Never before had Cheng Ye felt that duty hours could be so unbearably long.
Even the shortened duty period felt like an infinitely stretched rubber band.
After Liu Kun left, he forced himself to hold on until 6 PM, when his vision began to darken and his temples throbbed incessantly. He finally called out to Wang Kang.
"Xiao Kang, come take over for a while. I can't hold on anymore."
"Coming!" Wang Kang was holding a book, clearly having picked up the "book addiction" from following him.
Hearing the call, he immediately put down the book, went to wash his hands, and quickly walked to the inspection counter to take over the work.
Originally, he thought Cheng Ye didn't trust his abilities, but the reality was that throughout this day, even at this hour, there was still a queue of over a hundred people outside, and the inspection difficulty had visibly increased dramatically.
Moreover, from the scattered accounts of the scavengers, it was clear that after the Walker's appearance, the danger level of the wasteland had exponentially multiplied.
Mutant beasts that previously only operated in specific areas seemed awakened by some force, their aggressiveness greatly increased.
Some infected entities hidden deep in ruins began emerging in broad daylight, wandering everywhere.The scavengers sent out from Happiness City were like startled birds, desperately rushing back.
Looking at the registration manual that had just been replaced this morning, it was densely filled with annotations and data. The daily entry count had already exceeded 1,500 people.
And this was basically the limit of full operation.
The three inspection stations combined could process at most just over 10,000 people per day. Any more would cause chaos.
Because examination, interrogation, and verification, if any single link failed, infected entities could slip into the urban area and cause catastrophic consequences.
After Wang Kang took over, the inspection speed noticeably increased but with so many people still queuing at this hour, it was destined to be anything but peaceful.
"Roar!!"
The isolation door closed with a buzz, and two green giant infected entities suddenly entered their explosive phase. Their swelling muscles burst through their tattered clothes as they roared and charged toward the inspection counter.
Cheng Ye, who had just curled up on the reclining chair for less than two minutes, hadn't even touched his holster when he heard two crisp "bang bang" sounds.
Wang Kang had already drawn his Buffalo combat pistol, with faint smoke still rising from the barrel.
His stance was steady, his eyes calm unlike a rookie's. Two shots precisely exploded their heads, his movements even half a beat faster than the nearby Snake.
"Well done, excellent!"
Cheng Ye sat up and couldn't help but applaud, a strange feeling suddenly welling up in his heart.
This was probably how Liu Bi felt when watching him back then.
No need for repeated reminders or deliberate demonstrations, Wang Kang could precisely hit every key point and perfectly meet or even exceed expectations.
Perhaps in the future, he would never find another "student" like Wang Kang who could so quickly pick up on all his requirements.
"It's all thanks to Brother Cheng's good teaching."
Wang Kang turned his head and grinned.
This smile made Cheng Ye's feeling of "becoming Liu Bi" even stronger.
It even made him fantasize that in another ten days or half a month, when Liu Bi returned in autumn, would he already possess the means to contend with Unity of Heaven and Man?
Would he be able to punch Brother B away with one blow?
"Continue, don't get cocky."
Cheng Ye smiled and waved his hand, casually taking out two blue-packaged nutritional pastes from the nearby supply box and leaning back in his chair.
Although Wang Kang looked like he could handle things independently, Cheng Ye knew in his heart that it was still far from time to relax.
Looking at the winding queue outside the isolation net and the continuous stream of figures emerging from the thick fog, today's inspection station probably couldn't close on time at 8 PM as regulations required.
Because tomorrow morning, the first batch of migrants would enter, and tonight they had to clear the backlog of people, otherwise tomorrow would only be more chaotic!
Tearing open the package and drinking it down, the cool liquid slid down his throat, making Cheng Ye frown involuntarily.
Compared to the yellow-packaged nutritional paste with its osmanthus fragrance, this blue package was ridiculously hard to drink.
Sickeningly sweet.
Like directly pouring half a bag of sugar cubes, leaving only an overpoweringly sweet taste on his tongue tip, making even his throat feel sticky.
Fortunately, the effect was immediate.
Just two minutes after drinking, a weak warm current spread from his stomach, making him feel slightly energized, and his eyelids weren't so heavy anymore.
After another four or five minutes, that energy completely surged up, his head feeling like it had been sprinkled with mint powder, refreshingly cool, quite similar to the blue medicine's stimulating effect that Master Tian had prepared.
"Not bad, this is good stuff!"
Cheng Ye smacked his lips, crumpled the empty package into a ball, and accurately tossed it into the trash can in the corner.
If this blue-packaged nutritional paste could be as stimulating as it was now, without the blue medicine's side effects of splitting headaches and needing to sleep afterward, the cost would definitely not be low.
Currently having a quota of 100 packages per day, this treatment was absolutely top-tier.
