Going downstairs, people were gradually returning home to the Sunrise Electronics Factory residential area, presumably having received the second wave of lifted restrictions.

Seeing Cheng Ye, who didn't look like an ordinary person, everyone instinctively took detours around him.

Anyone who dared to go out at this juncture was either a ruthless character seeking to risk their life for advancement, or someone bearing special duties.

Whether the former or the latter, neither was someone these ordinary residents could afford to provoke.

"Sir, curfew will begin in one hour, and we'll also be withdrawing in two hours. At that time, buffer zone security will be taken over by the Blood Dragon Corps. If you don't have special transit papers, please return home before nine o'clock."

The guard at the entrance failed to recognize Cheng Ye and hurried forward to remind him.

"Mm."

Cheng Ye nodded lightly, not taking out his badge to ask whether inspector status could ignore the curfew.

Curfew was essentially a protective barrier for residents, not a restriction of human rights.

Once the Blood Dragon Corps moved in, it meant the third wave of general message lifting was imminent, and the buffer zone would inevitably erupt into chaos.

By then, even if he hadn't finished scouting the situation, he would immediately return home and hide until the infection tide broke out.

Walking along the roadside path, most pedestrians on the street had faces shrouded in a layer of gloomy expression.

After all, those who could live in Zones A, B, and C were mostly "veterans" who had struggled in the buffer zone for many years, with a large portion being survivors from 13 years ago.

"Sir, please stop. The area ahead has been designated as a restricted zone by the Emergency Epidemic Prevention Department. You can only exit, not enter."

Still two blocks away from Tianyuan Mall, a team of armed guards approached.

"Of course, unless you can provide proof of residence inside."

"Hmm."

Cheng Ye remained silent, pulling out his inspector badge from his pocket.

The guard captain's expression changed. After verification through the defense communicator, he shook his head in dissuasion, "Inspector sir, with all due respect, inside there is a powder keg right now. You'd better not go in. They have their own internal operating rules, and outsiders interfering would only invite trouble."

"Their own rules?"

"Yes," the captain scratched his head with a troubled expression, "Ever since the quarantine-style regional epidemic prevention regulations were abolished over ten years ago, the buffer zone has become like this. Every large community has its own survival rules."

Before he finished speaking, from the direction of Tianyuan Mall in the distance, a burst of dense gong beating and drumming suddenly came.

It didn't sound like fear of the incoming infection tide, but rather like celebrating something.

"You see, that's how it is." The guard captain smiled bitterly, "These people all have something wrong with their heads. We normal people find it hard to understand."

"Can I go in?"

"You can go in, it's just..."

"Then let me go in and take a look."

Cheng Ye's curiosity was completely piqued.

When there was no infection tide, Happiness City was just like the stereotypical wasteland in his memory, with nothing particularly strange about it.

But as the infection tide approached, everything happening here was rapidly deviating from his fixed understanding of the wasteland world.

The world was no longer operating according to rigid, prescribed rules. Everything was becoming vivid and real.

"Alright."

The guard captain gritted his teeth, "According to regulations, we cannot enter, but as long as you dial 01110, surrounding guards will immediately provide support."

"Thank you."

Cheng Ye nodded, took back his badge and prepared to move forward.

Suddenly his waist defense communicator rang. He picked it up and glanced at it, unexpectedly finding a message from Qin Feng.

"Go home early?"

He couldn't help but laugh, not expecting this Researcher Qin to still remember him.

Passing through several checkpoints along the way, the guards' gazes all carried curiosity.

Obviously no one expected that at this critical moment, there would still be an inspector wanting to go into the community.

"Sir, this is the last checkpoint. Beyond here, at this special time, you'd better... follow the rules inside."

The Tianyuan Mall sign was already visible in the distance when another guard approached to remind him.

On ordinary days, Tianyuan Mall's resident population fluctuated around one to two thousand people.

Many people only registered their household registration here but didn't necessarily return every night. Most migrant workers, to save commuting time, would choose to pitch tents near construction sites for shelter.

But now, a full four thousand people were packed densely inside. Through the mall's glass, one could see swaying human shadows under the lights, dense as moths.

