Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 282: Dabo Town's Planning, Liu Bi's Surprise!

As the first to join Cheng Long's group, Liu Bi never denied his role.Combat and leading the team.

This was what he excelled at, and it was also the most necessary trait for an Inspector during the Great Reclamation Era.

Unfortunately, his glorious era ended too hastily, so abruptly that he did not even have time to fight for a transition.

As the major shelter cities entered a state of retraction without warning, no longer expanding outward, the two abilities he was most proud of instantly became half-useless.

In the years that followed, it wasn't that Liu Bi never entertained the thought of transitioning, but the members of the small group were all exceptional talents, each possessing gifts that others found hard to match.

In terms of shrewd calculation, he could not compare to Wang Kang's father, Wang Cheng.

When it came to analyzing the big picture, he fell short of Xu Xing, who joined the group later.

Including Zhang Guan and Zhao Lingchuan, everyone had their own unique talents, each holding skills to stand on their own.

Just as others could not replicate his decisiveness and synergy when leading a charge, trying to catch up to their accomplishments in their specialized fields was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

But this did not mean he was a complete mess in other areas.

As an Inspector of Happiness City, he confidently considered himself above average when it came to foundational work like Pioneering construction, containment, and verification. Even compared to the senior Inspectors of other shelter cities, he definitely would not fall behind.

As the truck slowly reduced its speed at the town entrance, Liu Bi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the overall layout of Dabo Town inch by inch.

The truck drivers traveling back and forth to deliver goods to Dabo Town were the first outsiders to come into contact with this emerging town.

These past few days, Liu Bi always liked to approach the drivers during dinner to ask for their opinions on Dabo Town.

He had been asking for half a month, and his mind had long since sketched out a preliminary image of Dabo Town.

Yet seeing it with his own eyes now, he could not help but feel waves of emotion welling up in his heart, filled with surprise.

This layout was simply too orderly!

Completely different from other satellite cities that were a total mess when they first started, although Dabo Town was covered in signs of intense construction, there was not the slightest hint of chaos.

Compared to the original layout, the current Dabo Town had shifted entirely to the north.

The town center had directly moved away from the original riverbank, relocating to a place two kilometers away from the riverside docks.

With this move, the originally cramped development space instantly opened up. No longer bound by the residual planning and foundations of the Old Era, it was ample enough to unfold a more comprehensive functional zoning and construction blueprint.

Right now, Dabo Town's road network had been fully planned and built. Although the road surface had not yet been paved with asphalt, the overall framework was already formed.

The main roads were six meters wide, designed with four lanes for two-way traffic. The patterns left by the road rollers were neat and clear, with a one-meter-wide sidewalk reserved on both sides, and the manhole covers for the underground pipe network were arranged neatly.

The workers had long since pre-buried the Streetlight Bases along the roads, installing one every fifteen meters. Once the power grid was connected, Dabo Town's nights would definitely be brightly illuminated.

The branch roads extending from the main avenues divided the entirety of Dabo Town into several clearly defined functional areas.

The first thing to catch his eye was the wall currently under construction near the riverbank.

Rebuilding civilization on the wasteland overrun by Infected Bodies meant safety was always the top priority.

Although everyone knew how important White Water River was to Dabo Town's economy and development, no one dared to ignore the fatal threats that might lurk in the river. The Infected Bodies that could come ashore at any time were swords dangling over the town's head.

If blocking facilities were not set up between the town and the riverbank, the entire Dabo Town could fall into a survival crisis the moment a powerful Infection Source surged ashore.

For this reason, the planning standards for this wall were extremely high. It stood a full ten meters tall and reached a thickness of three meters, enough to withstand the impact of an ordinary Fusion Entity. It served as Dabo Town's first line of defense facing the riverbank.

The guard Sentry Towers behind the wall were also under simultaneous construction. Attached to the concrete wall, these Sentry Towers were distributed at a density of one every fifty meters within the core area of the town.

As long as an Infected Body came ashore, it would inevitably be detected immediately and subsequently met with the fiercest counterattack.

Behind the wall, the area closest to the riverbank was divided into a front and back section.

The first area, located near the asphalt road upon entering the town, was Dabo Town's Storage Area.

Four corrugated iron warehouses were neatly arranged here. Each was fifty meters long and twenty meters wide, distributed in two rows, side by side.

