Entering E District.

The epoxy flooring had been mopped to a gleaming shine. The second-generation heirs were clustered on both sides, discussing the infection tide, either celebrating their survival, or fearing another infection tide, or worrying about the dangers to come.

Until they caught sight of Cheng Ye striding forward, that lively atmosphere instantly died like a bucket of ice water had been poured over it.

Whoosh.

The crowd scattered like birds and beasts, each one wishing they could sprout wings on their feet, looking at him as if he were the plague god. The sound of doors slamming shut echoed one after another.

Poor thing, the red-haired young man who had taken over Jeremy's position was still standing there in a daze, not having reacted yet, only to find himself completely alone.

When he met Cheng Ye's gaze, his legs went weak, but he still gritted his teeth and shuffled into the room step by step, his hands trembling as he closed the door.

"Inspector Cheng?"

"Am I that scary?" Cheng Ye was somewhat puzzled. He had only shown off his authority once, hadn't he?

How did it feel like he came to the inspection station every day to bully these second-generation heirs?

But he had forgotten that people in the wasteland didn't have as many information channels as modern people, where they could accept massive amounts of information by scrolling through short videos in minutes.

Life in the buffer zone was monotonous. When going home, people either lay around reading magazines or gathered a few acquaintances to play cards. The rest of their time was spent chatting.

And chatting was something that fermented easily.

In chatting, if one person embellished the story, there would be a second person to embellish it further.

You say this Cheng Ye is terrifying, and I need to make him even more terrifying based on that.

Not to mention that during the meeting, Ding Yishan had specifically mentioned focusing on cultivating him. Although those Western inspectors hadn't visited the medical center, they had all later pulled their offspring aside to warn them to stay away from that Inspector Cheng.

With this, the second-generation heirs now looked at him like they were seeing the duty station chief, feeling nothing but fear.

"It's already processed!"

The red-haired young man held out the badge with both hands, afraid his trembling would cause it to drop to the ground. Finally, he offered an awkward blessing, "Wishing you all the best today, safe and sound!"

Cheng Ye accepted it, muttering to himself as he turned to head toward Quarantine Zone A.

Let them be afraid then. Maybe Wang Kang would still come to North Station for duty next week, and when the time came, mentioning his name would probably make these second-generation heirs just as obedient as they were now, no longer daring to be as arrogant as when he first arrived.

On the other side.

The inspection station had just restarted, and currently there were no vehicles queuing to leave the city. According to regulations, the passage wouldn't officially open until tomorrow.

But today was Cheng Ye's last day on duty at North Station. No matter how lively it got here tomorrow, he wouldn't be able to catch it.

But there wasn't much to regret. He could just head to South Station instead. He imagined that South Station, guarded by Easterners, might not be any quieter than here.

"Eh, Scopy didn't come today?"

Cheng Ye glanced from afar at Quarantine Zone A. Scopy, who usually waited for him here, was nowhere to be seen today.

His steps paused briefly, then he quickly understood the reason.

Previously, the Westerners had Scopy follow him simply because they feared he would die at North Station, triggering the four fifth-stage Easterners to unite against the Westerners.

But the situation was different now. According to Lin Bao, Zhou Changhai had most likely already defected to the Westerners, and the Eastern faction was no longer a unified bloc.

Even if something really happened to him, the Easterners might not unite again.

More importantly, Ding Yishan had already clearly stated that he wanted to focus on cultivating him.

With those words, it was equivalent to extracting his identity from the "Eastern faction" and making him an independent individual. Naturally, the Westerners didn't need to assign someone to watch him anymore, lest they be suspected of monitoring a key cultivation target.

Having figured out these connections, Cheng Ye actually felt lighter all over.

Having Scopy watching nearby certainly provided an extra layer of security, but having to guard against him even for small things like stealing electricity was truly restrictive.

Besides, if he really encountered danger that he couldn't handle now, Scopy would probably be the first to run away, so keeping him around might not be useful anyway.

"Sir, you've arrived!"

Behind the isolation door, Raven and Owl stood on the left and right respectively, their backs straight as rods, looking very energetic.

While the buffer zone was dealing with the infection tide, everyone else was fighting for their lives outside, but the guards and observers on duty at the inspection station had hidden in the quarantine zone and escaped it all, resting for a full seven days. Naturally, they looked radiant now.