Perfect for tonight's transcendent talent installation. He'd apply for a hundred yellow-packaged nutritional pastes after work.
No matter how demanding the transcendent talent was, it should be enough, right?
No, to be safe, he'd have Wang Kang apply for another hundred packages. Foolproof.
Cheng Ye was calculating in his mind, couldn't help but call up the panel again and click into the personal interface.
He had looked at this page at least twenty times today, but still found it fresh.
Too beautiful.
Ordinary skills and talents were all displayed as lines of black text, neatly arranged without any fanfare but the Heart-Protecting Fire was framed in a red box, with eye-catching crimson text, and faint flowing flame patterns within the frame.
As for the transcendent seed and fire basin he had obtained.
Cheng Ye reached back and pulled out the pendant, holding it before his eyes for a careful look.
The transcendent seed looked like a miniature egg, entirely fire-red with several faint golden patterns embroidered on the shell.
The Flame Eagle's fire basin was even more special. Though called a basin, it was more like a small cauldron.
The cauldron body was made of translucent fire jade, through which he could see three flames quietly dormant inside.
Three cauldron legs shaped like eagle feathers pointed skyward, with several mysterious flame patterns carved on the body. Looking closely, those patterns seemed alive, slowly flowing under the light.
"Not bad. Though it's just a rice bowl, it's still my first transcendent item."
Cheng Ye tucked the pendant back into his collar and reclined in the chair for a moment.
Only after feeling his spirits somewhat recovered did he get up and walk to Wang Kang's side, helping to watch for movement outside the isolation net.
By evening, the infection detection rate had noticeably increased significantly.
Not only in Zone B, but neighboring Zone A and Zone D occasionally erupted in gunfire as well.
Only Zone C, which inspected outsiders, where Di Ruofei had replaced Dong Xing as the second-term inspector, remained temporarily uninvolved.
But this was only temporary calm. When migrants entered tomorrow, Zone C would certainly be the first area under pressure, and the stress would be much greater than Zone B.
Just after the 8 PM bell chimed, the queue outside Quarantine Zone B not only hadn't shortened, but had swelled like an inflated balloon to nearly 500 people!
The searchlight beam swept over the dark mass of heads, making one's heart tighten.
Add to that the four lurking infected entities just detected, Cheng Ye was considering whether to slow the pace and let the queue disperse when he saw two figures approaching from the isolation area.
Both looked middle-aged, walking steadily.
Getting closer for a careful look, Cheng Ye's eyes lit up slightly, they were both third-term Eastern inspectors.
Especially the one on the left with a dark expression, it was actually Song Hai who had previously "run away."
Interesting.
Cheng Ye squeezed out a smile and quickly stepped forward, "Inspector Song, what's this about?"
"Playing dumb, are we?"
Song Hai interrupted him with a dark face, his tone carrying some helplessness, "Alright, Inspector Cheng and Inspector Wang can leave now."
He paused and pointed to his companion beside him, "Tonight the inspection station will operate around the clock. Inspector Gu and I will be responsible for rotating duty."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xinjing beside him simultaneously showed a formulaic smile.
Anyone who could team up with Song Hai was naturally also a factional fanatic, his shrewdness impossible to hide in his eyes.
"Thank you both for your hard work. Go rest quickly."
Gu Xinjing's voice was gentle but carried an unquestionable attitude, "Station Chief Lei said there's plenty to keep busy with coming up."
From this tone, both clearly knew about the Walker, they just tacitly didn't mention it.
Only Gu Xinjing probably couldn't imagine that the "Walker" stirring up the storm was first discovered by the seemingly ordinary trainee inspector right before his eyes.
"Thank you, Inspector Song and Inspector Gu."
Cheng Ye nodded slightly, then turned to look at Wang Kang who was still packing up, "Inspector Wang, aren't you withdrawing?"
Wang Kang snapped to attention, quickly nodded, and smilingly handed the three registration books on the table to Song Hai.
The handwriting in the books was neat, annotations clear, even the characteristics of infected entities were marked in red pen.
Song Hai briefly flipped through two pages, his previously tense expression easing somewhat as he nodded, "Very organized, this is a great help to us."
What they usually feared most about taking over from trainees was these registration books.
Information recorded by rookies was often incomplete, requiring considerable time to verify and supplement but the content recorded by Cheng Ye and Wang Kang showed old-school rigor between the lines, pleasing to look at.
"We'll withdraw first then."
Cheng Ye didn't linger for a moment, calling Wang Kang toward the isolation area.
Even during regular overnight inspections, the infection detection rate would rise dramatically, multiplying the danger.
Let alone at this critical juncture, finding triple-digit infected entities in one night wouldn't be surprising.
Fortunately, these matters were temporarily unrelated to the two "little trainees."