The warehouse walls had huge ventilation openings reserved, and the loading and unloading platforms at the entrances had already been poured. Trucks could drive directly inside to load and unload materials, eliminating the need to waste time driving around the town.

What was even more thoughtful was that two prefabricated houses had been erected at the warehouse entrance. The large characters for "Rest Area" hanging on the door marked the very place the truck drivers had repeatedly praised.

Behind the Storage Area was the industrial zone that Dabo Town was intensely constructing.

Over ten steel-structured factory buildings were lined up neatly. The factory walls were still assembled using thickened prefabricated panels, which were sturdy and allowed for rapid construction.

The most commendable feature was the Material Conveyor Belts intentionally set up between the Storage Area and the industrial zone.

Workers only needed to sort the materials required by each factory within the warehouse, and they could be directly transported into the corresponding factory buildings via these conveyor belts, saving the trouble of manual transport.

Moreover, this way, materials would not be piled haphazardly in the factories. Sorting and organizing became much less of a headache, and production efficiency could be significantly improved.

Moving inward, away from the riverbank, led to the central area of Dabo Town.

This was planned as the Functional Core Zone for the entire town. In the future, various Department System agencies would be concentrated here.

However, Dabo Town currently had no need for these agencies yet. Therefore, Laying the Foundation was all that had been done for a bunch of buildings. The main construction had not yet begun, and building materials were neatly stacked on the ground, just waiting to proceed according to the plan.

Heading further north, after completely escaping the riverbank's sphere of influence, was Dabo Town's Public Facilities Zone, which also served as the town's service hub.

Two three-story buildings had already been constructed. One had a signboard hanging at the entrance that read "Material Collection and Sales Station," while the other was the "Dabo Medical Station." They could be clearly seen from afar, perfectly meeting the town's basic service needs in its early stages.

Further north of the Public Facilities Zone was the Residential Area.

This area was far enough from the riverbank that even if an Infected Body truly broke through the riverbank wall and charged in, it would provide the Residents with ample buffer time to evacuate or organize a defense.

The modular prefabricated houses in the Residential Area were planned in an extremely orderly fashion.

On the west side were Square Communal Dormitories arranged in six columns and ten rows. There were a full sixty rooms, each capable of accommodating fifty people. When fully occupied, they could hold exactly three thousand people.

A two-meter-wide passage was left between each prefabricated building to facilitate Resident traffic and daily management. The outermost periphery of the area was also enclosed with a simple iron mesh for initial protection.

On the east side, however, were forty Independent Family Homes, forming their own living area.

Unlike the densely packed Square Communal Dormitories, the spacing between the family homes was much larger. Enclosed by the iron wire, it seemed that empty spaces had been specifically left inside for Residents' activities.

Unfortunately, the distance was too great to see the details clearly.

Before Liu Bi could continue observing, several agile figures had already hurried over from the direction of the town to greet them.

"Driver, you look quite unfamiliar."

Hou Genbao leaned close to the lead truck with a face full of smiles, poking his head forward to ask, "Is this your first time delivering goods to Dabo Town?"

"Hmm?" Niu Fu, sitting in the driver's seat, paused for a moment before he could not help but chuckle. "How did you know it was my first time?"

"To be honest, I can memorize the face of any driver who has visited our Dabo Town after just one glance."

As Hou Genbao spoke, his gaze swept over the several trucks behind them, calling out their names without hesitation. "Driver Zhang, Driver Wei, Driver Duan... the folks in the back are all old acquaintances."

Hearing him accurately call out the names of the other drivers, Niu Fu silently nodded in his heart, his expression unchanged as he said:

"The cargo we are hauling today is quite important, so we specifically came to escort and deliver it."

"Understood!" Hou Genbao immediately raised his hand to point the way. "Just drive the vehicle into Warehouse Number Four. We have already arranged for workers to wait and receive the truck."

A massive amount of space had been left from the town entrance to Warehouse Number Four, making it very easy for the truck to reverse inside.

However, before the two of them had the chance to push the doors open and step out, they saw the warehouse's rear doors push open as forty young men filed in.

Everyone wore simple undershirts, the muscle lines on their arms firm and robust. One look and it was obvious they were accustomed to year-round manual labor.

Following closely, ten women walked in through the warehouse entrance, each holding clean Towels and cups filled with water.

