Chapter 58: The Caravan’s Generosity, A Small Fortune!

Human psychology is fragile, especially when detained and stripped of rights.Though Polk followed isolation protocols, shooting to "test" three people in the same cell as an infected for infection, labeling the injuries as accidents, panic gripped Inspection Area A. Everyone was terrified, fearing they’d be the next target.

This fear was more suffocating than collective punishment, as you couldn’t know if your next cellmate was human or something else.

In blunt terms: it was a gamble with luck!

Two main reasons prevented a riot.

First, no one dared lead one. The checkpoint wasn’t some standalone entity; backed by Happiness City, it wielded over 2,000 guards, a true force of power. Even if someone escaped the isolation zone, where could they flee? Back to the perilous city ruins?

Second, many were nearing release. Those detained only a day or two might try to incite, but those close to freedom didn’t want to risk it.

These factors split the detainees into factions.

Thus, despite the unease, reactions varied when Raven entered.

Some felt hope, others fear, anger, or resentment.

“Alright, stop staring at me like that. I don’t decide who leaves.”

Raven cleared his throat, voice booming through the speaker, “Inspector Cheng, the one who took down the infected the day before, is on duty now. He’s opening the warehouse for releases. Get my drift?”

Whoosh.

The silent crowd sprang to life, over a hundred figures standing in unison.

The once-quiet warehouse buzzed like a marketplace.

“Sir, I’ve been locked up 11 days! Please, tell Inspector Cheng!”

“Sir, I’ll follow all orders, answer anything…”

If it were Polk, no one would react so eagerly.

But hearing it was Cheng Ye, who decisively eliminated Barrett, they saw a chance to leave.

Raven coughed twice to quiet the noise, “Inspector Cheng’s time is limited. Releases will happen in batches, so don’t shout.”

“Those called next are the first batch, all detained over 7 days.”

After reading 108 names, those called were ecstatic.

Those detained over 7 days but uncalled could only shake their heads with bitter smiles.

Disappointed as they were, few questioned why they weren’t chosen, fearing a repeat of yesterday’s events.

Letting one batch test Cheng Ye’s temperament was ideal.

“Those named, your records are clear, but risks remain.”

“Inspector Cheng is taking a risk to release you, so you need to pay a deposit.”

“Don’t worry, the checkpoint only takes 5% as a storage fee. The rest is refunded after seven days.”

“Clear?”

The warehouse fell silent, no replies, no objections.

Raven nodded, satisfied, signaling staff to distribute paper slips.

The sun shone brightly.

The morning wasn’t too hot, sunlight warming the skin, easing fears of the looming infection tide.

With the Stand-In Starfish outbreak imminent, strict secrecy ensured Happiness City’s operations continued unaffected.

Traffic for entry and exit visibly increased.

In just half an hour at the inspection zone, three vehicles lined up at the gate.

Two common vans and a rare pickup truck.

Judging by the arrow logo on the doors, they belonged to one team.

The isolation gate’s window slid open. A scruffy-bearded man from the pickup’s passenger seat handed over two envelopes.

“Sir, we’re the Flying Bird Caravan. I’m Carson Bowen, the team leader.”

“Here’s our exit form and entry report. Please review.”

Cheng Ye returned to his desk, opening the envelopes.

Exit forms were routine; contraband wouldn’t be listed openly.

Entry reports were a caravan privilege.

The checkpoint had a credit score system:

Below 60, all items must be unloaded for full inspection.

Between 60 and 80, items stay but boxes are checked by staff.

Above 80, only an entry report listing items was needed.

As an inspector, Cheng Ye could still order a full inspection, even dismantling vehicles or slashing tires, all within rules.

If unreported items were found, the caravan’s credit score would be zeroed, plus a hefty fine.

So, it was both a privilege and a constraint.

Though his first time, Cheng Ye felt familiar, focusing to review the entry cargo record.

[Mutant Beast - Crystallized Core, Quality: Common, Quantity: 17]

The first line alone was electrifying.

Crystallized cores, like gallstones, were the most valuable part of mutant beasts, forming rarely in their brains.

Similar to S-3-affected supernatural plants, they had many miraculous uses.

For instance, Master Tian’s liniment used crystal powder.

Or the buffer zone’s large machines, where special lubricants with crystal powder greatly extended lifespans.

But common people struggled to use them, as their effects were indistinguishable by appearance.

Even a super shelter city like Happiness City couldn’t precisely identify each crystal’s function.

They used special equipment for basic classification, making Happiness City a pioneer in large-scale crystal use.

“Common quality crystallized cores, 2 contribution points each.”

“17 of them…”

Cheng Ye calculated quickly. At 30% entry tax, this alone brought in 10 contribution points.

