Leaving the library, Cheng Ye opened the panel to glance at the charging value.
44%
Calculating with a full value of 200 units, the difference of 6% is 12 units.
"Just a little bit left. Charge it up when I get home tonight, and I'll have enough for a search tomorrow."
The power usage for Buffer Zone residents is really too restricted.
Cheng Ye had thought about sneaking into a factory, or finding charging spots for buses and trucks, where there must be high-power charging docks.
But after much consideration, he still felt it was too risky.
With his current status and capability, he simply couldn't bear the consequences of being discovered.
If someone reported his abnormality to the Inner City and he was mistaken for some special Infected Body, he would undoubtedly face a catastrophic disaster.
"Stay steady, don't get reckless!"
Cheng Ye silently recited to himself, quickly pushing away thoughts he shouldn't have.
He looked up at the sky.
Drizzling rain blurred the view, with clouds hanging low and oppressive as before, suggesting another storm was likely on its way.
As a consequence, the city's lockdown promptly initiated, turning buses home into empty vehicles.
By the time Cheng Ye verified his identity and returned to the electronics factory staff residential area, it was nearly nine-thirty at night.
Uncle Dong's shop had closed early, and the back kitchen of the big meat canteen was still lit, presumably preparing the next day's ingredients.
"I still have to get used to living alone quickly."
Cheng Ye shook his head.
Two months passed quickly, busy with martial arts training and passing the Inspector's assessment, so the time didn't feel unbearable.
But with Liu Bi gone, he didn't even have someone to talk to now.
As if sensing his thoughts, just as Cheng Ye reached the fifth floor and hadn't yet opened the door, the Defense Communication at his waist began to ring.
Looking at it, Cheng Ye sighed; it was indeed Luo Xiaoxue.
His "old man" whom he had never met was quite lucky to have made such affectionate and righteous friends in the Wasteland.
If it were him, he couldn't guarantee that he'd still take care of a friend's descendants after their passing.
"Hey, Sister Luo, I just got home."
Closing the security door, Cheng Ye answered the call.
"You're going to take up your post at the rapid inspection station tomorrow, why are you still getting home so late? Aren't you resting well?"
"I went to the library to read for a while, mainly because I haven't faced an Infected Body in direct combat yet, so I thought I'd prepare more in advance to handle it more calmly when the time comes."
The other side of the line was silent for two seconds.
"Cheng Ye, don't stress yourself so much, relax a bit," Luo Xiaoxue said, deliberately slowing down her speech to comfort him:
"When I first went to the front lines, I was in a state similar to yours now, always thinking of the Infected Bodies as formidable beasts, afraid of losing my life if I wasn't careful. But after confronting them with real weapons many times, I found that a lot of the fear was self-imposed."
"In the end, Infected Bodies are mortal beings too, and those supposed special abilities only become truly lethal when they form large-scale surges. As long as you follow what I told you yesterday, you'll hang in there until Brother B returns."
It's undeniable that Liu Bi and Luo Xiaoxue lack talent for scheming.
Although both are aware that this wave of personnel transfers has already swept Cheng Ye into the whirlpool of factional struggles between the Eastern and Western Factions, they still harbor some hope, imagining they can manage to hold on until the storm passes.
Am I overthinking it?
Cheng Ye's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion, but the next moment, he quickly composed himself, his gaze becoming firm once more.
A person only has one life; there's no second chance to make mistakes.
Before he possesses the strength to disregard any schemes and plots, always preparing for the worst is never wrong.
"I have it under control, Sister Luo, don't worry. Going to the library to read is a form of relaxation too. After all, training with Brother B was so intense a while ago, I've been sore all over and haven't fully recovered."
"Exactly, you've noticeably changed,"
Luo Xiaoxue on the other end of the line also smiled.
"Get some good rest, Brother B has arranged everything before he left. Tomorrow at South Station, no one will trouble you, as they're all people from the Eastern Faction who owe your father a favor."
"South Station?"
Cheng Ye's smile quickly faded, "Sister Luo, unless something unexpected happens, I plan to go to North Station first."
"What?"
The sound of a kettle crashing to the ground immediately came through the phone, followed by Luo Xiaoxue's roar: "You're crazy! North Station is full of people from the Western Faction. Are you a rookie looking to die quicker?"
"Garcia is still lying in the infirmary, and the Western Faction despises Liu Bi. You were brought up by Liu Bi; if you go over there, won't they target you to death?"
Luo Xiaoxue's tone grew unusually agitated.
If she hadn't met Cheng Ye and didn't understand his style and way of thinking, she would have chalked it up to a moment of irrationality, thinking a bit of persuasion could change his mind.
But knowing that Cheng Ye has his own way of thinking, his own decisions, she couldn't comprehend why he would risk going to North Station!
Moreover, she couldn't imagine what might happen if Liu Bi came back to hear that Cheng Ye was stubbornly heading to North Station from the start and met with any accident.
After all, even veteran Inspectors from the Eastern Faction, when rotated to North Station, faced headaches for a long time.
And here is a newcomer who hasn't even been to a rapid post, an Intern Inspector going to the enemy's headquarters—wasn't that a death wish?
"Furthermore, dealing with major concerns is easy; it's the lesser evils that are troublesome. Even if the head of North Station doesn't trouble you, the guards and staff on duty below will certainly give you a hard time."
