Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 86 Post-Disaster Conference, The Will of the Elders! (Two Chapters Combined)

A high wall, like an insurmountable chasm, completely isolates the wasteland from its ruins and desolation.

The inner city within the walls and the buffer zone outside the walls seemed to be separated into two completely different times and spaces.

On the wide two-way road, all kinds of vehicles shuttle back and forth, dozens of times more than the buffer zone. Important intersections are even equipped with automatic sensor traffic lights, and the traffic is orderly.

The black pickup truck drove smoothly on the mirror-like street. Ding Yishan and Liu Kun chatted casually, while A Chuan stared intently out the window, looking somewhat dazed and lost.

The buffer zone had just experienced a catastrophe that killed tens of thousands of people. More than a dozen areas were wiped out by the source of infection, and large numbers of residents chose to migrate with their meager belongings, leaving behind a scene of widespread desolation.

The inner city, however, remained completely unaffected, still a scene of peace and prosperity, with even the air filled with a sense of leisure unrelated to suffering.

The buildings along the roadside are lined up one after another, each with a different style.

The neon lights in the billiard room were still dazzlingly bright in the daytime. A huge poster outside the movie theater was playing an image on a loop. A man in a yellow jumpsuit was agile, sometimes throwing punches like the wind, sometimes kicking sideways with sharpness. The three bold characters "Bruce Lee" below were particularly eye-catching in the dynamic light and shadow, attracting several young people passing by to stop and point.

The pickup truck left the main road and drove into a quaint, artsy street.

The blinds in the music room were open at an angle, and a few strands of piano music slipped out through the gaps—a light and cheerful melody that instantly put one's mood at ease.

A-Chuan's gaze fell on the flower shop on the street corner. Red, yellow, purple, and various bouquets, each half a person tall, wafted in through the cracks in the car window, their fragrance making the whole world seem more vibrant.

These buildings, which only exist in old magazines treasured by residents of the buffer zone and whose names are rarely heard of, are real and tangible here, so densely packed that it's almost unbelievable.

Pedestrians on the roadside wore neatly ironed clothes, brightly colored yet tasteful, walking in twos and threes with peaceful smiles on their faces and their conversations light and pleasant.

The topic didn't mention the source of infection or migration; it only discussed the not-so-busy daily work and life.

"Achuan."

Ding Yishan called out twice before Achuan suddenly snapped out of his daze and hurriedly turned his head.

"grown ups!"

"Stunned?" Ding Yishan chuckled and casually instructed, "Go and buy me some dried meat, bread, and some fresh fruit later. After I leave, I need to visit the soldiers who were injured in this wave of infection. It's not easy to get into the inner city. I still have some of my quota from the past few months, so I'll use it."

"OK, all right."

A short while later, the black pickup truck stopped in front of a square, four-story building.

The car door opened, and the three people got out one after another.

Liu Kun walked in front, Ding Yishan was half a step behind, and A Chuan consciously hung three steps behind the two, maintaining a just-right distance.

"In the meeting later, let them say what they want, and just let it go in one ear and out the other."

Liu Kun twitched the corner of his mouth, his tone casual yet undeniably confident, “As long as I’m here, these people will at most clamor for the reinstatement of the buffer zone police station and some kind of power division. But when it comes to actually implementing it, the decision-making power is still in our hands.”

"I understand." Ding Yishan looked relaxed, his tone completely calm. "This isn't the first time I've been verbally abused like this over the years; I'm used to it."

The two walked into the building side by side, and the guard at the door only glanced at them symbolically before letting them through.

As for A-Chuan, he shrugged and immediately turned away to buy supplies, despite the guards' murderous glares.

This is a meeting between the upper echelons of Happiness City; not just anyone can attend.

Those who can enter this building are either powerful individuals with extraordinary abilities or key spokespeople from various factions.

Even someone like Ding Yishan, a station chief, has to be mindful of others' opinions when speaking freely in this kind of setting, let alone someone like his lackey.

Enter the venue.

The interior decoration wasn't as luxurious as I had imagined.

A simple mahogany table was set up in a rectangle, and Liu Kun and I sat down in the middle.

