Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 101 Extraordinary Wish Grass, Standing Firm on the Foundation!

Step into Zone E.

The epoxy floor was polished to a shine, and the spoiled rich kids were gathered on both sides, discussing the wave of infections, some feeling fortunate to have survived, others fearing another wave of infections, and still others worried about the impending danger.

The lively atmosphere instantly vanished when they caught sight of Cheng Ye striding towards them, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over them.

Wow.

The crowd scattered like birds and beasts, each one wishing they could fly, as if they had seen a plague god, and the sound of doors slamming shut echoed one after another.

The poor red-haired young man who had succeeded Jamie was still standing there, not having realized what was happening, when suddenly he was all alone.

When he met Cheng Ye's gaze, his legs went weak, but he still gritted his teeth and staggered into the room, his hands trembling as he closed the door.

"Prosecutor Chengcheng?"

"I'm scary?" Cheng Ye was a little puzzled. He had only shown off his power once.

It feels like they come to the checkpoint every day to bully these spoiled brats.

But he forgot that people in the wasteland don't have as many information channels as modern people. They can receive a lot of information in minutes by scrolling through short videos.

Life in the buffer zone was very monotonous. When I got home, I would either lie down and flip through magazines or get together with a few acquaintances to play cards. The rest of the time was spent chatting.

And casual conversation is the easiest thing to escalate.

In casual conversation, once the first person adds fuel to the fire, a second person will follow suit.

You say Cheng Ye is terrifying? I'll make him even more terrifying.

Not to mention that Ding Yishan specifically mentioned during the meeting that he should be given special attention and training. Although those Western prosecutors did not visit him at the medical center, they all brought their own children to him and warned them to stay away from that Prosecutor Cheng.

As a result, when the young master sees him now, he is naturally terrified, just like when he sees the station chief.

"It's all done!"

The red-haired young man presented the badge with both hands, as if afraid his hands would tremble and drop it. He then awkwardly offered a blessing, "Wishing you all the best and a safe and peaceful day!"

Cheng Ye took it, muttered to himself, and turned to walk towards Quarantine Zone A.

So what if they're scared? Who knows, Wang Kang might be back at the North Station next week. When he does, if they mention his name, these spoiled brats will probably be just as obedient as they are now, and won't dare to be as arrogant as they were when they came with him.

the other side.

The checkpoint has just reopened, and there are currently no vehicles queuing to leave the city. According to regulations, the passage will not be officially opened until tomorrow.

But today is Cheng Ye's last day on duty at the North Station. No matter how lively it is tomorrow, he won't be able to make it.

But there's nothing to regret. We'll just head to the South Station. I imagine the South Station, where the Easterners are stationed, won't be any less deserted than here.

"Huh, Scorpius isn't here today?"

Cheng Ye glanced at Quarantine Zone A from afar. Scorpius, who usually waited for him here, was nowhere to be seen today.

He paused for a moment, then quickly understood why.

The Westerners had Scorpius follow him earlier simply because they were afraid he would die at the North Station, which would trigger the four fifth-generation Easterners to join forces against the Westerners.

But the situation is different now. According to Lin Bao, Zhou Changhai has most likely already sided with the Westerners, and the Easterners are no longer a united front.

Even if something were to happen to him, the Easterners might not necessarily unite again.

More importantly, Ding Yishan has made it clear that he will focus on cultivating him.

These words effectively removed him from the "Eastern camp" and made him an independent individual. The Westerners naturally no longer needed to send someone to keep an eye on him, lest they be suspected of monitoring a key person for cultivation.

After figuring out these points, Cheng Ye felt a sense of lightness throughout his body.

Having Scorpius watching over us certainly provides an extra layer of security, but having to guard against even something as trivial as electricity theft is really restrictive.

Besides, if he were to encounter a danger that he couldn't withstand, Scorpius would probably run away immediately, so keeping him around wouldn't necessarily be of any use.

"My lord, you've arrived!"

Behind the isolation door, the raven and the owl stood on either side, their backs ramrod straight, looking very energetic.

While everyone else was fighting tooth and nail outside the buffer zone during the outbreak, the guards and observers at the checkpoint stayed in the quarantine area and rested for seven whole days. Naturally, they looked radiant now.

The isolation door slid open to the right with a "whoosh," revealing a clean passageway behind it.

