Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 291: The New Reform, Breaking Through the Heavy Machinery Faction!

The call disconnected.Li Matai's expression became exceedingly subtle. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze reflecting a mix of elusive astonishment and a trace of vigilance.

Cheng Ye shoved the Defense Terminal back into his waist belt and raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips. "I let you listen in, so you need to share your thoughts."

"No, no, no. You guys are clashing with the Integrity Supervision Department, please don't drag me down with you."

Li Matai hastily waved his hands, his tone resentful. "I am just a lowly Third-Stage Inspector. I don't have the backing of a powerful family, I don't have any hard achievements to show off, and I certainly don't possess Liu Bi's brute strength to beat a director into the emergency room. If I really get dragged into this, the Integrity Supervision Department will just find some random excuse to detain me. Even if I don't die, I'd be skinned alive."

"Is that it?"

Cheng Ye remained unmoved. "You aren't going to accompany me on a trip back to the Buffer Zone?"

"Do you really want me to die?" Li Matai retorted instinctively. He then rubbed his temples, suffering from a massive headache. "I knew nothing good would come from your visit to East Peace Town today. I should have ordered the guards to stop you earlier and never let you in."

Seeing that Cheng Ye did not reply and continued to look at him with that same half-smile, Li Matai sighed helplessly. He could only wave his hand and say, "Let's talk inside. Don't stand out here acting like a target."

After speaking, the two walked back into the small inspection hut located at the town's entrance.

Half a month had passed. Having shifted its development direction, East Peace Town had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Li Matai was completely unsuited for industrial production. He was entirely clueless about machine tools and assembly lines. After stubbornly trying to manage them for a few days, his reputation had nearly been ruined.

However, pioneering, land reclamation, and agricultural planning were his old professions, and he hadn't let those skills rust over the years.

Today's East Peace Town had already shed its hastily constructed industrial prototype, rapidly developing into an agricultural satellite city instead.

Back then, in the boundless Wilderness, withered grass grew waist-high amidst jagged rocks. A single gust of wind would sweep up clouds of dust, creating a desolate environment where even the Thorn Birds were unwilling to linger.

Now, standing at the town entrance and looking out, several kilometers of the surrounding Wilderness had been neatly organized. Gray-brown ridges of farmland unrolled like ribbons, stretching along the undulating terrain in a perfectly ordered manner that was pleasing to the eye.

Under Cheng Ye's advice, the weeds cleared during reclamation were not wasted. They were all spread out, dried, and compressed into blocks of hay. Although these hay bales lacked Nutrients and could not be turned into fertilizer due to the lingering effects of the Petrification Curse, they became the most practical insulation material for the winter. This perfectly compensated for the poor sealing of the prefabricated houses.

In addition, the industrial zone was secretly producing fertilizer. Although it had not been officially announced to the public, any Inspector who proactively inquired about it could receive a partial quota.

These artificial fertilizers had already been mixed with the natural fertilizer accumulated by the residents and spread across the fields. It was estimated that by the arrival of spring next year, the soil fertility of East Peace Town would far surpass that of other satellite cities.

And this was precisely the Core plan Cheng Ye had initially designed for Li Matai.

Only by allowing East Peace Town to form an irreplaceable agricultural advantage would the higher-ups of Happiness City allocate more resources following their evaluations.

In the wasteland, a satellite city capable of stably producing food would always be valued more than a town with a hollow industrial framework but a severe shortage of rations. This was the foundation for East Peace Town's long-term development.

Entering the hut, Li Matai lifted a kettle and poured some water.

He waited for Cheng Ye to take a sip before sighing and speaking slowly. "The previous struggle between the two factions was to fight for authority over the Buffer Zone. Now, what the Integrity Supervision Department wants to seize is the control of all satellite cities. They want to establish branch offices in every satellite city to settle retired soldiers from the legions. Think about it. If we hand over this portion of our authority, what say will we Inspectors in charge of the satellite cities have left?"

"Do you think this is the reason Station Master Ding took the initiative to strike?" Cheng Ye thoughtfully rubbed the rim of his cup with his fingertips.

