Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 306: The Foundation of an Overlord, The Layout of a Main City!

Stepping onto the public bus, the interior was as familiarly empty as ever.Master Tian had wiped the vehicle spotless. Not only were the windows gleaming, but every seat shone brightly, revealing the meticulous care he took in maintaining it.

Cheng Ye glanced at the coin slot at the front of the bus. A promotional poster was pasted there, reading:

[8 Coins / Per Person / Per Week]

"Has this... been changed to a weekly unlimited ride pass?"

"Yeah. The fares used to be too high, and many people couldn't afford them. But since they still have to commute over ten kilometers every day, the Public Works Department rolled out this discount," Master Tian explained with an honest smile.

"Then why is it still empty?"

"There are passengers, but only during the morning and evening rush hours. The rest of the time, it's just as deserted. We'll have to wait until next spring when the fares become free again to see the liveliness we used to have."

Even though it only cost eight Happiness Coins a week—less than the price of three pouches of nutrient paste—for unlimited rides, saving up enough Happiness Coins to survive the winter was the top priority for the Drifter families who had migrated here. No one was willing to spend their money on non-essential commuting.

"Can I charter the bus right now?"

"Not anymore. We operate on a fixed schedule now. I still have to wait another fifteen minutes before this trip departs," Master Tian replied, glancing at his watch.

Having been away for half a month, it seemed the Buffer Zone had undergone quite a few changes.

On a whim, Cheng Ye took a seat in the front row and struck up a conversation with Master Tian.

"The pipeline renovations are almost wrapping up. All the water supply and drainage pipes in the urban area have been replaced, though I'm not sure if they'll hold up against the torrential rains next summer. Now they are busy replacing the city's power facilities. New utility poles, and new electric wires are all being laid out... I heard it's to prepare for the factories in the city. In the future, a portion of the special industries will be relocated to the Buffer Zone and Satellite City No. 1."

"Also, the North Suburbs near the industrial zone aren't expanding outward for the time being, but the South Suburbs are already adjusting the coverage of the Happiness Defense Line. They plan to expand outward by nearly ten kilometers. By then, the Buffer Zone will be almost fifty percent larger."

Whoa!

The Buffer Zone was actually going to start expanding outward?

Listening to Master Tian talk about these plans that had not been mentioned on the radio, Cheng Ye immediately began to ponder. The current area was actually sufficient; the only problem was the lack of strategic depth. Once Infected Bodies breached the Happiness Defense Line, they could drive straight in and wreak havoc across the urban districts.

The North Suburbs had the industrial zone and a group of satellite cities to share the pressure, and the front was blocked by Satellite City No. 1. Only the South Suburbs remained a weak point.

Expanding into the South Suburbs now served two purposes. First, it would adjust the strategic depth of the Buffer Zone and fortify the security perimeter. Second, just as Master Tian said, they could build a new specialized industrial zone to provide more jobs.

"Is this adjustment going to be completed before winter?" Cheng Ye asked.

"I'm not sure about that, but there are quite a few engineering vehicles running to the South Suburbs every day. I reckon they will clear out the expansion area first and then immediately modify the defense line. They wouldn't change the defense line first and then slowly expand the land," Master Tian replied thoughtfully.

"Not bad at all," Cheng Ye nodded repeatedly, his internal approval of this plan growing.

After finishing their chat about the Buffer Zone's changes, Master Tian shifted the topic and smiled in congratulation. "I heard Little Sun's broadcast the day before yesterday. Your Dabo Town has taken in another batch of Drifters. The pace of development is truly incredibly fast!"

"It's nothing worth mentioning," Cheng Ye replied with a smile, his tone placid. "I only took in over a thousand people this time. Among all the satellite cities, that's considered part of the slower batch."

The two casually chatted about the recent situation in the Wilderness.

In the Wasteland World, autumn had always been the safest season of the year, and the month from late September to late October was the safest period of all.

