Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 243 Promotion to Sharp Detective, Senior Collector!

The light in the room suddenly dimmed.

The three elders merely flickered slightly before disappearing silently from the room, their effortless skill exceeding all expectations.

The tea on the coffee table in front of him was still warm, but Cheng Ye stood there stunned, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

From trainee inspector to checkpoint chief of Yueye Shelter City?

The speed of this career leap far exceeded all his previous expectations, and he no longer needed to climb the ladder step by step as before.

Of course, he also knew that in the entire power structure of Happiness City, even if he became Yueye's station chief, he would still only be considered to be in a lower-middle position.

However, the management authority of a "station chief" and the executive authority of an "inspector" are two completely different concepts.

The former means that he can gain merits more directly, and he has a wider range of authority and more room to play his role. He is no longer limited to a single containment mission, nor does he have to run around in the wilderness to perform field missions to accumulate experience. Instead, he can create value through overall management and promoting construction.

What excited him even more was the foundation of Yueye itself. According to Rokuk, Yueye had repaired the waterway leading downstream and had even made several transactions with the downstream city of Sanctuary.

The remaining infrastructure is definitely more complete than that of Dabo Town. Perhaps after taking over, a little repair can put it back into use and directly establish a trading channel with the downstream Shelter City.

Moreover, Yueye will be a military city in the future, with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians stationed there, forming a huge pioneering army.

The vast tracts of farmland and large-scale planting plans not only helped Tan Ming quickly boost his belief in life, but also meant that he had enough space to experiment with his ideas.

For example, we could learn from the model of the Rainbow City and develop some special plants for large-scale cultivation.

With the information support provided by the collector, plus the manpower of tens or hundreds of thousands of people, how could we not form a large-scale trading of goods?

Will there be any problems if we apply to equip the checkpoints with ultra-fast charging stations?
As a station manager, you can charge as much electricity as you want. Even if you build charging stations right into your office, who would question it? Who would dare to question it?
He could even try out a completely new inspection mode at the Yueye checkpoint, equipped with all the instruments he wanted.

The old-fashioned methods that Happiness City uses, which rely on manpower, are no longer suitable for the current wasteland environment.

By emulating the efficient model of the Spark Alliance, we might be able to find a safer and more convenient new path.

Even to take it a step further...

Even if we disregard all of that for now, given his position as station chief, would it be difficult for him to build a few factories in the sheltered city?

Producing goods, shipping them by waterway, and realizing capital repatriation are all done by reinvesting these resources in new research and development.
This is a completely self-sustaining development loop!
Cheng Ye poured himself more tea and drank it, becoming more and more excited as he thought about it. Compared to Yue Ye, the potential of Dabo Town was simply insignificant.

And most importantly, he doesn't need to take the bumpy and dangerous land route from Yueye back to Xingfu City!
If this waterway can be fully developed, you can take a boat from Yueye in the morning, and the journey of just 100 kilometers will take less than two hours to get back to Dabo Town.

Returning to their fiefdom, and then taking a bus directly from Dabo Town back to Happiness City, the whole journey takes only about three hours.

At that time, both the efficiency of material circulation and the speed of personnel mobilization will far exceed that of now.

And he alone can completely control a key transportation route in Happiness City; this hidden power is terrifying beyond imagination.

"Opportunity, this is what a real opportunity is!"

"Stayed within the established system of Happiness City, my path to advancement was already fixed, and I could only follow the old paths of those who came before me. But now that I have the opportunity to break free, how could I possibly miss it!"

Recalling the meaningful look in Qian Lao's eyes before he left, Cheng Ye felt even more certain.

His past self and his present self are completely different.

Even a fool would know that he must be hiding a lot of secrets.

However, the elders of Happiness City not only showed no interest in investigating, but also gave him more authority, even actively leaving him space and giving him the authority to explore these "secrets".

Perhaps in this world, the truly strong, like Tan Ming and the elders, hope that those who come after them can forge a path that is more hopeful for humanity.

After finishing the last bit of tea in the pot, Cheng Ye got up and strode to the window.

Looking down at the entire underground space through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, I was filled with emotion.

Two months ago, even if he were incredibly bold, he wouldn't have imagined that he would be standing here.

