Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 209 Devastating Disaster, Immortal Artifact Appears!
beep.

Doodle
A pickup truck bearing the police department's logo drove steadily into the central checkpoint and eventually stopped in front of the stationmaster's office building.

"Director Liu, what brings you here?"

Jiang Chuan, who was organizing documents on the first floor, looked up and immediately saw Liu Kun striding in from the doorway, his face radiating an unprecedented air of confidence, and even his steps were lighter than usual.

"I came to check on Lao Ding. Where is he?" Liu Kun asked casually, his gaze sweeping over the heads of everyone in the office area. "It's past midnight. Why are you all still working overtime?"

"Oh, the stationmaster is in his office. Today is the opening of the second batch of satellite cities, and there are still some documents that haven't been sorted out." Jiang Chuan quickly got up and led Liu Kun towards the stairs.

Boom, boom, boom——

"Please come in," came Ding Yishan's voice from inside the office.

The door opens.

When Ding Yishan looked up and saw that Liu Kun was following Jiang Chuan, he immediately stood up in surprise: "Director Liu, what brings you here so late at night?"

"What are you saying? Is it normal for me to come to the checkpoint for a stroll?" Liu Kun walked in with a smile, sniffing the air, seemingly not used to the strong smell of smoke inside.

Suddenly, he raised his hand and waved it.

Suddenly, all three windows in the office opened at the same time, instantly creating a violent whirlwind inside.

The wind swirled around the room, and miraculously, not a single page of the documents on the table was moved. However, the heavy smell of smoke disappeared within seconds, and the air instantly became fresh.

"Hey, Lao Liu, are you showing off your skills to me so late at night?" Ding Yishan was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, his tone becoming more friendly.

Ok?
Jiang Chuan paused slightly, secretly surprised.

The change in address implies many subtle meanings.

When Liu Kun and Ding Yishan were at the checkpoint, they always called each other "Old Ding" and "Old Liu." Even after Liu Kun joined the Inner City Police Department, their relationship remained close.

But at some point, probably after Liu Kun suffered repeated setbacks and was suppressed at high-level meetings, Ding Yishan quietly changed "Old Liu" to "Director Liu".

Even today, I never imagined that after so many years, this affectionate nickname would return.

Sure enough, Liu Kun's smile widened. He turned to Liu Kun and said with a smile, "Achuan, go downstairs and get the good wine I brought from my car. I'm going to have a good drink with Lao Ding tonight!"

"Hey, Lao Liu, you can't drink today. I still have a ton of official business to attend to," Ding Yishan quickly interrupted.

"It's alright, let's just have a couple of drinks, it won't delay anything." Liu Kun waved his hand, sat down on the sofa in the reception area without any hesitation, and poured himself a glass of water.

Seeing this, Ding Yishan could only shake his head helplessly and walked over to sit down: "You didn't come to find me right after breaking through, did you?"

"Hey, you really understand me." Liu Kun's face was flushed, and he couldn't hide his pride. But instead of summoning the Flame King to show off as before, he changed the subject with a touch of emotion, "People always learn to cherish things only after they've lost them. Now I've finally regained some freedom, and I feel so comfortable!"

"Freedom." Ding Yishan pondered these two words repeatedly, then suddenly smiled. "If even extraordinary beings cry out that they have no freedom, then what about ordinary people below them?"

"This is different! What they want is completely different from what we want."

Liu Kun took another sip of water, a look of satisfaction returning to his face. "Before, let alone going to remote wilderness areas, even just staying around Happiness City was nerve-wracking. Now it's great, as long as I get back to the city within three days, there won't be any problems!"

“Three days,” Ding Yishan repeated, a look of surprise in his eyes.

Once he established his belief, he no longer deliberately avoided information related to the supernatural.

Given his position as the head of the Happiness City checkpoint, it would be incredibly easy for him to uncover some extraordinary secrets.

The vast majority of extraordinary individuals are confined to the Sanctuary City for their entire lives.

