Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 354: Field Duty Complete, Crossing into Guang Province!

Zheng Dayou trembled violently, raising his head involuntarily. His eyes carried an unconcealable shock.Cheng Ye's face remained as placid as an undisturbed lake. "You are a smart man," he said lightly. "You should know exactly what I want to hear."

A few seconds later, all the complex emotions on Zheng Dayou's face suddenly faded away, replaced by an unnatural calmness. It was as if the struggling, helpless man from a moment ago had vanished.

"Inspector Cheng, I understood too late. There is no turning back for me now."

He sniffled, his voice tinged with a raspy hoarseness. "In all the years since I discovered the Winter Moon Ore, no one has ever left the Gathering Place alive with it. Zhuang Jing was the first. But it was only after he left that I finally realized something. Since the Winter Moon Ore was bound to be exposed sooner or later, why didn't I use it to seek more benefits back when I was young and still able to hold a gun? Why didn't I rely on it to stockpile resources early on and properly develop the Gathering Place?"

"So, not long after he left, I immediately regretted it. I simply found Zhang Weidong and told him the secret of the ore. I wanted to know what value these stones had in the eyes of outsiders. But the result only made me regret it even more. Those risks I worried about never actually materialized; it was all my own excessive anxiety."

"If I could do it all over again, I absolutely would have reported the news of the ore vein to Happiness City the very first chance I got!"

"Oh? And what do you plan to do now?"

Cheng Ye gave a slight nod. "Are you waiting for Twin Moon Lake to repeat the mistakes of the Red River Gathering Place? Are you rushing to find a way out before the Winter Moon Ore is fully excavated? Or do you want to make a fortune in the chaos and then fly far away?"

"Yes. I have already sent people to scout the terrain of the Guangshi Mountain Range."

Zheng Dayou no longer hid anything, honestly confessing everything. "If nothing unexpected happens, Twin Moon Lake will relocate and rebuild in those mountains after this winter ends. During the relocation process, we can exchange our Labor Force for a handsome reward. Coupled with our previously accumulated grain reserves, starting over shouldn't be difficult."

The Winter Moon Ore would inevitably spark a fierce dispute between the two great Shelter Cities. Twin Moon Lake lacked the strength for pulling chestnuts out of the fire. They could only hope that when these two Hegemon-Class Haven Cities fought, a few crumbs of benefits would slip through their fingers—just enough for them to gain a foothold.

The Red River Gathering Place had done the exact same thing years ago. Because of the Redstone, neither faction allowed the other to directly enter and mine. They only permitted the people of Red River to extract it and sell it through public bidding, which allowed Red River to make a massive fortune.

What he wanted to do now was replicate Red River's past glory.

However, such behavior was exactly like carving the boat to find the sword. The current circumstances were completely different.

One careless misstep, and the boat would capsize completely.

"And what if I give you a second choice?" Cheng Ye suddenly asked.

"What?" Zheng Dayou asked reflexively.

"The Winter Moon Ore indeed cannot be mined until winter arrives. But I can guarantee you that this winter, no one will be able to lay a finger on those stones. Great Banyan Shelter City won't be able to, and neither will Light Rainbow. Even if the sky falls, no outsiders will be allowed into the mine to excavate."

Seeing Zheng Dayou being so cooperative, Cheng Ye slowly revealed the plan in his heart. "This winter, Twin Moon Lake can continue to remain peaceful. Come spring next year, I will spend an entire year restoring the trade route leading from Happiness City to Guang Province. Once the trade route is opened, Happiness City and Light Rainbow will reach a formal agreement to systematically mine this Winter Moon Ore vein next winter."

Setting off from Dabo Town and transporting goods by waterway to Hu Province was certainly a viable route, but establishing a land connection through Guang Province was actually much more economical and reliable.

Moreover, compared to Hu Province, with the influx of numerous Shelter Cities from Flower Province and Hai Province, the commerce across the entirety of Guang Province would become even more prosperous.

