Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 273: Natural Disaster Transformation, Pandora's Box!

Haa...Haa...

The muffled sound of breathing gradually grew clear in his ears, like a faint beam of light piercing through the darkness.

Cheng Ye slowly opened his eyes. His pupils shrank slightly as the familiar ceiling slowly came into focus.

'Familiar?'

He froze for a moment as his hazy memories rapidly rushed back, instantly analyzing his current location.

'Am I... back in the tenth-floor ward of Revival Medical again?'

He sat up in shock. Sure enough, both of his arms were poked full of needles like a hedgehog, and IV tubes were slowly pumping nutrient fluid into his veins.

Luo Kuke was sitting by the window, the volume on his radio turned down low. Hearing the rustling, he immediately spun his wheelchair around.

"You're finally awake."

Seeing Cheng Ye's dazed expression, Luo Kuke chuckled speechlessly. "No way. I haven't even been discharged yet, and you're already back in here?"

"I..."

Cheng Ye narrowed his eyes, his gaze landing on the exposed skin beneath Luo Kuke's pant legs. It did not look much different from a normal person's leg, glowing with a healthy flesh tone. "You've already finished the transplant?"

"Yeah, got it done five days ago, but I still need to be observed for another two days before I can be discharged," Luo Kuke nodded.

"What's the date today?"

"September seventh. You were brought in around noon on the fifth. It's only the morning of the seventh now."

Phew...

Hearing the exact answer, Cheng Ye let out a long sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he had not slept for an entire week this time. He had genuinely recovered after just two days of rest.

No longer anxious about time constraints, he simply laid back down and stared blankly into space for a moment.

Once the feeling of chaos in his mind gradually receded, he finally spoke. "The situation outside is pretty complicated right now. Once you're discharged, head straight to Dabo Town. It's safe there."

"I know, Zhou Changhai defected," Luo Kuke clicked off the radio and said softly. "The Inspector position is actually the easiest to infiltrate. The people and environments we deal with are far too complex. Even I've encountered no less than ten or twenty extremist organizations while traveling outside all these years."

"These extremist groups aren't exactly rotten to the core, and they don't operate the same way as those evil organizations. Their goal is to recreate a Transcendent Era, but their methods are just too extreme. That's why they constantly need to rope people in, so they can all push toward that goal together."

"Does that mean you know about Starship?" Cheng Ye asked curiously.

"No," Luo Kuke hastily shook his head. "Starship can't even be considered an extremist organization anymore. Deliberately triggering an Infection Source and causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in Yueye Shelter City—actions like that basically classify them as an evil Faction. They are public enemies of Humans, on a completely different scale from mere extremist groups."

"Yeah..." Cheng Ye nodded gently.

Luo Kuke suddenly shifted the topic, a gossipy smile appearing on his face. "I heard you've already obtained the Core Inspector authority?"

Cheng Ye scoffed. "You're cooped up in Revival Medical, but you're quite well-informed."

"Of course!" Taking Cheng Ye's response as a tacit admission, Luo Kuke immediately grew excited. "How could I not ask around about such a massive event? This core authority is basically equivalent to being a Duty Station Master. You have the right to attend any meeting, you can push for the implementation of Inspection Station policies, you can mobilize a certain amount of public resources, and you can even directly issue Field Duty missions to recruit other Inspectors for execution..."

Speaking of the ins and outs of the core authority, Luo Kuke listed them off like family treasures, rambling on without stopping.

Cheng Ye listened for a while before he couldn't help but laugh. "But I've only just secured my early regularization. I'm still just a first-stage Inspector."

"So what if you're only first-stage?" Luo Kuke said dismissively. "Stage restrictions are set for ordinary people. By getting the core authority, it's like you've taken a completely different promotion path. You're not on the same track as ordinary Inspectors at all. If you ask me..."

Luo Kuke continued to talk endlessly. Cheng Ye listened with a smile as a sudden thought popped into his head:

'If I let him know that I'm going to be the Station Master of Yueye Shelter City next year, how would this guy react?'

However, the matter was not completely settled yet, and the pile of troubles at the Inspection Station had not been fully cleaned up. It was better to wait until everything stabilized before slowly updating the people around him.

The two chatted idly for a while longer until the ward door was pushed open. Cui Qiao walked in, followed by a few medical staff.

She narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Inspector Cheng, we meet again."

"What, you don't seem surprised at all that I'm back here?" Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow.

"Just like your father, once you come in here once, you become a regular," Cui Qiao teased.

Cheng Ye was momentarily left speechless, his expression slightly embarrassed.

