Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 283: Dabo Cannery, the Miserable Yu Yong!

During the initial construction phase of a satellite city, materials and manpower required time to slowly form a sustainable cycle. Trade-offs were inevitable; it was impossible to cover every single aspect.Therefore, in terms of industrial direction, Cheng Ye decisively set the tone for Dabo Town right from the beginning:

Focus primarily on the fishing industry, supplemented by cheap manual labor, and completely abandon light industry, which had a high barrier to entry and consumed vast resources.

Leaving the storage area under Hou Genbao's guidance, Liu Bi and Niu Fu became the first foreign visitors to arrive at Dabo Town's industrial zone.

Although the power lines from the hydroelectric station had not yet been connected, the first factory building was already fully set up.

A nameplate forged from thick iron stood at the entrance of the factory. Its edges were polished smooth and round, with clear characters engraved on it:

"Dabo Cannery"

Liu Bi stopped in his tracks, his fingertips subconsciously tracing the uneven grooves of the engraved words. He immediately recognized Cheng Ye's handwriting.

'This kid really knows how to put on a good show!'

Liu Bi mused inwardly before finally stepping into the factory building.

The moment the main doors were pushed open, the faint, greasy scent of lubricating oil wafted over, mixing with the sharp, cold metallic aura in the air.

The production line inside looked somewhat familiar; it had been taken over from East Peace Town and subsequently modified.

These machines were no longer being used to compete with fully automated lines to produce low-quality tools. Instead, their original production capacity had been temporarily shelved, waiting for the technology to mature before being reintroduced to the market in the form of new-style tools.

In addition, Dabo Town had purchased numerous new machines tailored specifically to the needs of canning production, making the entire assembly line much more specialized.

Currently, the factory floor was clearly divided into eastern and western zones.

The east side was the raw material storage area. Bundles of cold-rolled thin steel plates were stacked neatly. Their clean, uniform edges made it obvious they were high-quality goods requisitioned straight from the industrial district.

The west side served as the can manufacturing zone. Rows of machinery were arranged in an orderly fashion, gleaming with a cold metallic luster. Every machine bore an eye-catching nameplate, making it easy for workers to quickly identify its purpose.

The cutting area was situated right next to the eastern raw material zone. Two hydraulic shearing machines and one precision circular blanking machine stood side by side against the wall. The words "Can Body Blanks" were clearly painted on the floor, indicating a very strict division of labor:

The blanking machine would cut entire steel sheets into uniformly sized circular blanks, while the shearing machines were dedicated to trimming the burrs on the edges of the blanks. This ensured that every piece had an even thickness and no protruding flaws on its edges.

Once properly shaped, the blanks would be sent next door to the unified can body forming area. Four stretch forming machines were lined up in a row, each fitted with drawing molds of various sizes.

Hou Genbao explained from the sidelines that once the power was connected, the circular blanks would be fed into the forming machines. They would undergo an initial stretch to press out a hemispherical base, followed by a secondary stretch to directly form a cylindrical structure where the body and base were integrated. This completely eliminated the hassle of assembling them later.

The can lid processing area was set up separately on the north side of the forming zone, utilizing relatively simple punching and grooving machines.

First, the punching machines would cut the specialized steel plates into circular lids slightly larger than the opening of the cans. Next, they were fed into the grooving machines to press a sealing groove around the inner edge of each lid. These grooves would later house a sealing ring to ensure the cans remained completely airtight after packaging.

Liu Bi took a lap around the factory. When he reached the final packaging area, he could not help but frown. "This place only produces the empty cans?"

"Yes, our cannery specializes exclusively in the mass production of the cans. Once the finished products are ready, they will be transported to the Buffer Zone. The subsequent filling and packaging processes will all take place over there," Hou Genbao replied with a nod.

"Sent to the Buffer Zone?" Liu Bi's frown deepened, thoroughly puzzled.

Before he could press the issue, Hou Genbao, as if anticipating the question, took the initiative to explain. "Inspector Cheng mentioned long ago that there are three main benefits to this arrangement."

He laid it out logically. "First is solving the employment issue. The industries in Dabo Town are more than enough to ensure everyone here has work, but the Buffer Zone rarely sees factories hiring like this. If we can provide jobs for the residents in the Buffer Zone, it will not only help them increase their income but also significantly boost the importance of our cannery in that area."

