Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 311: Raul's Gift, Crushing a New Path!

Unsurprisingly, his request to take Yu Yong with him was outright rejected by the Research Institute.Allowing a High-Risk Reversed Mother Source Infected Entity to roam outside was practically equivalent to malicious poisoning.

It would be one thing if other shelter cities didn't notice, but if Radiant Rainbow Shelter City found out, it would be no different from a declaration of war. The consequences would be unimaginable.

However, the Research Institute made a slight compromise, still honoring their initial agreement with Yu Yong.

After Cheng Ye left, Yu Yong could remain in Dabo Town. The Research Institute would dispatch dedicated personnel to take over and assist in suppressing his fusion rate whenever it breached the limit.

Cheng Ye went to the warehouse, found Yu Yong, and handed him the institute's notice.

Although there was plenty of room for manipulation here, which could easily be misunderstood as deliberately fabricating this notice.

But Yu Yong clearly understood the threat he posed. After reading it quietly, he nodded and said, "You can go. Staying here to read and study is fine with me."

"I'm sorry. This field mission is an itinerary I set a long time ago. I hope you can understand."

"Mhm," Yu Yong replied indifferently, his expression entirely unruffled.

But just as Cheng Ye was about to step out the door, he suddenly spoke up. "What if I'm still alive half a year from now?"

"Still alive?" Cheng Ye paused his steps and abruptly turned his head. "You can suppress the Mother Source?"

"It's just a tiny possibility, a completely insignificant sliver of hope..." Yu Yong's voice was very soft, yet it carried an imperceptible trace of stubbornness.

'Yu Yong actually has a way to extend his lifespan?'

Cheng Ye's heart trembled, but he didn't offer any promises. "You'll have to discuss this with Happiness City, with the Elders. My opinion won't play any role. But if you can survive—survive until the truth comes to light—Dabo Town won't drive you away before then."

"Okay!" Yu Yong nodded lightly, then lowered his gaze, refocusing on the book in his hands as if their conversation had never happened.

With his final complication properly settled, Cheng Ye closed the warehouse door and turned to leave.

However, that night, he experienced a rare bout of insomnia.

It was already one in the morning, and he felt no sleepiness whatsoever. He simply got up and walked up to the rooftop of the collection station.

A recliner sat on the roof—Luo Kuke's exclusive corner. At night, he always loved to curl up here and listen to martial arts novels to relieve his boredom.

Cheng Ye leaned back in the recliner and looked up at the gloomy night sky. Sparse stars dotted the ink-black canvas, their faint light twinkling in the darkness.

The autumn night breeze blew over, carrying the dampness of the White Water River. It brought a refreshing chill that blew away some of the irritation in his heart.

The sound of the White Water River's waves crashing against the embankments echoed in his ears, muffled yet rhythmic.

Not far away, a row of streetlamps lit up along the main road leading to Wenlu County. The dim yellow halos stretched into the night, like a long dragon winding its way into the depths of the distant darkness.

Countless reveries suddenly surged into his mind. Fragments of the past and expectations for the future intertwined, slowly flowing through his thoughts.

Once upon a time, the Wilderness had been a lingering nightmare to him, and field duty equated to a death threat.

During those nights of grueling, teeth-gritting training, every time he lay in bed, he would encourage himself with the phrase: 'Sweat more now, and you'll have one more sliver of a chance to survive in the field.'

But now, when the day for field duty had actually arrived, everything had already been turned upside down.

He was no longer that ordinary person to be manipulated at will. He was a Source-Binder, a powerful Transcendent.

His status had also leaped from an insignificant Trainee Inspector to a core Inspector at the station, and even the future Director of Leap Wilderness Station.

Counting it all up, all these changes had occurred in merely half a year.

Recalling this arduous period, Cheng Ye felt somewhat dazed. Those emotions that had once kept him tossing and turning at night seemed to have been gently erased by the passage of time.

He couldn't remember the frustration of being unable to break through Liu Bi's defense back then, nor could he recall the sense of powerlessness when his martial arts progress stagnated, spending every day pondering how to improve his speed.

That saying was indeed correct: when you stand at a higher place and look back, those hurdles you once thought insurmountable were nothing but a bit of wind and frost.

As he was lost in thought, the evening breeze swept over with the chill of an autumn night. The tranquility of the rooftop instead brought forth traces of drowsiness.

Cheng Ye's head tilted to the side, and he actually fell fast asleep in the recliner.

By the time the Defense Terminal next to him rang abruptly, the horizon was already tinged with the hazy pale white of dawn.

"Good thing my constitution is strong enough now. Otherwise, taking the wind on this rooftop all night would have definitely given me a cold."

Cheng Ye stretched and stood up, moving his somewhat stiff limbs, feeling exceptionally exhilarated.