Once the trade route was restored, there would inevitably be brave pioneers who would forge ahead, liberating Happiness City from its previous semi-isolated state so it no longer had to rely entirely on the Official Caravan for transporting goods.

At the same time, the goods produced by Happiness City could be shipped to Guang Province through this trade route in exchange for resources and profits.

In truth, this was a business venture that would yield immediate cash flow the moment it was opened.

However, because Light Rainbow had been developing better and better over the years, if the trade route had been maintained, Happiness City would have only had its resources continuously siphoned away. That was why it had gradually been abandoned.

But things were different now. Since Happiness City had decided to transition its development and now possessed a foundation in agriculture, they might as well pull out all the stops and go big.

And the Winter Moon Ore was undoubtedly the perfect opportunity for this.

As for whether Happiness City would dispatch a military legion to protect Twin Moon Lake, that wasn't even within Cheng Ye's scope of consideration.

All he had to do was transmit the information back through the alliance network, making the hidden value of these ores crystal clear.

Happiness City was no pushover, either. They absolutely wouldn't miss a chance to take a cut of the profits.

Furthermore, resorting to armed conflict between the two sides was truly a last resort.

Generally speaking, between Hegemon-Class Haven Cities, there would always be a more appropriate resolution, just like how the Redstone mines were distributed back in the day.

Meanwhile, Cheng Ye harbored an even greater ambition.

If Li Ming's small faction could open routes through Sha Province, Dong Province, and over two hundred other Shelter Cities to bring back massive amounts of resources...

...then there was no reason Inspector Cheng's small faction couldn't open routes through Guang Province and Hu Province, bringing all three hundred-plus large and small Shelter Cities into their trading network.

As his words fell, Zheng Dayou's expression grew slightly solemn as he sank into deep thought.

After a long while, his eyes lit up, and he asked tentatively, "Do you mean..."

"Relocating to the Guangshi Mountain Range is one path. Staying here and spending a year slowly transitioning is another. Ultimately, the choice lies with you, the Lord of this settlement," Cheng Ye said in an even tone.

"But our Twin Moon Lake only knows how to farm..." Zheng Dayou smiled bitterly, voicing his greatest concern. "Inspector Cheng, I've already tested it. That Winter Moon Ore, once buried underground for a period of time, can block the Petrification Curse, allowing our Crops to grow smoothly. Therefore, once the ore vein is mined out, our Twin Moon Lake will essentially be suffering a slow, agonizing death."

"Do not underestimate your own potential. I actually think... not even those actors on the screen could compare to you."

Cheng Ye suddenly smiled. "Just like when Vice Lord Zhuang Jing took the Winter Moon Ore out, you realized that this secret would be exposed sooner or later. You thought it would have been better to expose it while you were young, allowing you to risk everything while the environment was still stable. The same logic applies now. Whether you choose to risk everything right here in a familiar place, or become a new Gathering Place deep in the mountains, it entirely depends on your personal choice."

"As for how to transition, I can only say that in this chaotic era, everyone is profoundly bewildered. Twin Moon Lake is like this, and so is Happiness City. The only difference lies in whether or not one has the courage to try."

Having said his piece, he saw that Zheng Dayou was completely dumbfounded, lost in profound thought.

Cheng Ye said no more. He stepped forward, hurrying toward the next section of the field ridges to continue his observations.

It wasn't until the pale white of dawn appeared on the horizon that the steady rain gradually ceased, turning into a hazy, drizzling mist.

It was visible to the naked eye that the people who had been toiling in the fields all night let out a collective sigh of relief.

Happiness City could enjoy the satellite weather broadcasts from Kindling Shelter City and make preparations well in advance.

However, a small place like this could only passively endure such sudden assaults from nature.

If they had known in advance that it would rain during the night, they could have started preparing two days prior, avoiding this miserable, panicked scramble entirely.

The personnel quickly gathered, and a headcount began.

All the Inspectors immediately threw themselves into their work, conducting further assessments on everyone's condition.

