Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 197: Using Their Own Methods Against Them!

Facts proved that Cheng Ye's precautions were absolutely necessary.12:40 PM.

Before the Inspection Station could even deliver the weapons, the shrill caws of Thorn Birds echoed from the horizon. A dense, black flock was gathering from the direction of the Huangshui River, flying straight toward Dabo Town.

If he had the Dominator in hand, he might have tried to shoot down their leader to disperse the flock. But without weapons, everyone's only option was to hide.

After evacuating the residents into the buildings flanking the street, Cheng Ye quickly ducked into the abandoned Supermarket. The rotting wooden boards overhead wouldn't withstand much impact, but they were enough to block the Thorn Birds' line of sight.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

The sound of flapping wings swept overhead like low-flying bombers, making everyone's hearts clench with anxiety.

Fortunately, the flock of Thorn Birds only circled once. Unable to find any targets to attack, they pivoted toward the red zone where Luo Kuke was located.

As a Third-stage Inspector, Luo Kuke had naturally found a hiding spot in advance. The spacious abandoned granary had more than enough room to temporarily shelter five hundred people across its upper and lower levels.

But the next scene took the Covert Agents observing from high vantage points by surprise. The flock of Thorn Birds did not disperse; instead, they descended upon the red zone in a massive swoop, diving straight for the unpacked supplies.

The boxes containing the components were ripped to shreds by the Thorn Birds' iron-like claws. The spilling Metal parts became the perfect meal. Hundreds of Thorn Birds pounced on the ground, pecking furiously like a flock of chicks fighting over feed.

"Damn these things."

At the entrance of the granary, Luo Kuke and Garcia's expressions darkened simultaneously.

Cheng Ye had realized the Thorn Birds were coming, arranging for everyone to hide in advance and wait for the weapons to arrive before starting construction. Their approach, however, was entirely different.

Neither of the two men was skilled with guns. Even if they had brought a Dominator, they might not have been able to shoot down the leader. Thus, they had decided to unpack the supplies and hide the Metal parts inside the buildings before the Thorn Birds arrived, aiming to reduce their attraction. That way, even if the flock attacked, they wouldn't linger for long.

Furthermore, upon noticing that Cheng Ye hadn't unpacked his supplies and was only busy organizing his manpower, the two became even more certain they had made the right move. As long as they hid their parts first, the Thorn Birds would naturally turn their attention toward Cheng Ye's side.

But despite all their calculations, they hadn't anticipated the flock arriving this quickly.

"Who brought a handgun?"

Garcia turned to the residents. Seeing quite a few people raise their hands, he immediately ordered, "Fire at the flock! Scatter them!"

A sharp crackle of gunfire quickly rang out.

Startled, the Thorn Birds took flight, temporarily halting their feast. However, they didn't leave; instead, they circled overhead and launched a counterattack.

A dense volley of bone spikes rained down. Although they couldn't pierce the granary's thick bluestone walls, they successfully trapped everyone inside, making it impossible to leave.

Looking at the flock's lingering posture, it was obvious they held a grudge and would never let the matter rest.

"This is trouble."

Glancing at Cheng Ye's unpacked supplies, Luo Kuke gently shook his head.

He hadn't expected them to fall into a disadvantage right at the start of the assessment.

But this was just bad luck, not a failure in their decision-making. If the flock had arrived just a little later, their choice might not have been wrong.

More than ten minutes later, the circling flock of Thorn Birds finally dispersed.

Cheng Ye poked his head out of the Supermarket. After confirming it was safe, he shouted loudly, "Everyone can come out now!"

Five hundred people emerged from the various abandoned buildings, lingering fear still written across their faces.

Clearly, no one was unfamiliar with the Thorn Birds. They all knew exactly how formidable these avian Mutant Beasts could be.

Sun Dazheng immediately rushed over. "Sir, our supplies haven't been touched, so the flock didn't target us. Should we take this chance to unpack some of them?"

Cheng Ye shook his head. His gaze drifted to the other side of the block, where pecked-apart boxes littered the ground. The chaos left behind by the Thorn Birds was plain to see.

A sudden wave of relief washed over him. Although a Third-stage Inspector possessed abundant Wilderness experience, they weren't omniscient. They couldn't perfectly calculate the arrival time of the Thorn Birds, much less predict every accident.

This caused the pressure weighing on his mind to diminish significantly, leaving him much less tense than before.