The isolation door slid open to the right with a "whoosh," revealing the clean corridor behind.

Cheng Ye stepped inside, and the familiar smell of disinfectant flooded his nostrils, strangely giving him a sense of coming home.

Especially when he caught sight of the garage shed not far away, the corners of his mouth immediately spread into a grin.

The charging station at the Works Department was nice, but he was always afraid of being spotted and getting into trouble.

But within the inspection station, he could use the slow-charging station however he wanted. Who would dare check on him?

"Have all the guards called up for duty today."

Cheng Ye walked toward the garage while giving stern instructions, "Rotate shifts every hour, and make sure everyone can enter combat readiness at any time!"

"Yes!"

Raven and Owl responded in unison.

After plugging in the collector to charge, Cheng Ye routinely went to inspect the isolation area.

After he and Scopy had opened the pods to release people, only 97 people remained inside by the last day.

However, upon entering, Cheng Ye discovered that only the first 17 pods had people in them.

"Sir, over these seven days, 21 people successively developed infections. Although we provided timely rescue, we still couldn't save the people in the same pods as the infected bodies. We could only carry out humanitarian disposal according to regulations."

With 28 fewer people but 21 infected bodies.

This ratio was already quite good, at least proving that the isolation system at the inspection station was effective.

"How long have the remaining people been confined?"

"All over 21 days."

Cheng Ye nodded, "Prepare to open the pods and release them. Empty all the isolation pods today, notify the logistics team to prepare for a major cleaning. All pods must be thoroughly disinfected, and replace everything that needs replacing!"

"Yes!"

With only one day of duty left, he really didn't need to care about these people's fate, and could have just left it to the next inspector.

But the inspector manual recorded a maximum isolation time of 21 days, after which people must be released.

During the probationary assessment period, Cheng Ye didn't want to leave behind any errors that could be criticized.

Furthermore, he knew in his heart that today was destined to confine quite a few people.

Emptying the isolation pods in advance meant that even if one or two hundred people were confined, it wouldn't be overcrowded.

In less than ten minutes.

With a light humming sound, the 17 isolation pod doors slid open in sequence.

After being cooped up for over 21 days, they should have been bursting with anger by all rights, but there wasn't a trace of anger on anyone's face. Instead, they were filled with relief and gratitude.

Obviously, they also knew about the super infection tide that had erupted these past days. Staying in these isolation pods, cut off from the world, had actually been one of the safest places in the entire buffer zone.

Cheng Ye stood at the entrance to the isolation pods, calmly watching each person leave.

Some had unsteady steps, some couldn't help rubbing their numb legs, but all respectfully bowed when passing by him, saying with genuine gratitude, "Thank you for your mercy."

Soon, the pods were completely empty.

Staff immediately rushed in carrying high-pressure water guns, the water jets splashing against the pod walls and washing away the remaining stains.

Next, high-powered drying and disinfecting machines were wheeled in. In the roaring sound, white mist filled the entire isolation area.

According to Cheng Ye's requirements, all damaged bedding was replaced and sent to logistics for mending.

Before nine o'clock when the inspection station opened, the entire isolation area looked brand new.

The metal wall panels inside the pods were polished to a shine, and even the corner crevices were carefully mopped with angled mops.

The stale air that had previously mixed sweat and moldy odors was completely sucked out by exhaust fans. Industrial fragrance boxes were placed every five meters, and soon the air was filled with a faint floral fragrance.

In such an environment, even if someone was really confined by him, it wouldn't be too oppressive.

Walking toward the duty area, from more than ten meters away, Cheng Ye could see a long queue formed outside.

More than thirty vehicles of various sizes were parked haphazardly. Some people leaned against their cars chatting, others dozed in the driver's seats. A rough count showed at least two or three hundred people.

Even more exaggerated was the ordinary resident passage that Lee Matteo was responsible for, where a mass of people formed a dark crowd, an estimated three to five thousand people.

"Seven days accumulated this many people, that can't be right?"

Opening the isolation door, Cheng Ye waited until he had quickly assembled the two long guns and inserted them into the weapon slots under the desk.

Only then did Lee Matteo leisurely come over. Glancing at the swarming crowd outside, his face showed no surprise as Cheng Ye had expected, but rather a lazy familiarity with such situations.

"Your workload today is probably going to be quite heavy."

