Wasteland Border Inspector-Chapter 297 - 129: Unseeable! Unapproachable! Unmatchable! (Part 2)

Chapter 297: Chapter 129: Unseeable! Unapproachable! Unmatchable! (Part 2)

From a bottom-level Intern Inspector to a one-man first-phase Inspector, he endured countless all-nighters, fought face-to-face with the Infected Bodies, and even ventured with the Pioneer Corps thousands of kilometers into the ruins to take root.

But compared to Cheng Ye’s current situation, he was considered lucky.

Because at that time, it was the Idealist Faction in power, he didn’t have to be swayed by factional struggles, nor did he need to take sides, just needed to bury himself in work, without having to maneuver between various forces, or guess the implications of his superiors’ words.

Moreover, the "crazy" reforms of the Idealist Faction made him one of the first Inspectors to ride the wave of change.

Abolish seniority-based promotions, emphasize achievements over background.

It was required that all on-duty experiences be documented, forming standardized operations and training manuals, rather than relying on oral transmission from veterans.

This happened to play to Liu Kun’s strengths, and his document foundation provided tremendous help.

In just three years, he rose from first-phase to third-phase, so fast that even he felt bewildered.

At the same time, the frantic elevation of status brought about the chaotic expansion of power.

He was once deeply immersed in this feeling, enjoying privileges even Liu Yuan never experienced.

A private office, priority access to resources, the instinctive admiration of residents, the respect of other institutional members in the Buffer Zone, and even direct communication with senior officials of Happiness City.

Until that winter, a disaster-level infection surge swept through, completely shattering his dream.

That night.

He personally saw his colleagues, whom he used to laugh and talk with, torn apart like paper under the claws of the Fusion Bodies.

Saw the Happiness Defense Line in the Buffer Zone being breached by the Infected Bodies, screams and explosions mixed together, becoming a mournful dirge.

He truly realized for the first time:

It turns out, humans can die.

It turns out, even Inspectors elevated to high positions die just as simply, no different from ordinary scavengers.

If it weren’t for the Elder’s personal intervention, he probably wouldn’t have survived till now.

Liu Kun still remembers the scene when the Elder intervened, how the Advanced Fusion Body, an indestructible giant beetle that couldn’t even be blasted open by rocket launchers, turned into a foul-smelling mush with a light touch from the Elder.

Those infection surges that could sweep through multiple Shelter Cities were instantly frozen into exquisite ice sculptures with a mere walk from the Elder, melting into fragmented ice shards.

From that day, a seed took root deep in his heart.

He wanted to be Extraordinary!

Not for more stable power, not for others’ admiration, but for the ability to control life and death, for the power to always stand in a safe zone, not threatened by anyone.

For this, he could work consecutive seventy-two-hour shifts without closing his eyes, endure the humiliations from factional struggles, and spend countless nights poring over the obscure notes of the Extraordinary, even if reading them made his head throb and his eyes bleed.

And at this moment, looking at Cheng Ye seriously on duty under the rain shed, Liu Kun suddenly saw a glimpse of his past self.

What a good kid.

Even facing scavengers drenched in mud and reeking of sour stench, causing the Military Saber assisting in duty to furrow its brows, Cheng Ye showed no discrimination, meticulously advancing the inspection process.

When encountering scavengers babbling incoherently, unable to state their own names, even the Military Saber couldn’t help but want to reprimand, yet Cheng Ye did not lose his temper, patiently helping organize their words, slowly piecing together information for them.

In the new edition of the Inspector manual, 40% of the content was personally written by Liu Kun.

Each clause, every process contained his understanding of the word "norm."

He could naturally see at a glance how standard Cheng Ye’s performance was, from tone to actions, from attitude to expressions, perfectly aligning with the best examples in the manual.

Far surpassing his father, Cheng Long!

Liu Kun silently emphasized in his mind, his gaze beneath the brim of his hat scanning over Cheng Ye’s focused profile with a faint trace of undetectable appreciation.

Cheng Long’s strength lay in his bravery in field duties, and his knack for dealing with outsiders.

But that was the confidence accumulated from fighting with the Pioneer Corps and struggling during the era of great expansion, carrying a wild sharpness.

Yet in terms of steadiness and patience at the inspection station, in reverence and execution of the rules, Cheng Long fell short compared to the current Cheng Ye, not even considered a "complete" Inspector.

"It would be worth having Old Ding focus on nurturing this kid, might even bring out another talent capable of real work,"

Liu Kun noted in his heart, planning to mention it to Ding Yishan when he returned.

Influenced by the Wanderer, he ventured out once, keenly sensing that the situation outside had begun to unravel.

The range of activities of the Mutant Beasts was expanding, the aggressiveness of the Infected Bodies was astoundingly intense, even the internal tensions of the Hundred Ghosts Gang were amplifying, conflicts between the Ghost Heads becoming increasingly frequent.

When those hundreds of thousands of Migrants flood in, the inspection station is bound to be the first target of impact.

Such a promising seedling cannot be left to perish in such trivial chaos.

The inspection station must protect him, for when the situation becomes more complex in the future, that’s when he’ll be truly needed.

As for the debts left by Cheng Long...

Liu Kun’s gaze swept towards the direction of Quarantine D Zone, where ordinary people couldn’t discern the situation from such a distance.

But not him, the Flame Eagle had already soared, gliding over D Zone’s sky.

With shared vision, he could see the scout carrying the Rotting Vine core just finishing the inspection process, briskly heading toward the isolation warehouse.