Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 268 Deputy Station Master Yueye, the Wisdom of the Fifth Phase!
Davidson, the deputy stationmaster of the North Station, is indeed quite capable.

Four lanes, six lanes, eight lanes. Raul has three younger brothers.

Cheng Ye instantly understood the implication: how wide the road could be built depended entirely on how many chips he was willing to throw out.

If you agree to let one younger brother through the checkpoint, that's four lanes. If you try to get two more lanes, you'll probably have to give up another spot.

For other prosecutors, this vote might be dispensable, but he, the future stationmaster of Yueye Shelter City, had not yet finalized any prosecutor appointments under his command.

Even if Raul's three brothers don't all take up positions after the transaction, they can still use this as leverage to get them to serve in Yueye in the future, which can be considered as building up manpower in advance.

"How long will it take to build this road?" Cheng Ye asked.

"Fifteen days!" Raul stated the exact time in one breath, his tone confident. "Starting tomorrow, it will be completed in a maximum of fifteen days. I can mobilize six construction teams to work on-site simultaneously, and the main road in Wenlu County has already been repaired, so heavy equipment like road rollers are currently idle. The eight-kilometer journey will be divided into six sections for simultaneous construction, guaranteeing maximum efficiency!"

It can be fixed in half a month?
Cheng Ye was slightly taken aback, then nodded to himself.

Unexpectedly, the time spent being delayed by the magical artifact has actually led to this convenience.

The original roads in Dabo Town have been completely destroyed. The waste and garbage need to be cleared first, and then the roadbed, base layer and surface layer need to be built in sequence. Each layer only needs to be completed in five days. This speed is ridiculously fast, even compared to modern construction.

However, upon reflection, considering the dramatic changes that have taken place in Wenlu County over the past month, such efficiency does seem fitting.

"okay, I get it."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, without giving a clear answer.

To his even greater surprise, Raul seemed to have anticipated this outcome, calmly nodding and saying, "Prosecutor Cheng, I have already arranged for someone to wait for you at the checkpoint exit. He will take you to see Prosecutor Lin."

"Huh?" Cheng Ye was genuinely surprised this time.

Upon arriving in Wenlu County, it would be only proper for him to first pay a visit to Lin Bao, the Eastern prosecutor, and establish contact before discussing a deal with Davidson.

Raul's ability to grasp this point so precisely demonstrates that he is probably more experienced in interpersonal relationships than many first- or second-term prosecutors.

Cheng Ye didn't say anything more, only gave a signal with his eyes, and Raul immediately pressed the door open button, letting the convoy pass.

As the convoy drove out of the checkpoint, there was indeed a person waiting on a motorcycle at the exit.

Moreover, he was someone he knew well; he was the Western clerk 'Link' who had been assigned to him when he was in charge of assessing and gathering refugees last time.

“Prosecutor Cheng, we meet again.” Link greeted him with a smile, pointing to the road layout. “Going straight ahead from here is Prosecutor Davidson’s area, mainly responsible for infrastructure construction. He oversees road construction teams, building material allocation, and warehouse management.”

"On the right is Prosecutor Zhou Changhai's area, in charge of building planning. He controls the construction progress of the entire Wenlu County. On the left is Prosecutor Lin Bao's area, responsible for personnel transfer and resettlement. He is in charge of the relocation and arrangement of nearly 100,000 people in Wenlu County."

The clerk sent by Raul to receive him naturally knew what to say in advance.

Lin Ke didn't offer any further explanation; he simply analyzed the power structure of Wenlu County through the division of responsibilities.

Lin Bao is the core of the Easterners, in charge of manpower allocation, while Davidson is the representative of the Westerners, in charge of resource allocation.

The two belong to different camps and naturally have conflicting interests. The checkpoint needs someone with "cross-identity" to buffer the conflict between them.

Zhou Changhai, being an Easterner, sided with a Westerner. He would not be fully accepted by Lin Bao, nor would he gain Davidson's absolute trust due to his local origin. This "neither-none" status meant that he could not ally with either side when faced with a conflict of interest, and could only rely on the checkpoint's arrangements.

"Does Old Ding see through Zhou Changhai's opportunism and lack of principles, and realize that he won't actively unite with any party to break the balance?"

On his way to the West District to see Lin Bao, the thought flashed through Cheng Ye's mind, but he quickly stopped thinking about it.

