The sound of rain outside seemed isolated in another world.

Fine raindrops tapped against the glass, drifting diagonally through the two holes in the wall, seeping into dark patches on the floor, yet unable to penetrate the stagnant air inside the meeting room.

Only the ticking of the wall clock remained, each sound like a heavy hammer striking the heart.

Making everyone slow their breathing, trying to minimize their presence in the meeting room as much as possible.

Lan Ni and Zhao Kai, who had just been arguing red-faced over proposals, now seemed deflated, both shrinking into their chairs with slightly hunched shoulders, not even daring to breathe heavily.

Hou Rui and Carlo Dickinson, who had thrown heavy punches, also restrained all their sharpness.

Hou Rui had somehow gotten a new pair of gold-rimmed glasses, pulling out a tissue from his pocket to seriously clean the gleaming lenses.

Carlo Dickinson lowered his head slightly, flipping through his folder, his fingers aimlessly drawing circles on the paper.

Only their tightly pressed lips and tense jawlines betrayed the turmoil in their hearts.

Once upon a time, Happiness City had a three-way balance of power.

Technology, Transcendent, and the Inspection Station.

Controlling development, external affairs, and internal security respectively.

By rights, the placement and screening of migrants and refugees had always been the Inspection Station's specialty.

But after so many years of development, everyone had forgotten this fact.

Not until now, when Ding Yishan stood up and laid the word "responsibility" bare on the table, did everyone suddenly realize a forgotten truth:

Among all of Happiness City's departments, it seemed... only the Inspection Station had no qualification to make excuses?

The Works Department could complain about Human Resources sending stupid, clumsy workers. Human Resources could blame training budgets being too tight and requirements too high.

The Industrial Department could push problems onto old equipment and insufficient production capacity, even turning around to blame the Resource Department for poor supply.

Various departments could always find reasons to explain away good or bad task completion, ranging from buck-passing to blame-shifting, each having their own survival philosophy.

But the Inspection Station couldn't.

But inspectors couldn't!

Because if they didn't take responsibility, infection sources would spread like weeds, growing wildly through cracks in the buffer zone, breaking through defenses overnight.

Because if they passed the buck, all of Happiness City would lose its foundation for survival in the wasteland.

After all, if they couldn't even protect basic safety, what was there to discuss about development or external affairs?

But why had no one realized this before?

Not until Ding Yishan suddenly "hardened up" now did everyone belatedly awaken.

Seeing no one speaking for a long time, Yuan Gang's gaze darkened, slowly sweeping across the entire room.

From front to back, from left to right.

His gaze was unhurried yet carried invisible pressure, as if it could penetrate flesh and reach the deepest parts of people's hearts.

Those who had been struggling to flip through documents and pretend to think were all pressed down by invisible hands at their necks, unanimously lowering their heads.

As if this gaze also carried transcendent power.

It was somewhat ridiculous.

A group of figures who commanded wind and rain in their respective departments, discussing and analyzing, yet when someone truly stepped forward to shoulder all consequences, not even one dared to lift their head.

Why?

Because no matter how well these houses were built or how comfortably the migrants lived, the credit wouldn't fall to them.

Under normal circumstances, this would just be a routine task of "executing according to plan."

Plans were formulated, subordinates proceeded according to process. If anything went wrong, they could blame construction workers or complain about bad weather, insufficient materials, or uncooperative migrants.

As long as they wanted to find excuses, they could always find ten thousand reasons to shirk responsibility but if they truly stepped forward to accept this responsibility, it would be like nailing themselves to a fire pit.

Who could guarantee no accidents during the process?

This wasn't playing a game where clicking "execute plan" would yield rows of neat houses.

Monsters emerging from the Void Mist, infection source outbreaks, or internal conflicts among migrants.

Any possibility could bring the entire construction plan to a halt at any moment.

So who dared shoulder this responsibility?

Who dared pat their chest and guarantee they could properly settle the hundreds of thousands of incoming migrants without freezing, starving, or causing chaos?

Who dared say that even if problems arose in the end, even if they had to face Yuan Gang's accountability, various transcendents' anger, and migrants' resentment, they would absolutely not shift blame or pass the buck?

No one dared.

"Since everyone has concerns and doesn't want to wade into these muddy waters to contribute to our Happiness City, it seems I need to designate a working group and group leader to solve this matter."

