Chapter 104: South Checkpoint, Intelligence Search!
Realize that Towns' mental state may not be so normal.
This system of obsessions, which clearly had personal agenda, was simply thrown behind Cheng Ye's mind.
As I said, don’t look at what a person says, look at what he does.
The extraordinary people are essentially the trump card of force for Happy City.
As long as the existence of this trump card does not cause the City of Sanctuary to stagnate or even regress, it will always be a positive support.
Towns only focused on the so-called shackles, but selectively ignored these most basic realities.
But if you think about it carefully, it makes sense. It is much easier to blame all the unsatisfactory things on external constraints than to admit that you are powerless to change the status quo.
Having worked in the same position for thirty-one years, I have witnessed the ups and downs of the checkpoint. I have not made any decent achievements in most of my life. My ideals have been worn down and my spirit has been exhausted. It is indeed easy for me to get stuck in a dead end and go to extremes.
"Just treat it as the complaints of a frustrated old man. If you really want to accomplish great things, you still have to train your own people."
Pulling back his thoughts, Cheng Ye continued to click on the defense channel to look through the remaining equipment and medical care in the contribution system.
The equipment was just as he expected, no longer on a rental basis, but on a real purchase basis.
Once the redemption is confirmed, the item will be directly transferred to the individual and no return is required.
Swipe down, the interface loads much faster than the vehicle classification. Rows of weapon and equipment icons are neatly arranged, from self-defense weapons to firearms and ammunition, even the high-explosive bombs left by Uncle Dong are here, the categories are quite complete.
But after a few glances, Cheng Ye found that compared with the cost-effectiveness of renting vehicles, the purchase price of these equipment was not really cost-effective.
For example, a Buffalo Combat Pistol requires 5 contribution points.
Based on a ratio of 10 to 1, 50 contribution points are twice as expensive as those sold at the supplies purchasing and selling office.
For example, if he bought Thunderbolt 1, it would cost 35 contribution points.
Although there is no restriction on any permissions to purchase, the points converted into points have almost tripled.
"Interesting, is it that the higher-ups don't give checkpoint equipment discounts, or is it that the cost of purchasing equipment is just this?"
Cheng Ye raised his eyebrows and continued to scroll down, and found that the heavier the weapon, the more obvious the premium.
Moving on to healthcare, the starting prices of various therapeutic drugs are very expensive.
A broad-spectrum antibiotic costs 10 points, a small box of fast-healing gel is priced at 50 points, and the prices of special medicines labeled "life-saving" and "first aid" are so shocking that they make people gasp.
Just by looking at the names, Cheng Ye couldn't tell what the effects of these medicines were. He could only wait for Liu Bi to come back and ask slowly.
But one thing is certain, the 559 points he got today are definitely a huge sum of money.
As long as it is used properly, it may be able to produce the effect of nearly 10,000 points of material purchase and sale.
"Looking at it this way, I'm really lucky. I even came across extraordinary minerals."
Cheng Ye put away the defense pass.
After the checkpoint was reopened, considering the large flow of people, a temporary material collection and sales office has been set up at the door, which is specifically responsible for recycling various types of materials.
Yesterday alone, the materials registered by him amounted to at least 500 contribution points. Based on the 30% share ratio, he earned about 150 points.
However, this good thing is difficult to sustain, as it is the result of a concentrated outburst of demand that has been pent up for seven days.
He has already benefited from the most concentrated first wave, and the subsequent gains will inevitably fall back.
In addition, the checkpoint is about to reach its peak of infection, and the danger in Quarantine Area A is increasing rapidly.
It is also a good thing to switch to area B now, as the probability of encountering ferocious infected bodies will be greatly reduced.
After all, scavengers have limited leg strength and will not venture into dangerous places. They basically move around safe areas, and the probability of encountering a strong source of infection is very small.
"Inspector Cheng."
Cheng Ye was just thinking when Miao Yang came over after washing his hands.
Wang Kang had finished his boxing and kicking training and was practicing shooting accuracy alone.
"I think it's best to stop training for a while. His recovery ability must have reached its limit."
"Body or mind?"
"It's a bit of both, but it's more of mental exhaustion." Miao Yang looked at Wang Kang, who was still gritting his teeth at the shooting range. "Today was both a patrol and high-intensity training. He's almost on edge. If we continue to put so much pressure on him, it's likely to backfire and not be worth the effort."
"Okay, let him rest for two days."
Cheng Ye nodded in agreement.
Compared to the special training Liu Bi had arranged for himself, the intensity of the training given to Wang Kang now may be less than half.