This is because not only does the source of one's beliefs need the foundation of the Sanctuary City to be maintained, but it also needs to rely on the vast presence of living people in the Sanctuary City to conceal oneself.

the reason is simple.

Although the S4 virus has not completely disappeared, related residues can still be detected in the air.

However, the new S5 virus, or more precisely, the S4.5 variant that the S4 virus has not yet fully evolved, has already appeared over time.

Today it is today.

Each remaining source of infection is essentially a different S4.5 virus.

The term "parasitism" refers to the transmission of these viruses to humans through a source of infection.

Just as different supernatural entities can grant different abilities, the S4.5 virus, spawned by different sources of infection, will also exhibit different external manifestations.
Some viruses, like the S1 virus, are highly infectious, while others, like the S2 virus, can cause strong mutations in individuals.

For superhumans, the most dangerous thing to be wary of is the special "mother source" that inherits the characteristics of the S4 virus and specifically hunts superhumans.

In the eyes of these mothers, the extraordinary are like bright light bulbs in the dark, extremely conspicuous.

Only by being enveloped by the aura of hundreds of thousands of people in the city of Sanctuary could this light be concealed.

"If I use my abilities when I go out, won't that shorten the three-day time?"

"No, I've only mastered a way to temporarily conceal my presence. Once I make a move, I'll have to find a safe haven to hide in."

Liu Kun shook his head, his tone becoming more serious. "Actually, encountering a wild mother source is fine; we can just fight it out head-on. The real problem is encountering bizarre objects created by superhumans from the old era through targeted hybridization for their battles. They were probably very proud of themselves when they created these 'divine objects,' never imagining they would leave so much trouble for future generations. Now, we're the ones who have to clean up this mess."

At this point, he laughed again: "I'm lucky. The Flame King can shield me from a lot of mental pollution. If I really encounter it, I can just leave in time. But if it were those superhumans they mass-produced, they could only last two days in the wilderness before the Mother Source came knocking. If they were lucky, they could escape and save their lives. If they were unlucky, it would be a nine-out-of-ten chance of death."

"luck."

Ding Yishan couldn't help but shake his head, "I've always had terrible luck. If I become a superhuman, I'll most likely be locked up in Happiness City for the rest of my life."

The more I learn, the more I realize that this extraordinary realm is also a walled city; while gaining power, one must also wear heavy shackles.

For some people, these shackles are not uncomfortable, but rather a form of protection.

But for those who want to achieve something and have great ambitions, it is a troublesome limitation.

To break free from these limitations, one must continue on the path to transcendence.

But what lies beyond that?
No one can say for sure what the outcome will be, after all, they both came from the old era and had witnessed firsthand how tragically those extraordinary beings from the previous era, who were like gods and immortals, ended up.

"Don't be so pessimistic! You know how miserable I was back then, but I've made it through now, haven't I?"

Recalling the past, Liu Kun let out a long sigh, his tone full of relief, "This winter, I will plan my route properly. Three days will be enough. As long as I find a safe haven before the deadline each time, I can have time to rest and recover. Besides, I can go to more places now."

"Back then, there were only a few places that could isolate the S4 virus. I can't go into the water yet, but I can try to explore those volcanic areas!"

His eyes gleamed as he continued, "I won't say I'll find you a super powerful one, but at least I can make you like me, able to leave the city for a few days without restrictions. Also, I'll look for an opportunity to break through to the third stage and see if I can pick up some lone 'immortal treasures'."

Before Liu Kun could finish speaking, the office door was pushed open, and Jiang Chuan walked in carrying a cardboard box. He immediately stopped talking, swallowing his words, and instead pointed excitedly at the box:
"This is pure grain liquor that I got from Xin Huo before. I haven't been able to bear to drink it. Today is the perfect time to take it out and try it!"

The box was opened, and inside were six bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor) neatly stacked, with more than ten vacuum-packed snacks placed on the side.

Jiang Chuan opened one of the packets of braised beef, and a rich aroma of meat instantly filled the office, whetting everyone's appetite.

