Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 25: Methods, Courage, and Passion!
"That's all I know. If the prosecutor has any further questions..."

"Nothing."

Cheng Ye didn't continue to make things difficult for the guards at the entrance, who were clearly at the bottom of the checkpoint's food chain.

It wasn't that he suddenly had a sudden burst of kindness; rather, through a simple understanding, he had already guessed where the trouble he might be facing might come from.

But is it a big problem?

To gain a foothold in the inspection, one doesn't rely on having a father who is XX, but on methods, courage, and guts.

In a sense, this place is still an extension of the wasteland, only with a few more protective rules.

His fingertips brushed against the Bison combat pistol at his waist, the cold metallic touch creeping up his arm from his palm.

He looked up and glanced at the dark firing ports on the city wall.

Noticing that the guard operating the machine gun was deliberately avoiding his gaze, Cheng Ye suddenly chuckled:

"Alright, they should be ready by now. Please open the door for me."

"Okay, sure!"

The tall guard felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and he rushed back to the gate to swipe his card and verify his identity.

thump.

The heavy explosion-proof door was slowly pushed open from the inside out. When the opening was wide enough for three people to pass side by side, the interior gradually became clear.

It's not as high-tech as the inner city, but its overall style is very much in line with the old-fashioned style of the buffer zone.

A straight main road paved with gray-black epoxy resin extends to the end of Zone E, where several trucks waiting to leave the city are undergoing inspection.

Neat rows of square workstations line both sides of the road, with dark green PVC windows half-open and acrylic electronic signs at the entrances displaying the words 'Data Room', 'Archives Room', 'Reporting Room', 'Inspection Room', 'Disinfection Station', and so on.

The rainstorm lasted all night, and the buffer zone was flooded, but there wasn't much standing water here.

Several workers in blue overalls pushed squeegees and brooms back and forth to clean up the water. As soon as the rain fell, it was pushed into the drainage ditches on both sides, leaving only winding water streaks.

"You can go directly to the reporting room, where staff will help you register for the North Station Inspector status."

"Thank you."

The tall guard was surprised to find that Cheng Ye hadn't given him any trouble and had even thanked him.

He previously said that he was a tool, which was not a self-deprecation, but a statement of established facts.

After all, the wasteland doesn't support idlers; being used as a tool by the Inspector is an honor for them.

But now, he had a strange feeling in his heart.

"It must be my imagination. How could a prosecutor treat us like human beings?"

The door is closed.

Watching the figure gradually blur in the rain, the tall guard shook off the absurd thought along with the rain.

Yes, it must be his imagination!

Upon entering Zone E, Cheng Ye didn't rush to report for duty, but instead stood there and looked around for a while.

Whether it was the staff coming and going or the people sweeping water on the roadside, they were all Westerners.

His Eastern face stood out conspicuously at the North Station.

Strangely, everyone acted as if they didn't see him, and no one gave him any strange looks.

Even when he casts a glance at someone, the other person will look away in fright, as if he were a monster.

"So afraid of me?"

This surprised Cheng Ye, but he secretly thought that he had made the right move.

Instead of heading to the South Station as his first stop, he was caught in a sea of ​​flowers, unaware of the rules, and was pushed into a ditch and died.

He preferred to head straight to the North Station, prepared from the very beginning to fight to the death.

Just like now, everyone knows that this Eastern prosecutor is here to "stir up trouble." Ordinary people who are not capable of getting involved in factional struggles naturally try to clear themselves of any involvement, for fear of being implicated.

The remaining enemies became immediately clear.

Twenty or thirty pairs of eyes looked over from the various workstations along the roadside. Even when Cheng Ye stared back at them, those eyes did not flinch, but were full of amusement and disdain.

In the few minutes it took the guards to deliver the message, they had already retrieved all of Cheng Ye's information and also figured out why Cheng Ye had been transferred to the rapid quarantine post.

Having offended the Western inspectors, how dare they try to force their way to the Northern checkpoint? Do they really think Westerners are pushovers?
Furthermore, ordinary people working at the station are just trying to make a living and are afraid of offending the prosecutors.

They are not afraid.

After all, they are all people who are going to inherit their fathers' prosecutor positions. Who would take a young upstart with a "dead father and early rise to power" seriously?

In the eerie atmosphere, Cheng Ye walked towards the reporting room.

The roadside staff immediately took off running, each one darting into the alleyway leading to the work station.

Meanwhile, the young people in the workstations opened their doors in unison, standing in twos and threes at the entrances, subtly surrounding Cheng Ye and the reporting room in the center.

"Hello, I'm a trainee inspector, reporting for duty at the fast checkpoint on my first day."

Walking to the window, Cheng Ye took out his identity badge.

The room was about 20 square meters, and a young man in his early twenties was sitting in front of the window.

He had a typical Western face, with gray-blue pupils and a few dark red blood vessels in the whites of his eyes. His greasy hair clung to his forehead, clearly indicating that he had stayed up all night.

Do you know the rules of the fast checkpoint?

The young man sized Cheng Ye up and down, muttered something under his breath, and showed no intention of taking the identity badge.

"do not know."