Cheng Ye walked to the isolation net between the two areas and said. Who would have thought Lee Matteo would wave dismissively with complete indifference.

"Actually, I don't have much workload here. Your side is what's really going to get busy."

"Hmm?"

"You don't think all these people were isolated outside for seven days and now want to return to the buffer zone, do you?"

"Aren't they?"

Lee Matteo chuckled, pulling out a large megaphone wrapped with tape from his backpack, obviously well-prepared, "Of course not. At least eighty percent of these people were clamoring to leave these past few days, then changed their minds halfway and want to come back. But they still don't think of themselves as newcomers, and insist on blocking here wanting to enter the city using the old residents' route. Pure fantasy."

As he spoke, he walked to the front of the inspection area carrying the megaphone, pressed the switch, and after a crackling sound of electrical current, his loud voice boomed:

"Those without resident certificates, immediately go to Central Station to queue, do not linger here!"

"Repeating once more, those without resident certificates who continue to linger here will all be treated as infected bodies!"

As soon as the words fell, the dark mass of people immediately exploded.

"I'm a resident! Just because I forgot my certificate, you won't let me in?"

"Why don't I count as a resident? I've lived in Happiness City for over ten years! One trip out and I'm not anymore?"

"Inspector, please show mercy! I was forced out by the infection tide, it wasn't voluntary! Give me a chance!"

"Central Station only lets through a thousand people per day. With so many of us, how long would we have to queue?"

"..."

Chaotic shouts rose and fell like a disturbed swarm of hornets. Many people pushed forward, looking ready to break through the temporarily erected warning line.

But at this moment, the machine gun position that was usually ignored finally showed its deterrent power.

Rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat!

Heavy machine gun bullets, accompanied by ear-piercing sounds of tearing air, swept across the empty ground in front of the crowd, kicking up a cloud of dust.

People close by were staggered by the shock wave and scattered backward in fright. The originally crowded tide of people instantly opened up a gap.

In the chaos, stampeding began.

Some were tripped, others screamed and pushed forward. The red lights in Quarantine Zone B suddenly flashed, and sharp alarm sounds pierced the sky.

When the crowd finally dispersed somewhat, fifty or sixty people were already lying on the ground, clutching their arms or legs and groaning. Another seven or eight lay motionless, whether unconscious or dead was unclear.

But Lee Matteo stood behind the isolation net with an unusually cold expression, slowly walking back to his desk. He pulled out a pack of nutrition paste, drinking it while saying, "Being soft-hearted toward these people is being irresponsible to those who stayed in the buffer zone and didn't leave. Since they were determined to leave originally, coming back halfway is for only two reasons: either they found the outside road too harsh, or they were scared out of their wits by the wasteland's dangers."

He glanced at the injured on the ground, a mocking smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "Not going to Central Station to queue obediently, but insisting on hanging around here, they're just trying to take shortcuts. These parasites, even if they returned to Happiness City, would be useless. Better they die outside cleanly than come back to harm the buffer zone."

Cheng Ye fell somewhat silent, his gaze slowly sweeping through the crowd.

The hoodlum-like young men in the front row were mostly full of irritation, cursing angrily, undeserving of sympathy.

The middle-aged men shrank their shoulders with shifty eyes, exactly as Lee Matteo said, trying to take shortcuts, not daring to meet his gaze.

The few elderly people kept wiping their tears, looking rather pitiful.

But finally, his eyes stopped on several women holding children, seeing the panic in the women's eyes and the fear in the children's eyes.

"Among them, there might be some who truly have no other options."

Cheng Ye's voice was very low, as if talking to himself, "If they were forced out by danger and now want to return, that's not strange."

But unexpectedly, Li Matteo, who usually seemed like a slacker and was always smiling at him, still maintained a cold expression, "No other options? Who in the buffer zone doesn't have no other options? Everyone who stayed has survived several life-and-death situations. When they decided to pack up and leave, why didn't they think about the good things in the buffer zone?"

These words were harsh.

The most serious sentence Lee Matteo had ever spoken since they'd known each other.

But since guessing that he was half an idealist, Cheng Ye didn't find it strange and could understand Li Matteo's current thoughts.

Fairness was difficult.

But Lee Matteo was indeed maintaining fairness.