"Second is the safety aspect. If we were to transport filled, sealed cans directly to the Buffer Zone for sale, it would be impossible for the inspection stations to examine their contents. No one could guarantee that the sealed food hadn't been contaminated or compromised. Even if we shipped them to other satellite cities, people would inevitably harbor suspicions. Transporting raw materials, however, is completely different. Inspecting raw materials is far simpler. By completing the filling and sealing processes within the Buffer Zone, we eliminate this hidden security risk right at the source."

"Third is marketing. Right now, the landscape of the satellite cities is gradually stabilizing, and the status of the Buffer Zone is slowly being cemented. By setting up the filling operations in the Buffer Zone, we can passively advertise by putting up our signs, and even invite the established local residents to tour the factory. Compared to hiding an entire facility in Dabo Town and secretly producing goods like some illegal workshop, the promotional effect will be ten or a hundred times better!"

These were Cheng Ye's exact words. Hou Genbao had found them extremely insightful at the time and had memorized them verbatim.

Now, he recited them flawlessly.

Seeing the expressions on Liu Bi and Niu Fu shift from surprise to approval, he felt a surge of inward delight and added, "It's not just for now. Even in the future, the final processing stages for all end products will be stationed in the Buffer Zone. Only when Dabo Town has the confidence to allow foreign residents to visit freely, and when merchant caravans actively choose us as their destination, will we construct fully integrated factories that truly belong to Dabo Town itself."

Looking at this strategy through a modern lens, it was actually quite easy to understand. Put simply, it was OEM branding for Dabo Town's merchandise.

In the past, inferior goods from illegal workshops only needed to be slapped with a famous brand's logo for their value to skyrocket. Even if they couldn't command a higher price, they could still ride the coattails of that brand's reputation to boost sales exponentially.

Even when OEM branding scandals were frequently exposed later on, the practice could never be completely eradicated because the results remained undeniably effective.

If they could first establish a trustworthy brand within the Buffer Zone, using it to label Dabo Town's future products would be an unstoppable strategy.

But there was an even more crucial motive that Cheng Ye hadn't voiced.

A land grab.

Looking ahead, even if the twenty-four satellite cities each developed their own unique characteristics, any outsider mentioning Happiness City would undoubtedly make their first stop in the Buffer Zone—the future Outer City.

As the Buffer Zone's development became increasingly comprehensive, the land value of the previously ignored North Suburbs and South Suburbs was guaranteed to skyrocket.

If he used the pretext of building factories and solving employment issues to secure more plots of land now, snapping up twenty- or thirty-year usage rights in one fell swoop, it would absolutely save him millions of Contribution Points in the long run.

By then, with a massive amount of land under Dabo Town's control, whatever they wanted to build next would require nothing more than a single word from Inspector Cheng.

"Not bad, this idea is brilliant!" Liu Bi offered generous praise, nodding gently at Hou Genbao in approval.

He knew very well that for such a comprehensive plan to exist, there had to be an even more complex operational logic running behind the scenes to sustain the entire sales network.

'Could Cheng Ye really have such a formidable business talent hidden within his ranks?'

Filled with astonishment, Liu Bi did not linger in the cannery much longer, moving on to inspect the subsequent factory buildings.

"Right now, only the cannery has put up its sign and is ready to start production at any time. The remaining buildings haven't been fully planned out yet. We have to wait and adjust based on the technical direction Researcher Yu sets for us," Hou Genbao explained as they walked.

"Researcher Yu?" Liu Bi's footsteps abruptly halted, his gaze instantly turning sharp. "What researcher?

"

"Just... Researcher Yu," Hou Genbao said, entirely bewildered by this reaction.

"What I'm asking is, where did this researcher come from? Is he from our Happiness City?" Liu Bi pressed, his tone laden with a heavy solemnity.

"Ah, well..." Hou Genbao scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled. "Inspector Cheng brought him here. We aren't entirely sure of his origins, either. This Researcher Yu usually keeps to himself and rarely speaks to us."

"Where is he?"

"At this hour, Researcher Yu should be on the central Diversion Island. He typically doesn't return to town until seven in the evening." Hou Genbao raised his hand and pointed toward the White Water River.

A rough map of Dabo Town instantly surfaced in Liu Bi's mind, and his heart sank. "What is he trying to do on that island?"

