The sun rose and set as usual.

The morning light at seven o'clock filtered through the gap in the curtains, casting a long, slender streak of brightness on the floor.

Although there's no place like home, no matter how luxurious.

Cheng Ye still had to admit that last night was the most comfortable sleep he'd had since transmigrating to this world.

Unlike the complete peace of mind he felt at Big Brother's place that night, this comfort was purely physical.

July in Shi Province was never particularly dry, especially when rain clouds lingered in the vicinity, and the air was always filled with a sticky, annoying stuffiness.

But this luxurious inspector's ward was actually equipped with air conditioning, such a rare commodity.

Once turned on, the room maintained a comfortable 26 degrees all night, dispelling all the humidity and stuffiness.

What surprised him even more was the new set of bedding, so light it seemed like just a layer of gauze, yet when covering his body, it provided just the right amount of embrace, warm and cozy without being heavy, so comfortable he almost didn't want to get up.

"No wonder Miao Yang was shocked by the simplicity of my room. I really completely neglected enjoying life. Who knew there were still so many good things in this wasteland."

Cheng Ye leaned against the headboard while muttering softly to himself, pulling open the curtains by the bed and lifting his eyelids to glance outside the window.

At some point, a light drizzle had begun to fall.

Fine raindrops tapped against the glass, condensing into a thin layer of mist on its surface. In the distance, he could vaguely make out the outline of the South Station, with many black dots gathered in front of it, swaying back and forth.

For the migrants, such weather was undoubtedly bad news.

Muddy roads would make their steps increasingly heavy, and the humid moisture would attract those water-loving infected entities that preferred to be active in rainy weather.

But there was no choice. Delaying departure by a day brought troubles of its own.

Once they had decided to leave, they had to go immediately. Otherwise, if they waited two days and disrupted their plans, there would be even more problems to handle.

After staring outside for a while, Cheng Ye got up, casually pulled out a book from the cabinet, returned to bed and nestled comfortably into the bedding, opening it to read slowly.

According to Luo Xiaoxue, he had to stay in this ward until the situation was completely stable before he could leave.

But after dealing with Jiang Chuan yesterday, Cheng Ye had a vague feeling that such peaceful days wouldn't last long.

If Ding Yishan wanted to test him, the current restart of the inspection station would be the perfect opportunity.

Only by staying alive steadily when a large number of infected entities flooded in could he be considered to have made a name for himself in this territory, earning true recognition of his value from those eyes watching from the shadows.

As for any dangers, he completely ignored them.

Having experienced an infection tide and personally killed advance fusion bodies, although he wouldn't dare be careless in the wilderness, staying within the inspection station, Cheng Ye was confident there was nothing left to worry about.

As long as it wasn't some terrifying existence that could instantly annihilate everything, he had plenty of ways to deal with it.

Even if he truly encountered a mother source-level infected entity, he had the capital to survive.

Strength was the greatest confidence.

Whether participating in factional struggles or going on duty at the inspection station, he no longer had to cower and be timid like before.

Eight-thirty in the morning.

He finished the first book, which was full of detailed introductions about common infected entities in the wilderness, complete with simple illustrations and weak points of the infected entities circled in red pen.

Cheng Ye read with fascination, feeling he had learned a great deal.

But just as he was about to get out of bed to wash up, someone knocked on the door from outside.

"Please come in."

He called out loudly, sitting up slightly straighter.

However, unexpectedly, more than ten people walked in from outside the door, all wearing neat white coats.

"Inspector Cheng, I hope we haven't disturbed your rest?"

The middle-aged man leading them squinted and smiled, bowing slightly as he said, "I'm Feng Yaozu, deputy director of the medical facility. Yesterday was so busy that I didn't have time to bring the expert team for your consultation. I've come specially now, I hope we're not bothering you?"

Consultation?

Good heavens, such a grand display!

Cheng Ye was stunned for a moment, instinctively wanting to wave his hand and say his health was fine, that such a big fuss wasn't necessary.

But thinking about the upcoming medical facility reforms, with so many residents in Tianyuan Community, they would need to establish a medical station sooner or later.

Rather than being passive later and slowly picking from people assigned by the medical facility, it would be better to take advantage of this hospitalization opportunity to quietly scout among these people.

If he could poach one or two reliable ones, he could open a community medical station on the pedestrian street in the future. It could treat neighbors' minor ailments like headaches and fevers, and occasionally treat visiting scavengers for money.

Moreover, if this model was truly fully implemented, each community would gradually build up its own medical team.

He had thought it through carefully yesterday.

The core purpose of the Idealist faction's reform was to strengthen each community, with medical care being just one key link.

