Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 262: Developmental Conflicts and the Sales Team!

By the time he left the Chemical Factory Community, the night was already deep, and the evening breeze brushed against his face with a hint of chill.Cheng Ye paused in his tracks and turned to glance at a window on the fifth floor.

Yiyi was still clinging to the windowsill. Her small face pressed tightly against the glass, her large, bright eyes gazing eagerly as she waved at him, looking exceptionally reluctant to see him go.

He mouthed "don't worry" toward the window and made a gesture indicating he would "bring seeds." Only when he saw the little girl nod vigorously, a small smile appearing on her lips, did he feel at ease enough to turn around and get into the car.

However, the moment he closed the car door, Cheng Ye still could not help but chuckle.

To prevent Yiyi from coming into contact with plants again and accidentally using her special ability to drain her vitality, Luo Xiaoxue had deliberately put on a show with him, throwing a grand feast.

Earlier in the apartment, watching the colorful cabbages she had planted with her own hands being uprooted one by one and tossed into the pot, Yiyi burst into anxious wails on the spot. It was only after he promised to visit Guang Province and bring back many "fun and special" seeds that the little girl finally stopped, sniffing and hiccuping.

But as he laughed, Cheng Ye suddenly realized something.

Yiyi's plant-related special ability had likely been hidden within her body for a long time.

Previously, Tan Ming's power had suppressed all the vitality across Shi Province. As a result, this dormant ability had been firmly locked away, preventing it from awakening.

Now that the vitality in Shi Province had been completely released, her special ability had awakened along with it.

Now that the plants in the house had been thoroughly disposed of, they just needed to be more careful moving forward. As long as they kept Yiyi away from the outside flowers, grass, and vegetables, they could temporarily prevent her special ability from growing out of control and reduce the senseless drain on her vitality.

Once they investigated the treasure used by Luo Xiaoxue's ancestors, or once his Life Force Rune advanced another step, they could figure out a way to place restrictions on it.

'This special ability Yiyi has awakened is actually quite valuable. Right now, it only induces color changes, but what if one day it could induce other traits?'

Cheng Ye pondered, suddenly realizing that besides Yiyi, there must be others in Happiness City whose plant-related special abilities were also awakening.

This was something he could start paying attention to ahead of time. If he could gather an army of Special Ability Users, farming in the future would be much more convenient.

After driving back to the parking lot, Cheng Ye was still in no rush to charge the Collector. Instead, he took a leisurely stroll back toward the Electronics Factory Community.

He had walked this path hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Even after being away for more than a month, the familiar sights still put his mind at ease.

It seemed that quite a few newcomers had moved into the Electronics Factory Community. In the past, a fifth of the rooms in every building were always dark, but right now, warm light shone from every household.

Even the children running wildly and playing in the courtyard did not swarm around him making a fuss like they used to. They had clearly grown accustomed to the arrival of new neighbors.

Old Sun was sitting on the stone steps at the entrance of the apartment building, his head bowed as he flipped through his Defense Terminal.

Hearing footsteps, he snapped his head up. Upon recognizing that the newcomer was Cheng Ye, he immediately stood up, his face breaking into a wide smile as he approached. "Inspector Cheng, you are back! Have you finished your business outside?"

"I suppose I have wrapped up the first phase of things, but I will have to head out again in a couple of days."

Cheng Ye gave a slight nod, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Old Sun's clothes. Previously, the shoulders had been embroidered with yellow patterns signifying an ordinary procurement officer, but now they had been changed to blue. He could not help but ask curiously, "You changed your stripes, did you get a promotion?"

"How could this be considered a promotion?"

Old Sun shook his head with a bitter smile, leaning in two steps closer. Lowering his voice, he spoke with a tone laced with helplessness. "Inspector Cheng, to tell you the truth, those of us responsible for procurement are basically unemployed now. The satellite town material procurement we agreed on earlier probably will not be able to proceed."

"Oh? What happened?" Cheng Ye furrowed his brows instantly.

The previous procurement of vehicle frames had gone through Old Sun's channels. Aside from a slight hiccup in the shipping schedule, the price had been genuinely affordable, and there had been absolutely no issues with the quality.

He had originally planned to continue letting Old Sun handle material procurement and help control the quality once the satellite town's construction was fully underway. Why the sudden change?

"Because the Inspectors of the various satellite towns all have their own supply channels," Old Sun sighed and explained. "Everyone is extremely rigid about delivery deadlines and material quality. During the days you were away, the satellite towns clashed several times over fighting for resources. The Industrial Department had no choice but to simply revoke the permissions of all procurement officers. Now, all stock transfers are handled by Station Master Lei."

"Lei Hu?" Cheng Ye was taken aback.

