Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 285 The Hidden Black Zone, Liu Bi's Belief!

At one point, Cheng Ye suddenly realized that his previous understanding of Liu Bi was far too superficial.

When you first meet Liu Bi, he seems like a kind and reliable older brother. Sometimes he acts recklessly, which makes people think he is simple-minded.

However, as he gained a better understanding of the checkpoint, he also came into contact with many senior prosecutors, including Western prosecutors Li Matai and Luo Kuke from the third phase, as well as Eastern prosecutors Song Hai, Gu Xinjing, Zhang Wen, and others.

Without exception, these individuals may have clearly distinguished themselves in terms of individual strength, but they all demonstrated an extremely tenacious and strong mentality.

This mindset acts as a clear dividing line, distinctly separating them from the prosecutors of the first and second phases.

As a higher-ranking fourth-term prosecutor, how could Liu Bi really be just a brainless brute?
Upon closer examination of the differences, Cheng Ye realized that Liu Bi was no ordinary person.

Most of the other prosecutors who worked with Cheng Long were indifferent to their own bloodline and descendants, but Liu Bi was the only one who always cared a lot about his family and never changed his attitude towards them because of his involvement in the work of the checkpoint.

What's even more remarkable is that at the crucial juncture when Jackie Chan was preparing to "do something big," he decisively chose to part ways, yet still managed to win Jackie Chan's complete trust. Jackie Chan not only entrusted him with his affairs after his death but also left behind this thought-provoking statement.

This level of composure and ability is something that ordinary people cannot possess.

As for the words left behind by Cheng Long.

pioneer?
Only by achieving extraordinary success in keeping one's wishes can one cross that crucial threshold?
Cheng Ye couldn't help but linger in thought for a moment. Compared to the barren imagination of the wastelanders, his mind was much richer with his modern understanding.

Even if you haven't read many science fiction novels, these two sentences still give you a sense of déjà vu, like the difference between the real world and the outer world.

Does this mean that only when a person's spiritual power is raised to a certain level can they truly step into that hidden inner world?
However, Cheng Ye rejected this idea as soon as it came to mind.

The Traveler also belongs to the category of Wish-Keeping Extraordinaries. He is powerful and possesses bizarre abilities, single-handedly changing the landscape of Happiness City. The farmer who previously affected Master Tian is also in the Black Zone. In addition, there are quite a few other Wish-Keeping Extraordinaries lingering in the Black Zone.

These people did not completely disappear from human sight or escape into the so-called underworld, but remained in reality, stubbornly following their convictions from their previous lives and doing many things that ordinary people could not understand.

Even the extremely powerful Tan Ming, who was also a guardian of extraordinary wishes, did not escape into the inner world.

This is enough to prove that simply pursuing extraordinary wishes is not the same thing as the goal that Jackie Chan is wholeheartedly pursuing.

And An Xingfu, Cheng Wu, and all the humans who longed for the end of the wasteland era were all brought together by Cheng Long on the same path.
Could this road have some hidden connection with the mysterious behemoth or starship?

"Lord of the City, is An Xingfu also a Guardian of Wishes?" Cheng Ye couldn't suppress his surprise and asked.

“In the checkpoint, the only people who have ever seen the city lord are your grandfather and your father.” Liu Bi shook his head, his tone certain. “Even Station Chief Ding didn’t have the chance to see the city lord.”

Liu Bi emphasized the word "opportunity," clearly implying something specific.

"What about the rumors circulating outside, about the assassination of the city lord?"

"Ha, you believe such things?" Liu Bi couldn't help but scoff, his tone full of disdain. "They're just those people who were punished by Brother Long back then, taking advantage of his absence to deliberately spread rumors and ruin his reputation. If they really brought it up in the open, who would dare to say a word to us openly and honestly?"

He paused, then continued, "The city lord and your grandfather were from the same era. Back then, your grandfather was in charge of external affairs, overseeing the development of the city; An Xingfu, on the other hand, was in charge of internal affairs, managing the city's internal affairs. Outsiders only know that Cheng Wu defected with the high-ranking inspector from the checkpoint, but no one knows that An Xingfu went with him when he left. This vast Xingfu City was built by the two of them together; their feelings and bonds are deep, so how could they easily separate?"

"In the years that followed, although your grandfather disappeared without a trace, the city lord would indeed send back a message or two every few years. These messages served only one purpose: to prove that he was still alive."

Liu Bi's voice deepened, "Until last year, he sent another message, demanding that all factions in Happiness City send people to the Black Zone to help him accomplish something extremely important. According to the rules, the checkpoints were not required to send anyone, but Brother Long set off with his men. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for all these years."

"However, the abduction story isn't entirely unfounded," Liu Bi added. "The item the city lord needed was indeed taken away by Brother Long. But then the city lord sent a message clearly stating that he wouldn't pursue the matter."

