Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 168 Vehicle Assembly, the Major Matters Are Settled!
The items have finally arrived!
Although Cheng Ye has developed considerable internal energy cultivation skills over the years, he still couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a hint of barely concealed excitement flashing in his eyes.

Due to the impact of the allocation of construction materials for the satellite city, this batch of chassis should have been delivered two days ago, but it was delayed day after day.

It is now the sixth day since the first batch of inspectors went out to take on assigned tasks.

If it had been a few days later, when the second batch of satellite city contract quotas were opened, the material transportation line would have been even more congested, and it might have been delayed even longer.

"Sangtao, the chassis I ordered has arrived. I need to pick it up at the checkpoint. Could you come with me?"

Cheng Ye turned to look at Sang Tao, who was still in a daze, and asked with a smile.

Sang Tao was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously nodded in agreement, clearly still not recovered from Cheng Ye's familiarity with disassembling the car.

These days, this strange Inspector Cheng arrives at the Machinery Department at nine o'clock every morning, as if clocking in for duty, and doesn't leave with the apprentices until 7:30 in the evening, without fail.

In the morning, he carried around the books from the Machinery Department and "flipped through" them. He went through all the basic books stored by the Public Works Department.

In the afternoon, I went into the warehouse to practice. At the beginning, I couldn't even hold a wrench steadily, but now I can skillfully disassemble an entire car.

How many days did Prosecutor Cheng take?

Including the half-day I spent here on the first day, it's only been five and a half days at most!
How long would it take an average apprentice to become as skilled as him?
It took about six months to get started.

“Prosecutor Cheng, Sang Tao is still young, he might make a mistake. I'll go with you.”

Sang He walked out from behind the crowd, his face calm, but the complexity in his eyes was undeniable.

"That's great! With Master Sang here, I'm definitely at ease. I'm just worried about delaying your work."

Cheng Ye nodded immediately, casually took off his oil-stained work clothes, and walked to the tap by the door to wash his hands without caring.

He had a vague feeling that Sang Hezheng wanted to say something to him.

Sure enough, as soon as Sang Hezheng drove the Machinery Bureau's large Jinbei van out of the gate and the car turned the corner, he couldn't help but speak up:

"Prosecutor Cheng, did you study this kind of thing in the inner city before?"

This sentence sounds simple, but it was the result of his long and painstaking work.

What he really wanted to ask was whether those books had been skimmed once or read carefully all of them.

It's no wonder he had such a question; anyone who saw Cheng Ye reading a book would be puzzled.

Is that reading a book?
That's practically flipping through a book; at that speed, an average person couldn't even read it completely once.

To understand it?
Forget about it. Even if you brought over those highly skilled individuals from the old era who received twelve years of education starting at age six, they wouldn't be able to learn at such an exaggerated speed.

But after thinking it over, he realized that asking directly would be too offensive, yet he was still incredibly curious.

Because on the first day, Cheng Ye was indeed a complete novice.

You can barely tell that he had a strong ability to imitate, but it was definitely not comparable to his current level of proficiency.

More importantly, during those five and a half days, Cheng Ye never had anyone teach him step by step.

He simply stood there and watched with the apprentices, and he learned all the details.

"Yes, I was quite interested in these things when I was in the inner city, and I learned some of them here and there. Now it's faster to pick them up again."

Cheng Ye leaned back in the passenger seat, speaking casually as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

A dimension that others cannot perceive.

A semi-transparent panel had quietly appeared in his field of vision, automatically redirecting him to his personal page:
[Collector: Cheng Ye]

[Current Rank: Level 2 Rookie (27.7/100)]

Life Level: 1

[Skills: Heart Protection Fire, Wild Grass Physique, Intermediate Mechanical Repair (79.1%), Intermediate Mechanical Assembly (87.5%)]

【.】

Five days have passed, and I have already reached 100% in basic mechanical principles and intermediate mechanical identification.

Those once obscure blueprints, symbols, and mechanical theories have long since become ingrained in my mind.

Dismantling a car is like washing, chopping, or cooking vegetables.