Most Migrants would halt their journeys before this time. Whether they found a suitable Shelter City to settle in or temporarily attached themselves to a Gathering Place, they would never choose to continue rushing about before winter arrived. After all, surviving the harsh winter required a period of accumulating resources.

Meanwhile, those wandering Infected Bodies would heed the call of the malignant Mother Source, gradually gathering together before the onset of winter. They no longer scrambled about erratically to attack humans as they had before.

Of course, the most crucial reason was the massive reduction in human mobility.

The several thousand residents of Dabo Town worked and lived within a fixed perimeter every day, never stepping out of the designated safe zones.

And since ordinary Infection Sources wouldn't spontaneously come searching for humans to infect, the entire region maintained a state of stability.

"That makes a lot of sense," Master Tian nodded in deep agreement. "Moreover, this autumn is even more peaceful than the past few years, and the weather phenomena are exceptionally stable. However, the weather forecast says that the first snow this year should arrive earlier than usual. I just don't know exactly how many days earlier it will be."

The snow would come earlier?

Cheng Ye's heart stirred. There were still a full two months until winter. Could they already predict the snowfall this early?

However, on second thought, the so-called "stable weather phenomena" was merely a superficial appearance in the eyes of ordinary people.

The neighboring Flower Province was already on the verge of the Eternal Night. The sharp drop in daylight hours had caused temperatures to plummet. Since Shi Province bordered Flower Province, it was naturally unavoidable that they would be affected.

As the scope of this low-temperature influence continued to expand and spread to the area where Happiness City was located, it was indeed highly likely that the first snow of the year would fall earlier than in previous years.

As they chatted, the departure time arrived.

Master Tian released the handbrake and lightly pressed the accelerator. The public bus pulled out smoothly along the newly paved asphalt road.

On the way to the urban district, Cheng Ye was surprised to discover that the vast wastelands of the North Suburbs had already entered a massive development phase.

The construction sites were bustling with crowds of people. The roaring of engineering machinery rose and fell, weaving together into a passionate symphony of construction.

In the distance, over a dozen yellow excavators were swinging their steel arms, leveling the foundation scoop by scoop.

By the roadside, temporarily erected blue work sheds connected in a continuous row. Rebar, cement, and scaffolding were neatly piled at the entrances, clearly fully prepared for long-term construction.

Those abandoned old buildings left over from the old era had now been completely demolished. Even the grand theater that the Inspection Station had previously taken great pains to renovate failed to be preserved, leaving behind only a pile of broken ruins.

Driving a bit further forward, what astonished Cheng Ye even more was that the greenhouse training ground had also been torn to pieces. The training equipment that was originally displayed inside now stood lonely within the roadside enclosures, exuding a sense of melancholy over how much things had changed.

He had thought that only the peripheral satellite cities were developing at a rapid pace, but he never expected the changes in the Buffer Zone to be just as massive.

According to this layout, if the newly expanded area in the South Suburbs was designed as an industrial zone, then the vast empty lands cleared out in the North Suburbs would highly likely be constructed into new residential districts.

When that time came, the residents originally living in the center of the urban area would likely relocate here one after another, ultimately vacating the core area of the Buffer Zone so it could be torn down bit by bit and rebuilt into a true Shelter City center.

'To think that all the buildings in the North Suburbs are being demolished... This scale of action is just too extravagant!'

Cheng Ye was left speechless for a moment, not quite knowing what to say.

The so-called Overlord-level Shelter City probably didn't just refer to a Shelter City having the power to run rampant within the province.

Rather, it lay in its profound foundation—the ability to, without relying on any external forces, achieve an independent cycle of resources, production, and civilian livelihood.

Now, Happiness City was investing in the construction of the Buffer Zone regardless of the cost. The magnitude of these changes was no less than rebuilding an entirely new Shelter City.

What was even more astonishing was that twenty-four satellite cities were being built simultaneously, yet Happiness City was still able to steadily support them, continuously providing sufficient building materials and daily necessities.

