Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 257: Multiple Lines Opening, Drastic Changes in the Buffer Zone!

Cheng Ye had never possessed a clear concept of exactly how fast construction speeds could be in the wasteland.He had tried to compare it to modern modular assembly construction teams, but the conclusion he reached was that those teams were completely inferior to Wastelanders.

Simply because on this land, the relatively high cost of human labor could almost be ignored.

Happiness City possessed a complete material circulation system. As long as the wages paid to the workers circulated within the system, the final actual cost paid was only one-tenth of the total wages.

More importantly, there were no environmental restrictions here, no concerns about disturbing residents, and certainly no fixed rest and construction periods.

A true three-shift, non-stop, high-intensity operation model pushed construction efficiency to the absolute limit.

The only things that could restrict the progress were the availability of building materials and the inherent construction cycles required by some of those materials.

"Brother Cheng..." Wang Kang walked out of the alley behind Cheng Ye, and the moment he saw the scene before him, he also completely froze in place.

The messy construction site that had just been surrounded by green protective nets in his memory had vanished without a trace. In its place was a neatly planned Pedestrian Street that had already begun to take shape.

The ground was paved with terrazzo tiles over a meter in length and width. Silver-gray metal lines intertwined within the light gray base, reflecting a clean and sharp luster under the sunlight, exuding a simple yet high-end texture.

Near the intersection was a planned stall area. The ground was marked with yellow spray paint outlining neat stall contours, and each stall was pre-equipped with folding metal shelves and transparent rain awnings.

Behind the stalls were uniform gray-green trash cans and washbasins. The gray steel frames paired with white waterproof canvas, balanced both practicality and tidiness.

A shared tool room was even built in the center of the area. Inside the glass doors, equipment like electronic scales and packaging machines were neatly arranged. An information bulletin board was also installed on the wall, used for real-time updates on material recycling prices and demand information.

The middle section of the Pedestrian Street was the community shop area. It utilized a solid structure combining reinforced concrete frames with solid brick walls, enough to handle the complex environment of the wasteland.

The exterior walls were covered with matte white ceramic panels, with extremely thin silver metal strips edging the joints. It surprisingly replicated a bit of the simple and exquisite aesthetics similar to a modern retail store.

And in the center of the shop area, the Tianyuan Medical Clinic that Cheng Ye had always been thinking about was indeed exceptionally striking.

This four-story building might not be eye-catching in other areas, but standing at the core location of the entire Pedestrian Street, it naturally became the visual focal point of the block.

It used a reinforced concrete core tube structure, and its exterior featured a unique island-style layered design. From the first to the fourth floor, each level extended outward with a 1.2-meter overhang, forming a stepped three-dimensional shape. Even though the Light Strips beneath the overhangs had not yet lit up, it exuded a strong sense of modernity.

The exterior wall was almost entirely covered by a massive ultra-clear tempered glass curtain wall, stretching from the ground straight to the top floor, providing a full sense of transparency. The four large, sans-serif metal characters for "Tianyuan Medical" on the top of the building adopted an unobstructed design, clearly visible from any direction.

As for the factory area at the end of the Pedestrian Street, construction had not yet begun for the time being.

The periphery of the area was delineated by a double-layer green Isolation Zone. Rumbling sounds echoed from inside, and one could vaguely see hundreds of workers along with excavators and cranes operating within.

"This..."

Cheng Ye could hardly believe his eyes. The impact of the scene before him, the waves of emotional shock, almost caught up to the joy he felt when he first obtained Transcendent Power.

This was the Tianyuan Pedestrian Street he had personally planned and looked forward to for so long?

No!

This is my Pedestrian Street!

Two figures wearing blue work clothes quickly flashed out from the block. When they clearly saw Cheng Ye and Wang Kang standing at the intersection, they practically swung their legs into Afterimages, completely erupting with the speed of the False Embryo stage.

Dalong and Erlong ran over wildly as if in a hundred-meter sprint, the bright smiles on their faces looking like they were about to explode.

Erlong suddenly turned back halfway through his run, clearly heading to the Shopping Mall to notify the three district elders.

Dalong, on the other hand, charged straight to Cheng Ye. From a distance, he strained his voice and shouted, "Sir! Sir, you're finally back!"

'Why is everyone so excited to see me?'

Cheng Ye paused. His memories, which had been scrambled by the Containment of the Immortal Object and his hospitalization, quickly reorganized themselves. A solid warmth welled up from the bottom of his heart.