"He's preparing to build a Research Institute on the island! Engineer Lin is almost finished drawing up the blueprints. Once the construction materials are shipped over, we can break ground," Hou Genbao stated casually.

"What? Building a Research Institute?"

Liu Bi was absolutely dumbfounded on the spot, and Niu Fu beside him was equally stunned. Both men subconsciously gulped.

They could just barely accept that Dabo Town possessed such an industrial layout and had managed to set up a cannery assembly line.

But building a Research Institute? Had Cheng Ye completely lost his mind?

Liu Bi's mind was in turmoil. Even if they bundled up and sold the entire Inspection Station, they still wouldn't have nearly enough money to build a Research Institute!

Did Cheng Ye not know that the Research Institute his grandfather built back then was forced to disband precisely because of a lack of funds?

Even Cheng Long had once been almost obsessed, expending endless breath to convince Ding Yishan and rushing around desperately to raise funds, all in an attempt to build a small-scale Research Institute within the Inspection Station.

At the time, they had actually managed to poach a stationed researcher from the Infection Source Research Institute. Yet, in the end, crushed under massive financial pressure, they were helplessly forced to abandon the project.

Why were all three generations of the Cheng family, three Inspectors, so dead-set on clashing over a Research Institute?

Furthermore, poaching someone from the Infection Source Research Institute to work at the Inspection Station was at least understandable. But asking a researcher to come to the desolate Dabo Town? Who in their right mind would agree to that?

With no funds and no equipment, even an intern probably wouldn't bother showing up!

"Could this so-called Researcher Yu be a con artist from the outside?" Niu Fu leaned in close to Liu Bi, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Just like that gang at the Camel Sanctuary back then, trying to pull the same old trick?"

Liu Bi's expression remained unchanged, but his heart lurched heavily.

Of course, he remembered the absolute farce at the Camel Sanctuary. The incident had caused an enormous uproar across the wasteland; nearly every sanctuary had sent people over to witness the spectacle.

The City Lord of the Camel Sanctuary had somehow dug up a so-called research team out of nowhere. In reality, they were nothing but a pack of charlatans.

Relying on stolen, half-finished technology, this group had miraculously managed to erect the framework of a Research Institute and even cobbled together one or two seemingly decent products.

Later, aiming to sweep up the funds and flee, they falsely claimed to have mastered the technology for reverse-decoding the virus. They even insisted they had concrete results and urged the City Lord to invite personnel from every Research Institute across the wasteland to witness it.

Incredibly, the City Lord believed them. He sent out widespread invitations, instantly sending shockwaves throughout the entire wasteland.

But just as researchers from various regions began to arrive, the swindlers absconded with a colossal sum of money, leaving behind nothing but a catastrophic mess.

The Camel Sanctuary, which had once brushed the edges of becoming a supreme power in Sha Province, rapidly decayed after that. In just five short years, it disbanded entirely, vanishing into the annals of wasteland history.

Now that Dabo Town wanted to build a Research Institute, could it be that this same gang of swindlers had changed their tactics? Were they eyeing Happiness City this time, planning to use the young Inspector Cheng Ye as their mark?

"Old Niu, don't rush to conclusions just yet. I did hear Station Chief Lei mention that the station seemed to be planning a Research Institute, but its location was certainly not meant to be Dabo Town." Liu Bi shook his head slightly, then looked over at Hou Genbao. "Let's go. Take us to meet this Researcher Yu."

Compared to Dabo Town's apparent infrastructural developments, Liu Bi was far more curious about the people suddenly cropping up under Cheng Ye's command—especially a researcher.

"Huh? We're not continuing the tour?" Hou Genbao paused, taken aback.

"We'll resume when we get back. First, I want to meet this Researcher Yu and hear his thoughts." With that, Liu Bi had already started walking outside.

Hou Genbao felt a stir of unease, but he didn't dare openly defy the man. He simply made a mental note to stay vigilant.

These two acted with far too much purpose. Although they claimed to be Inspectors, their identities hadn't been entirely verified. There was no guarantee they weren't outsiders infiltrating the town to cause sabotage.

After stepping outside, Hou Genbao found an excuse to step away momentarily and hurriedly sent someone to contact Luo Kuke to verify the duo's identities.

It only took a single phone call to receive Luo Kuke's definitive answer. Once Liu Bi's identity was confirmed, Hou Genbao finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Inspector Liu, right this way, please!"