Yuan Gang spoke again, his voice carrying unquestionable authority.

Then his gaze precisely fell on Ding Yishan, "Station Chief Ding, would there be any problem with you leading the housing construction working group?"

"There would be a problem!"

The rebuttal rang out almost the instant Yuan Gang finished speaking, like a thunderbolt striking the silent meeting room.

Holy shit?

Everyone was stunned. This direct?

What stimulus had Ding Yishan received today to dare directly confront the deputy city lord?

Even Carlo Dickinson, who usually enjoyed jabbing at Ding Yishan, raised his eyebrows and glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

Although everyone knew Yuan Gang absolutely had double standards for transcendents and ordinary people.

If any transcendent dared rely on power to act arrogantly here, he would definitely slap them flying to clear their heads but for ordinary people's dissenting opinions, he often forgot he was a transcendent.

Restraining his edge, listening patiently.

But this didn't mean Yuan Gang was a temperless robot. Continuing a series of direct confrontations would inevitably lead to determining a winner.

By then, Ding Yishan, an ordinary person without transcendent power, would likely not fare well.

Seeing the atmosphere in the meeting room growing increasingly tense.

Ding Yishan's expression was serious, hands flat on the table, knuckles slightly tense, eyes staring directly at Yuan Gang without any evasion:

"Deputy City Lord Yuan, I am the Inspection Station chief, responsible for buffer zone protection work. I can become the group leader without problem, but who will take over the Inspection Station's burden? If real chaos breaks out, who will bear this responsibility?"

Responsibility again!

Again this kind of naked questioning laid bare on the table!

If people hadn't quite reacted to the previous question, with this statement, how could these shrewd individuals not taste the implications?

This was planning to use this opportunity to immediately move on the power division of the outer city?

But was it really this direct?

Forget whether these seated people were willing, would Yuan Gang, this deputy city lord, agree?

"If you leave, can't Harlin manage in your stead?"

Yuan Gang continued questioning, his tone revealing no emotion.

"Harlin can manage temporarily, but who will take over the North and South rapid stations monitoring under his authority?"

Ding Yishan yielded no ground, his tone suddenly sharpening, "The migrant numbers are too large. Central Station alone can't handle it. North and South stations must immediately start diversion, with daily traffic over ten thousand being normal. If these two stations have any oversights and infection sources spread, the risk would be ten times greater than outer city construction."

"Deputy City Lord Yuan, I wonder who will bear this risk?"

"Interesting."

Yuan Gang suddenly smiled. The smile was shallow but like a crack that loosened the tense air for an instant.

After thinking, just like when he questioned Yu Hong last time, he again chose the most direct approach.

"Station Chief Ding, feel free to speak directly. At yesterday's migration meeting, I said that outer city construction requires the entire city's strength. No department can avoid it."

"Anyone with opinions or ideas should speak up. If anything goes wrong, I'll bear it. I guarantee no one will dare settle scores afterward."

"Deputy City Lord Yuan, I have no special ideas."

Ding Yishan's gaze slowly swept around once, finally returning to Yuan Gang, "I just feel that continuing to discuss this way is purely a waste of time, providing no substantial help for our upcoming migrant settlement work."

"Good, well said." Yuan Gang actually stood up and began clapping.

Combined with his simple, practical washed long shirt and wide-leg hemp pants, it seemed less like a meeting room deciding the fate of hundreds of thousands and more like a classroom where a teacher heard students solve a difficult problem, that satisfaction coming naturally and purely.

However, this applause, falling in the currently dead silent meeting room, ultimately seemed somewhat jarring.

Under normal circumstances, perhaps everyone present would immediately stand up and applaud as well, using the momentum to elevate Ding Yishan, forcing him to say something concrete today, preferably having him take on all responsibilities.

But today, no one dared move.

Why?

Because Ding Yishan's performance was too abnormal.

That Inspection Station chief who usually followed behind Director Liu, speaking gently and even somewhat timidly, seemed like a different person, making people momentarily think Happiness City had returned to the three-way balance of former years.

Daring to mention Cheng Wu, daring to directly confront the deputy city lord, daring to publicly expose everyone's buck-passing.

The uncompromising edge radiating from his entire being almost clearly told everyone: try it if you dare.

Because the mess of hundreds of thousands, nearly a million migrants was too exaggerated.