The moment Liu Bi and Niu Fu jumped out of the vehicle, a woman greeted them with a smile. "You two must be exhausted. Quick, wipe your sweat and have some water. Loading and unloading this batch of goods will take some time, so why don't you head over to the Rest Area next door to take a break!"

"Furthermore, we also provide basic massage services to help relieve the tension in your lower backs."

"Ah?" Liu Bi was momentarily stunned.

He subconsciously turned his head to look at the drivers getting down from the other trucks. To his surprise, those men familiarly accepted the Towels and water cups, chatting and laughing with the women. Then, they strode toward the Rest Area with a hint of anticipation in their eyes, clearly regulars accustomed to this treatment.

'Wait, didn't people say earlier that delivering goods to Dabo Town required drivers to help unload, leaving them half-dead from exhaustion every time?'

'But looking at this setup, where was the need for the drivers to lift a finger?'

Liu Bi muttered in his heart, but he did not refuse. He followed the others into the Rest Area.

The space inside was much larger than he had imagined. Not only were there beds for people to lie down and rest, but there were also several rocking chairs. A radio in the corner was playing soothing music, exuding a sense of coziness.

The drivers were originally chatting in a relaxed manner, but upon seeing Liu Bi walk in, their expressions instantly grew somewhat uneasy.

It wasn't until Liu Bi swept his gaze over them and gave a faint nod of acknowledgment that everyone quickly relaxed again.

"Please lie face down on the bed!"

Liu Bi lay face down on the bed as instructed. As soon as he settled, a pair of rough yet strong hands pressed down through his Short Sleeves.

Although the technique could not be considered professional, and was perhaps even a bit crude, after a few presses, the tight muscles in his lower back genuinely relaxed quite a bit. It was so comfortable that he couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

Back when he traveled far and wide running Field Duty, only those special shelter cities that relied heavily on traveling merchants would give drivers such treatment.

He never expected that he would be able to enjoy this in Happiness City's Dabo Town!

The massage lasted for about ten minutes before the women quietly withdrew one after another, leaving the space of the Rest Area to them.

What surprised Liu Bi even more was that this inconspicuous prefabricated Rest Area actually had soundproofing design. The clamor of the construction outside was completely isolated.

Accompanied by the melodious music from the radio, the room was quiet and comfortable. Staring at the ceiling, one almost forgot for a moment that this was a wasteland fraught with danger, and further forgot that this was an emerging satellite city undergoing massive construction and exuding greenness everywhere.

"Old Zhang, didn't you say you had to help unload every time you came, getting so tired you couldn't straighten your back? Why are you enjoying your leisure here now?" After lying down for a while, Liu Bi sat up and looked at Old Zhang, who was leaning back in a rocking chair not far away, and asked aloud.

The named Old Zhang raised his head, chuckled, and leaned closer to lower his voice. "Inspector Liu, we pulled a lot of strings to snag the job of delivering to Dabo Town. If the other drivers knew the treatment here was this good, they would definitely come fighting for it. Where would we have a chance then?"

He paused and added with a shrewd look, "The roads and factories in this town can't be hidden. Everyone will see them sooner or later. So, we can only deliberately claim that unloading is exhausting and the work is tough to bluff the others. Otherwise, how would it ever be our turn to run this lucrative gig every day?"

'Good heavens, these guys are truly crafty.'

Most of those who could be truck drivers in the industrial zone had some nepotistic connections. They were either relatives of a section chief or department head of some Department System unit, or members of large families in Happiness City.

Therefore, upon being questioned by him, these men were not timid either. Each of them chuckled, their faces filled with a tacit understanding of "those who know, know."

"Listening to you, aside from not needing to unload and being able to rest, are there other benefits here?" Liu Bi continued asking.

"Absolutely!" Old Zhang smacked his lips with a look of reminiscence. "If the goods are delivered after 6:00 PM, you can even stay for a bowl of fresh fish soup before leaving. That fish soup is brewed so deliciously it could make your eyebrows fall off, a hundred times better than nutrient paste!"

"More than just fish soup!" Someone nearby chimed in. "Sometimes there are stir-fried fish chunks. The last time I came late, Inspector Cheng even came over personally to check on us and brought us a large pot of stir-fried fish chunks. It smelled amazing!"