Passing through the protective perimeter walls, it was still a distance of nearly three hundred meters to the dock by the riverbank.

According to Dabo Town's long-term plan, this area would eventually be pulled inward to carve out a dedicated Port Area.

However, that was a distant vision for years down the line. Currently, there were neither the funds nor the need to prematurely waste effort breaking ground on it.

When the time genuinely came to construct the port, these temporary structures would most likely have to be demolished and rebuilt. For this exact reason, Dabo Town's current factories and housing primarily utilized steel frames and prefabricated container homes, all to minimize demolition costs in the future.

Even the roads being paved right now were merely meant for early-stage transitional use. Based on the master plan, Dabo Town's future development was meant to rival Wenlu County, adopting a massive and comprehensive scale rather than the small, refined approach seen in the Inner City.

The group arrived at the dock's drainage outlet, where five small wooden boats were securely tethered to the shore.

Yet Liu Bi did not board immediately. Instead, he crouched down, his fingertips brushing over the scars scattered across the dock's surface.

The sanitation team had evidently scoured away all traces of contamination between the blue bricks, but the splintered cracks remained glaringly visible. Relying on years of combat experience, he could tell at a single glance that a brutal battle had erupted here.

Moreover, the combatants were absolutely not human, but two terrifyingly powerful monsters.

"Old Niu, come take a look..."

Liu Bi waved Niu Fu over. The two men stood in the area with the most prominent damage, attempting to reconstruct the battle situation.

Had Cheng Ye been present at this moment, he would have instantly realized that Liu Bi was standing in the exact spot he had occupied during the fight, while Niu Fu was positioned right where the Crab Fused Creature had halted.

With their positions matched up, Liu Bi looked down at the massive fissures beneath his feet, his heart seizing with mounting shock.

The size of this footprint was at least three to five times larger than his own. To crush the thick blue bricks to pieces and even shatter the concrete foundation underneath—this physical strength was terrifyingly non-human.

Looking over at Niu Fu's feet, the ground was marred by widespread spiderweb-like fracturing. Calculating from the scale of the damage, the monster's body must have been at least three or four meters wide.

"The markings here..." Liu Bi mused, glancing up at Hou Genbao.

"They were already here when we arrived!" Hou Genbao answered without a second thought. "This dock will have to be completely rebuilt later on anyway, so we haven't bothered fixing the damage for now."

"They were already here?" Liu Bi nodded faintly, the tension in his chest easing slightly.

If a monster of this caliber was still roaming near Dabo Town, they would absolutely need to summon a full legion to garrison the area.

However, considering the town's construction was proceeding smoothly, the creature had likely either been dealt with or had moved on. It shouldn't pose a major problem.

The three men boarded the small boat. Just as Hou Genbao reached for the oars, Niu Fu stretched out a hand and took them instead.

With a flick of his wrists, the oars sliced across the water, leaving behind a flurry of afterimages. The small boat instantly shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, its speed absolutely staggering.

Furthermore, robust currents of air blasted from his nose and mouth with every breath. The sheer sense of oppression radiating from him like a towering pillar was somehow even stronger than Cheng Long's!

'An expert!'

'Absolutely a top-tier expert!'

During his early years rising to the rank of Patrol Captain in the Reclamation Corps, Hou Genbao had seen his fair share of capable individuals.

But a man with vital energy as ferocious as Niu Fu's was a first for him. This was undeniably the standard of an elite powerhouse.

The skiff quickly approached the Diversion Island, where a temporary docking area had already been cleared along the shore.

Niu Fu steadily guided the vessel to the bank, and the three disembarked one after another.

With the summer flood season long passed, the vast majority of Diversion Island had breached the water's surface. The entire island was nearly three kilometers long and roughly two kilometers wide, encompassing a total area of a solid six square kilometers.

It might not be large enough to build a sprawling residential complex, but it was more than enough to support a Research Institute.

The only issue was that the soil had been steeped in river water year-round, rendering it exceptionally soft and sandy. With every step, a foot would sink deep into the muck, leaving a prominent track.

"Researcher Yu usually stays at the far end of the island. Through here..." Hou Genbao raised his hand to point backward.

Before he could even finish, Liu Bi suddenly squatted down, his expression instantly darkening.

"Are you sure there's only one entry point onto this island?"

