Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 198: Liu Bi's Letter, Body of Steel!

The Thorn Bird flock had been dispersed, and the competition for a new alpha would take at least half a day to yield a result.After returning to the blue zone, Cheng Ye did not rush to order the unboxing. To guard against another potential Thorn Bird flock attack, he first organized the storage locations and retrieval rules for their supplies.

"There are twenty-five flatbed carts among the supplies. Assemble them first and allocate five to the pioneering team."

"Don't rush to move the prefabricated panels for the residential units. Just stack them in a flat area by the road. We can drag them over when we need them to save ourselves the back-and-forth hassle."

"There's no need to demolish the abandoned houses yet. Let's prioritize clearing the rubble from the town's open spaces and leveling the foundations. We need to set up a few residential units before dark."

"We have plenty of clearing tools in stock. Sun Dazheng, you're in charge of distributing them. Get the clearing team ready first, and have the rest figure out how to install the residential units."

"Huang Liang, distribute this ammunition. Every Patrol Team member gets one full magazine. The pioneering team doesn't need to carry guns; just issue them shovels, axes, and similar tools."

"..."

Cheng Ye spoke at a steady pace, his orders clear and methodical.

Pioneering in the wasteland was all about being fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Fast didn't mean blindly demolishing ruins or clearing empty lots. It meant building the preliminary framework of the camp first. Only with a framework could they establish defense lines and map out warning zones. Even the locations of the Sentry Towers and residences had to follow this framework. The order of priorities could not be messed up.

Accurate meant precisely controlling the pacing—such as which direction the pioneering team should head, which dangerous spots to investigate first, and which plots of land to choose for construction. It meant putting their manpower to its most effective use and never wasting effort.

Ruthless meant abandoning unnecessary formalities. Building a modern prefabricated house required clearing weeds, uprooting trees, and pouring a concrete foundation, a process that took days to complete. But where could they find such ideal conditions in the wasteland?

Finding a relatively flat piece of land and laying the prefabricated panels directly on top would suffice. The finer details could be patched up once the contract management assessment was over and the proper materials arrived.

After issuing his orders, he waited for another ten minutes. No shadows of Thorn Birds appeared on the horizon.

Cheng Ye finally raised his hand. "Unbox! Place the removed hemp ropes on my right, and fold the tarpaulins by size and place them on my left. Don't just toss them around!"

The crowd scattered with a rustle, rushing out from the abandoned buildings and expertly slicing through the thick ropes binding their supplies.

People who managed to survive in the wasteland possessed an astonishingly strong sense of initiative.

Cheng Ye hardly needed to direct them. Some automatically collected the ropes, while others sorted and folded the tarpaulins. Even the half-grown children were not idle; they either helped the adults pull the ropes or carried small pieces of tarpaulin to the designated spots. The entire scene was bustling yet orderly, revealing a tacit, well-organized synergy.

The prefabricated panels for the residential units made up the bulk of the supplies. They were stacked neatly by the roadside. Under the sunlight, the smooth, embossed patterns on their surfaces gleamed.

Cheng Ye randomly inspected three panels from different batches and was surprised to find that the quality of these materials was exceptionally high.

The panels did not have a single hairline crack. They didn't look like they were pressed from recycled scrap materials at all; instead, they resembled brand-new, factory-fresh products.

As box after box of connectors were unpacked, a resident suddenly called out:

"Sir, there's a letter for you here!"

"A letter for me?"

Cheng Ye paused for a moment before taking the kraft paper envelope from the resident's hands.

When he recognized the handwriting on the cover, a smile immediately tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Two lines of text were written on the envelope in a messy yet forceful script: "Deliver to Dabo Town Contract Inspector Cheng Ye. Please read before using the supplies."

The signature read: "New Era Year 35, August 4th, Liu Bi."

'It's a letter from Brother B!'

A warmth bloomed in Cheng Ye's heart. He walked briskly over to an abandoned set of steps, sat down, and carefully tore open the envelope.

It had only been a month and a half since Liu Bi went to the industrial zone, but the events that had transpired during this time were incredibly dense. First came the threat of the Starfish Epidemic, then the traces of the Walker, and finally the millions of Migrants flooding into Happiness City.

Everyone had been pushed forward relentlessly without even a moment to catch their breath. It gave him the illusion that he had been separated from Liu Bi for a very long time.

But thinking about it carefully, in past years, as a Fourth-Stage Investigator, Liu Bi would have had to take on fieldwork missions at the beginning of summer, often spending three or four months away from Happiness City. Now, he had merely gone to the industrial zone tens of kilometers away. At least he was still within the boundaries of Happiness City. It was no exaggeration to say that his workload had lightened tenfold.

