Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 89 The Great Dragon Makes His Move, Half-Step Transcendent! (Two Chapters Combined)

The wave of infections has taken away far more than just people; it has also drained the intangible spirit and vitality of this land.

The entire buffer zone seemed to have been drained of all life by an invisible hand, and an indescribable sense of deathly stillness and desolation filled the air, with even the wind carrying a gloomy feeling.

As Jiang Chuan walked along the central checkpoint, he would frequently stop and observe.

The faces of the people coming and going were mostly expressionless, only numb and tired. Occasionally, a few people with a sharp glint in their eyes could be seen as people who had come from the shantytowns, choosing their targets and waiting to strike when night fell.

Only those migrants carrying packs or those squatting by the roadside exchanging supplies could be seen with a hint of anticipation and smiles on their faces.

For them, Happiness City is just a stop on their life's journey, and they will soon be heading to the next stop, so naturally they will not be influenced by the decadent atmosphere here.

Jiang Chuan believed that if he stayed in the buffer zone, these changes would not affect him.

After all, he has lived here for nearly twenty years, from a naive sixteen-year-old boy to a middle-aged man who is almost forty years old now, and has long been used to the ups and downs.

But having just followed Ding Yishan into the inner city and witnessed firsthand the peaceful and orderly life there, returning to this lifeless buffer zone felt like a dull knife repeatedly grinding against his heart, making him feel suffocated.

"Hey buddy, are you leaving too? Want some solid nutrient solution?"

Seeing Jiang Chuan standing still, a scruffy-bearded scavenger carrying a backpack approached.

Unpacking the package revealed a solid nutrient slurry that had been boiled, gelled, and solidified into round spheres. It looked grayish and unappetizing.

"If you leave now, the liquid will spoil in a few days. I've added a lot of preservatives to this stuff, so take it with you and you can eat it for a month without any problems."

The scavenger patted his chest, a hint of pride in his voice, "Don't worry, at most you'll get a slight fever from eating it, it won't kill you!"

"No, I don't eat this."

Jiang Chuan shook his head and continued walking towards Zone B-7.

But the scavenger wouldn't give up, following closely behind with his backpack, continuing to peddle his wares.

At the same time, several scavengers who had been chasing after others to sell their wares also started to move, quickening their pace and crowding around.

"Hey bro, want some anti-inflammatory drugs or painkillers? Don't let our homemade ones fool you, they're just as effective as the genuine ones from the clinic!"

"9mm bullets, two for one Happiness Coin. Sell them cheap, it's always good to have some on hand!"

"Where's the tent? You'll need it, won't you? Once we're out of town, we won't have anywhere to shelter from the wind and rain. We'll catch a cold after the next rain, and then we'll be all alone!"

"If all else fails, can we get some insect repellent? We don't have that stuff in the wilderness, and the bugs will keep us up at night!"

The more Jiang Chuan tried to avoid them, the more scavengers surrounded him, their cacophony of calls wrapping around him like a net, making his journey increasingly difficult.

"roll!"

Annoyed by being pushed too far, he stopped and growled.
Surprisingly, the scavengers exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

"Oh ho, what, you want to fight us now?"

"Come on, hit me on the head, see if you can kill me with one punch?"

"You've got so much money in your pocket, are you going to let the brothers starve if you don't buy anything?"

A cacophony of voices, mixed with the smells of sweat and dust, swept over, and the scavengers tightened their encirclement, their eagerness gradually turning into a fierce edge.

In this day and age, no one is willing to let go of a fat sheep easily.

money?
Jiang Chuan subconsciously touched his pocket, which indeed contained a lot of Happiness Coins.

As the station manager's clerk, due to his special status, he usually just swipes his badge wherever he goes, and hasn't had the concept of money for many years.

He had borrowed these Happiness Coins from the guards when he left the checkpoint, so that he could use them to pave the way after entering Zone B-7 and find out as soon as possible what Cheng Ye had done.

Unexpectedly, before even stepping into the territory of Sector B-7, they were already being targeted by this group of sharp-eyed scavengers.

"You're selling things, aren't you? Are you robbing me?"

Jiang Chuan's eyes turned cold. "These migrants won't even buy this garbage, and you're planning to force me to buy it?"

"What do you mean 'trash'? Can't you speak properly, you brat!"

Touched on a sore spot, the scavengers immediately bristled, their sneers widening, some clenching their fists, ready to pounce.