"Positive. We only cleared this single entrance. For the rest of it, we have to wait until Engineer Lin's blueprints are finished before we can start working," Hou Genbao replied without a second thought.

"When did this Researcher Yu come onto the island?"

"Around nine o'clock this morning," Hou Genbao recalled. "At the time, Inspector Cheng was about to leave for Wenlu County. They chatted for a bit in town, and then Researcher Yu rowed onto the island by himself. He doesn't like being followed and has always operated alone."

Saying this, he pointed toward another wooden boat tied up at the temporary dock. "That one right there."

"This morning... Did it rain today?"

"No, it didn't."

"Then why are there absolutely no footprints left on the ground?" Liu Bi jabbed a finger at the heavy prints the three of them had just trampled into the mud.

Although there was a messy cluster of footprints around the entrance, it was obvious they had been there for quite some time.

As for fresh tracks, there was not a single one.

"No footprints?" Hou Genbao froze. He hurriedly crouched down to examine the soil, studying it back and forth for a long while before finally scratching his head in complete bewilderment. "Th-this... I have no idea?"

Liu Bi stood up straight, his gaze piercing toward the depths of the Diversion Island. Suddenly, his voice dropped to a grim timbre. "Old Niu, head back. Grab our things from the vehicle."

"All of it, or..."

"Bring the full set. This guy... he might be anything but ordinary."

"Understood!" Niu Fu nodded. In a single bound, he vaulted onto the small boat. The oars spun in a blur, and the skiff shot off toward the mainland dock like an arrow.

Hou Genbao stood to the side, completely mystified. Yet Liu Bi had no intention of explaining anything to him, choosing instead to rapidly grill him for every possible detail regarding "Researcher Yu."

Unapproachable, preferred solitude, exclusively conversed with Cheng Ye and Engineer Lin, entirely ignored an Inspector like Luo Kuke, allegedly held highly sensitive technology, and demanded the construction of a Research Institute the moment he arrived...

As these traits were pieced together one by one, Liu Bi's frown only grew tighter.

If it was that band of swindlers from the Camel Sanctuary, they would never saddle themselves with traits like being antisocial or fiercely arrogant. Their defining characteristic was being extremely slick and agreeable. But if he really was a researcher...

Could it be a defecting researcher from another sanctuary who had sought refuge in Happiness City, specifically winding up in Dabo Town? And a person with special abilities, at that?

It wasn't long before Niu Fu returned. Looking at the noticeably deeper draft of the skiff, it was clear the two dark green equipment boxes he had brought were heavily weighed down.

"Inspector Liu, what are you..." Hou Genbao stared at the two containers, the unease in his gut expanding rapidly.

"Relax, I merely wish to have a close-up exchange with Researcher Yu," Liu Bi said as he took his equipment box and flipped the latches.

The top layer of the container held a set of black combat armor, while the compartment underneath housed a pair of black sabers—one long, one short.

Hou Genbao recognized it instantly. The style of the short sword was utterly identical to the ones wielded by Inspector Cheng and Inspector Wang.

Niu Fu popped open his box as well. His armor was the same, but his second layer contained several portable devices alongside two firearms.

A handgun, and a shotgun.

"An exchange..." Hou Genbao was completely baffled. What kind of sane person geared up like this just for a chat?

Could it be... Thinking about an Inspector's core duties, and linking it to the strange abnormality the two had just fixated upon at the beach...

"No, Researcher Yu isn't an Infected Body, he's..." Hou Genbao began to tremble. If he let Inspector Liu chop up Researcher Yu like some mutant, wouldn't Cheng Ye skin him alive upon returning?

"Old Niu, you're not getting rusty, are you?"

"Brother B, rest easy. I've got your back," Niu Fu immediately affirmed, extending a meaty hand to clamp down on Hou Genbao, who was still trying to argue.

While they spoke, the two men swiftly strapped on their battle armor. A suffocating, murderous aura erupted around them.

Dragging the bewildered Hou Genbao along, they trudged unevenly through the sludgy riverbank, plunging deeper into the interior of Diversion Island.

It took scarcely five minutes.

There, atop an elevated slope, the hunchbacked, emaciated figure of Yu Yong sat on the dirt, seemingly engrossed in a book.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Yu Yong subconsciously turned his head. In an instant, his gaze landed on two burly, black-armored figures and their hostage, Hou Genbao.