According to morning reports, after the Walker reached Yueye Sanctuary City, he still hadn't stopped, continuing toward Shi Province's border, apparently heading to neighboring Hai Province but the people affected by his passage kept increasing, with predicted numbers rising again and again.

From the initial 500,000 minimum to 700,000, 800,000, nearly a million!

The increase in numbers wasn't a small matter of building a few buildings or paving a few roads.

It meant forcibly creating living space for a group with nothing in the rain, mud, and unknown risks.

If any link went wrong, it could trigger a chain reaction. No one dared guarantee they could emerge unscathed.

Because even a tiny portion of these troubles falling on them would become a mountain crushing people.

More because... after Yuan Gang said this, Ding Yishan had the legitimate ability to drag any person or department down with him.

Whoever dared to provoke would damn well die together!

"Waste of time... well said!"

Yuan Gang stopped applauding, exhaling a breath of stale air, his face full of satisfaction, "I haven't heard anyone say these four words in here for a long time."

Before his words ended, the meeting room suddenly rippled with slight air currents.

No one saw clearly what Yuan Gang did.

It wasn't like Hou Rui's energy wave eruption, nor did it have Carlo Dickinson's extraordinary display.

Just in a breath, everyone in Ding Yishan's row felt their bodies slightly sway, as if a thin veil covered their vision.

When that dizziness dissipated, people were startled to discover that the left side seats and tables had all switched positions.

Carlo Dickinson had originally sat in the rightmost front position. Now looking up and turning around, he found someone sitting to his right.

The Transcendent faction members beside him, including Zhao Kai, had all moved back accordingly.

The originally neat formation seemed pushed by invisible hands, leaving only the front row position empty.

And Ding Yishan sat steadily in that front position!

This...

Many people's faces changed dramatically, their pen-holding fingers suddenly tightening.

While seating changes might not completely equate to outer city power distribution, in this meeting room symbolizing Happiness City's decision-making core, position order represented the weight of upcoming words and the degree of importance.

How many years had it been?

Since Cheng Wu left, the Inspection Station's position had retreated again and again.

From front to back, from back to center, back and forth, never entering the top five seats.

Even during the years when the Idealist faction was in charge, with three elders backing them, the Inspection Station only obediently sat in today's Idealist faction positions, never meddling in Happiness City's power vortex, only guarding their own small territory.

But today, Ding Yishan had changed, and the Inspection Station had changed.

Yu Hong at the table's end twitched his eye corner, showing a flash of interest. He rested his elbow on the table, crossed his hands, and curved his lips in a barely perceptible arc.

Today's Ding Yishan was the Ding Yishan of yesteryear.

That Ding Yishan who, even when the Idealist faction was in power, dared carry the Original Intent faction banner and resist.

Others might not have seen Ding Yishan's edge, only thinking him a conscientious "good person."

But he was different. He had seen it, witnessed it firsthand.

"Station Chief Ding, sitting here should match what you're about to say."

Yuan Gang sat down with a gentle expression, the hem of his long shirt lightly falling. He turned to look at Ding Yishan in the front position, his eyes carrying just the right amount of expectation:

"Please tell everyone present what we should do now to avoid wasting time and discuss the fastest practical result?"

The dizziness from position switching was still continuing.

Ding Yishan shook his head, fingertips lightly supporting against the smooth table surface to steady himself.

Old.

Among all the department heads present, his current strength wasn't the weakest but was among the bottom tier.

A fifty-year-old man who couldn't even withstand wind and rain was indeed approaching retirement age.

He didn't immediately speak but slowly raised his eyes again, his gaze like a general surveying a battlefield, inch by inch sweeping over every person present.

Sitting in the front position felt truly different.

Unlike sitting in the middle section before, where looking at anyone seemed like looking up to seek opinions, even speech required careful consideration.

Now looking down from above, even the overhead lighting seemed more favorable toward his side, illuminating every person's subtle expressions clearly.

He rarely experienced this weight of life and death decisions, this tremor of holding great power.

When his gaze focused on them, even the usually arrogant Hou Rui instinctively adjusted his glasses, as if avoiding that invisible edge.

Several department heads who used to cause trouble for the Inspection Station quietly lowered their heads, fingertips randomly marking documents, not daring to meet his eyes.

Power?

Ding Yishan's Adam's apple rolled lightly. It truly was a wonderful thing.

