Transcendent Baptism, Visitor on a Rainy Night!

The drainage work in the Main Urban Area was still ongoing, leaving the streets in disarray.

The study session had to be moved to an abandoned grand theater in the suburbs.

While the Staff were clearing the venue, Halin rummaged through a document bag and pulled out a stack of names.

The list was densely packed with the names of instructors who had retired from the Public Security Bureau that year, as well as soldiers who had retired due to injury, illness, or other reasons.

"Go and invite the people on the list. Let's gather 300 of them first, and have them take turns giving lectures."

He put a checkmark on a few important names, paused, and then stated the specific remuneration:

"Public Security Bureau instructors will be paid 10 Contribution Points per lecture."

"Retired soldiers from the Blood Dragon, Cross, and Happiness legions will receive 8 points each."

"Everyone else will be paid 5 Contribution Points. Keep the accounts clear, and I'll report them to the Station later for public funds."

The Staff acknowledged the order and immediately began searching for people according to the list.

At precisely 4:00 PM, the study session officially began at the abandoned grand theater.

After a brief opening speech by Deputy Station Chief Halin, the first instructor took the stage to recite the response procedures for aquatic Infected.

However, the audience was largely unenthusiastic. This rote learning method offered little practical help for the current situation.

After all, the casualties were now caused by New Infection Sources that weren't even recorded in the database. The old response strategies were long outdated.

"Have the currently on-duty Inspectors rotate in to study tomorrow. They will be assessed three days later. As for the test..."

Halin paused, his tone suddenly intensifying, "Within fifteen days, they must find and kill an Infected while on duty!"

So strict?

The Inspectors sitting in the back rows felt a sudden weight in their hearts. Especially those who usually slacked off, cold sweat instantly beaded on their foreheads.

Fortunately, Ding Yishan had previously set a rule of "demotion only after three unfulfilled standards," which meant there was still a forty-five-day buffer period.

After the study session was arranged, Halin had just stepped out when someone quickly approached him.

"Dario, what is it?"

"Station Chief, Ding Yishan just summoned Cloud Leopard Changyuan. He was there for about forty minutes."

"What about Lei Hu?"

"He's still at South Station, he didn't go over."

"Didn't go over?" Halin blinked, a hint of unexpected amusement flashing across his face. "Good, this is Ding Yishan's own doing."

"Station Chief, do you think Ding Yishan has noticed that Lei Hu and we have been getting close recently?" Dario Haven asked, trailing closely behind Halin, his voice kept very low.

To be eligible for the position of Duty Station Chief, one must first reach the rank of a fifth-stage Inspector.

Currently, besides the Station Chief and Deputy Station Chief, and two Duty Station Chiefs, there are six fifth-stage Inspectors within the Checkpoint.

Four from the East Faction, and two from the West Faction.

Davidson, the Deputy Station Chief of North Station, counts as one, and the other is me, Dario Haven.

"He's not blind, he noticed long ago. But what can he do about it?"

Halin sneered, "Back when Ding Yishan wasn't in power, didn't he also align with our West Faction to suppress those few fifth-stage Inspectors?"

"Next, we'll be competing for the Duty Station Chief position. We won't make a move yet. Let's see what he says first. After all, those four from Cloud Leopard Changyuan are not to be trifled with. If he can't maintain the balance, internal chaos will erupt first."

"No rush?"

Dario was slightly disappointed but could only nod in agreement.

"By the way, Station Chief, an East Faction Inspector reported to North Station today."

"Is it that Cheng Ye?"

Halin's eyebrows twitched slightly.

His memory was excellent. From the beginning of the year until now, out of the four Trainee Inspectors at the station, three had passed their onboarding assessments. Only Cheng Ye, however, had obtained his "graduation" certificate in less than two months.

This speed ranked second since the establishment of the Inspector system, only half a month slower than the record set by himself, the Deputy Station Chief, back in the day.

But the difference was, he had set his record by refreshing it during an Infected Tide, while Cheng Ye had approached this number in a non-combat state.

The two situations were diametrically opposed.

"I remember his Combat Talent was particularly poor. I didn't expect him to be so bold as to go to our North Station?"

"More than bold, this kid isn't simple. He's clearly gone to North Station to establish his authority!"

In a few words, Dario recounted what had happened at North Station that morning.

