Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 85: Looking Ahead, the Checkpoint Where the Blame Is Taken!

The crowds were all crammed into the starting station that led out of the main urban area.

Cheng Ye had only been in line for a few minutes when another one or two hundred people arrived one after another.

He squeezed into the crowd and listened intently. Sure enough, everyone there was a resident planning to relocate.

"It's easy to get into Happiness City and easy to leave. Fortunately, there are no complicated procedures, which saves us trouble."

"It's a bit of a pity that I haven't used up all my Happiness Coins yet. I can only take them outside to exchange for things. I don't know how many supplies I can get back."

"Let's go, let's go. Still thinking about spending money? If another wave of infections comes, this place might be destroyed. Didn't you see so many people who were blown up by missiles before they even left their homes?"

"That's true. No matter how important money is, it's not as important as being alive. This Happiness City is just so-so. The radio makes it sound amazing, but it can't withstand any real setbacks."

"Luckily, I was prepared in advance and exchanged all my money for ammunition. That's the real hard currency; you can exchange it for supplies anywhere."

"Where are you planning to go? The nearest super-sanctuary city is at least a thousand kilometers away."

"I'll go out and see what happens. Winter is coming soon, and I'll go wherever the benefits are good."

"That's right. This winter will definitely be very cold. I think tens of thousands of people will die in Happiness City. I just don't know which unlucky ones will be the ones."

"."

The people speaking were not optimistic about the future of Happiness City, as if they had suffered enough grievances staying here.

However, Cheng Ye also noticed that many people had hesitation on their faces, but they just blended into the crowd and didn't say anything.

"We're full. Passengers, please wait for the next one."

It's quite unusual that buses that were deserted before the wave of infections are now packed to capacity.

Cheng Ye queued for more than twenty minutes before finally squeezing onto the bus with the crowd.

The carriage was full of people carrying large bags, just like the buses that carry students home during university holidays.

Everyone's face showed trepidation and unease, as well as a hint of anticipation for their new life.

In a different place, the past becomes the past.

No one knows how this journey will end, but at least we've escaped the current mess.

Soon, the Chemical Plant Community Station arrived.

Amidst the strange looks from everyone in the carriage, Cheng Ye squeezed off the train through the back door and let out a long sigh of relief.

Goodbye, and have a safe journey!

He waved and shouted.

Many people in the carriage were stunned, their eyes flashing with a complex mix of emotions and melancholy.

But some people gave him a faint smile and waved, their lips seemingly saying:

Look ahead!

Yes, people always have to look forward.

A large number of elderly people have left Happiness City, but a large number of new people will surely come in the future.

The reason why the higher-ups let it go is probably because they feel that even if these veterans stay, the buffer zone will hardly improve, so it's better to eliminate them all and bring in new people to try again.

"But if you keep starting from scratch, you only accumulate experience from 0 to 10. Where do you accumulate experience from 10 to 100?"

As Cheng Ye watched the bus carrying a full load of migrants gradually disappear into the distance, he couldn't help but sigh.

In this world, one must first safeguard what one has in the present before one can even talk about development.

Otherwise, even the best situation can be almost completely destroyed by a wave of infections.

Entered the community.

There weren't many traces of battle left here, only newly added bullet holes on the walls, silently telling the story of the fierce battle that had taken place not long ago.

When he got to the fifth floor, he was about to knock on the door when Liu Yi pushed it open from the inside.

"Mom, it's Brother Cheng Ye!"

"How did you know?" Luo Xiaoxue walked out of the inner room, wiping her hands, with a big smile on her face.

"I remember Cheng Ye's footsteps. I heard them when he went up to the third floor!"

"Yi Yi is really amazing."

Cheng Ye bent down and said softly, "Next time, don't open the door just because you hear footsteps. What if a bad guy tries to imitate you?"

"No, no," Liu Yi looked up and shook her head seriously. "Yi Yi can tell if it's an imitation of footsteps. Many people have imitated Dad's footsteps before."

"hiss"

Cheng Ye gasped, his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Liu Yi also possessed some special talent?
He subconsciously opened the panel, but no searchable options popped up.

"Come in, you look tired."

Luo Xiaoxue continued talking to herself, then looked up at him: "You must have gone out to kill infected the night before last, right?"

"Ah."

Cheng Ye nodded and closed the door behind him.

"I was a bit unlucky. I don't know how I provoked a high-level fusion entity. It chased me and killed me all night. I finally managed to take it down in the middle of the night."

"An advanced fusion body?" Luo Xiaoxue was immediately startled and quickly looked him up and down. "Are you alright?"

"No, they're just minor cuts and bruises."

"Take it off, let me see."

"Uh"

Cheng Ye smiled awkwardly, but still did as he was told to lift up his short sleeves, revealing his upper body covered in bruises.

Luo Xiaoxue's expression immediately changed. She quickly came over and carefully examined the wounds before letting out a long sigh of relief: "They really are just superficial injuries, but you took too much risks."

