Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 98 The Point of Ideal Balance, Unlucky Garcia!

Having acquired the means to survive and tasted the sweetness of power.

Cheng Ye roughly understood why conflicting ideologies would lead to a fierce clash.

Ultimately, when the pie of power and interests is divided, there will always be someone who feels they haven't received enough.

What's even more subtle is that when people are putting their ideas into practice, once they encounter failure, the first thought that comes to mind is often not "the direction is wrong", but "the resources are not enough".

It is both an excuse and a shackle.

"If I want to go out and be independent in the future, what philosophy should I use as the basis?"

On the way to Tianyuan Community, Cheng Ye shook his head in deep thought.

The Extraordinary Faction is definitely not going to work. That approach of suppressing everything with power has long been eliminated by all the sanctuaries in the wasteland. Now, only a few scattered settlements still practice it. It is an inferior ideology that seems efficient but actually hides huge hidden dangers.

Once the principle of strength and power is established, residents will spontaneously pursue power, and the entire city of Sanctuary will become increasingly martial, with everyone resorting to any means to climb the social ladder.

Just like the checkpoints now, everyone wants to be a superhuman, and no one wants to live a hard life.

But someone has to suffer. We can't expect new residents to suffer as soon as they move in.
In that case, the lower classes would all run away in a few days. Who would be willing to be a slave to a superhuman?

Unless these superhumans are willing to go out and guard the gates to protect the infected, but is that even possible?

The tech-driven approach is good; it lays a solid foundation and radiates influence outwards—it sounds reliable.

But there is also a big problem: how to ensure that the resources developed will not be leaked out?

Happiness City managed to lock in resources by using "patent licensing" and strict restrictions on authority, but this approach also limited its own development speed.

Otherwise, once someone develops a technological foundation, they can easily rally people and resources to start anew, and all the hard work of the technologists will ultimately benefit others.

As for the idealists, they focus on a sense of belonging, which seems to be the most effective way to win people over in the wasteland, but it's not the right approach.

Just like now, after the wave of infections, there are still countless people who have passed away.

Not to mention the originalists, whose philosophy of treating people as cogs in a machine might have been able to hold up when there was only one Happy City, but now the radio is full of advertisements for other sanctuary cities, promising a better life.

Unless you break everyone's legs, how can you stop them from pursuing a "better life"?
"So, it's precisely because these ideas are intertwined, mutually restraining and promoting each other, that Happiness City has been able to develop to its current scale?"

When Cheng Ye came to this conclusion, he immediately felt it was somewhat absurd.

How can contradictory ideas, which seem to be hindering the development of the city, become a driving force for development?

But upon closer reflection, one has to admit the truth of the matter.

The Extraordinary Faction ensured the city's combat effectiveness, while the Technological Faction provided the essential resources for survival.

Idealists are trying to win people's hearts, while those who are true to their original intentions are actively blocking out the vast number of infected individuals.

Their ideas conflict with each other, yet a delicate balance is formed in the midst of this conflict, like a carriage that stumbles but keeps moving forward.

Perhaps the senior elders' decision to allow factional infighting is not in search of the most suitable ideology, but rather a balance that allows them to maintain optimal conditions.

"No wonder my appearance, which connects with the community, immediately won the favor of idealists."

"This is equivalent to the two factions already merging, and I may be the point of equilibrium."

Cheng Ye pondered.

If he can rise to power with idealistic ideals and also gain the resource support of the checkpoint, wouldn't that be equivalent to the fusion of the two ideals?
"Wait, what if I find enough extraordinary powers and technological knowledge in the future, and gain the approval and investment of the extraordinary faction and the technology faction? Wouldn't that be amazing?"

An even bolder idea suddenly popped into my head.

What would happen if an inspector was valued and invested in by four factions simultaneously?
I'm a little afraid to think about it.

If I think about it any further, I'm afraid he should become the lord of Happiness City.

Boom.

A loud bang suddenly came from the direction of the pedestrian street in the distance, and a plume of gray-black smoke shot into the sky.