"Do I also have to follow their rules?"

"Maybe, at least we do." The guard smiled awkwardly, "No inspector has ever gone in at a time like this before, so we don't know if your status will be effective."

"You know, at times like this there are always some lunatics who completely ignore rules."

After speaking, he waved toward the distance.

Two men in raincoats walked over, "Big Dragon, Second Dragon, this is Inspector Cheng. He wants to enter your Tianyuan Mall for inspection. Any problems?"

"Inspector sir?"

The two tall, thin middle-aged men exchanged glances, seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

However, they didn't refuse, "No problem, but what does the inspector sir want to do?"

"Simply take a look, understand the situation. I won't interfere with your rules."

"Alright, please follow me."

Big Dragon stared at the outline of two long guns faintly visible under the raincoat, licked his lips, and stepped aside to gesture the way.

Leaving the checkpoint and stepping in, Cheng Ye suddenly felt as if he had entered a rule-free vacuum zone.

Strangely, the tense pressure around his body suddenly dissipated. Without the constraints of his inspector identity, he actually felt an odd sense of relief.

"Inspector Cheng, we very much welcome you turning your attention to the community at a time like this, but the situation inside, you might not understand immediately."

"Unless absolutely necessary, please don't draw your gun. We will do our utmost to ensure your safety and absolutely won't let you face any danger inside!"

Big Dragon introduced quietly, "News of the incoming infection tide has already spread. The community has managed to avoid chaos until now through everyone's efforts over more than ten years. But you know, there are pests in the buffer zone, and there will be pests in the community too. Right now we're exterminating pests."

Cheng Ye nodded lightly, then asked curiously, "Wasn't it like this before?"

"Completely different."

Big Dragon grinned, the wrinkles at his eyes creasing into furrows, "After the Nightmare Parasitic Worm incident, more and more people discovered that Happiness City wasn't any different from other shelter cities. The roots were completely rotten, so nearly thirty percent of the population left in just a few days."

"But later one day, a big shot from the inner city stood up and made promises, assuring us that from that moment on, the inner city was the inner city, the buffer zone was the buffer zone. This was the residents' own territory. Happiness City would only provide jobs, benefits, supplies, and necessary protection, and would never interfere with personal choices when disasters came."

"Since then, communities with different philosophies have sprung up in the buffer zone, all trying to figure out how to survive the current mess."

"Our Tianyuan community is rather strange. We advocate collectivism, which isn't common in the wasteland."

Different philosophies, community self-governance.

This perfectly matched the idealists that Lee Matteo had mentioned, fitting those people's ideals.

Approaching the mall entrance, several young people guarding the door saw Cheng Ye's massive figure and the two long guns he made no effort to conceal, and immediately became somewhat nervous.

"Quick, go report to the district elder that Inspector sir has arrived!"

Walking to the mall entrance, Second Dragon, who had been silent all along, called out loudly.

Before his words finished, several young guards were stunned for a moment, then took off running, leaving only two behind while the rest charged into the mall interior.

"Please enter."

Big Dragon pulled open the iron door, and a strong stench rushed straight to the nose.

However, compared to the smell in the isolation warehouse at North Station, the mall's ventilation system was still running. Cheng Ye only frowned briefly before quickly adapting.

Stepping inside, although the buffer zone's residential buildings were in the style from around the millennium of the old era, the structure of this large mall wasn't much different from later Wanda malls and their ilk.

The first floor center was a high-ceiling activity area, with circular corridors extending upward layer by layer. Each floor could overlook the area below, now densely packed with heads, countless gazes watching below.

Former shops had all been converted into residences, with iron-frame beds stacked like building blocks up to the ceiling. Bedding and miscellaneous items hung down through railing gaps, creating a living scene even more cramped than Kowloon Walled City.

However, at this moment, Cheng Ye had no mind to observe the internal structure. His gaze fell on the activity area.

On the not-particularly-spacious stage sat three elderly men, all wearing festive red clothing.

Drums were set up on both sides, with a bronze gong hanging behind.