Completely free from fixed forms and methods, no matter how or where you disassemble it, the final speed and finished product are at the level of a master craftsman.

The two newly discovered skills are almost maxed out; at this rate, they should be fully mastered by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.

Of course, this efficiency is all thanks to the valuable location of the Machinery Bureau.

With the construction of the first phase of 12 satellite cities in full swing, all the charging piles of the agencies are fully loaded around the clock, and the power grid extends from the buffer zone to the outside of the city.

To prioritize power supply for construction, most residential areas in the buffer zone are without power during the day.

Power was not restored until 8 p.m.

However, the Machinery Bureau is clearly not included in this category. Although the charging stations here are also occupied, they have independent industrial circuits and industrial sockets.

It seems that inside each warehouse, there are several 32A/250V circuits that meet the needs of welding machines.

The charging efficiency can reach around 8kW. It can replenish more than 20% of the charging value every day just by storing it in the warehouse. In addition, it can be charged at home at night, and it can accumulate 25% of the charging value in a day.

The only minor hiccup was that the second search for Lv2 skills failed, resulting in the current charge value being only 31%.

However, Cheng Ye didn't care. Once the chassis and parts were assembled into a car, he could legitimately drive it to checkpoints or the Public Works Department's fast charging stations to recharge.

Having charging stations to replenish power is a game-changer!

Those skills that couldn't be fused together, and those traits that couldn't be exchanged, will all be available soon.

"Then you are truly a genius."

Sang Hezheng opened his mouth, but after a long while, he could only squeeze out this dry compliment.

"Don't say that, Master Sang. Your two sons are the real geniuses." Cheng Ye smiled and rolled down the car window.

As the fog dissipated further, the temperature rose rapidly to around ten degrees Celsius.

A gentle breeze blew in the dust from the roadside, ruffling his somewhat long hair and adding a touch of casualness.

Different people require different approaches to build rapport.

Many of these experienced mechanics from the Machinery Department were already there when Happiness City was first established.

Having weathered so many storms over the years, I've long been accustomed to interpersonal relationships and the exchange of interests.

If you try to get close to someone in the usual way, you'll end up being just another ordinary relationship, falling into the bottom tier and becoming just another one of many.

But what he wanted was not this kind of relationship, but a special relationship that would make people remember him and leave an impression.

genius.

Nice tag.

Since the two Sang brothers were already clever, Cheng Ye simply exaggerated his behavior even further.

In retrospect, this move was the right one.

Next, we need to give Master Sang a chance to start a conversation and quickly build rapport.

"They're alright, but compared to you..."

"You're wrong, Master Sang."

Cheng Ye leaned back in his chair, his tone becoming more serious. "In this world, people can't be compared. I might be faster at learning mechanics and reach the same level as you soon, but I'm destined not to be able to deal with mechanics for a lifetime like you, whether it's research and development or continued mastery. I don't have that level of expertise or that much time. At most, I can only become familiar with it and have a general understanding."

“But Sang Tao and Sang Zhe are different. They can focus on the details and study a blueprint for a long time to figure out the underlying principles. These are things I don’t have and can’t do. So, you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. If you want to compare yourself, compare yourself to yourself yesterday. If you know a little more today than yesterday, that’s a gain.”

“Hmm,” Sang Hezheng tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Happiness City has no shortage of researchers. Their qualifications are not enough to get them into the Happiness Research Institute in the inner city.”

Have you tried having them take the research fellow exam?

“No.” Sang Hezheng gave a bitter smile, his expression complicated. “Once an ordinary researcher enters that place, they never get out. For some people, it’s a paradise for research, but for our family, it’s a prison that locks people in.”

“I don’t want them to be trapped in the lab for the rest of their lives, having to apply to even see the sun.”

"That's right, you expect them to be top-tier researchers right from the start? How is that possible?"

Cheng Ye chuckled and said, "Sang Zhe is indeed suited for research, but Sang Tao, hasn't he considered going solo?"

"Yes."

Sang He nodded frankly, loosening his grip on the steering wheel slightly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Over the years, I've saved up some contribution points. It's not enough to support my whole family in moving to the inner city, but it's enough to raise money to open a small factory. Sang Tao has been thinking about this for two years, but I haven't given in yet."

