Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 184: Poster for the Three Volumes - The Embryonic Formation of an Economic System!
Competing in a different market segment is the best way to overcome one's own disadvantages.

Especially when competing with these veteran inspectors at the checkpoint, it's even more important to find the right track to focus on.

During written assessments, he was able to rank in the top third thanks to his solid theoretical foundation and unique insights, by avoiding popular locations and not directly competing with others.

Now in the third round of practical assessment, Cheng Ye still has no intention of engaging in hand-to-hand combat with other prosecutors.

Firstly, they can't compete. Even a senior prosecutor like Li Matai, who hasn't been on field duty for many years, could have his qualifications written down in a dozen pages, and his achievements could be exaggerated to the extreme.

As for those less competitive first and second-phase inspectors, they are just cannon fodder in the contract system anyway, and even if they win, it won't help the overall situation.

Secondly, there's no need. If you can win easily, why would you use a stupid method?

"."

Wang Kang's gaze swept back and forth across the poster, and he remained lost in thought for a long time.

He had never been to Dabo Town and had no idea what the place was like, but as he looked at the pictures, a picture slowly formed in his mind.

Dabo Town was indeed a remote old-fashioned town, which must have been flooded many times by the rising river.

The ruins, now just skeletons, slowly faded away into oblivion as the wind sang their song.

The air was thick with loneliness, enveloped by vast expanses of green vines, clearly indicating that no one had been there for a long time.

The only remaining concrete on that rural road leading to the edge of civilization was so brittle it was like foam, and could be crushed with a single step.

Cruel, yet real.

It perfectly fits everyone's stereotype of a dilapidated village in the wasteland.

But unlike other places, this town has a large river next to it, and a dam that still stands.

The dam is painted with dense schools of fish, which flow along the winding river channel and eventually branch off into a sturdy-looking hydroelectric power station.

"Dabo Town"

Wang Kang read it aloud. With this initial impression, and looking at the renderings below, he suddenly had an indescribable feeling.

The once dilapidated town was cleared out of the surrounding wilderness for a full kilometer, creating a large open space.

Inside the large circle, the blueprints show a whole wall, about three and a half meters high, with a sentry post every five hundred meters, completely enclosing Dabo Town and instantly giving people a sense of security.

Even the side facing the water was enclosed by a wall to keep out any potential dangers from the other side of the river.

Inside the town, the ruins had completely disappeared, and the area was divided into three parts, one large and two small.

The two smaller plots are currently vacant, and the planning map only shows the names of the public facilities.

But the larger section depicts the "standardized residential units" that often appear in the evening news of Happiness City. These are simple houses assembled from prefabricated panels, and their dimensions can be customized according to the builder's ideas, ranging from long to short and wide to narrow. They also include various water and electrical interfaces.

If it weren't for the fact that Happiness City is too cold in winter, this would be the best choice, allowing people to settle down as quickly as possible.

Currently, none of the 12 satellite cities use this system; they prefer to have refugees live in tents. That's why they need to broadcast propaganda extensively at night to make it acceptable to the public.

"Brother Cheng, will it be okay if we use this residential unit?" Wang Kang asked, his eyes full of worry.

The residential units in the picture look neat and beautiful, with blue ceilings and white walls.

After raising it a bit, it looks even more comfortable than a buffer zone, but the hidden dangers behind it are something we can't afford to be careless about.

In winter, these units become iceboxes; it might be more comfortable to dig a hole and sleep in a tent.

"This is exactly the focus of my plan."

Cheng Ye was not surprised by Wang Kang's concerns, and reached under the counter again.

Hey, another poster roll.

A poster wall made up of six cars, and forty-five construction drawings are not enough.
In addition to the overall plan, he also drew up the internal structural diagrams.

Compared to the rough depiction of the entire town on the first volume's large poster, these internal structural diagrams are much simpler and more detailed.

Wang Kang quickly took them, and since there was nowhere to stick them, he squatted on the ground and spread them out one by one.

Because the initial plan was to accommodate families, Cheng Ye designed three types of residential units:

Large dormitory-style rooms, family rooms, and private single rooms.

The internal structure and standards are clearly marked on the blueprints laid out at this moment.

The dormitory-style accommodations are available for all residents of Dabo Town to stay in long-term, free of charge.

Family rooms come in two sizes: small ones can accommodate four to six people, and large ones can accommodate six to ten people.

