Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 196 Personnel Coordination: A Tough Stance!
"Can I choose all the weapons on this list?"

"Yes!" The staff member nodded, clearly understanding which one he was referring to, and immediately explained, "Everyone's list is different, and what you see now is only for you to choose from."

“Then I want this Crimson Blade.” Cheng Ye tapped his finger on the list.

The knife left behind by Cheng Long contains more than one kilogram of the extraordinary mineral Fire Dragon Iron. Although its specific effects are unknown, it must far exceed the standard weapons on the list.

Wang Kang quickly found a unique weapon on his list.

Purple Blade!

Its design is almost identical to that of the Crimson Blade, with only slight differences in color and name.

Could it be that Cheng Long and his small group commissioned Song Qing to mass-produce them back then?

“This might be a memento left by your father,” Cheng Ye said softly.

Wang Kang paused, his gaze suddenly fixing, "Then I'll choose this one. Purple Blade."

After the weapons were selected, the staff verified and confirmed them, and then began to read out the assessment rules:

"The standard assessment period is 72 hours, which may be extended in special circumstances. During this period, you will need to lead the residents to complete the following tasks and objectives, which will be the core scoring indicators:."

"In addition, the first round of tasks will begin at 10:00 AM tomorrow, followed by two rounds at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM each day, with the final round at 10:00 AM on the third day, for a total of 5 rounds. The priority of the task will be determined by rolling the dice, which requires two rolls to determine the first and last choices."

As he spoke, the staff member took out three dice.

After Cheng Ye gave the signal, Wang Kang stepped forward and threw the dice. He got 11 points the first time and 16 points the second time.

“Inspector Rocco has already thrown the toss. The first throw was 14 points, and the last throw was 12 points. You have the last chance to choose a side.”

After determining the order, the staff took two items out from under the table.

Cheng Ye glanced at it, slightly surprised, but remained expressionless.

Skillful.

It's a torch relay!
I was worried that I wouldn't be allowed to bring personal equipment during the assessment and that I wouldn't be able to look up any unfamiliar items. But I never expected that the checkpoint would provide this to the participating inspectors.

Only after taking it in did he realize that its weight and material were different from his previous one.

The material is thicker, the battery seems to be larger, but the screen response speed is a bit slower.

Is this the export version?
There were only three programs on the screen. The first two were for this assessment: [Satellite City Construction Assessment] and [Assessment Task], which were specific to this assessment. The third was [Information Inquiry], which he was already familiar with.

While the staff was explaining how to use it, Cheng Ye quietly clicked on the information query and tried to search for "traveler". The interface did not respond and no related phrases popped up.

Entering a few less common sources of infection yielded no results, and relevant information immediately appeared.

"It seems the castration was done in advance."

Cheng Ye understood.

After using it for a period of time, he discovered that Xinhuotong far surpassed Xingfucheng's Fangwutong in terms of hardware, software, battery life, and intelligence. However, Xingfucheng is still using the latter, which is actually a kind of competition.

Happiness City benefited from the chip industry back then and amassed a substantial fortune. How could it possibly abandon research and development today and switch to using the products of other sanctuary cities?

The gap is so small that it's almost impossible to catch up without "unexpected circumstances."

"Please click to open the assessment program," the staff member gestured.

Cheng Ye tapped the icon with his fingertip, and the page switched to a topographical map of Dabo Town, with two large red and blue circles dividing the town in two.

The red circle marks "Luo" and the blue circle marks "Cheng".

"Assigned to the west? Such good luck!"

Cheng Ye narrowed his eyes slightly.

The eastern side is adjacent to the Baishui River. If something comes ashore from the river, the eastern side will be the first to be affected.

To the west lies the wilderness, and according to the marked area, it extends a full kilometer from the town.

The risks differ on both sides, but the east side is clearly more dangerous.

"The blue circle represents the activity area of ​​your residents. Except for the patrol team, please prevent them from leaving, and especially from entering the other party's territory."

The staff member added, "Of course, exceptions apply; we have verification procedures. Rest assured, the safety of residents and you always takes precedence over performance targets."

"Mm." Cheng Ye nodded.

"Once the task is started, you can enter this module to view the content. Once completed, there will be instructions on how to submit it."

