Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 268: Deputy Station Master of Leaping Wilderness, the Wisdom of Phase 5!

This Deputy Station Master of North Station, Davidson, really had some skills.Four lanes, six lanes, eight lanes... Raul had three younger brothers.

Cheng Ye instantly understood the hidden meaning. How wide the road could be built depended entirely on how many bargaining chips he could throw on the table.

Promising to let one brother into the Inspection Station meant a four-lane road. For every two additional lanes he wanted, he would probably have to offer another quota.

For other Inspectors, this vote might be optional, but as the future Station Master of Yueye Shelter City, he had not yet secured a single Inspector under his command.

Even if not all of Raul's three brothers could secure a position after this transaction, he could still use it as a bargaining chip to have them serve Field Duty in Leaping Wilderness later. It would be a way to build up his manpower in advance.

"How long will it take to build this road?" Cheng Ye asked.

"Fifteen days!" Raul stated the exact time without hesitation, his tone certain. "Starting tomorrow, it will be finished in fifteen days at most. I can mobilize six construction teams to enter the site simultaneously. Moreover, the main road of Wenlu County is already finished, so heavy equipment like road rollers are currently idle.

The eight-kilometer route will be divided into six sections for synchronous construction. I guarantee maximum efficiency!"

'Finished in half a month?'

Cheng Ye was slightly taken aback, nodding inwardly.

He did not expect that the time delayed by the Immortal Object would actually result in such convenience.

The original roads in Dabo Town were completely destroyed. They needed to clear the waste and debris first, then sequentially build the subgrade, base course, and surface course. Leaving only five days for each layer—this speed was absurdly fast, even compared to modern construction.

However, on second thought, considering the earth-shaking changes in Wenlu County over the past month, such efficiency was fitting.

"Alright, I understand."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, not giving a definitive answer.

What surprised him more was that Raul seemed to have anticipated this outcome. He nodded calmly and said, "Inspector Cheng, I have already arranged for someone to wait for you at the Inspection Station exit. He will take you to see Inspector Lin."

"Oh?" Cheng Ye was genuinely surprised this time.

Being a newcomer to Wenlu County, both reasonably and emotionally, he should first pay a visit to Lin Bao, an Easterner Inspector. Only after exchanging pleasantries should he negotiate a deal with Davidson.

For Raul to grasp this point so precisely meant that his interpersonal skills were likely far more seasoned than many Phase 1 and Phase 2 Inspectors.

However, Cheng Ye did not say anything else. He just gave a look, and Raul immediately pressed the gate button, allowing the convoy to pass.

As the convoy drove out of the Inspection Station, there was indeed a person waiting on a motorcycle at the exit.

And it was somewhat of an acquaintance—the Westerner clerk, Link, who had been assigned to him during the assessment for gathering Drifters last time.

"Inspector Cheng, we meet again," Link greeted with a smile, raising his hand to point at the road layout. "Straight ahead from here is Inspector Davidson's zone. He is mainly in charge of infrastructure. Road construction teams, building material deployment, and warehouse management are all coordinated by him."

"On the right is Inspector Zhou Changhai's zone. He is in charge of architectural planning and controls the overall construction progress of Wenlu County. On the left is Inspector Lin Bao's zone, responsible for personnel mobilization and settlement. He has to manage the turnover arrangements for nearly a hundred thousand people in Wenlu County."

A clerk sent by Raul to receive him naturally knew what to say in advance.

Link did not offer any superfluous introductions. Through the division of responsibilities alone, he clearly analyzed the power structure of Wenlu County.

Lin Bao was the core of the Easterners, holding the power to dispatch personnel, while Davidson represented the Westerners, managing material distribution.

The two belonged to different Factions, naturally possessing divergent interests. The Inspection Station needed someone with a crossover identity to buffer the conflict between them.

