Chapter 47: Rights Escape, Border Inspector!
Although everyone is unaware of each other's identities, those who can live in tube-shaped buildings in the buffer zone are either rich or noble.
Seeing that Cheng Ye had bought so many materials, the other residents on the fifth floor stuck their heads out and began to panic.
"Hey bro, where did you buy this?"
Someone came over to ask, and Cheng Ye pointed to the pedestrian street outside the window and said, "Flea market, hurry up and grab it, if you go too late there won't be anything left."
"Rob?"
"What else? The infected have already sneaked in. Do you expect this iron door to stop them?"
Cheng Ye kicked the cracked hinge on the ground. The lady who asked the question turned pale instantly, and the middle-aged men who gathered around were also scared.
Within five minutes, a chaotic sound of footsteps was heard in the corridor.
People carrying bags were rushing to grab goods from every house. Soon, footsteps were heard downstairs.
Cheng Ye stuck his head out and looked outside. Wow, the entire electronics factory complex was in an uproar.
Although many people had reinforced their doors and windows before, how could they resist grabbing the goods after seeing this scene?
"In a sense, Station Master He Fei has promoted consumption?"
What a hell of a joke.
Cheng Ye was slightly stunned, but soon figured out the reason.
After going out in the morning, he realized that although the inspectors could screen out 99% of the infected threats, there were always some that slipped through the buffer zone.
It is rare that people are infected, but rather that an infectious source is brought in, causing internal infection.
It is especially frequent in spring and winter, with an outbreak occurring basically every one or two weeks.
Summer and autumn are sometimes good and sometimes bad. Sometimes it happens several times a year, and sometimes it is stable all year round.
But the reason why this caused such a sensation and the whole nation scrambled for it was the sacrifice of the webmaster.
The last time a stationmaster died on duty was 13 years ago.
The continuous influx of infected bodies caused riots that lasted for more than three months and resulted in over 10,000 deaths.
If we include those who fled during the chaos, the population of the buffer zone has dropped by almost 40%, severely damaging the area.
Now that He Fei has sacrificed his life, it is inevitable that some people will bring up the past and link the two events together.
Moreover, since the beginning of the year, there have been frequent abnormal movements of infected bodies and natural disasters have occurred frequently. With all these signs intertwined, no one can help but feel panic.
After everyone left, Cheng Ye patrolled the corridor and returned to the door to start reciting silently.
"Reinforce the door, reinforce the door, reinforce..."
He still let the collector's thoughts radiate, searching the materials on the ground to propose a direction of action.
A scanning blue light flashed.
A panel popped up automatically, displaying joyful text.
[Dismantled Residence (lv.0)]
[Description]: A dilapidated residence with only basic living functions and a zero protection coefficient.
Action Direction:
1. Foundation reinforcement (reinforce door and window frames, fill wall cracks, and provide basic protection)
Estimated Action Point Consumption: 1 (Enough materials and tools have been obtained, and the point consumption has decreased)
2. Advanced reinforcement (perfectly utilizing all materials, reconstructing the door frame with an alloy support structure, and installing staggered grilles at the window position to greatly enhance protection and withstand attacks from ordinary infected bodies)
Estimated Action Point Consumption: 2 (Enough materials and tools have been obtained, and the skill check has been passed, so the point consumption is reduced)
3. Perfect reinforcement (remodeling the structure, implanting an isolation alloy frame, and installing a pressure-sensitive sealed hatch to give it basic shelter properties and withstand attacks from common infected bodies)
Estimated Action Point Consumption: Locked (Prerequisites: Materials; Construction Machinery)
【Collectors, please choose the direction of action! 】
...
"The skill check passed, which means... my engineering knowledge is sufficient."
Cheng Ye was very surprised.
Although civil engineering has become a low-ranking profession in modern times, its role in wasteland is very obvious.
For example, now, even the most difficult perfect transformation can meet the requirements, and only materials and construction machinery need to be provided.
"But the reconstruction framework is still too abnormal. The foundation of the tube building is placed here. With this ability, it is enough for me to go out and build another one. I guess the action points used will be huge."
Without much hesitation, Cheng Ye decided on the second course of action.
It only lacks one action point, but it can maximize the use of materials and directly show that it can withstand attacks from ordinary infected bodies.
It’s so worth it!
A thought came to mind.
The magical time-stop space appeared again, and the moment the control of his body disappeared, Cheng Ye's perspective suddenly rose.