'If I go on field missions in the future, I might also be away for three or four months at a time... If Dabo Town is really successfully established, I'll need to find someone trustworthy to look after it for me,'

Cheng Ye thought silently to himself as he pulled out two sheets of pale yellow stationery.

Liu Bi's handwriting was the same as always—rough and uninhibited, carrying the untamed spirit characteristic of a martial artist. There were a few crossed-out marks on the paper, with black ink blobs overlapping the messy writing, as if he had suddenly remembered something while writing and hurriedly scratched it out to start over.

He looked down and began to read, the smile on his face gradually fading.

"Cheng Ye:

By the time this letter reaches your hands, the assessment should have already begun. I don't know what the situation in Dabo Town is like right now, or if there are any special Infection Sources nearby. I stared at the map for days and asked people about the situation upstream of the Linjiang River. Fortunately, there have been no traces of notable danger along the route over the past two months. I reckon that as long as you're careful, there won't be any major problems.

I always used to nag you, saying that the rules of this wasteland were never made for those who only know how to list formulas and play clever tricks, relying too heavily on old experiences. But today, I must admit my mistakes to you. When I was guiding and teaching you, I actually didn't break away from the old ways either. Especially after seeing how resilient you were, realizing you were a piece of prime material, I stupidly copied how Brother Long did things back in the day. I deliberately created similar desperate situations for you, acting stingy with your training bullets, all just to force you down the path he walked. I wanted to use old methods to mold you. To put it bluntly, I wanted to create another Cheng Long."

"Thankfully, even though you listened to my advice, you didn't entirely follow the path I paved for you. You're actually quite like Brother Long in that regard. Your grandfather secretly sought him out back then, wanting to take him away from Happiness City to forge a life elsewhere. But he refused. He stubbornly relied on his own fists to carve out a path that belonged solely to him. Now, you have also found your own new direction. I am genuinely happy about this, and from the bottom of my heart, I admire the three generations of your Cheng family. Not a single one of you is easy to manage, and not a single one is a... failure!"

"Yesterday, I was on the phone with Old Ding, and we chatted. He said I was lucky to catch the good times of the Great Reclamation Era. Because I dared to fight and risk my life, I took advantage of many opportunities. He joked that if I had to start over in today's stable environment, given my skills, I would max out at Third-stage Inspector, far from matching the potential you've shown now. He told me not to worry about you because you are currently riding the crest of the era's dividends. The overarching trends are all in your favor, and it's as if heaven itself is helping you in whatever you do."

"Well, I don't deny Old Ding's words. When the time comes, heaven and earth lend their strength; when luck runs out, even heroes are not free. Actually, it's not just me. Wang Cheng, Zhang Guan, Zhao Lingchuan, Xu Xing... of all the people who followed your father over the years, who among them didn't reap rewards thanks to the blessings of the era? Even looking at the entire Inspection Station, among the Fourth-Stage Investigators and Fifth-Stage Inspectors, who dares to say they didn't benefit from the changing times? But I must tell you the honest truth: the so-called dividends of an era are just things people say when looking back at the past, words used by successors to judge their predecessors. In my time, there were plenty of Inspectors who were better fighters than me, more loyal than me, and luckier than me. Yet, less than a quarter of them managed to survive until today."

"You must remember one thing: when this mighty force of the era blesses you and pushes you upward, that is also when you are most likely to encounter danger. The Rank of an Inspector doesn't just signify that you have sufficient skills and capable methods; it is an extremely cruel filtering process. At the time, I thought I broke through relying entirely on my solitary courage, but looking back, it was all luck. If I had to walk that path again, I'm afraid I wouldn't even have a ten percent chance of surviving. So, if you want to go far and stand firm in this brutal selection, you absolutely must never lose your sense of reverence!"

"P.S.: Regarding the supply list you submitted, I personally brought the procurement officer along to select every single item, so the quality is absolutely guaranteed. It's just that the quantity of good stuff is limited. The batch allocated to Luo Kuke inevitably ended up being of slightly lower quality. Heh heh, my prestige as the head of the procurement team only goes so far, and I couldn't help it."

"Speaking of Luo Kuke... he's a newly promoted Third-stage Inspector. I've never dealt with him, so I don't know what kind of person he is. But anyone who can be promoted to Third-stage Inspector in this era definitely has far more ruthless methods than us old-generation Inspectors. However, I asked Old Ding, and he told me that if you encounter uncontrollable danger, you can confidently cooperate with Luo Kuke. Hmm... gauge the boundaries yourself, but it's best not to interact with him too much."

"The road ahead is not easy. Take care. Brother B is still waiting to accompany you on a field mission!"