"Most likely." Li Matai pondered. "This conflict will have to be resolved this winter sooner or later. Because once winter sets in, all the High-Tier Inspectors from the Inspection Station who are out on Field Duty will return. That will be when the Inspection Station is at its peak strength. If this drags on until next spring when everyone heads out for Field Duty again, the situation will revert to a stalemate."

"So Station Master Ding's intention is to use violence to force the Integrity Supervision Department to yield?"

"Of course not, how could it be that simple?" Li Matai chuckled and shook his head. "Station Master Ding just wanted to use Liu Bi's punch to break the deadlock. Inspector Liu's actions serve as a fuse. It just so happens that you are heading out for Field Duty next. Taking him with you will allow him to avoid the heat within the city, preventing the Integrity Supervision Department from refusing to let him go."

He paused and continued his analysis. "As for how the subsequent fight will play out, it will just be the same old tricks. Finding loopholes in each other's work, reporting the dirty secrets of important figures, and at the very least, establishing rules for both sides to compete fairly for resources.

As long as the higher-ups of Happiness City do not directly intervene, all struggles will remain within a controllable range. It will be nothing more than a redistribution of Power."

"But if the higher-ups do step in, such as an Elder from the Transcendent Faction speaking up, then the nature of the situation will change. By then, it won't be a struggle anymore, but a direct transition into the phase of dividing up the benefits. Those of us at the bottom will only be left drinking the leftover broth."

As an old Inspector who had witnessed the dawn and conclusion of the Great Reclamation Era, Li Matai had clearly seen through all the twists and turns.

As long as the Elder of the Transcendent Faction was still around, and as long as Happiness City was still firmly in the grip of the higher-ups, what the Integrity Supervision Department and the Inspection Station were fighting over were ultimately just those authorities that no one cared about before, or those newly emerging with the times.

For example, the extra management rights gained after the Buffer Zone was upgraded, or the newly added supporting authorities for the satellite cities.

It was just that the Integrity Supervision Department had the Elder of the Transcendent Faction overseeing them, giving them tremendous confidence.

The Inspection Station, on the other hand, appeared somewhat isolated and helpless. They could only hope that the Elder of the Idealist Faction would be willing to step in and mediate.

But precisely because of this, just like a barefoot man not fearing one wearing shoes, Ding Yishan dared to take the initiative and use seemingly aggressive methods to fight for more bargaining chips for the Inspection Station.

"Then you should definitely come back with me. This is a great way to earn Station Master Ding's trust."

Cheng Ye smiled. "Besides, if I head back alone, those people will inevitably cling to me and refuse to let go. If a conflict really breaks out, someone needs to be there to help smooth things over, right?"

"Since you've put it that way, how can I possibly refuse?" Li Matai's face turned bitter.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to help, but rather, it went against the principled bottom line of an old veteran slacker.

Especially in this kind of ideological struggle concerning the division of power; once involved, the troubles would simply never end.

But who could blame him when the one asking was Cheng Ye?

Fortunately, he only needed to play the good cop and wouldn't have to confront anyone directly. This shouldn't offend the Integrity Supervision Department too much.

Moreover, he planned to hide behind closed doors in East Peace Town for the entire winter. Even if the Integrity Supervision Department wanted to pick a fight, they wouldn't necessarily be able to find him.

Of course, more importantly, although Inspector Li Matai was a slacker, he was never greedy.

Just like when he was stopped by Cheng Ye while investing in shops previously, his financial luck had always been remarkably good.

Just from his dividend investments in the Fourth-Stage Inspectors, he could steadily earn over twenty percent in returns every year. After all these years, he had long achieved financial freedom.

Even if the Integrity Supervision Department wanted to pick bones out of an egg, they wouldn't be able to find any leverage against him.

"Don't worry, I won't let you make this trip for nothing." Seeing through Li Matai's thoughts, Cheng Ye smiled and threw out bait. "East Peace Town will be carrying out large-scale planting when spring arrives. I'll provide you with some good stuff then. I guarantee it will make you stand out in the agricultural evaluations among all the satellite cities."