Even Director Liu, that transcendent, had never had such authority in the meeting room on any day but precisely because of this, it made him better remember where this power truly came from.

Not because of his station chief title, and certainly not because of any transcendent strength.

It was the Inspection Station behind him, those inspectors, those ordinary residents who needed protection, those outsiders who knew of Happiness City Inspection Station's reputation.

It was the foundation accumulated bit by bit over thirty-plus years of struggling in the buffer zone, starting from Cheng Wu's generation.

It was the respect earned through the lives of inspector after inspector sacrificing at their posts.

This right to speak wasn't given by Yuan Gang, nor yielded by Hou Rui and Carlo Dickinson.

Before Cheng Ye reminded him, before the Walker influenced him, he had never truly realized this point.

But now he felt it, clear as pushing open a glass window and feeling wind and rain with his body.

But now he realized it, his heart burning with hot blood wildly throbbing, making his face flush red.

The seating change, everyone's wariness, Yuan Gang's tacit consent were all silently proving...

Change!

Whoosh.

That power belonging to the Walker surged forth again.

No longer vague throbbing, but clear heat flowing from his dantian upward, striking his chest with stuffiness. When it reached his throat, it carried burning itch, as if it would break through his teeth the next second.

But when he truly opened his mouth, that power became like a spring of clear, cool water, rushing to his brow and pouring down, spreading along his spine to all four limbs.

Years of accumulated fatigue, hesitation, and self-doubt were all cleansed away in this clear spring.

Yuan Gang sat upright in the main seat. His originally slightly raised eyebrows furrowed lightly, surprise flashing in his eyes.

He slightly extended his hand, pressing forward in the air. The entire meeting room completely quieted, even breathing sounds were isolated.

He calmly watched Ding Yishan, his gaze still as a deep pool, like observing drought-stricken vegetation, watching how curled leaves slowly unfurled in sweet rain.

But some people below dramatically changed expressions, especially several department heads stuck at the fourth step for over ten years. They now widened their eyes, showing alarm, realization, and finally freezing in disbelief.

What?

This... how was this possible?

But it was happening right before their eyes!

Under everyone's gaze, in less than half a minute, Ding Yishan slowly exhaled deeply.

His appearance hadn't changed at all, the wrinkles at his eye corners hadn't faded, but the spirit between his brows seemed infused with new vitality.

The cloudy depths of his eyes rekindled with sharp light, his slack shoulders straightened, as if he had suddenly become twenty years younger.

He... achieved Unity of Man and Heaven?

For outside martial artists, Unity of Man and Heaven merely represented entering the final realm of new martial arts, meaning strength and technique had reached their peak.

But for everyone present, Unity of Man and Heaven had more important meaning. It meant the ideology held in one's heart had completely solidified, no longer wavering.

Ding Yishan had officially obtained an admission ticket to transcendence.

And even the weakest ticket had a thirty percent probability of resisting transcendent pollution.

Far higher than his previous success rate of less than half a percent, multiple times over!

"Excellent. The migrants are an opportunity that will bring change to Happiness City and to everyone present. It depends on whether you can seize this chance."

Yuan Gang slowly withdrew his hand, and breathing sounds resumed flowing in the meeting room.

His gaze swept over those department heads still not recovered from shock, finally falling on Ding Yishan, his tone carrying a trace of approval, "Station Chief Ding, please speak."

"Good!"

Ding Yishan responded immediately, unaware of the shock he had caused.

He only felt that burning power in his chest had finally found its home, transforming into a steady warm current that made every breath solid.

"Now, to avoid wasting time, we need to set a deadline."

Ding Yishan said in a deep voice, "From this moment, I hope everyone's statements will only focus on their own departments, telling others what kind of help they can provide for the upcoming migration wave."

"I hope that before each department head speaks, they must consider one thing: whether they can be responsible for what they say and bear the consequences."

He paused, actually standing directly up, "Alright, let me start."

"For the upcoming migration wave, the Inspection Station can provide thirty to sixty inspectors, each responsible for at least eight thousand people's settlement work, guaranteeing construction progress, guaranteeing no large-scale chaos, guaranteeing thorough basic inspection of all entering personnel, guaranteeing..."

He spoke over ten guarantees in succession, over ten weighty responsibilities.

After finishing, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes flashing with light brighter than the overhead lamp:

"I'm finished. Who agrees, who objects!"

[NEXT CHAPTER]