"Let's stick to my plan. Everyone, continue getting to know one another."

Cheng Ye raised his voice so everyone could hear him. "From now on, we're all neighbors in Dabo Town. We'll be living together for decades, so there's no rush to start working this very second. Over a three-day assessment, missing one hour of unpacking won't hurt us."

However, since they were idle anyway, Wang Kang took the opportunity to pull out his notebook and go to each group to register their personnel information.

Cheng Ye stood by the side of the road, his gaze occasionally scanning the horizon as he patiently waited for the weapons to be delivered.

Sure enough, in less than ten minutes, the flock of Thorn Birds returned.

From the direction of the east street, the sharp crackle of gunfire and the clatter of impacting bone spikes immediately rang out. It was as lively as the outbreak of a war.

'They do not want to win the assessment, but they want to put on a winning performance. Being too eager makes it easy to make mistakes.'

After some thought, combining all the information, Cheng Ye understood clearly.

If his goal was merely the assessment result, he didn't mind waiting here for an extra hour.

But if the goal was to showcase leadership performance, they had to demonstrate sufficiently strong capabilities right from the start.

He could already vaguely guess Luo Kuke's intentions, but he still couldn't figure out if this guy was Halin's subordinate, someone arranged by Ding Yishan, or simply a neutral party.

However, one thing was certain: there was an irreconcilable conflict between him and Garcia, whereas he didn't share any conflicting goals with Luo Kuke.

1:30 PM.

The personnel from the Inspection Station finally arrived late, driving a pickup truck to deliver the weapons.

To Luo Kuke and Garcia, the chosen firearms were already of little use against the Thorn Birds. The two hastily inspected the delivery and signed for it, the gloominess on their faces not fading in the slightest.

But to Cheng Ye, this was the crucial first step to kicking off the construction.

Four firearms were delivered, each equipped with five hundred rounds of ammunition, along with another three thousand pistol rounds, obviously prepared for the residents.

In the Wasteland World, almost everyone owned a gun, but bullets were scarce and always a highly sought-after consumable.

"Inspector Cheng, this is the Red Blade you requested."

A staff member pulled a Metal case from the bed of the pickup truck. After entering a password, the lid popped open with a solid click.

A sharp aura instantly washed over him, causing his heart to skip a beat.

What a blade!

When he had seen the picture on the tablet earlier, the shape and color of the Red Blade were already stunning enough. Seeing the real thing now, Cheng Ye felt even more strongly that its price of 3,500 Contribution Points was an absolute bargain.

The forearm-length blade was thick and solid. Its blood-agate body emitted a matte finish, and the flat-ground edge slanted upward from the base, a cold iridescent gleam lingering along the cutting edge.

Cheng Ye scanned it from top to bottom before his gaze settled on the handle.

A traditional character for "Dragon" was carved into the bottom. It was saturated with a red patina, exuding a quaint, heavy aura.

Reaching out to grasp the hilt, the texture felt warm and perfectly fit his palm. But upon weighing it, Cheng Ye was stunned.

The blade, which didn't look heavy at all, actually weighed upwards of fifteen kilograms in his hand!

How was this a camping knife focused on flexibility? It was clearly a heavyweight contender among polearms!

"If you haven't cultivated the four forces... No, if you haven't opened your Tendon Gates, there's absolutely no way to use this."

Cheng Ye was a little dumbfounded, instinctively looking toward Wang Kang.

Didn't choosing the identically shaped Purple Blade effectively cripple Wang Kang's melee weapon capabilities?

Yet, to his surprise, Wang Kang was gleefully practicing with the Purple Blade. Following the moves taught by Miao Yang, he flipped his wrist and twirled the blade, effortlessly creating dazzling blade flourishes.

Seeing him look over, Wang Kang smiled and stopped his movements. "Hey, Brother Cheng, my dad's blade is so light! The grip feels just like a wooden training sword!"

"Light?"

Cheng Ye walked over quickly and took the Purple Blade.

The moment it entered his hand, it truly felt incredibly light. With his current strength, he could barely feel any weight at all!

Even though the two blades looked identical in shape and material, their weights were worlds apart. It was simply absurd.

"Then go try mine." Cheng Ye tilted his chin toward the Red Blade resting in the case.

Wang Kang walked over and absentmindedly tried to lift it.

Hm?

It didn't lift?

His eyes widened. It was only after applying some force that he barely managed to heave the Red Blade up by the hilt, his arm trembling slightly in the process.