The information revealed in Liu Bi's words was far more explosive than imagined.

When Cheng Wu left back then, he actually took the city lord An Xingfu with him as well?

Doesn't that mean that more than 20 years have passed and Happiness City has actually been without a city lord for a long time?
Cheng Wu left to deal with external affairs, and An Xingfu left to deal with internal affairs. The elders below are now in control of Xingfu City and it continues to move forward.
"The black zone, could it be the A-1 black zone?" Cheng Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but ask.

If this matter can be linked to Xingzhou, then the subsequent investigation will be much clearer.

But Liu Bi's next words dashed his hopes.

"No, it's the E5 Black Zone. You have to go to Hai Province first, and then take a ship across half the planet to get there."

E5
A map flashed through Cheng Ye's mind. The location corresponding to the E5 black zone was Antarctica, from which the Wanling Earth Conch flowed.

This dark area gradually extends outward from Dome A, which is the highest point of the Antarctic ice sheet.

As one of the quietest and darkest regions on Earth, even in this technologically advanced modern era, there are only a few scattered research stations here, and no ordinary person has ever been able to truly set foot here.

However, to put it in perspective, the extreme low temperature here is only around minus eighty degrees Celsius.

For extraordinary individuals, this might not seem like an insurmountable obstacle; at least it would be much easier to handle than Mount Everest, which Yu Yong once climbed.

But for some reason, Cheng Ye's heart suddenly sank.

He suddenly remembered the bizarre nightmare he had when he was under the influence of the mental pollution of the conch shell.

In his dream, he became a pitiful miner. Suddenly, a burst of white light exploded, and all the miners in the mine were instantly vaporized, leaving not a trace.
Could that terrifying explosion have nothing to do with the magical artifact, or was it actually related to another huge problem?

Noticing Cheng Ye's constantly changing expression, sometimes serious and sometimes dazed, Liu Bi quickly asked in a deep voice, "Did Brother Long say anything special to you before he left?"

Seeing that Cheng Ye remained silent and did not respond immediately, Liu Bi's tone became even more solemn: "If he mentioned any important information to you, you must keep it to yourself and absolutely not tell anyone. Not me, not your future wife, not your children, not anyone. Just pretend you never heard those words and completely forget them."

"Brother B, don't worry." Cheng Ye nodded gently, understanding what Liu Bi was talking about.

Cognition is also a curse; if one's own power is not commensurate with the secrets one knows, then those secrets will only bring endless suffering.

Cheng Long left in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to go into the inner city to see the original body before setting off.

But he did leave behind something remarkable, a civilization collector that could change destiny.

Considering what Liu Bi just said, Cheng Long took away what An Xingfu needed, could it be that he took away the collector?
No, these belongings were cleared out of Cheng Long's room. They were just some meaningless odds and ends. It was precisely because they were inconspicuous that they passed through the checkpoint and were delivered to him. They were not brought back from the distant Black Zone by someone.
After much thought, he realized that the Starship Organization also possessed technology similar to teleportation portals like the Void Fog.

If Cheng Long really wanted to send the Civilization Collector back from the Black Zone, it wouldn't be impossible.

In that instant, countless thoughts intertwined in Cheng Ye's mind.

His meticulous and deliberate nature means he never overlooks any small detail that might contain crucial information.

When activating the collector, it was mentioned that tens of thousands of people had tried to activate it before, but in the end, only he met the criteria and successfully activated it.

What is this trait?
Could this be the threshold that Jackie Chan is trying his best to overcome?
But no matter what earth-shattering secret lies behind this, a seed of curiosity has already taken root in Cheng Ye's heart.

He had a vague feeling that all the secrets that created the wasteland were hidden in those dark zones that were sealed off by humans and frequented by the Wish-Keeping Extraordinary.

Ordinary prosecutors are not qualified to set foot here, and even powerful extraordinary beings are bound by various beliefs and rules. Even a strong person like Tan Ming can only sleep underground.

One day in the future, when he has enough strength to fight against those wish-holding extraordinary beings, he will inevitably step into the Black Zone to explore the truth about civilization.

Just like Jackie Chan, or perhaps Jackie Chan himself, this is how the seed of curiosity was planted in Jackie Chan's heart?
“If you are strong enough in the future and really want to set off to follow the path that Brother Long mentioned, Brother B will not stop you.” Liu Bi’s voice interrupted Cheng Ye’s thoughts. His tone was calm. “Just like I didn’t stop Brother Long back then, but instead supported him to leave.”

After saying that, he sighed heavily, his tone resolute: "But I still won't go with you."

"So what was the real reason you parted ways with my father?"

Liu Bi lowered his eyes and remained silent for a moment.

When he looked up again, the complex emotions in his eyes had completely faded, leaving only a calm expression. He uttered five words softly:
"Process and results".

