With the yellow flag raised, the checkpoint’s lockdown lifted after five minutes, control returning to the inspectors.

Cheng Ye first opened the isolation gate, letting the four brothers, eager for treatment, pass through, then picked up his communicator to make a call.

“Sister Luo, don’t worry, work’s going smoothly here. Nothing’s happened.”

“Yeah, something happened to Station Chief He. I’m stuck on duty till tonight.”

Hearing about He Fei’s incident, Luo Xiaoxue was shocked.

He was a veteran inspector, a generation above Liu Bi and Cheng Long. How could something happen out of the blue?

“Be extra careful. With a new hydrophilic infected entity, the manual I gave you might not help. Stay cautious!”

“Don’t worry, I’m in Quarantine Zone A, checking vehicles. Only one came all morning. At this rate, I doubt another will show up by evening.”

Cheng Ye naturally didn’t mention spotting an unknown infected entity on his first day and getting into a fight.

With the situation volatile, no one knew what might happen next. Better to talk face-to-face tonight to avoid worrying Luo Xiaoxue.

He hung up the communicator.

Cheng Ye wanted to dig for more on the Central Checkpoint, but unlike Liu Bi, he’d spent two months focused on inspector exams, building no reliable connections.

“To survive in the checkpoint, you need your own people, your confidants…”

Glancing at Raven and Owl outside the isolation gate, Cheng Ye felt they’d be good candidates to cultivate. They were efficient and understood the checkpoint’s dynamics.

But with his footing still shaky, building a loyal team felt like a castle in the sky.

“This shift is for getting familiar. After my first field mission, I can start thinking about building my own crew. Climbing up will need their support.”

The rapid inspection station was fraught with danger but offered a fast track to merit.

Most crucially, it had charging stations, allowing quick energy replenishment for search opportunities.

In just half a day, Cheng Ye had changed his mind, reluctant to return to checking drifters.

That job was tedious, requiring endless probing and questioning.

Even if he pulled a Garcia, skimming entry fees, it’d only net a few coins a day.

At the rapid inspection station, the first person inspected offered a 600 Happiness Coin bribe and a piece of meteorite iron.

“The ancients weren’t kidding—greater danger, greater reward.”

Glancing at the crowded Zone B and the empty Zone A, Cheng Ye calmed his mind.

Central Main Checkpoint

The temperature hit its peak, sunlight baking the ground into a steamy haze.

Drifters at the gate peered curiously inside.

In the isolation zone behind the checkpoint, a dense crowd of nearly a thousand gathered, mostly heavily armed guards, the scene highly unusual.

At the center was a desiccated corpse, skin clinging to bones, curled on the ground like shriveled tree bark.

“Investigate. Get to the bottom of this!”

Ding Yishan stared at the corpse, his face twitching uncontrollably, before standing abruptly, his expression dark.

He Fei’s death didn’t need much investigation; the state of the body screamed accident.

By protocol, duty station chiefs shouldn’t inspect isolation zones, but last night’s rain flooded the area. For some reason, He Fei insisted on checking on the drifters.

He walked right into a hydrophilic infected entity, a new strain absent from the database.

Within seconds of contact, it drained him into a husk.

Such a ludicrous death!

Who could believe a veteran of over twenty years, who’d killed countless infected entities, would meet such an absurd end?

Ding Yishan couldn’t help but think of himself.

With new infected strains flooding toward Happiness City, even a duty station chief wasn’t safe.

Didn’t that mean he, the head station chief, could lose his life here any moment?

“From today, the Central Main Checkpoint’s inspection level rises to four. Any abnormal data, isolate immediately! No one but guards enters the isolation zone!”

“The North and South Sub-Checkpoints raise to level three. Two or more abnormal data points, straight to isolation. No unauthorized releases!”

Ding Yishan’s voice was heavy.

Checkpoint inspection levels ranged from one (lowest) to five (highest).

Historically, only winter’s dangers warranted level three or higher; summer typically stayed at one or two.

Raising to level four in midsummer made the guards and inspectors’ hearts sink.

“Also, starting today, the checkpoint adopts a wartime reward system. Merits accrue based on inspections and infected entity kills. I’ll request the City Defense Bureau’s Chief Liu to activate inner vault rewards.”

“Work hard, earn more. Kill more, take more. I don’t want anyone freeloading at the checkpoint, understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

The crowd responded in unison.

The heavy atmosphere lightened, eyes glinting with eagerness.

Wartime rewards, usually reserved for infection tides, were unexpectedly triggered by He Fei’s death.

This was huge. Merits could be exchanged for incredible rewards.

For regular checkpoint guards, a big merit could mean promotion to inspector, a life-changing leap.

Who wouldn’t be tempted?

“Harlin, organize a study session. All non-duty inspectors present, relearn hydrophilic infected entity protocols immediately. Set an exam: fail three times, demote one rank. Fail five times, mandatory field missions of difficulty four or higher!”

“Understood.”