Why had the Station Master of the South Station gone to be stationed at the Industrial Department to handle goods allocation for the various satellite towns?

Then who was left in charge of the daily affairs at the South Station?

"Exactly. Right now, all qualifications for stock transfers are clenched tightly in Station Master Lei's hands. I do not even have the permission to check the inventory anymore..."

Old Sun spoke with a hint of indignation hidden in his eyes, his words subtly carrying an underlying meaning.

Cheng Ye could tell there was more to his words but did not ask further. He simply shook his head gently and motioned for Old Sun to follow. "Come on, let us talk in my room."

Could unified allocation really eliminate the conflicts between the satellite towns?

Obviously impossible. Previously, when Liu Bi was in the industrial zone, he was able to secretly send him perfect items while arranging defective goods for Luo Kuke.

With Lei Hu taking over the allocation, could he guarantee that the materials sent to every satellite town met the same standard?

This inherently involved favoritism. He would undoubtedly prioritize supplying high-quality materials to the areas he valued most.

Right now, it seemed like a one-size-fits-all solution that resolved surface-level conflicts, but in reality, it was accumulating even greater trouble.

If it sparked public outrage and the Inspectors banded together to protest, the Inspection Station would ultimately have to clean up this mess itself.

The two of them walked up to the fifth floor one after the other. Just as they reached the front door of his home, the two adjacent doors suddenly clicked open.

Zhu Xiang and Wu Zhihong each popped their heads out. Seeing Cheng Ye, their gazes quickly swept over Old Sun before they smiled and greeted, "Sir, you are finally back!"

"Where is Huang Sheng?"

"The Public Works Department has been rushing the construction period lately. He spends all day at the construction site, so busy his feet barely touch the ground. He has not been back to the community for days."

Zhu Xiang quickly replied.

"Alright, once Old Sun leaves, you two come in. I have things to arrange," Cheng Ye instructed.

"Yes, sir!" The two immediately broke into excited smiles. They had clearly been waiting for him for quite some time as well.

Cheng Ye pulled out his keys and unlocked the door.

As the lights flickered on, the expected sight of a room covered in a layer of dust did not appear.

The house was just as tidy as before he left. There were also several boxes piled on the floor—these were the materials and books the Elder had sent him while he was hospitalized at Revival Medical.

His gaze shifted slightly, and he noticed a hanging sheet on the wall by the door. It was marked with dates every two days, followed by Mu Shuang's signature.

He did not even need to think to know that Mu Shuang had been bringing people over to clean every two days, keeping the room in such pristine condition.

"Take a seat." Cheng Ye gestured for Old Sun to sit on the sofa, while he went over to the workbench and touched the water kettle.

Sure enough, it was full. Evidently, Mu Shuang had even refilled the water while cleaning.

He casually grabbed a cup from the windowsill, poured a glass for Old Sun, and then poured one for himself. After taking a couple of sips, he spoke up, "You have been waiting for me downstairs for more than a day or two, haven't you?"

"Uh..." Old Sun blanked for a moment before laughing sheepishly. "Inspector Cheng, let us not beat around the bush. Right now, hundreds of procurement officers in the Industrial Department have basically been forced into semi-unemployment, idling away every day. Originally, everyone was counting on fair competition in the satellite town procurement, and I was confident I could secure the most suitable prices and materials for Dabo Town. But now, all permissions have been single-handedly severed by Station Master Lei."

"You want me to stick my neck out for you guys?" Cheng Ye cut him off directly, his tone carrying a hint of a rhetorical question. "Station Master Lei is a fifth-stage Inspector. I am just a Trainee Inspector. Do you think me going to talk to him would have any effect?"

Old Sun instantly fell silent, his face darkening slightly.

In truth, he had not expected Cheng Ye to forge a breakthrough on his own. It was just that all the procurement officers were currently trying to figure out a solution, each reaching out to Inspectors they were familiar with. If enough Inspectors joined forces to protest, they might be able to compel the Industrial Department to rescind the order and restore the previous competitive model.

However, the moment Cheng Ye's words left his mouth, Old Sun's expectations were instantly halved.

But soon enough, a sliver of hope flickered in his eyes again.

"The goods Station Master Lei allocates to the satellite towns—is there a difference in quality between them?" Cheng Ye asked.

"Of course there is a difference, I can guarantee it!" Old Sun nodded immediately, his tone resolute. "Right now, all materials are divided into three tiers: excellent, standard, and defective. Furthermore, because of the recent rush on the construction period, the probability of defective goods is getting higher and higher; it simply cannot be lowered in the short term. The few large-scale satellite towns take all the excellent goods, leaving the remaining small satellite towns to evenly split the standard and defective goods. If their luck is bad, half of what they receive could be defective."