'I wonder what kind of scene the Light Rainbow Shelter City presents. The technological development and resource reserves there must be vastly more terrifying than those of Happiness City...'

Cheng Ye observed quietly, only snapping back to reality when the public bus came to a steady halt at the station.

"Are you still heading out to hide this winter?" he asked casually.

"Not anymore," Master Tian quickly shook his head, a hint of relief in his tone. "That base of mine has probably been discovered by someone already. Fortunately, there wasn't anything important inside—just some trivial odds and ends. It's no pity if they're lost."

"That's good," Cheng Ye nodded. He casually opened his interface for a quick glance before stepping off the bus through the rear doors.

He could detect a trace of complex emotion hidden in Master Tian's eyes, but he didn't take the initiative to press the matter.

For one thing, the related operations of the merchant caravan would have to wait until the canned fish factory officially began production and had finished goods before they could be fully rolled out.

For another, although Master Tian's cooperation level had increased, it had yet to break past fifty percent, currently sitting at only forty-two percent.

This meant he still hadn't completely made up his mind. It would be better to wait a bit longer, perhaps until he returned from his field duty in Guang Province.

People always changed.

Happiness City had already expended such a massive price for this frenzied construction; shifting the ingrained mindsets of its internal residents would merely be a byproduct of the process.

After entering the urban district, Cheng Ye didn't rush back to his community. Instead, he got his bearings and headed straight for the Department of Livelihood, carrying his document bag.

The plot of land for the canned fish processing factory had already been finalized through remote communication, and the location was set in the South Suburbs.

Compared to setting up a factory in modern society—where one had to calculate environmental indicators and run around various departments to process business licenses and apply for different qualifications—the procedures in the wasteland were much simpler.

Jiang Chuan had already compiled the specific application documents on his behalf in advance. All he needed to do now was submit the paperwork, pay a deposit, and sign the relevant clauses.

Even though Happiness City had yet to launch its industrial construction support policies—meaning applying for land in advance wouldn't yield any discounts right now—it was absolutely certain that once the support policies were implemented, land prices would inevitably soar.

Calculating carefully, if he intended to hold it long-term, it was better to secure it now. That way, he could also select a plot in a prime location.

Walking along, he realized that this was not his first time visiting the Department of Livelihood.

However, the last time he signed the merchant caravan cooperation agreement with Li Matai, he had gone to the Department of Livelihood's notary office and hadn't entered the rear courtyard.

Stepping into the courtyard of the Department of Livelihood now, he saw three four-story buildings from the old era arranged in a triangular formation. Eye-catching signboards hung in front of each building, indicating the different operations they managed.

Cheng Ye identified his destination and walked toward Building Number Three, which was responsible for "Land Leasing."

Following the stairs up to the third floor, he found that a third of the area had been designated specifically for processing land lease procedures. To his surprise, there were people busy at both service windows, and three individuals were sitting in the waiting area.

'Good heavens, have they all sniffed out the next wave of development opportunities in Happiness City?'

However, as he moved closer to observe, he realized that the two people handling procedures weren't leasing land at all. They were actually processing shop acquisition paperwork, looking to contract the storefronts that had gone bankrupt during the Starfish Epidemic incident.

"Buddy, you have to queue up for the procedures. We've been waiting for ages."

Seeing Cheng Ye craning his neck to look forward, a young man in the queue couldn't help but call out.

"Oh, alright. I'll queue up too."

Cheng Ye turned around, gave a slight nod, and naturally took a seat in the chair behind the young man.

After his physique evolved, although his build had condensed somewhat and his sharp aura had grown more restrained, his youthful face and unique temperament still compelled people to steal a few extra glances.

Seeing Cheng Ye actually sitting down beside him, the young man scratched his head and hastily apologized. "Sorry about that, man. I'm just getting anxious. I've been waiting since morning, almost five hours now, and it still isn't my turn."

"Huh? Is it that slow?" Cheng Ye felt surprised.