Li Matai's bitter expression instantly cleared up like the sun bursting through clouds, and his eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Would I lie to you?"

Cheng Ye shook his head, brimming with confidence. "East Peace Town has vast lands and a sparse population. Once the soil is improved with fertilizers, it will be perfectly suited for large-scale planting. In contrast, my Dabo Town took in your industrial equipment, making the transition to agriculture too difficult now. Next spring, I will definitely fully support East Peace Town first. Once you have a stable output here, you can feed back into Dabo Town to help it keep up the pace."

This was no empty promise, but a blueprint that had long been planned out.

Over the course of the winter, the hydroelectric station could fully charge the Civilization Collector twice a day. This would be more than enough for him to complete his optimization experiments on crop seeds.

The only problem was that the Traits in the Illustrated Handbook required him to hunt mutant creatures or Infection Sources to unlock them.

However, the large-scale Infection Tides during the winter were practically mobile "Trait treasure troves." As long as he encountered them, he could farm them in bulk.

Furthermore, his upcoming Field Duty trip to Guang Province would surely allow him to gather plenty of useful resources.

He couldn't guarantee advanced technology, but cultivating high-yield, stress-resistant ordinary crop seeds would absolutely be no problem.

"Alright! Then I'll accompany you on this trip!" Li Matai made the final decision. "But I need to arrange things in town first. My departure will give the residents half a day to rest; they've been worked to the bone over the past half-month."

"No problem. I'll leave a vehicle for you. Once you're ready, come meet me at Dabo Town."

After the two finished their discussion, Cheng Ye climbed into the armed pickup and hurried back to the hydroelectric station.

Searching for the Lv4 Skill had consumed 60% of his Recharge Value, and Information Fusion would take another 25%. Now, his remaining Recharge Value was practically depleted.

Since he was heading back to the Buffer Zone next, unexpected conflicts were unavoidable. Replenishing his Recharge Value would ensure he was prepared for anything.

Using the excuse of adjusting the hydroelectric station's parameters, he ordered the town to temporarily suspend electricity usage. Following that, he directly cranked the Collector's charging power to its maximum of 300 kilowatts.

With this terrifying charging efficiency, it would only take a little over two hours to fill the 85% deficit.

During this time, Cheng Ye opened the Information Fusion function once more, tossing the Black Jade Fir Tree's Hymn of Life and the recently gathered Hymn of Tenacity into the fusion slot.

Having never been able to utilize the Collector so freely before, the exhilaration brought on by the abundant electricity left Cheng Ye feeling slightly lightheaded.

To his surprise, the originally independent, simple Runes on the tree trunk slowly drifted together and merged while enveloped in a Halo. They visibly grew more complex and precise, radiating a deeper power of rules as their patterns intertwined.

The composite Runes on the tree canopy also transformed in sync. Their volume surged by more than double, and their structure became increasingly dense, as if evolving from an embryonic form into full maturity.

'The Runes can actually fuse together and birth new effects?'

Cheng Ye was astonished. Before he could investigate further, the Collector popped up with a notification that the fusion was complete.

[The current Information Fusion process has concluded. Fusion results are stable.]

[The Civilization Collector has successfully recorded a new fusion skill: The Black Jade Fir Tree's Hymn of Immortality (Lv4; Rare)]

"Immortality?"

Cheng Ye instantly recalled the skill description's note—'Though the roots are destroyed, the soul remains undissipated'—and hastily opened his skill panel to check.

The content and values of the original five blessing buffs remained unchanged, but a brand-new blessing had distinctly appeared at the very bottom of the panel:

[6. For non-instant-kill fatal wounds, upon entering a special state, Vitality will be consumed for flawless recovery. Recovery cost:]

[25% Vitality per fatal wound. Cooldown: 1 time/day. Maximum stored uses: 7 times.]

"Oh? So immortality actually refers to... a flesh-consuming recovery ability similar to the Starfish Epidemic?"

Cheng Ye suddenly understood.

It seemed he had overthought things. Despite carrying the title of 'Immortality,' a Rare-tier rating clearly hadn't reached the transcendent level of surviving even if his physical body was completely obliterated.