He was finally back. The familiar people and things were still here.

Dalong rushed up close and circled Cheng Ye, looking him up and down for a good while. Only after confirming he wasn't injured did he breathe a sigh of relief, his tone laced with lingering fear. "Sir, you've been gone for a whole month! The broadcast said... Dabo Town was completely sealed off. We had no idea where you went!"

"When did the broadcast say Dabo Town was sealed off?" Cheng Ye asked, somewhat surprised. He hadn't heard any news related to Dabo Town on the broadcasts over the past few days.

"It was sealed off the third day after you left. They said there was a danger being dealt with and strictly forbade anyone from approaching. We were scared to death."

As Dalong spoke, he turned to Wang Kang, a genuine smile appearing on his face. "Inspector Wang, it's wonderful that you made it back safely too!"

No wonder the people in the community were reacting so emotionally. The lockdown of Dabo Town had cut off all news, and he had been a hands-off manager for a month. These people must have been worried sick.

"Don't worry, it won't happen again. Things over in Dabo Town... have been completely settled."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the bustling block, his tone full of admiration. "This framework went up so quickly, I can hardly believe it."

"Yes, the main structures were erected a long time ago. Right now, the only thing that hasn't started is the interior decoration. Mainly because..."

"Not enough budget?" Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow and picked up the thread.

"No, no! The higher-ups allocated us quite a bit of money; it's more than enough to build the Pedestrian Street! It's just that you left in such a hurry before and didn't specify how the interior should be decorated. We didn't dare to act blindly, so we could only leave it empty and wait for you to come back and make a decision," Dalong quickly explained.

"Oh?" Cheng Ye suddenly realized. He really hadn't discussed the details of the interior decoration with Engineer Liu. Back then, they had only finalized the construction plans for the main buildings and the overall zoning layout, completely forgetting this crucial step.

However, this didn't affect the overall plan. The Pedestrian Street wasn't meant to be officially put into use until winter anyway.

The best time to fully roll things out would only be when the crowds from the industrial zone flowed back into the Buffer Zone. Calculating it now, there were still nearly three months of preparation time.

"Allocations? Where did the allocations come from?" Wang Kang listened curiously from the side and couldn't help but interject.

"It's the special fund for the renovation of the underground pipeline network! The higher-ups allocated renovation funds to every community. Our Tianyuan Community received the largest share, a full fourteen thousand Contribution Points! With this money, all the old, dilapidated pipes beneath the B-7 District can be dug up and completely replaced with brand new ones!"

Dalong explained passionately. Before he could even finish his sentence, the three district elders, supported by Erlong and several community members, stumbled out of the Shopping Mall. Their faces were filled with unconcealed surprise and relief.

"Come on, let's head inside the Shopping Mall to talk. We shouldn't let the elders stand out in the wind," Cheng Ye suggested with a wave of his hand.

It was late afternoon, and the sky was gradually darkening. A bleak autumn wind swept past, carrying a chill, and the temperature was dropping at a visible rate.

He quickly walked up to greet them. Sure enough, the three district elders surrounded him and examined him for a long time as if looking at a rare treasure. Only after confirming he had no injuries did they breathe a sigh of relief, following everyone back to the reception area to sit down.

"Inspector Cheng, you must have encountered quite a bit of danger on this trip, didn't you?" Elder Song asked with a gentle smile. His energy was much better than the last time they met, but his figure looked increasingly aged.

It seemed that during this period, he had certainly expended a lot of effort on the construction of the Pedestrian Street and the complex affairs of absorbing the three surrounding districts.

"We did encounter danger. We ran into a Ruin-level Infection Source, but it has now been successfully Contained and resolved," Cheng Ye nodded in response. News about the Immortal Object could not be made public for the time being. He had to wait until the people from Torch completed the transaction before officially disclosing it. However, there was no gag order regarding the Demonic Eye Sponge, so he could mention it truthfully.

"Ruin-level?" Upon hearing this, the three district elders exchanged glances simultaneously, their eyes full of shock and lingering fear.

In the past, when the Reclamation Corps went out to expand the frontiers, whenever they encountered a Ruin-level Infection Source, it would result in at least thousands of casualties every single time.

When Dabo Town was sealed off, the three of them had boldly guessed that a Disaster-Grade Infection Source might be prowling inside.

They never imagined that guessing disaster-level was still underestimating the danger by the water. It had actually reached the Ruin-level!

