Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 83 Striving for the Top, Migratory Birds Fly, Absolute Power!

The survival alert has been officially lifted, meaning that the infected in the inner city and buffer zone have been completely eradicated.

Cheng Ye tried calling Luo Xiaoxue, but was told that resident contact privileges would not be available until 72 hours later.

He had no choice but to first call the checkpoint's public account and then transfer the call through the public account's access permissions.

"Sister Luo, is everything alright at home?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I've been keeping an eye on your B-7 area. It was clearly yellow in the first half of the night, but then it kept switching between red and yellow in the second half of the night, and it didn't stabilize until morning. It really scared me."

You could hear Luo Xiaoxue take a deep breath. "Are you alright?"

"No, infected individuals have been constantly moving into my B-7 area, which is why the color changes frequently."

"That's good."

Luo Xiaoxue paused, then changed the subject, "The checkpoint will be closed for the next 7 days. Come over when it's convenient for you. There are some things we need to talk about in person. Yi Yi misses you too. She keeps asking me why Brother Cheng Ye hasn't come to visit her yet."

"Okay, I'll go back and rest for the night, and I'll come over tomorrow!"

Cheng Ye knew that Luo Xiaoxue was avoiding the possibility of being eavesdropped on regarding the public account, and that there were some things she couldn't say directly.

But judging from the change in her tone, it was clear that Luo Xiaoxue hadn't breathed a sigh of relief as expected after the wave of infections had passed; instead, she had become even more nervous.

After hanging up, he transferred the call to Miao Yang's number.

"Director Miao, are you alright there?"

"Prosecutor Cheng?"

Miao Yang's voice sounded somewhat tired, "I'm fine. I even went out and fought a few rounds last night, taking down two low-level fusion beings."

"Impressive! You're still got it!"

"That guy has stormed into our neighborhood. Does he really think no one here can handle him?"

After being praised by Cheng Ye, Miao Yang became excited.

But as soon as he finished speaking, several unfamiliar voices came through the receiver: "Old Miao, who is it? Do you have the authority to make phone calls during this special period?"

"Yes, the higher-ups are afraid that if they grant access, the buffer zone will become chaotic. There aren't many people who are qualified to make phone calls, are they?"

"Let me see, why does this public account look like a checkpoint?"

"It was the checkpoint, yes, Inspector Cheng called me!"

Miao Yang seemed to have switched to speakerphone, his voice a few decibels louder, "Oh, no, no, I don't have that much influence to know a prosecutor. I'm just someone's sparring partner."

Eh?
Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow, leaned closer to the microphone, and raised his voice, "Director Miao, you must take care of yourself! I'm a young man and I can't stay up all night, don't exhaust yourself!"

"Oh, Prosecutor Cheng, don't worry, I'm in great health!"

Just by listening to his voice, Cheng Ye could picture Miao Yang grinning from ear to ear, his face beaming with excitement.

"That's good, I'll hang up now."

"Okay, okay, call me anytime if you have any questions, I'll be there whenever you need me!"

Emotional value? That's what we excel at.

Although Miao Yang does not have Lv4 skills, after the collector is upgraded, he can search for Lv2 skills as long as the cooperation level reaches 50%.

As long as we can gather enough energy, it shouldn't be long before we can collect all four powers from Miao Yang and meet all the requirements for the second stage of the new weapon.

As for the remaining contacts, Cheng Ye flipped through the phone book and decided to wait until residents' contact permissions were granted before making any decisions.

Firstly, calls now have to be transferred through a public account, which inevitably leads to eavesdropping, making it inconvenient to say many things.

Secondly, he didn't want the checkpoint to have a complete understanding of his network of relationships.

"big dragon!"

Called by him, Da Long quickly ran over. "Prosecutor Cheng, what are your orders?"

"Don't rush the work of collecting the bodies. Take your time and don't cause any trouble. Write down my address. I can't reach you by phone these days. If you need anything, just come and find me."

