Wasteland Border Inspector - Chapter 902

Chapter 902: Chapter 291: Confrontation and Wager Contract!

“Oh?” Jiang Chuan was momentarily stunned. Though uncertain, he dutifully replied, “I will relay this to Station Chief Ding.”

The car drove away from the Central Inspection Station, its destination neither the Inner City’s Rebirth Medical nor the Happiness Medical Clinic where Cheng Ye had stayed before, but rather the smaller Ping’an Medical Clinic.

Due to the medical reform, the entire clinic was rather quiet, with sparse visitors.

This alone showed that even though the Heavy Machinery Faction had placed Qin Zhaoye into the Security and Integrity Bureau, he remained a marginalized figure without real weight. It was impossible to compete for stationed positions in the Buffer Zone with such limited influence.

The car passed the gate kiosk and parked in the designated spot.

Qin Zhaoye’s ward was on the top fourth floor. The Ping’an Medical Clinic had no elevator, only stairs.

Jiang Chuan led the way at the front, followed closely by Cheng Ye and Matthew Lee.

As they reached the corner of the third floor, they saw two young people in gray-white uniforms guarding the area.

Cheng Ye immediately recognized that the two were acquainted with Jiang Chuan, looking at him without unfamiliarity, their gazes only lingering briefly on Matthew Lee.

“This is Inspector Matthew Lee, the Third-stage Inspector of the Inspection Station,” Jiang Chuan said loudly in introduction.

The two young men exchanged glances and silently stepped aside to clear the passage.

Heading up the stairs to the fourth floor, the corridor was rather bustling, with over twenty people standing around, all dressed in the same gray-white uniforms, seemingly belonging to the legion.

Everyone’s gaze swept over, but did not linger on Jiang Chuan and Matthew Lee’s faces, ultimately landing on Cheng Ye.

The young men’s eyes were mostly the same as those of the guards from the third floor, showing no obvious emotions, even carrying a hint of bewilderment.

Yet, the eyes of several middle-aged people in their thirties held an inescapable complexity.

Some masked their emotions expertly, hiding their true feelings behind a veil of deliberate irritation.

Others revealed their curiosity plainly, a hint of obvious intrigue flashing across their eyes.

“It seems the Heavy Machinery Faction is full of sharp people, acutely aware of the current situation,” Cheng Ye thought with a soft laugh in his heart.

Jiang Chuan stepped forward and respectfully addressed an older-looking middle-aged man in the crowd, saying, “Commander Wang, this is Cheng Ye, Inspector Cheng, and this is Matthew Lee, Inspector Lee.”

Then he turned to introduce the two men, “This is Commander Wang Rui, ranked twenty-eighth among the Great Commanders within the legion.”

Great Commander?

Cheng Ye was slightly surprised. The legion’s internal ranking was quite straightforward and rough: from ordinary ranks upwards, it progresses through elite soldiers, squad leaders, platoon leaders, company leaders, commanders, to great commanders.

A great commander is the highest authority for grassroots soldiers, overseeing a thousand men, possibly five thousand, and from there proceeding to the legion’s high-level core.

The Heavy Machinery Faction had chosen to send a highly influential figure for dialogue right from the start?

Cheng Ye raised his eyes to look at Wang Rui, who was shorter than the young people beside him, and half a body shorter than himself, but did not appear hunched.

The wide shoulders and slender waist were complemented by the gray-white uniform, giving him a solid and upright appearance, exuding a sense of calm strength.

His age should be around the early forties, with two deeply furrowed lines on his forehead, not appearing aged, but adding a dignified gravity. His face was a standard square face, with a distinctly angular jawline covered in a layer of stubbly beard, hinting at an unrefined ruggedness.

But when Cheng Ye’s gaze fell on his hands, he instantly understood.

Though the palms bore calluses from years of holding a gun, they were far fairer than the hands of the youngsters who had endured years on the battlefield, clearly indicating he was not a frontline commander, but a strategic core figure overseeing operations from the rear.

Considering the trajectory of the Heavy Machinery Faction, Cheng Ye promptly extended his hand, a well-polished smile on his face, “Commander Wang, I’ve heard your name for a long time!”

“Inspector Cheng, there’s no need for formalities; I should be the one saying I’ve heard your name for a long time!” Wang Rui’s face remained stiff, but his handshake was firm and decisive.

“I’ve heard there was some conflict between Inspector Liu and Director Qin. Coincidentally, I’m considered a friend to both. Today, I came to visit Director Qin and also to speak openly about these matters, to let both sides turn hostility into friendship and not let minor things damage harmony,” Cheng Ye spoke calmly, neither arrogant nor servile.

“Inspector Cheng is thoughtful, as should be. Please come in!” Wang Rui turned and gestured, and the young men guarding the ward door immediately opened it, clearing the passage.

Cheng Ye took the lead and walked into the ward, finding the scene inside somewhat unexpected.

The room was also surrounded by a number of tall, robust men, among them a “familiar face,” none other than Shen Chongshan, the Integrity Inspectorate Director Qin Zhaoye had introduced him to before.

All eyes converged towards the entrance, differing in expression, but ultimately fixing on Cheng Ye.

Cheng Ye’s gaze landed on the hospital bed, where both of Qin Zhaoye’s legs were plastered with thick casts, evidently broken by Liu Bi; his left arm was secured with a splint, leaving only the right hand free presumably for daily use.

Surrounded by people at the bedside, Qin Zhaoye’s expression was somewhat sombre, even when meeting Cheng Ye’s gaze, his previously defiant demeanor subdued.

Could it be he had been subdued by Brother B?

Was he not a Source Binder? Did he fail to withstand Liu Bi’s Celestial Human Martial Domain?

Cheng Ye smirked inwardly, approaching with Matthew Lee, the door behind them closing softly, making them the instant focus of attention.

Was he not a Source Binder? Was it true that he also received a harsh lesson from Liu Bi’s Celestial Human Martial Domain?