Perhaps influenced by his impending departure, Zhang Weidong acted extremely diligent. He didn't care in the slightest about the mud splattered on the residents' pant legs and shoes, meticulously completing every single inspection.

It was only when the sky brightened completely and the rain stopped entirely that the basic inspections were declared finished.

After passing through the shabby, rudimentary Inspection Station, everyone's nerves, which had been taut all night, finally relaxed completely.

Plumes of white steam were already wafting from the cafeteria situated between the first and second phases of the settlement. The rich, savory aroma of food drilled straight into their nostrils, making people swallow hard.

The Armored Vehicle was still parked inside the Inspection Station. Aside from bathroom breaks, Zhang Daping spent the entire time guarding the vehicle on high alert.

"Steward Zhang, you've worked hard these past two days."

"Inspector Cheng, how is this hard work?" Zhang Daping grinned broadly. "People even deliver my meals right into my hands. It's incredibly comfortable!"

After saying that, he watched Cheng Ye open the rear doors of the vehicle and quickly asked with delight, "Are we leaving today?"

"Yes, get ready." Cheng Ye nodded, reaching in to briefly inspect the vehicle's supplies. "Today we need to rush to Black Branding Mountain to execute the next field duty task. Once that's done, we will head straight through the mountain range and arrive at the borders of Guang Province.

"

Just as his voice fell, Liu Bi, Niu Fu, and Yin Ruofeng walked out wearing raincoats.

"Didn't sleep?" Liu Bi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I woke up in the second half of the night, so I went out for a stroll to learn some emergency flood rescue methods." Cheng Ye smiled, adding, "After all, next year we might also have to live this kind of life, depending on the heavens for our meals."

"That's completely different." Liu Bi waved his hand, his tone firm. "We have weather forecasts and agricultural machinery. There's no way we'd end up in such a miserable state."

The group did a quick check of their equipment. The only things they needed to replenish were fresh water and fuel.

Twin Moon Lake still had a small stockpile of the latter, so Yin Ruofeng immediately called over the staff member responsible for auditing the accounts yesterday.

They quickly finalized a price. Seven Contribution Points per liter of fuel, which was quite a reasonable deal.

Refueling two hundred liters all at once only cost them 1,400 Contribution Points.

Factoring in the Infection Sources consumed yesterday, Twin Moon Lake still needed to pay Happiness City 119,000 Happiness Coins, which converted to roughly 17,000 Contribution Points.

"That much?"

Cheng Ye glanced over the calculated bill and secretly clicked his tongue. He suddenly realized that Happiness City truly spent money like water when it came to investments.

Over the years, their financial support for Twin Moon Lake had exceeded 150,000 Contribution Points, well over a million Happiness Coins. The vast majority of it had been spent on constructing basic living facilities and replenishing consumables.

As for establishing an industrial foundation, when Cheng Ye first read the files in Tang Si's office, he assumed Happiness City had deliberately chosen not to provide such support. He thought it was a tactic to keep these Gathering Places forever dependent on the core city, turning them into stable, in-situ production hubs for nutritional paste.

It wasn't until he walked the grounds in person that he fully understood the truth. Without an energy system to support it, even if they poured mountains of money into building an industrial foundation, it would just end up as a pile of scrap iron.

The reason Great Banyan Shelter City could offer such tempting promises was precisely because they had Radiant Rainbow Shelter City backing them, allowing them to help Gathering Places build complete energy systems.

This was the absolute core weapon for winning over these small Gathering Places.

"Whatever is calculated is what it is. No need to double-check it," Cheng Ye nodded decisively.

Soon, two large crates of Happiness Coins were carried over, entirely composed of large-denomination 100-value coins.

After Yin Ruofeng meticulously counted them, he placed the audited ledger into the crate. Cheng Ye personally snapped the clasps shut and entered the password to lock it.

From this moment on, the very first field duty mission of Inspector Cheng's career was officially considered a complete success.

