Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 81 The Starfish Epilogue: Attention from the Idealists!
The rain stopped completely.

The wave of infections was gradually brought under control as residents carried out wave after wave of clean-up efforts.

The smell of blood mixed with the damp smell of earth filled the air.

A gust of wind blew, carrying a thick cloud of gunpowder smoke, giving the feeling of being on a battlefield, making people cough.

As for the uncontrollable areas, the war is still raging and shows no sign of stopping.

Boom, boom.

Every now and then, rockets with trailing flames would fly over Area B-7 and land in the area.

Blazing white light illuminated the dawn, the building was blasted to pieces, and debris from the shockwave fell like raindrops, followed by a long period of emptiness and deathly silence.

For those in power in the inner city.

If it's uncontrollable, then there's no need to control it.

People who can't even clean their own living area are just wasting resources living in the buffer zone.

Those who decided to crowd here at the beginning of the infection wave also had no value in continuing to live.

"This kid is just as crazy as Jackie Chan when he fights, but he's much more flexible and not as stubborn as Jackie Chan. He's much better than his grandfather, Cheng Wu."

"I think so too. He was pretty good at those moves. I'll make a full copy and take a look when I get back. Maybe he's the good prospect we're looking for."

"Don't be in such a hurry. His father's debts haven't been paid off yet. Are you going to help pay them off?"

The three elders leaned back in their folding chairs, chatting and laughing as they watched Cheng Ye, who was surrounded by drones in front of the hotel, pacing back and forth with his defense communication device in hand, his fingertips rapidly tapping the screen, muttering to himself, looking like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Turn off the monitor and let me hear what he's muttering. It's been several minutes and he still hasn't finished."

"Elder, isn't this... a bit inappropriate?"

The young staff member was sweating profusely. He could tolerate the incessant chatter in his earpiece, but if the three elders heard it, wouldn't it cause an uproar?

"What are you afraid of? Even if he scolds us a few times, why would we get angry with a kid this age? Do you think we three old men don't have that authority?"

"Ah, that's good, that's fine."

The staff member wiped the sweat from his brow, gritted his teeth, kicked his leg, and pressed the de-mute button.

The next second, Cheng Ye's voice began to resonate throughout the vast command hall.

"Since you won't let me out, you have to give me some compensation. There are still so many infected in Sector B-7, each one is a contribution point. If I don't take this opportunity to kill a few, how am I going to pay you back?"

"Right? You forced me to borrow 3000 contribution points. I could never pay that back even if I worked for eight lifetimes. I have a family to support, I have to make a living. How am I supposed to live if I have to pay back all this money?"

"And then there's Tianyuan Mall. I already promised Elder Song I'd fix it for them. That's another huge shortfall. You won't let me go out, but you can at least help fix the mall, right?"

"And Zhang Can, yes, A-Can is a high-level fusion body. There aren't many high-level ones in this buffer zone, right? You guys just detain him like that, so I should give him several times more contribution points. No, dozens of times more, right? I wouldn't mind giving him some kind of special merit award."

"."

Visible to the naked eye, and audible to all the staff, their expressions changed to: sweating like soybeans.

But the three elders were so happy that they crossed their legs, their faces crinkling with laughter, looking like old children who had found a treasure.

"Is this kid short of money?"

The First Elder stroked his chin and asked.

"According to bank records, he borrowed 100 contribution points from Song Yongfeng of the Public Works Department and has not paid them back yet. It is estimated that he used them to forge weapons at the Super Material Shop."

The staff member typed rapidly on the keyboard, bringing up a dense list of accounts. "In addition, he also owes 57 points at the Turbulent Equipment Shop, which was also on credit for buying weapons."

privacy?

No, that's not true. In the entire City of Happiness, only the elders have any privacy. Everyone else's wealth is like fish in a glass tank, completely transparent.

"Have all his debts."

The number one elder tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest of the stool, making a rhythmic thumping sound.

"They've all been sold!"

"Yes!"

The staff immediately got to work, ready to process the accounts as soon as the bank opened.

"Let him know that doing a good deed shouldn't go unnoticed."

The second elder glared at the staff member, who quickly smiled wryly and typed on the keyboard to transmit information.

Ding.

[Prosecutor Cheng, in recognition of your outstanding performance during the outbreak, a reward is hereby issued:]

1. Loan - Song Yongfeng (erased)

2. Loan - Turbulence Equipment Shop (Erase)

"Ah this?"

Cheng Ye on the screen immediately jumped up, but what he said next made the three elders shake their heads helplessly.

"Brother, I haven't settled my bills at the supplement shop yet. If you want to get reimbursed, just submit it all at once!"

"How could a trainee prosecutor borrow so much money?"

The third elder stroked his beard in astonishment. "Isn't a trainee prosecutor only worth 100 points every six months at most?"

"It's mostly due to Cheng Long's favors. Over the years, he's helped so many people, enough to form a reinforced battalion."

The number one elder sighed, "This kid has caught a good time; he's much better off than when Cheng Long was a prosecutor."

