Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 319: Mining Salt, the Lifeline of Survival!

What a truly... magnificent lake!Sand Pond Lake was not particularly large. As a body of water formed by converging underground springs, its diameter was at most about five kilometers. Yet, because of this, one could take in the entire panoramic view of the lake from a high vantage point.

It resembled a massive sapphire left behind by the heavens, nestled quietly among the mountains and unfurling before their eyes with crystal-clear waters.

The early morning sunlight spilled across the surface, scattering into shimmering ripples that looked like countless golden fish leaping and playing in the water.

Rolling green hills surrounded the lake with gentle, undulating slopes. The mountains were blanketed in various shades of vegetation—pale yellow, deep amber, and light green—creating distinct, layered hues that looked like a meticulously blended oil painting.

Cheng Ye quietly admired the view for a moment. Once the initial shock of this majestic natural scenery faded, he raised his eyes to scan the surroundings. He quickly pinpointed the salt mine's location on one side of the lake. There were obvious traces of excavation on the ground, along with a pitch-black cave entrance that stood out glaringly.

"Is that the salt mine?" Cheng Ye raised his hand, pointing at the cave entrance by the lake.

"Yes! There is a layer of salt ore hidden underground. When the New Pond Gathering Place initially chose to settle here, this salt mine was the main reason." Gao Tianzhi's face was full of distress. "But after so many years of digging, the shallow salt deposits have basically been hollowed out. We scouted the entrance several times before, but ultimately didn't dare venture deeper. We have no idea what it's like further inside..."

He scratched his head and added, "If the trade caravans hadn't completely stopped coming, cutting off our ability to trade for salt and sugar, we absolutely wouldn't have considered exploring this dangerous mine."

"Alright, you guys wait up here. I will go in and check out the situation." Cheng Ye nodded in agreement. He walked straight down the trail along the lake and stepped into the mine without the slightest hesitation.

Generally speaking, the more dangerous a place appeared, the less likely it was to harbor bizarre Infection Sources.

Those twisted monstrosities usually roamed openly in areas frequently visited by humans. In a desolate mine like this, even if there were Infection Sources, they would just be small fry.

He flicked on his flashlight, the beam instantly illuminating the scene inside the cave.

The interior of the mine was a crisscrossing network of tunnels, varying in width.

The walls and ceiling still bore obvious pickaxe marks, and white salt frost seeped out in certain areas.

To prevent cave-ins, the support structures left behind by the New Pond Gathering Place were still in place. However, most of the wooden beams had long since rotted away, leaving only a few metal girders barely holding up the main shafts.

Perhaps due to the proximity of the lake, there were puddles of water scattered across the ground. Cheng Ye's boots made splashing sounds as he stepped through them.

It was no wonder those men didn't dare to enter. Armed with only reloaded ammunition and lacking proper combat armor for protection, they would likely lose their nerve just walking up to the entrance.

Suddenly, Cheng Ye paused, sweeping his flashlight beam toward a sound.

High on the distant cave wall, a rat the size of a rabbit with glowing red eyes was staring fixedly at him. It let out a sharp squeak and lunged forward.

It was hard to imagine that such a massive rat could scurry along the cave walls, defying gravity like a spider.

Cheng Ye appraised it for a moment, his brow suddenly twitching upward. "Not an Infection Source... could it be a Shadow-Splitting Rat?"

He drew his Red Blade, but instead of slashing at the incoming rodent, he immediately spun around to check his rear.

Sure enough, a short distance behind him, another rat of the exact same size was sneaking up, now less than ten meters away.

'It really is a Shadow-Splitting Rat! It uses a shadow clone to draw attention while its true body circles around for a sneak attack!'

Cheng Ye's mind raced. He hadn't expected to find mutated creatures hiding in the mine rather than Infection Sources.

If an ordinary person wandered in blindly without knowing the tricks of a Shadow-Splitting Rat, they would likely meet their end here.

Judging solely by those razor-sharp fangs, a single bite would either kill or permanently cripple a man.