The demolition of the pedestrian street is progressing very quickly; in just two or three days, one-fifth of it has already been demolished.

The old order is collapsing, and a new pattern is quietly taking shape.

"grown ups!"

As soon as I stepped into area B-7, a loud voice greeted me.

Erlong ran quickly from the demolition team, his face covered in dust but unable to hide his excitement. He bowed to Cheng Ye and said, "You've arrived!"

"They demolished it pretty quickly."

Cheng Ye nodded, his gaze sweeping over the workers swinging sledgehammers, the dull thuds of hammers striking the broken wall echoing one after another.

"It's all thanks to you, sir!" Erlong replied hastily, his tone full of gratitude. "The garbage trucks from the Public Works Department are faster than rabbits. Except for lunch breaks, they basically never stop. With them transporting the garbage quickly, we can dismantle it without any worries, and the progress naturally goes up."

Removing the rubble from the demolished buildings is a major challenge.

The distance from the pedestrian street to the designated dumping point in the buffer zone is more than ten kilometers. Ordinary residents rely on handcarts to transport the waste, and even with thousands of people working all day, the efficiency is still not as good as that of a single dump truck.

The key to the dramatic increase in demolition speed lies in the current operation of three dump trucks working in rotation.

"I've been too busy to ask how the workers' wages are being paid these past few days. I'll give you their contact information later. Go to the Public Works Department and ask them for the budget. Don't let them pay you on credit just because they're on your side. They won't shortchange you on every penny they owe!"

"Don't worry, sir, there's absolutely no need to use the budget!"

Erlong laughed even harder, as if he had completely emerged from Zhang Can's shadow.

Seeing Cheng Ye frown slightly, he quickly explained, "It's like this, the people who used to live in the pedestrian street were all infected, and the legacy they left behind, well, that legacy is quite substantial."

“We can find dozens or even hundreds of coins in each room we break into, which is enough to pay wages. We also have weapons and ammunition, which are hard currencies. The steel bars, planks, and glass we dismantled were also reused. The mall is under renovation these days, right? A lot of the building materials were brought over from here, so nothing was wasted.”

"We also found some other unusual items, which I've kept separately for you, sir. Would you like to take a look?"

"Something unusual?"

Cheng Ye smiled and waved his hand, "Let's talk about it after we've finished dismantling it. Keep anything you don't recognize for now, don't sell it cheaply at a street stall."

"Yes! Erlong understands!"

Unlike Da Long's honesty and straightforwardness, Er Long is obviously more cunning, but that's a good thing.

If everyone in such a large community were as kind-hearted as Da Long, that would be a real problem.

Now that there are good and evil forces, it's good that he's controlling the overall direction; Tianyuan Community will only get better and better.

After inspecting the community, Cheng Ye strolled over to the Public Works Department.

Only two days have passed since the last electricity theft; they should have laid low for a while.

But since the pedestrian street is moving so fast now, he has to go to the Public Works Department for it to be considered "reasonable".

Open the panel.

After charging for two days at the hospital, replenishing nearly 80 kilowatt-hours of power, the energy level has recovered to 31%.

Searching for a Lv2 skill once is enough, but it's still quite a distance from the 50% requirement for skill fusion.

In addition, Cheng Ye's gaze fell on the skill bar.

"I'm still learning mobile shooting, and I've mastered about 40% of it. At this rate, my skill slots will be occupied until at least the middle of next month."

While the changes brought by talents are terrifying, the benefits of skills are even greater.

Once you've learned and mastered the material, you can retain 100% of your abilities even if you uninstall the app.

However, there are exceptions, such as Wild Grass Physique, which will cause you to lose an important ability if you uninstall it.

He has already tested it, and the energy absorption speed bonus that comes with the talent will disappear instantly after uninstallation.

Therefore, it also needs to occupy a slot permanently.

"As for beastly instincts, they are basically useless to me now. I have mastered killing intent and can completely replace thinking with instincts in battle."

