Wasteland Border Inspector - Chapter 790

Chapter 790: Chapter 262: Severed Limbs, Major Shift in Development!

A countless number of factory buildings are lined up in succession, their outlines of varying heights stacked together. Without any extra decoration, they rely solely on the heaviness of reinforced steel and concrete to support a sky-covering momentum.

In the distance, the tallest steel structures pierce the clouds, with giant factory domes connected in one stretch.

Upon closer inspection, one can vaguely see one area linked to another, innumerable ant-sized vehicles moving in between, busy transporting materials and finished products, the entire industrial zone operating at high speed.

“Is this the industrial zone of Happiness City?”

Cheng Ye pushed open the car door, standing by the edge of the elevated bridge, gazing far away, his heart filled with shock.

This was his first time seeing the industrial zone with his own eyes, completely different from the planned map shown by the Industrial Bureau and the orderly images.

The entire industrial zone stretched fifteen kilometers, only the foremost E zone was visible at the moment, with A, B, C, D zones further ahead, alongside the most core water and power station area.

“Perhaps Happiness City doesn’t even need each satellite city to have its own industry, as long as people can live safely?”

This thought suddenly popped into Cheng Ye’s mind, and he quickly shook his head to dispel it.

No matter how large the industrial zone is, it can only accommodate employment for ten thousand people, not even half the size of a single old-era Foxconn in the country.

Moreover, industrial production will only become more precise and automated, requiring fewer workers in the future.

With so many displaced people, they can’t all stay idle in Shelter City, consuming resources without contributing, can they?

Of course not, apart from large-scale industrial production, more pillar industries must be developed to support the long-term growth of Happiness City and its satellite city cluster.

Furthermore, industrial products produced must be able to be sold, in exchange for essential resources needed for survival.

Exchange resources…

Cheng Ye pondered, bits and pieces of thoughts emerged from the depths of his heart, gradually forming a plan.

“Inspector Cheng, would you like to visit the industrial zone?” Mu Shuang approached with an application form, “Currently, except for the water and power station and A, B zones which are sealed off for production and only outgoing, other areas are freely accessible.”

“No, it’s getting dark, we’ll return to the buffer zone after visiting Dongping Town.”

Cheng Ye shook his head in refusal. The industrial zone’s situation was already detailed in Old Sun’s tablet, and field inspection held little significance, especially since the core areas were in A and B zones, and visiting without entry would be pointless.

The car passed the checkpoint station, turning at a Y-intersection towards Xiasha County Town.

A further ten kilometers ahead, it took a deteriorated county road, leading to Dongping Town.

Compared to previous road segments, the condition here was markedly worse, bomb craters on the ground were still not repaired, far slower in development than Wenlu County.

Most peculiar was, as the car moved forward, several Ant Wolves suddenly emerged from the roadside.

Finally, the escort team had work to do; without waiting for Cheng Ye to raise his weapon, Wu Rui immediately led his team out of the car, chopping the Ant Wolves into minced meat with swift blade swings.

“Outside the core area of Happiness City, finally there’s a sense of wilderness again…”

Cheng Ye squinted, exiting the county road, wild grass outside had grown waist-high, with nobody knowing what was hidden inside, perhaps even some peculiar infection sources.

To clear all these areas would take until next spring, possibly even summer.

Traveling further ahead requires passing through a section of rural road.

Even more exasperating, the decrepit condition of this road was on par with the segment leading to Dapo Town.

Potholes were scattered, stones rolled chaotically, the car bumped along as if it would fall apart, trudging forward about five kilometers before finally glimpsing the silhouette of Dongping Town.

At first glance, Cheng Ye almost thought the industrial zone had moved here.

A sprawling array of factory buildings at the horizon’s end looked identical to the industrial zone seen from the elevated bridge, even the gray exterior walls remained unchanged.

More surprisingly, columns of utility poles were erected from Dongping Town towards the industrial zone through the wilderness.

To minimize consumption caused by meandering routes, these poles were nearly straight towards the industrial zone, not following the old era’s road directions at all.

“Well now, how long has it been, and Dongping Town is already stealing electricity from the industrial zone?”

Cheng Ye was taken aback!

Approaching further, a wire fence akin to the Happiness Defense Line encircled the entire town tightly, approximately two and a half meters high.

Every two hundred meters or so, there was a lookout tower, scattered surroundings the fence.

“Could it be that Matthew Lee truly listened to my suggestion, wholeheartedly taking on the industrial zone’s industry, establishing it as Dongping Town’s foundation to sell to other satellite cities?”

As Cheng Ye contemplated, the sentries in the tower had already spotted the convoy and promptly issued a warning.

The town was stirred, soon revealing a familiar slightly plump figure leading the crowd.

It was none other than Matthew Lee!

Finally meeting someone who could converse properly, Cheng Ye suddenly felt sentimental, hurriedly pushing open the car door and walking up.

“Cheng Ye, you’re finally here!” Matthew Lee seemed unusually excited, hurriedly approaching, the two couldn’t help but shake hands, even sharing a brief hug, “It’s nearly dark, I thought you wouldn’t come to my place today!”

After separating, Matthew Lee looked Cheng Ye up and down, curiously muttering, “Though you’re taller and sturdier, you don’t seem like someone who could accommodate a Destruction Level infection source, do you?”

“Don’t believe it?” Cheng Ye laughed and shook his head, “Had you partnered with me responsible for Dapo Town back then, you’d probably be scared to death by now.”