Hearing that Cheng Ye had forced back a group of brainless second-generation elites with just a few words by exploiting their psychological weaknesses, Halin showed no reaction. He even felt like laughing.

After all, as the chief examiner for the trainee assessment, he knew Cheng Ye's intelligence better than anyone.

If he were truly bullied by those good-for-nothings who expected to inherit the position of Inspector and lord over others, he would have to question his own judgment of people back then.

However, as Dario continued his account, Halin's expression quickly changed.

"Are you sure he only asked a few questions before determining that the opponent was an Infected, and that he remained calm during the fight, even managing to save the Observer?"

"Yes, I've watched the complete video. His performance."

Dario thought for a moment before giving an evaluation of "effortless."

In the video he watched, Cheng Ye showed no fear at all. Whether it was initiating gunfire, or the subsequent counterattacks and retreats, his actions were decisive.

"Damn it, where's the video? Bring it here, I want to see it."

Halin couldn't help but shake his head. The scene of Ding Yishan specially approving a hundred bullets for Cheng Ye a few days ago flashed through his mind.

Had he misjudged? Was this kid a formidable character, skilled in both civil and military arts?

The tablet was quickly delivered.

Halin frowned and pressed the play button. He even rewound the progress bar twice before finally confirming Dario's evaluation.

Indeed, effortless!

"Tsk tsk, the East Faction's current generation is completely rotten. I didn't expect them to produce such a promising seedling."

"Hmm, arrange for someone to contact him and see if we can win him over to our side."

Compared to Ding Yishan's hesitation, Halin's reaction was the opposite, frighteningly decisive.

"But... he's from the East Faction?"

"What's wrong with being from the East Faction? Isn't Lei Hu also from the East Faction?"

Halin looked surprised and scrutinized Dario for a few moments.

"Didn't I tell you a few times? In factional struggles, the most important thing is to understand the opponent's background."

"Cheng Long is Cheng Long, and he is he. This kid has lived in the Inner City his whole life, he hasn't been involved in the station's dirty business, and he has no sense of belonging to the East Faction. The only trouble is Liu Bi, and unfortunately, that idiot Ding Yishan sent Liu Bi to the Hydroelectric Station. If we don't win him over now, are we going to wait until he establishes himself?"

"Do you think this kid is stupid? I guess he definitely knows Ding Yishan transferring him to the rapid station has ulterior motives, which is why he deliberately chose our North Station as an entry point. But this also gives us an opportunity."

"What about Garcia?"

Dario's heart churned. He thought that Halin was going all out to compete for the Station Chief position.

"He's just out of the rescue stage and is still lying in the medical bay. We go and try to win over Cheng Ye..."

"Let him be able to walk up to me and protest first."

Halin waved his hand. "Do as I say. It won't take long. As soon as the East Faction is in chaos internally, I'll naturally find a way to help you secure the position of Duty Station Chief."

"Yes, Station Chief!"

Upon hearing that he could be promoted to duty Station Chief, Dario's eyes instantly lit up with ecstasy. He no longer had any room to question.

Ordinary inspectors might struggle their entire lives, only to perhaps fall to the Infected one day.

But once one became a duty Station Chief, it was equivalent to escaping the bottom tier and gaining the capital to climb higher.

Why were Halin and Ding Yishan fighting so fiercely?

Everyone actually knew very well that Xingfu City's "Transcendent Baptism," held once every six years, was in its fifth year. If they didn't fight for it now, they'd have to wait another six years!

In the previous round, Ding Yishan had the upper hand, and Halin chose to avoid the conflict, voluntarily giving up the Transcendent Baptism.

Who would have thought Ding Yishan would be so disappointing? First, he missed a prime opportunity for awakening, and then he made one bad move after another. In order to please the higher-ups of Xingfu City, he not only lost a great general like Cheng Long but also several core inspectors.

Therefore, Halin would absolutely not sit idly by this round.

What appeared to be a fierce factional struggle right now was merely the prelude.

The real storm wouldn't fully sweep in until winter arrived, or even next spring.

By then, every inspector, whether they were in their fifth, fourth, or first year, or even a trainee, would be caught in the storm!

Night fell, and the streetlights flickered on.

Warm yellow light bathed the Quarantine Area, pushing back the inky darkness spreading from the wilderness.