After issuing orders to fully mobilize the checkpoint, Ding Yishan left, panting like a rabid wolf unable to find prey.

“Sir, your temper today isn’t good for your recovery,” said a middle-aged man, Achuan, who’d followed Ding Yishan closely, speaking softly as they exited the crowd.

“Achuan, you’ve been with me nearly twenty years. We fought for this station chief role together. Don’t you know why I’m pissed?”

Ding Yishan sighed subtly. “Winter’s not here yet, and He Fei’s idiocy has forced an early East-West showdown.”

“I tested Harlin earlier. He backed off, but who knows if he’ll keep yielding?”

Achuan paused. “Sir, if the Western faction exploits He Fei’s death and the vacant chief seat to pressure us, I can take out Harlin, buying a buffer period for both sides.”

Ding Yishan stopped abruptly, his throat bobbing as if to speak, but he only managed a strained smile, patting Achuan’s shoulder.

“Let’s head back. It’s not time for you to risk your life. If we start this, there’s no turning back for East and West.”

Station Chief’s Office

Located behind the Central Checkpoint, a three-story building stood, styled not like modern architecture but an old-era teahouse.

The first floor was Ding Yishan’s office, the second a meeting room for inspectors, and the third a private “game room” off-limits to others.

Ding Yishan climbed to the third floor, entering a room near the stairs.

The decor was simple: a mahjong table in the corner, a traditional Cantonese tea table at the center.

He meticulously prepared tea, but before the aroma could bloom, Achuan pushed the door open, ushering in four men.

“Come, sit.”

Ding Yishan gestured, guiding them to the tea table, then cut to the chase: “He Fei’s dead. The duty station chief seat, who in the station do you think can take it?”

The four’s breathing quickened, exchanging glances, their eyes burning with ambition.

If Cheng Long hadn’t met misfortune, Ding Yishan wouldn’t need to ask; the answer would be clear.

But there were no ifs.

“I didn’t call Thunder Tiger to hear your four thoughts.”

Ding Yishan’s fingers traced the tea cup. “Speak freely now.”

After a pause, the four stood and left the way they came.

Ding Yishan’s gaze was complex until Achuan returned, prompting a sigh.

“Achuan, what do you think of those four?”

Achuan shook his head. “Sir, I’m not suited for…”

“No need to hold back. There’s no one else here. Besides, you might become an inspector soon. It’s time you learned the game.”

“Then…” Achuan paused, then said gravely, “None match Cheng Long. Zhou Changhai and Qiao Yuan are cunning but lack boldness; they’d struggle to command respect. Shao Yunfei and Lin Bao are fierce but too rough. Even if promoted, they can’t ease your burdens or stabilize the station.”

“So… it’s tough.”

Ding Yishan mocked himself, “What a twist of fate. When Cheng Long was around, we Easterners kept the Westerners pinned. Now he’s gone, and the situation’s collapsed this far.”

He suddenly recalled something. “What about that kid Cheng Long left behind? Cheng Ye, was it?”

“He went to the rapid inspection station today, right? How’s he doing?”

“I’ll check with the guys below; there should be news.”

Achuan hurried downstairs, returning with a tablet, his expression odd.

“What?”

“Sir, Cheng Ye went to the North Station.”

“Huh?” Ding Yishan’s eyes twitched, tea rippling in his cup. “Who gave him the guts to go there?”

“Sir, it’s hard to explain in a few words. You’ll understand after watching this.”

Achuan handed over the tablet, showing two grainy videos.

“This… he’s clashing with those kids?”

Ding Yishan noted, recalling Cheng Ye was about their age, even younger, so some reckless behavior wasn’t surprising.

But what followed made his expression turn strange.

“These tactics…”

Ding Yishan narrowed his eyes, caught off guard.

Compared to the pale, bookish young man in his memory, the youth in the video was vibrant, exuding an unfamiliarly strong presence.

In the second video, seeing Cheng Ye kick Owl aside, heft a flamethrower fearlessly, and calmly pull Owl away as guards arrived, Ding Yishan’s expression grew stranger, rewatching the clip three times.

“A new infection source?”

“Yes, researcher ‘Qin Feng’ provided initial data. It’s unmatched in the database.”

“How’d he spot the infection?”

“No idea. Should I notify him to write a report after his shift?” Achuan shook his head honestly.

Killing was easy; spotting infected entities was hard.

From the videos alone, Cheng Ye’s performance surpassed many inspectors.

“Hmm.”

Ding Yishan hesitated, then shook his head with a bitter smile. “Forget it. With the current situation, let’s keep attention off him. He’s on Western turf, doing too much or too little is a problem.”

“But… this kid’s surprised me.”

He’d once considered arranging an “accident” for Cheng Ye to clear the way for Achuan.

After a moment’s thought, Ding Yishan’s face showed no emotion. “Downs is principled, from the same generation as Cheng Wu. He’ll look out for the kid, so we don’t need to interfere. Next week, when he’s at the South Station, go on my behalf to test his mettle.”

“Understood!”