Thinking of the potential side effects of the blue medicine, Cheng Ye added, "By the way, if I'm resting, you can contact Huang Sheng, and I'll arrange for him to coordinate things for you."

Da Long nodded with a simple, honest smile, his excitement barely concealed.

Standing in the right place at the right time, even a pig can fly.

With the prosecutors taking notice and investing 20,000 contribution points, it's no wonder Tianyuan Community has taken off!

As for whether anyone will be envious, cause trouble, or make a scene during this process.

After respectfully watching Cheng Ye leave with Huang Sheng and the other two, a hint of ferocity flashed in Da Long's eyes, and he went to find Er Long, who was squatting against the wall in a daze.

“I don’t care how much Zhang Can hurt you, but the community is going to develop rapidly, and those bastards in the shantytown will definitely be envious. You take some people over there now and tell them what to do.”

"Anyone who dares to enter the community during this period—no, anyone who causes trouble in our B7 area—I'll immediately lead my men to kill their entire family. Even if they run to the ruins, it won't do them any good!"

Erlong stood up and nodded blankly.

The obedient and sensible demeanor they displayed in front of Cheng Ye was merely a facade, a necessary lesson for surviving in the cannibalistic wasteland.

Only they themselves know the true story behind it all, what they have sacrificed and what they have gone through to get to where they are today, from the disbandment of the Production and Construction Corps.

Before leaving, Erlong asked again, "What about the surrounding communities?"

"Don't worry about them."

Da Long clenched his fist, his tone revealing an undeniable certainty, "With Prosecutor Cheng's investment, Chief Qu will negotiate with them. If anyone is really dissatisfied, I'll just beat them up one by one. Over the years, I've beaten more than one or two communities into submission with my fists."

"If you want to climb over us at this time, you'd better ask me, Poison Hand Dragon, for permission first."

The number of people sharing the "cake" in the buffer zone suddenly decreased, but the total amount of the cake did not shrink; it may even have increased due to support from above.

Now is the perfect time to climb the ranks.

Especially for those new residents of Happiness City, and for the poor kids living in the shantytowns who are unwilling to give up, taking a gamble now could allow them to easily blend into the main urban area.

Once winter is over and a new wave of residents moves in, they will become elderly people in the buffer zone.

At this juncture of transition and social mobility, bloodshed and struggle are inevitable!

Tianyuan Community wants to continue to grow.

Only by holding onto our current territory can we talk about expanding outwards and seeking development.

Otherwise, if such a large pedestrian street were to be invested in according to Cheng Ye's idea, how could Tianyuan Community, with its current strength, possibly suppress those outside scavengers who come attracted by the smell of scavenging?
"Ah."

Erlong nodded slightly and soon led thirty to fifty people away in a grand procession.

In these matters, it's always better to get there early rather than late. The earlier you go, the better you can prove to the outside world that Tianyuan Community's strength has not been affected by the infection wave.

After all, those kids in the shantytowns are shrewd too. If they really want to climb the social ladder, they'll definitely target those communities that have been severely damaged first.

Leave the community.

On the way back to the electronics factory, I could already see people heading to work one after another.

In Happiness City, even survivors are not allowed to catch their breath.

But everyone's acceptance was surprisingly high. Even though there was still thick, wet blood on the ground, no one showed any sign of discomfort and remained expressionless.

It's as if last night's wave of infections was just a nightmare; once you wake up, it's gone.

However, Cheng Ye naturally became the focus of the crowd.

His gold and red armor was simply too eye-catching, reflecting a dazzling array of colors in the sunlight. Walking down the gray street, he looked like a moving flame, making it hard to go unnoticed.

"Huang Sheng".

"Captain, what is it?"

"The squad has been disbanded, so there's no need to call him captain anymore."

Cheng Ye waved his hand, "Since we're neighbors, just call me by my name from now on. If you're not used to it, you can call me by my name as before."

"Uh," Huang Sheng shook his head awkwardly, "That won't do. I was so stupid before."