Cheng Ye honestly shook his head, "I was doing my internship at the central main checkpoint before. This is my first time at the fast checkpoint, so I don't know if there are any special rules here."

"It's good that you don't know."

The young man stood up and couldn't help but chuckle, "Prosecutor Cheng, you may not know this, but every trainee prosecutor who comes to the rapid checkpoint must prove on their first day that they are capable enough to take up the post."

"How can this be proven?"

“It’s very simple.” The young man said, picking up a few sheets of white paper and walking out of the house. He stood beside Cheng Ye and pointed into the distance. “See those trucks waiting to leave the city at the end of the passage? Yes, the third one. All the cargo declaration forms are here. But we found that several items don’t match up when we checked.”

"If you can find three of them, you'll pass the reporting review."

Following the young man's pointing finger, Cheng Ye squinted and examined the location.

There are currently six trucks under inspection. The other five are driven by Westerners, while the third is driven by an Easterner.

"So simple?"

The young man paused for a moment, then gave a slightly mocking smile. "It's that simple."

Outside of the rules, Cheng Ye and his group dare not make things difficult for each other, but within the rules, how interesting it would be to let the Dong people fight like dogs.

“Pique, he’s coming. Let the truck close the door.”

"Ok."

Upon noticing that Cheng Ye was already walking towards the truck, 'Pike', who was in charge of the inspection, immediately put away the documents in his hand.

"Alright, sir, there's no problem with your goods."

"is it?"

The anxious driver from the east immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He usually enters and exits through the South Station, but after the heavy rain last night, the roads from the suburbs to the South Station were completely blocked, so he had no choice but to come to the North Station to declare customs.

These people have a really big appetite. He stuffed nearly two hundred happiness coins into their hands before they finally nodded in agreement.

"etc."

But just as the driver was about to get back into the truck, Pike raised his hand again, "Excuse me, a trainee inspector believes there is a problem with your cargo. Please get out of the truck and cooperate with a second inspection."

"what?"

Following the direction Pike pointed, the Eastern driver's expression changed drastically.

Damn it.

He actually saw the East Asian prosecutor at the North Checkpoint. What's going on?
"Sir?" The driver was clearly at a loss for words when faced with Cheng Ye.

Normally, for something as trivial as checking a vehicle, you might make a hundred trips and still not run into an inspector personally asking about it.

It's fine at the South Station, where you've cultivated relationships with many familiar faces over time, but at the North Station...
If any contraband is found in the car, death is certain!
Industrial products smuggled out of Happiness City can fetch two or even three times the price of normal freight shipments.

Because of the delivery slip, most of the profit difference is taken by the checkpoint when entering the city, leaving the driver with only a small amount. Everyone tacitly agrees and pretends nothing happened.

But now they are being intercepted and checked before leaving the city. If the contraband is exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable!
"I received a report from the staff in the newsroom that there are several discrepancies between the goods on your vehicle and the declaration form, so I came to check."

"Huh?" The driver's face darkened instantly, and he couldn't help but look at Pique.

However, to his dismay, Pique lowered his head at that moment, clearly avoiding his questioning gaze.

Fine, fine, you took the money and then reported me. Do you want me dead?
A hint of madness flashed in the driver's eyes, and even the way he looked at Cheng Ye became more menacing.

But who would have thought?

"Don't be nervous. I remember you're Old Zhang from the Autumn General Store in Dongcheng District, right?"

Cheng Ye casually made up a name, a slight smile appearing on his face. He deliberately slowed his speech, saying, "I bought a Defense Tong charger from you before. What, don't you remember me?"

"A charger?"

The driver was clearly taken aback. His surname was Bai, not Zhang, and he had never heard of any Autumn General Store in Dongcheng District.

But when Cheng Ye said that, the driver suddenly realized that there might still be a chance for things to turn around.

Now that he was alive, his burning anger vanished instantly, his eyes brightened, and he hurriedly replied, "Sir, how could I, Old Zhang, forget you? I never expected to see you on duty at the North Station!"

"You want to leave the city in this torrential rain? The roads around the North Station are slippery during the rainy season, it's not easy to get out. Why don't you go through the South Station?"

Cheng Ye circled the so-called truck and kicked the burrs on the edge of the tires.

There is no oil production around Xingfu City, and all the trucks are new energy battery vehicles with a boxy shape that looks just like the old-fashioned Dajinbei van.

"Well, to be honest, last night I planned to go through the South Station, which is closer, but it rained all night and the city was flooded too much to drive through, so I had to detour through the North Station."

He's a shrewd person who's been involved in cargo smuggling for years.

As 'Old Zhang' replied subconsciously, his mind raced, trying to recall the specific words that Cheng Ye had deliberately emphasized.

To survive long in this line of work, it's not enough to just be observant; you also need quick wit when facing danger.

The roads around the North Station are slippery during the rainy season.
The roads at the North Station are slippery.
Upon extracting the keywords, Lao Zhang swallowed hard and immediately realized what Cheng Ye was trying to tell him.

However, it's not easy for those who follow to get out. This statement wasn't absolute, meaning there's still a chance for things to turn around.

