OBS Chapter 242: Surging Power, Drastic Changes in the Situation!
Chapter 242: Surging Power, Drastic Changes in the Situation!
'Yueye Shelter City?'Cheng Ye's gaze suddenly sharpened. Ever since he stepped onto the tenth floor, he had maintained a highly tense state of mind, terrified of saying the wrong word or showing the wrong attitude.
However, the reward Elder Qian personally offered still sent a violent shock through his heart, throwing his thoughts into disarray.
Almost as a primal reflex, he immediately opened his interface, selected a random piece of past intelligence, and instantly entered the time-stop space.
Only when the surrounding scenery froze and shattered did he finally gain a brief moment to think calmly.
'Yueye...'
'Could it be because Yueye Shelter City deliberately concealed the disappearance of two hundred thousand people, angering Happiness City, and now they are going to be dealt with, which is why I am being asked to take over?'
His thoughts raced, but after just a few seconds, Cheng Ye could not help but gently shake his head.
'If it were a few months ago, back when I had just become a Trainee Inspector, I might have thought about it so simply and directly.'
'But now, having stood at a higher level and witnessed more of the Wasteland World's survival logic, I already understand that this is absolutely not a place that cares about right or wrong.'
'In the adult world, the only absolute truth is profit.'
'Yueye has certainly made a massive mistake, but even if Happiness City really assimilates them, what benefits could they gain?'
'First, the distance between the two places is too far. The straight-line distance is nearly one hundred and eighty kilometers. If you factor in the Infection Source zones and destroyed roads that need to be bypassed, the actual journey is at least two hundred and fifty kilometers.'
'With such a vast distance, whether it is transporting supplies, deploying personnel, or relaying messages, everything becomes incredibly difficult. The invested costs and potential returns are entirely disproportionate.'
'Second, Yueye is a total mess right now. Having just been severely ravaged by an Infection Source, its population has plummeted, resources are exhausted, and infrastructure is almost completely destroyed. Taking over means the very first task would be rebuilding.'
'But Happiness City hasn't even had the time to build its own planned satellite towns yet. Where would they find the surplus manpower and material resources to fill this massive pit that is Yueye?'
'Third, and most crucially, Yueye's geographical role as a shield.'
'Autumn only lasts for a brief three months, and winter will soon descend upon the entire Shi Province. Those slumbering Infected Bodies will start gathering as if catching a scent, launching assaults on human Gathering Places and shelter cities.'
'Looking at the map, Yueye is inherently a natural barrier on the western flank of Happiness City. It is precisely because Yueye stands in the front that the vigor and pressure Happiness City expends on its western defense line every year are greatly reduced.'
'If Happiness City directly annexes Yueye, it means they have to dispatch their own personnel and resources to guard that region. The cost of doing so is far greater than letting Yueye govern itself.'
'Since there are such obvious drawbacks, why does Happiness City still want to eliminate Yueye?'
Cheng Ye closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down as a massive topographical map of the surrounding area slowly unfolded in his mind.
He first marked out the various resource points on the map, then delineated the territorial ranges of different factions, meticulously sorting out the connections between them...
'Wait!'
'Is the location of Yueye Shelter City within a two-hundred-kilometer radius around Happiness City and Dabo Town?'
'Is it... perfectly situated within the two-hundred-kilometer range enveloped by Tan Ming's Belief?'
Cheng Ye's eyes snapped open, his pupils shrinking slightly. His previously chaotic thoughts cleared in an instant, and a bold possibility suddenly surfaced crystal clear in his mind.
'If the two-hundred-kilometer radius around Happiness City can break through the planting ban restriction by relying on Tan Ming's Belief, then Yueye Shelter City occupying such a vital area is simply too much of a waste.'
'Whether from the perspective of current resource planning or future developmental layout, this neighbor must be integrated as early as possible to thoroughly monopolize the maximum benefits of this region.'
'And right now, they just so happen to have the perfect excuse.'