As mobile medical stations became deeply integrated with communities, the stronger the community, the more obvious its ability to attract population would become.

If Tianyuan Community could establish a decent large-scale medical station, more and more people would want to join in the future.

After all, who wouldn't want to live in a place where they could get timely medical care and have security?

Furthermore, Cheng Ye had an even bolder idea in mind.

If he were in the medical facility, he would have no opportunity to intervene in equipment investment or talent development, being constrained by the system at every turn.

But community medical stations would be different.

He could take advantage of field duty opportunities to get some suitable equipment and arrange for it to be installed.

Then, relying on the Collector to search for medical skills and combining them with action points, he could gradually improve his own and his team's medical level. Perhaps in the future, they could have the ability to directly combat infection sources.

He might even be able to leave Happiness City in the future, taking his team with him, and immediately establish a medical foundation.

Wait, why was he thinking about leaving Happiness City and severely damaging the inspection station again?

Cheng Ye shook his head. All these thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, and he quickly put on a natural smile on his face, "How could it be a disturbance? I'm clearly the one causing trouble for everyone."

"Director Feng, my minor aches and pains really don't warrant so many experts making a trip. I'm truly sorry."

"If it's convenient, shall we begin the examination?"

"Good!"

Cheng Ye nodded and straightforwardly took off his upper garment, revealing skin that was bruised and purple all over, with some areas showing abnormal dark red, clearly indicating unhealed internal contusions.

The room immediately filled with sounds of sharp intakes of breath, especially from several younger experts in the back row, whose faces showed undisguised amazement, with some even unconsciously opening their mouths wide.

Tsk tsk tsk, their acting skills weren't as good as Big Dragon's.

This was Cheng Ye's assessment.

Look at Director Feng, how appropriate his expression was.

Surprise mixed with just the right amount of emotion, with a trace of shame for not discovering the injuries in time, layered and controlled.

These days, still playing simple shock? That was so out of fashion!

"Inspector Cheng, please lie down quickly!" Feng Yaozu indeed stepped forward immediately, his tone urgent, "Such serious injuries, why didn't anyone report them yesterday? This is too negligent!"

Then he suddenly turned to look behind him, "Xiao Wei! Immediately upgrade Inspector Cheng's medical status to 'critical.' Starting today, attending physicians must come for examinations every morning and afternoon, recording recovery status at all times!"

"Yes, Director!"

A young man with glasses in the crowd quickly responded, rapidly recording on his tablet.

This display made Cheng Ye secretly laugh. Indeed, the familiar old tricks were still the most effective.

Inherited from modern times to the wasteland, they hadn't been lost for decades or even centuries. It would be such a pity if the Collector didn't record this.

However, before the smile had fully formed in his heart, his expression suddenly changed.

As he lay down, Feng Yaozu put on sterile gloves and seemingly casually pressed several spots on his back.

"Hiss"

A piercing pain suddenly shot up, like a red-hot needle being driven hard into his bone joints. Cheng Ye's muscles instantly tensed throughout his body, and he almost opened the panel to equip Iron Body!

Damn, why does it hurt so much?

"There's already minor bone fracturing, and there's also deep soft tissue contusion."

Feng Yaozu's professional ability was extremely strong. He pressed several more locations, and the pain became increasingly obvious.

"Here, and here, the pain intensifies significantly with pressure, indicating the damage is much more severe than it appears on the surface. I don't even need instruments to make this determination."

Seeing Cheng Ye grimacing in pain, he withdrew his hands and methodically removed his gloves while explaining, "Inspector Cheng, I know you combat personnel who go to the front lines always think these injuries are nothing, at most just some flesh pain. But you must never underestimate these 'flesh wounds.' Injuries accumulate little by little."

He paused, his gaze falling on Cheng Ye's tense shoulder and neck lines, his tone becoming more earnest, "I said these same words to your father back then, but he didn't take them seriously, because that was when our Happiness City was at a crucial moment of expansion, and he had to press on even with a body full of ailments."

"But you're still so young, right at the time to build your foundation. If you don't take recovery seriously now, after age twenty-eight, your bodily functions will decline precipitously, your peak period will pass in a flash, and afterward, if you want to improve further, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven."

So my injuries are this serious?

Cheng Ye pressed his lips together and sat up, all his previous contempt completely disappearing as he flexed his hands.

"Thank you for the reminder, Director Feng."

"You're too polite, Inspector Cheng."

Visibly, the smile on Feng Yaozu's face became even more intense.

Then, the expert team behind him took turns stepping forward. Some pressed with their palms like Feng Yaozu, applying pressure from light to heavy.

Some used smooth-edged metal scrapers to gently rub his skin, observing muscle reactions.