"And next we can search for Tiger Force, which is an even more advanced skill."

Cheng Ye went through the skill bar arrangement and found that there was now one empty.

While training Wang Kang in the evening, I also searched for Miao Yang and collected one of the four powers to start learning.

Considering that Lv2 skills only have a 50% success rate, charging to 75% will give you a very high chance of success.

They acted immediately, unlike their previous cautious approach.

Upon arriving at the charging station, Cheng Ye waited for a short while before seeing a bus pull in.

Skillful.

It was the same car he used to get electricity from the day before yesterday.

"Hey sir, let me charge your phone for you. You should hurry back and check if anyone's raiding your base!"

"You are."

The middle-aged man who got off the bus was stunned for a moment. When he saw the badge in Cheng Ye's hand, he was immediately taken aback.

Without really understanding what was going on, he handed over the keys and work card, then walked out of the parking lot looking completely bewildered.

Arrived at the door.

"Old Zhang, what's your relationship with Prosecutor Cheng? You seem quite familiar with him."

"Prosecutor Cheng?" Master Zhang stopped abruptly, looking bewildered. "That's the prosecutor?"

"Yeah, you don't know?"

"I don't know. He seems to know me well, but I..."

Master Zhang was stunned for a moment, but then he saw Cheng Ye already holding a gun and walking over. "The buffer zone is not peaceful right now. This master has some urgent matters at home. Please take good care of him and don't make things difficult for him."

"Yes, Prosecutor Cheng, don't worry!"

The guard immediately saluted, his attitude extremely respectful.

"Prosecutor Chengcheng?" Master Zhang finally realized what he meant, his face showing a mixture of surprise and joy, and he could hardly speak.

"Work hard. The operation of the buffer zone cannot be separated from people like you who work diligently. But no matter how busy you are, you must take care of your family first. Only when the backyard is stable can you move forward with peace of mind."

He paused, then added, "If you get annoyed by the harassment or don't feel at ease living there, you can go to Tianyuan Community and give them my name so you can move there. At least you can get a good night's sleep then."

After leaving behind a single sentence, Cheng Ye drifted away.

Mr. Zhang stood there stunned, unable to come to his senses for a long time.

Cheng Ye's words, "Tell me your name," still echoed in her ears, but her heart was beating faster and faster in her chest.

He dared not think about getting involved with the prosecutor, but now everyone knows that B-7 is the safest place in the buffer zone.
Upon learning that he could stay there, Mr. Zhang clenched his fist tightly, his earlier confusion turning into excitement! His wife always complained that the place wasn't safe, and that their child was often startled awake by noises outside at night.

If we could really move to Tianyuan Community, even if we lived in a temporary house on the very edge, it would be better than living in constant fear like we do now!

"Let's go! Let's go back and pack our things now!"

Turning his head slightly, Cheng Ye caught a glimpse of Master Zhang practically running away, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

The worst thing for a person is to live aimlessly, not knowing what they are capable of or what they are not capable of.

Having grasped the rules of the buffer zone after understanding factional conflicts and ideological disputes, he is now playing the game more and more skillfully.

Now that I've become a pawn for the idealists, I'll use power to win people's hearts and minds.

Even if outsiders find out, they won't be surprised; on the contrary, they'll think he's putting his beliefs into practice.

By the time the buffer zone was filled with his cronies in every industry and department, he had his own trusted confidants.

"Only when the person in charge of Tianyuan becomes the person in charge of the buffer zone will that power be truly formidable, far more prestigious than the head of a checkpoint."

Upon arriving at the Public Works Department lobby, someone immediately came to greet us.

Soon after, Engineer Liu arrived with the blueprints and began a second discussion on the development of the pedestrian street.

"The previous plan needs to be changed. The medical reform has been finalized, and I want to add a medical point to the pedestrian street."

Engineer Liu was taken aback. "Medical point? We did receive a notice from above to build a number of community clinics in the buffer zone, each about fifty square meters in size with a pharmacy?"