In front of the stage, three to five hundred people were lined up in orderly rows like elementary school students. When he had entered earlier, countless gazes had swept over, then quickly moved away, revealing an eerie restraint.

"What are they doing?"

"Pest screening."

Big Dragon grinned, pointing at the queued people, "Don't worry, we've already tested for Stand-In Starfish. Except for those people, everyone else has no infection risk."

"Well, let's still make some space for you."

After speaking, he gave Second Dragon a look. The latter immediately went forward to disperse a group of people, clearing about five square meters of space.

At the same time, the young man who had gone to report also walked to the district elder's side, bending down to whisper a few words.

Instantly, all three red-clothed elders turned their gazes over.

When their eyes met in the air, Cheng Ye nodded slightly, clearly seeing the smiles that spread from the corners of the three men's eyes. Their expressions weren't like the usual restraint ordinary people showed when meeting an inspector, but rather like welcoming some long-missed acquaintance.

Boom!

After a few more minutes, as the time reached 8:30.

The drum sounded again. A strong man holding wooden mallets stepped forward and heavily struck the hanging bronze gong.

"The auspicious time has arrived!"

The crowd instantly erupted, more and more voices joining the shouting:

"Auspicious time!"

"Auspicious time!"

The sound waves made the corridor railings buzz and vibrate.

After continuing for about twenty seconds, as the middle district elder raised his hand, the clamor immediately stopped abruptly.

"Tianyuan Community, since its establishment, has existed for nine years, four months, and seven days."

"During this time, many have joined, and many have left. As of today, it has grown to 4,167 people."

"Now, the moment to test our district's survival philosophy has arrived."

The district elder's voice wasn't loud, as if speaking only to the three to five hundred people in formation.

Visibly, quite a few people trembled.

"Li Gui, step forward!"

The district elder on the left opened a roster and called out loudly.

The middle-aged man at the front of the line's face changed slightly. His Adam's apple rolled heavily twice, but he still walked forward with steady steps.

"Face washing!"

"Yes."

Several basins of clear water had been prepared in front of the stage.

Li Gui took a deep breath and plunged his face into the water. After several seconds, he lifted his head, and a clear black starfish mark had appeared on his forehead.

He looked in the mirror, then cupped his hands toward those behind him and all the people looking down.

"District elder, I choose to take medicine."

"Good!"

All three district elders nodded simultaneously. Li Gui grabbed a bag of Epidemic Powder from his pocket and wolfed it down.

The medicine was quite potent. Visibly, his face instantly turned liver-colored.

Within seconds he fell straight to the ground, limbs convulsing as he spat black blood.

A suppressed gasp arose from the crowd. Some faces turned ashen, others quickly turned their heads away.

The mallet-wielding strong man immediately struck the bronze gong, dense drumbeats thundering like battle drums, as if sending off a fallen general.

A body collection team in isolation gear stepped forward, skillfully placing Li Gui into a body bag.

The drumbeats and gong sounds stopped abruptly.

"Life and death are fated!"

The three elders rose simultaneously, cupped their hands toward the body bag, and shouted in unison.

The four thousand-plus people witnessing this scene followed suit, cupping their hands toward the activity area and shouting together, their voices thunderous:

"Life and death are fated!"

The sound was deafening.

"Good!"

The body bag was carried away, and the elders called out names again.

"Gao Yunting, step forward."

Another middle-aged man stepped forward and plunged his face into the water.

The starfish mark flashed, actually several shades darker than Li Gui's.

"District elder, I choose self-binding."

"Good!"

The three district elders nodded again. Someone stepped forward to bind the man with iron chains, tying his hands and feet.

The gong sounded, drums followed.

The drumbeats were heavy and slow, as if sending off a departing soldier.

After Gao Yunting was taken away and confined to a specially cleared shop, the three elders rose again and cupped their hands toward the shop.

"Wealth and honor are heaven's will!"

The crowd followed with low shouts, "Wealth and honor are heaven's will!"

Shout after shout merged into a torrent, thunderously echoing under the mall's dome, causing the bedding hanging from railing gaps to tremble slightly.

Cheng Ye couldn't help but stand up. Being forced to take medicine was still within his understanding, but choosing self-binding...

