Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 318: Novice Reward, A Massive Profit!

In the Wilderness, kindness and mercy were truly more precious than gold.His gaze landing once more on the Inspector Badge hanging from Cheng Ye's belt, Gao Tianzhi nodded heavily.

Wearing an expression of genuine gratitude, he led the two able-bodied youths away, quickly vanishing into the night.

Cheng Ye watched for a long time. It was only after he used Little Flame's vision to confirm that the trio had headed up the mountain path that he retracted his gaze and began to examine the courtyard Liu Bi had chosen.

Compared to the other dilapidated courtyards in the Gathering Place, this one was fairly well-preserved. The courtyard walls, in particular, were mostly intact and could provide decent protection.

Inside the courtyard, several tents had already been pitched next to the Armored Vehicle. Two Camping Lamps hung from thin cords above, their warm yellow Halo driving away the surrounding darkness.

If they were in an area where the dangers had not yet been thoroughly scouted, it would have been safer to spend the night inside the Armored Vehicle.

However, this Forbidden Land was sparsely populated, and the hidden camp routinely cleared it out. It was relatively safe, so there was no need to make do in the vehicle; they could freely rest outside.

Moreover, since someone needed to keep watch during the night anyway, there was no fear of danger suddenly catching them off guard.

Not to mention, even if an Infection Source did intrude, with a veteran Fourth-Stage Investigator like Liu Bi holding the fort, it was hard to say who would be the hunter and who would be the prey.

By the time he finished patrolling the perimeter of the courtyard and returned, the rest of the group had gathered around. Their eyes were uniformly fixed on the foam boxes on the ground, faces full of curiosity.

Cheng Ye did not keep them in suspense. He directly opened one of the boxes, revealing the spoils to everyone.

Separated from their main stalks, the light purple Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots still retained a swirling violet luster on their surfaces. They almost seemed to glow in the dark, looking exceptionally striking inside the foam box.

"Huh, what kind of plant is this? I have never seen it before," Niu Fu noted, squatting down and staring at the patterns on the shoots with intense curiosity.

"It looks like..." Liu Bi also observed them intently. The word 'Treasure' reached the tip of his tongue but was not spoken aloud. Instead, he looked at Cheng Ye in slight astonishment.

A Treasure?!

This was his very first Field Duty in the Wilderness, and he had directly found a Treasure?!

Unexpectedly, Yin Ruofeng knew his stuff.

After carefully identifying them for a moment, he guessed uncertainly, "Could these be... Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots?"

As one of the managers of the Happiness City Official Caravan, knowing about various Treasures was part of his job responsibilities.

However, this Cognition was mostly based on paper records; he had never seen the actual items either.

"That is right. These are Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots, a special kind of Treasure," Cheng Ye affirmed.

Cheng Ye took out his Defense Terminal and took a photo of the Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots for verification.

Soon, more detailed information appeared on the screen. It not only included the three Traits displayed on his System Panel but also came with a long list of specific experimental data.

The "Duet" trait could double crop yields. This type of Trait had been analyzed and discovered back in the old era.

Yet even now, Humans still had not cracked the principles behind this Trait, much less extracted its key active ingredients.

Even more regrettably, its area of effect was a pitiful fifty thousand square meters, which roughly equated to about thirteen acres of land.

East Peace Town had been under cultivation for less than a month, yet they had already accomplished Pioneering on almost five thousand acres of land.

If they wanted to double the yield of all this land, they would need at least three hundred and eighty-five Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots.

According to Happiness City's plans for Leaping Wilderness, they intended to open up over eighty thousand acres of land for planting in one go. To double the yield of such a vast expanse of arable land, they would need over six thousand Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots.

The sheer volume of this demand was simply staggering.

Cheng Ye continued scrolling down and unexpectedly found that the data also included simple cultivation records and the official purchase prices.

Each Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoot was priced at 8,500 Contribution Points, which was noticeably cheaper compared to other Treasures.

The cultivation method was not overly complex. After a naturally born primordial Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoot was transplanted, it would start producing offshoots after about two years. The number of offshoots usually ranged between eight and twelve, and the entire process took nearly ten years.

However, after these offshoots were transplanted, they could only grow normally and provide their effects; they could no longer produce new offshoots of their own.