"Come on, let's have a drink!" Liu Kun raised his glass first, his tone enthusiastic.

"It's a promise, just a little wine to enjoy, don't drink too much!" Ding Yishan raised his glass and gave another word of advice, which made Liu Kun laugh out loud.

After a few drinks, Liu Kun smacked his lips, put down his chopsticks, and started chatting, "I heard from Jiang Chuan that the second batch of satellite cities started construction today. What's the current situation?"

“Hmm, similar to the first batch, there are many unknown sources of infection hidden in the surrounding area.” After Ding Yishan finished speaking, he looked up at Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan immediately understood and stepped forward, announcing loudly, "Of the 12 locations, 7 unknown sources of infection were discovered on the first day. Among them, 2 are estimated to be at the disaster level and 5 are at the plague level. In addition, 2 known disaster-level sources of infection and 9 known plague-level sources of infection were also discovered."

"So many?" Liu Kun's chopsticks, which were holding a snack with his drink, paused in mid-air, his face full of surprise. "I remember the first batch of 12 locations only had about 5 types of disaster-level infection sources, right?"

“It’s indeed similar to last time.” Ding Yishan nodded and explained, “Although the surrounding area has been cleaned up several times in recent years, some sources of infection will always remain in the nooks and crannies after the wave of infection. However, the threat level we are currently estimating is only the maximum level. If there is an actual outbreak, we will have to reduce it by one level to reflect the actual situation.”

"What do you have? Let me see."

Perhaps because he had just been promoted, Liu Kun seemed unusually excited and gestured to Jiang Chuan.

When Jiang Chuan handed him the tablet, he quickly tapped it twice, his eyes scanning the information on the screen:

[Known disaster levels: Tornado ants, dead leaf locusts (Dongwa Township)]

[Known Plague-level: Phantom Leaf Stick Insect (West Slope Town), Soul-Chasing Cockroach (North Plain Town), Stone-Splitting Ground Beetle (Beachhead Town), Darkwater Cave Crab (Big Wave Town), Eroding Spider (Bridge Mouth Town)]

"Wow, everything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, and swims in the water, you've got them all?"

Liu Kun raised his eyebrows repeatedly.

He had seen some of the sources of infection, but most of them he had only heard of and seen in the records.

"The checkpoint has already deployed four teams of inspectors to investigate the location of the catastrophic infection source. They will depart first thing tomorrow morning to gather detailed information. Once the information is confirmed, the Happiness Legion will escort the researchers from the research institute out for containment."

Ding Yishan introduced the plan at the right time, "As for the plague-level, I plan to arrange for the inspectors who are participating in the assessment to collect information. Firstly, they can serve as assessment targets to create healthy competition; secondly, it can also be an opportunity to train their abilities and make them proficient in the business process."

"This arrangement... isn't a big problem." Liu Kun stroked his chin and pondered for a moment, then changed the subject, "However, two things need to be adjusted. The Rock-Splitter Armored Beast is hiding in a cave, so we need to go down and search for it. That would be a Disaster-level threat, much more dangerous than a regular Plague-level threat. And then there's the Darkwater Cave Crab. That thing needs to be classified as a Disaster-level threat. We need to dive into the water to investigate, and the threats in the water are much greater than on land. Who knows what might suddenly appear?"

"Yes, I've prepared the equipment for going underground and underwater to disaster-level standards." Ding Yishan nodded, then asked, "Do you think we should switch to a fourth-phase inspector to investigate these two locations?"

“There’s no need to switch to Phase 4.” Liu Kun shook his head. “Back in the Great Frontier, disaster-level missions were always handled by Phase 2 inspectors. Now that we’re training new recruits, as long as the equipment is in place, that’s fine. Well, if you’re not comfortable with that, it’s best to have a Phase 3 inspector oversee things to ensure there are no major mishaps.”

