Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 191: Status Surge, A Small Step for Inspector Cheng!

The recruitment began at half-past two.Four hours later, it was scheduled to end at half-past six.

However, just past five-forty, the recruitment work at Contract Point 32 was officially declared over. All five hundred spots had been distributed.

Among the thousands still waiting in line, there was no shortage of simple, hardworking families. Now, all of them wore expressions of deep regret.

Many children even started wiping away tears, looking eagerly and pitifully toward Cheng Ye's direction.

"What a shame," Cheng Ye said as he stood up, shoving the empty Badge box under the table. "If we were allowed to recruit without limits, I could assemble the core team for Dabo Town in a single day."

But there was nothing he could do.

Good things were always in high demand. So far, no other Inspector had managed to put on a display like his.

At most, others would hire cheerleaders to help promote their booths. Who else had directly set up a model house, invited three hundred militiamen for support, and brought in three Veterans from the Reclamation Corps to lecture on survival skills?

"Da Long, tell everyone not to leave just yet. I have something to hand out."

Cheng Ye quickly sat down at the typewriter. His fingers flew across the keys, rapidly typing out a single line of text. He formatted it and printed one hundred copies.

The slips of paper contained only one sentence:

[Those holding this slip will enjoy priority approval in future Dabo Town contract recruitment drives.]

"Link, please cut these slips for me. By the way, do you have a Seal?"

Link froze for a moment, then hurriedly shook his head.

He was just a lowly clerk. How could he possess a high-end, status-symbolizing item like a Seal?

This reaction made Cheng Ye inwardly kick himself. He had planned so many details, yet completely overlooked this crucial element.

However, just as he was pondering whether to add some unique patterns as a marker, the Westerner Inspector from the adjacent Booth 31 suddenly leaned over. "Inspector Cheng, I have one here."

He fished a lipstick-like tube from his pocket and popped off the cap. The bottom was engraved with an intricate pattern and a single name:

Colin.

"Let's get acquainted. I am Colin Ashton."

Colin extended his hand. Although he was a Westerner, his features were not typical; instead, he bore a slight resemblance to the ethnic minorities of the old era. His eyes were bright and piercing, making a particularly striking impression.

"Hello, I am Cheng Ye."

Cheng Ye reached out to shake his hand. After passing the Seal to Link, he simply walked over to Booth 31 and greeted Colin's partner, Dai Le.

Both of them were Second-stage Inspectors assigned to Nanzhuang Town, a location without fierce competition. Like Dabo Town, it was a two-team showdown.

If Cheng Ye hadn't caused such a massive stir and diverted the crowd, their competition against Booth 17 would have been a bit precarious.

Now, the situation had reversed. Booth 31's recruitment was proceeding very healthily. Following his example, they had also recruited several families, placing them in the top five among all the booths.

For the upcoming field and practical assessments, this gave them a massive advantage right from the starting line!

"Thank you, Inspector Cheng."

Dai Le's Mandarin was incredibly standard, carrying a familiar broadcasting tone. "If we manage to pass the assessment, I hope our two satellite cities can interact and trade frequently in the future."

Cheng Ye paused, immediately pulling the source of the voice from his memory. He asked in surprise, "Have you broadcasted the Evening News?"

"Oh, Inspector Cheng actually recognized my voice?" Dai Le could not help but laugh. "It is both a personal hobby and an assigned task from the station. Whenever there is news involving the Inspection Station, they often have me go over to broadcast it, just to prevent the radio station folks from misspeaking or twisting the meaning."

"Ah, I have heard so much about you!" Cheng Ye hurriedly reached out, and the two shook hands once more.

Ever since the Void Mist dissipated, he had occasionally listened to the Little Sun Channel broadcasts for amusement, but he had never missed a single broadcast of the serious Evening News. He frequently adjusted his plans based on the information it provided.

Hearing that standard broadcast voice, he originally assumed the anchor was an Easterner. He never expected his own stereotypes to mislead him; there was actually a Westerner Inspector moonlighting in broadcasting.

However, to his surprise, after their hands met, Dai Le also wore an expression of deep admiration.

"Inspector Cheng, I should be the one saying I have heard so much about you."

"Oh?" Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow.

"Those songs you sang... whether it is the ones spreading from the inner city, or the recently popular 'Old Boy', they have already reached other Super Sanctuary Cities in the Kindling Alliance!"

"What?!" Cheng Ye's heart skipped a beat.

