Rapid Epidemic Checks, the East-West Factional Dispute!

The other party requesting a call was none other than the checkpoint chief, Ding Yishan!

Cheng Ye was genuinely surprised.

In the more than two months since he had crossed over into the Wasteland, he had never met this mysterious chief.

Searching through the original owner's memories, he found only one encounter with the chief: when he had come out of the Inner City. Ding Yishan had personally welcomed him, then specifically instructed everyone to treat and train him well, so Cheng Long could leave without worry.

Why was he calling me?

Cheng Ye instinctively began thinking furiously, but his hand moved without hesitation as he pressed the answer button.

"Hey, Xiao Cheng, it's me, Director Ding!"

His kindly voice came through the Defense Communicator. "I'm not disturbing your sleep this early, am I?"

"Good morning, Director Ding!" Cheng Ye's voice lifted slightly. He stepped over to the window and looked down, then continued with a perfectly measured laugh. "It rained so hard last night that I couldn't sleep in the second half of the night. I thought I'd head out and see if I could lend a hand. I just got back and washed up, and was getting ready for work."

"Ah, you young people really carry on your fathers' spirit. You're sure to become the station's model of hard work and perseverance."

A hearty laugh came from the other end of the Defense Communicator. "It's good for young people to work hard. A good thing. I was just wondering how to bring this up with you, so this works out nicely."

"Go ahead, Chief. I'm listening."

"Well, here's the thing."

At first, Ding Yishan spoke slowly and kindly, like the eighty-year-old village elders Cheng Ye often saw at the entrance to his hometown.

But the moment he got down to business, his pace returned to normal, and a hint of a station chief's authority crept into his voice.

As a graduate of a top university, Cheng Ye had long trained his mind to automatically filter out useless information.

The key points of Ding Yishan's three-minute speech boiled down to just a few sentences.

Garcia had been beaten badly enough by Liu Bi to need emergency treatment. The West Faction was unhappy, but they had been in the wrong, so they had no grounds to complain.

The West Faction would definitely target him, the Trainee Inspector, from every angle, at work and in his personal life.

As station chief, and as Cheng Long's comrade, I'm pulling you out of the line of fire. Lay low for a while.

"Chief, you've always looked out for me in every way. I really... sigh. Before my father passed away, he said Director Ding was one of the few honest men left in this world. He told me that if I ever couldn't make up my mind, I should come to you for advice. I'm useless. I'm always causing trouble for the station."

As he spoke, Cheng Ye's voice turned slightly choked.

On the other end of the Defense Communicator, the authoritative voice softened at once. "Xiao Cheng, Uncle Ding has let you down. Your father entrusted you to me, and I couldn't even protect you from a little trouble like this."

"Don't worry. Once you've finished your first Field Mission, I'll transfer you back. Let's see who dares say another word!"

"Chief, please don't say that."

They traded one comforting remark after another.

Two minutes later, the call ended. Cheng Ye, who had been choking up just a moment earlier, instantly dropped his expression, his face turning grave.

From what he had seen in those few minutes, this Director Ding had more than enough people skills to get by in the Wasteland. Even by modern standards, his top-notch Tai Chi maneuvering and acting would have let him thrive in a secure government job!

Could Director Ding, like his predecessor, be an unusual member of the "Old Era" human race whose genes hadn't mutated toward combat?

"But transferring me from the Main Gate's epidemic screening post to the Rapid Epidemic Investigation Post—is that really to keep me out of trouble?"

Cheng Ye couldn't help sneering.

There were currently three checkpoints in the Quarantine Buffer Zone. Besides epidemic screening at the Main Gate, there were the North and South Gates, which handled Rapid Epidemic Checks.

The former screened outside survivors, while the latter two were reserved for those with permits, such as scouts sent out on missions, Sentinels clearing Infected from the surrounding area, and authorized Scavengers.

At first glance, the former seemed more dangerous. After all, survivors came from every corner of the Wasteland, so they were much more likely to have encountered Infected.

Yet based on what Cheng Ye had learned and experienced, the truth was exactly the opposite!

At the Main Gate, although they dealt with outside survivors, refugees, and displaced people, those being screened were kept inside iron cages. Even if they were Infected, most of their ability to attack had been taken away.

Besides, each guard tower behind the conveyor belts was staffed by an eight-person team on armed duty. They kept their guns trained to protect the inspectors, and if anything seemed amiss, the person being screened would be killed on the spot.

So even though the chance of encountering Infected was much higher than at the North and South Gates, the annual fatality rate had stayed below 5% for years.

The Rapid Epidemic Investigation Post was the exact opposite. There were no iron cages, and no armed duty teams providing cover.

Inspectors had to search those being screened face-to-face and at close range. Even if they confirmed an infection, all they could rely on was the nearby patrol guards.

But the protection those guards offered was actually a false promise.

All Ding Yishan had to do was arrange things a little, and the guards who were supposed to provide armed support would casually set up their Small Stools and watch him fight an Infected at close range.

They wouldn't shoot him in the back before the fight was decided, but if he was contaminated by an Infection Source, they'd definitely put a few "Peanuts" in him within two seconds and give him a Physical Exorcism.

"The annual fatality rate at the Rapid Epidemic Investigation Post has never been below 30%. Trainee Inspectors aren't the only ones who die there. Even regular Phase One and Phase Two Inspectors often let their guard down and end up dead."

Cheng Ye's thoughts raced, and he instantly understood the deeper reasons behind this change in circumstances.