That's just how the wasteland is; nobody knows what they'll encounter next.

It could be a fright like the arrival of a celestial being, or it could be a pleasant surprise like being appointed as the stationmaster of Yueye.

"I love this world, I love power, but I love the power to control destiny even more!"

Cheng Ye clenched his fist, clearly feeling the immense power surging within his body, and the delicate fragrance wafting from the incense burner around his nose.

He became increasingly dissatisfied.

He wanted more!

At first, all he wanted was to survive.

But now, he wants to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

After a while, Cheng Ye finally sorted out his chaotic thoughts and turned around to examine the "ward".

Calling it a hospital ward is not quite accurate; it's more like a spacious, single-level apartment.

There are a total of six rooms, including a master bedroom, two secondary bedrooms, a large medical room, a gym, a theater, the living room where we just met, and even a huge kitchen.

In Happiness City, the fact that the room had its own kitchen was already eerie, not to mention that there were two large double-door refrigerators in the kitchen, which were powered on and the compressors were running at a low speed, clearly indicating that they were in normal use.

Cheng Ye paused for a moment, then walked over and opened one of the refrigerator doors.
Sure enough, it was stuffed with all kinds of fresh vegetables, especially a few bright green cucumbers, which looked refreshing.

He couldn't resist pulling one out and crunching it down. The indescribable sweetness spread in his mouth, making him feel refreshed all over.

Upon closer inspection, the refrigerator was packed with over twenty kinds of vegetables, including varieties he had seen before his time travel as well as novel types he had never seen before—it had everything imaginable.

The freezer section below contained meatballs, fresh meat, and even a whole basket of ice cream. Cheng Ye picked out a mung bean ice cream similar to "Green Mood," tore open the packaging, and put it in his mouth. The cool sweetness slid down his throat, making him squint his eyes in comfort.

Opening the other refrigerator door revealed it filled with all kinds of fruit—red, yellow, and purple—a dazzling array that made one's eyes dazzled.

"What a luxury!"

Cheng Ye couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. He reached out and scooped up several kinds of fruit, wrapped his arms around them, and carried them to the large bed in the bedroom, which was at least 2.5 meters wide. Then, disregarding his image, he began to eat them like a cow chewing on a peony.

Fragrant!
It’s really fragrant!

When your palate becomes bland, those strongly flavored foods don't taste as sweet as these fruits.

The sensation of the juice bursting in your mouth is almost like a blissful, ethereal experience.

After eating more than a dozen in one go, Cheng Ye wiped his mouth with satisfaction and leaned against the headboard.

With a slight thought, the panel flickered.

The charging level in the upper right corner is still full, and not a single bit of the two thousand kilowatt-hours of electricity in the truck was wasted.

The pendant space is already full. You can stack the Living Water Essence that you exchange for with the same amount of energy, but if you want a full essence with 100% energy, you have to take up an extra slot.

"Four slots are becoming increasingly insufficient, but fortunately, we've already accumulated enough information points for the upgrade!"

Cheng Ye shook his head slightly and casually switched the panel to his personal page.

[Collector: Cheng Ye]

[Current Rank: Level 2 Rookie (127.5/100)]

Life Level: 2

[Skills: Shrinking Giant Lice*, Zeye Physique, Tanming Envoy, Empty]

[Ability]: Shrinking Giant Ibis Symbiotic Ecology* (Balanced)
[Not yet unlocked]

[Evaluation: As you gather more information, you've touched upon the hidden threads of this world. But the flame of your thirst for knowledge hasn't extinguished; instead, it burns ever brighter with each glimpse of the tip of the iceberg. You're eager to know just how many more mind-blowing phenomena this world holds. Dare to move forward! This step may be just ordinary exploration for you, but for the indigenous civilization that has lived here for generations, it's a crucial leap through the fog of ignorance!]

After the two runes entered his body and were completely absorbed, the information level steadily increased.

In fact, the information score had already exceeded 100 three days ago, and a promotion could be triggered at any time.

However, being in a realm shrouded by immortal objects, possibly perceived by Tan Ming's residual consciousness, and under the watchful eyes of the elders, Cheng Ye did not dare to act rashly and kept his temper in check until now when the information level has exceeded the promotion threshold by 27.5%.