As Cheng Ye stepped inside, the familiar smell of disinfectant filled his nostrils, giving him an inexplicable sense of homecoming.

Especially when he caught a glimpse of the garage shed not far away, a wide grin immediately spread across his face.

While the Public Works Department's charging stations are convenient, there's always the fear of being spotted and getting into trouble.

But inside the checkpoint, he can use the slow charging station however he wants, and who dares to check him?

"Get all the guards up and on duty today."

As Cheng Ye walked towards the garage, he ordered in a deep voice, "Shifts must be rotated every hour. Everyone must be ready for combat at any time!"

"Yes!"

The raven and the owl responded in unison.

After charging the collector, Cheng Ye went to inspect the quarantine area as usual.

After he and Scorpius opened the warehouse and released people, only 97 people remained inside on the last day.

However, upon entering, Cheng Ye discovered that only the first 17 cabins were occupied.

"Sir, over the past seven days, 21 people have developed symptoms of infection. Although we have provided timely rescue, we have not been able to save the people in the same ward as the infected individuals. We can only proceed with humanitarian treatment according to regulations."

There were 28 fewer people, but 21 more infected individuals.

This ratio is quite good, which at least shows that the checkpoint's isolation system is effective.

"How long were the remaining people detained?"

"It's been more than 21 days already."

Cheng Ye nodded, "Prepare to open the wards and release people. Empty all the isolation wards today, notify the logistics team to prepare for a thorough cleaning, and disinfect all the wards completely. Replace all the old ones that need replacing!"

"Yes!"

With only one day left on duty, he didn't really need to care about these people's lives or deaths; he could just pass them on to the next inspector.

However, the maximum quarantine period recorded in the prosecutor's manual is 21 days; anyone exceeding this period must be released.

During his internship assessment, Cheng Ye did not want to leave any room for criticism.

Furthermore, he knew in his heart that many people were destined to be locked up today.

Empty the isolation wards in advance, so that even if you put one or two hundred people in there, it won't be overcrowded.

It took no more than ten minutes in total.

With a soft hum, the 17 isolation chamber doors slid open one by one.

Having been cooped up inside for over 21 days, one would expect them to be furious by now, but instead of anger, everyone's faces were filled with relief and gratitude.

Clearly, they were aware of the super-infection surge that had been occurring in recent days, and staying in this isolated quarantine ward was actually one of the safest places in the entire buffer zone.

Cheng Ye stood at the entrance of the isolation ward, calmly watching everyone leave.

Some people walked unsteadily, and some couldn't help but rub their numb legs, but as they passed by him, they all bowed respectfully and said with sincere gratitude, "Thank you for your kindness."

In no time, the cabin was completely empty.

The staff immediately rushed in with high-pressure water guns, the water jets hitting the bulkhead and splashing water to wash away the remaining stains.

Immediately afterwards, a high-powered drying and sterilization machine was pushed in, and amidst the roar, white mist filled the entire quarantine area.

As per Cheng Ye's request, all the damaged bedding was replaced and sent to the logistics department for mending.

Before the checkpoint opened at nine o'clock in the morning, the entire quarantine area was already looking brand new.

The metal panels inside the cabin were polished to a shine, and even the crevices in the corners were carefully mopped with a corner mop.

The original stale air, mixed with the smell of sweat and mildew, was completely sucked away by the exhaust fan. A box of industrial air freshener was placed every five meters, and soon the air was filled with a faint fragrance of flowers and herbs.

In such an environment, even if someone were locked up by him, they wouldn't feel too stifled.

As Cheng Ye walked toward the duty area, he could see a long queue forming outside from a distance of more than ten meters.

More than thirty vehicles of various sizes were parked crookedly. Some people were chatting by the side of the vehicles, while others were dozing in the driver's seat. A rough count showed at least two or three hundred people.

Even more outrageous was the ordinary residents' passageway that Li Matai was in charge of, where a huge crowd of people had gathered, estimated to be at least three to five thousand.

"It's impossible for them to gather so many people in just seven days, right?"

The isolation door was opened, and Cheng Ye quickly assembled the two spears and inserted them into the weapon slots under the table.

Li Matai then strolled over leisurely, glanced at the huge crowd outside, and surprisingly, his face did not show the surprise Cheng Ye had expected. Instead, he had a lazy air of being used to it.

"You probably have a lot of work to do today."

