The Yellow Flag was displayed, and five minutes later, the checkpoint announced that the lockdown had been lifted. Control was handed back to the inspectors.
Cheng Ye first opened the isolation gate to let the Four Brothers through so they could receive treatment, then picked up his Defense Communicator and made a call.
"Sister Luo, don't worry. My shift's going smoothly, and nothing's happened on my end."
"Right, Station Chief He had a bit of an accident. I have to stay on duty here until tonight before I can come back."
When she heard that He Fei had gotten into trouble, Luo Xiaoxue was shocked.
He was an old inspector senior even to Liu Bi and Cheng Long. How could an accident have happened to him out of the blue?
"Be extra careful. Now that a new Hydrophilic Infected has appeared, the handbook I gave you might not be much help. You have to be very, very careful!"
"Don't worry. I'm in charge of Quarantine Zone A, which is specifically for inspecting vehicles. Only one vehicle has come through all morning. At this rate, we probably won't see another one before tonight."
Cheng Ye, of course, didn't mention that he'd found an Unknown Infected and gotten into a fight as soon as he arrived at the checkpoint.
The situation was turbulent, and nobody could say what might happen next. It was better to wait until he got home tonight to tell her in person, so Luo Xiaoxue wouldn't worry.
The Defense Communicator call ended.
Cheng Ye wanted to find someone who could tell him about the Central Checkpoint, but unfortunately, he wasn't Liu Bi. For the past two months, he'd focused entirely on the inspector examination and hadn't built up a single reliable connection.
"If I want to get ahead at the checkpoint, I'll need my own people. Trusted subordinates."
He glanced at Raven and Owl, who were sitting outside the isolation gate. The two of them seemed like promising candidates to cultivate. They were efficient and had a clear understanding of the situation inside the checkpoint.
Unfortunately, he hadn't yet found his footing. Building up a trusted team still seemed like a castle in the air.
"I'll make myself known during this shift. Once I've finished my first Field Mission, maybe I can start thinking about developing my own network. After all, I'll need their support if I want to rise through the ranks."
The Quick Checkpoint was fraught with danger, but it was a shortcut to earning merit.
More importantly, it had a Charging Pile, which let him recharge quickly and build up enough search opportunities.
After only half a day, Cheng Ye had already changed his mind. He was reluctant to go back to inspecting refugees.
That job was such a hassle. He had to ask questions and fish for information over and over.
Even if he followed Garcia's example and extorted people by charging them to enter the city, he wouldn't make much in a day.
At the Quick Checkpoint, the very first person he inspected had handed him a huge sum of 600 Happiness Coins, plus a piece of Meteorite Iron.
"The ancients didn't lie. The greater the danger, the greater the reward."
After glancing at the crowds in Zone B and the empty Zone A, Cheng Ye calmed himself down.
Central Main Checkpoint.
The temperature had climbed to its peak. Sunlight beat down on the ground, making it hot and steamy.
The refugees standing before the checkpoint curiously peered inside.
The isolation area behind the inspection zone was packed with people. Nearly a thousand figures crowded together in a dark mass, most of them armed guards. The scene looked highly unusual.
At the center of the crowd lay a corpse drained of blood and flesh. Its skin clung to its bones, and the way it curled up on the ground made it look like a shriveled piece of bark.
"Investigate it. We have to get to the bottom of this!"
Ding Yishan stared at the corpse for a long time, his face twitching uncontrollably. At last, he stood abruptly, his expression dark.
There was no real need to investigate He Fei's death. The state of his body made it clear that it had been an accident.
Under normal circumstances, the Duty Station Chief shouldn't have gone to inspect the isolation area. But a heavy rainstorm the previous night had flooded the area, and for some reason, He Fei had insisted on visiting the refugees.
He'd barely entered the isolation area when he ran into a Hydrophilic Infected—a New Infection Source that wasn't even in the database.
The moment they came face to face, the Infected latched onto him. In little more than ten seconds, it had sucked He Fei dry.
It was an absurd way to die!
Who could have imagined that an old hand who'd spent more than twenty years working his way up at the checkpoint and killed countless Infected would meet such a ridiculous end?