However, just as Jiang Chuan was about to make his move, a rough roar suddenly came from behind the crowd:
"You son of a bitch, you want to die? You're trying to sell your stuff all the way to our B-7, do you have a death wish?"

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw five burly middle-aged men walking briskly towards them. Each of them had a fierce expression and their eyes revealed a menacing aura that was not to be trifled with.

Visibly, the scavengers who were arrogant and domineering just a second ago instantly lost their composure, their fierceness deflated like a punctured balloon, becoming utterly docile.

"Boss Huang, aren't we still in B-5? We didn't dare to go into your B-7."

"Get lost! You dare to talk back to me?" Boss Huang stepped forward, spitting in the other man's face. "If you dare to hang around here again, I'll chop off all your claws!"

Evil people need to be punished by evil people.

With a roar from Boss Huang, the scavengers exchanged glances, none daring to utter another sound. They could only slink away, heads bowed, carrying their tattered belongings.

Although they are reckless and unruly, they can still distinguish between what is important and what is not.

The Tianyuan community has more than 4,000 people, nearly 3,000 of whom are adult men. They are not people that can be offended.

What's more, recently that "Poisonous Hand Dragon" has been frantically carving out territory like a madman, fiercely protecting his own.

Last night, someone got into a conflict with their people on B-6, and the people on B-7 rushed over and beat the other person half to death before carrying them out.

To run into bad luck at this time is simply asking for trouble.

"Brother, be careful if you have money in your pocket. Getting entangled with these people is not a good thing."

Huang Laoda also caught a glimpse of the bulging Happiness Coins in Jiang Chuan's pocket.

Just by looking at the shape, you can tell that this person has at least several hundred coins in his pocket, which is equivalent to their monthly income from working outside.

"Thanks, brothers, here's a drink for you."

Jiang Chuan's eyes darted around, and he suddenly pulled out two 10-yuan "happiness coins" from his pocket.

Old Huang swallowed hard, but remembering the instructions from Elder Qu and Da Long, he shook his head and said, "No need, it's nothing. The situation in all districts is not good right now, and everyone is struggling to make ends meet. You should keep it for yourself."

You don't even want the money?

Jiang Chuan paused for a moment, but did not chase after him to say anything. Instead, he followed Huang Laoda at a distance and entered the B-7 area.

It's very strange, even though B-6 and B-7 are only one block apart.

But once that boundary was crossed, the deathly stillness and desolation in the air seemed to be abruptly cut off by something, receding by more than half.

There were many roadside stalls that appeared out of nowhere. Pieces of rags were laid on the ground and arranged in a row against the corner of the wall, displaying all sorts of trinkets.

Most of the stall owners squatted against the wall, not coming up to solicit customers. Their eyes weren't even on their own stalls, but instead all stared at the pedestrian street not far away.

A clanging sound came from the air, mixed with muffled shouts and the crisp sound of metal clashing.

Logically, with the wave of infections just over, the buffer zone should be sparsely populated, and it would take at least a month or two for new people to join and for autumn to bring it back to life. However, hundreds of people were crowded at the entrance of the pedestrian street, a dark mass of people, and even those on the outermost edge were standing on tiptoe to peek inside, their faces showing a hint of vitality.

Jiang Chuan saw it clearly; it wasn't sadness or numbness, but a tense anticipation.

There was a boom.

A loud bang suddenly exploded, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

Two illegally constructed four-story mud houses on the outskirts of the pedestrian street suddenly collapsed inwards, sending broken bricks, yellow soil, and rotten wood soaring into the sky. The splashed mud and ash spread out like a mushroom cloud, choking people in the front row who covered their mouths and backed away.

Several figures in overalls emerged from the smoke and dust, carrying crowbars and hammers, and shouted to the crowd, "Make way! Once these two are demolished, the passage will be cleared!"

"Dude, what are they doing?"

Jiang Chuan squatted down against the wall, mimicking the stall owner, and looked at the crowd sweating profusely in the distance. He couldn't help but ask, "Is it this lively?"

"Tear down the pedestrian street, what else can they do?"

The stall owner smacked his lips and said, "I heard this place is going to be rebuilt. The entire pedestrian street will have to be torn down and rebuilt, new roads will be paved, shops will be built, and a small factory will be constructed."

"what?"

