The Inner City Lord?
Cheng Ye pondered for a moment. He didn't ask if he could pretend he hadn't heard and skip the rescue.
In principle, that was impossible.
Inspectors held an extremely prestigious position in the Buffer Zone, but within Xingfu City's overall power structure,
they were essentially like sentinels: they could strike hard against outsiders, but still had to follow the rules within the city.
To put it more plainly, Xingfu City was a residential compound, and inspectors were its security guards.
Even if a guard had a gun, authority, and manpower, and was far more impressive than Country Garden's five-star general, he couldn't stand by while an "owner" in the Inner City was dying.
That was the fundamental issue. After all, the owners paid the property fees that covered the guards' wages.
If even this basic rule didn't apply, people would have no reason to fight their way into the Inner City. They might as well all become guards and ride roughshod over the owners.
"When there's no line, can I go rest in the back?"
"Even if there is a line, who'd dare stop an inspector from taking a break?"
Raven spoke frankly, without the slightest hesitation. "As long as there aren't any Inner City Lords waiting to be inspected, it doesn't matter if ordinary people have to wait outside all day. Once they learn to behave, the lord can let them in whenever he's in a good mood."
In other words, North Station was still running on the Xiren's familiar "entry fee" system.
Whoever paid got in first. Those who didn't had to wait outside.
"Fine. You two can go rest in the back. I'll sit here."
"Of course. I'll get you an umbrella."
Not having to stay in the Quarantine Zone with the inspector was undoubtedly good news.
After all, they had work of their own to do. Just sorting through the records of all those in quarantine took a long time, and they often had to work until two or three in the morning to finish.
The two exchanged a glance, then happily turned to leave. Before long, they returned with a large umbrella and secured it beside the table.
Cheng Ye crossed one leg over the other and sat down. As he drank his Nutrient Paste, he watched the line in Zone B grow longer and longer.
He had to admit, it was pretty relaxing.
Being an inspector was a great job. As long as you were strong enough, you wouldn't have any trouble.
Everyone had to respect you and do what you said.
If anyone disobeyed, as long as they weren't an Inner City Lord, you could kill them first and report it later without taking responsibility.
Even better, inspectors controlled the Buffer Zone's entire security lifeline. The stricter their inspections, the more ordinary residents praised and loved them.
It really proved the saying: as long as our interests align, the scholars will find arguments to defend me.
Who would dare speak ill of an inspector?
They'd be drowned in the spit of hundreds of thousands of Buffer Zone residents in no time!
"Wait, why do I feel like I've skipped decades of taking the wrong turns in life?"
As Cheng Ye mulled it over, his smile froze.
This was bad. The security guard job really did wear down your fighting spirit. He'd planned to make a big impact at the Checkpoint.
But he'd only been sitting for a few minutes, and he was already so comfortable he was about to nod off.
No.
He had to get moving!
He downed the rest of his Nutrient Paste and sat up, reviewing what he'd done that day.
There wasn't much to say about bullying a bunch of young punks. Those spoiled brats were so naive, they seemed like people from the modern world.
They were still playing their little games in the Wasteland. If they ran into someone truly ruthless, they probably wouldn't even know how they'd died.
But then there was Station Chief Towns...
Cheng Ye had vaguely felt that someone might have been standing behind the screen while they talked, though he couldn't be sure.
But then again, even if someone had been there, it didn't matter. He hadn't let anything seem out of the ordinary from start to finish.
"As for getting 90 points without firing a shot..."
Cheng Ye shook his head to himself.
If he'd really scored 90 points with Towns, he wouldn't be lounging around so comfortably now.
People feared fame the way pigs feared getting fat.
Showing too much intelligence wouldn't change Ding Yishan's opinion of him in the short term.
But to the West Faction, it would mean something entirely different.
There'd be no shortage of trouble or targeting. They might even keep testing his limits, creating all kinds of needless high-pressure situations.
So, for the time being, having the label of a hothead was actually a good thing.
"Next, I should keep a low profile and make it through the first week. I need to give Ding Yishan some time to realize I've changed."
"And with the Slow Charging Pile to replenish my energy, I can search at least four more times before my shift rotation ends."
"With my current strength, finding any skill at all will give me a huge boost!"
As he was thinking, Cheng Ye suddenly remembered how the Collector had returned double the Action Points after he canceled the search for Barrett.
He opened the panel with a thought.
"Wait, how did Action Points unlock a new feature?"
Cheng Ye's gaze swept across the display, then suddenly stopped.
He'd thought Action Points were just a minor function folded into the search feature.
But now, a new option, "Action," had appeared beside "Search."
They weren't two parts of the same feature. They were completely separate?
Cheng Ye was instantly excited.
The search feature alone had transformed his strength completely.
Could this newly unlocked Action feature also greatly increase his combat power?
And there was something important: every failed search guaranteed Action Points, though the amount varied.
That meant that as long as all three Skill Slots were filled and he couldn't expand them or replace his skills to improve his strength, his Action Points would only keep piling up.
After all, as his strength increased, the bonuses from LV.1 skills would gradually diminish. Sooner or later, he'd set his sights on LV.2 skills.
But the success rate for searching above his level was only 25%, which meant he'd naturally have a much higher chance of receiving Action Points.
What's more, sometimes if he found an Infected and gave up, he'd get double the Action Points as an extra reward.
"Search is already this powerful. Please don't let Action turn out to be useless."