"That thing was hiding in the river; it had probably been rooted there for over a decade. Fortunately, we have completed the Containment work, so that area will be safe from now on."

Cheng Ye briefly summarized the Containment process. When they heard that the Ruin-level Infection Source was actually a sponge, the three district elders looked at each other again, their faces full of disbelief.

After a long while, Elder Song finally recovered his senses and muttered, "God bless... truly, God bless us!"

Dalong smiled from the side and added, "Sir, ever since Dabo Town was sealed off, the district elders have led the people of our community every day to burn incense and pray for you!"

"Oh, Elder Song, you're getting on in years. Taking a good rest is the greatest help you can give me. Please don't waste your energy on praying," Cheng Ye couldn't help but shake his head helplessly. Changing the subject, he cut to the chase, "By the way, I heard from Huang Yong that the surrounding B-6, B-8, and B-9 districts have all been placed under the jurisdiction of our B-7 District now?"

"Yes, they've been transferred over," the shrewd Elder Zhou quickly nodded in response, a hint of gravity in his tone. "The population in the Buffer Zone has now surpassed four hundred thousand. With so many people, the difficulty of management rises sharply. Therefore, the higher-ups issued a notice allowing every structurally stable community to expand into their surroundings. Our Tianyuan has officially absorbed nearly eight thousand people, and there are roughly ten thousand reserves in the observation period."

"That many people?" Cheng Ye frowned slightly, his mind quickly calculating.

The population limit of the Buffer Zone was already around this scale. Coupled with the crowds returning from the industrial zone in the winter... Could it be that this winter, Happiness City didn't plan on letting the workers return to the Inner City for the winter?

Or, once the communities finished integrating their personnel, would they start large-scale relocations to the surrounding satellite cities?

Realizing the possible layout behind this, Cheng Ye spoke again in a deep voice, "Elder Zhou, with so many people flooding in all at once, can we handle them? What about the satellite cities?"

"The population of the satellite cities is also climbing steadily!"

Elder Zhou nodded repeatedly. "The largest satellite cities currently have permanent populations exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand. According to the news on the broadcast, the total population that has migrated to the vicinity of Happiness City recently has surpassed one million. Counting our original residents, the overall population has broken past 1.45 million!"

'Good heavens.'

Cheng Ye was secretly shocked. Half a year ago, the total population of Happiness City, including the floating population of the industrial zone, was barely seven hundred thousand.

He didn't expect that after a single outbreak of the Starfish Epidemic, which sacrificed hundreds of thousands of people, this number would actually more than double.

This expansion speed was simply too exaggerated. No wonder the higher-ups were rolling things out on such a massive scale, renovating the infrastructure of the entire Buffer Zone.

Sorting out the logic behind the population changes, Cheng Ye lightly tapped his fingers on the table and declared in a deep voice, "Then according to this trend,"

"among the current communities, are there already some that need to move to the outer satellite cities?"

"Yes! The community system has now been fully implemented, and an elimination system will be put into practice in the future!"

Elder Zhou nodded heavily and explained in detail, "Currently, a total of sixty-eight communities have been established across the entire Buffer Zone. Every community has a mandatory quota for recruiting personnel. Going forward, there will be a comprehensive rating every month. The ratings involve construction progress, community order,"

"Contribution Point output, and several other dimensions. If any community ranks at the bottom in the ratings for three consecutive months, they will be entirely packaged and relocated to a subordinate satellite city."

'It's really starting!'

Cheng Ye's heart chilled. Previously, merely using Torch's system as a reference, he had hypothesized that Happiness City might implement a satellite city grading system. But he hadn't expected Happiness City to execute it so quickly and thoroughly, starting even before all the satellite cities were fully built.

Under this grading system, Screening and eliminating the population of the Buffer Zone had to be carried out as soon as possible to establish a "Main City First" structure and construct a much stricter hierarchical order.

Once the Screening was over, the Inner City, Buffer Zone, Tier 1 Satellite Cities, Tier 2 Satellite Cities...

The tiers would be divided with absolute clarity.

The further out one went, the lower the tier, and the lower the safety factor. The further in one went, the higher the tier, and the more perfect and safe the infrastructure and supporting facilities they could enjoy.

No wonder everyone was so nervous about his safety. Although the Tianyuan Community was not in danger of being eliminated right now, they correspondingly had to bear the pressure of "charging forward."

Regarding community order, Tianyuan had always done a solid job. But as for Contribution Point output and those economic indicators...