The division of power in Wenlu County will not be finalized until the construction is fully completed, and by then he will have already gone to Yueye to become the station chief and will not be involved in these conflicts at all.

Instead of figuring out Ding Yishan's methods of checks and balances, it's better to grab the immediate benefits first.

With the elders vouching for them, no one in Dabo Town can interfere, so there's no need to worry about power infiltration.

Two kilometers further on, as the car approached the edge of the area, a three-story building with a covered walkway came into view, with a sign above the door reading "Wenlu County Personnel Coordination Affairs Office".

To Cheng Ye's surprise, Lin Bao was actually waiting at the entrance of the small building, with a cigarette between his fingers and rapidly pressing buttons on the defense communication device with his other hand.

As the convoy approached, Lin Bao looked up, a satisfied smile immediately spreading across his face.

As soon as the car was parked, Lin Bao swaggered over.

Compared to last month, Lin Bao looks noticeably more haggard now, with bluish stubble covering his chin and temples, like unkempt weeds growing haphazardly, revealing an undeniable weariness.

His eyes were covered with dark circles, and the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. His once bright and intimidating eyes were now shrouded in a gray mist, losing their piercing sharpness.

Even his coat was wrinkled, with dirt and grime stuck to the edges. He didn't look like the prosecutor he had been in the previous five terms at all; instead, he looked like a hardworking foreman.

"Young Cheng, you've finally arrived. Uncle Lin has been waiting for you here for an hour."

"Uncle Lin, you've been waiting for me so earnestly, but I didn't bring a gift." Cheng Ye got out of the car, bent down slightly, and patted the white dust off Lin Bao's shoulder.

Now he has grown quite a bit in size, and Lin Bao looks half a head shorter than him, appearing rather petite.

Lin Bao was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled: "You little rascal, you're even stronger than me now."

"The cost of being a source of infection is unavoidable," Cheng Ye said with feigned helplessness, shrugging.

Lin Bao's expression remained unchanged, but he immediately changed the subject: "Come on, let's go inside and talk. It's very dusty today. According to the weather forecast, it will be windy for the next week."

He gestured, and Mu Shuang and his guards followed him into the courtyard, where a spacious reception room had been specially set up.

Lin Bao didn't try to avoid suspicion and led his group straight into the room.

As soon as we sat down, staff came in to serve tea and water. A dozen or so people were crammed into one room, which made it quite lively and gave it a wild, pioneering feel.

However, only Cheng Ye and Lin Bao sat facing each other at the main table, while everyone else sat in the guest seats on the other side.

Lin Bao reached under the table and pulled out a crumpled piece of aluminum foil. Inside was a clump of curled-up cloud tea.

That's pretty high-spec!
A strange light flashed in Cheng Ye's eyes. Lin Bao had always presented himself as a very easygoing person, even more straightforward than Liu Bi. But his calm and natural change in demeanor at this moment was so unexpected.

He couldn't help but open the panel and glance at the cooperation level.

Not low, a full 31%.

Although the search level hasn't reached Lv3 yet, the two haven't met many times and aren't particularly familiar with each other. This number is already far beyond expectations, which is enough to prove that Lin Bao's attitude towards him is indeed very kind.

"I've heard what happened in Dabo Town. You're pretty good, kid!"

As Lin Bao leisurely washed the tea, he smiled and said, "I heard from the station chief that you're going to take up a post in Yueye next year. Just that one step alone makes you much better than your old man!"

"Uncle Lin, you're too kind." Cheng Ye immediately feigned a flattered look. "I'm also learning as I go, and I can't compare to a senior prosecutor like you."

Unexpectedly, Lin Bao paused in his tea-washing motion, then laughed and scolded, "Don't try to be modest with me, I don't buy it."

After finishing his rant, he steered the conversation back to the main point: "At checkpoints, seniority matters, but contributions are even more important. If you've made enough contributions, your position will naturally be yours. But whether you can hold onto it and achieve results depends on whether you have people under you and whether people listen to what you say."

“Uncle Lin is right, that’s what I’ve been worried about,” Cheng Ye replied.

Lin Bao nodded, his tone becoming more serious: "The so-called power, 'power' is given by the higher-ups. The fact that the Xingfu City leadership is willing to delegate power to us, allowing us to mobilize manpower and resources for external expansion, shows that they trust us. But the strength depends on how tough our own methods are."

He looked up and glanced over, ignoring the superficial details and getting straight to the point.