"This..."

"It seems that even if the design is the same, the Supernatural Ore added inside is entirely different," Cheng Ye mused thoughtfully.

He gripped the Purple Blade to test it again. After swinging it a few consecutive times, he shockingly discovered that the blade moved faster with every swing. Once its speed picked up, the sensation of weight became even lighter.

He couldn't imagine how fast this blade would be if he activated the Hundred Martial Arts Master.

Returning the Purple Blade to Wang Kang, Cheng Ye picked up the Red Blade and gave it a couple of practice swings as well.

Although he hadn't opened any Tendon Gates, his current physical strength was already no weaker than a peak Twelve Tendon Gates martial artist. Wielding a fifteen-kilogram blade was quite easy for him. However, he didn't feel any speed enhancement during his slashes; there was only the heavy, fierce power inherent to a heavy weapon, whistling through the air with a forceful swoosh.

Pondering, he walked over to an abandoned pile of materials nearby and picked up a fist-sized brick.

With a light flick of his wrist, the Red Blade sliced cleanly against the brick.

"Snick," a soft sound echoed, and the brick split in half as smoothly as if it had been washed apart by a stream of water, the cut so flat it could almost reflect a person's image. "Oh, so what it enhances is sharpness!" Cheng Ye realized in a moment of clarity.

The Purple Blade was geared toward extreme lightness and speed, while the Red Blade embodied the heavy ferocity and sharpness of a greatsword.

Back when Cheng Long forged these blades, he didn't push everyone around him down the path of a heavy-weapon brute. Instead, each had its own distinct focus.

'Wait, Brother B doesn't seem to have this type of blade?'

Cheng Ye's thoughts shifted to the blade strapped to Liu Bi's waist. It was heavily patched and repaired, its shape entirely different from both the Red Blade and the Purple Blade.

There must have been a story hidden behind that as well. In the future, he could find Liu Bi and ask him about the original intentions behind the forging of these weapons.

"Inspector Cheng, the weapons and equipment have been delivered. Please sign here so we can leave."

The shrill caws of the Thorn Bird flock drifted over from the distant horizon again, causing the staff members' expressions to shift slightly.

Cheng Ye took the inventory list, his pen dancing across the paper as he signed his name.

The pickup truck driver was already fully prepared. The moment the staff member who took the list hopped into the vehicle, the truck instantly whipped around, the gas pedal slammed to the floor. Its tires kicked up a cloud of dust as it practically flew out of Dabo Town.

No one would get any ideas about targeting the Thorn Birds.

Although the meat of the Thorn Birds was tender, they fed on Metal year-round, resulting in severely elevated levels of heavy metals in their bodies. They were completely inedible.

More importantly, in Shi Province, Thorn Birds were actually considered beneficial birds. They would actively drive away Infection Sources and Infected Bodies from their nesting areas, and they specifically fed on mutant pests that disrupted the ecology.

For instance, iron-eating beetles could absorb Supernatural Curses and convert their traits; once they reproduced in large numbers, they would directly slow down the evolution speed of Shi Province's mineral veins. There were also steel-winged moths, which loved to lay their eggs on Metal. After hatching, the larvae would consume the metallic traits, causing the grade of the ore to plummet.

Because these two types of pests underwent metallization, they happened to be the absolute favorite food of the Thorn Birds.

For the humans living in Shi Province, Thorn Birds swallowing a little Metal was nothing. However, under no circumstances could they allow the pests to dig up the very roots of the metal mines.

In addition, Thorn Birds also dealt with mutant flora that hindered plant growth.

For species like the life-devouring vines that entangled and strangled other plants, when venom-sac Thorn Birds pecked at their tender shoots, they would leave an inhibitor from their Poisonous Spines in the vines' stems, perfectly curtailing the spread of the life-devouring vines.

Even though plants in Shi Province had their traits siphoned away by the underground Supernatural Curses as they grew, those traits would ultimately feed back into the soil. The existence of the Thorn Birds served as an indirect protection for the ecological cycle of this land.

Therefore, even if flocks of Thorn Birds caused trouble for humans, very few would actively try to eradicate them.

Places like Happiness City wouldn't even consider disturbing these creatures. Once the satellite towns were built and humanity established clear Territories, the Thorn Birds would naturally take their leave on their own, finding somewhere else to nest without any mutual interference.

"Xiao Kang, give me the hunting rifle!"