Before long, more and more people came in and took their seats.

There are specific rules regarding seating arrangements.

For example, the three tech-savvy individuals walked straight to the upper left seat as soon as they entered. They were all young men just over thirty, wearing matching silver-gray uniforms with gear badges pinned to their cuffs.

The three members of the Extraordinary Faction walked to the right side of the main hall. Each of them was burly and imposing. The leader was a bald Westerner. When he sat down, the chair made a slight creak. He glanced around the room, especially lingering on Ding Yishan for a few seconds. His eyes were sharp as knives, and he exuded an imposing aura of authority.

A moment later, the three idealists also walked in.

Dressed in simple cotton clothes, he stood out from the surrounding atmosphere. He neither joined the tech-savvy crowd nor approached the supernatural group. Instead, he sat quietly at the end of the long rectangular table, not exchanging words with anyone, like an outsider.

In addition to the three major factions supported by the elders, there are also various departments in the inner city and industrial zone.

Representatives from the Medical Services Department, Public Works Department, Production Department, Defense Department, and Supplies Department, totaling about thirty people, sat down in turn, filling the edge of the long rectangular table to the brim.

The clock hand on the wall trembled slightly until it pointed to the number '10'.

The heavy wooden door to the venue was pushed open again, and a middle-aged man walked in.

He had an ordinary appearance, wore a faded long gown with the cuffs neatly rolled up to his forearms, and looked more like an ordinary schoolteacher than someone in power.

But the moment he stepped into the venue, almost everyone stood up at the same time, their eyes all falling on him, and even their breathing seemed to slow down by half a beat.

"Okay, everyone, sit down."

The middle-aged man's voice was not loud, but it carried an invisible penetrating power.

He walked straight to the top of the mahogany table, sat down behind the nameplate engraved with the words "Yuan Gang", and lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingertips.

"The wave of infections has just passed, so let's not waste time on idle talk."

He looked up at the head of the table on his left: "Hou Rui, report the data."

"Yes, Deputy City Lord."

Hou Rui, the spokesperson for the tech faction, immediately responded, adjusted his glasses, and began calmly listing the data.

Although those present had already guessed about the casualties, when they heard the death toll of 16, there was still a suppressed gasp, and many people were slightly stunned.

"Of these, 14.7 are in the buffer zone, 1.4 in the industrial zone, and 129 in the inner city."

Hou Rui's voice was completely flat, as if he were reciting a string of cold numbers: "Currently, the buffer zone has only 37 people remaining. Due to the wave of infections, it is estimated that 13 people will move out, bringing the population down to 24, a decrease of about 28 compared to before."

hiss.

Another gasp of shock rippled through the room.

A wave of infections almost completely wiped out the savings that had been painstakingly accumulated over the years from the nightmare of trematodes.

"According to data verification, from June 6.6 to July 7.6, there were a total of 52 inspection officers on duty at the checkpoint. After excluding duplicates, there were 3 fourth-term inspectors, 7 third-term inspectors, 22 second-term inspectors, 19 first-term inspectors, and 1 probationary inspector."

The words fell.

Everyone in the room instinctively looked at Ding Yishan.

The latter remained solemn, seemingly oblivious to the gaze directed at him, and continued to stare at Hou Rui.

"In accordance with the checkpoint's internal regulations, the personnel arrangements were appropriate and there were no abnormalities."

"Retrieve the entry records of the substitute starfish's mother infected body and confirm that the person who released it is: Garcia."

"Further investigation revealed that Prosecutor Garcia had a conflict with Prosecutor Liu Bi at 6:41 p.m. on July 2, and was beaten and taken to a medical facility where he is still receiving treatment."

"Retrieved from Prosecutor Liu Bi's records: At 6:45 a.m. on July 3, under the arrangement of Station Chief Ding Yishan, I was assigned to carry out a field mission to escort materials to the hydropower station. I am still inside the hydropower station and have not yet returned."