As the three elders were talking, they suddenly noticed that the staff members next to them were standing there dumbfounded.

"What are you standing there for? Settle the accounts at the over-equipment store too!"

"Elder, the supplement shop didn't keep any records, how do we repay this?"

"Since I didn't keep track of it, I just considered it a community subsidy."

The number one elder waved his hand impatiently, "Send a message to the Super Material Store saying the account is settled, and also send a notification to Cheng Ye!"

"okay."

The staff member typed on the keyboard, sending a message and then sending one to Cheng Ye.

"Now that the debt is paid off, what about my armor? Selling it to me for 2800 points isn't enough, is it?"

"A sticky bomb, yeah, I haven't detonated that thing yet, you guys can retrieve it, right?"

With the three debts paid off, Cheng Ye, both on and off screen, became even more enthusiastic.

The number one elder finally couldn't hold back any longer, jumped up and shoved the staff member aside: "Give me the communications!"

"Elder, the rules prohibit you from speaking directly with the prosecutor."

"I am not an elder, I am you."

The old man snatched the terminal, slammed his finger down on the communication button, and his hoarse voice boomed through the microphone:

"Ok?"

"Cheng Ye, I can decide to waive the contribution points for the armor and sticky bombs and give them to you."

"Thank you so much. I knew you were a good person. Thank you for your support of the prosecutor's work. The people of the buffer zone will remember you."

"But I have one condition: you can only do it if you complete it."

The elder paused, then said, "This request is no simple matter. Would you like to hear it first?"

A few seconds passed.

There was only static on the other end of the microphone; no sound came through for a long time.

The elder frowned, and a staff member cautiously leaned closer, "Elder, he... seems to have hung up..."

"what?"

The three were simultaneously shocked and furious; this was the first time in Happiness City that someone had dared to hang up on them.

Don't want to live anymore?

"Forcibly take it from me, turn it on speakerphone, and make him listen to me obediently!"

"Yes!"

Ding.

"Hmm? Is there anything else?" "Cheng Ye, listen up, if you want your debt forgiven, do me a favor!"

The number one elder slammed his fist on the table. "I will allocate a sum of money to Tianyuan Community for repairs. You will be in charge of supervising the work and managing the accounts. I will have people coordinate to provide you with any materials you need at market prices. But there is one condition. If the repairs make half of the communities envious of Tianyuan, the cost of the armor will be waived. Otherwise, it will be deducted from your salary in installments!"

"Boss, that depends on how much you allocate. If you allocate several hundred points, how am I supposed to fix it?"

"Boss?"

The elder couldn't help but sneer, "Kid, even your father wouldn't dare call me that after all these years. Ding Yishan has to behave himself when he comes here. How dare you call me that?"

He paused, but didn't offer further comment on the title. Instead, his tone became more assertive.
"Listen carefully, I'll allocate 20,000 contribution points, is that enough?"

"Then may I embezzle a little?"

"roll!"

The call was disconnected again, and the staff member was sweating profusely.

Fortunately, this time it was the elder himself who hung up. He stood up, flicked his sleeves, and said calmly,
"Let's go. We'll keep what happened today to ourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, the temperature in the command room suddenly dropped. The thermometer on the wall dropped below zero degrees Celsius in the blink of an eye, plummeting to -20 degrees Celsius.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines at the same time, as if an ice dagger was pressed against their throats, and they nodded hurriedly like pounding garlic.

Seeing that everyone was terrified, the elder smiled again, and the room temperature instantly warmed up.

"This kid seems interesting. It looks like there's finally some hope for the checkpoint."

"Given his status, what if the extraordinary faction stirs up trouble?"

"I haven't fought in over ten years. I'm not dead. They outnumber us. Why should we fight?"

The number one elder shook his neck. "Give him some time. If he's really capable, he can take the position of stationmaster within three to five years. I can't stand this mess in the buffer zone for even a day longer."

"That's true. Ding Yishan and Harlin have been fighting amongst themselves for so many years. If it weren't for the city manager keeping an eye on them, I would really like to punch those two beasts to death."

"Don't be so short-tempered. If Liu Kun hears you say that, he'll definitely go and complain to the deputy city lord again."

"Heh, why didn't Cheng Long report it when he led his men to ambush and kill the city lord?"

The three elders stood up and made unabashed jokes, sending chills down the spines of those around them.

Fortunately, while their professional skills might not be the best in Happiness City, they had already honed their ability to keep secrets before even entering the city.

As soon as the elders disappeared around the corner of the corridor, the person in charge, who had been as docile as a chicken just a moment ago, suddenly stood up straight, his gaze sweeping across the entire room like that of a hawk:

"I don't want to hear anyone mention what happened today, understand?"

"understand!"

Section B-7.

At 4:50 a.m., the night was as thick as ink that could not be dissolved.

Just as Cheng Ye was getting sleepy and his eyelids were drooping, three armored vehicles finally drove up.

The vehicle was covered in thick, dark brown blood, clearly indicating that it had been through a fierce battle.

