Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 242 Power Surges, Situation Changes Dramatically!
Leap Wilderness Shelter City?
Cheng Ye's gaze suddenly sharpened. Ever since he went up to the tenth floor, he had maintained a high level of tension, afraid that he might say the wrong thing or express the wrong attitude.

But the "reward" that Qian Lao himself offered still gave him a sudden shock, and his thoughts became somewhat disordered.

Almost instinctively, he immediately opened the panel, randomly selected a piece of past information, and instantly entered the time-stop space.

Only when the surrounding scenery froze and shattered did I finally have a moment to calmly reflect.

跃野
Could it be that Yueye Shelter City deliberately concealed the disappearance of 200,000 people, angering Happiness City, and is now being "dealt with," which is why they sent him to take over?
His thoughts raced, but after only a few seconds, Cheng Ye couldn't help but gently shake his head.

If it were a few months ago, when he had just become a probationary prosecutor, he might have thought this simply and directly.

But now, having reached a higher level and seen more of the survival logic of the wasteland world, he has long understood that this is not a place to talk about "right and wrong".

In the adult world, the only thing that truly matters is "interests".

Yueye has certainly made a big mistake, but even if Happiness City really wins him over, what benefits will it gain?
First, the two places are too far apart. The straight-line distance is nearly 180 kilometers, and if you take into account the infected areas and damaged road sections that need to be bypassed, the actual distance is at least 250 kilometers.

At such a long distance, transporting supplies, allocating personnel, and transmitting messages are all extremely difficult, and the costs invested are not proportional to the returns.

Secondly, Yueye is currently a mess, and it has just been severely ravaged by the source of infection. Its population has plummeted, its resources have been exhausted, and its infrastructure has been almost completely destroyed. The first thing to do after taking over is to rebuild.

But Xingfu City hasn't even had time to build its own planned satellite cities yet, so where would it get the extra manpower and resources to fill the "big hole" of Yueye?
Third, and most importantly, the "shield" effect of the leaping field in terms of location.

Autumn lasts only three months, and winter will soon descend upon the entire Stone Province. The dormant infected will gather as if they have smelled something, and attack human settlements and sanctuaries.

As seen on the map, Yueye is a natural barrier on the west side of Xingfu City. It is precisely because of Yueye that Xingfu City can significantly reduce the effort and pressure it has to put into its western defense line each year.

If Happiness City directly takes over Yueye, it will be equivalent to sending its own people and resources to guard that area, which is far more costly than letting Yueye govern itself.

Given such obvious disadvantages, why did Happiness City still want to eliminate Yueye?
Cheng Ye closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down, and a huge map of the surrounding terrain slowly unfolded in his mind.

He first marked the locations of various resource points on the map, then marked the geographical ranges of different factions, and gradually sorted out the connections between them.
and many more!

Is Yueye Shelter City located within a 200-kilometer radius of Xingfu City and Dabo Town?

Is it exactly within the 200-kilometer radius of Tan Ming's belief?

Cheng Ye suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils contracting slightly. His previously chaotic thoughts cleared instantly, and a bold possibility suddenly and clearly surfaced in his mind.

If the "forbidden planting" restriction can be broken through within a 200-kilometer radius of Happiness City thanks to Tan Ming's belief, then it would be a waste for Yueye Shelter City to occupy such a key area.

Whether from the perspective of current resource planning or future development layout, we must integrate this neighbor as soon as possible in order to fully seize the maximum benefits of this area.

And now, we even have a "pretext".

Yueye deliberately concealed the information about the source of infection and the infected person, and having just experienced the devastation caused by the source of infection, he was at his weakest.

If we act quickly enough, we can seize all the advantages before other forces can react.

wonderful!
That's wonderful!
Cheng Ye sighed inwardly, then turned back to ponder the "reward" that Qian Lao had just offered.

To date, he has only demonstrated three relatively outstanding abilities in front of the senior management of Happiness City:
First, their ability to win people's hearts is evident from the support of Tianyuan Community to the trust of the people of Dabo Town.

Furthermore, given his willingness to voluntarily enter Dabo Town to contain the magical artifacts, his loyalty is beyond question.

Secondly, their containment capabilities are no less than those of a seasoned inspector; successfully containing a divine artifact is the best endorsement.

Third, he inherited Tan Ming's belief that as long as one is willing to take on missions, one will inevitably be able to wield great power in the future.

He possesses all four key qualities: temperament, loyalty, ability, and potential. It makes sense that the elders of Happiness City discovered him early and entrusted him with important responsibilities.