"The cause of the conflict between Liu Bi and Garcia is characterized as a verbal altercation. Tracing the source shows that it started when Prosecutor Cheng Ye was negotiating an exchange of inspectors with Garcia. Cheng Ye used Liu Bi as a threat to make demands, which aroused Garcia's resentment and led to a direct confrontation with Liu Bi."

"Retrieve the records of Prosecutor Cheng Ye: His status is that of a trainee. He entered the checkpoint to learn on April 27, succeeding his father Cheng Long. He completed all assessments on June 13, ranking second in the checkpoint, only behind Deputy Station Chief Ha Lin. His first duty position was at the Central Checkpoint, and he is currently on duty at the North Expressway Checkpoint."

"Duty log is as follows: No abnormalities."

"After comprehensive investigation, trainee prosecutor Cheng Ye, second-term prosecutor Garcia, and fourth-term prosecutor Liu Bi have no direct connection with the invasion of the substitute starfish infected. Final classification: accidental incident."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a few seconds. Ding Yishan slightly loosened his fingers that were resting under the table.

The phrase "unexpected incident" temporarily eased the burden on the checkpoint.

But he knew this was only the beginning.

Sure enough, no sooner had Hou Rui finished speaking than the bald man from the Extraordinary Faction chimed in with a question, "Station Chief Ding, what are you doing at your checkpoint? The internal inspectors are fighting amongst themselves every day, even sending people to the medical clinic. How are you going to do your job properly?"

"This is my problem, an oversight at work, and I have deeply reflected on it."

Ding Yishan stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "Director Carlo Dickinson, thank you for your criticism. I will pay more attention to the moral education of the station and strictly prevent such incidents from happening again."

"Humph."

The latter snorted coldly, but Ding Yishan's attitude left him unsure how to continue.

After Ding Yishan sat down, Hou Rui continued to report the data.

Compared to the casualties in the buffer zone, the industrial zone fared somewhat better, but still suffered a significant loss of experienced skilled workers.

"It is estimated that by the end of the summer production season, the industrial park will lose 3.7 people."

“It’s very serious.” Yuan Gang suddenly spoke, his tone calm but with an undeniable firmness. “These people must be kept here!”

He glanced around the room, his face indifferent. "It doesn't matter if everyone in the buffer zone leaves; there are always new people joining. But we've trained these workers in the industrial zone for so many years; not a single one of them can leave."

The words fell.

There was a brief silence in the room, followed immediately by a chorus of responses, with people constantly standing up to make suggestions:

"Vice City Lord, I propose an emergency allocation of funds to the buffer zone to immediately begin large-scale reconstruction of Area A, allocate new housing for the workers, and lay heating pipes in advance to cope with the winter temperature drop."

"Vice City Lord, I suggest establishing large medical institutions in the workers' residential areas to comprehensively improve the medical care mechanism and fundamentally eliminate their worries." "Vice City Lord, I propose a significant increase in workers' wages, while simultaneously reducing prosecutors' salaries as a deterrent. This will not only demonstrate Happiness City's determination to reward merit and punish wrongdoing, but also appease the workers!"

"Vice City Lord, I propose..."

Various proposals were put forward one after another, most of which revolved around how to stabilize the workers in the industrial zone, and some of them contained veiled suggestions regarding checkpoints.

When it was Ding Yishan's turn, he calmly stood up and said in a clear voice, "Vice City Lord, I propose that funds be allocated to the checkpoints, with priority given to repairing the central checkpoint and establishing more complete isolation wards and epidemic prevention systems to prevent similar incidents of infected individuals from happening again from a hardware perspective."

As soon as he finished speaking, several pairs of eyes in the room swept over him, seemingly casually, with a hint of scrutiny, but no one immediately refuted him.

As expected, when it was Carlo Dickinson's turn, he fired off, "Vice City Lord, I suggest that the Buffer Zone Police Department be reinstated immediately, the existing powers of the checkpoints be divided, and a dual inspection model of 'checkpoint + police department' be established."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ding Yishan's direction, and continued, "Furthermore, it is recommended that all on-duty inspectors be at least third-term inspectors; if inspectors below the third term are to be on duty, they must be accompanied and supervised by inspectors of the third term or higher. Only in this way can we avoid oversights caused by insufficient personnel and prevent similar incidents like the 'body double starfish' from happening again."