However, sleeping outdoors for a night inevitably left his hair and body coated in dampness and dust, making him feel uncomfortably sticky.

He went downstairs for a quick wash. By the time he changed his clothes and came out, Yin Ruofeng and the other three had arrived precisely on time at the front of the collection station.

Luo Kuke, Wang Kang, Mu Shuang, Hou Genbao, Huang Sheng, Lin Xu, Zhu Xiang... anyone who knew he was heading out for field duty had woken up early, spontaneously gathering at the door to see him off.

Luo Xiaoxue was also standing in the crowd holding a sleepy Liu Yi, a gentle smile on her face.

"Sister Luo, hurry up and take Yiyi back to sleep. The early morning wind is cold, it wouldn't be good if she caught a chill," Cheng Ye said as he walked over.

"You'll have to ask her," Luo Xiaoxue gently bounced her arms, helpless but amused. "Yesterday, she kept pestering me, insisting that I wake her up before you leave today. She absolutely demanded to come see you off."

Jostled like this, Liu Yi jolted awake. Blearily catching sight of Cheng Ye, she immediately stretched out her little arms and cried out in a milky, childish voice, "Brother Cheng Ye, hug!"

"Why are you so well-behaved today?" Cheng Ye smiled as he took her into his arms, unable to resist poking her soft, tender little cheek with his finger, his face full of doting affection.

"You said last time that you would bring me back lots of seeds! Lots and lots of... yummy seeds!" Liu Yi rubbed her eyes, her tone carrying that unique seriousness only a child possessed.

After eating fresh stir-fried dishes for a few days, the little girl's criteria for seeds had completely shifted from 'pretty' to 'tasty.'

Cheng Ye couldn't help but smile, repeatedly giving his word. However, just as his voice faded, Liu Yi's head tilted, and she actually fell right back asleep against his shoulder.

Clearly, seeing him off was a pretense; taking the opportunity to remind him to fulfill his promise was the real goal.

"Pay attention to your safety on the road," Luo Xiaoxue gently instructed as she took the sleeping Liu Yi back. "Help me pass a message to Brother B, tell him not to act foolishly on the road. And as for Niu Fu, tell him his family will be brought over to the town in a couple of days, so he doesn't need to worry."

"Rest assured, Sister Luo. I might be worried if we were going to Hai Province, but going to Guang Province is absolutely no problem."

Catching the deep-seated worry in her eyes, Cheng Ye lowered his voice and added, "I'll find time to investigate Yiyi's issue. Keep a close eye on her over these next two months. Absolutely do not let her touch any strange plants."

"Mhm, I understand." Luo Xiaoxue nodded solemnly.

After finishing his instructions to Luo Xiaoxue, Cheng Ye turned to Wang Kang, his tone turning strict. "Xiao Kang, after I leave, you cannot slack off in the slightest on the exercises you need to practice or the things you need to learn. Find time to thoroughly read all those materials I gave you, and ideally, take some notes. These concepts regarding intelligence analysis and risk prediction are the true keys to an Inspector's survival. They're far more important than mere martial prowess."

Wang Kang nodded heavily, his eyes resolute. "I understand, Brother Cheng! You must be careful out there. I'm still waiting for you to take me on field duty next time!"

"Haha, you brat," Cheng Ye couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He suddenly remembered how Liu Bi had promised to take him out on field duty back then, and now it had become him taking Wang Kang.

Perhaps this was the invisible legacy passed down between Inspectors.

Standing to the side, Luo Kuke saw things quite clearly. He didn't offer any excessive warnings, merely patting his chest and pledging confidently, "You can safely leave the town to me! Don't let the fact that I'm a half-dead cripple fool you. If any blind Infected Bodies dare to visit, I guarantee they won't even touch the edge of the town. They absolutely won't cross my line of defense!"

"Inspector Luo, guarding the town is a massive merit in itself."

Cheng Ye's expression turned serious as he reached out and patted his shoulder. "I won't say anything unnecessary. Dabo Town is in your hands."

With that said, Cheng Ye looked up at the various Department Heads and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, the future of Dabo Town rests in your hands. In two months, when I return, I hope to see a completely revitalized Dabo Town!"

"Inspector Cheng, please rest assured!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices resonant, echoing through the early morning.

Seeing this, Cheng Ye sniffled, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and gave a slight nod.

He then raised his hand, signaling Yin Ruofeng and his three companions to get in the vehicle, while he slid into the driver's seat.

Rumble.

The low roar of the engine suddenly erupted. The exhaust pipe spewed wisps of white smoke into the chilly autumn morning, dissipating in the dawn light.

Cheng Ye rolled down the window, waved to the crowd seeing them off, and then stepped on the gas. The armored vehicle slowly drove away.

The tires crushed over the surface of the town's streets, emitting a crunching sound as they headed further and further down the main road, towards the gradually brightening morning light.