Ding Yishan couldn't help thinking of himself.
New Types of Infected were now pouring into Xingfu City in an endless stream, and even a Duty Station Chief hadn't been spared.
Did that mean he, the Chief Station Master, could lose his life here at any moment too?
"Starting today, the inspection level at the Central Main Checkpoint will be raised to Level Four. If any abnormal data is detected, isolate the person immediately! No one except the guards is allowed into the isolation area!"
"Inspection levels at the North South Sub Checkpoints will be raised to Level Three. Anyone with two or more abnormal data points will be locked in an Isolation Pod. No unauthorized releases!"
Ding Yishan issued his orders in a low voice.
There were five inspection levels at the checkpoints, with Level One the lowest and Level Five the highest.
Based on past experience, the level was raised above Three only during the dangerous winter season. In summer, it usually stayed between Levels One and Two.
Now, though, they were going straight to Level Four in the middle of summer. The guards and inspectors surrounding him felt their hearts sink.
"Also, starting today, the checkpoint will implement the Wartime Reward System. Merit will be accumulated based on the number of inspections and Infected killed. I'll apply to Director Liu of the City Defense Department and have the Internal Treasury Reward program activated at the same time."
"The more you do, the more you get. The more you kill, the more you earn. I won't tolerate anyone taking food from the checkpoint without doing their job. Understood?"
"Yes!"
Everyone around him answered in unison.
The oppressive mood lifted at once, and many eyes began to shine with eagerness.
Merit rewards were only ever activated when an Infected Tide passed through. Nobody had expected He Fei's death to bring them about.
This was wonderful news. There were so many good things they could exchange merit for.
For ordinary checkpoint guards in particular, a major achievement could give them a chance to be promoted to inspector and make a dramatic leap up the ranks.
Who could resist that temptation?
"Halin, organize a Study Session. All the inspectors here who aren't on duty are to review the procedures for dealing with Hydrophilic Infected immediately. Set up an examination. Anyone who fails three times will be demoted by one rank. Anyone who fails five times will have to take a Field Mission with a difficulty rating of at least four!"
"Understood."
After issuing a string of orders, he waited until he was sure the entire checkpoint would be set in motion.
Only then did Ding Yishan leave, panting as if he were a ravenous wolf that had failed to find its prey.
"My lord, you've been getting worked up today. It's not good for your recovery."
As Ding Yishan left the crowd, the middle-aged man who had been following him the entire time hurried to catch up and advised him in a quiet voice.
"Achuan, you've followed me for nearly twenty years. You and I practically fought our way into this position together. How could you not understand what's got me angry?"
Ding Yishan sighed discreetly and said gravely, "Winter hasn't even arrived yet, and with He Fei's death, the East and West Factions could go to war at any moment."
"I deliberately tested Halin just now. He backed down, but who knows if he'll keep backing down?"
Achuan fell silent for a moment. "My lord, if the West Faction takes advantage of Station Chief He's death and the vacancy in the Duty Station Chief's seat to pressure us, I can take care of Halin. It would force the East and West Factions into a temporary truce."
Ding Yishan stopped dead. His Adam's apple bobbed as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he could only manage a strained smile. He reached out and patted Achuan on the shoulder.
"Let's head back for now. Things haven't reached the point where you need to risk your life. And if we take that first step, the East and West Factions will never be able to make peace again."
Station Chief's Office.
It stood behind the Central Checkpoint, a three-story building separate from the checkpoint itself.
Its decor wasn't modern. Instead, it was somewhat like a teahouse from the Old Era.
Ding Yishan used the first floor for his daily work. The second floor was a reception room for inspectors visiting the checkpoint, while the third floor was a forbidden place where he privately "set things in motion."
Ding Yishan went straight up to the third floor and pushed open the door to a room near the stairs.
The furnishings inside were simple. A mahjong table stood in the corner, and a tea table of the sort commonly found in the two Guang regions sat in the middle of the room.
Ding Yishan slowly rinsed the teaware and washed the tea leaves. Before the fragrance had time to spread, Achuan gently pushed the door open. Four people filed in behind him.
"Come on, sit down."
Ding Yishan gestured for them to sit across from him at the tea table. Then he got straight to the point.