But to be honest, whenever he encountered a good opportunity to farm a Trait, he truly didn't want to let it slip by, even if he had to pay a certain Cost.

"How many Contribution Points did I spend this time?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Not much, twelve thousand points. It's all been charged to the Research Institute's account."

"That's not too bad then." Cheng Ye breathed a sigh of relief. If a single hospital stay cost over a hundred thousand, coming here a few more times would probably drain the Research Institute's funding completely. "Can I be discharged now?"

"Whenever you're ready."

"Alright, help me with the discharge procedures. I'm leaving right now." Cheng Ye nodded. Once the medical staff pulled out the IV needles, he stood up briskly.

After taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes, he didn't exchange any more pleasantries with Luo Kuke.

Right now, the Ghost Shadow Spider's Trait wasn't fully maxed out yet. He would need to be "hospitalized" for at least another two days.

Before Torch's reception personnel arrived, he had to settle Yu Yong's matter as quickly as possible so he could free up his hands to focus on the construction of Dabo Town and his Field Duty missions.

The vehicle drove out of Revival Medical's underground space, heading straight for the Research Institute.

Shi Xu had already received the news and was waiting at the entrance. Seeing him walk over looking so energized, he couldn't help but advise, "Inspector Cheng, you really don't have to risk your life like this."

"I just slept for two days. How is that risking my life?"

Cheng Ye lifted his hands, showing them off. "Why didn't you guys put me in handcuffs and shackles this time?"

"Because..."

Before Shi Xu could finish his sentence, a clear voice rang out from inside the coffee shop. "Come in. Stop standing by the door."

Yu Erlan was sitting by the window, holding a small golden spoon and slowly stirring her coffee cup.

Even through the window, the rich aroma of blended fresh milk and coffee wafted over faintly.

Shi Xu paused and made a "please" gesture.

The two of them walked into the shop. Just as they sat down, two glasses of juice were served. One was pushed in front of Cheng Ye, while Shi Xu took the other in his hand.

Yu Erlan turned around, wearing a completely new outfit.

She wore a charcoal-black tactical uniform, cinched at the waist with a wide tactical belt, and high-top combat boots that fit snugly against her calves.

Her usually tied-up long hair was now bound tightly in a black hairnet, exposing her smooth forehead and sharp jawline. A pair of black goggles rested on the bridge of her nose, with a miniature communicator attached to the arm.

At this moment, she didn't look the least bit like a gentle Researcher. Having shed the quiet demeanor of the laboratory, she exuded an aura of decisive capability, looking exactly like a seasoned combatant.

She gently reached into her pocket, produced a card, and slid it over to him.

"What's this?" Cheng Ye accepted it curiously.

On the front of the card, his portrait was printed on the left, with a few lines of text on the right:

[Infection Source Research Institute]

[Trainee Researcher]

[Cheng Ye]

'An official Researcher identification card?'

Cheng Ye's eyes lit up. He flipped it to the back, where five rules that Researchers needed to abide by were engraved.

He scanned them quickly and looked up. "I can freely enter and exit the Research Institute from now on?"

Shi Xu immediately chimed in. "Of course! You're an official Researcher now, which makes you one of our own."

Cheng Ye set the card down and asked curiously, "Any results from Yu Yong's interrogation?"

"We've gotten some scraps, but we should be able to extract the heavier intel very soon," Yu Erlan replied softly.

"Can I still go in and interact with him?"

"Of course. Your special research subject is Yu Yong." Speaking of this, Yu Erlan couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips, suddenly changing the subject. "However, you'll have to pay for your next hospital bill yourself."

?

Cheng Ye blanked for a second. Glancing at Shi Xu, who was snickering beside him, he instantly realized what she meant.

It wasn't that the Research Institute was being stingy with money; they simply didn't want him clashing with Yu Yong so hard that he ended up hospitalized again.

"I'll be departing for Flower Province shortly to attend an academic exchange conference."

Yu Erlan put her smile away, her tone returning to a state of calm. "It should take about two months. I'll try to return before winter, but it might drag on until next spring."

She added, "After I leave, you can come over to interrogate and study Yu Yong anytime. But there's a prerequisite: your vital signs must never drop below 80%. If you exceed that limit twice, it will automatically trigger the warning threshold I've set up, and your research access will be revoked."

"Mhm..."

Cheng Ye nodded gently, his gaze settling on Yu Erlan's indifferent face. "Has the situation in Flower Province grown severe?"