The so-called "big family" is quite large.

Sang Hezheng has two spouses: Sang Tao and Sang Zhe, who are half-brothers. He also has two younger sisters.

Sang Tao and Sang Zhe got married at the age of sixteen. Now Sang Tao has a son and a daughter, the older one is seven years old and the younger one is five years old. Sang Zhe also has a three-year-old daughter.

Including the spouse's relatives, the whole family has more than twenty people.

Even if Sang Hezheng had worked at the Machinery Bureau for more than ten years and could earn some "extra income" openly or secretly, it would be impossible for him to easily come up with 20,000 contribution points like Li Matai.

But Cheng Ye estimated that Sang Hezheng's savings must be substantial, at least over ten thousand yuan, otherwise he wouldn't dare to mention opening a factory.

After all, just purchasing the technical qualification requires a large amount of contribution points, not to mention adding equipment, renting venues, and hiring workers.

"Has Sangtao considered what kind of factory he would open?"

"What else could it be? It's nothing more than machining, just making a little money."

It wasn't that Sang Hezheng was deliberately being vague, but rather that the family had never seriously discussed opening a factory, and naturally, they hadn't come up with any specific ideas about what to do; they only had a vague direction.

“Then let’s forget about it.” Cheng Ye shook his head, his tone serious. “Machine processing is hard-earned money. It’s tiring and thankless. If we run into the main industry of a satellite city, small factories simply can’t withstand it. We might end up losing everything.”

“That’s right.” Sang Hezheng nodded repeatedly, then suddenly changed the subject, “With so many migrants coming recently, there’s a lot more work in the buffer zone. He keeps talking to me about opening a factory, saying that he can make more money while things are bustling right now.”

The following sentence is almost an explicit statement.

Cheng Ye chuckled inwardly, but put on a serious expression. "Master Sang, don't be impulsive. The situation is so unstable right now. There are many migrants, but the risks are also great. It may seem like you can make money, but it's actually easier to lose money."

He paused, deliberately bringing it up himself, "Like when I want to start a caravan, I take out 20,000 contribution points. To put it bluntly, it's just a test. If I'm unlucky, this money will be gone. I'm prepared to lose money."

He said it so casually, but it didn't sit well with Sang Hezheng.

The money that his family had painstakingly saved over a decade was, in the eyes of Prosecutor Cheng, merely a pebble to "test the waters."

Sigh, you really can't compare people; it's infuriating to compare them!

The car suddenly fell silent, with only the whooshing wind noise, tire noise, and the slight hum of the motor accelerating.

Sang Hezheng didn't speak again, and Cheng Ye didn't take the initiative to speak either. They were both preoccupied with their own thoughts, and there wasn't a better opportunity to bring it up again for the time being.

As the large Jinbei van drove through the city, the outline of the South Checkpoint soon came into view.

And a two-section container truck parked on the side of the road was particularly eye-catching.

The chassis of a total of six vehicles, as well as various parts and wiring harnesses that needed to be sourced from the industrial area, were all packed inside.

Even if Lao Sun placed the order at cost price, the total value of the truckload reached 9700 points, almost exceeding 10,000.

"It's finally arrived for me!"

Cheng Ye opened the car door and got out, and the person standing next to the container quickly came up with a smile.

"Inspector Cheng! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" The middle-aged man smiled, still clutching a document in his hand. "I am Huang San, the sales manager of Xingfu Automobile Factory. You can just call me Xiao San. I'm really sorry for the three-day delay. The industrial zone has been busy transporting equipment to the satellite city recently, and the vehicle schedule is tight. The factory couldn't find any delivery trucks, so I rushed over as soon as I got the dispatch order today."

"Manager Huang, you're too kind. It's too kind of you to make this trip in person." Cheng Ye shook hands with him, his tone showing no sign of dissatisfaction.

"Not at all!" Huang San breathed a sigh of relief and quickly waved to the accompanying staff to open the container's rear door. "Normally, for an order of your size, I could deliver it the next day. Take a look, the chassis and parts are all here, nothing is missing."

