Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 281 Liu Bi emerges from seclusion, and everything is renewed!
The days passed by in a routine, without much excitement or ups and downs.

Before I knew it, another half month had quietly passed.

To outsiders, Cheng Ye, who had just been promoted to core inspector, seemed to have truly let go of all ambitions for power and profit. He had left the turbulent buffer zone and plunged headlong into the construction of the satellite city, no longer concerned with the outside world's disturbances.

Initially, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) sent people to guard outside Tai Po town, keeping a close eye on his movements.

But as time went on, seeing that Cheng Ye had no intention of returning to the city, these people gave up completely.

After all, controlling a junior prosecutor and controlling a senior prosecutor are two completely different things.

They had previously targeted Cheng Ye, who had just taken office, hoping to find a breakthrough in the checkpoint and test its true bottom line.

However, Cheng Ye consistently refused to take the bait, making their carefully designed tests a joke and highlighting their clumsy and ugly tactics.

Furthermore, Ding Yishan promptly handed over his security detail and adopted a stance of fully cooperating with the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), thus suppressing the open conflict between the two sides.

September 26th.

Industrial zone.

Lei Hu sat in the newly established checkpoint office, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so inspectors standing below.

The expressions on everyone's faces varied; some were gloomy and inscrutable, some were solemn, and others showed a hint of sorrow.

These are all inspectors whose records weren't clean after the checkpoints conducted their own self-examinations; their ranks range from Phase One to Phase Four. Once they're arrested and questioned by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), they'll inevitably reveal a lot that's detrimental to the checkpoints.

That's why Lei Hu specifically brought them all to work in the industrial zone.

Firstly, it was to have them help with the distribution of supplies to the satellite cities, and secondly, it was to relieve some of the pressure on Ding Yishan, ease the current tense pace, and give each satellite city more time to develop.

Of course, a tall, muscular figure in the corner seemed out of place, his excitement barely concealed, making him stand out in the somber atmosphere of the room.

Lei Hu looked over and sighed inwardly.

He had a long-standing feud with Cheng Long in his early years, but he had to admit that Cheng Long's conduct was always upright, and the prosecutors who followed him were all clean-cut.

If the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) can find something out about Lau Bi, then probably no one at the checkpoint will be spared.

However, now is clearly not the time to ponder these things.

Lei Hu snapped out of his thoughts and asked in a deep voice, "Have all the embezzled funds that were discovered in you been returned?"

"They've all been returned! All of them have been returned!" Several inspectors quickly stepped forward and responded repeatedly.

Lei Hu nodded slightly, but his expression suddenly darkened, and his gaze locked onto a short, stout figure who hadn't moved an inch in the crowd: "Wei Yuantun, where's your stolen money? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Station Chief Lei Lei." Cold sweat poured down Wei Yuantun's forehead, and his voice trembled. "The amount verified is too large. I can't come up with the money to refund it right now."

"You fucking know the amount is too big, huh?" Lei Hu's voice was deep and thunderous, buzzing and echoing in the room, making everyone's eardrums hurt. "Just the amount that has already been investigated is 230,000 contribution points! I'm really impressed, where did you, an ordinary third-stage prosecutor, get so much money?!"

“Station Chief Lei, this money isn’t embezzled funds, it’s an investment!” Wei Yuantun hurriedly explained. “When visiting merchant caravans ask me for loans, I always get the money from them with IOUs. I’ve never used my position as an inspector to force them to take it! Besides, I’ve invested all this money in several fourth-term inspectors at the station. When they come back in winter, yes, when they come back, I’ll definitely be able to cover this shortfall!”

"Ha," Lei Hu sneered, his tone full of mockery, "Not relying on your status as a prosecutor? The IOU is stamped with the station's official seal, how come it's not your personal seal, Wei Yuantun?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yuantun immediately lost his confidence to argue.

In the past, whenever a caravan came to Happiness City, he would always come to him to borrow anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand contribution points.