On the other hand, Yueye is currently a complete mess, and whether he can manage it or "climb" out of it is all unknown.

Just winning people's hearts and rebuilding infrastructure will take an unknown amount of effort and manpower, and we may be stuck in this situation for several years.

Cheng Ye's thoughts raced through his mind, and finally he let out a soft breath, suppressing all his hesitation.

The intelligence space shattered instantly, while only a second or two had passed in the outside world.

Mr. Qian continued to pour tea slowly and deliberately, his movements never stopping for a moment, completely unaware that he had been thinking for several minutes.

"Have confidence!"

Cheng Ye raised his head, his gaze firm, his voice resounding without the slightest hesitation.

"Is your confidence genuine, or just an act?" Old Qian didn't even look up, continuing to fiddle with his teacup, his tone slightly teasing as he chuckled.

"Of course it's true!" Cheng Ye's tone became even more serious, and his attitude became even more resolute. "I, Cheng Ye, will complete the mission personally assigned by the elders, even if it means my own destruction!"

"Oh—" Old Lin, who was sitting next to him, laughed out loud at this remark, his eyes full of amusement.

Old Pang shook his head helplessly and looked at Old Qian: "Old Qian, I told you long ago that this kid is very perceptive. Your attempts to test him are useless. Do you believe me now?"

"I wouldn't call this a test."

Old Qian put down the teapot, pushed a freshly poured cup of hot tea in front of Cheng Ye, and tapped the rim of the cup lightly with his fingertips. "Aren't you curious why you were chosen to take over Yueye?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Cheng Ye said directly: "Yue Ye hoarded information, almost causing a devastating disaster. He deserves to die, both morally and logically."

"Yueye was under the influence of Tan Mingxin's beliefs. He made a mistake but was rewarded. He deserves to die."

"More importantly, Yueye has just suffered a major blow and is at its weakest point. If we take it over now, the pressure on our Happiness City will be minimal."

"well said!"

After listening, Old Qian nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes. "Yueye has indeed lived up to his reputation over the years, helping Happiness City block many sources of infection from the west. He has made some contributions. Therefore, we did not take direct action on this matter of keeping information secret. Instead, we sent the materials to the Spark Alliance for review and gave them a fifteen-day grace period."

"Right now, the city lord of Yueye is already leading his people to retreat. He won't confront us directly. However, our people have also surrounded Yueye, preventing them from taking away the key infrastructure and remaining personnel. So when we take over, it won't be an empty shell."

"Now that you're going there, I can make the decision to put you in charge of the construction of the checkpoint in Yueye, and give you some corresponding authority as well."

"Only checkpoints?" Cheng Ye was taken aback.

"Otherwise what?" Old Qian raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing surprise mixed with a hint of mockery. "You don't actually want to directly manage an entire large sheltered city, making a trainee inspector like you the city lord, do you?"

Cheng Ye immediately realized what was going on and gave an embarrassed smile. "Mr. Qian, whatever you arrange is fine. I was just asking casually. It's just that I'm better at thinking about economic development. Staying at the checkpoint to handle daily official business is really not my forte."

"Therefore, I will give you a choice."

Old Qian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his tone gradually turned serious: "With your current abilities, being put in charge of a checkpoint in a large sheltered city is already a result that the three of us old guys have specially fought for for you. In fact, winter is coming soon, and Yueye Sheltered City will be transformed into the first military city of Happiness City. You understand what that means, right?"

Military city?

Cheng Ye frowned and pondered carefully, when the words "military agricultural colony" suddenly flashed through his mind.
"Are they setting up a fourth branch of the military? Dedicated to agriculture?"

"It seems you've read quite a lot of books; you grasp things very quickly."

Old Qian continued, his tone carrying a profound meaning, "The barrier that Tan Ming left us only lasts for a year. To ensure the barrier's energy continues, we must follow his principles and quickly expand enough land for cultivation. While he is creating space for your development, this is also a tremendous opportunity for our Happiness City."

"Besides Happiness, Cross, and Blood Dragon, the name of the fourth legion has been decided: Pioneer."

"If you are willing to go to Yueye, the belief that Tan Ming gave you might allow you to grow at a faster pace. But you also know the price: this path is actually a dead end. The faster you gain power, the closer you are to the end and to death. We will not force you to go to Yueye Sanctuary City, nor will we force you to inherit Tan Ming's belief and become a tool. But if you urgently need power, we will not stop you. So, the final choice has always been in your own hands."