Seeing its ruse exposed, the Shadow-Splitting Rat instantly realized things had gone wrong and tried to turn back and retreat.

But just as it halted its forward momentum, Cheng Ye had already sheathed his Red Blade and drawn the Bison Combat Pistol from his waist.

Bang.

A sharp crack rang out, and the bullet struck the rat's head with lethal precision.

The ambushing Shadow-Splitting Rat didn't even have time to squeal. A mist of blood exploded from its head, and it slumped heavily to the damp ground.

Looking back ahead, the shadow clone was still charging forward. It rushed right above Cheng Ye's head before slowly dissipating into thin air.

"Truly fascinating!"

Cheng Ye stepped forward, picking up the Shadow-Splitting Rat's corpse to log it into his Handbook, then continued deeper into the mine.

To his surprise, this mine seemed to have become a nest for Shadow-Splitting Rats. After taking only a few more steps, two more darted out.

However, the moment they caught sight of their dead companion dangling from Cheng Ye's hand, they let out a whimper and instantly turned tail and fled.

Their speed was astonishing; Cheng Ye did not even have time to draw his pistol and aim before they vanished.

"Never mind. Places occupied by mutated creatures usually do not have many Infected Bodies," Cheng Ye muttered to himself.

Reaching this point, large chunks of precipitated salt ore were already visible on the walls. Clearly, there was no need to venture any deeper.

He promptly turned around and returned to the surface. The men waiting above were startled to see the bizarre rat carcass in his hand; none of them recognized the creature.

"It is fine. The lower levels have become a nest for these things, and completely clearing them out would be too much trouble."

Cheng Ye tossed the carcass aside and gestured to the group. "Come inside with me. I will cover you while you mine."

Despite his reassurance, the men grew even more timid, hesitating and refusing to step forward.

Cheng Ye pondered for a moment, then simply motioned for Gao Tianzhi to hand him a pickaxe and an iron bucket. "Forget it, you guys wait up here. I will go down and mine."

Doing a bit of manual labor wouldn't take much effort anyway. Moreover, these people were content hiding away in their secluded camp, which proved they weren't exactly daring or ruthless survivors.

If it had been Hou Genbao or the men from the Yongxing Community, they probably would have followed him down into the mine without a second thought.

Weighing the iron bucket in his hand, he estimated each one could hold about twenty-five kilograms of salt ore.

The New Pond Gathering Place had mined here for years, exhausting the shallow, high-purity deposits. The deeper veins were mixed with clay, minerals, brine sediments, and other impurities, leaving the purity at roughly seventy percent.

Given the camp's level of industry, setting up industrial purification equipment was completely unrealistic.

They could only rely on the crude method of crushing the ore, dissolving and filtering it, and boiling the water for crystallization. This process would result in about a twenty percent loss.

Based on the current purity of the ore vein, one bucket of salt ore would ultimately yield around twelve and a half kilograms of edible salt.

Based on a daily consumption of five grams of salt per person, the camp of roughly one hundred people would go through about half a kilogram of salt a day.

Cheng Ye calculated in his head. Even if he intended to support this transit station, he would have to wait until this winter passed and spring arrived next year. That would take about four months; to be conservative, he should stock them up for five months.

They would need fifteen kilograms of salt a month, so five months meant seventy-five kilograms.

Having figured out the numbers, Cheng Ye lowered his head and began digging.

An hour passed. He made several trips back and forth, forcibly mining out eight large buckets of salt ore.

After carrying the heavy loads back and forth so many times, his eyelids felt heavy from exhaustion despite his robust stamina.

However, whenever he remembered the treasures worth sixty thousand Contribution Points he had harvested yesterday, this slight fatigue vanished without a trace.

"Inspector Cheng, we have troubled you too much!"

Seeing those eight large buckets brimming with stark white salt ore, Gao Tianzhi was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. The days of severe salt deprivation had been pure torture!

Total body weakness, aching limbs, frequent cramps, and a perpetual drowsiness that made them feel like they could never sleep enough—it had weighed everyone down to the point of suffocation.