It would be difficult!

After all, this was a competition between communities. It wasn't enough to just do their best; they had to perform better than every other community.

Cheng Ye pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Did the broadcast say anything about planting now being possible around Happiness City?"

'Huh?'

As soon as the words fell, the three district elders all stared blankly, their faces full of confusion as if they hadn't heard clearly.

Dalong and Erlong were also visibly stunned in place. Even if they had heard Cheng Ye clearly, they couldn't believe their ears.

"What did you just say?" Elder He was the first to react, his tone filled with incredulous astonishment.

"I said, the land around Happiness City is now arable. The curse beneath the ground has vanished. Did you know?" Cheng Ye emphasized his tone, repeating himself clearly.

"What?!"

Elder Song suddenly swayed, his face written with shock and disbelief. He almost bounced out of his chair.

"Some changes occurred outside, and the land's curse has completely disappeared. From now on, any plants sown will no longer lose their traits; instead, they will be able to grow robustly... In other words, the two hundred kilometers of land surrounding our Happiness City is now no different from the normally arable land in the neighboring provinces!"

Cheng Ye finished his sentence in one breath and waited quietly for everyone to digest this massive piece of news that was enough to overturn their Cognition.

Different heights yield different perspectives.

Just based on Elder Zhou's brief introduction, along with the changes in the entire Buffer Zone and the overall shift in the situation, he could already spot quite a few problems.

The industries of Happiness City were too fragmented. The industrial zone had to shut down for a whole winter, and so many people couldn't just remain idle all the time.

Right now, the infrastructure construction hadn't ended yet, so they could still rely on providing relief through labor to absorb a portion of the workforce. But once the infrastructure was perfected, were over a million people supposed to just stay at home or scrape by taking odd jobs occasionally?

Therefore, the destruction of Leaping Wilderness probably had an inevitable connection to industrial demands.

The reconstruction of the Reclamation Corps and the reopening of land for planting could provide a livelihood for at least three hundred to five hundred thousand people.

Furthermore, once the major satellite cities entered steady construction, the establishment of factories could also alleviate some of the employment pressure.

Only by ensuring that all Residents had work to do and a stable income could they stabilize the current massive population. Otherwise, once this winter passed, there would likely be another situation next spring where tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people, migrated to other sanctuary cities.

"Tan Ming's power has actually helped Happiness City solve a massive problem..."

Cheng Ye leaned back in his chair, pondering with profound eyes.

After a long while, the three district elders gradually came back to their senses. Their eyes were a mixture of complexity, excitement, and bewilderment.

Every time Cheng Ye returned from an outing, he seemed to bring back massive news capable of propelling the community into the "next big picture."

But this time was different from the last time they built Dabo Town. The previous plan was still within everyone's realm of understanding. But for this land in Shi Province, which hadn't been cultivable for decades, to suddenly regain its Vitality—it simply exceeded everyone's Cognition.

"Inspector Cheng, then are we supposed to..." Elder Song's grizzled eyebrows trembled slightly, completely at a loss for what to say.

"My idea is to divert a portion of the population from the community to station them at my Dabo Town. We'll head out early to seize the surrounding lands for Pioneering. This way, by the middle of next year, we'll be able to gain a massive sum of extra income and also secure more competitive advantages for the community."

Cheng Ye paused, then solemnly shook his head. "But I must be clear: there will definitely be casualties in this process, and I cannot guarantee how many there will be. Heading out early for Pioneering comes with a Cost, and this Cost might be far more severe than anticipated!"

Having gone through the life-and-death trial of the Immortal Object's Containment, speaking of "dead people" right now, even Cheng Ye himself hadn't realized that his mindset had long since quietly shifted.

In the past, he might have had a few more reservations about casualties, but now he could calmly place the risks right on the table.

Because in this world, whether they were ordinary people struggling to survive or an Inspector wielding Power, anyone could die at any moment. Death was never a topic to be deliberately avoided, but a reality that had to be faced head-on.

Time waited for no one. Happiness City had already become so frantic; community elimination and the satellite city grading systems were landing at lightning speed, the reconstruction of the Reclamation Corps was on the agenda, and land cultivation and infrastructure projects were advancing synchronously. All matters, big and small, were like a rope twisted together, spiraling forward in a frenzy.

Since they were part of this sanctuary city, if they wanted to keep up with such a rhythm, they needed a sharper nose and a much bolder mindset.