"He Fei is dead. The Duty Station Chief position is open. Who do you think should take it?"
The four drew quick breaths and exchanged glances. Each could see the burning ambition in the others' eyes.
Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Cloud, Chang, Yuan.
The six people in the checkpoint's Dongren Faction who were qualified to become Duty Station Chief.
If nothing had happened to Cheng Long, Ding Yishan wouldn't have needed to ask. The answer would have been clear.
But there was no "if."
"I deliberately didn't call Lei Hu over. I want to hear what the four of you think."
Lei Hu was the Duty Station Chief at South Station.
Ding Yishan rubbed his fingers against his teacup. "If there's anything you want to say, say it now."
After a long pause, the four stood up and retraced their steps out of the room.
Ding Yishan watched them leave with a complicated expression. Only after Achuan had seen them out and come back inside did he let out a sigh.
"Achuan, what do you think of those four?"
Achuan shook his head. "My lord, this sort of thing isn't something I—"
"You don't need to hold back. There's no one else here, and you might become an inspector yourself before long. It's time you learned how these things work."
"Well..." Achuan fell silent for a while, then said gravely, "In terms of ability, none of them comes close to Cheng Long. Zhou Changhai and Qiao Yuan are ruthless enough, but they lack courage. They'd struggle to win people over in that position. Shao Yunfei and Lin Bao are brave, but too crude. Even if they were promoted, they couldn't help you with your troubles or keep the checkpoint stable."
"So...it's a difficult choice!"
Ding Yishan gave a self-deprecating smile. "The wheel of fortune keeps turning. When Cheng Long was around, our Dongren faction could always keep the Xiren faction firmly in check. I never imagined things would fall apart like this as soon as he left."
As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something. "What about Cheng Long's kid? What was his name again—Cheng Ye?"
"Didn't he go to the Quick Checkpoint today? How's he doing?"
"I'll ask the people downstairs. They should have sent back word by now."
Achuan hurried downstairs. Soon, he returned with a tablet, his expression strange.
"What is it?"
"My lord, Cheng Ye went to North Station."
"Hm?" Ding Yishan's eye twitched. Water rippled around his teacup as it swayed between his fingers. "Who gave him the nerve to go to North Station?"
"My lord, it's hard to explain in a few words. You'll understand once you watch this."
Achuan handed over the tablet. It showed two videos that weren't very clear.
"Is this...him getting into trouble with that group of children?"
After saying it, Ding Yishan remembered that Cheng Ye was also a newcomer around their age—perhaps even younger than the children. It didn't seem surprising that he might have done something out of line.
But what happened next made his expression turn strange.
"This technique..."
Ding Yishan narrowed his eyes, taken aback.
Compared with the pale, frail young scholar he remembered, the young man in the video was brimming with confidence. His powerful presence was almost unrecognizable.
He swiped to the second video. Cheng Ye kicked Owl away, picked up a flamethrower without the slightest hesitation, then calmly helped Owl up and left when the guards arrived.
Ding Yishan's expression grew even stranger. He even rewound the video three times.
"A new Infection Source?"
"Yes. The researcher 'Qin Feng' has provided the preliminary data. There's no match in the Infected database."
"How did he discover the infection?"
"I don't know. Should I notify him and ask him to write a report after his shift?" Achuan shook his head honestly.
Killing people was easy. Finding an Infected was hard.
Judging by what Cheng Ye had shown in the video alone, not only could Achuan not do it—many inspectors couldn't either.
"Hmm..."
Ding Yishan hesitated, then shook his head and gave a rueful smile. "Forget it. Given the situation, we'd better avoid drawing attention to him. He's on the Xiren faction's turf, after all. Whatever we do, too much or too little, could cause problems."
"But...that kid did surprise me."
Ding Yishan thought of how he'd previously planned to arrange an accident for Cheng Ye so Achuan could take his place.
After a moment's thought, he spoke without showing any emotion. "Old man Towns has principles. He's from the same generation as Cheng Wu and should look out for Cheng Ye. We don't need to interfere. When Cheng Ye moves to South Station next week, find an opportunity to meet him for me and test him out first."
"Understood!"
Before you continue