Then they invested the funds they had raised in the fourth batch of inspectors who were out on missions at the checkpoint, waiting to receive dividends at the end of the year.

Regardless of whether he repays the money in the end, the fact that the loan application was not compliant with regulations is enough to label him as a forcibly borrower.

The total amount of IOUs verified so far has reached 230,000 contribution points.

"Tell me, what do you need so much money for? To save it for your own life?" Lei Hu's tone was full of anger.

"This...this is all for the development of the checkpoint," Wei Yuantun hurriedly wiped the cold sweat from his face and forced a defense. "Every spring when the senior inspectors at the station go out, they also borrow funds from us. I'm just helping them solve their cash flow problems. Besides, I only keep half of the annual dividends; the other half goes to the station, doesn't it?"

"Get out!" Lei Hu roared. "You still dare to keep half of it? This year's profits, and all the profits from previous years, you must hand them all over to the checkpoint! Not a penny less! Otherwise, I'll just throw you into the Independent Commission Against Corruption, do you understand?"

"Understood! Understood! Station Chief Lei!" Hearing Lei Hu relent, Wei Yuantun quickly patted his chest and assured him, "I'll pay the money as soon as Inspector Li Ming returns!"

Compared to others, his messy life is definitely in the top three.

Most of the other prosecutors at the station were single and had no ties, but the Wei family was a large and wealthy family with a total of over a hundred members. Every aspect of their daily lives required money.

Moreover, he not only invested in the prosecutor, but also made investments in several other gathering places.

Before the investigation was thorough, everyone praised his abilities; now that it's been taken seriously, these very things have become evidence against him.

Moreover, what has been found so far is only the funds that are publicly known. He really doesn't dare to imagine what would happen if the secretly transported supplies were also uncovered. Would the checkpoint really turn against him to clear their own name?

Lei Hu took several deep breaths to suppress the surging anger in his heart, then asked in a deep voice, "What about you guys who were transporting controlled supplies to the surrounding settlements and sheltered cities?"

The room was deathly silent; no one answered.

The prosecutors involved looked at each other, their faces extremely grim, but they couldn't utter a single word.

Those who are greedy for money can at least return the stolen goods, and at least maintain a semblance of cleanliness after returning them. But this matter is impossible to resolve. They can't really send people to silence everyone who knows about the supply chain, can they?
Moreover, everyone knew in their hearts that supplies were being sent out, but no one had taken it seriously before.

Now that they are suddenly being asked to seriously investigate, without any prior warning, they are truly at a loss.

"Fine! Very well!" Lei Hu laughed angrily, slamming his hand heavily on the stool leg, making a loud slapping sound. "It seems you really need to go to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for a cup of tea before you can properly reflect on what kind of mess you've made all these years!"

He stared at the group, his tone firm: "Do I need to teach you what to do? Return double the supplies you took out to the checkpoint right now! Return them to Happiness City! That's called admitting your mistakes and correcting them, understand?"

After a long silence, a few scattered responses came from the audience: "Understood!"

Seeing this perfunctory attitude, Lei Hu sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead, utterly exhausted.

But just as the scene became dull, a deep male voice suddenly broke the silence: "Station Chief Lei, my mission is complete. Can I leave here and return to the buffer zone now?"

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to look in that direction.

Despite being stared at by more than a dozen eyes, Liu Bi didn't care at all. He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and laughed with an exceptionally unrestrained and flamboyant manner.

Lei Hu raised his head again, opened his mouth as if to say something, but finally said in a deep voice, "Prosecutor Liu, your application to end your mission has been approved. You can go pack your luggage in a little while."

"It's all packed up already, I finished packing it yesterday!" Liu Bi replied quickly, his excitement barely concealed.

These words, however, sounded like steel needles pricking the ears of the other prosecutors.

They were both in the industrial zone, but they were filled with anxiety, while Liu Bi was able to leave with ease. This contrast was truly distressing.