"Yu..." Before Hou Genbao could even finish, Yu Yong stood up. Placing his book down gently, his face perfectly placid, he said, "Release him."

"Brother B, looks like he's a Source-Binder?" Niu Fu raised his wrist, glancing down at a digital counter before muttering in a low voice.

"A Source-Binder?"

Liu Bi nodded faintly. "That explains things. Pull him back. I'll go have a talk with him."

"Then be careful." Niu Fu didn't hesitate. He grabbed Hou Genbao and hauled him backward. Yet, the moment he took a single step in retreat, his body suddenly locked up as if nailed to the earth. He couldn't move an inch, held fast by some invisible force viciously hauling him down.

'Hmm?' Stunned, Niu Fu looked down, instantly breaking into a cold sweat.

Beneath the sun's glare, his shadow was twisting grotesquely. Two inky silhouettes had morphed into the shape of human arms, clamping onto his calves with a death grip.

'What the hell is this thing?'

"Release him. I don't wish to repeat myself a third time," Yu Yong stated, his tone as flat and ripple-free as before.

"Oh?" Liu Bi stepped forward. He cast a glance back at Niu Fu's shadow, then tapped the Inspector Badge pinned to his own chest. "I suggest you let my man go first. I only want to talk. I hold no hostility."

Swish.

A pitch-black shadow, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, abruptly erupted from Yu Yong's body. Skimming flush against the earth, it lashed outward, darting straight for Liu Bi.

Although the Ghost Shadow Spider's powers had long been suppressed, it still retained its most sinister Shadow Manipulation Ability.

Though it could no longer infect across a distance and had to rely solely on its own shadow to launch an assault...

...against ordinary people, this ability remained an absolute, crushing disparity, like the difference between zero and one.

However.

"You actually dare to raise a hand against me?" Liu Bi scowled. The short sword strapped to his waist unsheathed in a heartbeat.

The blade lashed out in flawless synchronization with the flashing darkness.

Hiss.

Bizarrely, the blade did not chop down toward the creeping gloom on the earth. Instead, it carved through empty air, aimed squarely at his own shadow.

A distinct hissing sound echoed out. Yu Yong's placid expression shifted faintly.

"You are also a Source-Binder?"

"Take a guess."

The moment those words faded.

The black-armored figure exploded forward. His boots kicked off the ground with such force that they blurred into afterimages, crossing the gap to appear squarely in front of Yu Yong in a mere instant.

Yu Yong let out a soft chuckle. Leaning back slightly, he prepared to activate his Shadow Manipulation Ability to shift and evade.

But in the very next second, the short sword tore out of Liu Bi's grip. Hurled like a throwing knife, it embedded itself into the dirt directly behind Yu Yong with unerring precision.

His power had only just flared to life when his retreating silhouette was brutally pinned in place by the blade, completely immobilized.

"A specialized material capable of countering my ability?" Yu Yong glanced over his shoulder, somewhat surprised.

Faint halos of light seemed to pulse across the surface of the black saber. Staked down by the weapon, he discovered he had actually lost all command over his shadow.

If he had been at his peak, a single thought would have been enough to tear free of such suppression.

But right now, he could only shake his head. Tilting his torso sideways, he barely skirted past Liu Bi's ferocious strike.

Seeing his surefire punch meet nothing but empty air, Liu Bi was inevitably stunned for a moment. He looked at the shadow still impaled against the mud, then at Yu Yong standing casually to the side. His previously calm face instantly contorted into something ugly. "You... you're not a Source-Binder! You are... an Infected Body!"

"Heh, so what if I am, or if I'm not?"

Yu Yong shook his head faintly. "I'll say it again. Let him go, take your man, and leave right this instant..."

Before he could even conclude his sentence, the black-armored silhouette in his vision lunged once more.

This time, however, the attack was evidently bolstered by a highly peculiar aura. Yu Yong felt a brief flicker of astonishment. He could sense that the man before him wasn't a Source-Binder, much less a Transcendent, yet he harbored absolutely zero fear of his powers.

Moreover, the instant their eyes locked, the frigid glint in the man's pupils violently snapped him back to the past—back to the night of his containment, back to the apathetic stares of all those people treating him like a lifeless corpse!

Perhaps this was truly the norm. People like Cheng Ye, who could look at him and see a normal human being, were incredibly rare outliers.