The staff member then pointed to the information query function, saying, "If you encounter an unknown source of infection or a mutated organism, you can use a photo to search for it. The database comes from the Spark Alliance and can provide complete information."

After demonstrating how to use the "Spark Connector," the staff took out a device from under the table that resembled an old-fashioned handheld game console, with a screen on top and a joystick at the bottom: "This is an infection source intensity detector. After turning it on, it can detect residual infection sources in the surrounding area, helping you avoid risks."

"Ok?"

Cheng Ye was taken aback. There's such a thing? Why haven't I heard of it at the checkpoint?

With this instrument, wouldn't it be much easier to detect infected individuals?
Seeing his doubt, the staff member smiled and said, "This instrument has limited functionality. You'll know once you try it."

Cheng Ye pressed and held the power button on the side. After three seconds, the screen lit up, and an icon resembling WiFi spread outwards, revealing a dense array of yellow and red signal dots.

"Why are there so many?" He frowned; the nearest signal point was right under his feet.

"The signal point indicates that an infected person has passed through this area and left their scent, or that someone has recently been in contact with an infected person and is carrying their scent, which will also spread to the surrounding area," the staff member explained.

Cheng Ye moved the joystick, focused on the signal point at his feet, and numbers popped up:
【0.27】

"The larger the number, the shorter the time since the infection. Generally speaking, a red signal point greater than 1 means that there has been an infection source within the past week, and vigilance is needed."

“Oh, then what if it’s used in a buffer zone?” Cheng Ye understood instantly.

"It will display a large area of ​​red, connecting to every place in the buffer zone." The staff member laughed. "This device is only useful in remote wilderness areas. Once a crowd gathers in a certain place for too long, it will basically become ineffective."

Ok.

That's really quite limiting.

Inspectors may detect sources of infection every day, bringing the scent into the sanctuary.

Furthermore, those scavengers sometimes come into contact with the source of infection, but they are either not infected or have cleared their infection. Relying on such a simple signal source detection, it is not even possible to conduct auxiliary detection at the checkpoint.

In addition, the maximum detection range is only two hundred meters.

Cheng Ye glanced around and saw that most of the yellow signal points were between 0.2 and 0.5, while the few red points were only between 1.1 and 1.3.

This only proves that an infection source passed through in the past week, such as the red dot with an intensity of 1.2 on the rural road. Looking at it, it appears empty, but a signal still remains.

"Just take this as a reference. If it can help you even a little, then it's worth the money."

“Okay.” Cheng Ye stuffed the detector into his backpack.

After the assessment tools have been handed over, the next step is to verify and hand over the routine items used by the inspectors.

One hundred containment boxes of different sizes have been delivered with the supplies, and five sets of containment tools for dealing with various types of infected individuals have also been prepared, so there is no need to worry about not having replacements after contamination.

Just as Mu Shuang had said, the checkpoint was all set up; the inspector only needed to get through.

"Is everything complete?" After checking the list, Cheng Ye signed his name.

"All set." The staff member nodded. "Please cross the barrier and enter the assessment area."

"Let's go back. Park the car properly for me, and put the gun away too." Cheng Ye picked up his backpack and turned to look at Mu Shuang.

With lots of bags and a huge suitcase, it really did look like someone leaving school after graduation.

"Inspector Cheng, please be careful and call us immediately if there is any danger," Wu Rui reminded him, still worried.

Cheng Ye nodded and walked across the isolation zone with Wang Kang.

The red and blue circles are divided by the government building in the center of the town. After walking a while, before you have fully entered the town, you have already stepped into the red circle.

Standing by the desolate roadside were several figures with different expressions, most of them sorting out the supplies they had brought with them. In the middle of the road, Rokuk's assessment supplies were piled up, filling the entire road and extending for dozens of meters.

However, since it's not yet 12 o'clock, the package cannot be opened, as it's still covered with a layer of blue waterproof cloth.

When the two men approached dragging suitcases, Garcia didn't react at all, only focusing on rummaging through the contents of his backpack.

Rocco greeted him with his familiar, difficult smile: "Prosecutor Cheng, for the next three days, although we are competitors, don't forget to look out for each other."