'Good grief, this whimsical act of plagiarizing culture really shouldn't spread everywhere, should it? Will someone drag me out and report me?'

'But on second thought, even if they discover these are songs from the old era, so what?'

'Who on this wasteland does not love flipping through magazines from the old era or digging up old world information?'

'A song from over ninety years ago popping up is hardly a rare occurrence.'

"At the next Happiness City Anniversary Celebration, we might even have the chance to share the stage," Dai Le added with a smile. "In the future, it won't just be hosted in the inner city. The Buffer Zone and satellite cities will also hold them. It might even become a landmark event to attract surrounding Drifters and Migrants from other places to join us."

That was a bit exaggerated.

Honestly, going up occasionally to sing a song and show off a little was acceptable.

But formally taking the stage to perform and organizing events simply wasn't Inspector Cheng's style.

Yet, as Cheng Ye turned his head, he could not help but laugh. "Inspector Wang, hurry over here! Let me introduce you to two fellow Inspectors!"

He did not like to show his face in public, but Wang Kang certainly did.

If the satellite city really were to hold a celebration in the future, the livelier it was, the more it would showcase their strength. Having Wang Kang take the lead would be perfectly appropriate.

Wang Kang was busy counting heads, but upon hearing the call, he quickly ran over. "Brother Cheng, what is up?"

"This is Inspector Dai Le from Nanzhuang Town. He has broadcasted the Evening News," Cheng Ye introduced. "Dai Le, this is my partner, Wang Kang."

"Inspector Wang, a pleasure to meet you." Dai Le reached out to shake Wang Kang's hand, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I am quite familiar with Inspector Wang's singing as well. It is just that the emotion frequently overpowers the melody..."

These words were incredibly tactful, but the underlying meaning was that Wang Kang loved to sing off-key.

"Huh?" Wang Kang froze for a moment, then immediately retorted in a defiant tone, "Music is a medium for conveying emotion! Just like 'Old Boy'..."

"Then what exactly were you trying to convey with that song you sang before, 'I Am a Big Banana'?"

"Uh..." Wang Kang was instantly dumbfounded, but he still stubbornly argued, "That was the first time I ate a banana! I wanted others to know how a banana tastes, the feeling of eating it..."

Seeing the two of them genuinely plunge into a debate, Cheng Ye was highly amused.

Colin shook his head helplessly. "Inspector Cheng, when the people at the top do not get along, it makes things difficult for us at the bottom. But speaking of which, Dai Le and I are also from the inner city. We came from the same school and are considered half part of the Academic Faction. I hope we can communicate more in the future and not let those petty squabbles affect us."

"Agreed. Tell me your number, and I will note it down."

Since Colin had extended the olive branch, Cheng Ye went with the flow, taking out his Defense Terminal to save the number.

He dialed it, letting it ring twice so both sides had each other's contact information saved.

This marked their official acquaintance!

In the future, using today as a foundation, they could slowly become closer and perhaps form a small clique. However, given the current overarching tension between Easterners and Westerners, it would most likely remain a private friendship.

After all, not everyone could completely ignore factional influences like Li Matai.

On the other side.

Link had finished stamping the Seals. Cheng Ye had only printed five hundred copies, which was not a large quantity.

In truth, by this point, any Inspector team that had not met its recruitment quota was basically considered eliminated.

But the assessment was not officially over yet. If he started "staking claims" too early, he would inevitably be resented by those who were eliminated, pointlessly offending people.

Cheng Ye had always handled these intricate social details meticulously, and he definitely did not want to make a mistake now.

"Da Long, hand these slips out to the people in line. One slip per family is enough."

"Got it!" Da Long immediately led the militiamen forward.

Visibly, every Drifter who received a slip revealed a look of absolute joy.

Especially those children who had just been whimpering. When their fathers waved the slip in front of their eyes, they instantly stopped crying and began to giggle.

How wonderful.

As the sun set in the west, a warm yellow light draped over everyone.

Cheng Ye watched quietly, the contemplative look in his eyes gradually fading, dissolving into a gentle warmth.

Hope was an intangible yet intensely real and powerful force.

It was the drive to survive in desperate situations, a splash of bright color in an impoverished life. It existed not only alongside ordinary people but also beside everyone striving toward the future.

As long as one persevered, as long as one did not give up, they could grasp this force and live on fiercely!

The crowd in line gradually dispersed.

Sure enough, after receiving the slips, no one went to register with the other Inspectors.