As for why they didn't go from the South Station side...
Seeing the struggle between the people on the east and west sides of the checkpoint clearly, Old Zhang's pupils contracted slightly, and he instantly understood.

“Sir, you know Old Zhang, and you must know him well. He never does anything illegal or disorderly.”

"If there are any goods that don't match the description, they definitely aren't mine. They belong to the group that came last night; they asked me to help them take the goods out."

"Oh? Who?"

A glint of light flashed in Cheng Ye's eyes, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face, which made Old Zhang even more convinced of his judgment.

With a determined look, he turned to Pike and said, "It's Camillo Luke from the West District, a worker at the Wisteria Factory. He asked me to take something to the gathering place outside, saying it was something we had agreed upon beforehand."

"Wisteria Factory."

Piqué's expression changed as he looked at the Western factory that specialized in making small industrial products, and he wanted to say something.

But Cheng Ye's expression turned serious, and he interrupted him directly, "Take it out and let me see. I heard there are three copies, right? Maybe there's something wrong with these things."

"Alright, sir, please wait a moment."

After opening the rear door of the large Jinbei van, Old Zhang quickly pulled out three black oil paper packages.

"Open!"

The oil paper wrapping was lifted from the corner, revealing a colorful PCB board, which was full of electronic components.

"How dare you! These are industrial products that are strictly prohibited from being exported by individuals in the buffer zone!"

Cheng Ye revealed a hint of anger: "Does Camillo Luke have a death wish? How dare he smuggle this kind of thing out of the country?"

"Alright, you can leave now. Today I'm going to investigate this thoroughly and find out who dares to so arrogantly violate the rules of the buffer zone!"

"Yes, yes, sir."

When he saw Cheng Ye waving his hand, Old Zhang's eyes lit up, and he thought to himself that he was truly destined to survive.

Although it seemed he had gotten involved in the East-West faction conflict, he was determined that next time, even if the sky fell, he would still use the South Station to enter and exit, and he would even break the contract if he couldn't get out.

This damn North Station, those motherless Westerners, go to hell!

The large Jinbei van roared to life, leaving behind three oil paper bags, its tires skidding and escaping through the water.

It was not only Pique's face that looked grim; all the Westerners who witnessed this scene in the distance looked as if they had swallowed a dead fly.

That's it?

When Cheng Ye picked up the oil paper package, he curled his lip. It was indeed a child's trick, so naive.

"Three copies, isn't that enough proof?"

"You're impressive." Taking the badge from Cheng Ye, the young man walked into the room with a grim expression and quickly typed on the keyboard to complete the onboarding process.

The young people outside the newsroom looked at each other, their expressions a mixture of surprise and bewilderment, but more so, the frustration of having no outlet for their strength, typical of young people.

The anticipated dogfight didn't happen. Cheng Ye casually used his power to intimidate others, and the Eastern driver cooperated to shift the blame, pinning the blame on the Westerner.

"Jamie, you're not really going to let him get the job so easily, are you?"

A voice came through the headset, and Jamie, who was about to hand the badge back to Cheng Ye, looked even more unpleasant.

"Your uncle was beaten up by Liu Bi and sent to the clinic. He's still in emergency care."

"Shut up!"

Jamie cursed under his breath, but his fingers inexplicably loosened their grip, and the badge fell to the ground with a "thud".

The road was flooded with water.

By the time he chased after it, the badge had already been swept away by the water flow to the edge of the ditch and was stuck in a pile of garbage.

"Good job! Humiliate him like that, make him go pick things up from the garbage dump!"

Laughter came through the headset. The group of young people surrounding them were confused and thought Jamie was humiliating Cheng Ye in this way, so they all clapped lightly.

This initially left Jamie somewhat bewildered, but after being encouraged by their glances, he suddenly became emboldened by evil intentions:
"Prosecutor Cheng, you caught it yourself, do you expect me to help you?"

"Oh, is it so?"

Cheng Ye scratched his head and said honestly with a smile, "No need, I can pick them up myself."

After saying that, he bent down and walked towards the drainage ditch. Amidst the snickers, he bent down and picked up the badge from the pile of garbage, then casually wiped it on his trouser leg.

"Hahaha, coward."

"With this kind of guts, you dare to come to our West Station?"

"The inspector who rummages through garbage dumps, what an eye-opener!"

"."

The jeers rose and fell, and although they did not cause Cheng Ye any trouble, they reveled in the mental humiliation.

Jamie, too, wore a disdainful smile, as if he had led the charge in a victory against the Easterners.

"Hello, that concludes the report."

Cheng Ye walked back and wiped his badge clean with his clothes. "Now I'm an inspector at the North Station, right?"

Jamie was taken aback when Cheng Ye asked that question, then grunted in response.

But the next second, he froze.

Cheng Ye, who had just been all smiles, suddenly flicked his wrist, and the badge flew through the air in an arc, returning to the sewer along the same path.

"Go, pick it up for me!"

P.S.: Here's a 4.5k+ chapter post. It's a pity I can't update too much during the new book period, otherwise I really wanted to release a dozen or so chapters at once, haha~
P.S. 2: The same old three things again: Please add this to your favorites, give it a monthly pass, and keep reading!
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(End of this chapter)