"Of course, safety comes first, assessment second."

Cheng Ye forced a smile, his gaze sweeping over Rokuk's supplies and recruited residents without making a sound.

Good guy.

Not only did the residents choose options that closely matched his preferences, but they also primarily chose families, young adults, and couples without children.

Even in his choice of supplies, he adopted a "Kakashi" approach, purchasing a bunch of residential units, clearly having found out about his plan to preach to the residents.

However, these things are impossible to keep secret, so it's normal for them to be eavesdropped on.

"Prosecutor Luo's learning efficiency is truly worthy of a third-term prosecutor," Cheng Ye said sarcastically.

Rococo, however, seemed oblivious and continued to smile: "After all, we're building a satellite city. We've chosen the same things, so no matter who wins, we can leave them for the winner to use, and try not to waste resources."

"Then I'll thank Inspector Luo in advance. These are worth tens of thousands of contribution points." Cheng Ye grinned, deliberately raising his voice so that Garcia, who was squatting next to him, could hear him.

Garcia, however, seemed to have been trained by Rocco beforehand, and showed no reaction upon hearing this, not even lifting an eyelid.

On the contrary, Rocco shook his neck, his smile unchanged: "Prosecutor Cheng is right. I really wish I could have helped you. Unfortunately, I still have to thank you."

So difficult.

It seems impossible to provoke Garcia and Rocco with words or a few sentences.

Cheng Ye wasn't surprised. He tilted his head and started walking forward. As the backbone of the checkpoint, it was normal for these third-term inspectors to be difficult to deal with.

Even Li Matai exudes a refined and sharp edge.

Song Hai, Gu Xinjing, and Luo Kuke in front of them are all in their prime and full of ambition. They would definitely be capable of standing on their own even in modern times.

After taking a few steps, Rokuk followed behind, clearly intending to escort him to the border.

As soon as Cheng Ye reached the boundary line, he could see that the people he had selected yesterday were standing by the roadside. When they saw him coming, they all put down what they were doing, stood up, and waved excitedly.

Compared to the lifeless appearance of Rokuk's side, the mental state of the two sides was completely different.

“Before Prosecutor Cheng was even born, Dabo Town was completely deserted. It hadn’t seen more than a thousand people gather there in over twenty years, and the two surrounding rivers had become breeding grounds for infection.”

Rokuk stopped at the border, his tone carrying a hint of experience, "In my experience, there will definitely be quite a few infected people coming tonight, and there might even be fusions. Prosecutor Cheng, don't oversleep and let the first night of the assessment decide the winner."

Although the words were well-intentioned, the way the prosecutor deliberately acted like a third-term prosecutor still made Wang Kang purse his lips.

Even the most carefree person wouldn't be able to sleep soundly on the first night, right?
Cheng Ye nodded slightly: "If the source of infection comes from the water, Prosecutor Luo, please remember to take photos and check the information first. Many water-friendly sources of infection are not very strong in combat, but the trouble caused after killing them can last for a long time, especially those sources of infection that can instantly pollute a large area. Prosecutor Luo, please don't let anyone destroy Dabo Town. If the station chief or the higher-ups investigate, it may be difficult to smooth things over."

After exchanging so many sentences, Rocco hadn't reacted at all, but this sentence made him laugh in anger.

When it comes to controlling one's posture, Cheng Ye actually acted quite convincingly, as if he really considered himself the core of the checkpoint?

He shook his head and hummed, but ultimately shook his head again, "Well then, good luck."

Well, good luck to you too.

The two stood at the border and reached out to shake hands.

Wang Kang subconsciously thought the two were about to engage in a power struggle again, but the two simply shook hands lightly and nodded in acknowledgment, showing no trace of the previous tension.

After Rokuk walked away, Wang Kang lowered his voice and said, "Brother Cheng, he copies us in everything. Can he really win?"

Cheng Ye stared thoughtfully at Rokuk's retreating figure, without replying immediately.

Actually, he had long found it strange that Rocco had no need to confront Garcia in front of so many prosecutors just to stand up for him.

They won, but it was just the third phase of bullying the interns. If word got out, it would be embarrassing.

Losing would be a huge loss of face, and it would also unjustly elevate the status of this newcomer.