Cheng Ye walked to the isolation fence between the two areas and said something, but Li Matai waved his hand dismissively.

"I don't actually have much work to do here, but you're the one who's really going to be busy."

"Ok?"

"You don't actually think these people were quarantined outside for seven days and now want to go back to the buffer zone, do you?"

"Isn't it?"

Li Matai chuckled and pulled a large megaphone wrapped in tape from his backpack, clearly having come prepared. "Of course not. At least 80% of them have been clamoring to leave these past few days, only to change their minds halfway and want to come back. They don't even consider themselves newcomers, insisting on blocking this way and trying to enter the city through the old residents' connections. They're dreaming."

As he spoke, he carried the megaphone to the front of the inspection area, pressed the switch, and with a crackling sound of electricity, his loud voice rang out:

"Those without resident documents, please proceed to the central checkpoint and queue immediately. Do not linger here!"

"To reiterate, anyone lingering here without resident identification will be treated as an infected person!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the dark mass of people instantly erupted in uproar.

"I'm a resident! You won't let me in if I forgot my ID?"

"Why am I not considered a resident? I've lived in Happiness City for over ten years! Just because I came here once, I'm no longer a resident?"

"Prosecutor, please have mercy! I was forced out by the wave of infections, I didn't leave voluntarily! Please give me a chance!"

"The central checkpoint only lets in a thousand people a day. How long will it take for all of us to get through the queue?"

"."

A chaotic cacophony of shouts rose and fell, like a swarm of wasps whose nest had been disturbed. Many people pushed forward, seemingly about to break through the makeshift cordon.

But at this moment, the machine gun post, which was usually overlooked, finally showed its deterrent power.

Ta da da, da da da!
The machine gun bullets whistled through the air, sweeping across the open ground in front of the crowd and kicking up clouds of dust.

Those who were close by were thrown off balance by the blast wave and scrambled back in surprise, instantly creating a gap in the previously crowded throng.

In the chaos, the stampede began.

Some people tripped and fell, others screamed and shoved forward, the red light in quarantine zone B suddenly flashed, and a sharp alarm pierced the sky.

When the crowd finally dispersed, there were fifty or sixty people lying on the ground, groaning and clutching their arms or legs. There were also seven or eight motionless people, and it was unclear whether they had fainted or died.

But Li Matai stood behind the isolation fence with an unusually cold expression. He slowly walked back to the table, took out a packet of nutritional syrup, and drank it while saying, "Being soft-hearted towards these people is irresponsible towards those who stayed in the buffer zone. Since they were determined to leave in the first place, there are only two reasons why they came back halfway: either they thought the road outside was too tough, or they were scared out of their wits by the dangers of the wasteland." He glanced at the injured on the ground, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Instead of obediently queuing at the central checkpoint, they insisted on staying here. To put it bluntly, they just wanted to take shortcuts. These parasites are useless even if they go back to Happiness City. It's better for them to die outside, so they won't come back and harm the buffer zone."

Cheng Ye remained silent for a moment, his gaze slowly sweeping across the crowd.

The young men in the front row, who looked like thugs, were mostly anxious and shouting angrily; they didn't deserve any sympathy.

The middle-aged man hunched his shoulders and avoided eye contact, just as Li Matai had said, being opportunistic and not daring to meet his gaze.

A few elderly people kept wiping away tears, looking rather sorrowful.

But in the end, his gaze lingered on several women holding children, and he saw the panic in their eyes and the fear in the children's eyes.

"Among them, there may be some who are truly desperate."

Cheng Ye lowered his voice, as if talking to himself, "If they were forced to go out because of danger, it wouldn't be surprising if they want to come back now."

But to everyone's surprise, Li Matai, who usually acted like a scoundrel and was always smiling at him, still had a cold face. "Desperate? Who in the buffer zone wasn't desperate? Which of those who stayed didn't survive several life-or-death situations? When they decided to pack up and leave, didn't they think about the benefits of the buffer zone?"

That's a very strong statement.

This was the most serious thing Li Matai had ever said to the two of them since they met.

But after guessing that he was half a follower of the original intention, Cheng Ye was not surprised and could understand Li Matai's thoughts at this time.

Fairness is difficult.

But Li Matai did indeed maintain fairness.

It is fair to all those who did not leave the buffer zone, and also fair to those who lined up obediently on their way to the central checkpoint.