No matter how tempting the Inspection Station's compensation was, when choosing between "one full meal" and "being full every meal", the clear-headed ultimately prevailed.

The Drifters still congregated in the square, making it difficult to tell how many Inspectors had completed their recruitment.

It was not until the bell signaling the end of the assessment rang that the clerks began to tally the numbers.

Within ten minutes, the results were announced. In the first round of the recruitment assessment alone, five teams had been eliminated!

The originally fiercely contested Hexi Town and Wanzi Town had seen an eight-person brawl split into four teams.

After the recruitment assessment ended, only two teams remained for Hexi Town.

One team was led by the Third-stage Inspector Yang Ming, and the other was led by a Westerner Third-stage Inspector.

All the First-stage and Second-stage Inspectors had been wiped out. Some had given up of their own accord, while others simply failed to meet their quotas by the very end.

Wanzi Town was even more brutal. Only one team was left, completely erasing the need for competition.

The quick-moving Yang Xingwen and Zhao Jia, despite initially recruiting two hundred Able-bodied Youths using Additional Compensation, ultimately met with elimination. The hole they dug for themselves proved impossible to fill.

The reason was simple. Having offered high prices to the first arrivals, how could those who came later be willing to do the exact same work for less money?

They would rather go to an adjacent team offering no Additional Compensation than suffer such an indignity.

Furthermore, only one team each remained for Dongwa Town and Beiyuan Town.

Could these satellite cities without competitors claim a direct victory?

After the assessment ended, the Inspectors' movements were no longer restricted. Yang Xingwen and Zhao Jia walked over with bitter smiles.

"Inspector Cheng!"

"Victory and defeat are common for a soldier. Inspector Yang, Inspector Zhao, there is no need to feel discouraged," Cheng Ye consoled them gently.

What was done was done; saying more was useless.

The two had been willing to stick their necks out, so they had to accept the consequences of their wings not being strong enough.

"Running fast doesn't guarantee you will make it to the end." Yang Xingwen shook his head with a wry smile. "Inspector Cheng, perhaps it is for the best that I was eliminated. I learned a valuable lesson today. It helped me see many things clearly and realize my own shortcomings."

Zhao Jia was even more straightforward. "Inspector Cheng, your methods are truly formidable! If you ever need anything in the future, just call me. I want to learn from you, just like Inspector Wang, so I don't embarrass myself like this again."

"There is no need to be so polite." Cheng Ye gave a slight nod, offering a few more comforting words. "We are all colleagues and friends. As long as we interact more in the future, we will definitely grow."

This display left the two clerks, Link and Jiewei, utterly bewildered. Two First-stage Inspectors were actually saying they wanted to learn from a Trainee Inspector?

But nearby, Colin and Dai Le, who were packing up their belongings, exchanged a glance, shook their heads slightly, and squeezed out a knowing smile.

This scene was far too familiar. It was cut from the exact same cloth as Cheng Long back in the day—rising from the very bottom, relying on sheer charisma and hardline tactics to forcefully become the standard-bearer of the Easterner faction.

Who would have thought that a tiger father will not have a dog son? Not a single member of the Cheng family was ordinary.

After Yang Xingwen and Zhao Jia departed, Gu Xinjing and Zhang Wen walked over.

The two Third-stage Inspectors were far more composed. They first praised Cheng Ye without the slightest concealment, then shifted the conversation straight to the point:

"Contract points with only one team remaining directly qualify. Zhang Wen and I chose Dongwa Town, and since we are the only team left, we can immediately begin construction. Your Dabo Town still has to undergo another assessment, but that is actually a good thing."

"Inspector Gu, what do you mean by that?" Cheng Ye's expression remained unchanged.

This calm demeanor, where joy and anger are not expressed on one's face, made Gu Xinjing secretly nod in approval again. "Now that you have passed the recruitment assessment, there are some things I can tell you."

"The logic behind satellite city contracting works like this: each partner team will receive approved Infrastructure Points. These points can be used to purchase materials, facilities, and supplies... helping us advance construction. Judging by your expression, I assume you have already caught wind of this?"

The pointed remark was clearly a probe.

Cheng Ye didn't hide anything. He nodded candidly, "I only know the surface, nothing too clear."

"As long as you know a bit, it makes explaining it much easier."