Since Xingfu City established the Quarantine Buffer Zone, the checkpoints had kept expanding. Including guards, staff, and Sentinels, there were now well over two thousand people.

Yet there had only ever been one hundred and fifty inspectors, and the number of positions had never increased.

At present, there were only two ways to become an inspector.

First, the Hereditary System: a child took over their father's post.

Second, the Electoral System: when an inspector had no descendants to inherit their position, the station chief chose a replacement from among those who had made major contributions to the checkpoint.

This distorted and unreasonable system had ensured from the outset that the two factions' personnel might vary greatly in quality at any given time.

For example, before Cheng Long's accidental death, his Combat Power had been 10. After Cheng Ye took over, it had plunged to 1, yet he still occupied a position. The East Faction's overall strength among the inspectors had naturally fallen sharply.

Or, if things went as they usually did, the West Faction's New Generation might mature faster than the East Faction's, causing the East Faction to gradually decline and lose control of the checkpoint.

"First, he told Brother B to beat Garcia badly enough to send him to emergency treatment. As long as Garcia doesn't die, he keeps a West Faction inspector position occupied and can't be replaced."

"Then he used the excuse of assigning me to Rapid Epidemic Checks. That shut the West Faction up and paved the way for the East Faction's next move. If anything happens to me, I have no descendants, so he can select a capable General to fill the vacancy and strengthen the East Faction's inspectors."

"Ding Yishan, you really are something. What a vicious plan—killing two birds with one stone!"

A powerful sense of urgency rose in Cheng Ye's heart.

There was no way Ding Yishan had missed what his predecessor had done in the Inner City.

In his eyes, Cheng Ye's score probably hadn't even reached the minimum of 3. Put him on the East Faction's side, and every move he made would put them at a disadvantage.

Garcia was young too, and his personality was unreliable, but he had already spent two years training as an inspector. He had gone on more than a dozen Field Missions, large and small, and had plenty of experience surviving and fighting.

On the West Faction's side, he was at least a '5', maybe even a '6'. His presence might not change much, but without him, many of their moves would suddenly be difficult to play.

Right now, it was the weaker cards against the stronger ones. If both cards could be made to burst as planned, it would be a great outcome for the East Faction.

"If it were Brother B, he'd probably really believe he was being sent there to lay low."

"No, wait. Someone as terrifying as Brother B would probably never get assigned to Rapid Epidemic Checks in his life."

Rapid Epidemic Check inspectors wielded terrifying power—and faced terrifying danger.

If they decided you were Infected, they could cut you down with one stroke. If they later discovered they were wrong, they only had to write a Self-Criticism.

If they sent Liu Bi there, it wouldn't take many days for him to leave a trail of corpses.

"Damn it. I haven't even cleared the hurdle of my Field Mission, and now I'm being dragged into the East-West Factional Dispute."

"But at the end of the day, it's 'a man is innocent, but his treasure makes him a target.' I'm too weak to hold on to this secure job, so of course other people would covet it and scheme against me."

"If I had Brother B's strength, why would I fear factional disputes or Rapid Epidemic Checks, no matter how troublesome they were?"

Had this happened last night, Cheng Ye might have hesitated, might have been afraid.

But now, fine rain slanted against the windowpane. Damp air seeped through the cracks, carrying the scent of soil.

He inhaled the earthy smell, and an inexplicable calm rose in his heart, washing over his nerves and gradually turning into a quiet, unwavering resolve.

Basic Strength had given him experience and technique, just barely bringing him up to the minimum threshold for going on a Field Mission.

But the weakest part of the "Bucket Theory"—his physical fitness—still limited the damage he could inflict.

Now, after a single night...

His fingertip traced the newly formed lines of tendon along his forearm. Cheng Ye could clearly sense the explosive power lying dormant in his muscles.

Everything had changed!

The muscle groups he had trained through Muscle Memory had made up for his weakest link, greatly increasing his overall strength!

He was still nowhere near a Humanoid Weapon like Brother B, but if he took another blow at 40% strength like last night, he definitely wouldn't be sent flying without the ability to fight back.

"Right now, this is both a danger and an opportunity."

"If I can prove my value and get back in the game, I'll be able to secure my position as an inspector!"

Cheng Ye raised his right hand and turned it slightly.

The Pendant plugged into the power outlet flickered, then suddenly appeared in his palm, its outline taking shape.

After using both of his searches on Chu Yunfeng yesterday, he had spent the night experimenting and had more or less figured out how to replenish the Civilization Collector's Charge Value.

At level 1, each search with the Civilization Collector required 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity, a sharp drop from the 2,000 kilowatt-hours required to activate it before.

More importantly, the Physical Pendant's ability to change its form had undergone a qualitative transformation.

Now, as long as it was within ten meters, Cheng Ye could use his mind to switch it Between Virtual and Real. And no matter where it was within range, it would instantly return to his palm with a single thought.

That alone made charging it much easier.

As long as the downpour continued and the Hydroelectric Station kept supplying ample power, even a 2.5-square-millimeter outlet could provide nearly fifty kilowatt-hours a day.

At that rate, he only needed two or three days to save up enough for a search.

"Searches alone aren't enough. I'd planned to buy weapons and equipment before going on a Field Mission, but it looks like I need to get them ready early."

"The Contribution Points I have on hand definitely won't be enough, but I could ask Brother B for a loan to tide me over."

"But since Ding Yishan assigned me to the North-South Checkpoint, he must have accounted for Brother B stepping in to help. I'm afraid..."

Cheng Ye's eyes flickered. He picked up the Defense Communicator and dialed Liu Bi's number.