical.

Ding Yishan didn't answer directly, but looked at Jiang Chuan, "Achuan, you've been to Dabo Town and talked to Cheng Ye, so why don't you tell us about it?"

Jiang Chuan caught the throwing knife Mu Shuang tossed to him, sheathed it at his waist, sorted out his thoughts, and pondered, "The station chief's primary concern should be the conflict over the allocation of supplies."

“The first batch of supplies for satellite cities must be prioritized for core hubs like Wenlu County. Only after it is built there can it radiate to the surrounding areas. Dabo Town simply cannot compete for transportation priority. Forcing it to start will only put Inspector Cheng in the predicament of having plans but no materials, which will delay the construction.”

"You're right about one point. What else?" A hint of satisfaction flashed in Ding Yishan's eyes.

“Hmm,” Jiang Chuan pondered, recalling the scene he and Cheng Ye had witnessed yesterday, and their conversation. “There are also problems with recruiting refugees. Most of the prosecutors in the first round of contracting are veterans from the fifth or fourth term, or at the very least, the third term. Prosecutor Cheng is just a trainee. Even if he comes up with the best plan, the refugees might not be willing to follow a newcomer in comparison.”

"Who would pass up an experienced senior prosecutor to gamble on a young man who has never done construction work? If the Western prosecutor does something underhanded, it will only make him a laughing stock and damage morale."

“A little more.” Ding Yishan smiled broadly. “I didn’t expect that going out once would make my mind so much sharper.”

Jiang Chuan didn't respond, continuing to ponder: "And then there's the recent weather—snow in July, a sudden drop in temperature. Inspector Cheng has no experience in construction under such severe weather conditions. Could it be..."

“That’s not right.” Ding Yishan shook his head and interrupted. “Bad weather isn’t all bad. If you go out now to recruit refugees, as long as you promise them enough food and clothing and shelter from the wind and rain in the future, you can persuade them to follow you. Once the weather warms up, these promises will be much less tempting.”

"That"

Jiang Chuan didn't speak rashly this time. He frowned and thought for two or three minutes before his eyes suddenly lit up. "Station Chief, could it be that the higher-ups have decided to first clean up the waters around Dabo Town and dredge the floodwaters?"

"Ok?"

Ding Yishan raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with surprise, "Is there evidence, or just a guess?"

"Half of it is based on guesswork, and half on observation," Jiang Chuan said honestly with a smile. "The Baishui River is alright, but the dikes of the Huangshui River are about to burst. If we don't take action, the surrounding undeveloped areas will be flooded. Dabo Town is not far from the Huangshui River. If we start construction first, the subsequent water management costs might have to be deducted from the town's resources, which would be uneconomical."

“You are quite observant.” Ding Yishan nodded slightly, acknowledging his guess. “The Industrial Development Bureau is already allocating excavation machinery. Only after the flood is dealt with can construction in Dabo Town be restarted, so as to avoid detours.”

Looking at Ding Yishan's expression, Jiang Chuan suddenly had a thought and tentatively asked, "Station Chief, your expectations for Prosecutor Cheng are probably not just as simple as 'building up Dabo Town,' are they?"

Unexpectedly, Ding Yishan answered straightforwardly without any concealment: "Of course not. I'm willing to let a trainee prosecutor take charge of the whole thing. How could I possibly evaluate him on the same standard as other prosecutors?"

He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming more solemn: "In the construction of the hub, the final distribution of power and benefits will only give the checkpoint a small share. Ultimately, it will all be handed over to Happiness City for jurisdiction. Only places like Dabo Town are the key to determining whether our checkpoint can expand in the future."

"The planned 12 hub satellite cities, with 30,000 migrants per satellite city, plus the No. 1 satellite city outside the buffer zone, can already accommodate nearly 600,000 people. The subsequent 12 auxiliary satellite cities are planned for 20,000 people each. All of them together can basically accommodate this wave of millions of migrants."

"But the meeting actually approved 30 slots. The remaining 6 slots were tacitly approved for the checkpoints to operate independently. We will pay 50% of the construction costs for these places, and Xingfu City will make up the remaining 50%. However, the future revenue and management rights will be entirely the responsibility of our checkpoints. I will give one slot to Dabo Town."

At this point, Ding Yishan suddenly stopped.

It's not that the expectations expressed in those words were too high for a trainee prosecutor.

Instead, he noticed that Mu Shuang had already frowned, her eyes filled with confusion and incomprehension. She was clearly not keeping up with the pace of the conversation and was not quite clear about the power distribution behind this wave of satellite city construction.

"Ah Chuan, you can explain the details to Xiao Shuang later, so she can understand the key points as well." Ding Yishan smiled helplessly, pushing the task of explaining to Jiang Chuan.

"Okay!" Jiang Chuan nodded, then turned to look at Mu Shuang with a hint of ill intent in his eyes.

"King Mu, now that I'm Station Chief Ding's clerk again, shouldn't you leave according to the rules?"

"Good grief, are you trying to annoy me again?" Mu Shuang was stunned for a moment, then laughed in anger.

However, this smile eased the awkwardness that had grown between the two over the years due to not seeing each other for so long, as if they had returned to the days when they used to bicker and argue at the checkpoint.

"Then, stationmaster, shall I leave now? Please call me if you need anything?"

"Well, let's go."

Watching the two walk to the door, Mu Shuang stopped again.

"how?"

"Station Chief, may I make contact with this Prosecutor Cheng beforehand? You and Director Liu both think highly of him, and Xiao Shuang is also quite curious about him."

Ding Yishan leaned back in his chair, waving his hand with a smile, "Of course you can, but you have to be careful not to go too far. If Prosecutor Cheng comes to me with a complaint, I won't let you off the hook."

"Don't worry!" Mu Shuang immediately stood up straight and patted her chest to assure him, "Xiao Shuang knows what's important. At most, she'll just watch from afar and won't disturb him while he's doing his work."

"Besides, I won't end up like 'Brother Jiangchuan,' being tied up and interrogated in the community!"

　P.S.: Thank you Qianyu Zhisheng and peidajia for the generous donations! Thank you both so much! Another day of writing 10,000 words a day, so I'm begging for monthly votes to help me climb the rankings by the end of the month!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)