After hesitating for a moment, he carefully suggested, "If there are outsiders, we'll call you 'Sir,' and if not, we'll call you 'Lord Cheng,' how about that?"

"what ever."

Cheng Ye didn't pay much attention to these titles. The prosecutor's position in the buffer zone was far too high, and given his "brave" performance last night, it was unrealistic to expect Huang Sheng and the other two to treat him with the same normal attitude as before.

However, Cheng Ye didn't think it was a big deal. He was already managing a community, so adding three more people wouldn't make a difference.

So much happened that night.

A wave of infections, fusion entities, extraordinary items, the attention from inner-city factions, and a mountain of messes to clean up.
Although his mind was currently hazy and confused, one thing was crystal clear to him:

Under the intentional or unintentional guidance of those above, once one embarks on this path, power is already invisibly by the prosecutor's side; it's just a matter of whether they want to use it and whether they can.

"Based on the infection wave of 13, what will happen next?"

"Um"

Huang Sheng hesitated for a moment, but Zhu Xiang, who had been silent beside him, took over the conversation.

"There will definitely be a lot of chaos for a while. The Nightmare Flea outbreak occurred in the spring, and the chaos lasted for more than three months. There were fierce gun battles every night. Not to mention ordinary people, even the guards on duty couldn't do anything about it. Every day, dozens or even hundreds of corpses were carried out of the alleys. They all died fighting for territory."

"Moreover, the Nightmare Flukes back then were relatively controllable, and Happy City also exerted a strong enough control effort. Even so, 80,000 people still left in the end. This time, the Stand Starfish has a much worse impact, with over 100,000 people dying directly. I reckon that many people will definitely want to run away elsewhere before winter arrives."

"Approximately how many people?"

"At least 100,000 people!"

"so much?"

Cheng Ye was genuinely surprised.

The buffer zone originally had a population of just over 520,000. According to information just pushed by Defense News, after this wave of infections, the number of survivors should now be around 390,000.

If another 100,000 people leave, it's equivalent to a population reduction of nearly half after a wave of infections!
"Maybe even more than that."

Wu Zhihong said with some sorrow, “Sir, there are hundreds of sheltered cities in this wasteland, each with its own unique advantages and ideas. We have to charge for accommodation and food, while some sheltered cities offer unlimited nutrient syrup for you to drink, as much as you want, and you are directly assigned a house when you join.”

Many people joined Happiness City only as a stepping stone, drawn by our industrial strength, to amass a full set of weapons and equipment and leave. They never intended to be stuck here forever; this is the opportunity.

"The largest city, the City of Fire Protection, now has nearly nine million people, and there is still a large flow of people every day. If we want to retain people, we will ultimately have to rely on inspectors like you who can hold the line."

Subconsciously, Cheng Ye thought these words were flattery.

But after thinking about it, he fell silent.

Indeed, there is no solution to the problem of population mobility. Since Happiness City itself is adopting a migratory bird model, residents can naturally leave if they sense danger.

Moreover, can those who stay in the buffer zone truly be considered to have entered Happiness City?
It's perfectly normal for some to leave and seek refuge in other cities, or for others to seek refuge in settlements in the wilderness.

Ultimately, the root cause of stabilizing the population and achieving growth lies in the checkpoints.

Only by keeping the source of infection firmly outside the defense line can we build a good reputation and truly make Happiness City grow stronger.

"Sir, you don't need to worry too much about the population loss."

Seeing Cheng Ye's face darken, Huang Sheng quickly smiled and smoothed things over, "It won't be long before a large number of new people flood in. Our Happiness City has only suffered a wave of infection, it's not completely destroyed."

"If the major construction projects in the fall can keep up and take root directly, it will be very tempting for many people."

"Ah."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, but even after returning to the fifth floor and closing the security door, he was still thinking about the matter over and over in his mind.

A large number of people left, and a large number of people poured in.

The work at the checkpoints that follows is destined to enter its most challenging phase.