Liu Bi's instructions were as unpretentious as ever. There wasn't a single flowery or empty phrase, and he was completely unafraid to admit his mistakes.

A dignified Fourth-Stage Investigator had deliberately claimed that his ammunition quota was scarce just so that Cheng Ye would devote one hundred and twenty percent focus into firing every single bullet during training. It even got to the point where Cheng Ye had been thrilled for a while when the Inspection Station approved a daily allowance of a hundred free bullets.

Thinking about it now, Liu Bi had indeed been engineering a particularly desperate situation for him, replicating the old path Cheng Long had walked back in the day.

If the Reclamation Corps hadn't been disbanded, there was a high probability he would have been arranged to go there for a period of tempering.

Comparing this to Wang Kang's later treatment, Cheng Ye felt even more emotional. Miao Yang acting as his personal sparring partner, an unlimited supply of bullets, hands-on guidance during duty—and now even taking him along to participate in the contract management assessment.

Granted, his identity as a member of the Cheng family played a part, and before he demonstrated his true strength, Liu Bi was also put in a tough spot.

But more importantly, times had changed. The hardships and trials the older generation had endured were no longer suitable for the current environment.

"Brother B's teaching methods were ultimately constrained by his experiences in the old era!"

Cheng Ye sighed emotionally.

As for the dividends of the era, he actually shared a similar perspective to Liu Bi.

Looking back, it was all hard work; looking forward, it was all luck.

Take the current major trend of contract management, for example. Every Inspector was well aware of it, but how many could actually seize the opportunity? And how many would ultimately reach the opposite shore successfully?

The vast majority were treading on thin ice, never knowing which step might plunge them into the abyss.

Liu Bi clearly knew that he had carved out a new path. The letter did not contain a single superfluous warning, not even regarding his rapid increase in strength or his changed methods of handling affairs; all of that was left for when they met again.

He merely supported him silently, just like before. He had personally selected the supplies to prevent unnecessary trouble. Even that reminder about seeking Luo Kuke's cooperation if he faced uncontrollable danger revealed a certain internal conflict.

He was worried that warning him would cause him to suffer a loss at Luo Kuke's hands, yet also worried that failing to give a proper warning would leave him unable to cope if he truly encountered danger.

"Luo Kuke..."

Muttering this name, Cheng Ye tucked the letter away, quickly burying these trivial matters at the bottom of his heart and ceasing to dwell on them.

With five hundred people working together, the unboxing speed was incredibly fast. Still, he estimated it would take another hour to unpack and sort everything completely.

To prioritize getting the clearing work up and running, Sun Dazheng had already organized people to assemble the pushcarts.

The tools were gradually unboxed as well. A portion of the people had already picked up shovels and hoes, getting to work on the weeds and vines growing haphazardly throughout the town.

At first glance, it really looked quite like the school-wide cleaning events organized back in his student days.

Taking advantage of the gap while Huang Liang was organizing the pioneering team to collect their tools, Cheng Ye opened his interface and clicked into the Thorn Bird's bestiary entry:

"Mutated Thorn Bird"

"Description: An avian Mutant Beast widely active across multiple provinces. They possess an enormous population, numerous mutated sub-branches, and a complex diet, resulting in a variety of special abilities."

"Currently Recorded Traits:"

"Metal Perception (1.89%)"

"Body Metalization (0.75%)"

"Bone Spike Derivation* (0.21%)"

"Bone Spike Projection* (1.77%)"

'Oh, this Metal Perception is pretty good. Does equipping it turn me into a human ore detector?'

Cheng Ye's eyes lit up.

After experimenting with merging the Traits provided by freshwater fish, he had already discovered the true utility of these Traits.

One path was to gather the Essence of a Transcendent Creature, like the Vortex Turtle, and directly extract its Transcendent Ability.

The other was to take the mass-production route, relying on sheer quantity to win out, continuously merging them to raise their level and rating.

For example, continuously merging and stacking Water Affinity and Underwater Breathing had birthed a rare skill.

Now, looking at this Metal Perception—a single Level 1 instance might not be very useful, but what if he merged five, or ten?

The resulting effect would absolutely be leagues apart.

He continued reading down the list.

'Hmm... this Body Metalization is also quite interesting.'

The more Cheng Ye looked, the more pleasantly surprised he became. He hadn't expected the common Thorn Bird to provide two such practical Traits.

Previously, when Li Matai had visited the convenience store and met Master Tian, he had casually mentioned the difference between hidden abilities and explicit abilities.

An example of a hidden ability was a person whose fists were as hard as steel, capable of blocking bullets.

But because they couldn't actively control it, their fists had to remain permanently hardened, stuck in a state of metalization.