Zhou Changhai, despite being an Easterner, had sought refuge with the Westerners. He would never be fully accepted by Lin Bao, yet his native origins meant he could never gain Davidson's absolute trust. This identity of belonging to neither side meant that whenever a conflict of interest arose, he could not align with either party and could only rely on the Inspection Station's arrangements.

'Did Old Ding see through Zhou Changhai's mercenary nature and lack of stance, knowing he wouldn't proactively unite with either side to break the balance?'

On the way to the western district to see Lin Bao, this thought flashed through Cheng Ye's mind, but he quickly dropped it.

The division of power in Wenlu County wouldn't be finalized until the construction was completely finished. By then, he would have long since left to become the Station Master of Yueye, completely avoiding these conflicts.

Rather than pondering Ding Yishan's checks and balances, it was better to first grab the benefits right in front of him.

Anyway, with the Elder as his guarantor, no one could interfere with Dabo Town, so he didn't need to worry about power infiltration.

As the car drove another two kilometers forward and neared the edge of the area, a three-story building with a corridor came into view. A sign hanging above the lintel read, "Wenlu County Personnel Coordination Office."

To Cheng Ye's astonishment, Lin Bao was personally waiting at the entrance of the small building, a cigarette clamped between his fingers while his other hand rapidly tapped on his Defense Terminal.

As the convoy approached, Lin Bao looked up, a satisfied smile immediately appearing on his face.

The moment the car parked, Lin Bao swaggered over.

Compared to last month, the current Lin Bao looked visibly more haggard. Dark stubble covered his jaw and temples, growing wild and unkempt like untended weeds, revealing an unconcealable exhaustion.

Heavy dark circles hung under his eyes, and his sclera were completely bloodshot. The eyes that were once intimidatingly bright were now clouded with a layer of gray mist, losing their piercing sharpness.

Even his coat was wrinkled, the edges stained with mud and ash. He didn't look like a dignified Phase 5 Inspector at all, but rather an overworked foreman.

"Kiddo Cheng, you've finally arrived. Uncle Lin has been waiting for you for an hour."

"Uncle Lin, you waited for me so formally, yet I didn't even bring a gift." Cheng Ye pushed open the car door and stepped out, slightly bending his body to casually pat the white dust off Lin Bao's shoulder.

Now that his physique had grown considerably, Lin Bao, standing in front of him, was actually half a head shorter, appearing somewhat diminutive.

Lin Bao was taken aback for a moment before laughing. "You brat, you're even sturdier than me now."

"The Cost of the Infection Source. Can't be helped," Cheng Ye shrugged, feigning helplessness.

Lin Bao's expression remained unchanged, but he immediately changed the subject. "Come, let's talk inside. It's too dusty today. According to the weather forecast, the whole week will be windy."

At his beckoning, Mu Shuang and the escort squad followed him into the courtyard, which housed a specially designated, spacious reception room.

Lin Bao didn't avoid arousing suspicion, leading the entire group straight into the room.

As soon as they sat down, staff members came in to serve tea and water. Over a dozen people squeezed into one room, making it seem lively and carrying a bit of the wild aura of Pioneering.

However, only Cheng Ye and Lin Bao sat facing each other at the main table, while everyone else sat in the guest seats on the other side.

Lin Bao reached under the table, fumbled around, and pulled out a ball of aluminum foil. Unwrapping it revealed a curled-up clump of Cloud Mist Tea.

'What a high standard!'

A strange gleam flashed through Cheng Ye's eyes. All along, Lin Bao had presented an outgoing, careless outward persona, even more straightforward than Liu Bi. Yet his calm shift in demeanor at this moment was incredibly natural.

He couldn't help but open his panel to glance at the Cooperation Level.

It wasn't low—a full 31%.

Although it hadn't met the requirement to search for Lv3, the two of them hadn't met many times and weren't particularly close. To reach this number far exceeded his expectations, sufficiently proving that Lin Bao's attitude towards him was indeed fully amicable.

"I've already learned about what happened in Dabo Town. You kid... are amazing!"

