Wasteland Border Inspector - Chapter 853

Chapter 853: Chapter 279: Liu Bi Returns, All Things Renewed!

But the highway in front of them was as smooth as a mirror, without a trace of undulation.

Even when a truck with average comfort drove on it, it felt light and floating, without any bumps at all.

“Not bad at all. The changes this year are equivalent to the total of the past four or five years…” Liu Bi looked at the scenery along the road, filled with satisfaction.

As the truck headed in the direction of Wenlu County, a road sign with the words “Dapo Town” suddenly appeared in view.

He had seen these three words countless times in the logistics warehouse, and seeing them now on the roadside in the wilderness gave him an inexplicable sense of unreality, as if the world outside had changed dramatically during the three months he had been away.

Moreover, the road leading to Dapo Town was no worse than the main road from Happiness City to the industrial area, also paved with pitch-black shiny asphalt, and the road surface was so clean it reflected the flowing clouds in the sky.

The only flaw was that the wilderness beside the road hadn’t been cultivated in time, and looking into the distance, it appeared vast and desolate.

As the convoy entered the jurisdiction of Wenlu County, nearing the fork in the road, the shadowy outlines of buildings that had barely begun took shape in Wenlu County became faintly visible.

This was pretty much the situation the truck drivers mentioned casually; since Zhou Changhai’s defection, the construction of Wenlu County had been completely stalled.

Now, not only does the demand for materials have to be reported to the Inner City for approval before dispatch, but even the internal construction planning had to be completely redone because Xi Yan was taken away.

The reason was simple: Xi Yan knew perfectly well the initial defensive layout and any possible vulnerabilities.

If Wenlu County were built according to the original plan and the Starship took advantage of it to infiltrate, it would lead to big trouble.

Therefore, the plan had to be changed temporarily, especially the underground security facilities, which had to be entirely redesigned.

“What a shame.” Liu Bi sighed softly, “Although Zhou Changhai likes to play little tricks, he’s not someone who would make such a grave mistake.”

As he spoke, he unconsciously fell into reminiscence.

It wasn’t until the truck slowly turned and drove onto the exclusive road to Dapo Town that he snapped back to reality.

This road remained a black and smooth eight-lane highway, with no compromise on standards. In terms of road infrastructure construction alone, Dapo Town had earned unanimous praise from all the truck drivers running this line.

Compared to other Shelter Cities, where one often has to drive over several stretches of bumpy, bad roads, the journey to Dapo Town was unbelievably smooth. Except for a few bends that required deceleration, the rest of the sections could be sped through by fully flooring the accelerator.

Moreover, unlike the area around Wenlu County, Dapo Town had not set up isolation belts and guardrails along the road but had reclaimed nearly two hundred meters of wasteland beside the road, leaving a wide blank space.

This way, even if a source or an Infected Body suddenly emerged, people on the road could quickly detect it and have enough time to react.

After the vehicle drove forward for about two kilometers, the flat asphalt road was abruptly cut off by a neat group of buildings.

A forward station, styled similarly to the industrial area, was steadily situated in the middle of the road.

Its main structure was highly recognizable, with two pointed-roof sentry towers standing symmetrically, connected by a curved gallery, which looked like an open letter “M” from a distance, exuding a touch of austerity under the gray sky.

The four-lane road, allowing entry and exit, was clearly divided, with layers of barricade facilities set up in front of each lane. Black crash posts were neatly arranged, and the metal retractable guardrails were half suspended. Nearby, speed bumps and reflective warning signs were installed, constantly reminding passing vehicles to slow down.

Above the beam of the forward station, a striking blue iron plaque hung, with five bold white words “Dabo Inspection Station” standing out prominently, the font robust and strong, swaying slightly in the wind.

Unfortunately, Liu Bi took a few glances and determined that this inspection station merely served a screening function.

Its main structure used ordinary steel, and if it met a troublesome Infected Body or Fusion Body, it would likely be torn apart in no time.

However, Dapo Town wasn’t experiencing significant population movement at the moment, so for now, focusing on the status of newcomers would suffice.

Setting up a station here to specifically verify whether the incoming and outgoing drivers were infected was adequate.

Once the town developed further in the future, gradually building a more complete inspection station would further strengthen the security line.

The convoy slowly stopped to undergo inspection, with all drivers and accompanying personnel disembarking to queue up for questions and infection checks.

Soon it was Liu Bi’s turn. Upon seeing a burly figure approach, Luokuke, who was seated behind the inspection station, could not help but startle. Having seen photos of Luokuke, Liu Bi was also momentarily taken aback.

“Why are you working here?”

“Why didn’t you call in advance?”

The two spoke in unison, and as their words fell, both instinctively changed their expressions, with a hint of awkwardness floating in the air.

“Wasn’t the assessment over long ago? Cheng Ye won. Why are you still in Dapo Town?”

“You must have just come out of the industrial area, knowing nothing about what’s going on outside, right?”

Once again, they spoke simultaneously, and Luokuke quickly stood up, smiling as he gestured to invite, “You go first.”

“What is this…” Liu Bi stared at him, full of confusion.

“I’ve already joined the Dapo Town Inspection Station, just waiting to officially affiliate with them.” Luokuke replied straightforwardly.

Although he and Liu Bi had never interacted before, he already knew part of the situation through data.

Rather than beating around the bush with pleasantries, being direct and truthful was more likely to earn trust.

“Why?” Liu Bi frowned, somewhat puzzled, examining him up and down.

“It’s a long story.” Luokuke shook his head. “Even if I explained it to you, you might not believe it. It’s better if you go and talk to Inspector Cheng properly; you’ll understand once he explains.”

“Hmm…” Liu Bi pondered for a few seconds, then nodded, “Whatever you came for, as long as you’re genuinely staying in Dapo Town to work, I have no objections.”

“Heh…” Luokuke chuckled, voluntarily extending an olive branch, “Inspector Liu, hope we can be friends in the future.”

Liu Bi didn’t respond to this, just looked at Luokuke with a thoughtful gaze.

For a moment, he even saw the Shadows of those who willingly followed Cheng Long back in the day in Luokuke.

But then he thought, wasn’t Cheng Ye just an Intern Inspector before?

Luokuke was a solid Third-stage Inspector. Even Cheng Long back in the Low-level Inspector phase didn’t have such strong charisma to rally fellow Inspectors to follow him wholeheartedly. His appeal gradually built up after being promoted to Third-phase.

Once Luokuke completed meticulously examining the convoy’s relevant documentation and personnel status, confirming there were no issues, he gestured to let them pass, yet Liu Bi still couldn’t figure this out.

However, he vaguely sensed some unusual traces, such as… Luokuke’s seemingly normal but stiff-legged movements.

But he didn’t further pursue the matter; after all, now that he was here, once inside Dapo Town, all questions would naturally be answered.

Five trucks started again, moving through the inspection station one by one, and continued deeper into Dapo Town.

Vehicles drove for approximately three kilometers, and even though the road underfoot remained straight ahead without any turns, after crossing a certain threshold, the surrounding scenes suddenly became clear.

Rounds of knocking sounds and mechanical roars continuously came from afar, exuding a strong sense of construction.

Looking at the roadside, the surrounding wilderness of Dapo Town had been cleared meticulously, leaving a ring of wide blank space, appearing exceptionally tidy.

Inside the blank circle, dozens of engineering vehicles shuttled back and forth, bustling with activity, even more so than Wenlu County.

Raising his eyes to look forward, the outline of the town stretched endlessly, was already clearly visible.

There was no sense of decay, only a sense of civilization able to rival Wenlu County.

Dapo Town, arrived!

…