However, trading Vitality for a flawless recovery from injuries was already a guaranteed profitable exchange.

Especially after his recent tests, he only needed to bury his body in the soil to trigger the special state. This activation method was far more convenient than the Starfish Epidemic's need to hunt for flesh.

'Then next, I'll have to see if I can fuse Li Matai's four foundational skills again to mutate out the other missing life blessings!'

Calculating that an Lv4 Skill required 60% of his Recharge Value, combined with the 75% needed for three Information Fusions, this would total an unimaginable consumption of 2,520 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

But now that he had the hydroelectric station, this was merely a single day's total charging capacity. It was completely acceptable.

By the time Li Matai returned, an hour had already passed.

The Collector's Recharge Value had just broken past the 50% mark. Cheng Ye waited a little longer, taking it out when it had recovered to 60%.

In the open space at the town's entrance, Li Matai sat in a daze beside the road sign.

Hou Genbao had just taken him for a tour around Dabo Town. The sight before his eyes inevitably left him in a trance.

The neat prefabricated houses were uniformly spaced, and the streetlights on both sides of the roads were methodically arranged. The industrial zone boasted clear regional divisions and definite production processes, while the flood wall along the White Water River was being continuously raised and reinforced.

The entire town exuded a vigorous and upward vitality, forming a stark contrast with the developmental state of East Peace Town.

Here, there was no internal friction between two Inspectors, nor any clashes in development philosophies. Everyone was putting their heads down and pushing forward in the same direction.

He still hadn't snapped out of his daze until Cheng Ye approached.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" Cheng Ye asked softly.

Li Matai froze for a moment. Only after a few seconds did he repeatedly shake his head, standing up. "Let's go. We're heading back to the Buffer Zone."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid that if I stay here any longer, my resolve will shatter." As Li Matai spoke, he couldn't help but shiver.

It wasn't until he got into the car and the silhouette of Dabo Town slowly faded in the rearview mirror that Li Matai finally seemed to come to his senses. He suddenly asked, "Is it still possible... for East Peace Town to become like this?"

"Impossible," Cheng Ye answered truthfully.

"Alright." A clear flash of disappointment crossed Li Matai's face, but in the next second, his expression shifted slightly.

"For the East Peace Town co-managed by you and Song Hai, it's impossible. But if it was an East Peace Town solely belonging to you... achieving this level would be a breeze, and it would only be the starting point."

"Solely mine?"

Li Matai's voice trailed off with some hesitation, followed by a gentle shake of his head. "Forget it, Song Hai hasn't done anything wrong either."

Driving Song Hai away and taking absolute control over East Peace Town alone.

He hadn't been without this thought before, but Song Hai was also a Third-Stage Inspector, not to mention a core member of the Eastern Faction.

Forcing Song Hai to leave East Peace Town would be just as difficult as rebuilding a satellite city from scratch.

"Things will change." Cheng Ye gazed out the window at the rapidly passing Wilderness and spoke plainly. "Otherwise, did you really think I asked you to accompany me to the city today just for a leisurely stroll?"

He paused and continued, "That crude division of taking sides between the East and the West is over. What is about to unfold next... is ideological alignment."

"Huh?" Li Matai was taken aback, instinctively glancing at Cheng Ye's profile, hoping to read more clues from his face.

But he didn't press the matter further, even as the car merged onto the highway. Instead, he fell into deep thought.

Cheng Ye didn't say anything more either.

Even if Cheng Wu had returned to the Inspection Station, it was impossible for the interior to be unified into an ironclad unit through his authoritative power again.

Unless he purged all the Inspectors whose ideologies clashed with his and completely rebooted the entire system.

Otherwise, after so many years had passed, every Inspector had developed their own philosophy and style of handling things. Unconditionally obeying someone else was now completely out of the question.

His interactions with Davidson and Lin Bao over these past few days had allowed Cheng Ye to gradually sniff out the scent of impending reform.

Setting aside superficial and crude divisions like race and skin color, a far more profound factional struggle was about to raise its curtains.

