Chapter 487: Chapter 177: Perfect Level Talent, 100 Martial Warriors! (Part 2)

While he stood in the corner contemplating his decision for a few minutes, Er Long arrived sometime unbeknownst to him and was stopped by Long at the door.

Mu Shuang squatted beside Jiang Chuan, pinching his philtrum and pressing some acupoints.

Noticing that Jiang Chuan still couldn’t wake up, he looked curious and surprised.

"Er Long, someone at the door?"

"Yes, sir. A group with weapons came by. I asked them to disarm before entering, but they refused. So I had the brothers stop them."

Er Long spoke with bravado, though a hint of guilt flashed across his face, "I was worried they’d disrupt your interrogation, but... they seem to be with the military?"

"Military personnel?"

Cheng Ye pondered for a moment and nodded slightly, "Well done. From now on, regardless of who they are, anyone entering the community must disarm. This is the Buffer Zone; it’s our community."

"Whoever comes must follow the community rules. Otherwise, if we break one today, another will be broken tomorrow."

"How is the safety of thousands in the community to be guaranteed?"

"Yes, sir!" The unease and guilt on Er Long’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a sense of pride.

He hadn’t dared to mention that one of the military personnel seemed to say that the station chief was coming.

But Cheng Ye’s current demeanor made him feel that even mentioning it wouldn’t be a problem.

That’s the kind of person they loyally follow; never worried about being scapegoated.

"Let’s go outside and see what’s happening!"

After speaking, Cheng Ye glanced at Mu Shuang, "Station Chief Ding is here, do you want to go out?"

"Ah?"

Mu Shuang was stunned, turning pale.

How did it escalate to involving Ding Yishan?

Both she and Jiang Chuan were caught by Cheng Ye, and now Ding Yishan had to come personally to bail them out?

But before she could speak, Cheng Ye interrupted, "Alright, if you don’t want to go out, just stay here with Jiang Chuan."

After speaking, he led Er Long, Long, and the militia outside.

At some point, the residents of the community’s apartments gathered, standing in two lines at the entrance.

Upon seeing Cheng Ye approaching, they immediately showed respect.

This scene... how is he merely an Intern Inspector?

Station Chief Ding wasn’t wrong, he... is indeed the Emperor of the Buffer Zone!

Mu Shuang, in a daze, unconsciously shook her head, feeling a strange sense of joy blossoming within.

Strange.

Why is there a bit of happiness and anticipation at the thought of following Cheng Ye into the Wilderness?

At that moment, Jiang Chuan slowly woke up.

"You, baldy... just you wait..." He mumbled, still somewhat dazed.

As his vision focused, he saw the familiar ceiling that appeared multiple times in his dreams, and he jolted awake.

Ah?

Is he still dreaming?

But turning his head, seeing Mu Shuang squatting beside him and the chains in the corner, his expression became vivid.

"You got caught?"

"You got caught?"

Both spoke in unison, then paused and couldn’t help but laugh.

"So, how does it feel to be caught?"

Jiang Chuan, ignoring the frustration of being knocked out by the bald guy, brightened up, "Inspector Cheng has good tactics, right?"

"Indeed... not bad."

Mu Shuang’s response surprised Jiang Chuan; he seemingly didn’t expect her not to retort stubbornly.

What surprised him more was that Mu Shuang exhaled lightly and continued, "You’re right, being caught by ordinary people isn’t something to be ashamed of."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Because something even more embarrassing is about to happen." She chuckled, gesturing towards the passage, "Station Chief Ding is here to bail us out."

"Ah?"

...

As they walked out of the corridor, the outside sunlight was a bit dazzling.

It was just past eleven at noon, and a heavy rain had just ended, clearing the sky completely.

On the open space at the entrance, about thirty people were blocked in the middle, surrounded by nearly three hundred people.

They came from the pedestrian street, from inside the shopping mall, and those who usually patrolled around the community.

Nearly three hundred people, all holding guns, formed a tight circle.

Hmm?

Why does this seem familiar?

Not far away, a towering figure stood against the light. As Cheng Ye stepped closer, a smile appeared on his face:

"Captain Wu, long time no see."

