Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 282 The Big Plan, Liu Bi's Surprise!

As one of the earliest members of Cheng Long's group, Liu Bi does not deny his own position.

Combat and leading troops.

This is what he excels at, and it's also the quality that a prosecutor needs most in this era of great expansion.

Unfortunately, his glorious era ended too abruptly, so abruptly that he didn't even have time to make a transition.

As the major sanctuary cities unexpectedly retreated into a state of retreat, ceasing their outward expansion, his two most prized abilities instantly became half-useless.

In the years that followed, Liu Bi did consider changing his career path, but the members of his small group were all exceptional talents, each possessing abilities that were difficult for others to match.

Despite his shrewd calculations, he couldn't match Wang Kang's father, Wang Cheng.

While he seemed to have a broad perspective, he couldn't keep up with Xu Xing, who joined the group later.

Each of them, including Zhang Guan and Zhao Lingchuan, has their own unique talent and the ability to stand alone.

Just as no one can replicate his decisiveness and teamwork when leading the charge, it would be like climbing to the sky for him to catch up with those people's expertise in their respective fields.

But that doesn’t mean he’s a complete mess in other areas.

As an inspector in Happy City, he was confident that he could consistently perform at a mid-to-upper level in basic tasks such as construction and reclamation, as well as containment and verification. Even compared to senior inspectors in other sanctuary cities, he was by no means inferior.

As the truck slowly slowed down at the town entrance, Liu Bi squinted, carefully examining the overall layout of Dabo Town.

The truck drivers who deliver goods to and from Dabo Town were among the first outsiders to come into contact with this emerging town.

These days, Liu Bi likes to sneak over to the drivers when they have dinner in the evening and ask everyone what they think of Dabo Town.

This questioning lasted for half a month, and he had already sketched out the initial appearance of Dabo Town in his mind.

But seeing it with my own eyes now, I couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion and surprise.

This plan is so well-organized!
Unlike other satellite towns that were in complete chaos as soon as they started, Dabo Town, despite the bustling construction activity, showed no signs of disorder.

Compared to the original layout, the current Dabo Town has been moved northward as a whole.

The town center was moved away from the original riverbank, to a location two kilometers away from the riverbank dock.

This instantly opened up the previously cramped development space, freeing it from the constraints of old-era planning and infrastructure, allowing for the creation of more comprehensive functional zones and construction blueprints.

At present, the road network of Dabo Town has been fully planned and constructed. Although the road surface has not yet been paved with asphalt, the overall structure has been formed.

The main road is six meters wide and designed as a two-way four-lane road. The tracks left by the road roller are neat and clear. A one-meter-wide sidewalk is reserved on each side of the road, and the manhole covers of the underground pipeline are arranged in a neat and orderly manner.

Workers had already pre-buried street light bases along the roadside, setting up one every fifteen meters. Once the power grid is connected, the nights in Dabo Town will surely be brightly lit.

The side roads extending from the main road divide the entire town of Dabo into several functionally distinct areas.

The first thing that comes into view is the wall under construction near the riverbank.

In rebuilding civilization in a wasteland overrun by infected creatures, safety is always the top priority.

Although everyone knows how important the Baishui River is to the economy and development of Dabo Town, no one dares to ignore the deadly threat that may be lurking in the river. Those infected bodies that could come ashore at any time are like a sword hanging over the town's head.

If barriers are not set up between the town and the riverbank, the entire town of Dabo could face a survival crisis if a powerful source of infection were to reach the shore.

For this reason, the planning standards of this wall are extremely high, with a height of ten meters and a thickness of three meters, which is enough to block the impact of ordinary fusion bodies and is the first line of defense for Dabo Town facing the riverbank.

Meanwhile, guard towers behind the wall were also under construction. These towers were attached to the concrete wall and were distributed at a density of one every fifty meters in the core area of ​​the town.

As soon as an infected person comes ashore, it will be detected immediately, followed by the fiercest counterattack.

Behind the wall, the area closest to the riverbank was further divided into two sections, front and back.