"You're the station chief of Yueye, no problem, it was decided by the elders. But the deputy station chief below you has to be chosen from among us fifth-generation members to help you stabilize the situation. Think it over carefully and decide who you want to choose."

They actually want to select one of the five prosecutors to be the deputy station chief in Yueye?

Cheng Ye remained outwardly calm, but his heart was in turmoil, and he immediately entered the intelligence space to ponder.

The surrounding scenery shattered instantly, and the moment time stopped, countless ideas surged forth like a geyser.

Even though Yueye Shelter City is now ravaged by the infection wave and is on the verge of destruction, it is still a large-scale shelter city in terms of administrative scale. At its peak, its population fluctuated around 500,000, which is not much different from that of Happiness City.

As a satellite city, Wenlu County was already a step below in terms of status. In addition, Yueye was located on the border of Xingfu City, so the inspector who went to Yueye was a border inspector.

As the saying goes, anyone who gets involved in something becomes a powerful regional official.

Wenlu County is only 60 kilometers away from Xingfu City, and it will only take half an hour to get there after the road is repaired.

However, the road from Xingfu City to Yueye is a winding 200-kilometer stretch, and it would be impossible to complete and maintain its safety in less than one or two years, or even three to five years.

In terms of distance, Yueye has a significant advantage in autonomy.

Adding to the special attributes of a "military city," the number of troops under its command, numbering four to five hundred thousand, is almost the same as that of a buffer zone.

No matter how you judge it, Deputy Station Chief Yueye's power easily surpasses that of the station chief of Wenlu County.

"If the elders are not comfortable with me overseeing Yueye, it makes sense for them to arrange for the Fifth Phase to provide protection."

Cheng Ye quickly sorted out, "But more than anything, I probably want me to get rid of the complicated station work and focus my energy on pioneering and researching Tan Ming's beliefs."

There was another hidden reason that made his heart sink: "In the eyes of the elders, I only have three years left to live. We can't wait until I'm gone to arrange a successor. The fifth-term candidate we've chosen now is probably the future stationmaster of Yueye."

Considering these factors is not difficult; the challenge lies in maximizing one's own interests after clearly understanding the situation.

Thinking of Davidson's sudden change in attitude and the deal Raul mentioned, Cheng Ye secretly felt fortunate.

Fortunately, he didn't go to see Davidson first, otherwise Lin Bao would have overthought things and disrupted the current rhythm.

"There are four fifth-term trainees from the east, two fifth-term trainees from the west, and the central station is still short of a duty station chief. In total, there are five people competing for this position."

"The choice is in my hands. Lin Bao is taking the initiative to come up to me now because he has seen this and wants to close the gap in advance and seize this opportunity."

"However, judging from his words, it seems he doesn't want to pay any price, but instead wants to take over Yueye under the guise of helping and supporting him?" Upon reaching this conclusion, Cheng Ye's expression became more serious.

Six fifth-term trainees fought tooth and nail over a single duty station chief.

Who would easily miss this opportunity to be promoted to a full-fledged station manager after just three years?

The intelligence space is shattered.

Cheng Ye looked up, his tone so natural it sounded like he'd just blurted it out: "Uncle Lin, I haven't been officially notified of this yet. I'm going back to the checkpoint this afternoon to report to the station chief. The elders only told me to go to Yueye Shelter City as station chief, they didn't mention anything about me being a deputy station chief."

"Yes, the station chief just mentioned it casually last time, and I don't have any specific information on my end." Lin Bao smiled, his eyes narrowing, and his satisfaction deepened as he looked at Cheng Ye's unthinking reaction.

"Uncle Lin won't put you in a difficult position. You can choose whoever you want in the end." He changed the subject and extended an olive branch, "Isn't Dabo Town going to start construction soon? If you need manpower, just let me know."

"Uncle Lin is joking." Cheng Ye waved his hand with a smile. "The most important thing is to build up Wenlu County. We can take our time with the Dabo Town matter."

After saying that, he secretly thought to himself that he had lowered his opinion of Lin Bao by one notch.

Even at this point, do you still treat him like a greenhorn?

Trying to act like an elder and offer only a few petty benefits within one's authority to get Yueye the position of deputy station chief is simply a pipe dream.

after an hour.

Cheng Ye walked out of the Personnel Coordination Office with a smile, but the smile gradually faded after he got into the car.

Lin Bao probably didn't expect that he would be eliminated before the competition for deputy station chief Yue Ye even officially began.