Perhaps they would divide into the Expansionist Faction that advocated outward pioneering, the Conservative Faction that defended existing achievements, and the Integration Faction that promoted the blending of different powers.

Or they might split into the aggressive Radical Faction, the steady and cautious Conservative Faction, and the neutral Neutral Faction that watched from the sidelines.

It was even possible that different veteran Inspectors would raise their own banners, recruiting other Inspectors to join their personal factions.

The ideologies of Song Hai and Li Matai could never merge, meaning they were inevitably destined to face an ultimate split.

And reshuffling the layout of the various satellite cities was highly likely to be the next link in the satellite city project.

But these were merely the speculations of bottom-tier Inspectors. How Ding Yishan actually planned to drive this reform, whether the higher-ups had other directives, whether the Elders would express a stance, and how changes in the external environment would factor in—all of these could accelerate or alter this process.

Before long, the familiar yet slightly foreign South Inspection Station appeared at the edge of their vision.

Compared to a few days ago, this towering Inspection Station hadn't changed at all. It continued to stand quietly at the entrance to the Buffer Zone.

However, after following a guard's instructions to enter Area D, both of their expressions turned slightly strange.

The person on duty in charge of Area D at the South Inspection Station was actually... Garcia?!

'The reform is happening this fast?'

'A Western Faction Inspector can now run over to the Eastern Faction's main stronghold and take charge of daily guard duty?'

The armed pickup parked steadily in the inspection area. Cheng Ye pushed the door open and stepped out, with Li Matai following closely behind.

Seeing the two approach, Garcia's expression didn't fluctuate in the slightest. The procedure remained exactly the same as always. Both sides acted as if they didn't know each other, meticulously completing the verification process.

However, just as the two were preparing to leave, Garcia suddenly spoke up. "Inspector Cheng, are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to a casual meal."

"Oh?" Cheng Ye stopped in his tracks, faintly surprised. "You want to treat me?"

"First, to thank you for saving my life during the previous assessment. Second, I also want to introduce you to two esteemed figures from the legions," Garcia explained with a smile. "Currently, quite a few Inspectors at the Inspection Station have agreed to the legions taking charge. If you are willing to join, you could certainly advance further from your current position."

'People from the legions?'

Cheng Ye instantly understood. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He hadn't expected Garcia's senses to be so sharp. He had actually sought refuge with the Transcendent Faction in advance and hooked up with the Integrity Supervision Department?

It was no wonder. Considering all those shady deals Garcia had pulled in the past, if the Integrity Supervision Department truly wanted to investigate him, they could easily flip his background upside down.

But the fact that he was still able to perform normal guard duty inside the Inspection Station meant he clearly had deep ties with the Integrity Supervision Department now.

'Could it be that quite a few Inspectors with unclean histories in the station have simply defected to the Integrity Supervision Department?'

"There's no need for a meal, though I am somewhat interested in meeting them."

Cheng Ye's expression remained unchanged, but his tone shifted. "However, the location won't be in the Buffer Zone. It has to be in my Dabo Town."

"Alright, I'll pass on your message."

Unsurprised, Garcia gave a gentle nod and pressed the release button on his desk.

The two passed through the quarantine area, leaving the armed pickup behind for disinfection, and walked all the way into the familiar Buffer Zone.

In just half a month, the changes in the Inspection Station were already highly apparent.

The most eye-catching detail was the guards' uniforms. The previously uniform black-and-blue Inspection Station attire had now been entirely replaced by a bright silver-green. The style vaguely carried the shadow of the Cross Legion, completely clashing with the Inspection Station's original aesthetic.

Furthermore, these guards were all new faces. Every one of them was tall, robust, and imposing without needing to show anger. At a glance, it was obvious that they were retired soldiers from the legions.

Cheng Ye didn't try to test their attitudes or see if they still respected Inspectors like before.

Because in the guards' eyes, he saw a familiar sense of detachment. Just like months ago when he first visited the North Inspection Station while saddled with thorny troubles, all the guards deliberately kept their distance from him, treating him like a plague god they desperately needed to avoid.