Yu Yong slowly raised a hand, locking flawlessly onto the opening in Liu Bi's underarm. He readied himself to incapacitate the man in one strike and end this farce.

But the moment he lifted his arm, his brow twitched. To his bewilderment, the weakness Liu Bi had deliberately exposed vanished into thin air.

Boom!

The long black saber snapped from its sheath at Liu Bi's hip, painting a faint arc of midnight through the air. Yu Yong twisted, barely managing to dodge the slash. Yet Liu Bi's empty left fist suddenly shot upward from his armpit, delivering a viciously rapid uppercut that smashed cleanly into his jaw.

Crack.

The sharp, sickening crunch of shattering bone echoed out. Propelled by monstrous force—power that not even a physique mutated and reinforced time and time again by the Ghost Shadow Spider could withstand—Yu Yong was launched off his feet. He traced a miserable arc through the air before violently slamming back-first onto the dirt.

The agonizing spike of pain erupting from his jaw drew a muffled groan from his throat. Yet, in the very next breath, his mangled jaw snapped back into alignment at speeds visible to the naked eye. The jutting bones squirmed beneath his skin for a second, and he was completely healed.

He violently rolled upright, horrifying malice boiling deep within his pupils. The body sculpted by the Ghost Shadow Spider fully unleashed its terrifying potential. The very air around him warped and rippled from the sheer intensity of his abruptly skyrocketing velocity.

The tip of his toe kissed the earth. The sandy soil instantly splintered with cobweb-like patterns as he exploded into an afterimage, plunging straight toward Liu Bi.

"Burst State?" Liu Bi's grip tightened slightly around his saber, yet he charged ahead to meet the strike instead of retreating.

In terms of raw, mutated physiology, Yu Yong was at least twice as fast as Liu Bi, and his brute strength could effortlessly topple a heavy vehicle.

But just as the two were about to collide, Liu Bi seemed to shrink an entire head downward. Not only did he duck right beneath Yu Yong's straight punch, but he also spun violently. Accompanied by the shriek of parting air, the long black saber grazed right past Yu Yong's flank.

'What a bizarre combat style!'

Alarmed, Yu Yong subconsciously pivoted to pursue the assault, his arm whipping horizontally like a steel cord. Yet Liu Bi's footwork was akin to a specter. The toe of his left boot tapped lightly against the mud, and he forcibly launched himself half a foot diagonally upward into the air, completely avoiding the sweeping blow.

Immediately after, he bent his right knee. Riding his upward momentum, his right fist cratered savagely into Yu Yong's shoulder blade.

With a dull Thump, Yu Yong felt as if his scapula had been caved in by a sledgehammer. Piercing pain instantly rocketed through him. Although the ruined bone had already begun its rapid regeneration before he could even catch his breath, the excruciating agony had been very real.

He could only try snatching at Liu Bi's wrist in a desperate attempt to counter. But Liu Bi had predicted this. He brutally thrust the long saber forward with his left hand, the tip surging straight for Yu Yong's chest.

Yu Yong frantically shrank backward. In the microscopic window created by his dodge, Liu Bi's left fist materialized right in front of his eyes, slamming mercilessly into his cheekbone.

Yu Yong's vision abruptly blanked. His cheekbone instantly collapsed inward, and crimson blood trickled down his jaw. But within a single second, the fractured bones righted themselves, and his torn flesh swiftly sealed shut, leaving behind nothing more than a few streaks of gore.

Although his fusion with the Ghost Shadow Spider had granted him a near-immortal level of regeneration, every forced healing cycle plunged him deeper into total synchronization with the Infection Source.

'Conventional tactics aren't enough to beat this guy!'

Realizing this, Yu Yong roared furiously. Tearing his arms wide like a pouncing beast, he hurled himself at Liu Bi, fully intent on trading blow for blow, hoping to wrap the man in a death grip and drag him into a brutal wrestling match.

But Liu Bi's footsteps were as weightless as a gale. He utterly refused to lock horns against that brute force. Retreating like a wraith, his right hand cleaved the long saber into a ferocious, deadly arc right in front of him, tracking squarely for Yu Yong's face once more.