For modern people, takeout food often contained practically lethal amounts of salt, so running out of it was never a concern.

But in the Wasteland, very few trade caravans would dedicate themselves to transporting and selling basic supplies like salt, sugar, and vitamins everywhere.

First, the profit margins were pitifully thin, and all major shelter cities produced their own, so they simply couldn't fetch a good price.

Second, the consumption rate was enormous. A hidden camp of a hundred people like New Pond could go through hundreds of kilograms a year, and large Gathering Places with thousands of people required tons at a time. It was impossible to rely on scattered trade caravans for transport; most settlements directly contacted the shelter cities for regular bulk purchases.

"You know the process of boiling salt, right?" Cheng Ye asked.

"Yes! Yes!" Gao Tianzhi nodded profusely, his tone eager. "We prepared the tools a long time ago, we just never had the courage to go down into the mine."

"Do not go down easily in the future, either," Cheng Ye cautioned. "These dangers are a common occurrence for me, but you might not be able to handle them. If you were to lose a few men, the morale in this camp would shatter."

"Understood! We all understand!" Gao Tianzhi agreed repeatedly.

The fifteen able-bodied men split into groups, with two men carrying each basket of salt ore.

On their way back, Cheng Ye glanced at Sand Pond Lake one more time. The Dream Sea Siren truly knew how to pick a location. If an Inspection Station could be built here, gazing out over the shimmering lake and majestic mountains from the top of the building would be a premier luxury.

However, at the thought that such a breathtaking lake was highly likely teeming with Infection Sources, a sudden surge of motivation filled him.

When he had time in the future, he absolutely had to come here and do a thorough sweep.

It would be even better if he could expand his influence here. This underground lake was completely cut off from external water systems, naturally isolating it from any Infection Sources drifting down from upstream. As long as it was cleaned out and the surrounding environment was improved, it would make an unbeatable summer retreat.

Furthermore, if he could obtain more Living Water Essence and add a few drops into the lake, it would instantly transform into a natural breeding ground.

But these were all long-term plans. There was no need to rush things at the moment.

Watching the men transport the salt ore back to the assembly point outside the Gathering Place, he saw them all squatting on the ground, panting heavily. Cheng Ye was somewhat surprised. If the strong laborers were already this deficient in salt, the women were probably in an even worse state.

Looking at their current condition, he figured it would likely take them two or three days just to haul all this salt ore up to their mountain hideout.

However, they only needed to carry a few chunks up to process their first batch. By tonight, they should have their freshly refined salt.

It would undoubtedly be a sleepless night for them; the entire camp would be overwhelmed with excitement.

It was just a shame he wouldn't be around to witness it.

"We should hit the road. As for the sugar you need, I will probably be back in about two months."

Cheng Ye pulled out his Defense Terminal to check the time; it was already ten in the morning. "Today is October sixteenth. At the latest, I will definitely return here by December twenty-fifth."

"Thank you so much!" Gao Tianzhi was overjoyed, profusely pouring out endless words of gratitude.

He even started rambling about his great-grandfather's blessings and how he had finally struck it lucky for once in his life, offering all sorts of rustic, heartfelt praises.

Seeing Gao Tianzhi merely thanking him repeatedly without seizing the chance to make additional demands, Cheng Ye felt even more satisfied. He decided to take the initiative and ask, "Aside from sugar, do you need anything else?"

"No, no! We only lack salt and sugar. Having these two is more than enough!"

Gao Tianzhi hurriedly waved his hands to explain. "The rice is about to have a bumper harvest. Combined with the grain we previously stored, it's enough to feed everyone until the year after next."

The thermal gear they purchased in previous years was still perfectly usable, and the cave itself retained heat quite well. The upcoming winter would not be particularly difficult for them to endure.

What this camp truly lacked were these seemingly inconspicuous yet indispensable basic living supplies.

Of course, no one would complain about improving their quality of life.

After listening, Cheng Ye immediately realized that the items this camp lacked were equally scarce in Dabo Town, Happiness City, and practically everywhere else across the Wasteland.