The tailgate slowly opened, revealing a neatly stacked silver-white chassis inside, resembling an enlarged toy component. While the chassis's impact resistance isn't top-tier, its advantage lies in its ease of repair; any damaged parts can be replaced directly without the hassle of extensive repairs.

There were stacks of tempered bulletproof glass piled up next to it.

In addition, the interior trim panels, door hinges, wheels and tires, brake assemblies, rearview mirrors, and taillight assemblies were all neatly arranged, with even the smallest wiring harnesses sealed in waterproof bags and clearly labeled. "Master Sang, could you please help me check these?" Cheng Ye didn't dare to be careless. He took the parts list from Huang San and went into the car with Sang Hezheng to check each item one by one.

While inspecting the parts, Cheng Ye couldn't help but sigh at how solid the industrial foundation of Xingfu City was.

From a single screw to the entire chassis assembly, everything is manufactured in the factory; not a single item is imported from outside the protected city.

He knew perfectly well that a complete automotive industry chain was far more complex than simply "assembling parts." It required penetrating deep down to the foundational raw materials, core components, and precision manufacturing equipment. Being able to independently cover at least this meant:

We are self-reliant in raw materials, self-developed and self-produced core components, and self-sufficient in manufacturing equipment.

The three independent initiatives are the fruits of Xingfu City's hard work during its first major development era, and the foundation for its ability to gain a foothold and maintain a superior position in Shijiazhuang Province.

Even if there is a new era of development in the future, it will be difficult for the emerging Sanctuary City to shake the foundation of Happiness City.

Only a city of equal standing can rival Happiness City.

The two of them would spend two hours checking everything, from the model and specifications to the completeness of the information, leaving no detail overlooked.

After confirming that everything was in order, Huang San quickly stepped forward and said, "Inspector Cheng, please rest assured. Before this shipment left the factory, the factory manager specially arranged for someone to check it five times, just in case something went wrong. If you are not satisfied, we will go back and change it immediately!"

Cheng Ye smiled and waved his hand.

Even though I know it's just polite talk, given the size of Happiness Auto Factory, the car manager is equivalent to a deputy director of the buffer zone, so why would he pay special attention to such a small business?

But those words sounded nice and were quite a compliment to him.

"The goods are fine. Manager Huang, could you please take them to the Machinery Department for me? I need to assemble the vehicles there."

"No problem! Arrange it right away!" Huang San immediately agreed and turned to direct the staff to re-secure the container.

As the truck slowly started moving, Cheng Ye finally felt relieved, a weight lifted from his heart that had been hanging over him for several days.

Besides studying mechanical knowledge, he hasn't been idle these past few days; the battery testing and ordering have already been arranged.

Just make a call to the checkpoint now, and within half an hour, staff will be able to deliver the selected batteries to the Machinery Department.

Even the old parts he picked out at the junkyard didn't require Sang Hezheng's help. He searched for the 'Intermediate Mechanical Repair' skill and then refurbished them himself in the warehouse, removing rust, replacing gaskets, calibrating parameters, and replacing wiring harnesses.

Everything is my own, and every step is done with utmost care, making it indistinguishable from something brand new.

Now that the chassis and new parts have arrived, the caravan's vehicle assembly can finally officially begin.

Even if Dabo Town is indeed on the second batch of contracted list, he doesn't need to panic. He can assemble all the cars tonight!
"Master Sang, I'd appreciate it if you could work overtime with me tonight. Thank you."

"No problem!" Sang Hezheng nodded without hesitation and immediately took out his defense phone to call Sang Tao. "I'll have the guys stay here. We'll work overtime tonight and make sure we assemble the car!"

He didn't even realize something was wrong when he blurted those words out.

In the past, even if the prosecutor spoke up, he would at least hesitate and consider the exchange of benefits.

Faced with Cheng Ye's request, he didn't hesitate for a moment, his mind only thinking about "getting to interact with this Prosecutor Cheng more often" and "maybe there will be more opportunities in the future."

This shift in mindset has laid the foundation for a network of relationships.