Jiang Chuan was taken aback and instinctively straightened his back. "How much money would that cost? Where would a small community get so many resources?"

"None of your business." The stall owner shook his head slightly, but his tone was full of envy. "Tianyuan Community has thousands of people, and only a few dozen died in this wave of infections. They've minimized the losses. I heard they even received a 'Third-Class Merit for Happiness.' The funds allocated by the higher-ups could probably renovate half of this street."

"A third-class merit award for happiness?"

Jiang Chuan was completely stunned.

He instinctively felt that this third-class merit might have something to do with Cheng Ye, but a probationary prosecutor
After thinking for a moment, he lowered his voice, "Do you know if there's a Prosecutor named Cheng around here?"

"do not know."

The stall owner shook his head honestly, "We only dared to set up a stall here because we saw that B-7 was well-ordered and didn't descend into chaos after the wave of infections. If you want to find someone, you have to ask the people in Tianyuan Community; they're the ones who call the shots in this area."

"That Boss Huang"

"The patrol team is specifically responsible for maintaining order; you can find them."

"Thank you!"

Jiang Chuan nodded and didn't ask any further questions, but his heart was in turmoil.

In recent years, the buffer zone has been under the control of the idealists. Although the prosecutors hold a prestigious position, the power of the checkpoints themselves has actually been shrinking.

Previously, we had the right to directly access all information in the buffer, but now we have to apply to higher authorities for everything we do.

To avoid alerting the enemy, he didn't dare apply for information about Area B-7.

Now that I've asked, wow, is this B-7 going to turn the world upside down?

Just as I was pondering this, a cheer suddenly came from not far away.

It turned out that the last section of the broken wall had been knocked down, revealing a wide passage behind it. Several workers were cheering with hammers in hand, and scattered applause could be heard from the crowd of onlookers.

Soon, the huge clod of earth was smashed into pieces by the hammer, and the onlookers consciously stepped back, making way for a narrow path.

Six handcarts entered, and the drivers, sleeves rolled up, bent over and used shovels to load clods of earth onto the carts with remarkable speed and efficiency.

Jiang Chuan thought for a moment, then got up and walked to the edge of the crowd, specifically looking for a woman with a kind face.

"Sister, I have a question for you." Jiang Chuan tried to keep his tone calm. "Has any important person visited B-7 recently? Otherwise, why would they suddenly start demolishing and rebuilding the streets?"

The woman looked up at him, a hint of wariness flashing in her eyes. But seeing that he was dressed fairly neatly and didn't seem like someone looking for trouble, she pointed to a tall man who was directing the clearing of obstacles not far away. "Don't ask me anything, go ask him. Chen Dong, you can just call him Captain Chen."

"it is good!"

Jiang Chuan moved his feet, but in his heart he thought that the people in Tianyuan Community were really vigilant.

He didn't even have a chance to pay; they simply ignored him.

"Captain Chen."

"Huh?" Chen Dong turned his head. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I'm from next door, and I'd like to ask you for money to inquire about something."

"Hey, you next door, spending money?" Chen Dong hummed in response, glancing at the few '10' Happiness Coins in Jiang Chuan's hand. "Speak up, what is it? Let me hear it first."

"It's nothing serious. I heard that Prosecutor Cheng lives in this area. Do you know him?"

"Prosecutor Cheng?"

Chen Dong paused for a moment, then frowned. "You'll have to ask our Brother Long. He should know. We're just doing the work; how would we know anything about inspectors?"

"Then I wonder where Brother Da Long is?"

"Oh, he's inside the mall. Wait for me a moment, I'll take you there."

"Thank you so much."

Having finally found a breakthrough, Jiang Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and stepped aside. However, within minutes, the atmosphere around him inexplicably became tense. The workers, who had been laughing and joking just moments before, buried themselves in their work, even the sounds of hammering subsided.

The crowd quietly backed away, glancing at him with a look that was hard to decipher.

Just as Jiang Chuan sensed something was wrong, Chen Dong walked over, his face expressionless: "Let's go, Brother Da Long is waiting for you."

"Walk."

Chen Dong led the way, and Jiang Chuan felt a little strange, but he could only follow.

However, he didn't care. Whether it was his status or his strength, crushing a group of ordinary people was still easy for him.

Upon arriving at the mall entrance, several young men stood there, their eyes flashing with a fierce light as they sized each other up.

"Do you have a gun? Take it out. Guns are prohibited in our community."