The vanguard legion, which had once disappeared, has unexpectedly returned in this way.

Cheng Ye pursed his lips, feeling a dryness in his throat. He couldn't help but pick up the tea on the table and drink it all in one gulp.

It had no flavor, or rather, at that moment, he had no interest in tasting it.

Choosing to go to Yueye not only means a rapid increase in strength, but also a qualitative change in power.

Staying in Happiness City, he was merely a trainee inspector who had contained a magical artifact. Perhaps, based on this achievement, he could be promoted to a senior inspector at the checkpoint within a year or two.

But if you choose to go to Yueye, even if you are only in charge of the checkpoint at the beginning, you will rise to the top in one step and become the station chief of the checkpoint directly.

He didn't even dare to think about how much benefit the stationmaster of a large sheltered city could bring behind that power.

But the more this happened, the more uneasy he felt.

Power and responsibility are always equal. Although Qian Xuesen didn't say it explicitly, he subtly pointed out the key point:
Going to Yueye and growing up with Tan Ming's beliefs is equivalent to dedicating his life to Happiness City.

During the process of the pioneering army's land reclamation, when he needed to use his abilities, he was just a "tool".

The price was far too heavy: to exchange a short period of power and status for the burning away of one's life.

Seeing Cheng Ye deep in thought, she hesitated but did not refuse outright.

The youngest of the three, Elder Pang, broke the silence first, speaking in a calm yet direct tone: "Cheng Ye, Old Qian speaks tactfully, but I'll be blunt with you. The Elders' Council's decision regarding you is to encourage you to participate in the construction of Yueye Shelter City and become an asset. However, the immortal artifact you brought back is a contribution that gives you the right to choose. It's not mandatory; you can choose for yourself."

"If you choose to inherit Tan Ming's beliefs, you have at most about fifteen years left to live."

Old Qian spoke again, “This is the price of forcibly inheriting the beliefs of others without having mature beliefs of your own. In the process of gaining power, you will be assimilated by Tan Ming’s beliefs step by step, and eventually walk the same path as him. In other words, there is now a Guardian of Wishes living in your body, but his influence is currently only directed at you, and this influence will become deeper as you inherit more beliefs.”

"But if you participate in the construction of Yueye, the progress of inheriting the belief will be accelerated, and the fifteen years may be reduced by two-thirds."

"Five years?" Cheng Ye asked subconsciously.

“It’s less than five years,” Old Pang replied, his tone tinged with regret, “because you carry more than one belief within you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a subtle ripple appeared in the air.

Cheng Ye involuntarily raised his hands. The red withered mark on his left hand and the green life mark on his right hand, stimulated by this fluctuation, faintly projected two blurry faces:
One is Tan Ming, and the other is Tan Rui.

What surprised him even more was that his own face was faintly visible between the two faces.

Compared to the clear outlines of Tan Ming and Tan Rui, his facial features were completely blurry, with only a faint outline, like an unformed shadow.

"This is your own belief, it's still in its infancy, it hasn't solidified yet."

Old Pang's voice rang out at the opportune moment, "If you insist on inheriting their beliefs, you will ultimately become..."

As soon as the words were spoken, the three faces suddenly began to change rapidly.

Cheng Ye watched helplessly as the contours of his face distorted and shifted, inching closer and closer to Tan Ming's face.

His beliefs at this moment were so fragile in the face of Tan Ming's beliefs that they were completely assimilated in no time. His three faces eventually merged into one, making him almost identical to Tan Ming.

"Three years!"

Old Qian sighed softly, his tone full of regret, "At this rate, you may not even live to see the devastating wave of infection arrive."

However, this sigh inexplicably gave Cheng Ye a jolt.

He suddenly remembered that Tan Ming had also sighed softly like this before he disappeared.

Was Tan Ming's sigh back then not because he saw that Tan Ming was trying to take shortcuts, or because he thought Tan Ming couldn't complete the task?

The regret lies in the fact that he inherited the belief, and the probability of him surviving the calamity in the future is too small, and he may end up dying young.

"What if I go to Yueye, or Dabo Town?"

When Cheng Ye suddenly asked this question, Old Qian was taken aback, seemingly not expecting him to care about this first. He then answered truthfully, "Before you decided to take in the immortal artifact, I promised you that Dabo Town would become the area you were in charge of managing. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it your 'fief.' Even if you go to Yueye, you can still freely assign manpower and mobilize resources in Dabo Town, and the various supplies will not be reduced in the slightest."

“Then I’m willing to go to Yueye.”