But people cannot be compared. Just because he can withstand the pressure doesn’t mean Wang Kang can too.
"Shall we practice?"
"No more training. I'm tired from today's duty. I need to take a good rest."
Cheng Ye smiled and waved his hand.
During the period when he just gained strength, he was still keen on this kind of sparring, always wanting to test how much harder his fists were and how much faster they were.
But after the novelty wore off, and he had witnessed life and death a few times, and developed a murderous nature, it became difficult for him to muster the desire to take action again.
"It seems that you have completely entered the stage of hiding your power within your body."
Miao Yang chuckled twice, "At this stage, the murderous instinct will be subconsciously suppressed, and the whole person will look calmer, like a completely different person."
Cheng Ye curled his lips but did not deny it.
"But I must warn you of one thing," Miao Yang said in a more serious tone. "The suppressed murderous intent hasn't disappeared; it's accumulating underneath, like a suppressed volcano. It may appear calm at ordinary times, but once something completely detonates it, the force will only be more intense than before, and it will be even easier to lose control."
"So, occasionally finding someone to spar with and releasing those emotions in a measured way can actually help buffer them so you don't end up hurting yourself when the time comes to explode."
Cheng Ye was silent for a moment and nodded.
"Okay, I'll come to you for advice after I'm done with this."
"Then it's a deal, otherwise after a while, I'm afraid I really won't be your opponent."
"Hey, look what you said."
The two smiled at each other.
Suddenly, a thunderclap sounded outside the training ground, and the dull roar made people's eardrums tremble.
That familiar feeling of oppression came over me instantly, just like the afternoon when the stand-in starfish exploded.
Pop.
Pop.
Bean-sized raindrops began to fall, a few sparse ones at first, and then turned into a dense rain curtain, hitting the iron roof of the training ground hard, making crackling sounds.
It's raining again.
The moderate rain that lasted all night caused the buffer zone to fall into the familiar flooding.
The next morning.
Cheng Ye put on his raincoat and went downstairs. Fortunately, the tube-shaped building was not flooded today and the water only reached his ankles.
You can go out wearing rain boots with one foot deep and one foot shallow.
People were hurrying on the street, all with their heads down, wearing colorful raincoats, like a group of silently moving blocks of color.
However, when walking towards the outskirts of the city, Cheng Ye saw many new faces under the eaves of houses on the roadside.
Why is it a new face?
Because these people's faces did not have the lifeless look of those who had experienced a wave of infection, nor did they have the numbness that is common among the old residents of the buffer zone.
There was a raw freshness on everyone's face, with curiosity about the new world and a faint anticipation of starting a new life.
Especially under the disaster relief tents on the roadside, after queuing up to receive free nutrient solution, you can actually hear a burst of laughter and joy, which is particularly eye-catching on this gloomy rainy day.
After the checkpoint was reopened, the addition of these new people was like injecting a trickle of water into a stagnant pool.
It brings not only population, but also a long-lost "vitality".
Cheng Ye tugged at the collar of his raincoat to block the raindrops blowing in his face, and his steps unconsciously became lighter.
Everything seems to be getting better, and the buffer zone will soon usher in a new round of development.
Perhaps in a few days, this place will become familiar to him again.
Arrived at the bus stop.
Master Tian’s bus only runs to the North Checkpoint, but unexpectedly, Cheng Ye ran into an acquaintance again.
Master Zhang!
"Hey, Inspector Cheng, why are you here?"
Master Zhang saw him through the rain and didn't even bother to put on his raincoat. He ran down from the driver's seat with a genuine smile on his face.
"I'm on duty at the South Checkpoint this week. Is this the route you're running?"
"Yes!" Master Zhang nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I was just transferred here at the beginning of the year. Every day, I go from the city to the South Checkpoint on the morning shift, and then go back to the city from the South Checkpoint on the evening shift!"
"What a coincidence." Cheng Ye stepped onto the bus. The carriage was empty, without even a shadow.
"Has there been no migration in the past two days?" he asked casually.
"Yes, there are. There are three to five hundred people a day."
Master Zhang got in the car and closed the door to block out the wind and rain outside. "But it's raining so hard, no one would dare to go out. The most dangerous times in the wilderness are rainy and winter."
After saying that, he sat in the driver's seat and rubbed his hand on his thigh.
As if a little embarrassed, he said solemnly: "Prosecutor Cheng, thank you very much."
"Moved to B-7?"
"We've moved!" Master Zhang nodded quickly, his tone full of gratitude. "As soon as Brother Dalong heard you recommended me, he arranged accommodation for our family that very day. It's much better than the C-11 area where I used to live. There were always sounds of vandalism there at night. Now the streets of B-7 are very clean. There's not a single thug to be seen. I can sleep peacefully!"