"A pistol." The young man took out a defensive pistol from his waist, and after he took it, two other people stepped forward to begin searching.

"Okay, let's go in."

The door was pulled open, and the interior seemed somewhat dark and secluded.

Chen Dong could vaguely see a man moving around in the middle of the mall. He gestured with his lip and said, "That's Brother Da Long. Go ask him."

"Thanks, brother."

Jiang Chuan, without suspecting anything, immediately ran over.

However, after taking only a few steps, he heard a dull thud of a door closing behind him.

"Come here, kid."

Standing in the activity area, Da Long beckoned with his finger, "I heard you're looking for Prosecutor Cheng?"

"you know?"

"Of course I know. What do you need him for?"

Da Long took two steps forward, his sharp eyes scanning him up and down. "He's a trained fighter?"

"I just want to ask Brother Da Long about something. Did you see the prosecutor on the night of the infection outbreak?"

Jiang Chuan cupped his hands in greeting and took out the remaining Happiness Coins from his pocket. "I just want to know the news. If Brother Da Long finds out, these are yours."

Do you have identification badges?

"No," Jiang Chuan honestly shook his head.

Before the words were finished, a gust of evil wind suddenly swept over them.

Da Long leaped up like a leopard, his right fist striking Da Long's face at an almost vertical angle, the force of the punch clearly a deadly move.

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted slightly, and his body instinctively shifted to the left, dodging the heavy punch.

Then, with a slight exertion of his shoulder and a push, he forcefully pushed away the dragon that was lunging at him.

"You've got some skills, a master at carrying a fetus?"

"Don't dare."

Jiang Chuan's eyes turned slightly cold. "I don't want to fight you. I just want to know the news. If you don't want to talk, then I'll leave."

"Then you must be dreaming."

Da Long sneered, stomped his foot on the ground, and pounced forward again like an arrow. His right fist, carrying a strong wind, aimed straight at Jiang Chuan's heart, while his left elbow secretly blocked his retreat. His moves were three times more ruthless than before.

This time, however, Jiang Chuan stopped dodging. He stomped his toes on the ground and his body suddenly sank down.

Just as the fist was about to reach his chest, he suddenly spun around to the side, while his left hand gripped Da Long's wrist like an iron hook, and his right hand followed suit, striking the opponent's elbow hard.

Click.

Da Long felt his right arm go numb and weak, and his attack instantly stalled.

But Jiang Chuan gave him no chance to catch his breath. Taking advantage of the momentum, he twisted his body and used Da Long's own momentum as a fulcrum to execute a clean and decisive over-the-shoulder throw!
Bang.

The giant dragon's burly body was slammed to the ground like a tattered sack.

"You've only opened up ordinary meridians, you're carrying a fake embryo, and you're only able to fight because of a fit of rage. You won't go far on this path. You should learn from others and stop being so brave and aggressive."

Jiang Chuan shook his head, about to turn and leave.

However, after taking just one step, a cracking sound came from behind.

Da Long, who had been thrown to the ground, grinned, coughed twice, pulled out a pistol from his abdomen, and released the safety.

"Brother, I'm afraid you can't leave yet."

"With you, with this gun?"

Jiang Chuan smiled casually, his fingers already lightly resting on his belt, where a three-inch-long self-defense knife was hidden.

The difference in their levels of understanding is evident.

He was absolutely certain that he could deliver a throwing knife straight to Da Long's throat before the opponent could fire.

however.

Da Long chuckled as he got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and waved to the empty circular corridor above.

Click, click, click.
A series of crisp sounds as lights switched on rang out, instantly illuminating the dimly lit mall as if it were daytime.

Jiang Chuan looked up abruptly, then froze completely.

On the circular corridors of the second and third floors, countless gun barrels were seen pointing out in unison.

Pistols, rifles, and even four machine guns?
What is this doing?
crazy?

"Come on, behave yourself."

Da Long clapped his hands again, and four strong men immediately emerged from the shadows, each carrying an iron chain as thick as a forearm.

"The unity of man and nature is impressive, but you can try to see if you can dodge machine gun fire."

I've been kidnapped?
Were they kidnapped by a group of ordinary people from the community?

Jiang Chuan was oblivious to the flickering look in Da Long's eyes after he finished the call, and he couldn't come back to his senses for a long time.

Over the years, he stayed by Ding Yishan's side, though he never ventured out again.