Sure enough, the inevitable conflicts of development had arrived.

Cheng Ye massaged his temples. He could not help but feel that compared to these convoluted power struggles, dealing with Infection Sources was significantly simpler.

He was not worried that Lei Hu would send defective goods to Dabo Town. Lei Hu certainly knew about his containment of the Immortal Object and would not be foolish enough to offend a rising star like him.

But what about those small satellite towns?

For example, the satellite town overseen by Li Matai would likely become a sacrificial lamb in this "unfair distribution."

What was originally a conflict between the satellite towns and the Industrial Department had now seamlessly transformed into an internal conflict within the Inspection Station.

He did not know what Ding Yishan was thinking. He would have to take the opportunity to sound him out during his debriefing at the Inspection Station tomorrow.

"Alright, Old Sun, do not overthink matters concerning the Industrial Department anymore."

Cheng Ye picked up his cup, downing it in one gulp before saying calmly, "Since this is a rule set by the higher-ups, even if the Inspectors jointly protest, it will be impossible to return to the previous state of disorderly competition. It is true that the satellite towns need to be built, but there must be priorities. The large-scale satellite towns need to receive the excellent materials first to ensure their foundations are solid. As for the defective goods, since they were allowed to leave the factory, it means they are usable—they will just be a bit more troublesome to work with."

Hearing this, Old Sun's expression visibly stiffened. The light in his eyes dimmed bit by bit, filled with disappointment.

After toiling and striving in Happiness City for over twenty years, hundreds of procurement officers had finally waited for the construction of the satellite towns—an opportunity for them to shine. Yet, with a single command from the higher-ups, everyone was "forced into retirement." All their ambitions had turned to bubbles, leaving them stuck in the buffer zone, muddling through life on a base salary.

To outsiders, getting paid without having to work might seem like something worth bragging about.

Old Sun had previously felt the same way. However, after experiencing the "highlight moments" during the procurement war, plummeting back down to rock bottom made this "leisure" feel like torture, rendering him entirely unable to return to his former state of mind.

"But do not lose heart just yet. I actually have a job I can hand over to you," Cheng Ye pivoted the conversation.

Old Sun snapped his head up, the light rekindling in his eyes as he managed to squeeze out a smile. "Inspector Cheng, please speak freely!"

"When spring arrives next year, I plan to recruit a batch of salespeople in Dabo Town to exclusively promote the various commodities produced there." Cheng Ye looked at him. "I wonder if you would be interested in coming over part-time? You would not need to resign from your job at the Industrial Department; you could balance both."

"Commodities from Dabo Town?" Old Sun paused, subconsciously leaning forward as he quickly asked, "Are you referring to... competing for business with the industrial zone, or carving out a completely separate track?"

"Now that is a long story!"

Cheng Ye could not help but break into a slight smile. He had never expected that the Industrial Department's restructuring would actually help him solve the conundrum of building a sales team.

Who else could be more professional than these veteran procurement officers?

These individuals were all veterans who had navigated Happiness City for years. They thoroughly understood the internal rules and were well-versed in the actual value of various goods. When it came to sales pitches, one of them could easily do the work of ten.

Since they were all "forced into retirement" now, it was the perfect time to recruit them to work under Dabo Town's banner, saving a great deal of effort in training newcomers.

He simply opened up and explained his plans for Dabo Town to Old Sun in full detail.

From minor details like storefront layouts and equipment procurement to major aspects like the satellite town's industrial positioning and its material integration with Happiness City—he even mentioned the supply chain issues they might encounter later on.

These procedures, which usually only procurement officers understood, sounded somewhat incongruous coming from the mouth of an Inspector like Cheng Ye. Yet, it only served to enhance the persuasiveness woven into his words.

Furthermore, this served a dual purpose: first, to let Old Sun familiarize himself with the business in advance, since he would be relying on him to spearhead the sales team later; and second, to prepare for tomorrow's debriefing at the Inspection Station. If Ding Yishan pressed for the specific plans regarding Dabo Town, Cheng Ye would save himself the trouble of organizing his thoughts on the spot, allowing him to speak much more coherently.

The more the two men talked, the more engrossed they became. Their conversation spanned from material procurement to market demand, and from industrial implementation to profit distribution. Had Old Sun's family not come knocking lightly on the door to remind him that it was late and time to go home, neither of them would have even realized the clock had ticked past midnight.

Old Sun's mood had been like riding a rollercoaster.

When he walked through the door, he was filled with the hope of fighting for procurement rights. The moment he heard that the Industrial Department's rules could not be changed, he was instantly engulfed in disappointment. However, as Cheng Ye laid out the details of the plan one by one, his eyes gradually brightened again. By the end, he was completely ignited by the prospects of Dabo Town, his face filled with irrepressible excitement.

