Conveyor Belt 7.

Western faction inspector Garcia roared, slamming the desk with a loud clatter.

“A family of paupers with nothing to offer! Happiness City isn’t a beggar’s shelter. You welfare-chasing parasites, damn leeches, should’ve gone to hell sooner!”

The man in the isolation cage flushed with embarrassment and anger.

The woman behind him pulled their five- or six-year-old child closer.

The Happiness City they’d heard about on the radio didn’t require an “entry fee.”

But now, Garcia was blatantly demanding that each family member offer something valuable to gain entry, or they’d be kicked out, permanently barred from the checkpoint.

“Sir, please, give me some time…”

After a few seconds of silence, the man licked the bloodied cracks on his lips. “We won’t be parasites. I have strength, I can carry bricks, unload cargo. We’ll pay the entry fee as soon as we earn it.”

“As soon as? You think I haven’t heard that line a hundred times a day?”

Garcia sneered. “Do I look that gullible? Pay up now, one valuable item per person, or take your ‘as soon as’ and go feed the infected in the ruins.”

The Western faction’s attitude was this disgusting?

Happiness City was thriving, so how had it devolved to a corrupt dynasty’s end, with inspectors extorting entry fees at the gate?

Listening intently, Cheng Ye was stunned, concluding that his late father, Cheng Long, must have been a core Eastern faction member.

Otherwise, his death wouldn’t have tipped the balance between the factions so drastically.

“Take a gamble?”

Cheng Ye narrowed his eyes, scanning the family in the cage, quietly sizing them up.

Well, no wonder Garcia was being so harsh.

The man was tall, at least 185 cm, his tattered coarse shirt revealing bulging biceps like rocks, veins coiling on his forearms, and calloused knuckles, clearly a formidable fighter, far beyond the average refugee surviving on luck.

The woman was slimmer, but her eyes burned with startling intensity, like flickering flames. Her arms, wrapped around the child, were taut, her body steady despite her complex emotions, showing strong mental fortitude.

The child’s grimy face wasn’t healthy, but surviving in the wasteland at such a young age was no small feat.

Bet placed!

“You two, head back to the main gate and wait. I need to handle a dispute, don’t rush off.”

Cheng Ye stood, first directing the man and woman just brought to his belt to return to the gate.

Then, in three quick strides, he reached Conveyor Belt 7.

“Garcia, three contribution points. This family’s mine.”

“You want them?”

Garcia had noticed when Cheng Ye sent the others away.

Hearing this, his narrow eyes, visible through his mask, glinted with intrigue.

“Sounds like you think you can squeeze more than three points out of these paupers?”

Trying to jack up the price?

Cheng Ye smirked, tapping the desk. “Listen, don’t play games with me. Enjoy picking on Easterners? After work, I’ll get Big B to have some fun with you.”

“Using Big B to scare me?”

Garcia scoffed, extending his right hand. “Five contribution points, they’re yours.”

“Deal!”

Cheng Ye didn’t bother haggling.

If he had Liu Bi’s strength, he’d drag this jerk out after work and beat him senseless, but bluffing with borrowed authority meant knowing when to quit.

Besides, with external duty nearing, he had little need to spend points beyond essential gear.

Once yesterday’s Deathwhisper Tentacle was graded, he’d get about 20 points. Spending 5 was well within his budget.

“Alright, I’ve sent them back. They’re yours.”

With the unexpected windfall, Garcia’s attitude softened. He didn’t care how much Cheng Ye could squeeze from the family.

Extorting entry fees wasn’t exactly honorable, and Cheng Ye’s assumption that he was targeting Easterners gave Garcia a convenient excuse. If this reached the higher-ups, someone might face consequences.

“Go to my Conveyor Belt 8 after you leave. I’ll check your identities.”

Cheng Ye gave his instructions and returned to his inspection desk to wait.

The old conveyor belt screeched, its tracks grinding slowly. Within a minute, the family was delivered.

Perhaps the fire in his chest hadn’t died out, or maybe his wait to grow stronger had been too long.

Cheng Ye’s mouth went dry, an inexplicable nervousness rising.

“Listen up, nobody in this world does anything without a motive. I’m not saving you out of kindness. I have my own goals.”

“No entry fee, just cooperate fully and answer my questions, got it?”

Cheng Ye spoke first, seizing control.

The man nodded heavily, his complex emotions evident, his eyes flickering as he looked at Cheng Ye.

As a newcomer, he felt like he’d been sucked into a vortex, but to survive, they had to enter Happiness City.

“Names! Think carefully! I want your real names!”

“Chu Yunfeng, Yu Qinghui.”

“The kid?”

“Chu Xuan.”

As expected of his chosen target, Cheng Ye checked the panel. After giving their names, Chu Yunfeng’s cooperation was a measly 9%, with the others even lower: 5% and 0%.

The kid must have been taught something, showing zero intent to cooperate with an inspector.

