As he spoke, he closed the exam paper on the table and put it into a paper bag, "But it’s good too. Consider this incident a wake-up call. If you want to become an Inspector in the future, a sense of reverence is essential."

"Station Chief, why don’t I take Jiang Chuan’s place and accompany Inspector Cheng for protection?"

Just then, Mu Shuang, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly stood up and quickly walked to the desk, full of eagerness in her tone, "Jiang Chuan hasn’t been out in the Wilderness for seven years. He’s unfamiliar with the current situation outside. I’m different. I venture into the Wilderness and several surrounding provinces daily. I’m very familiar with dealing with infection sources and mutated creatures, especially in the Lin River-area, and can assist Inspector Cheng."

Jiang Chuan’s expression slightly changed; his lips moved, but he did not refute.

"Are you really eager to protect Cheng Ye, or do you find it uncomfortable staying by this old man’s side?" Ding Yishan looked up at Mu Shuang with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Uh... how could that be!" Mu Shuang, caught in her thoughts, blushed slightly and laughed awkwardly, "I’m accustomed to the wild. If I don’t have some action or danger in a day, I feel uneasy. All this forwarding of documents and reports in the office, I’m really not suited for it; I’m afraid my clumsiness would delay your affairs."

"The way you’re talking doesn’t seem like someone who is unfamiliar with greetings and farewells."

Ding Yishan tapped lightly on the table with a tone filled with a hint of comfort.

To Mu Shuang’s surprise, he didn’t refuse directly. Instead, he shifted the conversation, looking at Jiang Chuan:

"So many years have passed, Chuan indeed is no longer suited for outdoor missions. I’ve confined him in this small Buffer Zone, having him manage coordination within the station and maintain the development of the base-level staff system. He’s done exceedingly well, saving me, the Station Chief, a lot of worry. The internal conflicts at the checkpoint have been intense these years, yet the guards, clerks, and observers below haven’t been affected at all. It’s all thanks to Chuan leading the team."

His voice slowed down, tinged with a faint sense of regret: "To let him return to those blood-for-blood days, venturing into the Wilderness, sometimes I wonder, isn’t this too unfair to Chuan?!"

"Sir..." Jiang Chuan abruptly raised his head, eyes filled with astonishment, and involuntarily exclaimed.

"Alright, just speaking my mind."

Ding Yishan waved his hand, interrupting him and looked back at Mu Shuang, "Shuang has grown considerably as well. I originally thought you were still that impulsive girl who would explode at the slightest provocation. I didn’t expect the training from the Hundred Ghosts Gang these years to have steadied your temperament, and you have become more methodical in your actions."

"You flatter me, Station Chief!" Mu Shuang grew increasingly embarrassed, her voice softening, "I just did what Director Liu and you assigned to me." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She was almost a cycle younger than Jiang Chuan. When Jiang Chuan was an assistant at 25, she was just 17, exploring the Wilderness with Liu Kun, wild as a young leopard.

Now, Jiang Chuan is 36, and she’s 28, no longer the impulsive young girl she once was.

"Hmm, next, you can accompany Cheng Ye," Ding Yishan pondered for a moment and made a decision, "When the package deal begins, if I’m inconvenient to go out for inspections, Chuan will still have to go to the various Satellite Cities in my place. All the Inspectors in the station are familiar with him, making communication easy."

"But... for now, we probably won’t need you."

"Oh?" Mu Shuang was taken aback, the Flying Knife spinning in her hand unconsciously tossed to Jiang Chuan, a hint of confusion in her voice, "Station Chief, don’t you trust me? Or do you think my ability is insufficient to protect Inspector Cheng?"

"You’re such a girl, how come you’ve picked up some bandit ways from outside, talking so colloquially?"

Ding Yishan chuckled and scolded, pointing a finger at her, "Where do those thoughts come from? The first round of packages will only open 12 Satellite Cities. Even if Cheng Ye’s exam ranks high, I don’t plan to send him out. Let him head to Dapo Town in the second or third round instead."

"Ah, this... why?" Mu Shuang was stunned.

Yesterday, when she reviewed the documents, she could tell that Ding Yishan placed special emphasis on Cheng Ye, not only allowing Jiang Chuan to accompany him for site inspections but also specifically instructing to pay attention to Cheng Ye’s thoughts, clearly intending to cultivate him.

But now, he wants to delay Cheng Ye to after the first round, which is quite illogical.

Ding Yishan did not answer directly but looked at Jiang Chuan, "Chuan, you’ve been to Dapo Town and talked with Cheng Ye, why don’t you share your thoughts?"

Jiang Chuan caught the Flying Knife that Mu Shuang threw, put it back in the sheath on his waist, organized his thoughts, and considered, "The primary concern of the Station Chief is likely the conflict in resource allocation."

"The first batch of Satellite City resources must be prioritized to core hubs like Wenlu County. Only after they are built can they radiate to surrounding areas. Dapo Town can’t compete in transportation priority at all. Forcing its initiation would only put Inspector Cheng in an embarrassing situation of having plans but no materials, actually delaying construction."

"That’s part of it, what else?" Ding Yishan’s eyes showed a touch of satisfaction.

"Hmm..." Jiang Chuan pondered, recalling the scenes from yesterday with Cheng Ye and their conversation, "There’s also the issue of recruiting refugees. The first round of package Inspectors are mostly old hands from the Fifth-Phase and Fourth-Phase, even at worst, Third-Phase. Inspector Cheng is just an Intern. Even if he presents a great plan, the refugees might not be willing to follow a newcomer compared to more experienced Inspectors."

"Who would choose a young man with no construction experience over an experienced Inspector? If the Westerners’ Inspectors play tricks, it could turn him into a laughing stock and hurt morale."