'Yueye deliberately concealed information about Infection Sources and Infected Bodies, and having just been ravaged by an Infection Source, they are at their absolute weakest.'
'Striking at this crucial juncture—as long as they move fast enough—will allow them to seize all the advantages before any other faction can react.'
'Brilliant!'
'Simply brilliant!'
Cheng Ye praised inwardly, then shifted his focus back to ponder the reward Elder Qian had just dangled in front of him.
Up until today, he had actually only revealed three prominent abilities to the higher-ups of Happiness City:
First, his knack for winning people over. From the support of the Tianyuan Community to the trust of the Dabo Town residents, this was easily proven.
Coupled with his willingness to actively enter Dabo Town for the Containment of the Immortal Object, his loyalty required no further questioning.
Second, a Containment capability no weaker than a senior Inspector's. Successfully containing the Immortal Object was the best endorsement of this.
Third, he had inherited Tan Ming's Belief. As long as he was willing to accept the task, he was bound to grasp immense power in the future.
Character, loyalty, capability, and potential limit—he possessed all four of these critical traits. It made perfect sense for the Elders of Happiness City to discover him early and entrust him with heavy responsibilities.
But then again, Yueye was currently a bona fide disaster zone. Whether he could hold things together after going there, and whether he could climb his way out of it, were entirely unknown variables.
Just winning over the populace and rebuilding the infrastructure would cost an unfathomable amount of blood, sweat, and manpower. He might end up trapped there for years.
Cheng Ye's thoughts twisted and turned a hundred times before he finally let out a soft breath, suppressing all his hesitation.
The intelligence space shattered instantly. In the outside world, barely a second or two had passed.
Elder Qian was still methodically pouring tea, his movements uninterrupted by even a fraction of a second, completely unaware that Cheng Ye had spent several minutes deep in thought.
"I have confidence!"
Cheng Ye raised his head, his gaze resolute and his voice ringing with absolute certainty, devoid of any hesitation.
"Do you really have confidence, or are you just faking it?" Elder Qian did not even look up, continuing to fiddle with the teacups in his hands as he chuckled, his tone laced with a hint of teasing.
"Of course it's real!" Cheng Ye's tone grew deeper, his attitude even more unwavering. "A mission personally assigned by an Elder—even if my body is smashed to pieces and my bones ground to dust, I, Cheng Ye, will definitely complete it!"
"Oho—" Elder Lin, sitting off to the side, was amused by these words and laughed out loud, his eyes full of playful banter.
Elder Pang, however, shook his head helplessly and looked at Elder Qian. "Old Qian, I told you earlier, this kid's mind is crystal clear. Testing him like this is completely useless. Do you believe me now?"
"I wouldn't call this a test."
Elder Qian set down the teapot and pushed a freshly poured cup of hot tea in front of Cheng Ye, tapping his fingertips lightly against the rim. "Aren't you curious why you're being allowed to take over Yueye?"
Without a shred of hesitation, Cheng Ye answered directly, "Yueye hoarded information and nearly triggered a Ruin-level disaster. Both reasonably and emotionally, they deserve to be executed."
"Yueye lies within the range covered by Tan Ming's Belief. They clearly committed a crime yet received a reward. They deserve to die."
"More importantly, Yueye has just suffered massive casualties and is at its most vulnerable. Annexing them now places the least amount of pressure on our Happiness City."
"Well said!"
After listening, Elder Qian nodded gently, a glimmer of approval in his eyes. "Yueye hasn't existed in vain all these years. They've helped Happiness City block quite a few Infection Sources coming from the west, which counts for some merit. Therefore, regarding this matter of hoarding information, we didn't take direct action. Instead, we submitted the materials to the Kindling Alliance for review, giving them a fifteen-day grace period."
"Right now, the Lord of Yueye City is already leading his people in an evacuation. They won't clash with us head-on. However, our people have also surrounded Yueye to ensure they don't take away crucial infrastructure and remaining personnel. So when the time comes to take over, it won't be an empty shell."
"Sending you over now, I can make the executive decision to place you in charge of establishing Yueye's Inspection Station, and I will grant you a corresponding set of authorities."