“I’ve taken that into consideration. I’ve assigned three inspectors to both locations. In addition, I’ve sent half-step transcendents to monitor all the second batch of pioneer sites. If any special circumstances arise, they will intervene in time, so there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

"Half-step into the extraordinary realm?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun couldn't help but laugh. "Old Ding, I'm not trying to criticize you, but the higher-ups approved you as a half-step superhuman to protect the prosecutors from being interfered with by assassins and mercenaries, not to have them deal with the source of infection. Strictly speaking, your arrangement is a violation of regulations."

“I understand, it’s about having double insurance, so that if we really run into trouble, we can have multiple layers of protection,” Ding Yishan explained.

"What kind of double insurance is this? If a half-step transcendent can deal with the source of infection, then what's the point of having so many inspectors? Just send a half-step transcendent, no, a transcendent to take over the checkpoints, wouldn't that solve the problem?"

Liu Kun was speaking when he suddenly realized that Jiang Chuan was still standing next to him. He quickly coughed lightly to smooth things over, "Ah Chuan, I'm not talking about you. It was Lao Ding who made the arrangement against the rules first. I have to remind him so that he won't make the same mistake again."

"It's alright, Director Liu, I understand. In the wilderness, you rely on your brain and courage," Jiang Chuan quickly replied with a smile.

“See, even A-Chuan understands this.” Liu Kun smoothly steered the conversation back on track, his tone becoming more serious. “Tomorrow, withdraw all the half-step transcendents and have them only keep watch on the periphery of the assessment to ensure no one interferes. When it comes to eliminating the source of infection, the biggest taboo is having too much of a power imbalance within a team. Let me tell you, what if one of your half-step transcendents gets parasitized and becomes infected? How will those lower-level inspectors deal with that? They'll be completely defenseless!”

He paused, then emphasized, "And you need to understand, towering trees don't grow in greenhouses, and fierce eagles don't fly out of cages. Which of today's high-ranking prosecutors didn't rise from the brink of death? Back when I was still a second-in-command, I even went head-to-head with Mu Yuan, and I'm still doing just fine, aren't I? If you're unwilling to let them gain experience around Happiness City, can you really keep sending people to protect them in more distant and dangerous places?"

Liu Kun's rapid-fire questions left Ding Yishan speechless.

How could he not understand these principles?
However, times have changed too fast. The brutal selection process of the Great Development Era has indeed led to the rapid cultivation of a group of capable and resilient prosecutors after the inspection station was severely damaged twice by the original-minded and idealistic factions.

But now that everything has stabilized, if we use the same screening standards as before, how many junior prosecutors will be able to pass the screening?
"Alright, stop worrying about it! Yu Hong was right before. The one who tied the knot must untie it. If we stay true to our original aspirations, the checkpoint can have a place in Happiness City."

Liu Kun changed the subject, his tone becoming harsher, "Back then, so many people were vying for the station chief position, why did you get to sit there? If He Fei had been the one leading the team to take down 'Lion Dragon,' would you still be here drinking and chatting with me now?"

As he spoke, he tapped the tablet screen twice with his finger, stopping at the entry for "Dabo Town": "Hey, Cheng Ye is here! Not bad, not bad."

He then looked up at Jiang Chuan and said, "Chuan, upgrade the support equipment for Dabo Town to Disaster+ level, no, apply directly to Destruction level! Any extra budget funds can be withdrawn from the Security Bureau through the proper procedures."

As soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh: "This kid is to my liking. He can even handle Xiao Shuang's hot temper. Now is a good opportunity for him to train in the water. If he really makes it, he will definitely become a fifth-term prosecutor like Cheng Long. Who knows, the station chief might have to put him on a pedestal in the future!"

Jiang Chuan didn't dare to agree immediately, and his gaze subconsciously glanced at Ding Yishan.

"Let's do as Director Liu says."

Ding Yishan sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness, "It's not that I'm afraid of people dying, it's just that times are moving forward. If we keep repeating the old, cruel selection process, what's the point of all the efforts of those prosecutors who sacrificed their lives?"

"It's meaningful, of course it's meaningful."