From then on, it was just a matter of getting to know each other step by step.

Cheng Ye wasn't in a hurry. He would wait until the pedestrian street was built and until Dabo Town had the capacity to develop light industry.

We can easily establish a connection with the Sang family; there's no need to state our purpose now.

Also.

Cheng Ye took out his defense phone and dialed a number. "Da Long, starting tonight, stop the militia's night training. Let everyone get a good night's sleep. Weapons and equipment should be ready at any time, and be prepared to head to the wilderness."

"Yes, sir!" came Da Long's crisp reply from the other end of the phone, with shouts echoing in the background.

The three hundred militiamen selected by Mr. He began their full-time training four days ago.

These people are all veterans who retired from the pioneering army, but because they haven't stepped out of the Happiness Defense Line for many years, their individual combat strength is not yet reliable.

However, after several days of drill training and basic tactical coordination, they have become able to obey orders and form a force to be reckoned with.

Cheng Ye knew that the second round of satellite city contracting wouldn't be long.

Tomorrow will be the seventh day since the first round began, and the second round will begin in three to five days at most.

The critical point for its activation is when the fog enveloping Shi Province completely dissipates.

After hanging up the phone, he leaned back in his large Jinbei van, his mind going over the data on the resettlement of displaced people.

Over the past six days, the satellite city has recruited more than 200,000 refugees from outside the Happiness Defense Line. Although it still looks crowded to the naked eye, data shows that there are now less than 500,000 refugees outside the defense line.

Of these, 200,000 will remain in Satellite City 1 for construction, while 100,000 will settle in the buffer zone.

The remaining 200,000 people will have to be resettled in the second batch of satellite cities.

On the surface, Happiness City is absorbing a million people at a steady pace, but only those in the buffer zone know how many undercurrents are hidden beneath the calm.

Recently, the sounds of artillery fire and gunfire at night have become increasingly frequent, often lasting from two or three in the morning until dawn.

As the population migrates, the infected sources and infected individuals wandering around the surrounding areas of Shi Province seem to be drawn to the defensive line as if they are smelling the scent. For now, the legion's firepower can suppress them, but once the second batch of satellite cities starts construction and the scale expands, even if the firepower line can provide timely support, there will inevitably be loopholes that can be exploited.

"I wonder how Dongping Town is doing with Li Matai."

As the car drove away from the South Checkpoint, Cheng Ye's gaze swept over the faint outline of tents outside the defense line, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Li Matai said it would take a month to return to the buffer zone, and only six days have passed. He must still be dealing with the assessment. I just wonder if the construction plan for Dongping Town has encountered any problems.

However, this reverie did not last long. As soon as Dajinbei returned to the Machinery Department, Cheng Ye immediately adjusted his mindset and threw himself into the preparations for vehicle assembly.

Compared to refurbishing old parts and repairing faulty components, assembling vehicles is not a technical job; you just need to put the parts together according to the blueprints.

But precisely because of this, whether the vehicle can be guaranteed to remain stable depends entirely on the details of the assembly process.

Are the screws tightened enough? Is the wire harness connected correctly?

The bumpy ride in the wilderness and the fighting can cause vehicles to have all sorts of problems, or even break down.

At 6 p.m., all the parts and batteries had undergone a second inspection, and the corresponding parts were neatly stacked next to the six frames.

Sang Hezheng didn't dare to be careless and called two more experienced masters from other warehouses to help.

The three master craftsmen, along with Sang Tao, Sang Zhe, and Cheng Ye, were each responsible for assembling one car.

The apprentices even brought two strings of firecrackers, wanting to set them off before starting work for good luck.

But just as the fire was being lit, the sky suddenly darkened, and lead-gray clouds quickly gathered. The drizzling raindrops fell like a jumble of hemp seeds, instantly wetting the ground.

“This…” Sang Hezheng frowned, looked at Cheng Ye, and said hesitantly.

"It's alright, this is a good thing." Cheng Ye looked up at the sky and then gazed at the horizon. "The rain means the fog is finally going to dissipate."