A light rain began to fall again.

Occasionally, a bolt of lightning tore through the clouds, illuminating the silhouette of the City Ruins in the distance, triggering waves of howls from the Mutated Beasts.

"This damn weather."

Li Maitai sent off the last group of people queuing. After watching everyone being escorted into the Quarantine Zone by the Guards, he straightened up and rubbed his sore shoulders.

How many people had he sent into the Quarantine Zone today?

Eh, he seemed to have forgotten to count.

But it was at least around two hundred people. These guys were all highly suspicious!

"Seven minutes until shift change."

Taking out his Defense Communicator to check the time, Li Maitai got up and ambled towards the isolation fence between Zone A and Zone B, intending to chat with Cheng Ye to pass the remaining time.

"Inspector Cheng, you're really taking it easy over here!" Li Maitai sighed, leaning on the wire mesh fence. "I was on my feet all day in Zone B, but your Zone A only had one vehicle pass through all day."

"Is that so?"

Cheng Ye replied without looking up from his push-ups on the ground.

"I see you don't ask anything upon meeting, and just send people into the Quarantine Zone. Aren't you busy?"

"Huh?"

Understanding the implication in Cheng Ye's tone, Li Maitai paused, then chuckled dismissively. "You don't understand. I've toiled at the checkpoint for over twenty years. I've seen riots in the Isolation Pods, endured invasions by the Infected Tide, and factional struggles, big and small, have never stopped. Yet, I'm still standing here, chatting with you today. What do I owe that to?"

"Isn't it because I'm careful enough, cautious enough!"

"Is that so?"

Cheng Ye stood up and couldn't help but give a thumbs-up.

The two had exchanged a few words today when they had free time, and now they could be considered to have gotten acquainted. At least, besides Liu Bi, this old inspector was the first "friend" he had made at the station.

However, compared to the brute Liu Bi, Li Maitai's caution was practically etched into his bones.

In the morning, he was still holding back, offering one freebie for every four. By the afternoon, as the inspection level rose, it directly became one freebie for every two.

In his opinion, it was purely based on intuition to select "lucky ones" and send them into the Isolation Pod.

"I know what you want to ask. Why am I afraid of death, yet still come to the Quick Checkpoint, right?"

Li Maitai enjoyed Cheng Ye's thumbs-up, grinning with a rather roguish smile. "Actually, it's very simple. Don't underestimate the Inspector Badge you have in your hand. You just need to focus on leveling up this thing. Once it reaches a certain level, as long as you don't deliberately court death, it'll be hard to die even if you want to."

Finally finding a topic to discuss with Cheng Ye, Li Maitai displayed a sense of superiority of an elder.

"Back in the day, when your father was still around, he utterly disdained people like me. Every time we met, he'd look down his nose at me, too lazy to even lift his eyelids. Who would have thought his son would praise me now?"

"Uh..."

Cheng Ye found it hard to retort.

This guy's skin was definitely the thickest he had ever seen, more resilient than the barbed wire in the Quarantine Area.

However, just as he was about to inquire further about the Inspector Badge's level.

Dong.

A clear bell chime echoed from within the checkpoint. Looking up at the watchtower, the yellow flag that had been hanging all day was finally taken down.

"Finally, we're done."

Li Maitai rubbed his arms and yawned. "Twelve hours of continuous work. The station should give us a model worker medal to hang around our necks."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly glanced into the distance, then turned and urged:

"What are you still standing around for after work? Do you really want to be a model worker and get a medal?"

"Hurry, let's retreat!"

"Retreat?"

Cheng Ye followed his gaze and saw a beam of light piercing the darkness deep within the rain.

The light swayed and approached. Judging by its speed and brightness, it was clearly not a Dajinbei, but a vehicle capable of high-speed travel.

Strange.

He hadn't expected someone to show up right at quitting time, and coincidentally, just as the bell struck.

"Let's go, let's go."

If it were 7:59, Cheng Ye would naturally wait, but after 8 o'clock, he wasn't a fool.

After all, the probability of Infected appearing at night was more than ten times higher than during the day.

However, just as he opened the isolation door and prepared to leave, Raven hurried to meet him.

"What is it?"

"Sir, the approaching vehicle has already sent a signal to the station. It's someone from the Crusader Legion."

"What, the Crusader Legion?"

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