Passing through the main building of the South Inspection Station, they had barely taken a few steps before spotting a black pickup parked by the road.

The car door opened, and Jiang Chuan stepped out. Clearly, he had been waiting here in advance.

He quickly came forward to greet them with a smile. "Inspector Cheng, it's been a while."

"It's only been half a month, I wouldn't call it a while." Cheng Ye shook his head in response. "However, your mental state is much better than when I left."

"The reform was very successful." Jiang Chuan spoke concisely. "The Inspection Station has changed immensely. It's no longer as bloated as before."

"So you're saying that keeping the guards under the direct management of the Inspection Station actually turned into a hassle?" Cheng Ye probed pointedly.

"Isn't that the truth?" Jiang Chuan chuckled, his tone candid. "Professional matters should be left to the professionals. You have to give some to get some. Let's go, Inspector Cheng. Station Master Ding ordered me to wait here for you and Inspector Li Matai. We need to head back to the Central Station first to pick up some documents and the care packages we've prepared. We are going to visit Director Qin, and then we will bail out Inspector Liu."

"Huh? How did Station Master Ding know I would come too?" Li Matai suddenly interjected.

Jiang Chuan just smiled without saying a word, ignoring the question.

Li Matai rubbed his nose. He waited until Jiang Chuan got into the car before softly cursing, "Old fox."

Ding Yishan's shrewdness was truly unfathomable. The comprehensive information he possessed and the accuracy of his judgment were incredibly elusive.

Trying to guess the thoughts of someone like him felt even more exhausting than building a satellite city from the ground up.

The car drove away from the South Inspection Station and merged onto the main road.

Leaning against the car window, Cheng Ye quietly observed the changes in the Buffer Zone over the past half-month. However, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Compared to the rapid, ever-changing development speed of the satellite cities, the Buffer Zone's progress was simply too slow.

The pipes that were dug up previously had yet to be fully repaired; the construction sites on the side of the road undergoing demolition and reconstruction were just plodding along step by step, completely lacking any surprises.

Only when they drove into the core area of the city did he finally spot some obvious new changes.

Some streets had been completely repaved, and the public facilities had been updated. There was also a large swathe of old residential areas currently being demolished, with trucks endlessly hauling away construction debris.

Reality once again proved a simple truth:

Renovating and upgrading based on an existing foundation was nowhere near as efficient as building a brand-new satellite city from scratch.

Just like how the bloated Inspection Station wanted to pivot its direction; even with drastic reforms, it would be extremely difficult to reap the results in a short period of time.

If one wanted to inject new vitality into the Buffer Zone, they first had to possess the courage to "cut the flesh," thoroughly excising the "rotten meat" that dragged down its development.

Only by breaking free from old shackles and redundant burdens could they truly step onto the fast track of stable development.

The pickup stopped smoothly at the entrance to the Central Inspection Station.

After Li Matai got off the vehicle, he followed the staff to prepare the care packages for their visit to Qin Zhaoye.

Cheng Ye, on the other hand, was led by Jiang Chuan into the administration building, heading straight to the archives room on the top floor.

The archives room resembled a small library. Densely packed bookshelves were neatly arranged, storing a massive sea of paper documents.

To Cheng Ye's utter shock, the person in charge of watching over the archives was actually... Deputy Station Master Halin.

Since when did Halin start wearing such a pair of refined glasses? Seeing him enter, Halin merely gave a slight nod in greeting before returning his attention to the several stacks of documents in front of him.

Jiang Chuan practically knew the place like the back of his hand. He walked to a document rack near the window, took down a stack of files, and then led Cheng Ye to the adjacent reading area. "What is he doing?"

"Organizing files and conducting preliminary analysis is originally one of Station Master Halin's core duties," Jiang Chuan whispered in explanation. "Every day, countless documents are sent here to be archived. There is also a massive amount of external information that needs to be screened and evaluated to provide suggestions. All the intelligence you use when heading out for Field Duty goes through Station Master Halin's screening and integration process first before it is delivered into your hands."