Inside, there are not only bunk beds, but also a space for movement, where you can put storage cabinets, tables and chairs.

More importantly, there are separate electrical and water lines, so you can get water and electricity without leaving home.

The private single room is even more decent; although it can only accommodate two people, the space is as big as a four-person room.

"The key to building a fast-circulating economic system is not how to give money to residents, but how to quickly get the money back. The faster the money is recovered, the fewer concerns there are when giving it back, and vice versa."

As Cheng Ye spoke, he pointed to the blueprints with his finger.

"Then family rooms and detached houses will be very expensive?" Wang Kang was taken aback.

Migrants are inherently conservative, especially those with families, who are very risk-averse.

The idea that if they want independent housing, they should just throw all their money in? That sounds a bit far-fetched.

"Housing is the first necessity of the people, and the cost of housing is relative; there is no such thing as absolutely expensive or cheap."

Cheng Ye smiled. This economic system was not the result of his careful consideration, but rather a design that truly stood on the shoulders of giants.

"It can be complicated, but you can think of it simply as a living environment being a membership card. The card itself isn't valuable; it's easy to get one. What's valuable are the features it comes with."

He squatted down, unfolded the posters one by one, and simply explained Wang Kang as a refugee.

As future partners, these things must be explained clearly so that Wang Kang can truly understand the special nature of Dabo Town.

Only when Wang Kang himself thoroughly understands the concepts can he accurately convey them when interacting with residents.

First, there was a diagram of the dormitory-style layout, which also contained bunk beds. To save space, the beds were arranged close together, with the feet of one person almost touching the head of the next, with no gaps in between.

Fifty people are crammed into each room, with two 2.5-meter-long communal tables, leaving almost no room for movement.

"As a free benefit, the dormitory only provides basic beds and shared electricity. Tap water is charged per use and by volume, but since Dabo Town is located by the river, the cost is much lower than in other satellite cities, so it is charged at cost price. In addition, you have to abide by the collective rules: lights are turned off at night, and toilets and laundry areas are shared. Want to use a charging port by yourself? Pay per use. Want to use private storage space? Also charged by time and number of uses."

"Charging." Wang Kang opened his mouth subconsciously. What could refugees possibly need to charge?

But he didn't interrupt; instead, he continued listening to what Cheng Ye was saying.

"Besides these basic benefits, the prices for supplies that migrants want to buy are the same as in other satellite cities. For example, a new piece of clothing that sells for 30 coins elsewhere will also sell for 30 coins here, not a penny cheaper."

Cheng Ye paused for a moment, then added, "If you feel unsafe and want to buy a gun and bullets, they'll be sold at market price."

"Are daily necessities all the same price?" Wang Kang pressed.

"Yes, there will be no difference."

Cheng Ye nodded, his finger moving to the family room poster next to him, stopping at the benefits below.

“In addition to having independent water and electricity and living space, family rooms also enjoy an exclusive ‘benefit package,’ which is what I call a membership card. The function of this membership card is very simple.”

"First, electricity and water fees are waived for independent circuits; only basic housing property management fees are charged. This money is used to hire people to clean the family room area, as well as to repair water and electricity lines, etc. Any unused funds will be saved as a maintenance fund to deal with unexpected damage."

"Second, all household goods will be sold at a 10% discount. That's right, everything is 10% off: toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels, basins, new clothes and shoes, all sold at a 10% discount. However, there are rules: reselling is strictly prohibited, each family has a purchase quota, and there is no limit to hoarding."

"Third, labor remuneration will be supplemented with 'family points'. Each person will receive 1 point for each week of work. These points can be used to offset the next month's rent and property management fees. Once the public facilities in Dabo Town are built, they can also be used to offset usage fees. Furthermore, once the medical point is successfully built, treatment costs can also be offset with points."

There are so many standard answers left over from modern times when it comes to stimulating consumption. It just depends on which one he wants to use now and which one is more suitable for Dabo Town.

Moreover, one thing is clear: it is much easier to provoke a family than an individual.

People save money simply to mitigate risks and ensure their quality of life doesn't plummet due to unforeseen circumstances.

But what if there were a safety net, so that our quality of life would at least have a minimum standard?

But what if the quality of life of the people around you is improving rapidly, while the value of your money is depreciating?

Water flows to lower place, man goes to higher position.

Once that upward-striving spirit is aroused and a consumption cycle is established, Dabo Town can quickly enter a virtuous cycle.