But after reaching the half-step transcendent realm, killing those outsiders who are at the unity of heaven and man is no different from fighting ordinary people.

But today, he actually had a mishap in an ordinary community?
"Brother, I'm really sorry. Prosecutor Cheng is coming right away. If this is a misunderstanding, I, Da Long, will kowtow to you and apologize."

Da Long put down the defense device, scratched his head awkwardly, and the tense atmosphere in the mall immediately eased.

The crowd casually put away their guns, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened.

The first floor also became lively, with many people carrying materials inside, seemingly busy repairing the infrastructure.

This place is indeed quite different from the rest of the buffer zone, exuding an indescribable vitality.

The children chasing and playing in the mall gave Jiang Chuan a sense of peace and prosperity, reminiscent of the inner city.

Of course, the place was still dilapidated, with clutter piled up in the corners and iron bunk beds stacked to the ceiling, making it look messy everywhere.

But if you ignore the external mess, the lively atmosphere in this space makes him feel more comfortable than the carefully maintained order in the inner city.

Jiang Chuan clicked his tongue inwardly, suddenly regretting his rash intrusion and his failure to approach more cautiously.

But he had a vague feeling that he could go back and talk to Ding Yishan about everything that had happened here, and that this kind of change was definitely not what a buffer zone should have.

Even though Ding Yishan has never been a big fan of the idealists' reforms.

Moreover, Cheng Ye is definitely not that simple. Even before we've had any contact, he gives off a feeling similar to Cheng Long secretly accumulating strength in the pioneering army back in the day. He deserves our close attention.

Of course, the most important thing now is to get out of there.

Fortunately, he hadn't met Cheng Ye before. He could just lie and pretend that the station had received a medical request and sent him to check on the injuries. That should be enough to get away with it, right?
call.

While my thoughts were in turmoil, someone shouted that Prosecutor Cheng had arrived.

Jiang Chuan subconsciously looked up, completely stunned.

The chaotic online store seemed to have been put on pause, with nearly a thousand people putting down what they were doing almost simultaneously.

Men, women, and even children all turned their gazes toward the entrance in an instant.

Boom, boom.

The sound of steady footsteps approached from afar, and a young man who looked exceptionally young strode in.

Wearing a simple short-sleeved shirt and trousers, she wasn't particularly tall.

As he walked by, the eyes of nearly a thousand people spontaneously followed him, filled with deep gratitude and respect.

He stopped, and the crowd's breathing seemed to pause slightly; the huge mall suddenly fell silent.

Him, Cheng Ye?

Jiang Chuan's mind went blank for a second, as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer, and he completely lost the ability to think.

Countless scattered fragments of memory overlapped.

Many years ago, on the day Ding Yishan took office, a similar scene unfolded outside the checkpoint.

Countless people spontaneously gathered around, their eyes filled with respect and devotion.

But he has never seen such a sight since then. Even though many residents are very respectful to the prosecutor, they could never maintain such a uniform gaze, let alone such an almost instinctive solemnity.

Who's looking for me?

The words fell.

Nearly a thousand people turned their heads almost simultaneously, their eyes all fixed on them.

Jiang Chuan never imagined that being watched could bring such a strong feeling of unease.

Every gaze felt heavy, pressing down on his shoulders and making it hard to breathe.

But at this moment, he had no other choice.

He could only grit his teeth and look up, forcing a bitter smile as he met the young prosecutor's gaze.

His memory blurred again, but the face that resembled Cheng Long's was six or seven parts similar, and the downcast gaze made him feel as if he saw Cheng Long standing there.

"Ok?"

Their eyes met, and the other person's eyes seemed to be full of stories, but Cheng Ye searched his memory and confirmed that he had never seen this face before.

He subconsciously opened the panel.

Then, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

[?, 98.8%]

[Searchable Scope: Intelligence, Items, Skills (Lv1, Lv2, Lv3)]

"Strange, where did this person come from? How come they're so cooperative? They're almost full without even saying a word!"

"Huh, there are even Lv3 skills to search for?"

　P.S.: First update delivered! It's Friday! Wishing all my readers a happy weekend in advance!
　　P.S. 2: It's a pity that I didn't create memorable supporting characters in the last book. A-Chuan is an important character who will be featured in the next million words of the outline, which is a huge challenge. I will try my best to write him well. Thank you for your monthly votes!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)