"Yes. The time enveloped in darkness is increasing rapidly. Currently, it's extended by about an hour and a half," Yu Erlan explained. "At this rate, it will enter the Eternal Night stage in at most half a year."

"Are there any other effects besides the nights getting longer?"

"Not for now, but once this phenomenon spreads, nobody knows what it will trigger."

"What about Liang Province?"

"Daylight hours are simultaneously increasing."

Compared to Infection Sources, these bizarre natural phenomena seemed just as deadly.

Having experienced the Void Mist, Cheng Ye didn't dare to imagine what kind of terrifying scenario would unfold if Eternal Night someday shrouded Shi Province, leaving them without sunlight all day long.

Averting these crises entirely depended on the efforts of the Researchers. Even a Deputy Director like Yu Erlan had to personally head to the front lines.

"Then I wish you a safe journey, Director Yu," Cheng Ye said, raising his glass in a toast.

"Thank you," Yu Erlan nodded and stood up, walking out of the coffee shop with her coffee cup in hand.

Right at that moment, a black off-road vehicle pulled up, its door swinging open in perfect timing.

She ducked into the car, making it seem as if she had only stayed behind to wait for him to be discharged, hand him his Researcher card, and see him one last time.

Now that she had seen him and delivered the item, she was ready to embark on her journey to Flower Province.

Watching the black off-road vehicle completely vanish from sight, Cheng Ye turned to Shi Xu and asked, "Are there many instances like this where Researchers need to head into the Wilderness in person?"

"Quite a few," Shi Xu nodded seriously. "Truly valuable research materials all have to be found out in the Wilderness personally. We have to locate their source and conduct on-site research. Most of the stuff that gets brought back to the shelter cities for study is just insignificant scraps. It's incredibly difficult to actually derive any meaningful research from them."

"If there ever comes a day when Inspector Cheng has a place like that where you need me to go, even if it's..."

"Stop!" Cheng Ye hastily interrupted him. "Isn't it perfectly fine for us to just stay safely in the shelter city? Stop thinking about wandering out into the Wilderness all day. Do you know how dangerous it is out there?"

Yu Erlan could go to Flower Province because she was a powerhouse in the Transcendent Control State.

An existence at that level possessed the strength to protect herself even if she encountered an Inverse State Transcendent Mother Source.

But the other people in the Research Institute—or at least Shi Xu—weren't Transcendents. He was just an ordinary person. Going into the Wilderness would practically be a suicide mission.

"Let's go. It's still early, so I'll go have a chat with Researcher Yu. I have a whole pile of things waiting for me to handle outside once I'm done here." Cheng Ye chugged the rest of the juice in his glass and followed Shi Xu toward the second underground floor.

Just like before, there was absolutely no supervision from Guards along the way. The Research Institute seemed to trust him completely, and the clearance they had granted him couldn't simply be explained by his Trainee Researcher status.

If he wanted to take away the Transcendent Mother Source in the Containment Room right now, it would definitely be far easier for him than it had been for Cheng Wu and Cheng Long back in the day.

"You guys trust me that much?" Cheng Ye turned his head and asked.

"Indeed. We've never seen anyone fight an Infection Source until their vitals drop to 40%, yet still manage to keep a smile on their face." Shi Xu strongly agreed. "You've terrified a lot of our Researchers. Now everyone is wondering if you're a masoc—"

"Do I look like that kind of pervert?"

Cheng Ye shot a sideways glance around him. The few Researchers caught in his gaze instantly let out awkward laughs and turned their faces away.

"By the way, when can my Trainee Researcher status be regularized?"

"Once you have a research result implemented that can be mass-produced, you can apply for regularization," Shi Xu answered.

"What about the equipment Director Yu promised earlier?"

"As long as your interrogation of Yu Yong yields important information and meets the evaluation standards left by Director Yu, the equipment will immediately be shipped to Dabo Town."

"Good!"

Cheng Ye rejoiced inwardly and gave a slight nod.

Compared to promotions within the Inspection Station, moving up as a Researcher was clearly much simpler.

It was just that the higher an Inspector climbed, the greater their Power became. For Researchers, it was the exact opposite.

A Deputy Director like Yu Erlan had to travel thousands of miles to rush to the front lines, heading straight into the most dangerous zones. That was nothing like Inspectors, who would be treated as honored guests in any shelter city they arrived at.

The two entered the Mother Source containment area and went up to the third floor.

Yu Yong was sitting on the sofa watching TV. As if sensing something, he abruptly whipped his head around.

Seeing Cheng Ye walking over with an excited look on his face, he subconsciously shuddered and sprang to his feet.