The others followed his gaze and indeed found that the pale white mist shrouding the distant wilderness was dissipating at a visible speed, and the originally blurry horizon was gradually becoming clear.

"Come on, let's get started!"

Without further hesitation, Cheng Ye stepped forward, took the lighter, and lit the firecrackers.

The crackling sound exploded in the rain, and the sparks that flew up were quickly extinguished by the rain, but they dispelled the hesitation in everyone's hearts.

In this world, even extraordinary beings truly exist; Cheng Ye has even witnessed firsthand the battles between "immortals."

He no longer believed in "immortals, Buddhas, ghosts, and gods," let alone "destiny and reincarnation."

Don't be ridiculous to stop what you're doing just because of a rain shower.

Even if it rains, even if it's raining knives, I have to assemble all six cars tonight.

The rain gradually intensified, pounding against the metal roof of the warehouse with a "pitter-patter" sound, which was like adding white noise, making everyone even more focused.

Inside the shed, everything was bustling with activity.

There was no extra conversation, only the click of wrenches tightening bolts and the clanging of parts. Everyone had their heads down, their eyes fixed on the work in their hands.

Since it does not involve any complex intelligent equipment, there are no precision sensors to calibrate, and no so-called vehicle infotainment system to debug.

Even things like chassis comfort and suspension stiffness don't require much attention. When driving in the wilderness, what matters is durability, not comfort.

That's why the progress is much faster than expected.

At 11 p.m. sharp, Sang He and his six apprentices finished assembling the frame of the first transport vehicle.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and reached out to press the start button.

pat.

The headlights suddenly turned on, their warm yellow light piercing the darkness outside the canopy.

He then climbed into the driver's seat, shifted the gear to drive, and the car wobbled forward half a meter before coming to a steady stop. A burst of applause immediately erupted in the shed.

"Hehe, I didn't expect this old man to get there first!"

Sang He smiled as he opened the car door, waved his hand, and immediately instructed the apprentices to begin installing the interior.

Cheng Ye salvaged quite a few seats from the junkyard, enough to fill every car.

With enough parts, it's natural to install them all at once to avoid the hassle of disassembly and reassembly later.

However, half an hour later, the other two experienced workers also finished assembling the vehicles they were responsible for.

After the power was turned on and the cars were tested, each one started running smoothly. Applause came one after another, and even the sound of the rain seemed to be suppressed.

Surprisingly, the fourth person to complete the assembly was not the Sang brothers, but Cheng Ye.

The installation of major components for the off-road vehicle has been completed.

After activating the engineering test mode, Cheng Ye squatted in the driver's seat, his fingertips gripping the steering wheel tightly, and stepped on the accelerator with great trepidation.

hum.

A faint whirring sound came from the motor, its speed limited to 1 yard.

The tire paused for a moment, then slowly rolled forward.

Cheng Ye stared at the metal wall in front of him, glancing at the crowd slowly retreating outside the car door out of the corner of his eye. His heart felt like it had been hit by something.

He never imagined that assembling a car by hand would be such a wonderful experience.

The emotions that had been buried in my chest for days seemed to explode in an instant.

I can't quite tell if it's excitement or agitation.

The machine before him was no longer a cold, lifeless part, but rather an extension of his hands and feet, capable of carrying him across the wilderness to his destination.

When he reversed the car back into place and opened the car door, a round of applause erupted from the side.

"Amazing, Master Cheng!"

Sang He gave him a thumbs up, his eyes full of admiration.

Sang Tao and Sang Zhe also clapped, their eyes showing no resentment at being "surpassed," only pure recognition.

They are such a pure-hearted group of people.

As Cheng Ye thought to himself, he smiled and found himself increasingly enjoying the feeling of being in the wasteland.

There's no need for intrigue or external distractions; just focus on doing your job well, and you'll earn genuine recognition.

"The matter is settled."

He took the towel handed to him by the apprentice, wiped the sweat from his brow, let out a long sigh, and looked at the interwoven rain curtain.

Streaks of lightning flashed across the sky, accompanied by deafening thunder.

The vehicle assembly is complete, the fog is dissipating, and we can finally begin the next phase of the plan!

(End of this chapter)