It was being fair to all those in the buffer zone who hadn't left, and also fair to those who went to Central Station to queue honestly.

Seeing his silent expression, Lee Matteo paused, his tone softening somewhat but still carrying uncompromising firmness: "Cheng Ye, encountering this kind of thing just as you start is bound to make you soft-hearted, which isn't strange. In my third year of duty, I wasn't any better than you, always thinking these people were pitiful, always thinking everyone had unspeakable difficulties, wanting to help however possible."

"But remember this: Happiness City has survived in the wasteland until now not through anyone's mercy, but through rules."

"The rule that those who lose citizenship must follow newcomer procedures upon re-entry was established to make everyone think clearly when making decisions. Once you step out of the buffer zone, don't expect to step back on the same footprints when you return."

"Being soft-hearted toward those who break rules is being cruel to those who follow them."

"Let one opportunist in today, and tomorrow there will be ten, a hundred following their example. Then the inspection station becomes a sieve, with infected bodies, refugees, and all sorts of trash pouring in. You, me, and all those who stayed and followed the rules will die."

Rules.

Indeed, two heavy words.

Cheng Ye said nothing more and turned back to sit behind the alloy desk.

"Cheng Ye, what I just said wasn't meant in any other way, don't let it affect our relationship."

Lee Matteo came over again, his familiar smile returning to his face, "You're a newcomer, reacting this way is normal. It would be strange if you could be as cold and ruthless as me."

"If you want to change all this, then work hard to become station chief. Make Central Station bigger, expand capacity to handle three thousand, five thousand people per day, and there won't be these problems."

"No need to comfort me, I can think it through."

Cheng Ye waved his hand. He wasn't so obtuse as to not understand this reasoning.

It's just that he'd been in contact with the people of Tianyuan Community these past days and had gotten used to seeing ordinary people's difficulties, always wanting to help out somehow in his heart.

Moreover, taking the idealist route did make it easy to overlook these rigid rules, always thinking of putting people first.

But sitting in the inspection station, he had to have a heart of stone, prioritizing the inspector's responsibilities and the inspection station's rules.

"Alright then, prepare for duty. I have many refugees here, but yours are probably all residents, so you'll need to check carefully."

Only five minutes remained until nine o'clock, and the vehicles in front had already started their engines.

Cheng Ye paused, then picked up the defense communicator and made a call after the last trace of emotion in his heart completely disappeared.

"Brother Cheng?"

"Which zone were you assigned to?"

"Quarantine Zone B, seems like it's for checking residents!"

Wang Kang's voice carried excitement, "But I'm still processing paperwork here, haven't gone over yet."

A newcomer going directly to Zone B?

In normal circumstances, the danger level would be maxed out.

But given today's situation, it wasn't bad, though he needed to know the rules beforehand.

Cheng Ye quickly repeated what Lee Matteo had just said. Surprisingly, South Station staff had already informed Wang Kang in advance.

"I know, follow the rules to survive!"

"Good!"

After hanging up, Cheng Ye breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed South Station did take good care of Easterners.

Moreover, from what Wang Kang implied, South Station's Zone E wasn't guarded by second-generation heirs either, but by actual staff members.

That was good, fitting his image of what an inspection station should be like.

Lost in thought, bells rang inside the inspection station. Nine o'clock had arrived!

Cheng Ye took a deep breath, looking toward the large van that was slowly approaching the passage, his eyes sharp once again.

His last shift at North Station had begun.

"Halt!"

Cheng Ye stood up, shouting with full vigor.

The large van stopped steadily in front of the gate, and a short man stepped out.

With just one glance at the man's face, Cheng Ye couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He had never seen anyone whose eyebrows had grown into two tufts of green grass leaves.

The man's first sentence shocked him even more, though he could only barely maintain his composed expression.

"Sir, I've already been infected by parasites."

Perhaps having seen Zhang Can transform into that appearance yet still speak like a normal person.

When the man spoke these words, Cheng Ye wasn't greatly surprised.

"But I actively infected myself by finding wishgrass, so there's no harm. You don't need to worry!"

Wishgrass?

Cheng Ye's heart jolted, then he opened the isolation door, signaling the man to drive his vehicle inside.

This was an extremely special type of infection source, not uncommon in the wasteland. Finding it in the wild, you might discover clusters of hundreds of plants.