The first area near the asphalt road upon entering the town is the warehouse area of ​​Dabo Town.

Four tin-roofed warehouses are neatly arranged here, each fifty meters long and twenty meters wide, arranged in two rows side by side.

The warehouse walls have large ventilation openings, and the loading and unloading platform at the entrance has been poured, allowing trucks to drive directly in to load and unload goods without having to drive around the town and waste time.

What's even more thoughtful is that two prefabricated houses were set up at the entrance of the warehouse, with the words "Rest Room" hanging on the door, which is exactly the place that truck drivers have repeatedly praised.

Behind the storage area is the industrial zone that Dabo Town is currently building intensively.

More than ten steel structure factory buildings are arranged neatly, and the walls of the factory buildings are still made of thickened prefabricated panels, which are sturdy and can be quickly assembled.

Most notably, several conveyor belts were specially installed between the storage area and the industrial area.

Workers only need to sort the materials needed for each factory in the warehouse, and then these conveyor belts can be used to transport them directly to the corresponding factory, saving the trouble of manual handling.

Moreover, this way, materials don't have to be piled up in the factory in a mess, and it's much easier to classify and organize them, which can greatly improve production efficiency.

If you walk further in from the riverbank, you will reach the central area of ​​Dabo Town.

This area is planned as the core functional area of ​​the town, where various government agencies will be located in the future.

However, Dabo Town is not in need of these institutions yet, so a bunch of buildings have only had their foundations laid, and the main construction has not yet started. Neatly stacked building materials are laid on the ground, waiting for the subsequent progress to proceed according to the plan.

Further north, once you're completely out of the riverbank's influence, lies the public facilities area of ​​Dabo Town, which is also the town's service hub.

Two three-story buildings have been completed. One has a sign that reads "Supplies Collection and Sales Station" at the entrance, and the other is "Dabo Medical Station." They can be seen from afar and perfectly meet the basic service needs of the town in its early stages.

Further north from the public facilities area is the residential area.

This area is far enough from the riverbank that even if infected organisms break through the riverbank wall and enter, it will give residents ample buffer time to evacuate or organize defenses.

The modular prefabricated houses in the residential area are planned in a very orderly manner.

On the west side are six rows of square dormitory rooms, totaling sixty rooms, each capable of accommodating fifty people. When all rooms are occupied, they can accommodate three thousand people.

A two-meter-wide passageway was left between each prefabricated house to facilitate residents' passage and daily management. The outermost perimeter of the area was also surrounded by a simple iron fence for initial protection.

The east side consists of forty independent family rooms, forming a separate residential area.

Unlike the densely packed communal sleeping quarters, the family rooms are much more spaced apart, and even after being enclosed by wire mesh, there seems to be open space specifically left for residents to move around.

Unfortunately, the distance was too far, and the details were not clearly visible.

Before Liu Bi could take a further look, several agile figures quickly approached from the direction of the town.

"This gentleman looks completely unfamiliar."

Hou Genbao, all smiles, approached the lead truck and peered over to ask, "Is this your first time delivering goods to Dabo Town?"

"Huh?" Niu Fu, in the driver's seat, was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "How did you know it was my first time here?"

"To be honest, I can remember any driver who has ever come to our Dabo Town after just one meeting."

As Hou Genbao spoke, his gaze swept over the trucks behind him, and he called out their names, "Master Zhang, Master Wei, Master Duan, these guys behind are all old acquaintances."

Hearing him call out the other drivers' names accurately, Niu Fu nodded inwardly, but said without changing his expression:
"The goods we're transporting today are quite important, so we're specifically assigned to escort them."

"Understood!" Hou Genbao immediately raised his hand to point the way. "Just drive the car into warehouse number four. We've already arranged for workers to wait to pick it up."

From the town gate to warehouse number four, there was a huge space left at the entrance, making it easy for trucks to back in.

However, before the two could even get out of the car, the back door of the warehouse was pushed open, and forty young men filed in.

Everyone was wearing simple T-shirts, and their arm muscles were well-defined, clearly indicating that they did manual labor year-round.