They were eliminated even earlier than Zhou Changhai, a fence-sitter who was good at playing tricks.

“Partnering with Lin Bao is just asking for trouble. In terms of methods, he is far inferior to Lei Hu; in terms of control over subordinates, he is not as good as Davidson; even his attitude towards me is still that of an elder. It’s really…” Cheng Ye sighed inwardly.

No wonder Ding Yishan sent Lin Bao to inquire about Lu County to check the other two. With a personality that wants both benefits and is unwilling to lower himself, there is indeed no need to worry about him colluding with Davidson.

As long as we can keep Lin Bao in a high position, he will be a qualified vanguard, able to work for the Dong people, support the checkpoint, and we don't have to worry about him having any other ideas.

Mu Shuang, who was standing next to Cheng Ye, noticed the change in Cheng Ye's expression, but did not dare to ask any questions and obediently drove towards the central district.

As the vehicle drove to the edge of Wenlu County, a small building of similar size to Lin Bao's came into view, with a sign above the door that read "Wenlu County Materials Coordination Office".

Unlike Lin Bao, who personally greeted him at the door, Davidson only sent two clerks to wait downstairs.

The group was ushered into the building. Mu Shuang and the guard team were led to the reception room, while the clerk took Cheng Ye to his office on the third floor.

Pushing open the door, the room was clearly divided into an office area and a living area, with a single bed placed against the wall.

Davidson, dressed in a clean and tidy shirt and trousers, was standing by the clothes rack in front of the bed, holding a garment steamer and carefully ironing a brown coat.

Seeing Cheng Ye enter, he didn't rush to put down the garment steamer, but turned around and smiled, "Prosecutor Cheng, please wait a moment."

The clerk bowed and left the room. Cheng Ye's gaze swept across the wall, where the documents were neatly arranged. Compared to Lin Bao's ruggedness, Davidson seemed to have inherited Towns's refinement.

On the desk, a draft plan submitted by a subordinate for the construction of a connecting road to Dabo Town was prominently displayed.

He didn't pick it up out of curiosity to look through it; he simply waited quietly. Only after Davidson finished ironing did the two sit down opposite each other at the coffee table in the office area.

There was no cloud and mist tea like Lin Bao's, only two cups of simple hot water.

Davidson picked up his water glass, took a small sip, and sighed, "When I first met Prosecutor Cheng, I told Station Chief Downs that you were ruthless but lacked a solid foundation, and that you would ultimately be nothing more than stubborn and self-destructive. Now it seems that my judgment was only half right."

"Oh?" Cheng Ye picked up his water glass, looking puzzled. "I don't remember us meeting before?"

“It was on your very first day in Station Master Downs’ office,” Davidson chuckled. “I was talking to the station master right then, sitting behind the screen.”

"Oh!" Cheng Ye nodded in realization. At that time, he was still an ordinary person and had no idea that there was another person sitting behind the screen.

“This era is indeed different from ours. Only by being ruthless can one gain a foothold. Whether one’s foundation is solid or not ultimately depends on one’s achievements,” Davidson said in a deep voice. “You are more outstanding than your father, yet your personality is completely different, which really surprises me.”

“Prosecutor Davidson, I’ve already been to Prosecutor Lin Bao’s office. Please speak frankly.” Cheng Ye didn’t respond to his words and went straight to the point.

"Raul should have mentioned to you that he wanted to make a deal with you, right?"

"Yes, you want me to take your child to Yueye?"

“Yes.” Davidson nodded sincerely without any attempt to hide it. “I have four sons. Although they are far less outstanding than you, they are all qualified and competent prosecutors, but they lack some practical experience.”

"I will leave one of my third and fourth sons in the buffer zone and the other in Wenlu County. As for Raul and my second son, could Raul go to Yueye to take up a spot? I plan to send my second son to Xiasha County, which is already in the planning stage, to serve as an inspector."

“Four sons, four places.” Cheng Ye discerned the underlying meaning and clicked his tongue in amazement. “Prosecutor Davidson, you have quite the ambition.”

Compared to the paltry benefits offered by Lin Bao, Davidson's initial hints were tempting enough.

Lin Bao is right. Whether you can maintain your position and achieve results depends on whether you have people under you and whether people listen to what you say.

If Davidson's sons were in the buffer zone, Wenlu County, and Xiasha, then with Raul acting as a mouthpiece, the station chief of Yueye would essentially have a network of connections available in all four locations.