Good thing his target was only Chu Yunfeng. The others’ cooperation didn’t matter.

“Gender?”

“Huh?”

Chu Yunfeng blinked. “Does Happiness City have other genders?”

“I ask, you answer. Obey, don’t question me, got it?”

Cheng Ye repeated the last three words, his tone sharper.

“Male, female, male.”

“Good. Ages?”

“34, 33, 6.”

“Where from?”

“Red Grass City.”

“Where?”

Cheng Ye pulled out a map, flipping through it. “Don’t play tricks. Red Grass City is nearly 20,000 kilometers from Happiness City. What, you’re playing a wasteland board game?”

“Sir, it’s a long story…”

Chu Yunfeng’s face soured, as if he’d expected the question, answering honestly.

“My wife and I were sailors in Red Grass City’s oceanic fleet, headed to Hope City for trade. But at sea, we encountered an unknown infected type, causing heavy casualties. The fleet lost its way, drifting for nearly a year…”

Recalling that dark time, Chu Yunfeng’s brows furrowed into a deep crease.

“Last month, we landed near Yang City’s coast, heard Happiness City accepts refugees, and fought our way here.”

Yeah, right, who’s he fooling?

Cheng Ye shook his head inwardly. Even modern oceanic ships with ample supplies couldn’t maintain Chu Yunfeng’s physique after such a journey.

That story might fool small-town inspectors with no experience.

But seeing the panel’s cooperation rise to 31%, Cheng Ye brushed it off.

Small lies didn’t matter as long as they cooperated with this inspector.

“Enough with the story. Pick up the table’s devices and report the numbers. You know how to use them, right?”

“I do!”

Chu Yunfeng nodded briskly, realizing Cheng Ye didn’t care about his tale.

This added more unease to his already doubtful mind.

Measure, report.

Cheng Ye pretended to record, eyes glued to the panel’s changing numbers.

When Chu Yunfeng’s cooperation finally hit 50.1%, he let out a relieved breath.

As expected, wearing the inspector’s authority, getting 50% cooperation from outsiders wasn’t hard.

“Sir?”

“Wait in the cage. I need to think over your story.”

Replying, Cheng Ye mentally pressed his first-ever “Search” button.

[Target: Chu Yunfeng]

[Current Cooperation: 51.8%]

[Searchable Range: Information, Items, Skills]

[Search Target Selected: Skills (Lv.1)]

[Searching…]

Text scrolled before his eyes.

After about five seconds, a dazzling panel popped up, making Cheng Ye’s eyes widen.

[Chu Yunfeng]

[Lv.1 Skills]: Skilled Swimming, Beast Instinct, Night Vision, Basic Mechanical Repair, Quick Draw, Basic Power, Basic Perception, Simple Medical, Basic Trap-Making, Iron Feet, Basic Wilderness Survival, Basic Woodworking, Basic Camouflage

“How… how many?”

Cheng Ye almost thought he’d misread, counting again to confirm Chu Yunfeng had thirteen Level 1 skills.

Even more outrageous, he had unsearchable Lv.2, Lv.3, and Lv.4 skills.

The displayed skills alone made him ten times more badass than Joel from The Last of Us.

No, buddy, are you here to be Happiness City’s protagonist?

Luck hitting a golden legend, Cheng Ye struggled to contain himself, his lips curling involuntarily.

Thirteen skills—what a delightful dilemma. Which to choose?

Swimming, night vision, mechanical repair, medical, traps, iron feet, wilderness survival, woodworking, and camouflage were non-combat skills with limited short-term use for external duty.

That left Beast Instinct, Basic Power, Basic Perception, and Quick Draw. After hesitating, Cheng Ye mentally selected.

The panel flickered, then flashed a thrilling success prompt.

[Search Successful]

[Civilization Collector has recorded: Basic Power (Lv.1)]

“It worked!”

A 50% success rate hitting on the first try sent Cheng Ye into a barely contained thrill.

One more chance. He mentally selected again.

The panel flickered.

Failed?

No!

[Search Successful]

[Civilization Collector has recorded: Beast Instinct (Lv.1)]

“Both tries hit! Waiting all day was worth it—jackpot!”

Two useful skills added to his blank slate, what changes would they bring?

His heart raced, and it took several deep breaths to suppress the urge to equip them immediately.

Stay calm, must stay calm. Now’s not the time to stand out!

“You’re good. Go register your resident permits.”

Pressing the button, the cage door creaked open.

“What?”

Chu Yunfeng froze, stunned that it was so easy to pass.

But he reacted quickly, realizing Cheng Ye wasn’t joking, nodding thanks and leading his wife and child away.

“Hey, we’ll likely meet again.”

Watching Chu Yunfeng’s figure vanish, Cheng Ye turned, his smile growing.

Those 5 points were a steal.

With his current search level, he couldn’t do much more with Chu Yunfeng.

But one day, he’d search all those skills. With three Lv.4 skills equipped, he’d hang Garcia up and whip him good!