Traveling by foot was possible, but its efficiency couldn't hold a candle to driving a vehicle.

Radios could relieve boredom, but the experience paled in comparison to watching television.

Relying on solar energy infrastructure meant that if the panels broke down, they would face long-term power outages.

Medical care relied entirely on brute-forcing sickness with their own immune systems, leaving them with absolutely no medication to fall back on.

More importantly, the hidden camp had no shortage of staple foods and vegetables, but meat was extremely scarce. Even with a large lake right beside them, they did not have the guts to go fishing.

Cheng Ye nodded slightly. Now that he understood their needs, his future development strategy became much clearer.

Looking at it this way, the day Dabo Town's canned fish stepped out of Happiness City's markets was just around the corner!

"Alright then, stay safe!" Cheng Ye reached out and patted Gao Tianzhi on the shoulder.

Although his face was overly youthful, the gesture seemed incredibly natural in everyone's eyes.

That was because they weren't looking at a young man's face, but rather at his—status!

He was Inspector Cheng Ye, an Inspector of Happiness City.

When he returned to the courtyard, the tents had long been packed away. Seeing Cheng Ye return, Yin Ruofeng and the other three quickly boarded the vehicle and settled in.

Liu Bi approached him, asking curiously, "Is everything settled?"

"We didn't go into details yet. That can wait until we get back from Guang Province."

Cheng Ye chuckled. "They can probably only last five months on that salt. While strong-arming them like this feels a bit underhanded, I tried to let them mine it themselves, and they just don't have the guts."

"Come on, they know exactly what they're doing. They deliberately handed you some leverage."

Liu Bi saw right through the situation. "If they didn't let you hold their lifeline, how could they dare engage in long-term contact with you?"

He paused, then asked, "There wasn't any danger in the mine, right?"

"Brother B, next time you sneak out at night to scout, remember to wipe the mud off your feet."

Cheng Ye pointed at the white mud on the edges of Liu Bi's boots. It was a unique salt mud found only in the mine, and right now, Liu Bi had quite a bit of it clinging to his footwear.

"Well played, Inspector Cheng. Your observation skills are quite sharp, aren't they?!"

Liu Bi froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Let's go. We've wasted a lot of time today, so we'll have to condense our itinerary and find another spot to rest."

"Yeah, let's talk in the car."

Cheng Ye opened the door, slid into the passenger seat, and buckled his seatbelt.

Niu Fu wiped his face, suddenly gripping the steering wheel tightly, and shouted in excitement, "We are—heading out!"

Liu Bi had just lifted his foot to get into the car when the sudden yell startled him. He shot back in annoyance, "What are you howling for?"

"Brother Bi, hanging out with Inspector Cheng just makes me feel like I have found my youth again!"

Niu Fu grinned broadly, though the corners of his eyes and brows betrayed obvious amusement.

It was evident from his expression that this had absolutely nothing to do with youth, but something else entirely.

"Piss off. Say another word and I am docking your pay." Liu Bi sighed helplessly, fishing out a tissue and looking down to wipe the white mud off his boots.

This was only the first day on the road, yet he had already lost two bets in a row. Even his secret scouting trip to the mine had been caught red-handed by Cheng Ye. The kid's intuition and observational skills did not belong to a rookie on his first field duty assignment.

The Armored Vehicle slowly rolled out of the courtyard.

Under the awestruck and envious gazes of the able-bodied men, it gradually drove further down the ruined road.

Just as they left the Gathering Place, Cheng Ye subconsciously glanced back. He saw a gaunt figure standing at a gap in the defensive wall.

It was... Zhang Wen.

He stared in the direction the Armored Vehicle was leaving, his expression complex. It was hard to tell if he felt bitter, relieved, or some other emotion altogether. He simply stood there, dazed.

It wasn't until the vehicle had driven far away, nearly out of sight, that he belatedly raised his hand and gave a gentle wave, repeating over and over under his breath, "Cheng Ye... Cheng Ye... Cheng Ye!!!"