Seeing his silence, Li Matai paused, his tone softening slightly, but still carrying an undeniable firmness: "Cheng Ye, you've just come up here and you've already encountered something like this, it's not surprising that you're soft-hearted. When I was on duty for the third year, I wasn't much better off than you. I always felt sorry for these people, always felt that everyone had their own unspeakable difficulties, and wanted to help them as much as possible."

"But remember, the reason Happiness City has survived in the wasteland until now is not because of anyone's mercy, but because of the rules."

"The rule that re-entering the country after renouncing citizenship must follow the new person process was established to ensure that everyone thinks clearly when making a decision. Once you step out of the buffer zone, don't expect to be able to step back in the same footsteps."

"To be lenient with those who break the rules is to be cruel to those who follow the rules."

“If we let one opportunist in today, ten or a hundred will follow suit tomorrow. Then the checkpoint will become a sieve, and infected people, refugees, and all sorts of other things will flood in. You, me, and those who followed the rules and didn’t leave will all die.”

rule.

Those are indeed two heavy words.

Cheng Ye didn't say anything more, turned around and sat down behind the alloy table.

"Cheng Ye, what I just said didn't mean anything by it, but don't let it affect our relationship."

Li Matai leaned closer again, a familiar smile on his face. "You're a newcomer, so it's normal for you to act like this. It would be strange if you were as cold and ruthless as me."

"If you want to change all of this, then work hard to become the stationmaster and make the central checkpoint bigger, expand it to allow three thousand or five thousand people to pass through every day, and then these problems will be solved."

"Don't try to comfort me, I understand."

Cheng Ye waved his hand, saying that he was not so confused as to not understand this simple principle.

These past few days, I've had a lot of contact with people in the Tianyuan community and have seen the difficulties faced by ordinary people. I always think about helping them in some way.

Moreover, taking the idealist approach can easily lead to ignoring these rigid rules and constantly thinking about putting people first.

But sitting inside the checkpoint, one must be hard-hearted and prioritize the responsibilities of the inspector.

"Alright, get ready to go on duty. I have a lot of homeless people here, but your area is probably full of residents, so you'll have to check them thoroughly."

With only five minutes left until nine o'clock, the cars in front had already started moving.

Cheng Ye paused for a moment, and after the emotion in his heart had completely disappeared, he picked up his defense communication device and made a call.

"Brother Cheng?"

Which district were you assigned to?

"Quarantine Zone B looks like they're checking residents!"

Wang Kang's voice was filled with joy, "But I'm still here handling the formalities, I haven't gone over yet."

Should newcomers go directly to Area B?
Under normal circumstances, the risk level would be extremely high.

Today's situation is actually quite good, but we need to know the rules beforehand.

Cheng Ye quickly repeated what Li Matai had just said. Surprisingly, the staff at the South Station had already informed Wang Kang in advance.

"I know, you have to follow the rules to survive!"

"it is good!"

After hanging up the phone, Cheng Ye breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the South Station was indeed quite considerate of the people from the East.

Moreover, judging from Wang Kang's words, Area E of the South Station is not guarded by spoiled rich kids, but by real staff members.

That's good; it matches his ideal image of a checkpoint.

As I pondered, a bell rang inside the checkpoint; it was nine o'clock!

Cheng Ye took a deep breath and looked at the large Jinbei van that was slowly driving into the passage, his eyes sharpening again.

The last shift at the North Station has begun.

"He who comes is stopped."

Cheng Ye stood up and shouted in a strong voice.

The large van came to a steady stop in front of the door, and a short man got out.

Upon catching a glimpse of the other person's face, Cheng Ye couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He had never seen anyone's eyebrows grow into two tufts of lush green grass.

The man's first words startled him, and he could only barely maintain his composure.

"My lord, I have been infected by the parasite."

Perhaps it was because they had seen Zhang Can become like that, yet still be able to speak like a normal person.

When the man said those words, Cheng Ye was not surprised.

"However, I actively sought out the wishing grass to infect it, so there's no harm in it. You don't need to worry!"

Wishing grass?
Cheng Ye was taken aback, then opened the isolation door and gestured for the man to drive the car in.

This is a very special source of infection, which is not uncommon in the wasteland. In the wild, there may be hundreds of plants clustered together.

After crushing it, soak it in hot water until the water turns black. Drink it in one gulp, and you will obtain the parasitic plant of the wishing grass.