An old expert wearing reading glasses held a thin, awl-like probe, precisely touching several key acupoints.

Though their methods differed, the sensations they brought were identical.

Piercing pain!

Cheng Ye's temples quickly beaded with fine sweat, especially during the waist examination. The old expert with the probe kept shaking his head while pressing and touching, his grave expression making one's eyelids twitch.

However, Cheng Ye also noticed something. Among all these people, not one used instruments, relying entirely on touch and experience for diagnosis.

Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Feng Yaozu explained timely from the side, "Inspector Cheng, you find it strange that we don't use instruments, don't you? There's no special reason. It's just that instruments are too delicate. When they break, we have to wait for parts to repair them. When they run out of power, they're just scrap metal. In real emergencies, when patients pile up, we can't just hold a broken instrument and stare helplessly, can we?"

"Especially in the wilderness, there's no way to carry X-ray machines and ultrasound equipment with the team."

"But skills and experience are different. They can be passed down generation by generation. To become an expert in our Happiness City, the fastest speed in diagnosing conditions and providing treatment plans is the assessment criterion. As for those instruments, most are used after conditions stabilize to assist in judging recovery status. They're not necessities."

"I understand."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly.

This explanation was novel, but upon reflection, it made sense.

Wasteland people didn't have high requirements for medical care to begin with. Those who really needed to be admitted to the medical facility were mostly external injuries like his: knife wounds, gunshot wounds, bruises and contusions. Those tumors and terminal illnesses that required precise instruments for diagnosis couldn't even wait for a bed before being carried away.

External injuries precisely tested doctors' experience the most. Over time, abandoning instruments made sense too.

As a group of experts gathered in a corner of the living room, beginning to discuss treatment plans in low voices.

Inexplicably, Cheng Ye suddenly felt somewhat emotional.

The somewhat deliberate "performance" by these experts earlier might also be rules they had to follow to survive in this environment.

"Inspector Cheng, according to our assessment, you'll need to be hospitalized for about a month."

"We'll deliver the first batch of healing potions as soon as possible, three bottles daily, administered intravenously."

Feng Yaozu came over, speaking seriously, "Also, if you have time now, why don't you come with us to the outpatient building for more rigorous diagnosis using instruments?"

Cheng Ye nodded.

The Wild Grass Physique he had acquired from Jiang Chuan yesterday hadn't been equipped yet.

He could take this opportunity to verify the bonuses provided by Wild Grass Physique through the instrument data.

Ten o'clock in the morning.

The complete examination report was delivered almost at the same time he finished the tests.

Cheng Ye received the report and scanned the first page, which showed a simplified human figure diagram.

Different body parts were marked with different colors. He roughly counted six black areas, four purple areas, twelve red areas, with the rest all yellow.

The accompanying text description indicated that black meant immediate treatment was required.

Purple and red required long-term observation and treatment, while yellow could be slowly treated with medication at home.

The following pages contained more detailed indicator data, which he couldn't understand at all.

"I need to acquire a medical skill as soon as possible. Not understanding treatment during field duties would be too disadvantageous."

Cheng Ye calculated in his mind, taking the report back to his room.

Just as he reached the corridor, he saw Garcia from next door slowly taking a walk for recovery. Seeing him approach, Garcia immediately put on a smile and actively greeted him.

Cheng Ye had expected this guy to finally lose his patience today and throw some sarcastic remarks, but unexpectedly, Garcia's composure was truly exceptional.

Not only did he show no intention of sarcasm, but he kept asking after Cheng Ye's health with concern, acting so enthusiastic it was as if they had always been on the same side.

Really not holding a grudge?

Of course not. Cheng Ye remained secretly vigilant. This kind of smiling tiger was much harder to deal with than those second-generation rich kids.

He wasn't afraid of open confrontation, but he feared dirty tricks in the shadows.

"Inspector Cheng, I'm your personal caregiver, Wei Zhou."

It was the Xiao Wei who had stood behind Feng Yaozu earlier. He paused and added, "If you need a female caregiver, I can immediately..."

"No need."

Cheng Ye waved his hand directly, "With my injuries, I need to turn over and apply medicine daily. A female caregiver would be inconvenient."

He had no intention of indulging in any luxuries at the medical facility, especially with an enemy living next door. It was better to be cautious.

Besides, Wei Zhou's ability to stay close to Director Feng suggested his status wasn't ordinary either.

Sure enough, his guess was soon verified.

"My father and grandfather were both experts. They used to run around with the Pioneer Corps, but unfortunately both developed health problems later, and now they can only stay home recuperating."

Wei Zhou said this while actually comforting him, "Your injuries aren't serious. As long as you recover properly, they definitely won't affect your future martial arts practice."