"Furthermore, there are no fundamental contradictions between Station Master Ding and Station Master Halin, so you shouldn't overthink it. As for the other things you are curious about, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until you personally communicate with Station Master Ding to find out."

"Alright."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, shifting his gaze to the documents Jiang Chuan had already spread open.

Rapidly extracting the keywords, he noticed that the name column on every single document clearly displayed the same three words: 'Qin Zhaoye.'

This stack of documents was over sixty pages thick. It was obvious that Qin Zhaoye's deepest secrets had been thoroughly dug up.

And that was indeed the case. The pages were densely packed with a massive amount of relevant information, including no shortage of heavy-hitting scandals.

"This guy really had some guts." Looking at one of the bolded records, Cheng Ye couldn't help but click his tongue. "Back during the Great Reclamation Era, he actually dared to embezzle fifty thousand Contribution Points?"

"We have solid proof for this one." Jiang Chuan followed the page number Cheng Ye pointed to and quickly pulled out a more detailed investigation report. "Only the information we have clearly investigated and verified is put on record."

Now that the Integrity Supervision Department was busy looking for trouble with the Inspection Station, the Inspection Station naturally wouldn't surrender without a fight.

The essence of this struggle was a contest between the two sides' intelligence-gathering capabilities. It all came down to who could dig up more explosive and lethal scandals.

Reading at a glance, Cheng Ye rapidly flipped through the pages and quickly formed a preliminary understanding of Qin Zhaoye.

While the Inspection Station was filled with various factions and endless ideological disputes, the interior of the legions—which seemed like a unified ironclad bloc on the surface—similarly contained numerous strongholds and heavy contradictions.

Categorized broadly, the Happiness Legion held a transcendent status, directly commanded by the higher-ups of Happiness City.

However, between the external Cross Legion and the Blood Dragon Legion, the friction had never ceased.

Setting aside the minor sub-factions, they could generally be divided into two major camps: the Pro-War Faction and the Conservative Faction.

Qin Zhaoye appeared tall, burly, and terrifyingly fierce, but in reality, he was a member of the Conservative Faction.

And within the Conservative Faction, there were further sub-divisions: the Training Faction, which emphasized pragmatism and despised the human-wave tactics of the Pro-War Faction; the Heavy Machinery Faction, which was obsessed with mechanical modifications and firepower suppression; the Tactical Faction, which relied on intelligence as its core and strategy as its support; and the Alliance Faction, which excelled at winning over allies and constructing defensive lines.

These complex and intertwined factional divisions were dizzying to read. Cheng Ye had no intention of delving too deeply into them.

But the Core Information was already clear. Qin Zhaoye belonged to the Heavy Machinery Faction. The Contribution Points he embezzled were neither squandered for his personal enjoyment nor used to subsidize his family of over sixty people. Instead, everything was handed over to serve as the faction's operational funds.

It was precisely because of this "outstanding contribution" that he was assigned to the Integrity Supervision Department, living a relatively leisurely life.

It was just a pity that before he could flex his authority for long, Liu Bi used the most brutal method to send him to the emergency room, forcing him to follow in Garcia's footsteps.

"What is Station Master Ding's intention?" Cheng Ye put down the documents, raising his eyebrows as he looked up.

There was absolutely no way Ding Yishan called him back just for something as simple as bailing out Liu Bi.

Even if the Integrity Supervision Department made things difficult during the bail process, compared to Ding Yishan's promise of "maximizing the Field Duty specifications," this minor trouble was not even worth mentioning.

The real trouble lay in these documents, as well as the upcoming mission. This was the main event.

"Take down Qin Zhaoye and use him as a breakthrough point. That is Station Master Ding's intention!" Jiang Chuan spoke bluntly.

"Is this targeted only at him personally, or the entire Heavy Machinery Faction?" Cheng Ye pressed further.

Jiang Chuan flashed a wide grin, his tone mimicking Ding Yishan's vibe. "The Station Master said, the legions are a mouthwatering piece of fat meat. How big Inspector Cheng's appetite is, how much he can bite off, and how much he can eat will entirely depend on his own methods!"