However, unexpectedly, when the vehicle reached the intersection bordering Dabo Town and Wenlu County, a group of people were standing in the distance. Every single one of them had their necks shrunk against the cold, pacing back and forth on the spot for warmth.

Looking closely, it was actually Raul leading a group of second-generation Westerners, waiting right there.

Spotting the armored vehicle approaching, the group's previously shivering appearance vanished instantly. In the blink of an eye, they stood neatly in a single file line, their backs perfectly straight.

If it weren't for Cheng Ye's superb eyesight clearly catching the scene, he would have almost thought their previous cowering forms were an illusion.

The vehicle slowly came to a halt. Cheng Ye rolled down the window and poked his head out, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Everyone had heavy, dark bags under their eyes. They had clearly stayed up all night without closing their eyes.

"When did you all get here?"

"We arrived at four-thirty!" Raul flashed a wide grin, revealing two rows of white teeth. "You're heading out for field duty today. How could we dare to sleep?"

"Good job on the formalities."

Cheng Ye chuckled lightly. "Spare me from this kind of thing in the future. It makes it seem like I care a lot about these flashy, superficial displays of pageantry."

"Inspector Cheng, this isn't just an empty formality!" Raul quickly waved his hands, then shot a look behind him. "We brought you a gift."

As soon as he spoke, someone immediately handed over a heavy backpack.

Opening it revealed an object resembling a laptop computer.

It was roughly forty centimeters in length and width, but its thickness exaggeratedly reached ten centimeters, fully embodying Happiness City's unique 'thick brick' industrial style.

"What is this?"

"My mother scoured through all the data for this Fierce Dragon Armored Vehicle left behind by Inspector Cheng Long in the Industrial District. Its original design blueprints are incredibly complete, but many components weren't equipped due to technological limitations at the time. This thing in my hands is one of them," Raul said, reaching out to flip open the cover of this 'laptop' and pressing the power button.

With a fizzing sound of electricity, the screen lit up. Raul performed a few rapid operations, and the vehicle-mounted radar on the rear roof of the armored vehicle suddenly beeped twice.

On the front dashboard, the originally dim radar panel instantly lit up with a green glow, indicating it was operational.

"This is the Falcon Situational Awareness Radar from the original design!"

Raul's tone couldn't hide his excitement. "When Inspector Cheng Long designed it back then, he wanted the armored vehicle to have all-weather battlefield reconnaissance capabilities. It was meant to roughly detect targets within three kilometers and precisely lock onto ground moving targets and low-altitude targets within one kilometer. Unfortunately, the signal processing chip technology wasn't mature enough at the time, and they couldn't build the corresponding terminal device, so this function was left defunct."

"But now, our technology is sufficient!"

Raul patted the laptop in his hands and hauled this thick, heavy terminal over to the vehicle window, his tone unable to conceal his smugness. "My mother commissioned someone to reconstruct the control module. This terminal is the radar's brain. Now, the Falcon Radar can operate at full power!"

Three primary functions were displayed on the screen: [Reconnaissance and Detection], [Target Tracking], and [Signal Decryption].

"Reconnaissance and Detection and Target Tracking are native functions of the Falcon Radar; you'll understand them once you try them out. But Signal Decryption is a new function I added to this device. It contains a compatible radio frequency signal reception and processing module, capable of intercepting and deciphering wireless radio signals."

Raul paused, then hastily added, "Of course, decrypting the encrypted signals of shelter cities would definitely be too tough, but for unencrypted small gathering places, deciphering their signals will be absolutely no problem."

'Holy shit.'

'Is this the power of a family's foundation?'

Cheng Ye's eyes instantly lit up. He took the terminal and casually tapped on it a few times, growing more delighted the more he looked at it.

After getting his hands on the Fierce Dragon Armored Vehicle, he had never entertained the idea of modifying it.

For one, his funds weren't plentiful. For another, in his eyes, this vehicle's performance was already perfect enough. He hadn't expected the Davidson family to be so thoughtful, anticipating even the needs he hadn't considered himself.

Just the two functions of detecting feedback from surrounding living creatures and deciphering radio waves could absolutely exert unimaginable effects if used in the right situations. "Make sure you do more of this kind of 'superficial formality' in the future."

Cheng Ye smiled and praised, his tone full of approval. "I'm the kind of person who really falls for these superficial formalities!"

'I definitely bet right!'

Hearing this, an unconcealable joy immediately rippled across Raul's face.

Davidson, who was an Inspector just like Cheng Ye, could directly give money as an elder.

But he was of the younger generation; giving money would instead seem distant and impersonal. After thinking it over, and considering Cheng Ye's needs for field duty, he had set his sights on modifying the armored vehicle.

"Send the complete design blueprints for the armored vehicle back to Dabo Town later," Cheng Ye added.