“Dabo Town submitted important materials for the repair of the hydropower station yesterday, and I was thinking of escorting them there as well, so I could hitch a ride,” Liu Bi added.

"Go on, fill out a form in my office, and hurry up and leave." Lei Hu waved his hand and didn't say anything more.

Previously, leaving Liu Bi in the industrial zone allowed him to lend a hand and say things that were inconvenient for him to say himself.

But now that we have more than a dozen prosecutors on hand, we have more than enough people to handle affairs, let alone run errands and serve tea. It would be a waste to keep Liu Bi, a fourth-term prosecutor, here.

Moreover, everyone present knew perfectly well why Liu Bi had been sent to the industrial zone by Ding Yishan.

Now, Cheng Ye has smoothly inherited Cheng Long's name and has almost seamlessly taken over most of the power in Cheng Long's hands.

The pace of progress was astonishingly fast, yet it was remarkably easy for everyone to accept.

It's simply a matter of treating the young Cheng Ye as a continuation of Cheng Long. Moreover, compared to Cheng Long's style of doing things, Cheng Ye's personality is obviously more likable and he is more adaptable.

Liu Bi nodded, turned around with a spirited air, pushed open the door and left, his steps exuding a light and quick energy.

Outside the office door, a similarly tall and robust man was already standing.

Upon seeing him come out, the man immediately went up to him: "Brother Bi, how did it go?"

"Let's go, let's go, we can leave now!" Liu Bi couldn't hide the joy on his face.

Although this mission has only taken a little over three months from leaving the city to today.

Compared to previous years' fieldwork, this year's work is exceptionally easy and comfortable.

However, the buffer zone was in turmoil during this period, and Happiness City was undergoing major changes, making him feel like every day was an eternity.

If it weren't for the fact that he still had to coordinate the allocation of supplies, he would have quit long ago.

The two entered Lei Hu's office. Liu Bi casually grabbed a form to leave the city, filled it out, and quickly stamped it with the official seal of the temporary checkpoint office.

Holding the exit permit in his hand, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the man beside him with a smile, saying, "Old Niu, you've been running errands for me for the past three months. It's really been a lot of trouble."

“This is no trouble at all.” Niu Fu, known as Old Niu, waved his hand. “We’ve stayed in the industrial zone without moving. We have unlimited access to whatever we want to eat and drink every day. It’s even more comfortable than the inner city.”

"That's true, but Cheng Ye is probably getting impatient. He's waiting for me to go on field missions together." Liu Bi carefully stuffed the exit slip into his breast pocket, then returned to his assigned cramped room, quickly took out two packed military bags, carried one for himself, and handed the other to Niu Fu.

According to regulations, ordinary prosecutors are not entitled to have their own clerks, but once they are promoted to the third phase, they can apply to the inspection station for special staffing authority.

Niu Fu, for example, was working under the title of a driver for the Public Works Department, which allowed him to receive both a salary from the Public Works Department and an extra allowance from the checkpoint.

Unfortunately, all the other clerks under Cheng Long had participated in that "disaster," and now only he and Niu Fu are left in the whole group.

The two walked out of the office and headed towards the logistics and shipping area, seemingly familiar with the area.

It's somewhat like a modern bus terminal, with each satellite city having its own large warehouse here specifically for storing goods awaiting transport.

The logistics zone operates without interruption.

Every day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., trucks come and go in an endless stream, transporting large quantities of newly produced goods to various satellite cities. From 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning, special personnel will transfer the supplies requested by various shelter cities from the factories to these logistics warehouses in batches, in preparation for the distribution the next day.

When you arrive at the No. 16 logistics warehouse with the sign "Dabo Town", the staff inside are busy loading trucks.

Liu Bi stepped forward and inspected each box. The boxes were filled with the top-quality supplies that he had personally selected the day before, without any adulteration.

"Good, pack them all carefully and securely." He instructed, "These are critical materials for the hydroelectric power station, so make sure they don't break down during the journey."