"That's good. Order will be restored step by step."
Cheng Ye nodded gently, "Let's go, I'll hire a car."
"Okay."
Master Zhang agreed and lightly stepped on the accelerator. The bus slowly drove away from the platform. The wheels rolled over the accumulated water, splashing two arc-shaped water splashes.
During the week of hospitalization, Cheng Ye ran back and forth several times and gradually became familiar with the terrain here.
Compared with the route to North Station, this road is obviously more down-to-earth. After passing the Library Station, the rest of the way is basically filled with large, low-rise shanty towns. The roofs made of plastic sheets and iron sheets shine glossy in the rain. Although it looks messy, the flow of people is much denser than that at North Station.
Occasionally, you can see people without raincoats walking between the sheds, or squatting under the eaves in groups of three or five chatting.
The new round of buffer zone construction is also mostly concentrated in the southern suburbs.
Along the way, you can see several large buildings whose foundations have been laid. The steel skeletons stand out in the rain and fog, like dormant steel monsters.
Just because of the rain, the construction site was temporarily suspended and looked a bit deserted.
At the same time, the first stop for newlyweds is basically in the southern suburbs.
Colorful tents were set up on high ground. There were at least hundreds or even thousands of them at a glance, and the smell of living people was strong.
Soon, the bus stopped at the last stop on the south line.
Cheng Ye took out a ten-coin coin and put it into the coin slot, then got out of the car from the front door and looked up at the South Checkpoint in front of him.
In terms of overall specifications, there is basically no difference between the north and south stations, both are equally large and regular.
But there are some subtle differences in the specific construction details.
For example, the North Station has three clearly divided passages at the entrance: left, middle and right. The left side is for staff, the middle is for vehicles, and the right side is for residents.
The South Station is more like a large gatehouse in an ancient city, with only a wide entrance on the front.
Seeing Cheng Ye striding towards him, the guard on duty at the door's eyes immediately lit up and he quickly walked up to him.
His shoulders tensed slightly under his raincoat, and he said with obvious respect: "Prosecutor Cheng, you're here!"
"Well," Cheng Ye nodded, "I came to report today, but I don't know which direction to go."
"Please wait a moment. I'll ask the staff to come out and take you to register."
Compared to the lack of attention when I went to the North Station, the experience was immediately maximized when I arrived at the entrance of the South Station.
Cheng Ye turned his head calmly and found that every guard who looked at him had a subconscious smile on his face, with flattery and awe in his eyes.
Is it Liu Bi’s face?
Or Cheng Long?
Or was it because of the change in his status that he was pushed to the forefront by Ding Yishan?
Perhaps, all three.
Before he could think about it, in less than half a minute, two staff members in blue uniforms rushed out from the doorway.
"Inspector Cheng, we're sorry to have kept you waiting! Please follow us. The stationmaster has specifically instructed that you'll be taken directly to the office upon your arrival."
"Thanks."
Cheng Ye nodded slightly and followed the two into the South Checkpoint.
Passing through the wide doorway, the interior layout suddenly becomes clear.
The South Station reduced the size of areas E and F and forcibly opened up a spacious main passage between the two areas.
Whether it is residents going out, vehicles, or people returning to the city, they all enter and exit through this passage.
There are isolation doors on the left and right sides of the passage.
The staff swiped the door open and after I stepped in, it was not much different from Area E of North Station.
There are buildings of varying heights scattered throughout the area, the most eye-catching of which is the five-story stationmaster's building.
Walking downstairs with Cheng Ye, the staff stopped and said, "Inspector Cheng, the station chief is waiting for you in the office on the fifth floor. We will go and help you with the duty procedures first. You want to be on duty in Area B, right?"
"Yes, it's troublesome."
Cheng Ye responded, pulling out the prosecutor's badge from his pocket and handing it over.
Then he took off his raincoat, shook off the water droplets on it, and hung it on the special storage rack at the entrance of the building.
When they reached the fifth floor, the office door at the end of the corridor was ajar. Cheng Ye raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Enter."
A deep, slightly hoarse male voice came from inside the door, with the calmness of someone who has been in a superior position for a long time.
Cheng Ye pushed the door open and walked in. The first thing that caught his eye was the furnishings that were simple to the point of being plain.
The complete opposite of Towns, an old man who knows how to enjoy life.
The office area outside only had a large solid wooden table. There was nothing on the table except a defense communication device and a few piles of documents, not even a decorative potted plant.