Given Rocco's current emotional intelligence, why would he do something that's obviously a losing proposition?

But he did it anyway, and the way he acted now seemed so deliberate, as if Liu Bi had insisted that he call him "Big Brother B" to elevate his seniority.

"No, winning might not be his goal; he's a smart man."

"Huh?" Wang Kang was stunned. "He doesn't want to win?"

"It's not that he doesn't want to win, it's that what he wants to win is different from what we understand."

Cheng Ye withdrew his gaze. "But it's alright. No matter what he's up to, our goal remains the same: we must beat him in this assessment."

"Yes!" Wang Kang immediately realized and sensibly didn't ask any further questions.

Putting the confrontation aside for the moment, the two composed themselves and stepped across the boundary.

It wasn't 12 o'clock yet, so even though the prosecutor had arrived, he couldn't communicate with the residents for the time being.

On the rooftop of the government building, several informants dressed in gray stood conspicuously. When they saw Cheng Ye looking over, they gestured for him to keep a certain distance.

"We have twenty minutes left, let's organize the supplies first."

Cheng Ye raised his hand and pressed it down slightly, and the residents immediately understood and quieted down.

When the supplies in the waterproof bag were almost all put away, a loud voice came from above through a loudspeaker:

"The assessment officially begins!"

Wow.

The hidden clues vanished instantly, and the residents, as if released from a seal, surged forward.

Five hundred people is not a small number, but Wang Kang had worked with the community for a while and was used to it.

Cheng Ye had trained 300 militiamen before, so he was not afraid of this scene.

He immediately raised his hand on the deserted street, signaling families, young adults, and childless couples to stand in three separate lines.

"Bao Dashan, Li Jie, Liu Jianjun!" Cheng Ye shouted in a strong voice, "Step forward!"

Three men immediately stepped forward from the group of able-bodied young men.

Cheng Ye's fingertips flew across the crowd, and he uttered names one by one, each name perfectly matching a face.

At first, no one reacted, but as he called out more and more names, more and more people began to show realization and surprise on their faces.

In just half a day, before even the families in the mine had become familiar with each other, Cheng Ye was able to call out the names of all the able-bodied men.

“Bao Dashan, you are in charge of these 16 people. Those whose names I call out, step forward and stand to my left. First, recognize their faces and remember their names. You must get to know each other within half an hour.”

“Li Jie, you take these 24 people. You served in the White Stone Shelter City Pioneer Corps before. Quickly organize them into three groups of eight. Not only do you need to remember the group members’ information, but you also need to practice basic teamwork as soon as possible so that you can patrol in teams by this afternoon.”

"Liu Jianjun, the remaining 18 men are yours. They will be organized into the same groups and have the same requirements, serving as the permanent defensive force of the camp."

Sixty-two able-bodied men sprang into action at the sound, quickly forming ranks. Only one man remained, scratching his head and asking, "Sir, what about me?"

"Huang Liang, you'll come with me and be my personal assistant." Cheng Ye nodded with a smile.

Huang Liang, who was chosen, was in his early twenties. His muscles were taut and firm. Old Song had a sharp eye and only picked him out of five hundred people.

The assessment is that "with a little refinement of his character, his future achievements will be no less than those of Da Long."

This is already a very high evaluation. In the wasteland era, human cognition has not declined, and not everyone has the ability of an ancient general to lead thousands of troops. Being able to steadily manage three to five hundred people without causing trouble is already a rare talent. If one can command a thousand people in an orderly manner, one can live a life of luxury wherever one goes.

"Thank you, sir!" Huang Liang's eyes lit up, and he immediately stepped behind Cheng Ye, standing ramrod straight.

The young and strong members here adapt very quickly. Since Bao Dashan, Li Jie, and Liu Jianjun already had their own small groups, they only needed to have the new members introduce themselves and explain their areas of expertise, and the team quickly took shape.

When turning to the family group, Cheng Ye pointed out Lin Xiaoshan, Sun Dazheng, and Ma Mingyuan: "There are 75 families with children. The three of you will be the representatives."

“Sun Dazheng, you are the old carpenter, in charge of all construction work. Whether there is a shortage of building materials, construction problems, or anyone discovers anything unusual, you should report directly to me.”