"It's not the paperwork itself that's slow. It's because an Inspector came by earlier and contracted thirty-seven plots of land in one go!" the young man explained, an unconscious hint of envy showing on his face. "Just verifying the documents took three hours. Otherwise, for those of us contracting shops, it takes half an hour per person at most."

He paused, his tone full of emotion. "The deposit for each plot is five thousand Contribution Points. Thirty-seven plots means one hundred and eighty-five thousand points, and the annual rent is an astronomical figure on top of that. Yet, that Lord Inspector paid the money without batting an eye. What we earn in a lifetime probably wouldn't even amount to a fraction of his wealth."

"Oh?" Cheng Ye's interest was piqued.

'An Inspector actually made a move before I did, and even contracted thirty-seven plots of land all at once? What's going on? When did such a silently wealthy tycoon emerge in the Inspection Station?'

"Do you know which area he contracted?" Cheng Ye asked.

"There's a map on the wall." The young man pointed to the wall on the other side. "The white labels are unleased ones, and the yellow ones are already reserved or contracted."

Cheng Ye stood up, walked over to the wall, and stopped to observe.

On the map, the plots of land in the Buffer Zone were divided into five-hundred-square-meter standard grids, densely packed into hundreds of them.

He focused his gaze on the South Suburbs area. Two-thirds of the plots there had already been marked with yellow tags, including the three-thousand-square-meter factory (six plots) he had selected remotely earlier.

The remaining white tags were mostly concentrated at the edges of the South Suburbs, even nearing the vicinity of the Inspection Station.

'It seems I'm not the only one who has sniffed out the opportunities hidden here...'

Cheng Ye stroked his chin, quickly calculating in his mind.

Most of the rewards for containing the Immortal Object had been converted into satellite city Infrastructure Points; he had only received a one-time reward of fifty thousand Contribution Points.

As for the rewards from the Extinction-level mission, apart from an authority upgrade, there were five thousand Contribution Points in point-value equivalent to fifty thousand standard points, and the Inspection Station had additionally subsidized him with thirty thousand in hard cash.

Setting aside his scattered expenses over this period, he still had a little over sixty thousand left on hand.

He had originally planned to use half the money to pay the deposit and the other half as the first phase of the factory's construction funds. This was already decisive enough.

But he never expected that there would always be someone bolder. There was actually someone with an appetite so much larger than his, snapping up thirty-seven plots all at once.

'I can recoup my investment quickly because I've long since finalized my industrial plans. With this Inspector popping out of nowhere and grabbing so many plots in one go, how many years will it take for them to recover their costs?'

Cheng Ye walked back to his seat and sat down, secretly pondering, growing increasingly curious about the background of this mysterious colleague.

Seeing Cheng Ye's solemn expression, his previous relaxed demeanor completely gone, the young man misunderstood and hurriedly consoled him, "Brother, it's not me trying to be discouraging, but things like contracting land are something ordinary folks like us shouldn't even dream of in this lifetime. Think about it—five thousand Contribution Points for a single plot is enough for a family to move into the Inner City and live comfortably. Why suffer here in the Buffer Zone?"

"Furthermore, everything has to start small. Over the years, quite a few people have made enough money running shops to move into the Inner City. Now that Happiness City is developing so fast, we can start with storefronts, slowly accumulate capital, and maybe one day we'll earn enough to lease a plot of land too!"

"By the way, I haven't asked you yet. Where are you planning to rent? What kind of business are you doing?"

Perhaps because everyone ahead of him in the queue was middle-aged and lacked common topics, catching a peer like Cheng Ye made the young man uncharacteristically cheerful, even a bit of a chatterbox.

"Oh, I'm planning to rent in the South Suburbs and do a little business related to daily livelihood," Cheng Ye replied mildly.

"The South Suburbs?" The young man tilted his chin up, musing. "The construction there is in full swing right now, and there's indeed a lot of foot traffic, but their spending power is average. Even if many people want to buy things, they'll return to the central area. If you open a small convenience store, you'll probably only earn a hard-earned pittance."