Cheng Ye nodded emphatically. His voice wasn't loud, but it made the three elders exchange glances, their eyes filled with surprise and seriousness.

“You could actually refuse,” Old Lin said in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of admonition. “From a personal point of view, I hope you will refuse.”

"No, Elder Lin, I still prefer to go to Yueye."

Cheng Ye responded firmly once again, without the slightest wavering:

"Since I have inherited Tan Ming's beliefs, rather than prolonging my life and waiting for death to come, I might as well go all out. This way, I can improve my strength and make more contributions to Happiness City. This is more meaningful than living a muddled life."

"Moreover, Yueye Shelter City is close to Linjiang, and there is a precedent for building waterways before, which coincides with my plan for Dabo Town. If this waterway can be opened up, it will be of great help to Xingfu City, both in terms of transporting resources and controlling the source of infection."

After saying these two sentences, Cheng Ye paused slightly before continuing, "However, I have a small condition, and I wonder if the elders can agree to it?"

"Go on," Old Qian said, his previous relaxed demeanor vanishing instantly, replaced by a serious expression.

He hadn't expected Cheng Ye to be so enlightened, but he was secretly pleased that he hadn't misjudged him.

"Yueye is a mess right now, and I don't want to clean it up. Can I wait until everything is back to normal and the infrastructure is fully operational before I go to Yueye to take up my post?"

"no problem."

Without a second thought, Mr. Qian nodded in agreement. “Even if you hadn’t said anything, we wouldn’t have let you go now. The earliest we can go is next summer, and it might even be delayed until autumn. Yueye’s ground infrastructure was almost completely destroyed by the last wave of infections, and we might face another wave of infections this winter. We won’t officially start reconstruction until spring.”

"The pioneering army will move in first, but the checkpoint will only be necessary once the situation in Yueye is completely stable and all production is on track."

"Next autumn."

Isn't there still a whole year left?
Cheng Ye was overjoyed; this buffer period was simply too wonderful to believe.

Going to Yueye to be the stationmaster is indeed a high-pressure job with heavy responsibilities, and life is as short as a mayfly.

But on the other hand, the head of a checkpoint in a large sheltered city can access far more than just "massive" resources.
As long as you can use this position to continuously search for information and advance your rank, how could you not find a way to change Tan Ming's beliefs?
The collector had already given a hint that if even the mission left by Tan Ming could be modified, then it was naturally possible to modify his beliefs as well.

This is the true path to survival, but it requires countless amounts of energy to accumulate.

He might not have enough influence just to be the "mayor" of Dabo Town.

But if the station chief of Yueye checkpoint were in charge, wouldn't this resource be enough?
"Cheng Wu truly has a good son and a good grandson." Old Pang picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and looked at Cheng Ye's barely suppressed excitement, feeling endless emotion.

Even knowing that he only had three years left to live, even if he was to be used as a pioneering tool in Happiness City.

They still had no complaints and were still willing to contribute to Happiness City.

This level of awareness and loyalty surpasses even Cheng Wu's, not to mention Cheng Long, who dared to take action against the city for the sake of his beliefs.

Silence fell over the room for a moment.

Before Cheng Ye arrived, all three of them were convinced that he would refuse. After all, going to Yueye meant shortening one's lifespan and taking on heavy responsibilities, and it would be difficult for a normal person to hesitate and back down.

Not to mention that he was a member of the Cheng family who could abandon his post and run away at any time, but Cheng Ye not only agreed readily, but also took the initiative to propose a reasonable plan, which left the three of them somewhat bewildered.

After a brief silence, Old Qian simply picked up the teapot and refilled Cheng Ye's empty cup, abruptly changing the subject with the gesture:
"The cost of your use of the Infectious Source is also severe. For the next two weeks, don't go anywhere. Stay here at Fuxing Medical and focus on your rehabilitation. Don't use the Infectious Source's abilities in the future. Tan Ming has already bound it for you. As long as you don't use it, it won't have any impact on you."

"Yes." Cheng Ye nodded immediately in agreement.

Seeing that the topic had been settled, Old Lin casually asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

"Once Dabo Town is on the right track for development, I want to take advantage of this time to visit other parts of the wilderness, especially to see what it looks like outside of Shi Province."

"Oh?" Old Lin raised an eyebrow, showing interest. "You already have a specific place you want to go?"

"Yes," Cheng Ye replied, a smile appearing on his face. "I heard from Inspector Luo that the City of Light and Rainbow Protection is a gathering place for many geniuses!"

(End of this chapter)