"The more straightforward, the better. The more mindless, the better. Don't go easy on me just because I'm a weak Collector!"
Cheng Ye silently prayed, then opened the Action feature with a thought.
The interface stuttered slightly, as if it were loading.
About four or five seconds later, a brand-new feature panel appeared before him.
[Action] [This feature is an additional function derived from 'Search', designed to make perfect use of the energy lost when a search fails] [Used properly, it can save Collectors time and greatly improve information-gathering efficiency] [Feature Description: When a Collector performs a repetitive task, they can use Action Points to complete it quickly] [Remaining Action Points: 4 (LV.1)] [Current Available Targets: The Collector can silently issue the Action command to automatically scan for applicable targets within a 10-meter radius] [Please note the following: 1. Action targets must be within the Collector's capabilities. If a target is slightly beyond them, the conditions required to unlock it will be displayed 2. The effects of Action Points will automatically be shielded from biological perception and non-biological monitoring, ensuring the action's logic remains plausible. Collectors may use this feature without worry 3. Action Point levels are linked to the Collector's rank. Raising your rank will unlock more possible actions.]
"'When a Collector performs a repetitive task, they can use Action Points to complete it quickly'?"
He skipped over the complicated details and focused on the short version.
Cheng Ye mulled it over for a while, then suddenly felt the feature seemed a little familiar.
He searched his memory.
Around 2013 to 2020, a lot of mobile games designed to squeeze money out of players had appeared on the market, especially RTS (real-time strategy) games like "Certain Land of Shore," "Certain Falling Conflict," and "Certain Room War."
When players first started building things in a game, it only took a few seconds, a dozen seconds, or at most a minute. They could quickly put together the framework of their territory.
But once they reached a certain point, construction times started to skyrocket: one minute became ten minutes, then twenty minutes, an hour, or even several days. It had nothing to do with normal progression.
For players who couldn't wait, the games also offered speed-ups.
As long as you paid for speed-up tokens, you could cut the time down several times over—or skip the wait entirely.
That was why you'd often see a single rich player steamrolling an alliance of dozens.
"But it's a little different. In games, the targets are all set by the developers in advance. Players are just puppets on a string, paying to win. But with the Collector's Action feature, I get to set the targets myself."
"I'll try it out."
Cheng Ye's thoughts stirred, and he followed the panel's instructions to scan for targets nearby.
In an instant, blue scanning waves the same color as the panel spread outward from him in a sudden burst, expanding to a radius of ten meters.
Something extraordinary happened. Every object the blue light swept over began to glow faintly.
The alloy floor, the table in front of him, the umbrella wedged beside it, the backpack on the tabletop...
Every object shimmered with a clear blue radiance in the daylight, as if it had been given a special kind of life.
"Can other people not see this?"
Cheng Ye's heart jolted. He hurriedly glanced around out of the corner of his eye.
Only a few people in the line at Zone B looked his way, but they hadn't noticed anything unusual. They were merely glancing around out of boredom.
"So I really am the only one who can see it."
The blue scanning waves were so clear in his vision that they looked solid, yet no one else could see them.
That put Cheng Ye at ease. He began studying the changes the blue light had brought about.
"As for an action target..."
He definitely couldn't choose anything in the Quarantine Zone. If the action succeeded, someone might notice something strange.
Cheng Ye's gaze swept over the tabletop and soon settled on the Backpack lying there.
He'd bought it from a Wanderer's Stall by the roadside after crossing over.
There were a few holes in the side, and it looked worn overall. But its structure was well designed, and it was sturdy and durable—far better than the showy junk sold at the General Store.
Cheng Ye had been meaning to go buy some needle and thread to mend the holes, but he often got busy and forgot. Usually, he only remembered when he was already heading out.
This was the perfect chance to see if Action Points could mend it for him.
"Mend the backpack, mend the backpack, mend..."
It was his first time creating a target with his thoughts, and he had no idea what he was doing. All he could do was repeat the words like he was reciting from a book.
But something strange happened. The moment the thought crossed his mind, a blue panel appeared beside the Backpack, and lines of text unfolded.
[Wanderer's Canvas Backpack (LV.0)] [Description]: A Backpack hand-sewn from coarse canvas and treated with Triple Wax Coating. Even when dragged through thorny wilderness or rubbed against rough rock walls, it can withstand minor surface tears. [Possible Actions]: 1. Basic Optimization (Mend holes in the Backpack and slightly improve its structure, increasing its durability) Estimated Action Point Cost: 3 (The Collector can provide materials and tools to reduce the Action Point cost) 2. Deep Modification (Substantially improve the Backpack's structure and ease of use; replace the material with Premium Leather, effectively protecting it against scratches and wear from sharp objects; add an Open Single Compartment Design, a Side Hidden Rope Buckle, and a Weapon Pouch, slightly increasing its functionality) Estimated Action Point Cost: Locked (Prerequisite: A skill related to Sewing must be mastered) 3. Complete Modification (Replace the material with Xingfu Alloy, making it indestructible; add a Smart Weapon System that can automatically lock on to threats within a 50-meter radius and fire with Precision Shot; integrate a full-function survival equipment kit, including but not limited to a Simple Lifeboat, a Full-Function Climbing Hook, and an Automatic Freshwater Collector) Estimated Action Point Cost: Locked (Prerequisite: Lock On) [Please select an action!]
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