Yu Yong had no choice but to snap his head to the side. Even knowing that every swing of the black-armored man's blade was merely a setup for the real strike, all he could do was watch helplessly as Liu Bi repeated the devastating combo. A left fist slammed deep into his abdomen, and simultaneously, Liu Bi bent his right leg again, driving a ruthless knee straight into his ribcage.

Yu Yong's abdominal muscles instantly locked tight to tank the punch, but he couldn't dodge the knee strike. His ribs released another horrific Crack. He doubled over in sheer agony. But this time, before he even had a moment to regenerate, Liu Bi's right fist smashed into his back while his left leg swept across like a steel whip, lashing brutally against his flank.

An overwhelming kinetic force flooded through him, intertwining with a mysterious, inexplicable power.

Tumbling twice through the air before hitting the dirt, he discovered to his shock that his regenerative abilities had actually stopped working.

No, not completely stopped—they were weakening!

After taking damage laced with the black-armored man's bizarre power, the superhuman abilities bestowed upon him by the Ghost Shadow Spider were actually fading!

'How is this possible?!'

Watching the two devolve into a savage melee after exchanging barely a handful of words, Hou Genbao was completely terrified out of his wits.

'What the hell are they doing?'

Yet, staring at the bony, frail, disease-ridden state of Researcher Yu, and watching him endure such a monstrous beating—batted back and forth like a literal punching bag without taking any permanent damage—Hou Genbao grew even more deeply bewildered.

"Far too weak. You possess immense physical specs, yet it's nothing but brute strength."

Liu Bi reeled in his assault. He brought the long saber horizontally across his chest, his tone dripping with freezing killing intent.

He brushed a hand across his hip, producing a pinch of dark red powder, which he swiftly smeared evenly over the edge of his blade.

The moment the powder touched the steel, a faint tide of heat unfurled. Seconds later, the metal ignited, roaring with a very peculiar, sickly green-and-black fire—a flame that sent Yu Yong's heart pounding with instinctual dread.

"Of all the specialized Infected Bodies I've crossed swords with, you are number ninety-seven. Right now, you have exactly three sentences to explain yourself. When you're finished, I will sever you from the torment of this parasitism!"

If the look he had suffered in Luo Kuke's eyes these past few days was barely veiled disgust, then the look in Liu Bi's eyes right now was a horrifyingly total, absolute apathy!

The sole purpose of an Inspector's existence was to exterminate every single Infected Body.

Yu Yong opened his mouth, but found himself entirely unable to force a single word out. A chaotic storm of memories began to rupture through his skull once more; the suffocating despair of the C35 victims flooded his mind like an ocean tide.

An inexplicable intent began coiling through his brain, as if a sinister whisper was clawing at his ears: 'Let go. Embrace me. My power will grant you endless, boundless strength.'

Even as another, more desperate voice interrogated him simultaneously: 'Don't you want to be free? Are you really so willing to be manipulated by an Infection Source?'

Yet, bearing the brunt of Liu Bi's terrifying, overbearing glare, the voice of resistance faded at an alarming rate, wholly devoured by the savage cruelty of the Ghost Shadow Spider.

"You have absolutely no control over your own power, but you can wield it as recklessly as you desire without suffering any backlash."

Seeing Yu Yong's expression completely degenerate into something vile and toxic...

...Liu Bi spoke no further. He tapped his toe lightly against the dirt. With a slight flick of his wrist, the flaming saber erupted into a roaring inferno.

"It seems you have nothing left to explain."

"GET! LOST!" Yu Yong suddenly bellowed like a beast. The shadow nailed to the dirt violently spasmed, fighting tooth and nail to shred its binds.

However, in that razor-thin moment of explosive tension, a voice buzzed abruptly from the Defense Terminal clipped to Yu Yong's waist.

"Yu Yong, what the hell are you doing? I just left, and your fusion rate is already spiking past seventy percent. Do you want to be dragged back into solitary confinement?"

"And you, Ghost Shadow Spider! Do you want me to rip you back out and torture you again?!"

'Hmm?'

That painfully familiar, deeply irritated voice caused Liu Bi to stumble. His charging momentum instantly screeching to a halt.

Yu Yong's face underwent an equally radical shift. The psychotic viciousness from a second ago completely evaporated, and the roaring Ghost Shadow Spider acted as if it had just run into its ultimate natural enemy, plunging into absolute silence.

"Cheng Ye?" Liu Bi paused, blurting the name out instinctively.

"Huh? Brother B, why is it you?"