Liu Kun immediately retorted, his tone firm, "At least now we can provide prosecutors with better equipment, instead of risking their lives bare-handed like before. That's the significance of the previous generation's efforts. At least we can gather more detailed intelligence in advance, instead of blindly rushing around like before. That's also the significance of the previous generation's efforts!"

He leaned forward, his gaze growing even more intense: "But if you're now letting the prosecutors hide in a greenhouse and enjoy a life of luxury, even arranging a group of bodyguards around Happiness City when they go out, treating them like royalty, and keeping them away from all risks, then that would truly be a waste of the previous generation's hard work!"

"Because if you train them like this, they'll only be a bunch of useless cowards who panic at the first sign of danger. Who will support the checkpoint's future then?!"

call.

The air in the office seemed to have been suddenly ignited, the temperature rising a few degrees, carrying a scorching, tense feeling.

Ding Yishan couldn't help but reach out and tug at his collar, his chest still felt tight and he even felt short of breath.

Seeing his expression, Liu Kun didn't press him further. Instead, he picked up his wine glass, took a sip of wine, and continued to scroll through the infection source information on his tablet.

There's nothing new among the known sources of infection. The official rules for advancement at the checkpoints are just for show; the internal standards are much stricter and more brutal.

From Phase III onwards, it's basically a "one person, one job" system, where the competition isn't just about business skills, but also about genuine intelligence and achievements.

Being able to go out on field missions to bring supplies to Xingfu City and generate revenue for the checkpoint is one aspect, but more importantly, one must have outstanding achievements to show for it.

"Containing the source of infection" is precisely one of the core indicators for measuring the prosecutor's ability.

To become a Level 5 Inspector, one must have contained three "Destruction" level infected sources. Level 4 Inspectors must have contained at least one "Destruction" level infected source. Even Level 3 Inspectors must have contained five "Disaster" level infected sources plus a bunch of "Plague" level infected sources.

Therefore, as long as no destructive source of infection emerges, there is absolutely no need for additional intervention.

After going through all the information on known sources of infection, Liu Kun clicked on the "Unknown Sources of Infection" section.

For these completely unregistered sources of infection, the page only contains photos of the scene taken by the inspector and a short audio description.

The information at the top of the list came from Dongwa Town.

"So unlucky? Not only are there two known hazard-level threats nearby, but there's also an unknown hazard-level threat mixed in?"

Liu Kun raised an eyebrow in surprise, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the people in charge of Dongwa Town were Gu Xinjing and Zhang Wen, two third-phase inspectors.

With an experienced prosecutor watching, people might die, but at least no major problems will arise.

He refocused on the image: five corpses lying side by side, each with a red mark on their forehead.

When magnified, it appears to be a blurry pattern, but no matter how much analysis is done, no more useful information can be extracted.

Upon opening the voice chat, Gu Xinjing's voice came through, tinged with seriousness: "The internal organs of all five people were burned out, and their bodies weigh only one-tenth of a normal person's. Before entering the explosive state, they were indistinguishable from ordinary living people."

trouble.

Another malignant source of infection!

Liu Kun clicked his tongue. This type of outbreak, which can be fatal, must be dealt with as soon as possible. Once it spreads, it can easily cause regional panic.

Fortunately, malignant sources of infection have a weakness: the symptoms are too obvious, and the spread is usually not wide. As long as it is detected in time, it can be controlled in a targeted manner.

Exiting the Dongwa Town page and scrolling down reveals the unknown source of infection in Beiyuan Town, which is also assessed as a suspected disaster and is malignant. The outbreak has already claimed seven lives, and the deaths are even more bizarre than those in Dongwa Town.

The deceased's skin shimmered, and several newt-like tentacles had sprouted from the top of his head.

"This needs to be dealt with quickly too. Tsk, it looks really creepy." Liu Kun glanced at it twice and then looked away.

These assessment levels were provided by the research institute, indicating that the hazards have been fully analyzed.

He continued scrolling down the information on the unknown source of the plague, when his gaze suddenly stopped.