He paused, then explained further:

“My differences with Brother Long have existed for many years. What he truly pursues is the process, not the result. Apart from me, none of the people who follow him care whether they will ultimately succeed. They firmly believe that as long as they embark on this path and take action, regardless of whether they succeed or not, it is a great attempt and a remarkable pioneering effort. In their view, if one does things for a predetermined result, one will be driven by a strong sense of self-interest, and once setbacks are encountered, it is easy to lose one's fighting spirit and eventually fall into a vicious cycle of being caught between a rock and a hard place.”

Ok?
Cheng Ye was taken aback. These words sounded like a critique of Yu Yong's code of conduct.
If Jackie Chan represents a process-oriented idealism, regarding action itself as the entirety of meaning, then the value of exploration and experimentation far outweighs the ultimate success or failure in his eyes.

Yu Yong, on the other hand, adheres to a utilitarian approach that prioritizes results above all else; results are the absolute yardstick by which he measures the value of all his actions.

Following this line of thought, could it be that Liu Bi and Yu Yong share the same idea, both only valuing the result?

"I know you're curious about what Brother B's belief is. Actually, it's very simple, just four words."

Liu Bi paused for a moment, then slowly uttered: "The unity of self and things!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he gave a bitter laugh, a faint trace of nostalgia flashing in his eyes: "My master, Mr. Xiazang, once said that I was the purest martial artist he had ever seen, and that I might be able to forge a path that no human had ever trod before. But so many years have passed, and I myself can't say whether the path I'm on now is crooked or whether I was wrong from the very beginning."

It was this belief?
Good guy!
Cheng Ye's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't the unity of self and things the same as Zhuangzi's "forgetting self and things and following nature"? This was ten or even a hundred times more abstract than Jiang Chuan's belief in protecting the world.

This belief requires people to act in accordance with the inherent laws of things, and to accept the outcome with equanimity, allowing actions to return to the purest form of self-realization, rather than pursuing external labels or predetermined goals.

Ultimately, it's more like a spiritual realm that needs to be constantly approached, rather than a concrete goal that can be quantified.

Moreover, people are already bound by all sorts of mundane matters while living in this world.

When doing things, some people either immerse themselves in the joys and sorrows of the process, drawing motivation from these emotions, or they fixate on the merits and demerits of the outcome, hoping to gain the approval of others.

To completely let go of these obsessions and return to one's true self is no less difficult than turning a rushing river backward or making the rising sun set in the west.

“I understand.” Cheng Ye said thoughtfully, “So the reason you parted ways with my father wasn’t because of a conflict of beliefs, but because you didn’t want to do that thing and chose to fall behind, right?”

“That’s right.” Liu Bi nodded. “Brother Long never intended to force me to go with him. He knew that if he forced me to do things against my conscience, I would slowly lose myself and eventually become an ordinary person. And if he wanted to find someone like that, he could easily gather hundreds or thousands of them.”

He let out a soft breath, his tone filled with a sense of relief: "In the past six months since Brother Long left, I've gradually come to understand some things. Although I've tried my best to shed my external obsessions and reconcile my mind, body, and surroundings, the place I'm in is ultimately not an ideal world. There are many things that I really need to do and accomplish myself; only then can it be considered a true reconciliation."

These words are quite convoluted, and perhaps even he himself hasn't fully figured out what he wants to do.

Because he always acts according to his conscience; once he has an idea, he will immediately put it into action without the slightest hesitation.

Knowing that Yu Yong's existence might be unusual, he would immediately rush over to investigate.

Upon discovering that Yu Yong was infected, they immediately took action in accordance with the containment guidelines.

As for whether this matter is right or wrong?

Neither the prosecutor's principles nor his own conscience are bound by such worldly concepts.

However, if we break down his style of doing things into specific matters, it inevitably appears reckless and completely lacking in flexibility and adaptability.

From this perspective, to make good use of Liu Bi, we must go along with his pursuit of spiritual reconciliation.

For example, you can just set a clear goal for him, like Ding Yishan asked him to coordinate the allocation of materials in the industrial zone. As for how to coordinate and what means to use, it is entirely up to him to decide, without too much interference.

This requires both giving him a high degree of trust and ensuring that the person assigning the task is confident that Liu Bi is absolutely capable of handling the matter and will do it well, while also refraining from interfering in the process.

The major undertaking that Jackie Chan was about to undertake clearly carried enormous risks, requiring meticulous planning and extreme caution at every step.

If someone as easygoing as Liu Bi were to join the team, and he failed to handle a certain aspect properly, the entire plan could very well fall apart.

Liu Bi himself was aware of this shortcoming, so even though he might also want to go to the Black Zone, he never intended to go with Cheng Long.

It wasn't that he was unwilling, but rather that he was afraid deep down that he would drag the whole team down.

He really is a simple and straightforward guy like Brother B!