"Yes, Inspector Liu!" the staff responded in unison, their movements becoming even more cautious. Loading of the supplies had begun at six in the morning and had taken a full three hours, but it wasn't until 1:30 PM that all the supplies were safely loaded onto the truck.

At this moment, Manager Zhang, who was in charge of the logistics warehouse, came over with a thick list: "Inspector Liu, this is the list of materials for this shipment. Please check it."

These days, Liu Bi personally checks every shipment of supplies sent to Dabo Town to ensure there are no omissions or errors, something Manager Zhang has long been used to.

"Let me see." Liu Bi took the list and checked it against the supplies on the truck line by line. After confirming that everything was correct, he smiled and said to Manager Zhang, "Manager Zhang, thank you so much for your help these past few days. You've worked so hard."

“Inspector Liu, you’re being too polite,” Manager Zhang quickly waved his hand. “It’s precisely because you’re overseeing things that the logistics warehouse in Dabo Town is managed so well. You see, at the other warehouses, people from satellite cities come every day complaining about the quality or quantity of supplies. We’ve never had that kind of trouble here. Our colleagues at the other warehouses are all envious.”

"Hehe." Liu Bi scratched his head and smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

He knew that the people from other satellite cities were making trouble because the supplies they sent there often contained defective products.

The reason no one came to cause trouble in Dabo Town was simply because he was stationed there, and any problems could be resolved on the spot, without any chance to drag on and cause further disputes.

"After I leave, I probably won't be coming back here for a while." Liu Bi put away his smile and earnestly instructed, "I'll have to trouble Manager Zhang to keep an eye on the subsequent needs for supplies in Dabo Town. The standards should be the same as when I was here, without any reduction. Otherwise, I might come back and make a fuss."

"Inspector Liu, please rest assured!" Manager Zhang patted his chest and assured him, "After you leave, I will follow your rules. All supplies must be checked at least three times before being loaded onto the truck, and after loading, they must be checked twice more to confirm that there are no problems before the boxes are sealed and the truck is dispatched."

"Thank you!"

Liu Bi solemnly cupped his hands to Manager Zhang, and before getting into the car, he picked up a pen and deftly signed the thick stack of handover documents that Manager Zhang handed him.

Niu Fu watched in astonishment, and after the two boarded the lead truck, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Brother Bi, have you poured all your savings from all these years into the construction of Dabo Town?"

"I didn't have much money to begin with, only 40,000 contribution points in total, which is not even a fraction of what some third-stage prosecutors earn."

Liu Bi remained unfazed, showing no concern about his "bankruptcy." "I'm all alone, with no ties to me. I don't need to go into the inner city to spend money, nor do I have any large expenses. These contribution points are just numbers to me. But Dabo Town is in dire need of money and supplies right now. Brother Long left without a penny, so Cheng Ye's pressure is definitely greater than we thought."

He had a clear understanding of the situation. The 40,000 contribution points might be of some help in the early stages of Dabo Town, but once the town was on track, this amount of money would be completely insignificant.

Just like the supplies being transported to the hydropower station right now, their total value alone is as high as 97,000 contribution points.

So, taking advantage of this crucial initial stage, he invested all his wealth to help Cheng Ye take his first step steadily.

“That’s true.” Niu Fu nodded in agreement. “These days I’ve heard people talking about how much Dabo Town has changed, but it always felt a little unreal. Now I can finally see for myself.”

He changed the subject abruptly, asking, "Should we call Prosecutor Cheng first and tell him?"

"No need, let's just go there and give him a surprise." Liu Bi quickly shook his head.

If I had told them in advance, Cheng Ye might have lined up at the town entrance to greet them, and just thinking about that scene was embarrassing.

Niu Fu nodded in response, then picked up the walkie-talkie and methodically directed the five trucks to slowly drive out of the logistics area.

By the time the convoy reached the outpost checkpoint, the changes on the road were already visible to the naked eye.