"There's nothing I can do, this is already considered good."

Once you get to know each other, there's no need for empty formalities.

Cheng Ye wasn't worried that the advanced fusion experience would frighten Luo Xiaoxue. The past was the past, and the fact that he was standing here safely was the best proof of that.

"But that's perfect, I was just planning to give you a reason to stay at the medical center for ten days or half a month."

"Medical clinic?"

Cheng Ye frowned. "Is the situation at the checkpoint going to be complicated?"

“It’s not just complicated, it’s extremely complicated.” Luo Xiaoxue emphasized, “After the last Nightmare Fluke outbreak, a total of 12 prosecutors were killed in the following six months, including 7 in the first two months alone. Now, with a large influx and outflow of people, countless sources of infection are bound to be brought in. Unfortunately, those senior prosecutors are still on field duty and haven’t returned yet. It’s too dangerous to put you in charge at this time.”

As she spoke, she pulled a packet of red powder from the box, poured it into a cup, and dissolved it with hot water. "It's a common synthetic pain reliever that can alleviate some pain and speed up the healing of bruises."

"Thanks."

Cheng Ye took the cup, his fingertips touching the warm cup wall, and looked up to say, "Sister Luo, I've gotten a pretty good grasp of the situation at the station recently, and I also have some understanding of the factions in the inner city. I want to ask about my father."

"He was a fifth-term prosecutor, there's no reason for him to die so suddenly, is there?"

"Can't wait?" Luo Xiaoxue seemed to have expected this, and nodded slightly. "There are some things I can't say too much about, and Liu Bi didn't tell me much either. But there's one thing I'm very clear about: he had already foreseen your father's death before he took action. He informed us in advance and made arrangements for his funeral. It was definitely not some kind of conspiracy or trick, and it didn't have much to do with Ding Yishan or the entire checkpoint."

"What did he go to do?"

"I don't know the specifics, but the current rumors and the official narrative are all..."

Luo Xiaoxue paused, hesitated for a moment, and then uttered five words: "Intercept and kill An Xingfu."

"Hmm? City Lord?"

Cheng Ye's heart sank, but his face remained calm. "If the prosecutor kills the city lord, can the checkpoint still be kept?"

"Now you should know about the three major factions in our Happiness City, right?"

"Ah."

“When your grandfather was still alive, there was no idealists in our Happiness City. There were only three factions: the Extraordinary, the Technological, and the Checkpoint. The three factions were equal and jointly managed Happiness City.”

"Among them, the Extraordinary Faction holds military power, is responsible for training the legion, clearing out the infected in the surrounding area, and repelling the covetousness of surrounding settlements and sanctuary cities. They have the greatest power externally."

"The science and technology faction is responsible for people's livelihood and development, as well as research on the source of infection. Because it was difficult to get started, it is the weakest of the three factions and has basically no say."

"The checkpoint is located between the two, and your grandfather was a founding member of the city. He had the support of a group of elders and his methods were extremely tough, which is why he was able to lay the foundation from the beginning."

Luo Xiaoxue's expression was somewhat blank as she recalled, "Later, the Extraordinary Faction suffered increasingly heavy casualties due to years of war, gradually falling from its position as the faction leader. Meanwhile, the Tech Faction, having stabilized its position, rose step by step to become the new dominant force in Happiness City. As for the checkpoint..."

"At that time, an internal strife broke out. The checkpoint split into two factions: the original aspiration faction and the ideal faction. The original aspiration faction, led by your grandfather, faced fierce resistance from the ideal faction. The two sides engaged in fierce disputes and confrontations. Surprisingly, the ideal faction managed to persuade the elders who originally supported the original aspiration faction. Your grandfather's resistance was in vain, so he chose to take a group of confidants and leave for distant lands. He has been out of contact ever since."

"Back then, your father was still in the inner city, only sixteen years old. Just like you are now, he was forced to come out and take over as prosecutor. He not only had to bear pressure from all sides, but also had to be targeted and harassed by the idealists in the checkpoint."

"There was no other way but to join the Pioneer Corps to escape the power struggles. But in the two and a half years since he left, the buffer zone has been invaded by various sources of infection without the protection of the Originalist Faction. The population has plummeted by 70%, and it is almost on the verge of collapse."

"In the end, the idealists admitted their mistake and withdrew from the checkpoint. Some left Happiness City directly, while others entered the inner city to receive instructions from the elders. Well, the Public Works Department is now controlled by the idealists. After their withdrawal, the checkpoint was once again controlled by the original faction, which is how your father was able to return and officially begin his career as an inspector."

Jackie Chan's early life could definitely be made into a dramatic movie.

Just listening to Luo Xiaoxue's calm narration, Cheng Ye could imagine how suffocating that overwhelming pressure must have been.

Moreover, Cheng Long didn't have any collectors; he earned everything through sheer hard work and perseverance.

"So, Ding Yishan is also a former member of the Original Aspirations faction?"