"What about you?" Cheng Ye didn't follow up on that, but asked in return.

"Me? I'm definitely opening in the central area, right in the B9 District managed by the Tianyuan Community. The public order there is excellent!" As if he had just been waiting for Cheng Ye to ask this, the young man instantly revealed a smug expression. "I'm also doing a livelihood business, but my trade is a bit special. It won't officially open until next spring. I guarantee you won't be able to guess it!"

"So mysterious?" Cheng Ye couldn't help but chuckle. "You look like you haven't been part of Happiness City for very long."

"You can tell that?" The young man was taken aback, then nodded straightforwardly. "I was born in the Leaping Wilderness. I've survived for so many years, but I never expected that the Leaping Wilderness wouldn't be able to withstand the Infection Tide this year. Fortunately, my family received the news in advance and migrated here straight away, barely escaping the disaster."

"The Leaping Wilderness?" Cheng Ye lowered his head to glance at the young man's hands resting in front of him, then shook his head slightly. "You shouldn't be from Shi Province."

"Don't speak nonsense! Why wouldn't I be?" the young man immediately denied.

"Your left hand is noticeably larger and stronger than your right. That would be normal if you were left-handed, but the way your right hand holds those documents is very natural. It's clearly a mismatch."

Cheng Ye spoke slowly, "Moreover, there's a callus on the inner side of your left thumb that is thicker than anywhere else. Also, your skin has quite a few burn marks. Let me guess, where are you from? Hai Province or Sha Province?"

Gasp.

The young man's expression changed instantly. Although he covered it up extremely fast, that flash of unnaturalness was still exceptionally obvious.

"I am from the Leaping Wilderness! I'm not from any Hai Province or Sha Province."

"Are you a chef?" Cheng Ye continued to press.

The moment those words fell, the young man's face changed completely. He suddenly grew tense. "Do you know me? Or have you investigated me?"

"No, no, no..."

Cheng Ye shook his head with a smile. Just as he was about to continue, the man at the adjacent desk suddenly stood up, smiling as he accepted the documents handed to him by the staff member.

The middle-aged man queued ahead of Cheng Ye and the young man quickly stood up, just about to sit down and process his business.

However, the staff member inside suddenly raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to wait a moment. The worker then stood up respectfully and looked toward the stairwell. "Inspector Zhang!"

Following the staff member's gaze, whether it was the middle-aged man who had just finished his paperwork, the few people in line, or the other staff in the office, everyone subconsciously looked over.

A slightly plump, middle-aged man of average height approached from the stairwell. His face was mildly tanned, and he wore a set of casual black clothes.

He sported neatly combed short hair, the tips tinged with a light brown from long-term sun exposure. A few shallow lines on his forehead etched a sense of composure. His nose wasn't particularly high but had a distinct silhouette. His lips were somewhat thick, exuding a natural air of authority when pressed together.

The most striking feature was his eyes—sharp and bright. When they swept over the crowd, they possessed an unangry yet formidable presence that made people subconsciously hold their breath.

The young man's eyes darted around, and he quickly lowered his voice, wanting to shift away from the topic of his exposed background. "That's Inspector Zhang right there. The one who bought thirty—"

Unexpectedly, before he could even finish speaking, Inspector Zhang's gaze had already locked straight onto them.

The young man's heart tightened, thinking he had been overheard gossiping. But in the next second, he realized that the other party's gaze hadn't landed on him at all.

And following that line of sight...

Huh?

Why was this Inspector Zhang looking at the young man beside him?!

The young man stared blankly. Before he could even react, he saw Inspector Zhang stride over, his face actually bearing a sincere smile that no one had seen all morning. He took the initiative to extend his hand. "Inspector Cheng, hello! This is our first meeting. I am Zhang Qingyang."

What?

Inspector Cheng?