"not enough!"

Cheng Ye shook his head, pointed to the originally planned shop location, and said, "Build it here, three floors, each floor at least 300 square meters. The location must be conspicuous, so that every scavenger can see this medical point as soon as they step into the pedestrian street."

"The first floor will be used as the reception hall and pharmacy, the second floor will be used as wards, and the third floor will be used as a research lab. The walls will be reinforced with concrete, the windows will be fitted with bulletproof glass, and there will be enough open space at the entrance to facilitate the entry and exit of ambulances in the future."

Mr. Liu paused, holding his pencil, and quickly calculated: "If we change this place, the original shop layout will have to be moved back, the foundation will need to be reinforced, and we'll need to prepare 30% more materials. This will probably exceed the budget by quite a bit."

"I'll handle the budget, but the planning must be done in advance."

Cheng Ye's eyes sharpened. "This medical facility must be a landmark building on the pedestrian street. Build it to the highest standards."

The few days he spent at the medical center made him realize something completely.

What do wastelanders lack most?
There's a lack of life, a lack of places that can save lives!

If these people know that entering this street will bring them hope for survival, it will be more effective than any signboard, and naturally, waves of people will form.

"Understood, I'll redo the drawings right away and make sure it's built according to your ideas!"

Engineer Liu's attitude was satisfactory.

Although Cheng Ye himself sees him as an unscrupulous client who only knows how to make demands.

But that's how it is when you build in a wasteland; there's no room for trial and error. It's better to make changes before building than to demolish and rebuild after it's completed.

Cheng Ye waited until the collector's charge reached 80% before making an excuse to leave.

200 kilowatt-hours of electricity would last a full four days at home, but here it only takes 1 hour and 40 minutes.

After the charging gun was plugged into Mr. Zhang's car, he boarded the bus back to the medical center.

"It's so busy! Every day feels much busier than when I'm on duty."

Cheng Ye couldn't help but sigh.

When on duty, as long as you sit there, you might not even walk more than a thousand steps a day.

During the days the checkpoint was closed, he walked at least 10,000 steps a day, and he never stopped running.

Fortunately, both his own strength and the power of his subordinates are growing rapidly.

This is the essential condition for an inspector to stand in the buffer zone; otherwise, at best, they can only be considered a key member of the team.

In the current version of factional struggle, core members are only allowed to tackle the toughest challenges and defend the most dangerous positions; enduring hardship and fatigue is commonplace.

As for enjoying a life of luxury and receiving more resources and support, that's wishful thinking.

Back at the clinic.

Seeing him approaching from a distance, the guard at the gate hurried over, taking three steps at a time.
"Prosecutor Cheng, Prosecutor Lin has been waiting for you for over half an hour!"

Which Prosecutor Lin?

"It is Lord Lin Bao."

"Oh?"

Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow. The fifth-term prosecutor, who hadn't shown up yesterday, had indeed arrived today.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, a burly man was indeed standing in the corridor.

What made him a little uneasy was that Lin Bao, probably out of boredom, was actually lecturing Garcia.

"Keep practicing! Keep practicing! You've been lying in the hospital for half a month, are you just waiting to retire?"

"If you don't do any rehabilitation exercises every day and just lie around, how can this illness get better?"

"The checkpoint spends 200 points on medicine for you every day. In the past two years, I've worked my butt off on a single mission and only brought back three to five thousand points. You've used it all up in just ten days. Are you trying to bankrupt the checkpoint?"

"If you don't die from training today, then train like crazy! Who gave you young prosecutors such bad habits?"

Garcia, his face dark with anger, did push-ups on the ground, looking miserable.

When he caught a glimpse of the elevator doors opening and Cheng Ye stepping out, a flash of excitement instantly crossed his eyes.

But this excitement immediately turned into resentment as Lin Bao turned around, laughing heartily as he went to greet him.

"Young Cheng, you're finally back! I've been waiting for you!"

Lin Bao strode forward, his voice carrying a hearty tone.