'The lack of an asterisk prompt means this skill won't cause irreversible special effects on me. In other words... it only takes effect when equipped, and once unequipped, the effect vanishes.'

As Cheng Ye pondered this, a wave of profound joy swept over him!

The words "Body Metalization" sounded rather plain, but didn't it essentially mean a Body of Steel?

The reason humans were frail was that no matter how hard they trained, they could only ever increase their strength and speed.

As for defense... well, they could train their impact resistance, but when facing those grotesque Infected Bodies or the sharp claws and fangs of Mutant Beasts, they remained incredibly fragile.

But if he could master this Body Metalization Trait...

Supercharged recovery, an absence of pain, extreme strength and speed, all culminating in a Body of Steel!

He felt that if he continued strengthening himself like this, he would no longer be walking the path of a mutant, but the path of a superhuman!

Could it be that in the future, he could just stand there like a statue, and the Infected Bodies wouldn't even be able to break his defense?

At this thought, Cheng Ye instantly grew excited. Moreover, the most important point was...

'The sheer number of Thorn Birds is massive. It's not like the Mutated Malaria Mosquitoes, where I'd have to run all the way to Hai Province just to collect them.'

'Once I free up my hands, I can farm as many Traits from these things as I want. The only problem is the Recharge Value needed to merge the skills, but the Hydroelectric Station in Dabo Town can solve that perfectly.'

Thinking up to this point, Cheng Ye forced himself to calm down.

No matter how beautiful the blueprint of the future was, it still had to be built step by solid step right now.

Unlike those Transcendents who were born with innate abilities or awakened through talent, as long as he was given enough time, a safe space, and a stable energy supply, the ceiling for his growth was practically boundless.

But this "potential" also meant he couldn't rush, nor could he slack off.

Living a stable life tucked away in the inner city, as his predecessor had done, meant he wouldn't be able to recharge his skills or acquire new Traits.

Yet, stepping out of the shelter city and into the Wilderness meant there was no absolute safety—only a dynamic safe zone where balance was found on the razor's edge of danger.

All he could do was exactly what Liu Bi had advised: to always maintain a sense of reverence toward this wasteland.

Carve a path when facing mountains, build a bridge when facing rivers.

"First, I win the assessment. Then, I focus on infrastructure and slowly grow stronger. Meals must be eaten one bite at a time, and the road must be walked one step at a time..."

Cheng Ye muttered to himself in a low voice. He closed his interface, rolled up his sleeves, and joined the unboxing team.

Half an hour later, the pioneering team officially assembled.

Counting Huang Liang, there were exactly 48 people in charge of the manual labor. Their hands were full of pioneering tools like shovels, axes, and hoes.

Meanwhile, Bao Dashan led 16 people to form an alert squad. Their primary responsibility was to guard the perimeter and prevent any Infection Sources or Infected Bodies from darting out of hidden nooks and crannies to ambush them.

Under the somewhat reverent gazes of the crowd, Cheng Ye sat on the edge of a flatbed cart and began to don the standard Inspector battle armor.

Although the protective strength of the standard armor was comparable to the Fire Lotus Battle Armor, the latter featured a lightweight design that leaned more toward agility.

As soon as the standard armor was equipped, a tangible, heavy sensation washed over him. He estimated it weighed at least thirty kilograms.

But this weight didn't feel like a burden; instead, it brought an overwhelming sense of security. The armor was divided into three layers: the outer layer resisted impacts, the middle layer prevented punctures, and the inner layer was lined with cushioning tiles. Even if an Infection Source's sharp claws broke through the surface, it would be extremely difficult for them to penetrate the deep defenses.

Standing up after strapping on the armor, Cheng Ye's physique appeared an entire size broader than when he wore the Fire Lotus Battle Armor.

The sharp angles of the shoulder and chest plates exuded a cold, hard metallic texture. If he stood still in the dark where visibility was low, people might even mistake him for a special Fusion Entity.

Additionally, the matching helmet was fully enclosed. Once worn, it seamlessly sealed with the armor's neck interface, allowing any impact sustained by the head to be dispersed and buffered across the upper body.

The front featured thickened bulletproof glass, leaving only a breathing port in the lower right corner fitted with ten layers of filter cotton. This not only prevented dust inhalation but also blocked the bodily fluid splatters of Infection Sources.

"This feeling of power is truly intoxicating."

Cheng Ye stood tall and stretched his body. As a surge of powerful vitality circulated within him, a series of crackling sounds spontaneously echoed from his joints.

In his current state, even if the Fusion Entity that Zhang Can had morphed into stood before him, he felt confident enough to charge forward and engage in close combat without having to dodge around pathetically like before.

"Let's go. I'll take the lead. Today's mission is to clear out all the vines and weeds surrounding the town!"