All that was left was to bring these two crates of money back to Happiness City, and a groundbreaking first entry would be added to his blank field duty resume.

Closing the trunk and leaving Zhang Daping to guard the vehicle, the four of them turned and walked toward the Lord's compound.

This was their final breakfast at Twin Moon Lake, and it was anything but extravagant.

Aside from the portions being slightly larger than usual, the dishes were no different from what was served in the Ordinary Residents' cafeteria.

Steamed buns and stir-fried vegetables paired with millet porridge—a simple yet hearty breakfast was laid out on the table.

Cheng Ye sat beside Zheng Dayou. The two chatted and laughed as they finished this farewell meal, acting as if their conversation in the rainy night had never even happened.

It wasn't until everyone began leaving the table one after another, and Zhang Weidong grabbed his luggage-filled suitcase, that Zheng Dayou stood up and spoke with a solemn expression, "Inspector Cheng..."

"It's fine, you don't need to give me an answer right now. You can take your time to think it over."

Cheng Ye raised a hand to interrupt him. "I'll pass through Twin Moon Lake again on my way back. It won't be too late to tell me your choice then."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Also, I need you to issue a certificate for me. Next, I have to visit Great Banyan Shelter City to meet with Vice Lord Zhuang Jing and gather some more information."

"Understood!" Zheng Dayou nodded heavily. He turned around, returned to his office, and quickly filled out a certificate slip before bringing it out.

Even though Zhuang Jing had long since betrayed Twin Moon Lake, in name, he was still the Vice Lord here.

For an Inspector from Happiness City to seek out the Vice Lord of an allied territory for an inquiry was perfectly reasonable and justified. The only variable was whether Great Banyan Shelter City would agree to it.

"Alright, we've intruded for two days now, it's time for us to head out." Cheng Ye accepted the certificate slip, folded it, and tucked it into the inner pocket of his jacket.

Having stayed for just two days, he had very few personal belongings to carry, leaving him traveling light.

Politely declining Zheng Dayou's offer to bring people to see them off, the group turned back to the Inspection Station and boarded the Armored Vehicle straight away.

As for the many Ordinary Residents of Twin Moon Lake, they didn't even know that an Inspector from Happiness City had ever visited their territory.

They arrived keeping a low profile, and left in a dashing manner, leaving no excess traces behind.

Cheng Ye lightly stepped on the accelerator, and the Armored Vehicle slowly drove out of the Inspection Station.

He took one last look through the rearview mirror at the agricultural Gathering Place that had persevered through the rainy night. An inexplicable trace of melancholy welled up in his heart, and he couldn't help but think of Dabo Town and East Peace Town, which were hundreds of kilometers away.

Thinking about it, they had already been out on this field duty for half a month.

He wondered how the two towns were developing and whether they had encountered any unexpected situations.

But then again, if one ignored the hidden Infection Sources and the risks of the Wilderness along the way, this kind of field duty was undeniably freeing.

The skies were high and the roads were long. Without being bound by the rigid rules and regulations of the city, it was no wonder High-Tier Inspectors preferred running about on the outside year-round, unwilling to stay within the city walls.

However, moving onward from Twin Moon Lake, the road ahead wouldn't be nearly as smooth. There would no longer be any familiar Gathering Places that Happiness City had collaborated with for years for them to rest at.

Not to mention the mixed bag of over a hundred Shelter Cities within Guang Province, just their destination today—the Black Branding Mountain Gathering Place located in the Guangshi Mountain Range—would be an entirely new challenge.

The trade routes in Shi Province had long been severed. Yet, someone had somehow managed to bypass countless obstacles to contact Happiness City and proactively request cooperation.

Regardless of whether this was a meticulously laid trap behind the scenes or if the other party truly held valuable bargaining chips in their hands, the troubles that needed resolving would be far more complicated than simply determining the viability of meat-based nutritional paste.

If they could truly establish cooperation, this Gathering Place would become a crucial nail planted by Happiness City right on the border.

The significance of this would be absolutely massive!

...