Under the magical third-person perspective, it was as if the speed was accelerated a hundred times. The broken door frame was quickly cleaned, and the cracks and hollow gaps on the wall were filled with special adhesive colloid.
Next, expansion bolts are implanted at regular intervals around the brick wall to serve as fixing points for the alloy tubes.
Four high-strength alloy tubes are installed along the four sides of the hole, and each node is injected with special adhesive.
Light it with a lighter, a puff of smoke comes out, and then use the angle brackets to weld the alloy tube into a seamless door frame.
The originally shaky rusty door frame was reborn during the reassembly, and the heavy security door that required two people to carry was installed in a flash before Cheng Ye's eyes.
After dealing with the entrance, the body quickly moved to the window. Steel bars of different lengths were interlocked at a 45-degree angle to weave a diamond-shaped grid, which was somewhat similar to modern anti-theft windows.
The ends of each steel bar are embedded in the wall and connected to the main body of the building with expansion bolts.
【Action Completed!】
...
The mysterious feeling exits.
Cheng Ye only felt a flash of light and shadow in front of his eyes, and all the materials on the ground disappeared, replaced by a heavy security door standing in front of him.
“This is amazing!”
He took out the key that came with the door from his pocket, and for no reason, Cheng Ye's hands were shaking.
Until the key is inserted into the keyhole and turned gently, a crisp "click" sound of mechanical engagement is heard.
Only then did I dare to confirm that all this was true!
That broken iron door has really become a thing of the past, and what greets him now is a security door that makes him feel much safer!
Pushing it open slowly, the heavy force of the door panel makes people feel inexplicably at ease.
After closing the door, an unprecedented sense of security suddenly enveloped my whole body, and my tense nerves finally relaxed.
"This is... what it means to be alive!"
Cheng Ye was so excited that he couldn't help but swear to suppress the joy in his heart.
As scary as I was last night, I feel so refreshed now.
The anti-lock knob clicked into place.
The special switch window on the anti-theft door is just big enough to fit the muzzle of a gun, so you can shoot outward without opening the door.
Cheng Ye stared at the small window and had already made up his mind that he must get a spray gun after the reward for the rotten vine mission was issued.
Anyone who dares to stand here and scratch the door will be sent to see God without any words.
As for whether it is possible that I dialed the wrong number, sorry, please tell the checkpoint if you have any questions.
"Now I can finally get a good night's sleep."
Cheng Ye sat down on the bed and let out a long breath, as if he wanted to expel all the anxiety that had accumulated over the days with this sigh.
...
"You're lucky. The person you rescued last night wasn't actually infected."
In the conference room that was converted from a cinema, as soon as Cheng Ye sat down, Li Matthew came over with a wink and sat down next to him.
This old bastard.
Why are you so familiar?
Cheng Ye looked around and saw that many inspectors were giving him strange looks.
One is from the East and the other is from the West. In this environment, it doesn’t seem like they can get along.
"Don't worry about them," Li Matthew turned his head and glanced at those people, then turned back to Cheng Ye and smiled, "These people are just thinking about climbing up the ranks all day long, and they are unwilling to make solid contributions."
"We are the same kind of people, diligent and conscientious, the backbone of the checkpoint!"
(°°)!
Cheng Ye was stunned for a moment, and was amused by Li Matthew's shamelessness. "Then... the backbone, do you know what happened last night?"
"Well, I heard there was a problem with the handling of Stationmaster He Fei's body. We're not sure about the capabilities of this unknown source of infection, which led to some of the infection spreading. It shouldn't be a big problem, and someone extraordinary has stepped in..."
"extraordinary."
Cheng Ye chewed on these two words over and over again, a hint of burning desire flashing in his eyes.
It is no longer a survival need to fill the stomach, but a crazy desire for higher-level power that emerges from the bone marrow.
Just a talent of genetic atavism has brought about earth-shaking changes in his strength.
What about extraordinary?
What kind of world would that be?
"It seems that you are also a person who pursues the limits of individual strength..."
Li Matai saw Cheng Ye's desire and smiled and shook his head. "With your background, ability, and means, if nothing unexpected happens, the checkpoint will definitely have another fifth-term inspector in the future. If I'm lucky, maybe before I die, I can see Station Chief Cheng take over and unify the East and the West."
"How about flattering in advance?"
"That's not the case. Our checkpoint's contribution system dictates that people like you have the greatest advantage."
Li Matthew paused, his eyes fixed on him. "I know you grew up in the inner city, where identity verification isn't required. But after these two months out in the outside world, you should understand the significance of this badge, right?"