A fortune! This first deal met a third of his goal from last night!

“Seems the rain delayed a batch of goods. Lucky me.”

Cheng Ye was quietly thrilled.

He continued reading, besides crystals, the Flying Bird Caravan brought back mutant beast derivatives and precious metals.

[Mutant Beast Fur, Quality: Common to Excellent, Quantity: 25]

[Mutant Beast Bone Powder, Quality: Poor, Quantity: 750kg]

[Scarlet Hive Honey, Quality: Common, Quantity: 12 cans (250g each)]

[Rotbone Flower Seeds, Quality: Common, Quantity: 3 bags (25g each)]

[Old Era Amber, Quality: Poor, Quantity: 71 pieces]

[Gold Bars, Quality: 24k, Quantity: 380g]

[Silver Jewelry, Quality: 800 Silver, Quantity: 71kg]

Fur and bone powder were straightforward.

Fur was ideal for winter clothing, bone powder for construction.

Mixed with clay, bone powder made bone-mud bricks, far harder than regular red bricks, in high demand for autumn construction.

Scarlet hive honey, a toxic mutant byproduct, was low-value but prized by scavengers for coating arrowheads to hunt mutant beasts.

Rotbone flowers, dried and ground, attracted carrion-eating mutants, aiding hunts.

Old-era amber was like gambling stones; some believed it held supernatural plants or special mutant seeds, offering a chance to strike it rich.

Though a small market, demand never waned.

But fakes were common, especially in small settlements where it was a key industry.

“1.5kg of gold, worth over 300,000 in the modern world…”

“But in Happiness City, gold’s industrial value is replaced by synthetic metals. 100g is only 20 contribution points now.”

Memorizing acquisition prices was a mandatory test for trainee inspectors.

Cheng Ye hadn’t understood why before, but now it clicked.

This was the foundation for inspectors to thrive!

Regular Happiness Coins couldn’t buy quality weapons or boost strength.

Only entry taxes built up funds over time.

Calculating, the caravan’s goods were worth 133 contribution points.

A 30% tax yielded a staggering 34 points.

“Just the opening deal hit my target. This…”

Cheng Ye shook his head in awe.

Not that his goal was low, but since arriving at North Station, luck had been on his side.

This situation—rare, maybe once every ten days, required specific conditions, a natural disaster delay, duty in Area A, meeting a caravan, and a fully loaded one.

All four were essential.

Also, the envelope contained two 100-denomination Happiness Coins.

He was raking it in!

“Anyone injured?”

“None.”

Seeing Cheng Ye’s smile, Carson knew they were in the clear.

Those 200 Happiness Coins were slipped in at the gate to avoid trouble.

Luckily, this haul was several times larger than usual, so any inspector would be pleased.

“I’ll call numbers. Follow the process for inspection.”

“Yes, sir!”

A three-vehicle caravan was mid-sized in the buffer zone.

Thirteen people disembarked, swiftly stripping to show no visible wounds.

Reported data was normal too.

This was typical. If every outbound person was injured and needed thorough checks, no caravan would venture out.

“Drive the vehicles in. I need staff to check the cargo. No issues, right?”

“Of course not, Inspector. Whatever you say, we fully cooperate!”

Carson flashed an honest smile, his initial nerves easing.

Compared to roaming city ruins or wasteland wilds, who wouldn’t crave the safety of a shelter city?

Exploitation was expected, wasn’t it?

The city needed to grow, inspectors needed to strengthen. If weaklings guarded the place, how could they protect the buffer zone’s hundreds of thousands?

He paid willingly!

The three vehicles rolled into the inspection zone. Cheng Ye summoned two staff to verify the cargo against the report.

In moments, the check was done.

The list matched the goods with no discrepancies, except a 15% weight exaggeration.

“All clear. You know the rules?”

“Of course. I’ll have the vehicles wait at the checkpoint gate for your shift change.”

Compared to Carson’s ease, Cheng Ye felt like a rookie.

But thinking of effortlessly earning 34 points, he couldn’t help smiling as he watched the caravan leave.

The 30% entry tax was non-negotiable.

For a fleeting moment, he considered seizing all the goods to instantly afford a full gear set.

Thankfully, regulations curbed that greed.

Without them…

Generators, batteries, water purifiers, ventilation, heating, surveillance, central computers, household appliances, all required contribution points.

He might not need them now, but for a future safehouse outside the city, they were essentials.

Contribution points, the more, the better!

“Sir, the deposits are tallied, sorted by group in these bags!”

Raven’s voice came from behind.

Cheng Ye turned to see him holding four file bags stuffed with paper slips.

“That fast?”

He raised a brow. “Start sorting. Pick the top 5 and bottom 5 depositors in each group for me!”