"Only the Inspection Station?" Cheng Ye froze for a moment.
"What else?" Elder Qian raised an eyebrow, his gaze feigning surprise while hiding a touch of amusement. "Don't tell me you wanted to directly manage an entire large shelter city, letting a Trainee Inspector serve as City Lord?"
Cheng Ye immediately caught himself and offered a sheepish smile. "Whatever you arrange is perfectly fine, Elder Qian, I was just asking casually. It's just that I'm more adept at figuring out economic construction. If I have to stay in the Inspection Station handling daily official duties all the time, that really isn't my strong suit."
"Therefore, I will give you a choice."
Elder Qian picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone gradually darkening. "With your current capabilities, allowing you to take command of a large shelter city's Inspection Station is already a result us three old men specially fought to secure for you. In reality, winter will be here soon, and Yueye Shelter City will subsequently be transformed into Happiness City's first military city. Do you understand what this means?"
'A military city?'
Cheng Ye furrowed his brows in deep thought, the phrase 'military agricultural colonies' suddenly flashing across his mind...
"Are we establishing a fourth military branch? One specialized in farming?"
"It seems you really have read quite a few books; you grasp the point immediately."
Elder Qian's tone carried a profound implication as he continued, "The barrier Tan Ming left us only has a duration of one year. If we want the barrier's energy to persist, we must follow his philosophy and rapidly expand enough farmland for planting. While his actions certainly created room for you to develop, for our Happiness City, this is also a monumental opportunity."
"Aside from Happiness, Cross, and Blood Dragon, the name of the fourth legion has already been decided. It will be called... Pioneering."
"If you are willing to go to Yueye, that Belief Tan Ming bestowed upon you might be able to grow at an accelerated rate. But you also know the Cost. This path is ultimately a dead end; the faster you gain power, the closer you get to the finish line—to death. We will not force you to go to Yueye Shelter City, nor will we compel you to inherit Tan Ming's Belief and become a tool. But if you are in desperate need of power, we won't stop you either. So, the ultimate choice has always remained in your own hands."
To think the once-vanished Pioneering Legion would return in such a manner.
Cheng Ye pursed his lips. Feeling a sudden dryness in his throat, he couldn't help but grab the tea on the table and down it in one gulp.
It tasted like nothing. Or rather, at this very moment, he didn't have the slightest mood to savor the flavor.
Choosing to go to Yueye didn't just mean a rapid surge in his Strength; it was a qualitative leap on the level of political power.
Remaining in Happiness City, he would just be a Trainee Inspector who had contained an Immortal Object.
Perhaps he could rely on this merit to ascend to the ranks of High-Tier Inspectors within the Inspection Station in just a short year or two.
But if he chose to go to Yueye, even if he was only in charge of the Inspection Station at first, it would be an Instant Ascent, directly becoming the Station Master of the Inspection Station.
The Station Master of a large shelter city—he hardly dared to imagine the sheer volume of benefits that kind of power could reel in.
But the more this held true, the more unsettled he felt inside.
Power and Responsibility had always been equivalent. Although Elder Qian hadn't laid everything bare, he had subtly pointed out the crux of the matter:
Going to Yueye and growing through Tan Ming's Belief equated to him sacrificing his life for Happiness City.
During the process, whenever the Pioneering Legion's agricultural expansion required him to use his abilities, he would be nothing more than a tool.
This Cost was truly far too heavy: trading his life's complete burnout for short-term power and status.
Seeing Cheng Ye fall into contemplation, showing hesitation but without directly refusing...
Elder Pang, the youngest of the three, took the initiative to break the silence. His tone was slow and direct. "Cheng Ye, Old Qian speaks tactfully, so I'll lay it all out for you. The Council of Elders' resolution regarding you is a hope that you participate in the construction of Yueye Shelter City and become a driving force. But you brought back an Immortal Object. This contribution is enough to earn you the right to choose. It's not a must; it's up to you."