"Hmm..."
Cheng Ye thought about it and didn't respond.
So far, he seems to have never encountered a situation where the Inspector identity badge did not work. Even when he went to the super material store to forge weapons, the other party was willing to give him a 50 contribution point reduction as soon as they heard the word "Inspector".
Seeing his hesitation, Li Ma was surprised. "Hey, this job grade system doesn't restrict apprentices from knowing about it. Didn't Liu Bi tell you?"
"No."
Cheng Ye shook his head slightly. It wasn't that Liu Bi didn't say it on purpose, but with the abilities he had shown before, he wasn't even sure about his first field mission. Wouldn't knowing this just add to his troubles?
However, to his surprise, Matthew Li was "particularly" eager to share today. Before he could ask, he sat next to him and started talking non-stop:
"Internship, first term, second term... fifth term!"
"Every time you advance in rank, your badge level will change. It's not just the title that changes; the benefits you receive will also change."
"First-term inspectors can freely enter and exit any facility under the jurisdiction of Happy City. For example, the Crusaders you encountered last night and the factories they guard are all free to enter without anyone stopping you. This also includes the hydropower station."
"Second-stage inspectors, take your badge and go to the surrounding sanctuary cities and gathering places. As long as they have trade with Happy City, they must meet your requests unconditionally. Of course, don't make any unreasonable requests. Keep your expectations in mind. You don't have to worry about your remuneration afterwards. It will all be paid by the station's public expenses."
"A third-stage inspector, that's a big deal..." Li Matthew suddenly lowered his voice. "A third-stage inspector represents a true qualitative change. Infection waves always come once or twice every winter, but as long as you have a third-stage badge, you can enter the inner city directly without having to suffer in the buffer zone!"
"Um?"
Cheng Ye looked up suddenly. Didn’t they say that once you become an inspector, you will have no chance of going to the inner city?
"Don't be so surprised. It makes us act like we're guilty."
"Declaring that inspectors can't enter the inner city is just a reassuring statement. We need to make ordinary people feel that we're on the same front with them, and that we can weather the wave of infection together. This will reduce the pressure on our work."
Li Matthew smiled as an experienced person. "Don't think this system is crude, and don't think hiding in the inner city is easy. Those who can survive the third stage either have means or brains. Even if they go anywhere in the wasteland, they can still thrive."
"We have fewer than forty third-term inspectors in our station. If we lose a bunch every winter, how can we keep this thing going? Do we have to rely on selecting new people every year to fill the gate?"
"This is the most crucial part of the buffer zone. With new recruits arriving every year, how can the higher-ups guarantee their loyalty? How can they guarantee that the inspectors will risk their lives to stop the infected?"
That's the truth.
It took Cheng Ye a long time to come back to his senses, and some long-standing contradictions in his heart were finally resolved.
But at the same time, new problems have emerged.
"If it's for safety reasons, then why do the higher-ups require inspectors to go on dangerous field work?"
"Cheng Ye, I have to correct you. Going out on field work is not a requirement from the top management."
Li Matthew nodded at the table. "These are the first and second generations of inspectors at our inspection station. They worked incredibly hard to wrest power from the higher-ups at Happiness City."
"It is because of this power that we prosecutors can carry the banner of Happy City and extend our authority beyond this tiny buffer zone to the outside world."
"Do you think it's dangerous to go out?"
"Wrong!"
"Once you step out of the buffer zone and into the outside world, you'll understand."
"Whether it's the gangs entrenched in the ruins or the dangerous scavengers who prey on the living, they have to act according to our wishes. Because with just a word from you or me, we can cut off their supply lifeline. Without ammunition, tools, and energy, their life or death is just a matter of time."
"Once you arrive at those settlements, big and small, you'll find that the lords there will treat you like a god from the moment they meet you, eager to kneel down and lick your boots. Why? Because they need you to tick a green √ on the checklist to include their settlement within the scope of trade."
"Even if you arrive at a small sanctuary, the mayor will have to make time to entertain you and find ways to satisfy you so that you can get more trading quotas."
He paused, his tone somewhat sarcastic:
"But what if we stay stuck in this buffer zone? To put it nicely, we're called the Inspectors of Happiness City, but to put it bluntly, we're just gatekeepers. If the higher-ups frown, we'll have to run around to keep them company."
"Only by leaving this place, you, me, and us, can truly be wasteland border inspectors, qualified to decide where the border of human civilization should be drawn!"
...
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