Lin Bao slowly and methodically washed the tea leaves as he spoke with a smile, "I heard from the Station Master that you're going to take office in Leaping Wilderness next year. This step alone proves you're far better than your old man!"

"Uncle Lin, you must be joking," Cheng Ye immediately pretended to be flattered. "I'm just learning as I go. I can't compare to a senior Phase 5 Inspector like you."

"..."

Unexpectedly, Lin Bao paused his tea-washing movements and then scolded with a smile, "Don't pull that humble act with me, I don't buy it."

After scolding him, he brought the topic back on track. "In a place like the Inspection Station, they look at seniority, but they look even more at Contribution Points. Your contributions are enough, so the position you deserve is naturally yours. But whether you can secure your seat and produce results depends on whether you have people under you, and whether anyone listens when you speak."

"Uncle Lin makes sense. This is also what I've been worrying about," Cheng Ye smoothly followed up.

Lin Bao nodded, his tone dropping a few registers. "When it comes to Power, authority is granted by those above. The upper echelons of Happiness City are willing to delegate authority to us, allowing us to mobilize personnel and resources for external expansion, because they trust us. But force—that depends on how tough our own methods are."

He looked up, not bothering with empty pleasantries, but cutting straight to the Core.

"You are the Station Master of Leaping Wilderness, there's no problem with that; the Elder gave the final word. But for the Deputy Station Master below you, you have to choose one of us Phase 5s to go over and help you stabilize the situation. You need to think carefully about who exactly you want to choose."

'I actually have to choose a Phase 5 Inspector to be the Deputy Station Master of Leaping Wilderness?'

Cheng Ye remained impassive on the surface, but a wave of shock surged in his heart. He immediately entered his intelligence space to ponder.

The surrounding scenery instantly shattered. The moment time stopped, countless lines of thought gushed forth like a geyser.

Even though Yueye Shelter City was currently ravaged by the Infection Tide and on the verge of ruin, its administrative standard was a genuine large-scale shelter city. At its peak, its population hovered around five hundred thousand, virtually identical to Happiness City.

As a satellite city, Wenlu County was inherently a tier lower. Furthermore, since Leaping Wilderness was located on the border of Happiness City, any Inspector who went there would become a border Inspector.

As the saying goes, those assigned to the borders become regional overlords.

Wenlu County was only sixty kilometers away from Happiness City. Once the road was built, it would take merely half an hour to arrive.

But the road from Happiness City to Leaping Wilderness wound for two hundred kilometers. To build it and maintain its safety would be absolutely impossible without one to two years, or even three to five years.

In terms of distance, Leaping Wilderness had a massive advantage in autonomy.

Coupled with the special attributes of a military city and the command over four to five hundred thousand military corps members, it was practically indistinguishable from the Buffer Zone.

The power of the Deputy Station Master of Leaping Wilderness, no matter which dimension it was judged from, could easily crush the official Station Master of Wenlu County.

'If the Elder is uneasy about me overseeing Leaping Wilderness, it makes sense to arrange a Phase 5 to escort and protect me.'

Cheng Ye quickly sorted things out. 'But more likely, it's because they want to extricate me from the complex station affairs so I can focus my Vigor on Pioneering and studying Tan Ming's Belief.'

There was another hidden reason that made his heart sink: 'In the eyes of the Elder, I only have a three-year Lifespan left. They can't possibly wait until I'm gone to arrange a successor. This Phase 5 chosen now is probably the future official Station Master of Leaping Wilderness.'

Considering these factors wasn't difficult. The hard part was how to maximize his own interests after seeing the situation clearly.

Thinking of Davidson's sudden change in attitude and the transaction Raul mentioned, Cheng Ye secretly rejoiced.

Thankfully, he hadn't gone to see Davidson first. Otherwise, it would have inevitably caused Lin Bao to overthink and disrupted the current pacing.