"Yes, sir! I'll arrange it immediately!" Raul hastily agreed, puffing his chest out even straighter.

"Alright, all of you head back. I accept the gesture."

Cheng Ye waved his hand. Although this group of second-generation Westerners didn't manage to get a word in, just being able to show their faces before him and deliver the right gift left them completely satisfied.

The armored vehicle started up again and continued driving forward.

Inside the vehicle, Yin Ruofeng and the other three looked at the terminal Cheng Ye had placed in the passenger seat, unable to help but click their tongues in amazement.

Compared to the data provided by the Inspection Station, the strength and connections Cheng Ye displayed were clearly far more astonishing than what was written on paper.

The vehicle merged onto the national highway, then passed the outpost station in the Industrial District.

The interior of the Fierce Dragon Armored Vehicle couldn't be called comfortable, and its chassis was as stiff as an iron plate. However, when they reached the dirt road leading to East Peace Town, its advantages immediately became apparent. The wide tires directly rolled right over the bumpy, pothole-riddled surface, leaving the vehicle body with almost no excess jolting. It was far steadier than an ordinary family car.

Upon arriving at the East Peace Town Inspection Station, Liu Bi and Niu Fu were indeed already waiting at the entrance, with Li Matai standing to the side.

Their luggage was very simple. They each carried a small backpack, traveling extremely light.

Cheng Ye had also brought along his two long firearms, the Thunderbolt-1 and the Dominator, but Liu Bi and Niu Fu were seasoned veterans of field duty. Finding long guns cumbersome, they had only brought a Bison Combat Pistol each.

However, imposingly sitting at the entrance to the Inspection Station were two brand-new, massive tires—spare tires specifically prepared for the armored vehicle.

"Brother B!"

Cheng Ye called out, bringing the armored vehicle to a steady stop at the station's entrance.

Yin Ruofeng and the other three on board hastily disembarked, stepping forward one by one to greet Liu Bi and Li Matai.

"Everyone lend a hand and strap the tires to the roof."

Right as Liu Bi finished speaking, Niu Fu had already nimbly climbed onto the roof, skillfully using ropes to secure the two new tires in place.

Logically speaking, the Fierce Dragon Armored Vehicle's tires rarely blew out in non-combat situations, but the purpose of bringing spares was clear: to eliminate any accidents. Leaving things to luck was the greatest taboo on a field duty trip.

"Oh, right. Yesterday, I scoped out a guy in the Buffer Zone who knows how to farm. His name is Zhou Hai. I've already arranged for him to report to East Peace Town in a couple of days. He should be bringing his whole family along."

Cheng Ye gave a brief rundown, and Li Matai nodded in agreement. "Alright. I'll assign him a thirty-person team. If he shows capability, I'll promote him further up."

"Just handle the arrangements as you see fit. If his abilities can't keep up, treat him like an ordinary resident. No need for any special care."

Cheng Ye didn't mention the disastrous failure of the seed experiments over at Leaping Wilderness, deciding to leave Li Matai in the dark for the time being.

Perhaps Happiness City would be able to breed suitable seeds before spring next year.

The experienced Niu Fu swapped into the driver's seat. Cheng Ye was just about to sit in the second row, but Liu Bi stopped him and motioned for him to take the passenger seat. "You don't have enough field experience. Sit up front, watch, and learn. You'll have plenty of opportunities to lead teams out into the Wilderness on your own in the future, so you need to accumulate experience now."

"Alright!" Hearing this, Cheng Ye pulled open the car door and sat in the passenger seat.

The others boarded one by one. Even with the addition of Liu Bi and Niu Fu, the spacious interior of the armored vehicle didn't feel crowded in the slightest.

"We're off," Cheng Ye waved at Li Matai.

"Go on, off with you. It's just a trip to Guang Province, yet you're acting like we're parting for life."

Li Matai, seeing things just as clearly as Luo Kuke, joked with a smile, "If you see any rare novelties when you get to Radiant Rainbow, remember to bring a piece back for me, just so I can broaden my horizons too."

"Heh, I'll sell it to you for double the price then," Cheng Ye replied.

"Forget double. If it's a good item that actually catches your eye, I'd pay five times the price for it!" Li Matai laughed heartily, his face beaming with merriment.

Listening to the two banter from the second row, Liu Bi couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation.

"Old Niu, let's go."

"You got it." Compared to Cheng Ye's leisurely temperament, Niu Fu seemed much more explosive.

He slammed his foot on the gas. The engine instantly erupted with powerful force, and the armored vehicle shot forward violently.

Moreover, they didn't take the existing dirt roads of East Peace Town. Instead, like a wild bull freed from its reins, they charged recklessly into the vast, boundless Wilderness.

Since there were no mature, established routes left leading to Guang Province, they would simply... crush a new path of their own!