This completely restricted the scale of Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoot cultivation. Even if Humans obtained a primordial shoot, the maximum number they could get, including the main body, would not exceed thirteen.

To satisfy the demand for over eighty thousand acres of land, one would have to find five hundred primordial Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots and spend ten years breeding them all to their absolute limits.

'I wonder if the Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots I exchange using Traits count as primordial varieties, or just sterile offshoots...'

While pondering this, Cheng Ye began taking inventory of this trip's harvest based on the purchasing standards.

He opened the three foam boxes.

Judging by the differences in the patterns on the dried shoots, the two primordial stalks at the hidden camp had been cultivated for five years, yet they had only produced five offshoots.

And among the six he had harvested this time, he had conveniently taken one of the main stalks along with them.

The purchase price for the main stalk was slightly higher, valued at twenty thousand Contribution Points.

Calculating it this way, the total haul for this trip actually reached... sixty thousand Contribution Points?!

On the other side, Liu Bi also took out his Defense Terminal to snap a picture for verification. He did not pay attention to the detailed information above, but expertly skipped to the very bottom to determine their value based on the purchase price.

The two of them calculated the profits of this trip at almost exactly the same time. They exchanged a glance, both of them slightly dumbfounded.

When a High-Tier Inspector went on Field Duty, if their luck was poor, the total earnings would only be around ten to twenty thousand, and sometimes it would even drop below ten thousand.

Only with explosive luck could they possibly push their earnings up to the thirty to fifty thousand range.

Yet Cheng Ye was merely a rookie executing his first Field Duty assignment. What was more, this was his very first day stepping into the Wilderness, and this single haul directly netted him sixty thousand Contribution Points.

Liu Bi's heart shook violently. Good heavens, the net worth he had accumulated over years of hard work, Cheng Ye had earned in a single day.

His gaze shifted, sweeping over Yin Ruofeng and the other three who were still examining the Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots, and his eyes darkened slightly.

"I have heard people say that the first Field Duty always comes with beginner's luck, and you might strike it rich... but your luck is way too good!"

Liu Bi stepped forward, giving a subtle signal with his eyes, then asked loudly, "You didn't harvest all the Treasures in this hidden camp, did you?"

"I did. They had absolutely no idea of the true value of these things, so they gave them all to me," Cheng Ye nodded.

"No wonder you got so many Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots. Then you had better compensate them properly." Liu Bi nodded in satisfaction. "If they plan to continue staying here, we can bring them more supplies next time we come over."

"That is what I was thinking too," Cheng Ye chimed in, taking the opportunity to mention his plan to head to Sand Pond Lake tomorrow morning to help the hidden camp mine a batch of salt from the Salt Mine.

Liu Bi readily agreed and immediately arranged for Niu Fu to properly handle the three foam boxes and move them into the Armored Vehicle for storage.

The vehicle's cabin had not been packed full before departure, and since Yu Yong had not boarded the vehicle, there was just enough spare room right now.

Taking advantage of the time spent organizing the supplies, the two walked outside the courtyard. Liu Bi lowered his voice and instructed, "How you found this hidden camp and its exact location—keep that information to yourself. Since they chose to stay here, it means they do not want to be disturbed by outsiders."

He paused, then added, "Always leave a little leeway in your actions so that you can face people again in the future. The first time I found good things in a hidden camp back in the day, I didn't take everything either."

"I understand. I left one main stalk for them. But I am a bit puzzled—"

Cheng Ye explained the general situation of the hidden camp, finishing with a look of doubt. "The people here can hear Happiness City's broadcasts, yet they seem to have no yearning for the Inner City whatsoever. Otherwise, bringing these Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots to Happiness City would be enough to exchange for several dozen people to enter the Inner City and live a life free of worries about food and clothing."

After listening, Liu Bi squeezed out a meaningful smile. "The fact that you have this doubt shows that you have not yet thought about the problem from their perspective. It is very simple. What do you think is the biggest benefit of entering the Inner City?"

"Safety?" Cheng Ye replied thoughtfully.

"What else?"

"Greater ability to withstand risks?"

"Is that all?"

"A better tomorrow, a hopeful future?"

Upon saying this, Cheng Ye suddenly realized, "Could it be that they feel the Inner City cannot provide these things?"