The wait was clearly worthwhile; the best outcome would be if nothing unexpected happened.

At this moment, looking at the numbers flashing on the panel, Cheng Ye took a few deep breaths and silently recited in his mind:
"Promotion!"

hum.

An invisible wave instantly spread out, shutting out any potential prying eyes. Immediately afterward, a stream of azure energy overflowed from the panel, rapidly filling the entire room and covering all areas of vision.

It's like completing an ultimate evolution, and also like doing orderly organization and tidying up.

The chaotic energy, under the collector's guidance, gradually manifested a concrete form, transforming into sheets of paper that shimmered with a faint light.

Wow!
The surrounding space suddenly trembled, and Cheng Ye's consciousness was instantly pulled away, re-entering the collector's advancement space.

This time, there were several times more pages floating in the air than before, like a constellation awakened by an invisible hand, slowly rotating, piecing together, and combining in the air, eventually converging into thick books.

The book floated in front of Cheng Ye, and clear text gradually appeared on the pages:

[Civilization Collector, Cheng Ye]

[Current Civilization: Solar System | Earth | Wasteland Human Civilization]

[A total of 121650 pieces of valid civilization information were collected during the emerging phase.]

[High-Value Civilization Information: 109 Items]

[Rating: Perfect (Hidden route reward received)]

The database has been organized.

Please confirm whether you are eligible for a promotion. You will have the opportunity to choose your promotion path again!

Promotion confirmed!

boom!
The books exploded, turning back into individual pages, and began to recombine again.

The high-value information emitted a faint purple glow, unlike the ordinary blue information.

It slowly gathered in front of him, eventually forming a smaller but more exquisite page than before.

Moreover, after it manifested, the text was different from the last time; it was not a lustrous silver-white, but a luxurious pale purple, like that released by a magic eye sponge.

[Cheng Ye, a rising star in civilization collecting, has been successfully promoted.]

Please select your next collection route, and the collector will automatically match new features for you!

[Please note that you can reselect your preferred match for each promotion.]

[1. Sharp Detective (Hidden Route Reward): With keen insight as their weapon, they pierce through the unknown barriers. Sharp Detective collectors always maintain a charging stance towards the hidden. They proactively venture into the perilous realms of civilization, unafraid of the unknown fog, and excel at using their actions to uncover more lost information hidden beneath the surface, laying a foundation of information for subsequent collection. They are the core support for the "proactive attack" in the joint strategy.]

[2. Intelligent Connection: Using strategy as a bridge to connect the threads of civilization, intelligent collectors excel at establishing information channels through non-confrontational methods. They gain the trust of indigenous civilizations through gentle means such as trade and aid, making trust a stable information transmission channel. They can accumulate key clues without taking risks and are an important support for "stabilizing the rear" in the joint strategy.]

[3. Balance and Defense (Advanced): Employing a balanced and defensive strategy, the Balance and Defense type of data collector excels at integrating the "sharpness" of the Sharp Detective with the "stability" of the Intelligent Link. When proactive breakthroughs are needed, they can boldly venture into dangerous situations; when steady progress is required, they can efficiently collect data. This flexible switching between two approaches allows them to firmly grasp the initiative in data collection, leaving no room for high-value information to hide.]

[4. Breakthrough: Utilizing disruptive power, they sweep away obstacles to civilization. Breakthrough-type collectors believe in simplifying the collection process with absolute strength. Facing less advanced civilizations, they need neither detours nor preparatory steps; they directly crush potential obstacles with force, violently plundering core civilization information to achieve their collection goals in the most direct way.]

【5. Lock】

【6. Lock】

【.】

"The route name has changed, and even the description is different!"

Cheng Ye was slightly taken aback, his face full of surprise.

He did not expect that the "union route" he chose for his first promotion would have an impact on his second promotion.

The familiar "adventure," "stability," and "control" routes have all changed. The new route seems to be strengthening a certain characteristic of "unity," which is a pleasant surprise.

First, look at "Sharp Detective," which marks hidden routes. Could it be that it's specifically designed to enhance investigative capabilities?