There is a row of metal cabinets that reach the ceiling against the wall, with at least forty cabinet doors lined up in a row. Each cabinet door has a label written in black marker. The handwriting is vigorous and exudes rigor.
Inside the office area, a frosted glass partition separated the reception room, which contained a set of dark grey fabric sofas and an ordinary ceramic tea set on the coffee table. The water in the pot seemed to have just boiled, and was emitting a wisp of steam.
The whole office exudes a sense of pragmatism and neatness, without any pretense.
"Cheng Ye, first time meeting you."
Lei Hu has a typical square face with a few shallow scars at the corner of his left eye, and deep wrinkles when he smiles.
He stood up and was actually half a head taller than Liu Bi, at least two meters and five feet tall. He had a straight figure and even when he was just standing casually, he exuded a sense of toughness.
"Stationmaster Lei, please give me your guidance."
"Don't be so polite. Sit down." Lei Hu pointed to the sofa in the living room and walked over first. He picked up the kettle and poured water into the teacup. "I heard you were just transferred here from North Station? Did that old guy Tang Si give you any trouble?"
The question was asked directly and with an inexplicable familiarity. Cheng Ye paused as he sat down, then smiled slightly: "Stationmaster Lei, you're joking. Stationmaster Tangs is a very nice person."
"Very good?" Lei Hu sneered and pushed a cup of hot tea in front of him. "South Station doesn't have so many twists and turns. I only recognize ability, and I will reward those who have ability."
"As an intern, I'm quite satisfied with your abilities. So, you can make a request or ask a question now. I'll set goals for you later. Once you complete each one, you can come directly here to negotiate terms with me."
Come again?
Cheng Ye's eyebrows twitched slightly, pretending to be in deep thought, but in fact he opened the panel and took a look.
[Thunder Tiger, 47%, Searchable Scope: Intelligence, Items]
“So high?”
It was quite surprising to get this value when we met for the first time.
Glancing at the upper right corner, which showed the energy level had recovered to 52%, Cheng Ye paused and decided to search for intelligence.
According to Luo Xiaoxue, Lei Hu and Cheng Long have a good relationship and cooperate with each other at work, but they don't have any personal relationship.
Often, these people who seem to have a good relationship with each other are more ruthless than each other when they act.
A barely perceptible streak of light flashed at the edge of his vision. This was Cheng Ye's first attempt to search for intelligence.
Since the last update, the collector has added a directed search feature.
He repeated "related to me" in his mind, and lines of blurry words flashed across the panel.
Unlike skills, there is no success rate for intelligence. As long as you invest energy, you can get results.
Suddenly, the light around suddenly dimmed.
Cheng Ye suddenly discovered that his perspective had left his body, as if he was wearing VR glasses and had entered a fragment of another time and space.
The office was still in front of him, but the people sitting on the sofa were not him and Lei Hu, but Lei Hu and a strange man.
When facing that man, was there no trace of the toughness on Lei Hu's face?
His eyes were filled with almost humble respect, and his posture was exactly like the one the guard at the door had when he saw him.
Who could make a duty station chief so awed?
Cheng Ye was in a daze when he heard the strange man speak, "The higher-ups have been keeping a close eye on us lately. I've already locked onto my target. This time, I have to disguise my identity and go in and out secretly. I can't let anyone notice."
"Don't worry, Director Liu. I will arrange it myself and ensure that everything goes well."
Director Liu?
Cheng Ye's heart was shaken, and then he was suddenly shocked. This was the extraordinary person who walked out of the checkpoint. Liu Kun?
He tried to adjust his vision, and in a flash, he saw Liu Kun's appearance.
He is fat and has a plump face. He actually looks a bit like Uncle Dong, but his eyebrows look younger and sharper.
"Things come in through Exit D. I'll arrange for someone to take them over."
"You enter through Exit B. There are two trainees over there. Whoever they are, they haven't seen you before."
"Two trainees?" Liu Kun was stunned. "Letting two trainees guard the checkpoint at this time?"
"It's Cheng Ye, Cheng Long's son. The other one is Wang Kang, Wang Cheng's son. They were all arranged by Stationmaster Ding."
"Really?"
Liu Kun nodded, "That's settled then. I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow!"
The words fell.
The picture completely shattered at this moment, and the dimming light returned again.
Cheng Ye suddenly came back to his senses and found himself still sitting on the sofa in the living room. The voice of Lei Hu seemed to have just disappeared from his ears.
Looking up, Lei Hu still maintained the same posture as before, without any change, as if the scene he just saw had no effect on the real time at all.
"Well, have you thought about it?"
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