"Brother Cheng, didn't the flock go over to Luo Kuke's side?" Wang Kang's hand paused as he was handing over the gun, his face full of surprise.

They could clearly just sit back and watch the red zone get tormented by the flock and have their parts swallowed. There was no need to willingly get involved.

"The assessment is a competition, true, but it's also a chance to show ourselves off."

Cheng Ye took the rifle and shook his head slightly.

If he defeated Luo Kuke, the residents over there would also become his people. So, of course, he needed to put on a show right now.

Moreover, the moment he started unpacking materials on his side, the flock would inevitably come to harass them as well.

Scattering the flock later wouldn't be nearly as effective as dispersing them right now.

"Heh, I want to let the people over there see the fundamental difference between the Inspector they're following and me."

Cheng Ye chuckled. Since he couldn't drive a wedge into Garcia and Luo Kuke's relationship, planting a seed of comparison in the minds of the lower-class residents to weaken their cooperation wouldn't be a difficult task.

The feel and material of the standard hunting rifle were more than just a tier below the Dominator. However, at this moment, the Thorn Bird flock had gone completely bloodshot with frenzy. They were either sticking to the ground to peck at scattered Metal parts or spraying bone spikes for suppressing fire. Even the leader was only circling and commanding from thirty meters up, greatly reducing the difficulty of aiming.

Cheng Ye carried the rifle and quickly crossed the boundary between the red and blue zones, raising his Megaphone as he shouted: "Inspector Luo, don't panic! I'm coming to your aid!"

After confirming that everyone inside the granary had heard him, he immediately activated Hundred Martial Arts Master.

The sensation of locking onto his target arrived in a flash.

Within merely two seconds, he firmly locked onto the oversized Thorn Bird leader.

"Bang!"

The crisp gunshot echoed across the desolate street.

The Thorn Bird leader's head violently jerked to the side. Like a kite with a snapped string, it plummeted straight into the pile of supplies.

The flock of Thorn Birds that had been frantically attacking the granary just a second ago instantly became leaderless. A cacophony of panicked caws blended together, and within seconds, they soared into the sky, scattering and vanishing above Dabo Town.

Even though they would eventually compete to elect a new leader and return after a while, he had at least bought an entire afternoon of construction time for both sides.

Cheng Ye briskly walked over, grabbed the Thorn Bird leader from the ground, intentionally strolled to the entrance of the granary, and tossed it down. Using a voice that wasn't too loud but just enough for the people inside to hear, he said: "As long as you shoot down the leader, they'll naturally scatter. Inspector Luo, didn't you know that?"

An uproar instantly erupted from inside the granary. Many residents curiously sized up the dead bird on the ground.

Facing the exact same flock of birds, their Inspector could only hide inside and take a passive beating, while Cheng Ye resolved the issue with a single shot to the leader. The gap in skill was obvious to the naked eye.

"Heh, hehe."

The moment Cheng Ye's voice rang out earlier, Luo Kuke had already vaguely sensed that something was amiss. Now that Cheng Ye was rubbing it in his face like this, and upon seeing the subtle glances from the surrounding residents, he found himself momentarily speechless.

But his reaction time was exceptionally quick. Two seconds later, he stepped out and smoothed things over with a smile. "Rest assured, everyone. Inspector Cheng is a natural talent of our Happiness City Inspection Station. His marksmanship is right up there with the famous Sharpshooters of the Wasteland World! With him around from now on, we won't have to fear any more harassment from the Thorn Birds!"

What a smooth maneuver—heavily complimenting him while quietly putting him on the spot, effortlessly passing the task of dispersing the Thorn Birds over to him. Cheng Ye wasn't annoyed, however. Instead, he went along with the narrative and laughed, "Everyone, just focus on the construction! With me, Cheng Ye, around, this minor trouble is nothing! However... Inspector Luo, you were in such a hurry to unpack the supplies before having weapons ready. Now that the birds have eaten quite a few of your parts outside, you'd better be careful not to run out of materials during the later stages of construction."

Having said that, he didn't even wait for a reaction from the inside. He simply turned on his heel and strode away.

Heh.

Trying to scheme against Inspector Cheng?

Using Their Own Methods Against Them! In this Wasteland World, the one with the biggest fists ultimately holds the initiative.

Regardless of the final outcome of the upcoming assessment, at least in this first clash between the two sides, he had indeed managed to secure a leading high score.