"Listen to me, if something happens to you at North Station, Brother B will topple the inspection station!"
Luo Xiaoxue's emotions became increasingly charged, her voice trembling, as if she would burst through the Defense Communication if Cheng Ye didn't agree right away.
"Sister Luo, calm down first, don't scare Yiyi. Listen to what I have to say..."
Initially, Cheng Ye didn't want to explain so much, but thinking about how Liu Bi's family treated him so well.
If he didn't clarify his choices, Luo Xiaoxue might worry and have sleepless nights.
"I know everything you said, don't worry. Didn't you also say yesterday that I'm as shrewd as people from the old times?"
"Then why are you being so stubborn now?"
"It's not stubbornness, but...human nature. Sister Luo, let me ask you a question, what do you think is the relationship between the Inspectors and the staff below, and the guards?"
Luo Xiaoxue was silent for a few seconds, then solemnly said, "There are only two ways to become an Inspector: either inherit it from your father or fill a vacancy by being promoted by the Station Chief. Those who have no hope of climbing up may be kind to you, but those who are eligible for promotion, because you have no offspring, definitely wish to devour you alive."
"Wrong!"
Crack.
Outside the window, thunder exploded.
The rain began to pour down, large drops pounding on the glass, drumming like a war drum.
"Wrong?"
"Sister Luo, the waters in the checkpoint are far deeper than you imagine."
Cheng Ye stood up and pushed open the window, letting the sound of the rain drown out his voice, "As long as the system of hereditary succession is not changed, anyone who dares to show ambition in the checkpoint will offend all the Inspectors from both factions and make enemies of everyone."
"Think about it. If Brother B wants to pass the Inspector role to Yiyi in the future but someone inside is eyeing that position, would you ignore it?"
"In some aspects, the Eastern Faction and Western Faction are at odds, but in other aspects, it's in all Inspectors' interests. Even if they hate me to the core, wishing I would die the next second, they wouldn't dare to cross the line until I'm dead."
Luo Xiaoxue fell into a long silence, with only the sound of rain remaining on both ends of the phone.
This was a perspective she had never considered before.
Now that Cheng Ye brought it up for her to think carefully, it seemed...that was indeed the case?
In fact, it's also a limitation of the age, making it hard for Luo Xiaoxue to distinguish the relationship between Inspectors and the guards below.
If viewed in ancient terms, it's easy to understand: the Station Chief is the Emperor, while the Inspectors below are the Vassal Kings.
If a Vassal King dies without an heir, the Emperor can award the fief to meritorious ministers or generals.
But if the Vassal King is still alive, and someone is eager to obtain the fief by killing the Vassal King, can the Emperor tolerate it?
Can other Vassal Kings tolerate it?
Even if everyone wants the Vassal King dead, they wouldn't tolerate ministers having these thoughts.
Why?
Because who can guarantee their descendants will securely sit in the Inspector's seat in the future!
If no one cries out for me today, tomorrow I'll find shackles on myself, all being self-inflicted.
Understanding this, Cheng Ye wasn't worried at all about being troubled by others at the North Station.
And even if someone acted foolishly like Garcia, he had ways to deal with it.
"Going to the South Station would be the same, wouldn't it?"
Luo Xiaoxue held back for a long time, still somewhat unconvinced.
Even if others don't trouble you, will the Western Faction's Inspectors and the Station Chief let you off?
"This involves another issue, Sister Luo, can you trust me?"
Cheng Ye sighed.
Some things couldn't be said directly, like right now, the person who most wishes he were dead is Ding Yishan, whereas Harlem might not want him to die at the North Station.
After all, if Cheng Ye, this "3", dies, the Eastern Faction can promptly replace him with a strong contender, at least a "6" or "7", filling the previous gap in the Eastern Faction's strength.
And with the Western Faction having just lost a "general," the balance of power between the two factions would again reach a delicate state.
So going directly to the North Station now, even without knowing the shortcuts, is relatively a safer choice.
If he really followed Liu Bi and Luo Xiaoxue's advice and went to the South Station without understanding anything, an accident happening to an Intern Inspector would be all too normal.
"I can trust you, but I...and Brother B don't want to see..."
"Cheng Ye Brother, and me!" Liu Yi's voice also sounded from the phone, even though she didn't know what they were talking about, she definitely couldn't be left out.
"Haha, why isn't Yiyi going to sleep yet?"
"There's thunder, I'm so scared, and Daddy's not home, I'm worried about Daddy!"
"Don't worry, next time your dad goes out, how about Cheng Ye Brother going along to protect him?"
"No, no, Daddy said you're weak, and when I grow up, I have to protect you."
Ouch.
How heart-piercing.
"Sister Luo, you should quickly take Yiyi to bed, I promise there will be absolutely no problems."
After Yiyi's jest, the atmosphere was no longer as tense as before.
"Even if I do get troubled, I can turn around and go directly to the South Station tomorrow, they wouldn't dare say anything."
"Do you promise?"
Sensing she couldn't persuade him, Luo Xiaoxue sighed and could only relent.
It's not that she didn't know how to refute Cheng Ye, but Cheng Ye's performance last night and his current maturity made her feel as if she was seeing Cheng Long for the first time, many years ago.
"I promise, I will definitely be alive...waiting for Brother B to come back!"
...