"I heard from the workers responsible for unloading that Dabo Town is going to produce canned fish next, and they are preparing several flavors. Once they're out, I absolutely have to buy a few cans to take back. No merchant caravans came this year, so we couldn't buy any fresh winter supplies."

"Not just canned food, but later they will also produce bagged roasted fish. You just need to heat it a bit to eat!"

The drivers chatted away, each adding a word. Their mouths were full of fresh information that was absolutely unheard of in the industrial zone.

Liu Bi and Niu Fu exchanged a glance, clicking their tongues in astonishment inwardly.

The two were surprised not only by the unanimously high praise the drivers gave Dabo Town, but also by the key information hidden behind these words.

Currently, all the major satellite cities were burying their heads in development. If anyone wanted to know how each town was progressing, it could only be discovered through these traveling truck drivers.

It was no exaggeration to say that more than half of the daily rumors circulating in the industrial zone about the satellite cities came from the mouths of these people. The rest were conveyed by the evening broadcasts and the irregular Little Sun broadcasts.

Yet now, with all the major satellite cities burying themselves in construction, no one had ever heard of any satellite city having product plans.

Thinking of this, Liu Bi instantly understood.

Dabo Town providing these thoughtful services appeared on the surface to be winning over the drivers, but in reality, they were quietly establishing an important information dissemination channel.

Once these so-called canned goods and roasted fish were actually shipped, wouldn't it be incredibly easy to spread the word to the industrial zone and other satellite cities through these drivers? Dabo Town wouldn't need to send anyone out to advertise at all!

The two men exchanged a look and didn't linger any longer. They simply stood up and walked out of the Rest Area.

"Brother Bi, seeing as winter is approaching, plus the influence of the Walker, I heard that indeed few merchant caravans were willing to head toward Happiness City this autumn." Niu Fu pondered as he walked, his tone filled with certainty. "The autumn goods this year are definitely far fewer than in previous years. If Dabo Town can supply a batch of fresh fish before winter completely sets in, as long as the price is fair, they will definitely be snatched up like crazy!"

As he spoke, it was as if he could already see the scene of heavy snow falling while Dabo Town's fish harvests became hot sellers across all districts.

Large-scale construction was impossible during the winter. Everyone could do some odd jobs at most, and the industrial zone would also halt production due to the dry season.

In past years around this time, the Scavengers would buy a bit of Mutant Beast meat for the New Year to improve their diets. Not to mention the total population of Happiness City and the satellite cities reaching over a million people. Who wouldn't want to spend a few Happiness Coins on a fresh fish during the New Year to change up the bland taste of constantly drinking nutrient paste?

"I just don't know if the fish reserves in this river are large or small." Liu Bi pondered, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward White Water River behind the wall.

All these years, Happiness City had not Pioneered outward, and everyone lived on nutrient paste year-round. Absolutely no one paid attention to these Natural Materials.

It wasn't until he heard the drivers chatting just now that he suddenly realized that the Residents' demand for decent food had never disappeared; it had merely been suppressed all along.

Right now, Happiness City was exerting all its strength to burn money for satellite city construction. By the time winter arrived, the Residents would very likely have saved up quite a few Happiness Coins.

For Dabo Town, this was simply an opportunity delivered right to their doorstep. The fish in the river required absolutely no extra equipment investment. As long as people were sent to catch and clean them, selling them would be almost pure profit.

"The reserves definitely aren't small." Niu Fu also looked toward the white river waters. "This river hasn't been properly fished in ten or twenty years. There's bound to be plenty of fish hoarded up."

Liu Bi did not respond, but instead raised his hand to call over Hou Genbao, who was keeping an eye on the workers unloading the goods not far away.

Seeing that the two men had tall statures and calm dispositions—clearly not ordinary drivers at a glance—Hou Genbao dared not neglect them in the slightest. He quickly jogged over and respectfully asked, "You two drivers, what are your orders?"

"How should I address you?" Liu Bi asked in a deep voice.

"My name is Hou Genbao. You two can just call me Monkey or Little Monkey," Hou Genbao hurriedly replied.

"Monkey..." Liu Bi nodded slightly, getting straight to the point. "Why haven't I seen Inspector Cheng?"