And before Cheng Ye could even open his mouth, Yu Yong beat him to it. "Cheng Ye, I want to make a deal with you! I'm only talking to you, and nobody else is allowed to eavesdrop!"

"Oh?" Cheng Ye paused and turned to look at Shi Xu.

Shi Xu threw his hands open. "You're the head of the research team assigned to Yu Yong now, and I'm your deputy. You can do whatever you want. That's what Director Yu specifically instructed."

"Alright then, please go fetch the armor. I'll go have a chat with him."

Shi Xu nodded. Rather than using his smartwatch to contact other Researchers to deliver the equipment, he turned around and headed straight downstairs. He had clearly understood Cheng Ye's implication—to leave him and Yu Yong with a completely private space.

As Shi Xu left, all the surveillance cameras inside the Containment Room simultaneously entered standby mode.

Whether they were truly disconnected or not didn't matter; Yu Yong could obviously sense the changes in the surroundings.

He immediately pressed his body against the wall. The madness was gone from his eyes, leaving only urgency and solemnity.

Compared to two days ago, Yu Yong's gaze was startlingly clear at this moment, as if his humanity had been completely restored.

It seemed that while Cheng Ye had been hospitalized over the past two days, the Research Institute hadn't slacked off on using the Shadow-Subduing Light to purify the Ghost Shadow Spider inside Yu Yong's body.

At the very least, his fusion level must have dropped below 100%, turning him back into a Source-Binder.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Cheng Ye took two steps forward, his tone flat.

"A deal!" Yu Yong leaned forward immediately, speaking at a rapid-fire pace. "Break me out of here, and I'll tell you everything I know! Everything I know, I can give it all to you!"

Cheng Ye crossed his arms and shook his head calmly. "That's impossible. Even if the sky falls, you're staying in this Containment Room."

"Don't be so quick to refuse!" Yu Yong hurriedly added. "I know far more than you can imagine! Enough to change your fate, enough to change the fate of Happiness City!"

"No deal."

Cheng Ye continued to shake his head, stealthily opening his interface to glance at the Cooperation Level.

To his surprise, the Cooperation Level was finally no longer at 0%; it had risen to 1%.

Although it was a minuscule change, it was a Milestone breakthrough.

This proved that as long as they continued to weaken the Ghost Shadow Spider and lower Yu Yong's fusion level, he would regain more of his humanity. And humanity inevitably had weaknesses. By grasping those weaknesses and striking there, the Cooperation Level would naturally rise steadily.

Once the Cooperation Level met the requirement, would Yu Yong really be able to hide the intel he wanted to know?

"I can reveal one piece of intel first, and you can judge for yourself if it's worth a deal!" Yu Yong said through gritted teeth, unwilling to give up.

Cheng Ye didn't say a word. He merely raised his eyes, signaling for him to continue.

"Torch's Source-Guiding Technology wasn't researched by them at all!" Yu Yong lowered his voice, a hint of terror creeping into his tone. "It's a technology they reverse-engineered by dismantling Relics of an alien civilization—most likely things left behind by the Giant Creatures! But those things are Pandora's Box. Torch only sees the immediate benefits, entirely oblivious to the fact that a far more terrifying disaster is already on its way!"

"Disaster? What are you referring to?" Cheng Ye finally showed a flicker of interest.

Of course, his interest wasn't in the intel itself, but in seeing the Cooperation Level on the interface rise from 1% to 3%.

'Just talking can actually raise the Cooperation Level?'

This was fantastic! If he could just talk his way up to 10%, it would save him the trouble of enduring mental corruption just to "torture" him into raising it.

Next, all he needed to do was casually find the time to come over and gather the Traits every now and then.

"Natural disasters! All of the natural disasters are a form of transformation!"

Yu Yong's eyes were feverish as he spoke even faster. "The Giant Creatures didn't just leave behind a virus to destroy Humans; it's more like a planetary transformation system! This transformation will make the planet beneath our feet increasingly resemble some preset template. Do you understand what I'm saying? Just like the Transcendent Era from back then... Humanity attempted to distort this planetary transformation system, which led to the Supernormal Golden Age. But now... everything is returning to its original track!"

"And once our planet meets the template's requirements, an even more terrifying existence will descend! Do you know what that means? Our planet will become their colony! When that time comes, whether it's you, me, or all of humanity—we will all die!"

He leaned forward, his voice carrying a distinct tremor. "Only by escaping, only by gaining stronger power, only by becoming a part of 'them' can we Source-Binders possibly survive!"