“Ma Mingyuan, you’ve run caravans before, you’re meticulous, and you’re in charge of maintaining order. How to divide tasks, how to monitor progress, and how to calculate rewards—all of that is up to you.”

"Lin Xiaoshan, you coordinate between the two sides. If Sun and Ma have any problems they can't solve, come to me immediately."

"Yes, sir!" The three stepped out of the queue and answered in unison.

These families with children, selected from the migrant population, are already obedient and cohesive, so there's no need to worry about dividing them; all that's needed is for someone to accurately relay orders and shoulder the responsibilities.

Finally, it was the turn of the childless couples group, which consisted of 69 households with a total of 138 people. Instead of choosing a leader, Cheng Ye carried out a series of dazzling and frenzied allocations.

Twenty-two strong and healthy young couples were selected and incorporated into the infrastructure team to work under Sun Dazheng.

Forty-seven women who were too thin to do heavy work were paired up with girls from families with children in pairs or groups of three to form a support team of 116 people.

"Shen Yan, you'll be in charge of logistics." Cheng Ye pointed to Lin Xiaoshan's wife, "Moving small items, sorting construction materials, boiling water, and helping with small tasks during construction—all of these are your responsibility."

Then, pointing to Wang Kang, he said, "Inspector Wang oversees all on-site construction guidance, while I'm responsible for resolving unexpected issues. Is everyone clear?"

His gaze swept across the queue, and everyone looked at Wang Kang for confirmation before responding in unison:
"clear!"

The sound shook the dust in the deserted street, and even on the rooftop above, several informants couldn't help but exchange glances and nod in agreement.

In terms of personnel coordination efficiency alone, Cheng Ye, this trainee inspector, is by no means inexperienced.

Moreover, compared to Rokuk's side, which was still unpacking supplies, registering information, and getting to know each other, the difference in their abilities was immediately apparent.

Finally, Cheng Ye looked at the 47 men among the childless couples and raised his voice: "The rest of you men, you are the main force for clearing the wasteland! Get to know each other now, state your names and specialties. Huang Liang, you go and lead the team, remember everyone's situation, and come with me to clear the outer perimeter this afternoon."

"Yes, sir!" Huang Liang immediately responded and stepped forward, quickly walking to the front of the group. He first announced his name, then raised his hand to signal everyone to introduce themselves in turn.

In just ten minutes, the team of five hundred people was organized and each person had their own role.

The able-bodied men were divided into three teams.

Li Jie led a patrol team, Liu Jianjun led a garrison team, and Bao Dashan led a team to respond to the needs of land reclamation.

Sun Dazheng was in charge of construction in the family group, Ma Mingyuan was in charge of order and remuneration calculation, Lin Xiaoshan coordinated in the middle, and Shen Yan took the lead in logistics.

The last 47 people were separated and temporarily placed under Huang Liang's command, awaiting his instructions at any time.

Everyone has something to do, and everything is taken care of.

It only took twenty minutes for each group to get to know each other, and basic cooperation and coordination had been initially established.

As for personnel information registration, Cheng Ye was in no hurry to start. Daytime was the golden time for infrastructure development, and there was plenty of time to sort it out slowly at night.

Moreover, he had put in a lot of effort to accurately call out everyone's name and match each face with theirs, all in order to organize the groups and establish authority as soon as possible.

It seems to be working quite well.

"Alright, everyone, listen to me!"

Cheng Ye pulled a megaphone from his backpack, his voice carrying through the deserted street, "No need to dismantle the supplies for now! Look at the buildings on both sides of the road. Don't be fooled by their dilapidated state; at least they offer some cover and can be used as temporary hiding places! You all have ten minutes of free time. Everyone must find a place to hide and avoid being attacked!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd dispersed.

These buildings had already been cleared by the legion, so there was no risk of infection. Everyone could simply look for a place to stay without worry.

Cheng Ye looked up at the horizon. Although there were no birds in sight at the moment, the commotion of a thousand people gathering was too great. Before long, those thorny birds would surely be attracted here.

Before the housing units were built, these dilapidated houses were the only shelter for everyone from aerial attacks!

(End of this chapter)