Chapter 21: The Limits of the Era, the Vortex of Struggle!

Leaving the library, Cheng Ye opened the panel and glanced at the charge level.44%

Based on a full charge of 200 kWh, the 6% shortfall equated to 12 kWh.

"Just this small gap left. I'll charge it tonight at home, and by tomorrow, I'll have enough for one search."

The power restrictions for buffer zone residents were still too strict.

Cheng Ye had considered sneaking into a factory or hunting for charging ports on buses or transport vehicles, where high-power outlets were surely available.

But after weighing the options, he decided it was too risky.

With his current status and strength, he couldn't afford the consequences of being caught.

If someone reported his anomaly to the inner city, and he was mistaken for some kind of special infected entity, it would likely bring immediate catastrophe.

"Stay steady, don't get reckless!"

Cheng Ye silently reminded himself, quickly dismissing those dangerous thoughts.

He looked up at the sky.

A fine drizzle hung in the air, and dark clouds loomed low as before, suggesting another storm was brewing.

As expected, the main district went into lockdown right away, leaving the bus back home completely empty.

By the time Cheng Ye verified his identity and returned to the Sunrise Electronics Factory Workers’ Compound, it was nearly 9:30 p.m.

Uncle Dong’s shop had long since closed, but the Big Meat cafeteria’s kitchen was still lit, likely preparing ingredients for the next day.

"I need to get used to living alone soon."

Cheng Ye shook his head.

The past two months had flown by, filled with martial arts training and passing the inspector’s assessment, so time hadn’t felt heavy.

But with Liu Bi gone, there wasn’t even anyone to talk to anymore.

As if sensing his thoughts, just as Cheng Ye reached the fifth floor and before he could open his door, the defense comm at his waist chimed.

He pulled it out and sighed. As expected, it was Luo Xiaoxue.

His predecessor’s “old man” had been lucky to make such loyal friends in the wasteland.

Cheng Ye doubted he could promise to care so devotedly for a friend’s child after their death.

"Hey, Sister Luo, I just got home."

Closing the security door, Cheng Ye answered the call.

"You’re starting at the rapid inspection post tomorrow. Why are you getting home so late instead of resting?"

"I went to the library to read for a bit. I haven’t faced an infected entity head-on yet, so I wanted to prepare as much as possible to handle things smoothly when the time comes."

The other end of the call went silent for two seconds.

"Cheng Ye, don’t stress yourself out so much. Relax a little," Luo Xiaoxue said, slowing her speech to comfort him. "When I first went to the front lines, I was in a similar state, always imagining infected entities as some monstrous flood or beast, terrified I’d lose my life if I wasn’t careful. But after real combat experience, I realized a lot of that fear was just in my head."

"Infected entities are, at their core, flesh and blood. Their so-called special abilities only become truly deadly when they form a large-scale tide. If you follow what I told you yesterday, you’ll hold out just fine until your Brother B gets back."

Truth be told, neither Liu Bi nor Luo Xiaoxue had much talent for scheming or political maneuvering.

Though both were aware that this personnel shuffle had dragged Cheng Ye into the vortex of the East-West faction struggle, they still clung to the hope that he could lay low and wait for the storm to pass.

Am I overthinking this?

A flicker of doubt crossed Cheng Ye’s eyes, but it vanished the next second, his gaze firming with resolve.

You only get one life, and there’s no room for a second mistake.

Until he had the strength to ignore any plots or schemes, it was never wrong to plan for the worst.

"I’ve got it under control, Sister Luo. Don’t worry. Going to the library to read is relaxing in its own way. I’ve been training so hard with Brother B lately that my body’s still aching all over and hasn’t fully recovered."

"No kidding, you’ve practically transformed into a different person."

On the other end, Luo Xiaoxue chuckled.

"Just rest well. Your Brother B arranged everything before he left. No one will give you trouble at the South Station tomorrow. It’s all Eastern faction people there, and they all owe your dad favors."

"South Station?"

Cheng Ye’s smile faded. "Sister Luo, unless something unexpected comes up, I’m planning to go to the North Station first."

"What?"

A loud crash came through the receiver, the sound of a kettle hitting the floor, followed by Luo Xiaoxue’s roar, "Are you out of your mind? The North Station is all Western faction territory. A newbie like you, looking to die faster?"

"Garcia’s still lying in the infirmary. The Western faction hates Liu Bi’s guts. You’re his protégé. If you go there, won’t they target you to death?"

Luo Xiaoxue’s tone was unusually heated.

If she hadn’t met Cheng Ye, didn’t know his style or way of thinking, she might’ve just thought he was being impulsive and could be talked down.

But knowing he had his own way of thinking and making decisions, she couldn’t fathom why he’d take the risk of going to the North Station!

She didn’t dare imagine how Liu Bi would lose it if he came back and heard Cheng Ye had stubbornly gone to the North Station and gotten into trouble.

Even veteran Eastern faction inspectors dreaded being rotated to the North Station for duty.

A rookie like you, who’s never worked a rapid post and is just a trainee inspector, walking into the enemy’s stronghold, isn’t that just asking for death?

"And another thing: the devil’s easy to deal with, but his minions are a nightmare. Even if the North Station chief doesn’t give you trouble, the guards and staff under him will trip you up at every turn."