Immediately afterwards, ten more women walked in from the warehouse entrance, each carrying a clean towel and a cup full of water.

As soon as Liu Bi and Niu Fu jumped out of the car, a woman greeted them with a smile: "You two have worked hard. Please wipe your sweat and have some water. Loading and unloading this batch of goods will take some time. Why don't you go to the rest room next door and take a break?"

"In addition, we also offer basic massage services to help you relax your back."

"Huh?" Liu Bi was momentarily stunned.

He subconsciously turned his head to look at the drivers who were getting off the other trucks one after another. Unexpectedly, those people took the towels and water cups with practiced ease, chatting and laughing with the women, and then strode towards the lounge, their eyes revealing a hint of expectation. They were obviously regulars who enjoyed this treatment.

Wait a minute, didn't I hear someone say that when delivering goods to Dabo Town, the drivers also have to help unload the goods, and they are always exhausted?

But given the current situation, why would the driver need to lift a finger?

Liu Bi had some doubts, but he didn't refuse and followed the others into the lounge.

The space inside was much larger than he had expected. Not only were there beds for people to lie down and rest, but there were also several rocking chairs, and a radio in the corner was playing soothing music, creating a tranquil atmosphere. The drivers, who had been chatting casually, instantly became somewhat uneasy when Liu Bi walked in.

It wasn't until Liu Bi glanced over and gave a subtle nod that everyone quickly relaxed again.

"Please lie face down on the bed!"

Liu Bi did as instructed and lay down on the bed. As soon as he settled down, a pair of rough but powerful hands pressed down on him through his short sleeves.

Although the technique was not professional, and even a bit sloppy, after a few presses, the tense muscles in his lower back were indeed relieved quite a bit, so comfortable that he couldn't help but squint his eyes.

In the past, when drivers traveled all over the country on field missions, only those special sanctuaries that relied heavily on traveling merchants would offer them such treatment.

Who would have thought that this could be enjoyed in Dabo Town, Happiness City?!
The massage lasted about ten minutes, after which the women quietly withdrew, leaving the rest room open.

What surprised Liu Bi even more was that this unassuming prefabricated rest room was actually soundproofed, completely blocking out the noise from the outside construction.

Accompanied by melodious music from the radio, the room was quiet and comfortable. Looking at the ceiling, one would momentarily forget that this was a wasteland full of dangers, and even more so, that it was a newly emerging satellite city under construction, still showing signs of immaturity.

"Old Zhang, didn't you say you always had to help unload the goods and were so tired you couldn't straighten your back? Why are you enjoying yourself here now?" Liu Bi lay down for a while, then got up and looked at Old Zhang, who was leaning against a rocking chair not far away, and asked.

Old Zhang, whose name was called, looked up, chuckled, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, saying, "Prosecutor Liu, we pulled a lot of strings to get this delivery job to Dabo Town. If other drivers knew how good the pay was here, they'd all be vying for it, and then we wouldn't have a chance."

He paused, then added shrewdly, "The roads and factories in this town can't be hidden. Everyone will see them sooner or later. We can only pretend to say that unloading is tiring and the work is difficult to fool others. Otherwise, how would we get the chance to come here every day for this lucrative job?"

Good heavens, these people are really cunning.

Most of the truck drivers who can work in the industrial zone have some kind of nepotism; they are either relatives of the director or manager of some government agency, or members of a large family in Happiness City.

Therefore, when he questioned them, these people were not intimidated and all chuckled, their faces full of tacit understanding.

"From what you're saying, besides not having to unload cargo and being able to rest, are there any other advantages to this place?" Liu Bi then asked.

"Of course!" Old Zhang smacked his lips, a look of reminiscence on his face. "If the delivery is after six o'clock in the afternoon, we can stay for a bowl of fresh fish soup before we leave. That fish soup is so delicious, it's a hundred times better than any nutritional supplement!"

“It’s not just fish soup!” someone else chimed in. “Sometimes they also have stir-fried fish pieces. Last time I came, I was late, and Inspector Cheng came over to visit us personally, bringing us a big pot of stir-fried fish pieces. It smelled amazing!”