The Eastern third-term inspectors were all veterans with over ten years of experience. In terms of dealing with such chaotic situations, they were far more experienced.
Walking out, the inspection station was suddenly filled with many unfamiliar faces.
Especially in the public areas, entire formations of guard units were assembling, their dark green uniforms forming a continuous mass under the lights. At a rough glance, there were at least three to five hundred people, being dispatched in batches to various inspection zones according to orders.
Heavy footsteps on the ground rolled like muffled thunder. Everyone realized tonight would be a tough battle.
"Brother Cheng, what happens next?"
Wang Kang looked at those armed guards, his face somewhat pale, standing shoulder to shoulder with Cheng Ye under the eaves, worry in his voice.
"Don't worry." Cheng Ye patted his shoulder, his tone relaxed, "When the sky falls, tall people hold it up. You and I are just small fries, no need to worry about this."
Actually, he was also somewhat nervous inside, but over time, had grown accustomed to these precarious days.
The main theme of this wasteland was danger and decay.
Rather than worry that the massive influx of migrants would bring death threats, better to hope they would bring new life.
Just that, "If only it could be delayed by another year or so."
The two stood watching for a while, until the last guard unit entered the inspection area, then turned to leave.
Cheng Ye took out his defense communicator to call Master Zhang, then took Wang Kang to the newly built logistics office in the public area to collect their nutritional paste quota.
One hundred bags each, the yellow packages piled in boxes, heavy and substantial.
"Brother Cheng, if you don't have enough, put my quota all under your name."
Wang Kang patted the box, smiling genuinely, "I don't like drinking this stuff anyway. After drinking it for over ten years in the inner city, I'm sick of it. Nothing beats real meat."
Every morning he would go to the cafeteria at the community entrance to buy three packages of meat, one fried crispy, one braised flavorfully, and one in its original flavor, eating until oil flowed from his mouth before feeling satisfied.
"That works too."
Cheng Ye paused, then pointed toward the thick fog outside the city, "Maybe if there's a chance, I'll take you out there to explore."
"Really?"
Wang Kang's eyes immediately lit up like two small flames.
Both the original soul and Wang Kang weren't content with mediocrity. Otherwise, they wouldn't have secretly studied those "useless" poems and verses in a world where everyone just sought to survive, hoping to someday display themselves before others.
"Hard to say, we'll see how it goes."
Cheng Ye smiled without committing.
The two carried their heavy boxes toward the exit. Just reaching the door, they saw Master Zhang's bus swaying over, its headlights creating a warm yellow glow in the fog.
Should he charge up?
Cheng Ye hesitated, but after thinking it over, suppressed the impulse.
At this special time tonight, better not cause trouble.
Tomorrow the migrants would arrive, and the Works Department was surely organizing infrastructure projects. If caught doing something unusual while charging, explaining would be really troublesome.
Moreover, Liu Kun's side had completed the search. What he needed to do next was gradually develop and find suitable opportunities.
Unlike before when he was constantly tense, once the situation stabilized, there would be plenty of space and time to plan the next steps.
The bus jolted all the way back to the community.
By evening, the fog outside the windows grew thicker and thicker, even familiar streetlights became blurry.
Before getting off, Cheng Ye paused, intending to remind Master Zhang to be careful, but Master Zhang spoke first, his tone somewhat probing, "Inspector Cheng, something big is about to happen outside, isn't it?"
"Mm." Cheng Ye nodded slightly without denial.
"No wonder!" Master Zhang slapped his thigh in sudden understanding, "The Works Department started recruiting personnel this afternoon, saying they want us drivers who used to operate construction machinery to enter standby status, ready for deployment at any time. I was still wondering if they were planning some construction project."
"There is indeed considerable danger, but it also hides opportunities." Cheng Ye said carefully, "You should be careful. Specific news should be officially announced in a couple of days. Don't be too nervous, we inspectors will be with everyone when the time comes."
"Understood!"
Master Zhang smiled frankly, his eye wrinkles bunching together, "Don't worry, Inspector Cheng. Those of us who drive buses have long been prepared for this day. Otherwise, why would the Works Department give us so much monthly subsidy? Simply put, it's raising soldiers for a thousand days to use them for one moment."
He paused, then looked at Cheng Ye with genuine concern, "Operating construction machinery is simple. When I was young, I drove big vehicles traveling north and south without fear. It's you, the inspection station will definitely be busier, you must take care."
"Now you're worried about me."
Cheng Ye was amused and laughed heartily, shaking his head as he pushed open the car door, "I'm leaving, drive slowly."
He and Wang Kang got off the bus with their nutritional paste, watching the bus slowly drive away before turning into the community.
He felt somewhat moved inside. The people of this wasteland seemed to have a strange awareness.