“You have a bigger entourage than your father. Even Jackie Chan has never made me wait this long.”

"Uncle Lin, you're joking. I just went out to get some exercise and take care of some business. I can't stay in bed all the time, can I?"

"Well said!" Lin Bao smacked his lips, his gaze sweeping over Garcia on the ground, his tone full of disdain. "You're much better than this piece of trash. All you do is cause trouble and spend the station's money every day. You might as well have been beaten to death by Liu Bi back then."

In just a few words, Cheng Ye realized how "fierce" the vanguard of the Eastern camp was.

Unlike Zhou Changhai, who was cold and cunning, she was not scheming.

Lin Bao's disdain for Westerners was obvious, and his protectiveness towards the inspectors from his Eastern camp was even more undisguised.

Moreover, according to the information provided by Luo Xiaoxue, Lin Bao is a well-known pragmatist, but he only gradually became involved in the power struggle after being promoted to the fifth-term prosecutor.

After all, once you reach this position, your power has reached its limit, and the remaining pursuit is to break through the limitations of your personal strength.

The unspoken goal of all the fifth-phase prosecutors is to quickly rise above the ordinary and climb to the top of Happiness City.

Upon entering the room, there was a large box piled on the floor.

Lin Bao gestured towards the box with his lip, so Cheng Ye had no choice but to reach out and open it.

Surprisingly, instead of books, the contents were bags of vacuum-packed meat patties, each labeled 1kg, with an estimated total of at least fifty bags.

"Beef, top-quality beef. I owe your father a huge favor, and this is the interest on that favor."

Lin Bao said bluntly, without any intention of beating around the bush, "If you want me to return it to you, fine, but I'll support you whenever you take the lead."

"Uncle Lin, you're too kind," Cheng Ye said politely, almost instinctively.

Unexpectedly, Lin Bao didn't respond at all, waving his hand and saying, "I'm telling you this: if you can't handle it, then this favor is for nothing."

"in addition."

He changed the subject, his eyes darkening. "Zhou Changhai is no good. Don't get too close to him. It's good that you still remember that you are a descendant of the Dong people, but he has long forgotten what he is."

After saying that, he turned and left, as swiftly as Li Matai.

Upon reaching the door, he roared again.

“I told you to train, why are you running? I’ve already had the medical staff write this down. If you don’t finish three thousand push-ups today, I’ll break your legs and even Station Chief Harlin won’t be able to say anything.”

"Yes, yes, Prosecutor Lin."

Garcia lay on the ground, his voice trembling with sobs.

Immediately following was the sound of a slap. Lin Bao slapped Garcia hard twice on the back before smacking his lips and leaving.

It's only natural that Cheng Ye fights the fusion entity, protects the residents, and pays for their injuries at the checkpoint.

Garcia was injured by Liu Bi because of infighting within his own camp. The internal strife wasted resources, and in the eyes of an old-fashioned prosecutor like Lin Bao, this money was a pure waste.

As he closed the door, Cheng Ye glanced down at it.

Goodness, if looks could kill, Garcia would probably have killed him a thousand times over.

"Do a good job, don't be lazy, I'm keeping track of the numbers too."

Under Garcia's venomous gaze, he chuckled and slammed the door shut.

Hey, I can't handle you, but I'll make you angry!

Six p.m.

Garcia barely managed to finish three thousand push-ups, not daring to slack off even once.

Just as he slammed the door shut, panting heavily, the elevator on the fifth floor slowly opened.

thump.

There was a knock on the door.

"Xiaokang?"

Cheng Ye opened the door and was startled.

Wang Kang was covered in footprints, his eyes were bruised and swollen, and his mouth was cut and bleeding, looking as if he had just come down from the ring.

Da Long, who was following behind him, looked embarrassed and was rubbing his hands as he was about to explain.

Wang Kang, however, spoke first, his voice a little hoarse, "Brother Cheng, I want to train. Take me to train!"

"good very good!"

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(End of this chapter)