“I heard from the workers in charge of unloading that Dabo Town is going to make canned fish, and they’re planning to make several different flavors. I’ll have to buy a few cans to take back with me when they come out. No caravans have come this year, so we can’t buy any fresh winter supplies.”

"We're not just making canned food; we'll also be producing bagged grilled fish in the future, which can be eaten simply by heating it up!"

The drivers started chatting, sharing all sorts of new information that you would never hear in the industrial area.

Liu Bi and Niu Fu exchanged a glance, both speechless with astonishment.

What surprised the two was not only the drivers' unanimous high praise for Dabo Town, but also the key information hidden behind these words.

Currently, all the satellite cities are focused on development, and the only way to know how each town has developed is through the truck drivers who travel back and forth.

It's no exaggeration to say that most of the news circulating in the industrial zone about the satellite city comes from these people; the rest is what's broadcast in the evenings and the occasional "Little Sun" news broadcasts.

Nowadays, all the satellite cities are busy with construction, and we haven't heard of any of them having any product plans.

Upon thinking about it, Liu Bi immediately understood.

On the surface, the thoughtful services provided by Dabo Town are intended to win over drivers, but in reality, they are quietly building an important channel for information dissemination.

Once these so-called canned goods and grilled fish are actually shipped out, wouldn't it be easy for them to be transported to the industrial zone and other satellite cities through these drivers, without needing Dabo Town to send people over to promote them!

The two exchanged a glance, then got up and left the lounge without lingering any longer.

“Brother Bi, winter is just around the corner, and with the influence of the Travelers, I’ve heard that very few caravans are willing to come to Happiness City this autumn.” Niu Fu pondered as he walked, his tone full of certainty. “This year’s autumn goods will definitely be much less than in previous years. If Dabo Town can supply a batch of fresh fish before winter fully arrives, as long as the price is fair, it will definitely be snapped up!”

As he spoke, he seemed to already see the scene of Dabo Town's fish being snapped up and sold in various urban areas when the snow was falling heavily.

Large-scale construction is impossible in winter; people can only do odd jobs at most, and the industrial zone will also stop production due to the dry season.

In previous years, scavengers would buy some mutated beast meat to improve their meals during the New Year. Not to mention that there are over a million people in Happiness City and its satellite cities. Who wouldn't want to spend a few Happiness Coins to buy a fresh fish during the New Year to change the bland taste of drinking nutrient syrup all year round?
"I wonder how many fish are left in this river," Liu Bi pondered, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the Baishui River behind the wall.

Over the years, Happiness City has not expanded its land, and everyone has relied on nutrient syrup to make a living, so no one has paid any attention to these natural ingredients.

It wasn't until he overheard the drivers chatting that he suddenly realized that the residents' need for decent food had never disappeared; it had just been suppressed.

Right now, Happiness City is putting a lot of money into the construction of its satellite city, and by winter, residents will likely have accumulated a lot of Happiness Coins.

For Dabo Town, this was practically an opportunity delivered to their doorstep. The fish in the river didn't require any extra equipment; as long as people were sent to catch and clean them, almost all the profits would be pure profit.

“The reserves must be substantial.” Niu Fu looked at the white river water. “This river hasn’t been properly fished for one or two decades, so there must be a lot of fish left.”

Liu Bi didn't reply, but instead raised his hand and called over Hou Genbao, who was watching the workers unloading goods not far away.

Seeing that the two men were tall and composed, clearly not ordinary drivers, Hou Genbao didn't dare to be negligent and quickly ran over to respectfully ask, "What can I do for you, gentlemen?"

"What should I call you?" Liu Bi asked in a deep voice.

"My name is Hou Genbao. You two can just call me Monkey or Little Monkey," Hou Genbao quickly replied.

"Monkey." Liu Bi nodded slightly, getting straight to the point, "Where's Prosecutor Cheng?"