After being parasitized, no matter how severe the injury, the wishing grass will maintain the human's normal physical condition.

The host will die immediately after 48 hours, or once the wish is fulfilled, with absolutely no chance of rescue.

Even more strangely, according to the prosecutor's manual, the wishes of the parasitized human must be positive.

If you have negative thoughts, such as wanting to kill your enemy, the wishing herb will not work and will instead turn into a deadly poison.

In conclusion, this is one of the few peculiar plants that still retains its special abilities after the outbreak of the S-4 virus.

Rather than being a source of infection, it is more like a supernatural plant whose efficacy has been reduced countless times.

The man's eyebrows also matched the characteristics of the wishing grass, but Cheng Ye had never seen it before and had never thought of it in that way.

"Thank you for your understanding."

The short man drove the car in, bowed respectfully to Cheng Ye, and then took out a dark green stone from the leather bag at his waist.

It was about the size of a baby's fist, with a dull sheen on its surface.

"Sir, this is a piece of extraordinary mineral material. Our team risked our lives to get it back!"

what?
Extraordinary mineral?
Cheng Ye's gaze instantly fell on the rock, and his pupils contracted slightly.

“They’re all dead, and I’m dead too.” The short man’s voice trembled, yet carried a resigned calm. “But I’m always cautious. Every time I go on an adventure, I’ll find a wishing herb and hide one in my bag, just for this moment!”

"My lord, my lord!"

As he spoke, tears suddenly streamed down his face, and he knelt down on one knee with a thud. "I feel it. My wish is about to be fulfilled. This is the wish of everyone in our 'Merry Boots' team. Our families are still in the buffer zone. They are still waiting for us to come back."

The man pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, on which half a page of names were scrawled in crooked handwriting.

“We are willing to donate 70% of our earnings to the checkpoint.” He held the paper high, his voice pleading, “Please, for the sake of our determination to bring back the brick transport truck even if it means our deaths, please give the remaining 30% of the profits to the people still alive on this list.”

Wow.

Everything happened so suddenly; Cheng Ye had never encountered anything like this before.

Even as the man was speaking, tiny green shoots began to sprout from his body.

With almost every word he spoke, the green shoots grew wildly, and in an instant, tender grass leaves sprouted from his body, cheeks, and arms, as if the plant was devouring him from the inside.

"I, Cheng Ye, grant your request."

Almost instinctively, Cheng Ye stood up, and their eyes met.

The man's left eyeball had been pierced by a green sprout, but his remaining right eye shone with deep gratitude.

puff.

He fell heavily to the ground, his mouth barely opening and closing, squeezing out the last trace of life.

"Prosecutor Cheng, please help. Thank you... Public Works Department, Director Wei Li!"

We disappointed him.

Before he finished speaking, the last tender sprout emerged from between his eyebrows.

Under Cheng Ye's watchful gaze, the color of the tender buds faded at a visible speed, turning from bright green to withered yellow in the blink of an eye.

Then, the withered yellow faded to gray-black, and with a gentle breeze, it scattered like ashes, drifting freely into the sky, carried by the air currents to some unknown distance.

Faintly, sighs could be heard.

All the vehicles queuing outside Quarantine Zone A, along with their drivers and passengers, disembarked simultaneously.

Everyone pressed their right fists heavily against their chests, tilted their heads back, and watched the man turn to ashes with their eyes until the gray-black expanse completely dissipated in the wind.

This world.

Some people disregard the rules and resort to opportunism in order to extract the greatest possible profit.

But some people use their last breath to keep their promises, even at the very end.

Cheng Ye stared intently at the stones left on the ground and the intact gold cup, his heart filled with turmoil.

He suddenly understood why the large golden cup he saw at the supply trading center was so expensive, so expensive that it couldn't even be exchanged for a third-class merit. The cheapest version required nearly 10,000 points to purchase in order to unlock the buffer zone.

Yet so many financially strapped caravans manage to own such a vehicle and dare to drive it into the wilderness.

why?
Because they would risk their lives to bring this car back!

That belief, more precious than gold, and that commitment, more steadfast than a rock, far surpasses the contribution points and third-class merit awards that measure value.

These are the very foundations that truly support Happiness City's survival in the wasteland!

　P.S.: Early update delivered, it's mid-month now, please vote with monthly tickets, I'll definitely try my best to update!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)