Within the Western second-generation circle, the Davidson family clearly holds a dominant position. With them helping to relay messages, his voice naturally carries more weight.

“I wouldn’t call it ambition, I just want to contribute more to Happiness City,” Davidson said slowly. “I won’t compete for the position of deputy stationmaster of Yueye. That’s a place that’s suitable for a young person like you who is ambitious, resourceful, and can quickly gain the trust of the higher-ups. Everyone will feel at ease if you go there. But I won’t let go of the position of duty stationmaster of the central station.”

"As long as you are willing to give me your vote, you will only need to provide 30% of the materials for the infrastructure construction in Dabo Town, and I will take care of the remaining 70%."

He paused, then immediately added, "This isn't a one-off deal, but a long-term commitment. Even if I leave Wenlu County, these 70% of the materials will continue to be supplied until the limit is exceeded by 500,000 contribution points."

What a grand gesture!
Cheng Ye was secretly surprised. Davidson dared to say that, clearly the materials for those 500,000 contribution points weren't taken from the public resources of Wenlu County, but rather he was going to subsidize it with his own money?

“That’s right. This part is subsidized to Big Wave Town by the Davidson family and will not take up any public resources.” Davidson grinned. “I’ve basically not been at the checkpoint for years. I’m always on field missions. I’m also in charge of the operation and management of the Hundred Ghosts Gang. Of course, the source of this fund can be verified. I can guarantee that not a single penny is from embezzlement.”

"Furthermore, my wife is the deputy head of Industrial Zone D, my wife's father is a standing director of Industrial Zone C, my wife's brother is the deputy head of Industrial Zone C, and my wife's younger brother is..."

Like reciting a menu, Davidson rattled off more than a dozen relatives in one breath.

Surprisingly, they were all district managers of the industrial park or factory directors or managers of some factory.

Damn it? !
Is this the power of family?!

Cheng Ye cursed inwardly. Compared to Davidson, a "nobody" who made a fortune quietly, Cheng Long was practically a lone commander.

No wonder Raul has such high prestige in the second generation circle. It is probably not only due to the intimidation of Davidson, the fifth-generation prosecutor and deputy station chief, but also inseparable from the huge family power behind him.

The industrial zone's network of relationships alone can guarantee that any need for supplies can be met.

Wait, could this also be Ding Yishan's arrangement?

Appointing Davidson to be in charge of the material arrangements in Wenlu County was also a way to leverage the industrial zone's network to ensure a stable supply of resources to Wenlu County.

"No wonder he didn't compete for the position of deputy station chief of Yueye." Cheng Ye's heart stirred slightly. "With such great family power in his hands, if he were to gain even greater real power on the border, who could possibly keep him in check?"

Davidson's decision to withdraw from the competition shows that he understood better than anyone who granted him power and where its boundaries lay.

To climb higher, one must continuously cultivate "allies" and expand one's family network. Only through iterative upgrades to this network can one advance further in power.

"Five hundred thousand contribution points, Inspector Davidson, that's a lot."

The words have not yet fallen.

Davidson gritted his teeth and replied, "Seven hundred thousand!"

?

No, I haven't even said my line about asking for more money yet!
This self-awareness impressed Cheng Ye, so he decided to stop beating around the bush and directly state his terms:

"An eight-lane road?"

“No problem!” Davidson immediately agreed.

"The construction support of one million contribution points must not be reduced by a single penny!"

Davidson hesitated for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "No problem!"

"Dabo Town needs to purchase equipment from the industrial park."

“If you need anything, just give Raul a call, and he’ll take care of it for you,” Davidson interrupted him, his tone decisive.

Okay, okay, so this means you agree to use this network of connections?

Cheng Ye's heart stirred, but he didn't feel that he was asking for less. After all, the support the elders gave to Dabo Town only amounted to 500,000 contribution points, of which 400,000 had to be paid in installments.

Although Davidson's support couldn't be directly deposited into his account, the money he received made him rich from bribes.

However, it is perfectly suited for the construction of Dabo Town. Satellite city infrastructure construction is a public matter, and no one can find fault with it.

All he had to give up was a prosecutor's position in Yueye Shelter City and a vote.

"make a deal!"

"Prosecutor Cheng, thank you for your understanding!"

The two stood up at the same time, their hands loosely clasped, but their faces showed the same calmness, without surprise or joy.

Perhaps this is the tacit understanding among intelligent people: only talk about money, not feelings.

(End of this chapter)