Having figured this out, Cheng Ye immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Bi's beliefs are so vague, which precisely means that he can accept a very wide range of things, and even tolerate some extreme situations.

The difference lies in whether those things make him forget them as soon as he hears them, or whether they make him take them to heart and truly try to accept them.

Since he can completely reconcile with himself, how could he not reconcile with the people and things around him?

"Brother B, I think I can answer your question now."

"Hmm?" Liu Bi looked up, the reminiscence in his eyes gradually fading.

"If I had a highly valuable source of infection in front of me, I would never sacrifice anyone's life to save it. This is my principle and my bottom line."

Cheng Ye affirmed, then changed the subject, "But we can't deny that there will never be a shortage of people in this world who would sacrifice others for a goal. Happiness City must have plenty of such people, right?"

Liu Bi paused, his expression flickering, and after a long while, he nodded sullenly.
If researchers encountered such a high-value source of infection, they might actually choose to sacrifice some people, or even their colleagues, in order to preserve it for research.

Were these researchers wrong?
They did this for their mission, for their ideals, and even those who sacrificed themselves may have done so voluntarily.

How could he possibly judge whether these people were right or wrong? He would only apply the same logic to the prosecutor, which would be wrong and would trigger an unimaginable crisis of trust.

"So what do you think we should do? Keep our distance from this kind of person and never have any contact with them again?"

"You're asking me?" Liu Bi paused for a moment, then shook his head, his tone frank. "I don't know."

"Then let me tell you, my goal is very simple: to conduct in-depth research on the source of infection and to achieve a controllable cooperation with infected individuals like Yu Yong. Only in this way can we reduce the probability of the kind of sacrifice we are worried about happening, and even prevent it from ever happening in Happiness City."

"You still want to cooperate with the infected?" Liu Bi's voice suddenly rose.

"If we go on a mission together, Brother B, would you be willing to entrust your back to me?" Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of deliberate coercion.

After testing him, he discovered that Liu Bi was actually the one who needed to be trained more than Rokuk, and that his beliefs also had the basis to change existing perceptions.

It's a pity that Cheng Long must have had many capable people around him back then, so he didn't think to put his mind to reforming Liu Bi.

Or perhaps Jackie Chan himself hasn't fully sorted out some of his ideas, so naturally he can't convince others.

Inspectors can be categorized, and checkpoints can be restructured, undergoing a series of sweeping reforms.

Cheng Ye has complete confidence in these ideas, and he is already on the path of putting them into practice.

"You're Brother Long's son, and I practically raised you myself, how could I not?"

"No, I'm still a core inspector at the station." Cheng Ye smiled and casually took out his defense communication device.

Liu Bi glanced at it and froze on the spot. He immediately recognized it as a high-level defense communication device of the same rank as himself.

Before he could recover from his shock, Cheng Ye pulled out a card that looked like a business card from his pocket.

"In addition, I am currently an intern researcher at the Institute of Infection Sources."

Liu Bi subconsciously reached out and took the card. His gaze fell on the familiar face and name in the photo, but a strong sense of unfamiliarity and disorientation welled up in his heart.

"By the way, this is the reward I received for completing the Annihilation mission." Cheng Ye said, swiping the Defense Connect interface, and soon a striking "Annihilation" character popped up, its dark color flowing, making it impossible to ignore.

"Also, the place where we are standing now is where I fought a tough battle with a fusion entity. The spot where you are standing is where I was standing back then."

Liu Bi looked down at the large, blurred stain, his mouth involuntarily opening slightly.

“That’s right, I did do a lot while you were gone,” Cheng Ye said calmly.

If he wanted to talk to Liu Bi about something, the first thing he had to do was to change the relationship between the two of them.

Only when Liu Bi realizes that what he is doing has yielded results and achievements can the situation be improved.

Only then could we persuade Liu Bi to understand and actively think about the significance of reform.

“I also have a magical artifact in my possession, which is at the bottom of the White Water River behind you. I personally went down and retrieved it.”

"The runes on my hand were given to me by Tan Ming, the one who brought the petrification curse to Shi Province. He gave me extraordinary power."

"Of course, I also have another identity now."

Before Cheng Ye could finish speaking, a fiery red mark suddenly appeared between his eyebrows, and a magnificent and powerful scorching aura instantly spread out.

Liu Bi was completely stunned, clutching the researcher's card in his hand so tightly it was almost deformed.

Niu Fu, who was still standing by the dock, noticed the unusual activity and quickly walked over. The closer he got, the more rapidly the beeping of the detection device attached to his wrist became.

He stared in astonishment, his mouth agape. He pointed at the equipment, then at Cheng Ye.

"You've been possessed by the infected source? You're now a Bound Source?"

Cheng Ye slowly shook his head. "No, I am not just a Bound Source, I am a Transcendent!"

(End of this chapter)