"This road has definitely been extensively repaired!"

Liu Bi craned his neck, looking around. Three months ago when he came to the industrial zone, this national highway was barely smooth, especially the section from the industrial zone to the hydroelectric power station, which had not been repaired for safety reasons and involved passing through about five kilometers of jungle.

But the national highway in front of us is as smooth as a mirror, without even a slight undulation.

Even a truck with average comfort feels light and floating on it, without any bumps.

"Not bad at all. The changes this year are equivalent to the total of the past four or five years." Liu Bi looked at the scene on both sides of the road and felt very gratified.

As the truck headed toward Wenlu County, a road sign that read "Dabo Town" suddenly came into view.

He had seen those three words countless times in the logistics warehouse, and now seeing them on the roadside in the desolate countryside gave him a strange sense of unreality, as if the outside world had undergone earth-shattering changes in the three months he had been gone.

Moreover, the road leading to Dabo Town is in no worse condition than the main road from Xingfu City to the industrial zone. It is also paved with black, shiny asphalt, and the road surface is so clean that it can reflect the clouds flowing in the sky.

The only drawback is that the wilderness by the roadside has not yet been cultivated, and looking into the distance, it is a vast expanse of desolation.

As the convoy entered Wenlu County, near the fork in the road, the faint outlines of newly built buildings in Wenlu County could be seen.

This is similar to what truck drivers were saying in their casual conversations: since Zhou Changhai's defection, the construction of Wenlu County has been completely put on hold.

Now, not only do the material needs have to be reported to the inner city for approval before the vehicles can be dispatched, but even the internal construction plans have to be completely scrapped and started over because Xi Yan was taken away.

The reason is simple: Xi Yan was fully aware of the initial defensive setup and potential vulnerabilities.

If Wenlu County is built as originally planned, and Xingzhou takes the opportunity to infiltrate it, the trouble will be huge.

Therefore, the plan had to be changed temporarily, especially the underground security facilities, which had to be completely redesigned.

"What a pity," Liu Bi sighed softly. "Although Zhou Changhai likes to use his cleverness, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would make such a big mistake."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but drift into memories.

It wasn't until the truck slowly turned and drove completely onto the dedicated road leading to Dabo Town that they came to their senses.

The road remains a gleaming, smooth eight-lane road, with no compromises made. In terms of basic road infrastructure alone, Dabo Town has earned unanimous praise from all the truck drivers who travel this route.

Compared to the bumpy, rough roads that lead to other sanctuary cities, the journey to Big Wave Town was incredibly smooth. Except for a few bends where you had to slow down, you could speed along the rest of the road at full speed.

Moreover, unlike the surrounding areas of Wenlu County, although Dabo Town did not set up isolation strips and guardrails along the roadside, it reclaimed nearly 200 meters of wasteland along the roadside, leaving a wide blank area.

In this way, even if an infection source or infected person suddenly rushes out, people on the road can notice it immediately, allowing enough time to react.

After driving for about two kilometers, the smooth asphalt road in sight was suddenly interrupted by a neat cluster of buildings.

An outpost, similar in style to the industrial area, stands firmly across the middle of the road.

Its main structure is highly recognizable, with two pointed guard towers standing symmetrically, connected by an arc-shaped corridor in the middle. From a distance, it looks just like a stretched letter "M", exuding a sense of coldness under the gray sky.

The four lanes for both inbound and outbound traffic are clearly defined, with layers of barriers installed in front of each lane. Neat rows of dark crash barriers and retractable metal guardrails are suspended in the air. Speed ​​bumps and reflective warning signs are also installed nearby to constantly remind passing vehicles to slow down.

Above the outpost, a striking blue iron sign hangs on the crossbeam, with the five bold white characters "Dabo Checkpoint" standing out prominently, their powerful strokes swaying slightly in the wind.

Unfortunately, after a few glances, Liu Bi realized that the checkpoint was only there to screen people.