"Won't we lose money if we get a 10% discount?" Wang Kang hesitated for a long time before finally asking.

Happiness City maintains uniform prices for resources in each satellite city, without discounts based on demand. Otherwise, the first batch of 12 satellite cities would have already gained a significant advantage, making it impossible for the later ones to attract migrants.

Therefore, Cheng Ye offered a 10% discount, and the price difference had to be covered by the construction funds for Dabo Town. "A loss?"

Cheng Ye nodded slightly. "Whether in the short or long term, as long as we can't build production lines to produce these items and reduce costs, we will definitely lose money."

"Then..." Wang Kang said anxiously.

"Don't rush, just follow my line of thought. For every person who loses, someone else wins. If we lose, who wins?"

"Hmm?" Wang Kang was stunned for a moment, and after a long while, he uttered two words, "Residents?"

"Yes, the losses are incurred by the funds of Dabo Town, but the wealth is incurred by the residents of Dabo Town."

Cheng Ye nodded.

Happiness City is burning through money to subsidize its satellite cities, using resources accumulated over many years to drive construction.

If Dabo Town wants to resettle displaced people and develop its economy, how can it not spend money to benefit its residents?
To generate consumption, you first need to burn money to stimulate it; only after that can you make money.

If we don't even have purchasing power, how can we talk about development?

“As the residents of Dabo Town become wealthier and have more resources, construction naturally follows.”

"Only when everyone's life is good will they feel a sense of belonging here. With a sense of belonging, why worry about the future?"

As Wang Kang pondered, he suddenly understood the brilliance of Cheng Ye's design.

The destitute refugee family had nothing, and in a moment of impulse, they decided to run away.

But if they had a house in Dabo Town, a stable job, tables, chairs, storage cabinets, and a bunch of household items that they had saved up to buy, plus points that could only be used in Dabo Town.
"If there's a future, they can't escape?" Wang Kang replied instinctively.

"They can't run away a single bit."

Cheng Ye smiled, having already seen the reaction of the refugees in Wang Kang.

"Once you enter this system, you'll gradually be tied to it and become a part of Dabo Town."

"Furthermore, unless other satellite cities copy my system from the beginning, they will never be able to learn how to operate this residential classification system effectively."

In terms of actual implementation, the poster only shows the tip of the iceberg of the entire economic system.

When it is finally implemented, adjustments will inevitably need to be made in accordance with the needs and ideas of the residents.

Based on these factors alone, Cheng Ye was confident that he could bring all the families who were looking forward to a better life in Happiness City to Dabo Town, allowing them to settle down and develop steadily.

Of course, if you really encounter someone who is disrespectful to the elderly, tries to be lazy and take advantage of others, or tries to squeeze out welfare benefits...
Will Prosecutor Cheng go easy on him?

He doesn't even need to show his face. He just needs to point out two typical examples to create a contrast, and those families who want to work hard and create their future with their own hands will help him get rid of these pests and keep the environment "clean".

"The wasteland is better. There aren't so many rules about respecting the elderly and caring for the young. There's only the most basic exchange of value."

"Otherwise, for this system to work, the support from Happiness City alone is far from enough."

Cheng Ye sighed inwardly, and after explaining, he pointed to the private room and briefly mentioned it.

The benefits of a single room are better than those of a family room. In addition to the benefits of a family room, you can also enjoy two free skills training courses every month.

This course is chargeable for people living in other environments.

As long as you pass the assessment in the training course, you can be assigned a stable job directly.

The salary structure is also moving towards this system:

A tiered housing subsidy system is set up, with workers who choose family rooms receiving a 5% increase in their monthly basic salary and those who choose single rooms receiving a 10% increase. However, the subsidy is directly issued in the form of "housing vouchers" (which cannot be withdrawn and can only be used for consumption), ensuring that all new income flows back into housing-related expenses.

For families, bundled targeted consumption packages such as "parent-child packages" and "family daily necessities packages" have also been designed.

The gift package is cheaper than a 10% discount, but you have to use family points earned through hard work to redeem it.

It's a pity there's no way to focus on the food and drink aspect, otherwise we could have continued to optimize this system.

Even so, once you enter this system, you will find that choosing paid accommodation can not only improve your quality of life, but also reduce actual costs through welfare benefits, points deductions, and rights binding, and even turn them into long-term benefits.