Crushing it and soaking it in hot water until the water turned black, then drinking it down in one gulp would grant wishgrass parasitism.

After being parasitized, no matter how severe the injuries, wishgrass would maintain the human's normal vital signs.

Until forty-eight hours later, or when the wish was fulfilled, the host would immediately die with absolutely no possibility of rescue.

Even more peculiar was that according to the inspector manual, the parasitized human's wish had to be positive.

If it carried negative thoughts, like wanting to kill an enemy, wishgrass wouldn't take effect but would instead become deadly poison.

In summary, this was one of the rare peculiar plants that still retained special abilities after the S-4 virus outbreak.

Rather than calling it an infection source, it was more like a transcendent plant whose efficacy had been reduced countless times.

The man's eyebrows could match wishgrass characteristics, though Cheng Ye had never seen it and hadn't thought in that direction.

"Thank you for your understanding."

The short man drove his vehicle inside, bowing respectfully to Cheng Ye, then took out a black-green stone from the leather pouch at his waist.

About the size of a baby's fist, its surface gleamed with a dark luster.

"Sir, this is a piece of transcendent ore. Our team risked their lives to bring it back!"

What?

Transcendent ore?

Cheng Ye's gaze instantly fixed on that stone, his pupils contracting slightly.

"They're all dead, and so am I." The short man's voice trembled but carried a kind of desperate calm, "But I've always been cautious. Every time we went out on adventures, I would find wishgrass and hide a plant in my pouch, for this very moment!"

"Sir, sir!"

As he spoke, tears suddenly streamed down his face. With a thud, he dropped to one knee, "I can feel it, my wish is about to be fulfilled. This was the wish of everyone in our 'Mellie Boots' team. Our families are still in the buffer zone, they're still waiting for us to return."

The man pulled out a wrinkled paper from his pocket, with half a page of names written crookedly in pen.

"We're willing to give 70% as payment, donating it to the inspection station." He held the paper high, his voice pleading, "I beg you, for the sake of us bringing back the brick transport vehicle even in death, please distribute the remaining 30% of the proceeds to those still alive on this list."

Whoosh.

Everything happened too suddenly. Cheng Ye had never encountered such a situation.

During the man's speech, fine green sprouts had already begun emerging from his body.

Almost with each word he spoke, those sprouts grew wildly. In an instant, tender grass leaves sprouted from his body, face, and arms, as if the entire person was being devoured from the inside by plants.

"I, Cheng Ye, agree to your request."

Almost instinctively, Cheng Ye stood up, and their gazes suddenly collided.

The man's left eyeball had been pierced by green sprouts, but his remaining right eye sparkled with deep gratitude.

Thud.

He fell heavily to the ground, only his mouth still barely opening and closing, squeezing out the last breath of life.

"Inspector Cheng, please help... thank the Works... Department, Director Weili!"

"We... disappointed him..."

Before the words finished, the last tender sprout emerged from his brow.

Under Cheng Ye's gaze, the sprout's color faded at a visible speed, changing from bright green to withered yellow in an instant.

Then the withered yellow faded to gray-black. A gentle breeze blew, and like ash, it scattered, floating upward and carried away by air currents to unknown distant places.

Faintly, sighs could be heard.

All the drivers and passengers from the queued vehicles outside Quarantine Zone A got out of their cars.

Everyone pressed their right fist heavily against their chest, lifted their heads, and used their gaze to see off the ash that had been the man, until those gray-black specks completely dispersed in the wind.

This world.

Some people would do anything to break rules and take shortcuts, just to extract maximum benefit.

But others used their last breath of life, and even at the end, continued to fulfill their promises.

Cheng Ye stared intently at the stone left on the ground and the intact large van, waves of emotion surging in his heart.

He suddenly understood why the large vans he'd seen at the material purchase station were so expensive, so costly that even third-class merit couldn't exchange for one, and the cheapest version required nearly ten thousand points to purchase just to drive out of the buffer zone.

Yet there were so many financially strapped trading teams that could own such a vehicle and dared to drive it into the wilderness.

Why?

Because even if they risked their lives, they would definitely bring this vehicle back!

That faith more precious than gold, that promise more steadfast than rock, had already far exceeded contribution points and third-class merit as measures of value.

And these were the true foundation that kept Happiness City standing firm in the wasteland!

[NEXT CHAPTER]