The grand visions Cheng Ye painted, even if they had not yet materialized, sounded far more reliable than those half-baked schemes thought up on a whim. Every step of the plan was traceable and grounded, not conjured out of thin air.

For a procurement officer, the greatest fear was having "no goods to sell." But Cheng Ye's plan clearly outlined a future commodity list—spanning from fishery products to agriculture and industrial goods—which gave Old Sun tremendous reassurance.

Of course, what truly put Old Sun's mind at ease was a bombshell piece of news Cheng Ye dropped.

Planting was now fully permitted within a two-hundred-kilometer radius around Happiness City.

This news was destined not to remain a secret for long; it would be officially announced to the public in two to three weeks at most.

But until then, being able to know the inside scoop in advance was in itself a proof of power and status.

"Inspector Cheng, you can rest assured! As long as Dabo Town's operations roll out, I guarantee I can pull the other procurement officers over to work for you!" Old Sun patted his chest reassuringly. "Us old folks might not know much else, but when it comes to finding channels, negotiating prices, and pushing products, we are absolutely reliable!"

For someone like Old Sun, working had long ceased to be just about earning extra money or merely trying to rub elbows with power. More than anything, it was about fulfilling a sense of self-worth.

Talking about "self-worth" in the wasteland might seem like nonsense. Especially for the Drifters who had just entered the city and had not even solved the problems of food and clothing, it was an absolute pipe dream.

However, for a Happiness City veteran like Old Sun, whose children and grandchildren were already secure, it was only natural that he would want to do something more meaningful with his remaining days. It was human nature, and an inevitability of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

When the physiological, safety, and love and belonging needs were met, a person would naturally require more respect (internal validation of worth) and self-actualization (ideals and ambitions).

Tailoring his approach to the needs of different people, Cheng Ye had tossed out different "baits," and judging from the results, he had clearly met his expectations perfectly.

After seeing Old Sun off, he grabbed the kettle from the table, tilted his head back, and downed the remaining water in one breath, feeling a wave of refreshing comfort wash over his entire body.

A Super Sanctuary City like Happiness City truly had no shortage of Capable Persons!

Cheng Ye could not help but sigh in admiration. These veterans who had survived in the wasteland until now all hid some genuine skills to varying degrees.

Just like Old Sun's understanding of the market, his grip on sales channels, and his design of product matrices—even Cheng Ye found these meticulous strategies eye-opening.

Because these were not things one could master simply by relying on the foresight of a transmigrator, nor were they insights born from a complete educational system. Only by truly rooting oneself at the grassroots level and struggling for years could one map out all these intricate twists and turns.

Just as he put the kettle down, a knock sounded at the door again.

Opening the door, Zhu Xiang and Wu Zhihong walked in. To his surprise, Huang Sheng had actually been called back as well.

Seeing that the kettle was empty, Wu Zhihong immediately got up to refill it without waiting to be told. Meanwhile, Zhu Xiang and Huang Sheng familiarly grabbed small stools from the corner and sat down in the living room.

The room was now much more spacious than the last time the group had spoken. A small living area had been deliberately partitioned off, furnished with a simple sofa and a coffee table. Finally, there was a proper space for discussions, saving them from having to huddle in the bedroom to talk.

After the door closed, Cheng Ye's gaze swept over the unconcealed hope on the three men's faces. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile as he got straight to the point. "Starting tomorrow, you will begin handing over the tasks you have on hand. Developing in the buffer zone is too slow. I will take you to Dabo Town so we can properly flex our muscles and make a real name for ourselves!"

His gaze fell on the three of them one by one as he clearly delegated their tasks:

"Huang Sheng, I am handing full management of Dabo Town's construction teams over to you. You will control the progress of all infrastructure projects, the deployment of workers, and the use of materials. You must guarantee the quality and efficiency of the engineering."

"Zhu Xiang, Dabo Town needs to build its own medical system as quickly as possible. From clinic site selection and equipment procurement to the subsequent recruitment and daily deployment of medical personnel, all these matters are your responsibility. The goal is to get basic healthcare operational immediately so it can cover every Resident."

"Wu Zhihong, for a place to develop, security must keep pace. Dabo Town also needs to establish its own guard department to maintain daily order, handle Resident disputes, and guard against external risks. You will spearhead this. Pull a team together as soon as possible and establish a proper patrol and duty system!"

His words fell.

The room was quiet for a moment. The three of them could barely suppress the joy exploding in their hearts, standing up in unison.

"Everything will be done according to your orders. We are willing to head to Dabo Town!"