Those enjoying protection never took it for granted, but were always prepared to pay a price for that security.
Perhaps Master Zhang's heart also harbored dreams of achieving merit and climbing upward. Compared to those aspirations, the current danger seemed insignificant.
"Brother Cheng, tomorrow should we go together, or?"
While opening the security door, Wang Kang asked quietly, "If you're tired, I can handle the morning shift."
"No need, come at your usual time."
Cheng Ye grinned, "This might be your last peaceful sleep, cherish it, don't take it lightly."
"Then I better hurry back."
Wang Kang pretended to run, having completely recovered his playful nature after getting through the initial heavy period. He waved at Cheng Ye and ran down to the fourth floor with quick steps.
Watching him leave, Cheng Ye was about to close the door when three doors in the hallway simultaneously creaked open.
Huang Sheng, Zhu Xiang, and Wu Zhihong poked their heads out, faces showing cautious anticipation, each carrying a small stool, obviously having prepared in advance.
"Come in."
Cheng Ye waved, and the three filed in with their stools as the door quietly closed.
After the door quietly closed, the already small room immediately felt somewhat crowded, the air filled with faint dust and sweat odors, but the cramped space felt less like a meeting and more like a conspiracy.
"Sir, outside is it?" Huang Sheng had just started speaking when Cheng Ye raised his hand to interrupt.
"Yes, tomorrow the first batch of migrants will arrive."
Cheng Ye moved the nutritional paste boxes toward the corner, then sat on the bed edge facing the three, "Due to special influences, there may be over 500,000 migrants arriving at Happiness City."
As the words fell, the three visibly held their breath, eyes widening, but none made a big fuss.
"This is just an estimated number." Cheng Ye paused and added, "The actual situation might be far more than this."
He looked at Huang Sheng, "You should have received news about major infrastructure projects, right?"
"Yes!" Huang Sheng nodded vigorously, his eyes still somewhat dazed, "The Works Department began inventorying machinery this afternoon, saying they need to prepare materials for a million-person scale. I thought they were taking advantage of autumn for construction, never imagined it would be..."
"Don't scare yourself." Cheng Ye knocked on the bed board, "This is a good thing and a challenge. Do it well, and the opportunity to climb up will come."
Huang Sheng was in the Works Department and would inevitably participate in migrant settlement infrastructure.
Zhu Xiang was in the Medical Department. With hundreds of thousands of people flooding in, medical resources would definitely be stretched thin, exactly when personnel were needed.
As for Wu Zhihong, after his last achievement he was promoted to a small team leader managing a district in the Buffer Zone Public Security Department. This position sounded prestigious but was actually dirty, thankless work directly facing chaos.
Cheng Ye pondered for a moment, looking at the three, "Don't be anxious, any of you. I might need to use you later, don't rush to follow others."
"Use us?"
The three exchanged glances, their eyes immediately brightening with undisguised joy.
Having enjoyed a good "feast" following Cheng Ye last time, all three had developed a taste for it.
Immediately, the three stood up simultaneously, their small stools nearly toppling, "Sir, please give your orders. Whatever you need us to do, even if it's going through fire and water, we have no complaints!"
"Don't be so serious. Don't mention going through fire and water in the future. What I'll have you do will all be good things, and risky work won't be your turn anyway."
Cheng Ye waved his hand, his tone becoming more relaxed, "Alright, all go back and rest, build up your energy."
Regarding specific arrangements for migrants, his knowledge was also limited, so naturally he couldn't say much but presumably after the migration meeting ended, detailed plans would be issued.
Seeing he had no more to say, the three tactfully didn't pursue further questions, quietly withdrawing with their small stools.
The moment the door closed, Cheng Ye heard suppressed excited whispers from the hallway and couldn't help shaking his head.
With storm clouds gathering, some people were anxious and uneasy, while others were eager to try.
Speaking of which, he himself should probably be in the former category. After all, the dangers ahead were truly unpredictable. The more he knew, the more afraid he became, yet everyone around him was in the latter category.
Perhaps this was the charm of the wasteland. Danger and opportunity were like twin brothers, forever bound together. You couldn't just pick one.
After sitting and thinking for a while, Cheng Ye pushed open the window, letting the cool, fog-laden wind pour in to dispel the stuffiness in the room.
After changing the air, he pulled the two boxes of nutritional paste to the front of his bed and sat down heavily on the floor.
With a thought, the pale blue panel automatically unfolded before his eyes.
Opening his palm, the pendant quietly materialized.
Since crossing into this world, today marked nearly four months, exactly 116 days.
From initial fear and trepidation to now holding a transcendent seed, he had finally reached this step.
With changes imminent, even he, a trainee inspector, might have to step beyond the defense line and truly execute missions in the crisis-filled wasteland.
It was time to embark on the path of the transcendent!