Big Wave Town?
We were just talking about sending equipment to Dabo Town, how come there's an unknown source of infection hiding here?

Liu Kun clicked on the image with surprise. There were three corpses in the picture. The one on the left was obviously an infected creature of the Water Cave Crab. He glanced at it and then moved his gaze to the right.

Two men, shot in the head with pistols, lay on the ground, their skin as pale as if they had been soaking in water for days, and their bodies were covered with strange purple patterns.

"What the hell is this?"

Liu Kun's brows furrowed instantly.

Compared to the gruesome corpses in front of him, the inconspicuous purple pattern made his heart skip a beat, and a strange sense of foreboding crept up his spine.

He swiped the screen, and the next few images were all close-ups of the infected's bodies, with the camera specifically focused on the area behind their earlobes.

As the starting point of the purple pattern, it exudes an indescribable eeriness.

"This"

Liu Kun frowned even more. Although he had served as the police commissioner for many years, his keen eyesight, honed during his time as a prosecutor, had not diminished.

He can make a rough judgment at a glance whether it is a high-risk source of infection or whether there are any abnormalities.

"Old Ding?" he suddenly asked.

"What's wrong?" Ding Yishan was still pondering the debate about "training versus protection" when he heard the shout and instinctively looked up.

But Liu Kun had already held up the tablet and pointed it at him. "Look at the patterns on this corpse. Aren't they a bit eerie?"

"A pattern?" Ding Yishan was taken aback, then quickly leaned closer to the screen and scanned it carefully several times. "Is there a pattern?"

"Ok?"

Liu Kun's face suddenly darkened, and his previously rosy cheeks turned red instantly. He quickly raised the tablet back towards Jiang Chuan.

"Achuan, can you see the purple pattern on the corpse?"

"No," Jiang Chuan scratched his head, looking blank. "It's just two whitish corpses, like drowning victims?"

hum.

A chilling coldness exploded in Liu Kun's heart. He stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

How can it be?

How could something like this exist around Happiness City and remain undiscovered?
After a brief pause, he immediately pressed the voice playback button, and Rokuk's slightly hoarse voice came through:
"An unknown source of infection has been discovered in Dabo Town. Preliminary identification suggests it is a source of mental pollution, suspected of violating the rules of the Soul-Hooking Catfish, causing the water ghosts to come ashore!"

"Threat level assessment: extremely high; on-site situation: temporarily under control; immediate support required."

"Please provide the checkpoint with complete underwater exploration equipment as soon as possible to assist in locating the source of infection!"

"Please provide analytical support from the research institute to assist in identifying the source of infection!"

The audio playback has finished.

Before anyone knew it, Liu Kun's face had turned completely crimson, and the temperature in the office soared to over 40 degrees Celsius, like a lit fire.

He gripped the tablet tightly, suppressing the surging anger and shock within him, and turned to Ding Yishan: "Old Ding, what was the content of the voice message you just heard?"

Ding Yishan was startled by his reaction and subconsciously repeated, "That means a common waterborne infection source has been found, the threat level is extremely low, no support is needed for the time being, and we need to observe it further."

The words have not yet fallen.

Liu Kun suddenly disappeared from the office.

The next second, a fiery red light suddenly ripped through the air.

With a loud crash, the entire huge floor-to-ceiling window was shattered.

Before the sharp shards of glass could even scatter in all directions, they were scorched by the high temperature into the most primitive sand, which was then blown up by the night wind.

Even the wind blowing in from the window carried a scorching heat, making the documents on the desk rustle loudly.

Look outside.

A giant red eagle with a wingspan of at least eight meters soared into the sky, its body wreathed in leaping flames. Its wings flapped, creating waves of heat, like a roaring fire meteor. In just a few breaths, it tore through the thick night and burst out of the wilderness from the checkpoint.

The next second, Liu Kun's furious roar finally echoed through the office, reverberating throughout the room:

"Old Ding!"

"Report this to the research institute immediately! A 'divine artifact' of at least destructive mental pollution level has appeared in the world!!"

(End of this chapter)