The main body is made of ordinary steel. If it encounters a troublesome infected or fusion body, it will probably be torn to pieces in no time.

However, there is no large-scale population movement in Dabo Town at the moment, so for now we only need to keep an eye on the status of outsiders.

Setting up a checkpoint here to focus on checking whether drivers entering and leaving have been infected is enough.

As the town develops in the future, more comprehensive checkpoints can be gradually built, further strengthening the security defense line.

The convoy slowly came to a stop for inspection. All drivers and accompanying personnel got out of the vehicles and lined up to cooperate with questioning and infection testing.

Soon it was Liu Bi's turn. When he saw the tall and imposing figure approaching, Rokuk, who was sitting behind the checkpoint, couldn't help but be stunned. Liu Bi, who had seen Rokuk's photo, was also stunned.

"Why are you working here?"

Why didn't you call ahead?

The two spoke in unison, and as soon as they finished speaking, their expressions changed subconsciously, and an awkward silence filled the air.

"Wasn't the assessment over a long time ago? Cheng Ye won, so why are you still staying in Dabo Town?"

"You must have just come from the industrial zone; you know nothing about what's happening outside?"

They spoke at the same time again, and Rokuk quickly stood up, smiling and gesturing for them to go first: "You go first."

"What is this?" Liu Bi stared at him, his face full of doubt.

“I’ve already joined the Big Wave Town checkpoint; all that’s left is to officially register my position here,” Rokuk said decisively.

Although he had never dealt with Liu Bi before, he had already learned some of the details through the information he had gathered.

Instead of beating around the bush and saying polite things, it's easier to win trust by being straightforward and telling the truth.

"Why?" Liu Bi frowned, somewhat puzzled, his eyes scanning Liu Bi up and down.

“It’s a long story,” Rococo shook his head. “Even if I explain it to you for a long time, you might not believe me. Why don’t you go in and have a good talk with Prosecutor Cheng? He’ll explain it to you and you’ll understand.”

"Hmm," Liu Bi pondered for a few seconds, then nodded, "No matter why you came here, as long as you are sincere about staying in Dabo Town to work, I have no objection."

"Heh," Rocco chuckled, extending an olive branch, "Prosecutor Liu, I hope we can become friends in the future."

Liu Bi didn't respond to that, but just looked at Rokuk with a thoughtful expression.

In a daze, he saw in Rococo the shadow of those who had willingly followed Cheng Long back then.

But then he thought, wasn't Cheng Ye just a trainee prosecutor before?
Rocco is a genuine third-term prosecutor. Even Jackie Chan, when he was a junior prosecutor, didn't have such strong personal charisma to win over senior prosecutors who followed him wholeheartedly. His influence was only gradually built up after he was promoted to third-term prosecutor.

After Rocco carefully checked the team's paperwork and personnel status according to procedure, and confirmed that there were no problems, he raised his hand to signal them to leave. Liu Bi still couldn't understand what was going on.

However, he vaguely sensed something unusual, such as Rokuk's seemingly normal legs, which walked with a certain stiffness.

But he didn't press the matter any further. Since he was already here, all his questions would be answered once he entered Dabo Town.

The five trucks started up again, lined up one after another, and drove through the checkpoint, continuing their journey deeper into Dabo Town.

The car traveled forward for about three kilometers. Although the road ahead was straight and without any turns, after passing a certain critical point, the surrounding scenery suddenly became clear.

One after another, the sounds of hammering and machinery roared from afar, conveying a strong sense of construction.

Looking towards the roadside, the wilderness surrounding Dabo Town has been cleared clean, leaving a wide, clear area that looks exceptionally tidy.

Within the large, empty circle, dozens of construction vehicles were shuttling back and forth, working busily and even more lively than in Wenlu County.

Looking ahead again, the outline of a continuous town came into clear view.

There was no sense of decay whatsoever; instead, it exuded an atmosphere of civilization comparable to that of Wenlu County.

We've arrived in Dabo Town!

(End of this chapter)