"Listen to me. If you go to the North Station and something happens, your Brother B will tear the whole checkpoint apart!"

Luo Xiaoxue’s emotions grew more intense, her voice trembling, as if she might burst through the defense comm if Cheng Ye didn’t agree right then.

"Sister Luo, calm down first. Don’t scare Yiyi. Hear me out."

Cheng Ye hadn’t planned to explain so much, but thinking of how good Liu Bi’s family had been to him, he couldn’t let it go.

If he didn’t clarify his choice, Luo Xiaoxue would probably worry herself sleepless every night.

"I know everything you’re saying. Don’t worry. Didn’t you say yesterday that I’m as clever as Old Era humans?"

"Then why are you being so stubborn now?"

"It’s not stubbornness, it’s human nature, Sister Luo. Let me ask you something: what kind of relationship do you think exists between inspectors and the staff and guards below them?"

Luo Xiaoxue went quiet for a few seconds before replying in a low voice, "There are only two ways to become an inspector: inherit the position from your parents or get promoted by the station chief when there’s a vacancy. Those with no hope of climbing up might be friendly to you, but the ones who qualify for promotion, knowing you have no heirs, would probably want to tear you apart."

"Wrong!"

A crack of thunder exploded outside.

The rain grew heavier, fat droplets smashing against the glass like war drums.

"Wrong?"

"Sister Luo, the checkpoint’s waters run far deeper than you think."

Cheng Ye stood and pushed open the window, letting the sound of the rain drown out his voice. "As long as the higher-ups don’t abolish the inheritance system, anyone at the checkpoint who dares to openly covet a position will make enemies of every inspector in both the Eastern and Western factions."

"Put yourself in their shoes. If Brother B wants to pass his inspector role to Yiyi in the future, but someone at the station is eyeing that spot, would you just let it slide?"

"In some ways, the East and West factions fight tooth and nail, but in others, it’s about the shared interests of all inspectors. Even if they hate me to the bone and wish I’d drop dead the next second, they wouldn’t dare cross the line before I’m gone."

Luo Xiaoxue fell into a long silence, with only the sound of rain pouring through the receivers.

This was an angle she’d never considered.

Now that Cheng Ye had pointed it out, it seemed to make sense.

It was also a limitation of the era, clouding her understanding of the dynamics between inspectors and the guards below them.

In ancient terms, it was easy to grasp: the checkpoint’s station chief was the emperor, and the inspectors were feudal lords.

If a lord died without an heir, the emperor could award their land to a deserving minister or general.

But if a lord was still alive and someone was impatient enough to try to take their land by killing them, would the emperor tolerate it?

Would the other lords?

Even if everyone wanted that lord dead, they wouldn’t tolerate a subordinate entertaining such ambitions.

Why?

Because who could guarantee their own heirs would always hold the inspector’s seat securely?

If no one speaks up for me today, tomorrow’s shackles will be my own fault.

Knowing this, Cheng Ye wasn’t worried at all about being targeted by subordinates at the North Station.

And even if someone pulled a stunt like Garcia, he had plenty of ways to deal with it.

"Then why not just go to the South Station? Isn’t it the same?"

Luo Xiaoxue, after holding back for a while, still sounded unconvinced.

Even if the subordinates don’t give you trouble, would the Western faction’s inspectors and station chief let you off?

"That’s another issue, Sister Luo. Can you trust me?"

Cheng Ye sighed.

Some things couldn’t be said outright, like the fact that the person who most wanted him dead right now was Ding Yishan, while Harlin might not actually want him to die at the North Station.

After all, if Cheng Ye, a mere “3,” died, the Eastern faction could immediately promote a stronger candidate, at least a “6” or “7,” to fill the gap in their combat strength.

Meanwhile, the Western faction had just lost a key player. This shift would tip the balance back to a delicate equilibrium.

So going to the North Station now, even if he wasn’t familiar with the rapid inspection process, was the relatively safer choice.

If he followed Liu Bi and Luo Xiaoxue’s advice and went to the South Station knowing nothing, a trainee inspector getting into an accident there would be all too normal.

"I trust you, but… your Brother B and I don’t want to see…"

"Cheng Ye, big brother, and me!" Liu Yiyi’s voice piped up through the receiver. Though she didn’t know what they were talking about, she wasn’t going to be left out.

"Haha, Yiyi, why aren’t you asleep yet?"

"There’s thunder, so scary! Daddy’s not home, and I’m worried about him!"

"Don’t worry. Next time your dad goes out, how about I go along to protect him?"

"No way, no way! Daddy says you’re super weak, and I have to protect you when I grow up!"

Ouch.

That stung.

"Sister Luo, take Yiyi to bed soon. I promise, nothing will go wrong."

Thanks to Yiyi’s teasing, the mood lightened, no longer as heavy as before.

"And even if I do get targeted, I’ll just head straight to the South Station tomorrow. They won’t dare say anything."

"You promise?"

Sensing she couldn’t dissuade him, Luo Xiaoxue sighed and relented.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t think of counterarguments, but Cheng Ye’s performance last night and his maturity now reminded her faintly of the first time she met Cheng Long years ago.

"I promise, I’ll stay alive until Brother B gets back!"