Luo Xiaoxue sighed and nodded. "Yes, his father left with your grandfather back then and has not been heard from since. The trusted inspectors he personally trained when he was the station chief were all taken away by your father to carry out missions and died outside."

"The checkpoint has no elders to support it now, so Station Chief Ding can only rely on Liu Kun. Well, Liu Kun is also a former subordinate of the Original Faction. The two of them are barely keeping the checkpoint afloat. They can't let it become a tool of the inner city faction, and they have to try to maintain some autonomy."

"what?"

Cheng Ye was suddenly stunned and completely dumbfounded.

My mind felt like it was filled with a tangled mess; my previous understanding of the checkpoint and the inner city factions was shattered by these few words.

"Then what about these things and the interception of An Xingfu?"

"This was a unanimous decision made by the three major factions in the inner city. Each faction had to send someone. Ding Yishan originally planned to just send someone randomly, but your father insisted on joining, saying he wanted to use this opportunity to find the possibility of becoming extraordinary. And that's the final result."

Luo Xiaoxue's tone turned somber at this point, and she didn't continue.

"The three major factions—no, the people of Happiness City—went to intercept and kill their own city lord?"

"Yes, that's why I said it's just a rumor. After all, An Xingfu hasn't made a public appearance in 16 years. Only Ding Yishan and the person who made the decision know what really happened. Even your Brother B only knows the general outline."

Luo Xiaoxue gently shook her head, "Now, someone has to take the blame for the substitute starfish. If nothing unexpected happens, it will fall on the checkpoint. You can go and recover from your injuries, which will help you avoid this vortex. We can talk about it again once everything has completely calmed down!"

Beep, beep.

A pickup truck marked with a checkpoint sign came to a steady stop in front of the gate of happiness.

The guards exchanged glances and quickly stepped forward.

"During this special period, please get off the vehicle for inspection and walk through the isolation and disinfection station."

"Are you blind? Didn't you see the checkpoint sign?"

The passenger window of the pickup truck rolled down, revealing a young face that slapped the emblem on the door hard.

However, the guards exchanged glances but did not budge an inch, with the leader standing even straighter.
"I'm sorry, Captain Chu has given a strict order: anyone entering the inner city from the buffer zone, even if Director Liu is there in person, must walk through the isolation and disinfection station."

"Ok?"

The young man raised an eyebrow, realizing the guard's words had a hidden meaning. Just as he was about to get out of the car, a hand reached out from the back seat and pressed down on his shoulder.

"Achuan, get out of the car," the person in the back seat said calmly. "We're not some privileged class; we still have to follow the rules."

"Station Master."

A-Chuan glanced back, but ultimately managed to suppress his emotions.

The car door opened, and Ding Yishan stepped out first, a friendly smile on his face. He looked at the guards and said, "You have all done your duty well. We are sorry to have troubled you."

Although his smile was gentle, it sent a chill down the spines of the guards.

The head of the guards, in particular, felt his Adam's apple bob, and could only grit his teeth and say, "It's good that Station Chief Ding understands."

"If you can understand, then you can understand."

Ding Yishan waved his hand, signaling the pickup truck to return the way it came, and then led Achuan toward the small door on the side of the main gate, "Let's go."

"Sir." After taking only a few steps, A-Chuan finally couldn't help but grit his teeth and whisper, "This time, the starfish weren't our fault. Given the strangeness of the mother source, how could our checkpoint have the capability to screen them in advance? Now they're making us take the blame, this..."

"That's normal. With such a big fuss, no one else will take the blame. After all, we're the weakest."

A-Chuan choked, ultimately swallowing the rest of his words, though his expression remained grim.

The two walked one after the other through the isolation and disinfection workstation.

Two leaves fell, leaving the names 'Ding Yishan' and 'Jiang Chuan' printed on them respectively.

However, there is a number on Jiangchuan's leaf, marked with '1'.

This means he only has one last chance to enter the inner city this year, and if he wants another chance, he'll have to wait until next year when the rankings are refreshed.

"My lord, the Red Tiger has grown increasingly vigorous in the past two years, but the number of people allowed to enter and exit the inner city has been reduced. It seems that they really intend to completely isolate the inside from the outside."

"Who knows? We can't control that much."

Ding Yishan shook his head, threw the leaves into the collection tube, and stepped out of the quarantine station.

call.

An indescribable freshness instantly enveloped my body, as gentle and refreshing as stepping into the morning mist of early spring.

The alloy floor beneath my feet had a slight coolness, which dissipated most of the summer heat, as if I had stepped from one world into another completely different realm with just one step.

However, before the two could even get their footing, a black pickup truck silently pulled up in front of them.

The driver's window slowly rolled down, revealing a rugged face covered with a thick beard. "Get in. You're the checkpoint chief, after all. Do you really intend to walk in like an ordinary person?"

"Of course, a sinner should act like a sinner."

Ding Yishan smiled and nodded slightly. "Director Liu, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again this time."

(End of this chapter)