The atmosphere in the room instantly tensed up as soon as he said that.

The restoration of the police department and the division of its powers are clearly intended to weaken the checkpoints.

The restrictions on the ranks of duty inspectors are directly aimed at the current personnel structure of the checkpoints.

Prosecutors with three or more years of service are already scarce, and they are all out on field assignments.

Once these people are recalled, the checkpoints will essentially cut themselves in half, losing their greatest power.

Yuan Gang remained unmoved, his expression unchanged.

"As is customary, let's vote."

From the very beginning, it was proposed that everyone present should have a vote.

If more than half agree, it is considered passed; if less than half agree, it is not passed.

The proposals to allocate funds to rebuild the buffer zone were almost unanimously approved, but the proposals regarding checkpoints were met with slight hesitation.

If the supernatural and the technological factions agree, then they will immediately follow suit and vote in favor.

If it's only the extraordinary ones, pretend nothing happened.

"Vote to cut prosecutors' salaries by 50% for one year."

After Hou Rui finished reading, he raised his vote of approval first, and Carlo Dickinson quickly followed suit.

Within a second or two, apart from the idealists who remained unmoved, even Ding Yishan himself voted in favor.

"Vote, allocate funds for checkpoints, and repair facilities."

Nothing happened; Ding Yishan awkwardly cast his vote, while Liu Kun didn't even lift an eyelid.

"Vote to reinstate the police department and establish a dual inspection model of checkpoints + police department."

Karlodick immediately raised his hand, his gaze sweeping across the entire room like that of a hawk.

As he made that gesture, a third of the people raised their hands, including representatives from several departments in the buffer zone.

Liu Kun remained seated, his gaze growing colder with each passing moment as he swept over those who had raised their hands.

To his utter surprise, the three tech-savvy individuals hesitated for a moment before raising their votes in agreement, clearly indicating a prior tacit understanding.

"I disagree!" Liu Kun stood up abruptly, suppressing his anger as he roared, "The police department was abolished back then because of its inefficiency and chaotic division of responsibilities. How can we bring back a failed old system and repeat the same mistakes? Who will take responsibility!"

However, before he could finish speaking, an invisible force suddenly struck.

Before anyone even realized what had happened, they saw Liu Kun being hit by a speeding train and sent flying backward like a meteor.

With a loud crash, it smashed through the wall at the back of the venue, leaving a clear human-shaped dent in the brick and stone debris.

"Anyone who shouts or yells again will suffer the same fate."

Yuan Gang lowered the hand that he had seemingly waved casually, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather, but his eyes were devoid of any warmth.

The entire place was deathly silent; even breathing seemed to have been cut off.

Four or five seconds later, the damaged wall suddenly burst into flames, and in the firelight, Liu Kun rushed back, his body covered in smoke.

His hair was disheveled, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his shirt was scorched, but his burning eyes eventually dimmed when they met Yuan Gang's indifferent gaze.

He could only let out a heavy snort, sitting back down in his seat, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.

When Ding Yishan noticed Liu Kun avoiding his gaze, he was stunned, and his heart sank to the bottom.

"Continue voting."

Yuan Gang's gaze swept across the entire room, as if the conflict had never occurred.

Many more people hesitated and raised their hands, but at that moment, the idealist representative who had been silent like an outsider behind the table suddenly stretched out his finger and gently tapped the table.

There was no sound, yet it was like an invisible command.

In an instant, many raised hands fell down in unison, as if they had been trained.

Ok?
Liu Kun was stunned, Ding Yishan was stunned, and Hou Rui and Karlodick were also stunned.

How could an idealist, who's as dead as a corpse, actually have a moment to express his opinion?
Did these guys suddenly remember that they were once part of the checkpoint?
Hou Rui's expression changed, and after a two-second pause, he announced in a deep voice: "The proposal to reinstate the police department has not received more than half of the votes in favor, so it is not approved."