Dabo Town relies on a closed loop of "residential fees → wage subsidies → targeted consumption → capital return" to quickly stimulate consumption, recover funds, and then feed back into the system, allowing the economic cycle to continue.

"Wow, this is so complicated, Brother Cheng! Did you design this all by yourself?"

Wang Kang stared at the poster on the ground, his eyes filled with a mixture of realization and shock.

He struggles to understand such a perfect cycle and can't fathom how Cheng Ye managed to make it work.

"Of course, did you think I've been resting all this time?"

Cheng Ye chuckled, then added, “Few people understand the allure of economics, and even fewer ponder the complexities of social systems. In some people’s eyes, as long as their fists are strong enough, they can turn everyone into machines and make them run according to their own ideas, even if those ideas are unreasonable and inhumane, they still insist on creating an idealized utopia.”

"But from now on you must remember that knowledge is your real weapon, and your ideas and beliefs are the foundation for you to achieve something great. As for fists, they are there to protect you and allow you to get through the process safely without being messed up by the kind of fools I just mentioned."

Wang Kang didn't fully understand the two very meaningful sentences.

But that didn't stop him from immediately taking out his notebook and writing it down word for word, even noting the time and the scene at the end.

"By the way, besides the engineering drawings and living environment, there's something even more important."

As Cheng Ye spoke, he pulled out the poster for the third volume, the last volume he had just finished yesterday.

It contains all the future job openings, requirements, and salaries in Dabo Town, somewhat like a details page on a modern recruitment app, clearly listing all the job-related information.

However, since it is unclear how many resources will be allocated to the checkpoint, the data are all estimates.

If everything goes smoothly when recruiting, he won't show this poster.

However, in real-world assessments, where the competition is incredibly fierce even in the initial recruitment phase, posters become the killer feature.

Just like choosing Big Wave Town initially, completing this crucial first step is essential to gaining an advantage in the subsequent assessments.

Otherwise, one wrong step leads to another, and once the initial advantage is lost, catching up will depend on luck.

From 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Wang Kang was frantically thinking about it.

It's not just about understanding the content on the poster, but also about putting yourself in the shoes of the whole system and finding the errors and problems within it.

Fortunately, Cheng Ye was right next to him, and any questions he had could be answered immediately. Each time he was enlightened, he felt a sense of clarity and understanding.

"If there were any clear data showing that Wang Kang's domestic policy affiliation is currently skyrocketing, wouldn't it?"

Cheng Ye leaned back in his recliner, pondering to himself.

He was busy for more than ten days, but in the last part of the time, he finally had a lot of free time.

Looking back now, it's no wonder that my predecessor had poor martial arts talent; the training environment in the inner city was simply treating people like modern students.

There are no primary, middle, or high schools here; there is only one school, yet it has a nine-year education system.

In addition to the first three years being the same as in modern times, the education system will teach the basic subjects of Chinese and mathematics.

In the last six years, students were directly assigned to different specializations: music, painting, mechanics, electricity, research—you name it.

Ten-year-olds don't understand much; they're just being pushed to learn.

Even just listening to audio can cultivate basic logical thinking and bring one closer to civilization.

With this logic as a foundation, and given that the inner city is indeed safe and secure, over time, people become increasingly unfamiliar with martial arts combat, and it is normal for their physical functions to deteriorate.

However, this modern education system has also enabled Wang Kang to understand these complex theories.

If it were Brother B, he probably could talk himself hoarse, but Liu Bi would only nod and ultimately only have a superficial understanding. He could only learn the basics to implement them and would not be able to comprehend the underlying construction logic at all.

Ding.

The alarm clock rang precisely at twelve o'clock. Wang Kang suddenly looked up, his eyes still somewhat glazed over, clearly not yet fully detached from his intense thoughts.

"No rush." ​​Cheng Ye stood up and stretched his neck. "It will take at least ten days to half a month for this model to get going. You have plenty of time to figure it out."

He took six packets of nutritional syrup from his backpack, heated them up, and the two of them had a simple lunch.

When the door was opened, Da Long was already waiting at the door with several people.

"Is everything prepared?"

“Ready, sir.” Da Long nodded, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the posters on the wall inside the room, his pupils widening slightly.

"That's good." Cheng Ye stepped aside. "Go inside and collect all the posters. Roll them up carefully and load them into the car. Wait for my call before taking them out."

"understand!"

(End of this chapter)