If another source of infection through contact were to be introduced, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Moreover, as Huang Sheng said, the migrant population is very wild.

In their quest for territory and advancement, they're willing to do anything. If they make a mess of things, they can simply pack up and go back to their original settlement, leaving the mess for Happiness City to clean up.

"One trouble has ended, but another has just begun."

After taking off his armor, Cheng Ye stood in front of the window.

I didn't feel anything when I was wearing the iron body, but now that I've taken it off, I feel unbearable soreness all over my body.

His arms, back, and thighs were covered in bruises and dark purple marks, especially the area on his back and chest that turned a deep purple-black when he was thrown by the high-explosive bomb, as if a patch of congealed blood had been splashed on it.

He raised his hand and pressed it against his chest and several other sensitive areas, unable to help but groan a few times.

Fortunately, they were all superficial injuries and no bones were broken. They should be able to recover slowly in ten days to half a month.

Moreover, once the Iron Body is donned, these injuries do not affect combat effectiveness.

"Go to sleep first, we'll talk about it when we get up."

An irresistible wave of drowsiness washed over him, and by this point, he had essentially lost the ability to think.

He lay down on the bed, and as soon as his eyelids closed, he fainted.

Boom.

In the dim light, thunder seemed to rumble outside again, followed by a light drizzle.

But unlike before, the sound of rain now is more like gentle white noise, making the sleepiness even deeper.

He didn't know exactly how long he had slept. When Cheng Ye opened his eyes again, it was still light outside the window.

He fumbled for the defense communication device, then froze in shock.

I slept for a full twenty hours.

I lay down at 10 a.m. and woke up at 6 a.m. the next morning.

"He...slept for a whole day?"

Cheng Ye muttered to himself, propping himself up on his arms to sit up. He felt that most of the soreness in his body had dissipated. Although the bruises were still faintly painful, they were no longer as burning as they had been before he went to sleep.

"Is it the effect of the blue medicine?"

As soon as he said it, he gently shook his head, a smile involuntarily appearing on his lips.

At first, it was just a faint smile.

A few seconds later, it turned into a silly grin.

With a wave of his hand towards the void, the pendant charging on the socket appeared in his palm.

Looking at the starfish floating inside, he opened his mouth wide and could no longer hold back, bursting into a burst of unrestrained laughter.

There are no side effects of any blue medicine, no fatigue at all!
It was the absolute peace of mind brought by extraordinary, true power that gave him the right to sleep peacefully.

Even if they sleep soundly for twenty hours, they don't worry about someone breaking down the door and posing a threat.

From now on, perhaps some people will still dare to yell at him, but no one will be able to easily take his life with just a word or a decision!

Whether it's Ding Yishan, Harlin, or any faction or individual within the inner city.

Whether it's a stand-in starfish, a fusion entity, or some other powerful infected entity.

No one will do.

"Three months and four days, I finally survived!"

Clenching the pendant in his palm, Cheng Ye stood there blankly for a long time, his mind racing through everything that had happened in the past three months.

This includes standing in front of Tianyuan Mall and talking passionately with Mr. Song.

At the time, he didn't think much of it; it was just something he did subconsciously. Now, looking back, it was precisely this subtle change in mindset that allowed him to rediscover his youthful spirit.

Instead of timidly protecting themselves, they have established a firm foothold and are now bold and decisive.

With this thought in mind, a familiar azure blue panel appeared before his eyes.

At this moment, all the function options on the panel have disappeared, leaving only blurry outlines.

Only four large, golden characters remain, shining brightly in a deep blue light.

[Internship Promotion]

　P.S.: This is exactly chapter 81. Although he didn't experience 81 tribulations, it's still a big step forward for Prosecutor Cheng. I feel that this transformation has been conveyed; I just don't know if the readers are satisfied~
　　PS2: This is a promising new work, also a wasteland story, focusing on infrastructure development. It's called "I Run a Hotel in the Wasteland."

　　
　
(End of this chapter)