The car came to a stop.

Four teams of 28 people got off the vehicle. Three teams quickly locked their guns on the surrounding buildings, while the other team, surrounding four researchers in white coats, went straight to the fused body of Zhang Can lying on the ground.

"Thanks for your hard work, brothers. This fusion is no ordinary thing; the higher-ups specifically requested it."

"Don't worry, Prosecutor Cheng. We're afraid of the living, how can something that's completely dead scare anyone?"

The researchers bent down, put on gloves, and rummaged around for a bit, seemingly checking something.

After a while, the group took out cutting knives and quickly cut the source of infection from the head of the fused entity.

Compared to regular infected individuals, the source of infection for advanced fusion individuals is the size of a fist.

Although the host, Zhang Can, was dead, the starfish infection source was still wriggling slightly in the air, its surface covered with fine, vascular patterns that made one's scalp crawl.

"It's perfect! The activity has been preserved very well!"

A fanatical light shone in the eyes of the four people as they carefully placed the source of infection into a specially made metal containment box. The moment the lid closed, a low hum came from inside.

"Thank you, Inspector Cheng, for guarding the samples."

The lead researcher straightened up and patted his gloves, which were covered in slime.

"It's nothing, it's my duty."

Cheng Ye nodded, then pointed to the remains of the fused body on the ground, "And what about him?"

"You can treat them as ordinary infected individuals, or wait until dawn when someone will come to collect the bodies and take them to a designated location for incineration."

"Ah."

After the handover was completed, the three explosion-proof vehicles returned along the same route, and the drones overhead scattered in a whoosh.

"Let's go, Da Long, we still haven't finished cleaning up the pedestrian street area."

"Okay." Da Long replied, but after taking two steps, he scratched his head and turned back. "Sir, can we take A-Can's body with us? So that his wife can see it one last time and have something to remember him by."

"Okay, you take your people and handle it. Anyway, there's no source of infection now, and it has no ability to spread the virus."

Cheng Ye waved his hand, not really caring about it.

The group quickly retreated, stepping on the gravel, while the drone swarm overhead buzzed and circled twice before heading straight for the pedestrian street as instructed.

Only after the sound of the metal wings disappeared into the depths of the buildings did Cheng Ye slowly open his palm.

The bronze collector pendant lay quietly in his palm, its originally hollow glass core having subtly changed.

A quarter of it was filled with azure blue, and if you looked closely you could vaguely see a small starfish floating in the azure liquid. All five of its tentacles were covered with sharp metallic tips, and it swayed and spun around in the liquid like a top.

"This is the starfish?"

Cheng Ye was extremely curious.

The Stand Starfish is a mutated product of the Horned Starfish, which died from the S-4 virus. Its original supernatural abilities were mutated and turned into a special kind of pollution.

However, the Starfish Tear in his hand was a genuine extraordinary item before version S-4.

How exactly did the collector find this thing on Zhang Can?
He couldn't figure it out, and he was too lazy to think about it anymore.

"Five minutes of extraordinary power—that's an invincible trump card!"

The panel pops up, revealing an astonishing array of enticing attribute bonuses.

Leaving aside strength and speed, this one aspect of defense alone is indescribably abnormal.

In addition, it can temporarily possess two extraordinary skills: one for healing and one for crowd control.

"If I can find this meat to restore my health, I can use my Iron Body whenever I want!"

Cheng Ye smacked his lips, then chuckled to himself.

Using a Lv5 skill in conjunction with a Lv2 skill is truly going against the grain.

However, this also allowed him to figure out the level system of extraordinary skills. The most common extraordinary skills should start at Lv5.

"Just a little more information is needed to get through the probationary period and unlock Lv3 search."

“Level 5 isn’t far off. If we wait a year or two, we can definitely boost our information level.”

Compared to others, this speed is already quite terrifying.

It's worth noting that Ding Yishan, the station chief, has been working for over a decade, yet he still hasn't managed to reach the Transcendent level.

Two hours later.

As the sun slowly rose on the horizon, Cheng Ye stretched and finally heard a series of pleasant prompts.

Congratulations to Cheng Ye, trainee civility collector!

[We've detected that you've accumulated enough 'trainee' information points. Would you like to advance to a higher rank?]

Please note that you must ensure you are in a safe environment when performing the upgrade!

Please note that during the upgrade process, this collector will reorganize its internal database and organize the apprenticeship information. Please ensure that all skills have been uninstalled. We are not responsible for any loss.

Please note that after your rank is promoted, you will face multiple choices regarding your personal collecting preferences. These choices will determine your future collecting direction, and the collector will automatically enhance the corresponding collecting functions for you. Please ensure you have sufficient mental energy to make the right judgment.

[Please note that the collector is currently in a state of extreme mental exhaustion. It is recommended to postpone the upgrade!]

　P.S.: It's a new week! Inspector Cheng will be returning to his loyal checkpoint. This time, he'll be truly a superhuman gatekeeper (five-minute limited edition), hehehe!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)