If the Tianyuan Community was content with stability and unable to bear the risks of heading out for Pioneering despite this expansion, then he would have to consider propping up a few other communities.

At the very least, he needed a group of people under him who dared to fight and hustle. Or rather... people willing to charge into battle for him, people who could handle matters and run trade routes for him in the future, even if they had to clear out waterways to do it.

"In addition, there's one more thing." Cheng Ye shifted the topic, dropping another bombshell. "The higher-ups already have the intention to reconstruct the previously disbanded Reclamation Corps. The location of the reconstruction is currently kept confidential, but in terms of timing... it will be rebuilt by next spring at the latest. I estimate that the initial headcount will probably not be less than three hundred thousand."

As soon as these words came out, the three district elders, who still hadn't fully recovered from the news of the "land restriction lifting," completely lost their bearings. They sat in place with vacant expressions, nearly losing their basic ability to think.

Dalong and Erlong, on the other hand, exchanged a glance. Pondering it over, they sussed out quite a bit of underlying meaning from Cheng Ye's words.

Dalong hesitated for a few seconds before tentatively asking, "Sir, do you mean... the next Great Reclamation Era is coming?"

"It's hard to say. But you have to realize that the markers of the Great Reclamation Era have always been summarized by later generations. Perhaps many years from now, when people look back at this history, the very moment when massive populations began migrating to our Happiness City will be designated as the dawn of the second Great Reclamation Era."

Cheng Ye's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed repeatedly in everyone's ears like muffled thunder.

Making money and managing a Faction were two entirely different matters.

With the Resources he currently held, long-term support for the Tianyuan Community wouldn't be a problem at all. However, if Tianyuan wanted to expand, they couldn't just constantly rely on him pouring money in. Just like how Happiness City had to stabilize its population of over a million, it had to solve employment issues for its newcomers. Allowing the community to operate autonomously and generate value was the only sustainable path.

Furthermore, the Core of a "Faction" was never simply about providing sustenance. It required repeated Screening and repeated elimination, ultimately leaving behind a group of like-minded individuals.

These people wouldn't need him to cover their bottoms at all times. Instead, under his protection, they would rely on their own abilities to develop autonomously, grow stronger, and even generate value for him in return.

He very much needed the stability of the Tianyuan Community. This was the foundation for securing the rear and guaranteeing that all future production plans came to fruition, leaving absolutely no room for error.

But he also desperately needed a team that could charge into battle for him, to help him Expand the Frontiers in Dabo Town and radiate his influence to the surrounding areas.

If Happiness City hadn't implemented the community elimination system, his only option right now would be to gather Drifters from outside to form a team and slowly train them.

Building synergy took time, but now that Happiness City had drawn the curtains on its integration, finding a community that actively wanted to leave the vortex of the Buffer Zone and dared to fight would undoubtedly save a tremendous amount of trouble.

After a long while.

Elder Song pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then said softly, "Inspector Cheng, the three of us old men are past our prime. Even if the Reclamation Corps is rebuilt, we no longer have the strength to return and serve you there. Moreover, the Residents that Tianyuan has screened and taken in during this period are all people seeking stability. Making them follow you for Pioneering would likely make it very difficult to mobilize their enthusiasm. It would be better to simply recruit those willing to fight hard directly from the Drifters' Faction."

Hearing Elder Song say this, Wang Kang, sitting to the side, suddenly felt a thump in his heart.

In the past, he might not have understood the twists and turns hidden in these words, but after interacting so much with Cheng Ye, he had gradually figured out the ropes.

Yet, to his surprise, Cheng Ye just nodded lightly. There wasn't the slightest hint of surprise or disappointment visible on his face. Instead, he signaled Elder Song to continue.

Sure enough, someone as astute as Elder Song couldn't possibly fail to grasp the overt and covert needs in his words. Since he had pointed out the difficulties first, there was bound to be a turning point hidden behind them.

Then, taking a different tack, he said, "The Yongxing Community in the B-9 District has had quite a bit of friction with our Tianyuan recently. Most of the people in their community are descendants of former Reclamation Corps members. They're just wild by nature, daring to rush and fight. They shouldn't be averse to leaving the Buffer Zone for a satellite city, and they certainly wouldn't fear the risks of Pioneering."

"Dalong, go invite the district manager of Yongxing, 'Hou Genbao,' over. Tell him that Tianyuan is willing to have another proper talk with the Yongxing Community."