Cheng Ye nodded slightly. The "designated intelligence" function brought about by choosing the joint route last time had indeed helped him a lot.

It's a pity that you can't specify the item to draw yet. If you choose this route, will you be able to expand the "specify item" permission?

Or could he open up a completely new branch of search? This possibility particularly appealed to him.

Looking further down, the intention of "intelligent connectivity" becomes very clear; it's obviously an advanced version of "skill fusion."

However, the collector's repeated mention of "gaining the natives' trust" made him wonder.

Does choosing this path allow me to grant the skills I've collected to others?

It's hard to say. Cheng Ye can only guess based on the literal meaning for now and cannot determine the specific direction of the change.

"Hengyu" is clearly an enhanced version of the "joint route," seemingly combining the advantages of the former two, especially mentioning flexible switching, which makes it seem highly practical.

But Cheng Ye didn't make up his mind immediately and wanted to look at other options.

The final breaking point, like the previous control, is still a sideline.

Whose momentum can he break?

Tan Ming?

Elders?
Or are they those strange sources of infection and magical objects?
"I don't know if I'll have the chance to choose this kind of sweeping route again in the future. Maybe when I really become stronger, I won't need it anymore."

Cheng Ye smiled and first ruled out "breaking the trend," then also rejected the more conservative "intelligent connection."

Dangers in the wasteland can strike at any time, giving him no time to lie low and develop.

Moreover, to gather more information, one must inevitably go to farther places and face more dangerous situations.

A spirit of enterprise is more suitable for the current environment and better suits his personality.

"Choosing 'Sharp Explorer' might unlock new draw options; choosing 'Balanced Ruler' is a safer, guaranteed option."

Cheng Ye's mind raced, but after only a few seconds of hesitation, his gaze swept past Heng Yu and settled on the words "Rui Tan".

The days when I needed a safety net were over after I left Dabo Town.

Although he is still officially an intern, who would dare to truly treat him as one?

Not to mention that he will be taking up his post as station manager in Yueye next year, so he won't need a guaranteed minimum income anymore.

Now he needs to accelerate development and seize the new opportunities.

The various forms of assistance provided by the "Sharp Detective" route, whether it's the unknown potential of the hidden routes or the direct benefits of enhanced collection, perfectly match his current needs.

Choose Ruitan!

The moment his thoughts landed, the azure scene shattered, and Cheng Ye was back on the big bed.

Similar to last time, the progress bar on the panel started flashing.

At a speed visible to the naked eye, it jumps upward by 1%-2% per second, which is much faster than the activation speed of Xin Huo Tong.

"You'd better give me something good!"

Cheng Ye silently prayed as he watched the upgrade complete little by little.

As the progress bar reaches 100%, the panel flashes and reappears, but the displayed light has changed to red, symbolizing battle.

At the same time, a series of update notifications popped up rapidly.

[Rising star collector, Cheng Ye, has been promoted.]

Current Rank: Senior Collector

Please collect more information on civilized behavior to advance your rank.

[Due to the collector's choice of the 'Sharp Detective' route, all functions have changed in this update]

Basic functions have been updated:
1. Maximum capacity index for charging value increased; current index: 2→4
2. Skill search range increased; currently searchable: Lv4
3.技能搜索概率改变：Lv1:100%，Lv2：100%，Lv3:50%，Lv4：25%
4.技能搜索耗能改变：Lv1:10%，Lv2：15%，Lv3:30%，Lv4：60%
5.技能搜索需求配合度改变：Lv1:1%，Lv2:1%，Lv3:50%；Lv4:100%
6. Intelligence search changes: Search direction can be specified without reducing intelligence quality.

7. Item Search Changes: You can specify the search direction and invest energy to increase the search success rate; minimum energy consumption: 20%, you can invest more energy to improve the success rate and quality.

8. Information Fusion: Energy consumption reduced; current consumption: fixed at 25% of charge value per fusion; fusion quality receives a hidden bonus; fusing skills below Rare rank will always raise their rating by one level, i.e., Excellent + Excellent, and will always result in a Rare rank skill.

[New feature added to 'Sharp Detective' route: Resources (new search entries)]

(End of this chapter)