"If you choose to inherit Tan Ming's Belief, you have at most... around fifteen years of Lifespan left."
Elder Qian spoke up once more. "This is the Cost of forcefully inheriting someone else's Belief without having a mature one of your own. In the process of gaining power, you will be gradually assimilated by Tan Ming's Belief, ultimately walking the exact same path he did. In other words, a Wish-Guarding Transcendent is already living inside your body. It's just that his influence is currently isolated to you alone, and this influence will deepen the more Belief you inherit."
"But if you participate in Yueye's construction, the progress of inheriting his Belief will accelerate. Those fifteen years might be slashed by two-thirds."
"Five years?" Cheng Ye said subconsciously.
"Even less than five years." Elder Pang picked up the thread, a trace of regret bleeding into his tone. "Because you carry more than one Belief on you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a subtle ripple suddenly flashed through the air.
Cheng Ye involuntarily raised his hands. Stimulated by this ripple, the red Withered Mark on his left hand and the green Vitality mark on his right hand surprisingly projected two blurry faces:
One was Tan Ming, the other was Tan Rui.
What astonished him even more was that right between these two faces, his own visage faintly materialized.
However, compared to the distinct silhouettes of Tan Ming and Tan Rui, his facial features were completely blurred. It was just a faint outline, like an unformed shadow.
"This is your own Belief. It is merely a prototype, not yet solidified."
Elder Pang's voice rang out at just the right moment. "If you obstinately inherit their Beliefs, you will eventually turn into..."
Before he could finish, the three faces suddenly began to shift rapidly.
Cheng Ye watched helplessly as his own facial outline warped amidst the fluctuations, inching closer and closer to Tan Ming's face.
Faced with Tan Ming's Belief, his own current Belief was impossibly fragile, unable to withstand a single blow. It didn't take long for it to be utterly assimilated. The three faces ultimately fused into a single visage—one almost identical to Tan Ming's.
"Three years!"
Elder Qian sighed softly, his tone laced with heavy regret. "At this rate, you might not even live to see the arrival of that Ruin-level Infection Tide."
However, this sigh inexplicably sent a tremor through Cheng Ye's heart.
He suddenly remembered that back before Tan Ming vanished, he had also let out a gentle sigh just like this.
'Could it be that Tan Ming's sigh back then wasn't because he saw through my trickery, nor was it because he thought I couldn't complete the mission?'
'Was he lamenting that because I inherited his Belief, my odds of surviving this death tribulation in the future were too slim, and I might end up dying an early death?'
"If I go to Yueye, what happens to Dabo Town?"
Cheng Ye blurted out the question, momentarily stunning Elder Qian, who seemingly hadn't anticipated he would prioritize this concern. He then answered truthfully, "Before you decided on the Containment of the Immortal Object, I promised you that Dabo Town would become a territory under your management. Calling it your fiefdom wouldn't be an exaggeration. Even if you go to Yueye, you will still be able to assign Dabo Town's personnel and mobilize its resources at will. None of the various supplies will shrink by even a fraction."
"Then I am willing to go to Yueye."
Cheng Ye nodded firmly. His voice wasn't exceptionally loud, but it caused the three Elders to exchange simultaneous glances, their eyes carrying a mix of surprise and solemnity.
"You could actually refuse," Elder Lin stated in a deep voice, his tone bearing a sliver of admonition. "From a personal standpoint, I hope you turn it down."
"No, Elder Lin. I am still willing to go to Yueye."
Cheng Ye responded firmly once more, unwavering:
"Since I have inherited Tan Ming's Belief, rather than eking out a pathetic existence and dragging out the time until death descends, I'd rather give it my all. It will elevate my own Strength while simultaneously allowing me to make more contributions to Happiness City. That is infinitely more meaningful than living my days in a muddled daze."
"Moreover, Yueye Shelter City is close to the Linjiang River, and there are precedents of building waterways there. This perfectly aligns with my plans for Dabo Town. If we can clear out this waterway, the aid it provides Happiness City—be it for transporting resources or defending against Infection Sources—will be massive."