"Inspector Cheng, long time no see." The tower-like man, over two meters tall, stepped forward.

Just as he was about to make a move, there was a "crash" sound from the surroundings.

Over three hundred guns were simultaneously raised, and those on the outer edges, unaware of the situation, thought the tower man was about to harm Cheng Ye.

But.

Cheng Ye slightly lifted his head, and gently pressed his palm downward.

Again, there was a "crash" sound, not entirely in unison but loud enough, as all the guns were lowered at once.

The community members, who had been on high alert moments ago, all put their guns away.

Then, Cheng Ye swept his hand to the side.

The crowd immediately retreated like a receding tide, and the tense atmosphere dissipated in an instant, with voices and footsteps rising one after another.

Those working on the pedestrian street, patrolling, sweeping the streets, fixing pipelines...

The speed at which over three hundred people dispersed was astonishing; in just over ten seconds, a path was completely cleared.

"Inspector Cheng, I didn’t anticipate that you held such prestige in the Buffer Zone."

Wu Rui grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth on his dark face.

Behind him, Dai Zun also emerged, raising an eyebrow, "Inspector Cheng, we meet again."

"Oh, Dai Zun, you’ve recovered well."

Cheng Ye glanced briefly, noting that Dai Zun appeared to have fitted alloy prosthetics, as nothing unusual could be seen once he put on pants.

"Thanks to you, I scraped by with this life." Dai Zun patted his leg, his tone light, "Being alive feels pretty good."

Having said that.

Cheng Ye’s gaze swept over the familiar faces of the squad behind Wu Rui. Each person’s eyes reflected genuine friendliness, the same gratitude they held when Cheng Ye let Dai Zun leave.

Looking further, when his sight fell upon Ding Yishan, Cheng Ye couldn’t help but smile.

There was something indescribably playful and profound about Station Chief Ding’s expression.

Despite his smile, when their gazes met, Cheng Ye felt a piercing sharpness, as if Ding Yishan intended to peel him open to see what lay inside.

Ding Yishan slowly stepped forward, Wu Rui automatically took two steps back, standing behind Ding Yishan.

The distance between the two was just a couple of steps.

"Inspector Cheng, I, as the station chief, feel a bit challenged trying to operate in the Buffer Zone, don’t you think?"

"Station Chief Ding jests; where in the Buffer Zone dare block you? I’d be the first to disagree."

After speaking, Cheng Ye turned to look at Er Long, "Er Long, if Station Chief Ding ever comes to the community again, provide him with personnel for protection, and don’t let there be any neglect, understand?"

"Understood, Er Long understands, sir, rest assured. Wherever Station Chief Ding wants to go, there won’t be a problem." Er Long quickly responded.

"Is that so?"

Ding Yishan smacked his lips, still wearing that smile, "Inspector Cheng, you’ve certainly given me quite the privilege here. Now, how should I thank you?"

Having said that, his gaze swept the mall and looked at the construction site on the pedestrian street in the distance.

With the old shanty towns being cleared, the layout here had undergone a dramatic transformation.

The previously old neighborhood seemed to have a new lease of life, with a genuine sense of rising prosperity.

Especially with the workers bustling around, compared to other areas in the Buffer Zone, there’s an unmistakable sense of hope that can’t be hidden.

"Station Chief Ding, what are you talking about? I don’t quite understand."

Cheng Ye chuckled, bowing slightly, "Jiang Chuan and Mu Shuang were just playing a game with me. Unexpectedly, it required you to come personally. Had I known beforehand, I would have sent the two directly to you."

"You don’t understand?"

Ding Yishan raised his hand slightly, and Wu Rui, standing behind him, promptly retrieved a few sheets of paper from his waist.

Oh, Wu Rui had a black leather pouch at his waist.

He was so tall and broad, built like a bear, that Cheng Ye hadn’t noticed it.

Taking the papers handed to him, Ding Yishan spread them out, turning slightly to look at the pedestrian street.

"Inspector Cheng, the reward for this game, the two assistants can’t give it to you."

"I, however, am not one to begrudge."

"How about we discuss something? This Zone B7 seems to be developing quite well. Perhaps the inspection station could invest twenty thousand Contribution Points for some shares?"

...