"Oh, the tower crane is to be delivered today. Inspector Cheng sent someone to Lu County early this morning to coordinate manpower and transportation. I reckon he won't be back until tonight," Hou Genbao replied briskly.

"Wenlu County?" Liu Bi frowned slightly, then suddenly realized, pointing to the construction vehicles in the distance, "Those construction vehicles outside, they all belong to Wenlu County?"

“That’s right!” Hou Genbao nodded immediately. “Prosecutor Cheng has coordinated with Wenlu County. Their construction has been temporarily halted. They are only focusing on finishing up the buildings whose foundations have already been laid. The idle construction vehicles have all been loaned to our Dabo Town. Once Wenlu County resumes construction, the vehicles can be sent back.”

Is there such a good thing?
Liu Bi's furrowed brows instantly relaxed. He never expected that the stagnation of development in Wenlu County would instead be a great gift to Dabo Town.

Coordinate tower cranes?

This kid has quite the appetite!
Liu Bi was secretly alarmed. He knew that the tower cranes currently in use were all hastily made in the industrial zone, and their numbers were pitifully small. If Dabo Town could get its hands on even one, the construction speed would definitely increase significantly. Perhaps, with this momentum, they could even catch up with those satellite cities that started earlier.

"Excellent!" Liu Bi couldn't help but exclaim in praise, then immediately changed the subject, "Why don't you get two people to show us around the town?"

"Uh..." Hou Genbao was stunned for a moment, muttering to himself.

Compared to the other drivers' politeness and restraint, these two really didn't treat themselves as outsiders, making requests as naturally as if they were on their own turf.

But he dared not refuse, and tentatively asked, "May I ask how you two are addressed?"

“This is Prosecutor Liu,” Niu Fu immediately replied.

Prosecutor?

Hou Genbao's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly realized what was going on. He quickly put away his hesitation and nodded repeatedly: "Prosecutor Liu, this way please! I'll personally show you around the town."

"Won't this interfere with your work?" Liu Bi asked casually.

"How could it be a delay!" Hou Genbao quickly bent down to lead the way, a perfectly timed smile on his face, friendly without being obsequious. "One of my duties is to receive distinguished guests, and making you satisfied is my most important task right now. By the way, should I send someone to inform Prosecutor Cheng that you have arrived?"

"No need, we'll talk about it when he gets back tonight." Liu Bi waved his hand, then suddenly couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It's all been a waste of time worrying about Cheng Ye in the industrial zone; I never expected this kid to have such abilities.

Not only could he plan Dabo Town in an orderly manner, but he could also win over a shrewd and capable person like Hou Genbao to oversee the town.

Just based on Hou Genbao's tact and manner in dealing with people, it greatly improved people's first impression of Dabo Town.

Liu Bi subconsciously put himself in the role of the inspector in charge of the satellite city. After thinking for a long time, he realized that all the people under him were honest and hardworking, and he couldn't find a person like Hou Genbao who knew how to handle things.

Moreover, even if he were to plan the town, he might not be able to do so with such thoroughness and detail.

This kid, we haven't seen each other for only three months, and he's already brought such a big surprise?

Liu Bi stroked his chin, then thought about it again and felt it wasn't surprising. After all, when they were practicing martial arts, he had seen that Cheng Ye was resilient and exceptionally bright, but he had never encountered a stage where he could show his skills.

Now, this town of Dabo has become his perfect arena, allowing him to fully unleash his abilities.

In that case, the only thing he can use to suppress Cheng Ye is his old skills of fighting and leading a team.

Liu Bi secretly compared his strengths and weaknesses to Cheng Ye's, at least in terms of combat. He was certain that three months was not enough time for Cheng Ye to catch up.

No, the fact that he can hit himself with one hand means this kid has improved incredibly fast.

"Hey, back when I followed Brother Long, I was only responsible for fighting and leading the team. Does that mean that if I stay with Cheng Ye, I'll still only be doing the same old thing?"

As Liu Bi thought this to himself, a smile crept onto his lips, and he couldn't help but feel even more excited about their meeting that evening!
(End of this chapter)