"Mm."

Cheng Ye suppressed the urge to probe for information on their first meeting and sat quietly.

He let Wei Zhou pinch the puncture needle and insert it into his skin. The other end of the needle was connected to an IV bag hanging by the bedside, containing a prepared liquid.

Somewhat magically, tiny glowing metal particles floated in the liquid.

If this were in modern times, it would definitely be a medical accident, but in the current environment, it seemed perfectly normal.

"What is this?"

"Today's three bottles all contain healing medicine with Iron Bone Beast mutation crystal powder, which has special strengthening and recovery effects on bones." Wei Zhou adjusted the IV drip rate while explaining, "We need to treat the bone injuries first before medicating the contusions."

"Not cheap, I suppose?"

"Indeed, one bottle costs 60 contribution points externally, but you don't need to worry. These are all charged to the inspection station's account."

So expensive?

Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow. No wonder the inspection station was always so poor.

Never mind the monthly salary, nobody cared about those Happiness Coins, and it wouldn't matter if they had to pay to work every month.

What was truly valuable were these hidden benefits. For instance, these three bottles of medicine together cost 180 points.

"Wait, doesn't that mean Garcia's treatment has already cost the station over a thousand points?"

That parasite!

As he was thinking, the cool liquid flowed through the IV tube into his body, and those previously painful areas soon blossomed with an indescribable warmth.

It was as if countless tiny warm currents were flowing along his blood vessels, soothing his damaged tendons and bones.

Cheng Ye sighed comfortably, and his tense body relaxed as well.

"One bottle takes 45 minutes. I'll wait in the living room. If you have any other requests, just call me anytime."

"Alright."

Cheng Ye nodded and leaned against the headboard to continue reading the book about infected entities.

Such peaceful, ordinary days suddenly gave him the illusion of returning to modern times.

Although lacking the excitement of fighting infected entities, it made the efforts of the past three months seem all the more worthwhile.

At noon, the meal was still four packs of nutritional paste.

The medical facility probably considered him an injured patient and added two large pieces of synthetic meat.

But due to his lack of appetite, Cheng Ye tore and chewed a few bites, finding it rather tasteless.

"It would be great to have a bowl of spicy stir-fried meat with noodles right now, plus some fried peanuts and smashed cucumber, paired with a couple sips of beer. That would be comfortable."

Unfortunately, he could only think about it.

In this area of Shi Province, forget about soil-grown vegetables, even hydroponics was affected.

Under an invisible transcendent curse, this land had long been completely severed from planting.

Perhaps the higher-ups in Happiness City knew how to solve it, but culinary enjoyment wasn't important to wasteland people.

After the three bottles of liquid finished.

Cheng Ye found an excuse, slipped out of the hospital, and took the bus back to the city district.

Equipping Lv2 Iron Body had consumed 107 bags of nutritional paste, so this Lv3 Wild Grass Physique would certainly require no less.

Drinking over a hundred bags of nutritional paste at the medical facility would be too conspicuous, practically announcing to everyone that he had problems.

Going back for a trip, drinking it all at home and then returning would only delay an hour or two.

Even buying nutritional paste, Cheng Ye no longer needed to do it personally. He casually found a Tianyuan Community resident to pass the message, and Big Dragon quickly came over upon hearing the news.

"Go buy 150... no, 200 bags of nutritional paste and deliver them to my room. Here's the key."

Cheng Ye handed over the key and pulled out a handful of Happiness Coins with a combined value over a thousand, "Keep the extra for next time when you help me buy things. I'll be troubling you often in the future."

"No trouble at all, sir! How could doing things for you be called trouble!"

Big Dragon grinned honestly and hurriedly left.

Cheng Ye watched his retreating figure, feeling that after asking Jiang Chuan yesterday about how to improve ordinary muscles and bones, Big Dragon seemed even more respectful toward him.

In just half an hour.

Even though nutritional paste was still under control, relying on Tianyuan Community's reputation and using the excuse that "everyone's hungry from work and needs supplements," they easily obtained approval from the Supply Department for five boxes of nutritional paste.

"Thanks."

Taking the key, Cheng Ye turned and walked a few steps, unable to resist whistling a cheerful tune.

The Inspector Cheng who was alone and destitate half a month ago, without even a few people in his contact list to call and chat with, now clearly had the bearing of a local power broker.

Without exaggeration, in B-7 district, with one word from him, he could easily mobilize thousands of people to run errands.

Compared to before, this situation was more than just a little bit better.

Just thinking about Liu Bi's surprised expression when he returned to see this scene made Cheng Ye burst out laughing.

Life in this wasteland was truly becoming more and more promising!

[NEXT CHAPTER]