'The Easterners have four Phase 5s, the Westerners have two Phase 5s, and the Central Station is still missing a Duty Station Master... Calculating it all, that's five people competing for this position.'

'The power of choice rests in my hands. Lin Bao taking the initiative to approach me now means he has clearly seen this and wants to close the distance in advance to seize this opportunity.'

'However, judging from the meaning in his words, it seems he doesn't want to pay any Cost. Instead, he wants to take over Leaping Wilderness under the guise of backing me up?'

Upon reaching this conclusion, Cheng Ye's expression grew somewhat grim.

Six Phase 5s would fight tooth and nail for a single Duty Station Master position.

Right now, with an opportunity to be promoted to official Station Master in just three years, who would easily let it slip by?

The intelligence space shattered.

Cheng Ye looked up, his tone as natural as if he had blurted it out: "Uncle Lin, I haven't been officially notified of this yet. I'm only going back to the Inspection Station this afternoon to report to the Station Master. The Elder... only told me to go be the Station Master of Yueye Shelter City. He didn't mention anything about a Deputy Station Master."

"Yeah, the Station Master only casually mentioned this last time. I don't have any concrete information on my end either," Lin Bao narrowed his eyes and smiled. Seeing Cheng Ye's reaction without a second thought, the satisfaction in his eyes deepened.

"Uncle Lin won't make things difficult for you. It's fine no matter who you ultimately choose." He changed the subject, throwing out an olive branch. "Isn't Dabo Town about to start construction soon? If you need manpower, just give me a heads-up."

"Uncle Lin must be joking," Cheng Ye smiled and waved his hand. "Constructing Wenlu County is the top priority. The matters of Dabo Town can be taken slowly."

After saying this, he cursed inwardly, and his evaluation of Lin Bao inevitably dropped a notch.

At a time like this, did Lin Bao really still treat him like a wet-behind-the-ears greenhorn?

Wanting to put on the airs of an elder and only offering petty profits within his scope of authority in exchange for the Deputy Station Master position in Leaping Wilderness—he was simply dreaming.

An hour later.

Cheng Ye walked out of the Personnel Coordination Office with a smile. After getting into the car, the smile on his face gradually faded.

During this conversation, Lin Bao probably hadn't even realized that before the competition for the Leaping Wilderness Deputy Station Master position had officially begun, he had already been eliminated in advance.

He was eliminated even earlier than Zhou Changhai, the fence-sitter who excelled at playing petty tricks.

'Partnering with Lin Bao would purely be asking for trouble. In terms of methods, he's far inferior to Lei Hu; in terms of controlling subordinates, he can't compare to Davidson; and even in his attitude towards me, he stubbornly clings to the airs of an elder. Truly...' Cheng Ye sighed in his heart.

No wonder Ding Yishan sent Lin Bao to Wenlu County to act as a check against the other two. With this kind of personality—wanting the benefits but unwilling to lower his status—there was indeed no need to worry about him colluding with Davidson.

As long as they found a way to keep Lin Bao suspended in a high position, he would be a qualified vanguard. He could work for the Easterners and prop up the Inspection Station without them having to worry about him harboring other ambitions.

Beside him, Mu Shuang noticed the change in Cheng Ye's expression but didn't dare to ask too much, obediently driving towards the central district.

When the vehicle reached the marginal roads of Wenlu County, a small building with specifications similar to Lin Bao's came into view. The sign hanging on the lintel read, "Wenlu County Material Coordination Office."

Unlike Lin Bao, who personally welcomed them at the door, Davidson only sent two clerks to wait downstairs.

The group was led into the building. Mu Shuang and the escort squad were guided to the reception room, while the clerk took Cheng Ye up to the office on the third floor.

When the door was pushed open, the room was clearly divided into an office area and a living area, with a single bed pushed against the wall.

Davidson, dressed in a clean and crisp shirt and trousers, was standing by the coat rack in front of the bed. Holding a garment steamer, he was meticulously ironing a coffee-colored overcoat.