"Of course. Not everyone will agree with Happiness City's philosophy."

Liu Bi's tone was calm as he spoke slowly, "When it comes to safety, staying in this kind of hidden camp is actually not much worse than the Inner City. Ninety-nine percent of dangers stem from the movement of the population. If mobility were completely sealed off, the spread of Infection Sources would have been curbed long ago. As for the ability to withstand risks, that is spoken from the perspective of a shelter city!"

"It is true that Happiness City is hard to destroy with just one or two Infection Tides, but do not forget, they are not Inspectors like us. Ultimately, they are just ordinary Residents living inside!"

"When the Starfish Epidemic broke out, even though the Inner City didn't suffer too much impact, didn't hundreds of people still die? Can they guarantee they wouldn't be one of those hundreds?"

"As for a better tomorrow and a hopeful future, they can create that with their own two hands. They are personally building the life they desire, so why bother running off to Happiness City, only to be reduced to an inconspicuous cog in a collective future?"

Liu Bi finished in one breath and paused. The core of these three sentences was actually quite simple.

Do not always think about problems from the perspective of a decision-maker.

To figure out why this group of people chose to stay, one merely needed to put themselves in their shoes, and the answer became glaringly obvious.

This hidden camp had remained stable for five years. They did not have to rely on grueling labor to maintain their livelihoods.

Staying in the mountain cave, their lives were far richer and more colorful than those of the Residents of Happiness City, and with a radio, they were not lacking a channel of communication with the outside world.

The only Cost was simply losing contact with more of their own kind, forcing them to fend for themselves.

But looking across the Wasteland, was coming into contact with one's own kind always a good thing?

"Alright, do not overthink certain things. Thinking too much will only make the world feel complicated; it is better to live simply. Habitually second-guessing other people's thoughts will only make you more and more tired."

Liu Bi laughed heartily, then his tone suddenly shifted. "Since they are willing to stay here, just treat them as the indigenous people of this land and interact with them normally. Dabo Town is not lacking these hundred-odd people anyway. Letting them stay here is actually better. In the future, when we pass through here again, we can bring them some supplies along the way and build this place up into a transit rest stop. It kills two birds with one stone."

"Yes, I understand,"

Cheng Ye nodded in agreement, no longer dwelling on the topic.

For the night watch on the first evening, since Niu Fu was responsible for driving, the two of them split the duty, taking the first and second halves of the night respectively.

Considering they still had to go near Sand Pond Lake to mine salt tomorrow, Cheng Ye took the first watch, while Liu Bi would take over for the latter half.

After Liu Bi lay down in his tent, it was not long before deafening snores rang out.

Cheng Ye sat alone in the courtyard, gazing at the bright, clear moon hanging in the night sky. He was still pondering the gap between the Wilderness described in the data and the Wilderness he was seeing with his own eyes.

It truly verified the old saying: what one learns from books is ultimately shallow; to truly understand a matter, one must experience it personally.

The Wilderness was actually far less perilous than he had imagined. In fact, based solely on this one day's experience, it was even more peaceful than staying in Happiness City.

As long as one could hoard enough supplies and stay completely behind closed doors, it was perfectly normal to not encounter a single Infected Body for three to five years.

It was nothing like Happiness City, where there were Infected Body incursions every day, as well as unknown Infection Sources and Transcendent Mother Sources encroaching from the shadows.

Of course, the prerequisite for all this was that the scale could not be too large.

A hidden camp like the one at New Pond Mountain, with a population of around a hundred, was just right. If it were to expand to three or five hundred, or even over a thousand people, the situation would be completely different.

Once there were more people, conflicts would inevitably spike, and the difficulty of management would multiply. When that happened, the probability of attracting Infection Sources would increase proportionally, making it just as fraught with danger as a shelter city or a Gathering Place.

The night passed wordlessly.

Their first night in the Wilderness was unusually serene.

Just as the sky began to turn a hazy gray and the alarm clock rang, Cheng Ye agilely got up and reached over to turn off the alarm.

He had not slept particularly soundly that night, but his robust physique meant that just three hours of sleep was enough to completely dispel all fatigue.

Pushing aside the tent flap, Cheng Ye stood in the courtyard and stretched his limbs a few times. Hearing the commotion, Liu Bi walked over.