After speaking these two sentences, Cheng Ye paused slightly before continuing, "However, I have a small condition. I wonder if you Elders might grant it?"
"Speak," Elder Qian instantly retracted his previous relaxed demeanor, his expression turning stern.
He hadn't expected Cheng Ye's resolve to be this high, yet he was secretly gratified that he hadn't misjudged the boy.
"Yueye is currently a complete mess, and I don't want to go clean it up right now. Can I wait until everything over there returns to normal and the infrastructure is fully established before I take up my post in Yueye?"
"No problem."
Elder Qian nodded his agreement without a second thought. "Even if you hadn't asked, we wouldn't send you there right now anyway. The earliest would be next summer, and it's highly likely it could be delayed until autumn. Yueye's surface infrastructure was practically wiped out by the last Infection Tide, and who knows, they might suffer another Infection Tide this winter. We will only formally initiate reconstruction after spring arrives."
"The Pioneering Legion will move in first, but the Inspection Station will only become necessary once Yueye's situation is fully stabilized and its various production sectors get on track."
'Next autumn...'
'Doesn't that mean I still have an entire year?'
Cheng Ye rejoiced inwardly. This buffer period was almost too wonderfully unbelievable.
Going to Yueye to be the Station Master indeed came with immense pressure and heavy Responsibility, with a lifespan as fleeting as a mayfly.
But thinking about it conversely, the resources an Inspection Station Master of a large shelter city could mobilize were far more than just massive.
'As long as I can leverage this position to constantly search for information and promote my Rank, why should I worry about not finding a way to alter Tan Ming's Belief?'
'The Collector hinted a long time ago that even the mission Tan Ming left behind could be modified. So naturally, modifying his Belief should also be possible.'
'This is the true path to survival; it simply requires piling up countless amounts of energy to achieve.'
'Just acting as the mayor of Dabo Town, I might not be able to scrounge up that much energy.'
'But as the Station Master of the Yueye Inspection Station, could those resources possibly not be enough?'
"Cheng Wu truly had a good son, and a good grandson." Elder Pang picked up his teacup and took a sip, observing Cheng Ye's suppressed excitement while experiencing endless emotional turbulence.
Even knowing he only had three good years left to live. Even knowing he would be used by Happiness City as a tool for Pioneering.
He still voiced no complaints, still remained willing to sacrifice for Happiness City.
This resolve, this loyalty, had actually managed to overshadow Cheng Wu, let alone Cheng Long, who had dared to attack the City Lord over a Belief.
For a time, the room descended into silence.
Before Cheng Ye's arrival, the three men had been certain he would refuse. After all, going to Yueye meant a shortened lifespan and bearing heavy burdens. A normal person would inevitably hesitate and shrink back.
Not to mention he was part of the Cheng family, people who were prone to dropping everything and fleeing at a moment's notice. Yet Cheng Ye not only agreed readily but even actively proposed a logical plan, leaving the three of them momentarily unable to react.
The scene remained quiet for a brief moment before Elder Qian simply picked up the teapot, refilled Cheng Ye's empty cup, and used the motion to abruptly change the subject:
"The Cost of you utilizing an Infection Source is quite severe. Don't go running around for the next half a month. Stay here at Revival Medical and focus on rehabilitation. And don't use the Infection Source's abilities anymore. Tan Ming has already helped you bind it; as long as you don't use it, it won't have any impact on you."
"Understood," Cheng Ye immediately nodded in compliance.
Seeing the topic settled, Elder Lin casually asked from the side, "Do you have any plans for afterward?"
"Once Dabo Town is fully on track in its development, I'd like to use this time to check out other places in the Wilderness. I especially want to see what it's like outside of Shi Province."
"Oh?" Elder Lin's eyebrows arched slightly, his interest piqued. "Do you already have a specific place in mind?"
"Yes," Cheng Ye answered, a faint smile spreading across his face. "Light Rainbow Shelter City. I heard from Inspector Luo that it's a gathering place for many... geniuses!"