"This is the collective, Lord Cheng."

Big Dragon saw the surprise and realization in his eyes, a gentle gleam flashing in his gaze, "From the moment they joined our Tianyuan community, everyone was actually prepared to die."

"Prepared to die?"

These five words took Cheng Ye a long time to digest.

He had indeed never heard of such an epidemic prevention method, even thinking about it seemed like fantasy.

Humans are independent thinking entities.

How could they possibly, just because they joined a collective, place their own thoughts beneath collective interests?

Even in civilized times, few people could achieve such a level.

Let alone in the precarious wasteland!

During his contemplation, people in the queue stepped forward one by one, either tilting their heads back to swallow powder, or actively extending their hands and feet to be bound.

Each time gong and drum sounds rang out, the mall would erupt in shouting.

Would everyone be like this?

Suddenly, "Zhang Can, step forward."

A young man was called, but instead of covering his face, he drew a pistol from his waist and pointed it at the middle district elder.

"How dare you!"

The instant he drew his gun, a continuous sound of guns being drawn erupted.

Under Cheng Ye's astonished gaze, at least a thousand guns were drawn from the circular corridors, long and short, gun barrels pointing down at Zhang Can like a forest.

Individual violence, collective interests.

These two concepts combined together looked awkward no matter how you viewed it.

But at this moment, they formed an eerie balance.

"Give me a chance, district elder."

Zhang Can's face was expressionless, but his lips trembled uncontrollably, "I'm still young, I still have... many things to do. I don't want to be a deserter, but I don't want to die like this either."

"Ah Can, have you thought it through?"

The district elder suddenly smiled, waving at those upstairs, "Everyone put away your guns. Ah Can got married earlier this year, and I officiated. He won't shoot me."

Whoosh.

The district elder's words seemed to carry great weight here. In just an instant, all gun barrels were withdrawn.

Zhang Can was stunned, also lowering his pistol to his side, but his index finger remained tightly on the trigger.

"My wife is pregnant. I can only live."

"Understandable."

The district elder nodded, "Do you remember the community's first rule?"

"Collective interests are heaven, personal interests are earth. If heaven doesn't exist, earth will also overturn."

Zhang Can recited woodenly.

"What about the second?"

"Collective interests are the framework, personal interests are the constant. If the framework isn't established, the constant cannot grow either."

The district elder smiled and nodded, "Then once you step out that door, you'd better think it through. Whether you live or die, we at Tianyuan Community won't spare you another glance."

"District elder, rest assured."

Ah Can nodded heavily, turned to bow deeply to everyone, his voice hoarse but resounding, "Brothers and sisters, once I step out that door, Zhang Can is just Zhang Can. If I mutate, I'm an enemy, an enemy of everyone in the buffer zone. Just shoot and kill me without any psychological burden!"

"Good!"

The smile on the district elder's face faded as he waved toward the direction where Cheng Ye stood.

The crowd, as if rehearsed, immediately made way for a path wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

"Ah Can, walk this way."

"Thank you, district elder."

Ah Can tucked his gun back at his waist, dropped to his knees with a thud and kowtowed three times, his forehead making dull sounds as it hit the concrete floor.

The moment he turned around, the district elder, hunched over, took the wooden mallet from the strong man's hand and struck the bronze gong.

"Man can conquer nature, success depends on human effort!"

Clang.

Clang!!

Clang!!!

The heavy drumbeats fell like hammers on Zhang Can's footsteps. The stunned crowd suddenly erupted in shouting.

"Man can conquer nature, success depends on human effort!"

"Man can conquer nature..."

Under Cheng Ye's gaze, he saw Zhang Can, who had been able to maintain his expression earlier, now shaking violently at the shoulders, his tense cheeks already streaming with tears.

Though desperately suppressing the urge to look back, when he reached the end of the passage at the mall entrance, he finally couldn't help but raise his head, his gaze falling on a woman on the second floor.

The woman with a pregnant belly behind the railing nodded vigorously at him, and he tremblingly nodded back.

Then, taking one step out, his figure disappeared into the vast, rain-wrapped night.

"Good!"