"Why not sleep a little longer?"

"It is better to head to Sand Pond Lake early and get the Salt Mine business sorted out, so we can hit the road sooner."

Cheng Ye smiled and added, "The road ahead will only get harder to travel, so we need to set aside more time."

"I think you just want to set aside more time to look for those hidden camps tucked away in the Wilderness, don't you?"

Liu Bi raised an eyebrow, then shifted the topic. "However, Gao Tianzhi and the others arrived quite early. They are already waiting outside, just waiting for you to get up so you can go to Sand Pond Lake together."

"They are here?" Cheng Ye stepped out of the courtyard. In the distance, beneath the walls, Gao Tianzhi was already waiting there with fifteen able-bodied youths.

Based on his hasty glance yesterday, the total number of males in this hidden camp should not exceed thirty, yet a full half of them had come this time.

Only Zhang Wen still had not shown his face. It was unknown whether he still distrusted him or if there was another reason.

Noticing Cheng Ye coming out, Gao Tianzhi hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, respectfully saying, "Inspector Cheng, it is still early. Do you want to rest a while longer?"

"It is not early anymore. We need to set out while it is daytime. At night in the Wilderness, danger lurks everywhere."

Cheng Ye smiled and shook his head, asking casually, "What about Zhang Wen? How come I do not see him?"

"He has a bit of a fever..." Gao Tianzhi scratched his head and explained. "Recently, in order to prepare winter supplies, he had been pushing himself too hard, going out every day to wait on the road for caravans to pass. Now that this pent-up tension has been released, it is inevitable that he would fall severely ill."

"He didn't fall ill from anger because I took the Purple Spirit Bamboo Shoots away, did he?" Cheng Ye narrowed his eyes.

"No, no, no, absolutely not." Gao Tianzhi's expression tightened, and he quickly waved his hands in denial, terrified of any unnecessary misunderstandings.

"Alright then. Once I finish washing up, we will head out to Sand Pond Lake."

Cheng Ye nodded and turned around to walk back into the courtyard.

The Armored Vehicle was equipped with a water tank underneath and came with its own filtration system. It had already been filled with water before they set off.

He collected half a basin of water to wash his face, then carefully donned his Fire Lotus Battle Armor.

Just as he was about to head out, Liu Bi yawned and said lazily, "I will not follow you guys over there. Just be careful and stay safe."

"Got it." Cheng Ye nodded in response, feeling a bit strange inwardly.

Could it be that in just one day, his steady style of handling things had thoroughly put Liu Bi at ease?

However, when he glanced down and saw the damp mud clinging to the edge of Liu Bi's boots, and then looked at Niu Fu's tightly zipped tent, Cheng Ye smiled thoughtfully.

During the latter half of the night, Liu Bi had likely already snuck over to Sand Pond Lake and scouted out the situation there.

Letting him take this group over by himself now meant two things: first, the danger at Sand Pond Lake was within a controllable range; and second, Liu Bi was intentionally staying out of the spotlight, leaving the opportunity to perform entirely to him.

'Brother B seems rough around the edges, but he actually considers all these minor details quite thoroughly.'

Cheng Ye immediately felt a wave of warmth in his heart.

In the entirety of the massive Inspection Station, he was probably the only person who could get hand-held guidance on Field Duty from a veteran Fourth-Stage Investigator like this.

The group walked out through the open side gate at the rear of the New Pond Gathering Place.

If they were to drive there, they would have to take a huge detour, traveling over ten kilometers from another direction.

But walking over the mountain, Sand Pond Lake was actually only about four kilometers away from the Gathering Place.

Numerous footprints were scattered across the ground along the way, indicating that the people from the hidden camp had clearly scouted this area repeatedly.

Following the footprints downward, the soil beneath their feet gradually became damp. The originally sparse vegetation grew increasingly lush, and unknown wildflowers bloomed freely amidst the grass, completely unaffected by the autumn season.

The further down they went, the richer the moisture in the air became. Mingled with the fresh scent of vegetation and the unique dampness of lake water, taking a deep breath was incredibly refreshing and invigorating.

It was not until they passed through a dense patch of reeds that Cheng Ye suddenly halted his steps, his mind jolting in astonishment.

...