Seeing Cheng Ye enter, he didn't rush to put down the steamer. Instead, he simply turned his head and smiled, "Inspector Cheng, please wait a moment."

The clerk bowed and exited the room. Cheng Ye's gaze swept across the wall, where documents were organized immaculately. Compared to Lin Bao's ruggedness, Davidson seemed to have inherited Tang Si's sophistication.

And on the desk, a proposal submitted by a subordinate for constructing the connecting road to Dabo Town prominently caught his eye.

He didn't curiously pick it up to flip through it; he just waited quietly. It wasn't until Davidson finished ironing his clothes that the two sat facing each other by the coffee table in the office area.

There was no Cloud Mist Tea like at Lin Bao's place, only two simple cups of hot water.

Davidson picked up his water cup, took a light sip, and sighed with emotion, "The first time I saw you, Inspector Cheng, I told Station Master Tang Si that you acted ruthlessly but had an unstable foundation, and that you were ultimately just obstinate and self-opinionated, destined to harm others as well as yourself. Looking at it now, my judgment was only half right."

"Oh?" Cheng Ye picked up his water cup, a look of confusion on his face. "I don't recall us meeting?"

"It was on your very first day when you went to Station Master Tang Si's office," Davidson chuckled. "I happened to be discussing matters with the Station Master at that time, sitting right behind the privacy screen."

"Ah!" Cheng Ye nodded in sudden realization. At that time, he was still an ordinary person, so he naturally hadn't detected that another person was sitting behind the screen.

"This era is indeed different from our era. Only by acting ruthlessly can one gain a firm foothold. Whether the foundation is stable or not ultimately depends on one's achievements to do the talking," Davidson said in a deep voice. "You are more outstanding than your father, yet your personality is completely different. It truly surprised me."

"Inspector Davidson, I have already been to Inspector Lin Bao's place. If you have something to say, you might as well speak frankly." Cheng Ye didn't follow his conversational lead, cutting straight to the point.

"Raul should have mentioned to you that I want to make a deal with you, right?"

"Yes, you want me to take your children to Leaping Wilderness?"

"Correct." Davidson didn't conceal anything, nodding sincerely. "I have four sons. Although they are far less outstanding than you, they are all qualified and competent Inspectors; they just lack some practical Experience."

"My third and fourth sons—I will have one stay in the Buffer Zone and the other in Wenlu County. As for the remaining two, Raul and my second son, could Raul take a spot in Leaping Wilderness? I plan to send my second son to the Lower Sand County, which is currently being planned, to serve as an Inspector."

"Four sons, four locations." Cheng Ye tasted the implications within and clicked his tongue. "Inspector Davidson, your ambition is not small."

Compared to the petty profits offered by Lin Bao, Davidson's initial hint was enticing enough.

Lin Bao was right; whether one could secure their position and produce results critically depended on having capable subordinates and people who listened to their orders.

If there were Davidson's sons in the Buffer Zone, Wenlu County, and Lower Sand County, relying on Raul as a mouthpiece would mean that he, the Station Master of Leaping Wilderness, essentially had a usable network of connections across four locations.

In the circle of second-generation Westerners, the Davidson family clearly held a dominant position. With them helping to spread the word, his authority would naturally carry more weight. "I wouldn't call it ambition, I just want to better contribute to Happiness City," Davidson said unhurriedly. "I won't compete for the Deputy Station Master position of Leaping Wilderness. That place is suitable for an ambitious, capable young man like you who can quickly gain the trust of the higher-ups. If you go there, everyone will feel reassured. But I will not let the Duty Station Master position at the Central Station go."

"As long as you are willing to give me your vote when the time comes, for the upcoming infrastructure construction in Dabo Town, you'll only need to provide thirty percent of the materials. I will take full responsibility for the remaining seventy percent."

He paused and immediately added, "This is not a one-time deal, but long-term support. Even if I leave Wenlu County, this seventy percent material supply will continue until the limit breaches five hundred thousand Contribution Points."