Gu Xinjing continued, "Infrastructure Points are incredibly precious. The purchasing power of a single point is equivalent to one hundred Contribution Points, and it's even more cost-effective for certain discounted items. Aside from the initial basic points issued, all subsequent points must be acquired by completing milestone tasks, such as Construction Targets, Population Consolidation, and Defense Perimeter Construction."

"Hmm... Are the number of tasks fixed?" Cheng Ye asked thoughtfully.

"Smart!" Zhang Wen, standing to the side, couldn't help but praise him. "The total pool of Infrastructure Points is fixed; there is only a set amount you can grab early on. If you want to achieve results, you either have to pull sponsorships from other departments within the Buffer Zone's Department System—though that path has already been blocked off by a bunch of Inspectors—or you have to take out your own personal wealth to fill the gaps."

He chuckled. "Old Gu and I have saved up quite a bit over the years. To vie for promotion to Fourth-Stage Investigator, we are willing to throw it all in. But you are a newcomer. You shouldn't have much on hand... Take your father, Cheng Long, for example. Only a small fraction of the accumulated points he left behind was actually confiscated by the Inspection Station. The vast majority of it was squandered lavishly by him to secure favors and connections."

No wonder Cheng Long's favors could be found everywhere throughout Happiness City.

It turned out he had been using Contribution Points to pave the way!

"If you want to build up Dabo Town and stand out among the satellite cities, you have to take this into account."

"By participating in the practical assessment now, you will earn some points right from the start. Once you win, there will be additional rewards. Besides..." Zhang Wen hinted knowingly, "Luo Kuke essentially helped clear away some trouble for you. If he loses, all the materials and supplies he leaves behind belong entirely to Dabo Town. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood, completely!" Cheng Ye immediately nodded.

If Li Matai could casually pull out twenty thousand points, it wasn't strange to imagine that Gu Xinjing and Zhang Wen were each carrying tens of thousands of points themselves.

Investing your own money was the most direct way to build a satellite city. Unfortunately, he lacked such deep pockets. He could only rely on the assessments to bridge this gap and overcome the disadvantage.

"Let me point you in another direction,"

Zhang Wen abruptly changed the subject. "Old Liu has been running all over with your father all these years. Although he hasn't saved much—since he flushed most of it down the drain for the sake of favors just like him—he should still have some savings left. Once you get the qualification, ask him for it directly. Don't hide it... You are different from your father. He didn't have the brains to play the game and make money off these avenues, but you, kid..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Wen suddenly smiled and pointed at the poster board house. "Are Old Gu and I qualified to take a tour?"

Cheng Ye was briefly stunned, still absorbing Zhang Wen's advice. Once he recovered, he immediately nodded.

"Yes, of course! Please come inside, Inspectors!"

'Damn.'

'Why does that greeting sound so cheesy?!'

Cheng Ye chuckled inwardly as he led the two on a lap around the board house, providing a rough outline of his plans for Dabo Town.

Since even the Drifters were allowed to look, there was no need to hide it from the other Inspectors. However, he naturally glossed over the finer details.

As expected, Gu Xinjing and Zhang Wen did not probe too deeply, though the curiosity and appreciation on their faces only deepened.

They didn't linger long after the tour, leaving while engaged in deep discussion. Evidently, they had drawn some inspiration from Dabo Town's layout and design.

"Brother Cheng, First and Second-stage Inspectors want to learn from you, and now even Third-stage Inspectors are listening to your plans. You are so awesome!" Wang Kang leaned in, his eyes brimming with envy.

"Oh ho, a Second-stage Inspector wanted to discuss music with you. Aren't you awesome yourself?"

Cheng Ye shot back.

The two locked eyes and, unable to hold it in any longer, burst into laughter simultaneously. Their laughter was filled with the unbridled spirit of youth.

Not long after, Link, who had gone to report the results, returned holding a tablet.

"Inspector Cheng, the supply points have been issued. Please finalize your material selections before ten-thirty tonight. Someone will prepare them overnight, and they will be delivered to Dabo Town first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Good!" Cheng Ye nodded firmly.

The personnel were assembled.

The supplies were about to be in place.

Tomorrow morning, he could finally head to Dabo Town and officially assume his post!

He turned his head to look at the crowd still eagerly listening to the lectures on pioneering knowledge, and then cast his gaze over the brightly lit Buffer Zone.

Suddenly, a strange sensation welled up within Cheng Ye, followed by a surge of burning hope in his heart:

Right now, this was merely a small step for Inspector Cheng.

But in the future, it would undoubtedly be... a giant leap in the developmental history of Happiness City!!