He then deliberately sped up his speech, as if wanting to turn the page as quickly as possible, and continued: "Next item, vote on the three-term prosecutor accompaniment system."

Karlodickson raised his hand again, but this time, no one looked at him. All eyes were on the idealist representative, and even Yuan Gang's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer.

The idealists, however, remained oblivious to their surroundings, retreating back into their detached, outsider personas, as if their earlier actions were merely an illusion.

The room was quiet for a few seconds, and then some people began to tentatively raise their hands. As the number of votes in favor gradually increased, the idealist speaker seemed to be suddenly awakened and gently tapped the table again.

The exact same scene as before was repeated: all the raised hands fell instantly, leaving only Karlodkinson with his hand raised alone in the entire venue, which looked particularly absurd.

"Yu Hong, is this your idea, or the elders' idea?"

Yuan Gang frowned and said with a hint of impatience, "If the elders have something to say to us, they can just say it."

"it is good."

Yu Hong stood up and said, “The results of the buffer zone experiment are good, and everything is progressing as expected. Unless necessary, do not push forward any reforms that may affect the results.”

The words fell.

He simply sat back down and didn't say another word, as if he were just a mouthpiece.

The venue fell completely silent.

Even Yuan Gang's impatience disappeared. His fingertips paused on the table for a moment before he finally nodded slightly.

There was no rebuttal, no follow-up questioning, and not even any extra expression.

But everyone understood that the vote on the checkpoint had been completely decided by these few words.

After all, in Happiness City, the will of the elders has always been second only to that of the city lord, An Xingfu!
Since Deputy City Lord Yuan Gang has acquiesced, there is no need for further discussion.

half an hour.

After the meeting ended, Yuan Gang left gracefully, and the remaining people also left one after another.

Only the three idealists, along with Liu Kun and Ding Yishan, seemed to have a tacit understanding and remained seated behind the long table.

Only after the last footsteps disappeared at the end of the corridor did Yu Hong slowly get up and walk over.

"Director Liu, Station Chief Ding."

"Ah."

In terms of relationship, although the idealists were nominally a branch of the checkpoint, they had long since severed ties with the checkpoint by taking the initiative to withdraw. Both sides were very restrained, occasionally intersecting but not interfering with each other.

In terms of status, the idealists actually have less say in Happy City than the checkpoints. Their only subordinate unit is the Public Works Department, which is responsible for infrastructure construction and manages the most trivial matters such as road repair, house building, and land reclamation. Within the power system, they are a truly marginal faction.

But their true confidence doesn't come from these overt powers and resources, but from the three founding members of the city's creation efforts who support them.

Today, only ten veterans remain in Happiness City, five of whom are tech-savvy, three idealists, and two extraordinary individuals.

As the founder who built Happiness City from ruins, he has reached the pinnacle in terms of both seniority and combat strength, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is the pillar of this sanctuary city.

As long as these elders remain, no matter how much factional infighting occurs, the foundation of this city will not be shaken.

"After what happened back then, the elders said they wouldn't interfere with the checkpoint's work, and that statement still stands. You still have autonomy in your own hands."

Yu Hong's gaze swept past Liu Kun and landed directly on Ding Yishan's face. "But if you continue to fight amongst yourselves, turning the buffer zone into a mess where everyone can do whatever they want and ruining the experimental results, the elders will no longer care after next spring!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Kun frowned slightly.

Ding Yishan immediately stood up and bowed slightly. "Director Yu, please convey my gratitude to the elder. Does the elder have any further instructions?"

"Other instructions, hmm."

Yu Hong hesitated for a moment, then chuckled, "Since the elders haven't given any instructions, I personally would like to offer Station Chief Ding a piece of advice."

"Please speak!"

"The one who tied the knot must untie it; only by staying true to our original aspirations can we have a place in Happiness City."

This time, he stared straight at Liu Kun, "But if we continue to use checkpoints as a springboard to the extraordinary, as a ladder to the upper echelons of power, as a bargaining chip, and as a tool to realize our personal ambitions, then checkpoints, like us back then, have no reason to continue existing!"

　P.S.: 6k votes sent, thanks for the votes!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)