'What a massive investment!'

Cheng Ye was secretly astonished. For Davidson to dare say this, it was obvious that the materials worth five hundred thousand Contribution Points wouldn't be scraped from Wenlu County's public resources, but subsidized out of his own pocket?

"That's right, this portion will be subsidized by the Davidson family to Dabo Town and won't take up any public resources." Davidson flashed a grin. "Over the years, I basically haven't stayed at the Inspection Station. I ran Field Duty all year round, and the Hundred Ghosts Gang was also under my operational management. Of course, the source of these funds can absolutely withstand scrutiny. I can guarantee that not a single penny was obtained through corruption."

"In addition, my wife is the Deputy District Chief of Industrial District D, my wife's father is the Standing Director of Industrial District C, my wife's older brother is the Deputy District Chief of Industrial District C, my wife's younger brother is..."

Like listing items off a menu, Davidson rattled off over a dozen relatives in one breath.

Shockingly, they were all district managers of the industrial districts, or factory directors and supervisors.

'Holy shit?!'

'Is this the power of a family?!'

Cheng Ye cursed inwardly. Compared to an invisible figure like Davidson who made a fortune in silence, Cheng Long was basically a commander without an army.

No wonder Raul had such high prestige in the second-generation circles. It probably wasn't just relying on the deterrence of Davidson's status as a Phase 5 Inspector and Deputy Station Master, but also inexorably linked to the massive family power behind him.

This connection network in the industrial districts alone could guarantee that any material needs would be met.

'Wait, could this also be Ding Yishan's arrangement?'

'Putting Davidson in charge of material arrangements for Wenlu County was also to borrow the industrial district's relationship network to guarantee stable resource supplies for Wenlu County?'

'No wonder he isn't competing for the Deputy Station Master of Leaping Wilderness,' Cheng Ye's heart stirred. 'With such tremendous family power in his hands, if he were to go to the borders and seize even greater actual Power, who could possibly keep him in check?'

From Davidson's proactive withdrawal from the competition, it was clear that he knew better than anyone who granted Power, and understood even more clearly where the boundaries of that Power lay.

If he wanted to continue climbing up, he had to continuously rope in allies and expand his family's connection network. Only when the relationship network iterated and upgraded could his Power advance a step further.

"Five hundred thousand Contribution Points, Inspector Davidson, what a massive..."

Before he could finish his sentence.

Davidson gritted his teeth and interjected, "Seven hundred thousand!"

'?'

'Wait, I haven't even said my line to ask for more money yet?'

This self-awareness instantly made Cheng Ye see him in a new light. He simply stopped beating around the bush and laid down his conditions directly: "An eight-lane road?"

"No problem!" Davidson immediately agreed.

"One million Contribution Points in construction support, not a single penny less!"

Davidson hesitated slightly before nodding heavily, "No problem!"

"The equipment that Dabo Town needs to purchase from the industrial district..."

"Whatever needs you have, just give Raul a call, and he'll handle it for you." Davidson interrupted him, his tone decisive.

'Great, great. This means he agreed to lend out this relationship network?'

Cheng Ye's heart fluttered. He didn't feel like he asked for too little. After all, the combined support the Elder gave to Dabo Town was only five hundred thousand Contribution Points, of which four hundred thousand had to be paid in installments.

Although Davidson's support couldn't be directly transferred to his account to let him gorge himself on bribes...

Using it for the construction of Dabo Town couldn't be more fitting. The infrastructure of a satellite city was inherently official business, so no one could find any fault with it.

And all he had to pay was an Inspector quota in Yueye Shelter City, plus one vote.

"Deal!"

"Inspector Cheng, thank you for your understanding!"

The two stood up simultaneously and lightly shook hands. Their faces shared the same calm composure, displaying neither shock nor joy.

Perhaps, this was the tacit understanding between smart people: only talk about money, not feelings.