"Oh, a Crane is being delivered today. Inspector Cheng had someone go to Wenlu County first thing in the morning to coordinate the manpower and transportation. I estimate he won't be back until tonight," Hou Genbao replied nimbly.

"Wenlu County?" Liu Bi frowned slightly, then suddenly understood in a flash. He pointed to the Engineering Vehicles in the distance. "Those Engineering Vehicles outside are all from Wenlu County?"

"That's right!" Hou Genbao nodded immediately. "Inspector Cheng coordinated it with Wenlu County. Construction on their side has temporarily halted, and they are only focusing on finishing the buildings that had finished Laying the Foundation. The idle Engineering Vehicles have all been loaned to our Dabo Town for use. Once Wenlu County resumes construction in the future, we just need to send the vehicles back."

'There was such a good thing?'

Liu Bi's tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed. He absolutely did not expect that the stalled development in Wenlu County would unexpectedly present a great gift to Dabo Town.

'Coordinating a Crane?'

'This kid really had a massive appetite!'

Liu Bi was secretly shocked in his heart. One had to know that all the Cranes nowadays were temporarily rushed out by the industrial zone, and their numbers were pitifully small. If Dabo Town could secure one, their construction speed would definitely jump by a huge margin. Perhaps, riding this momentum, they could even come from behind and catch up to the satellite cities that started earlier.

"Not bad!" Liu Bi could not help but exclaim in admiration. His tone then shifted. "Why don't you call two people to show us around the town?"

"Uh..." Hou Genbao blanked for a second, muttering inwardly.

'Compared to the politeness and restraint of the other drivers, these two really didn't treat themselves as outsiders. When making a demand, it was as natural as if they were on their own turf.'

But how could he dare to refuse? He just tentatively asked one more question, "I still haven't asked how to address you two?"

"This is Inspector Liu," Niu Fu immediately cut in.

'An Inspector?'

Hou Genbao's heart skipped a beat, and realization dawned on him instantly. He hurriedly put away his hesitant expression and nodded repeatedly. "Inspector Liu, right this way! I will personally show you around the town."

"Will this not delay your work at hand?" Liu Bi asked casually.

"How could it delay me!" Hou Genbao quickly bowed to lead the way, a perfectly measured smile plastered on his face—cordial yet not sycophantic. "My duties include receiving distinguished guests. Making sure you are satisfied is my most important job right now. By the way, should I send someone to take a message to Inspector Cheng, saying you have arrived?"

"No need, we'll wait until he returns tonight," Liu Bi waved his hand, suddenly unable to hold back a chuckle as he spoke.

'I really worried for Cheng Ye in the industrial zone all this time for nothing. Who would have thought this kid actually possessed such capabilities?'

'Not only could he plan Dabo Town in such an organized manner, but he could also win over someone as slick and well-rounded as Hou Genbao to hold down the fort.'

'Just based on Hou Genbao's sense of propriety in receiving guests, it could significantly improve anyone's first impression of Dabo Town.'

Liu Bi subconsciously placed himself in the role of an Inspector in charge of a satellite city. After pondering for a long while, he realized that all his subordinates were honest people who buried their heads in work, and he absolutely couldn't find a smooth operator like Hou Genbao.

'Moreover, if he truly had to plan the town himself, he might not be able to make it so comprehensive and meticulous.'

'This kid... we haven't seen each other for just three months, and he actually brings such a massive surprise?'

Liu Bi stroked his chin. On second thought, he felt it wasn't surprising. After all, during their previous martial arts training, he had seen that Cheng Ye had a resilient disposition and an exceptionally bright mind; he just hadn't encountered a stage where he could flex his muscles.

Now, this Dabo Town had perfectly become his excellent arena, bringing his skills completely into play.

'In that case, the only things I can use to suppress Cheng Ye are probably just combat and team leadership—my old professions.'

Liu Bi secretly competed in his heart. At least in the area of combat, he was certain that three months was simply not enough time for Cheng Ye to catch up.

'Wait, just being able to trade blows with one of my hands would mean this kid has improved by leaps and bounds.'

"Heh, back when I followed Brother Long, I was only responsible for combat and leading the team. Could it be that tagging along with Cheng Ye, I'll still end up sticking to my old profession?"

Thinking this in his heart, Liu Bi couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile, inevitably adding a few more degrees of anticipation for their meeting tonight!