Human psychology is fragile, especially when detained and stripped of rights.
Though Polk followed isolation protocols, shooting to "test" three people in the same cell as an infected for infection, labeling the injuries as accidents, panic gripped Inspection Area A. Everyone was terrified, fearing they’d be the next target.
This fear was more suffocating than collective punishment, as you couldn’t know if your next cellmate was human or something else.
In blunt terms: i...
2025-07-21 10:43:29 +0000 UTC
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Raven and Owl stood at the isolation gate twenty minutes early to greet him. Seeing Cheng Ye’s figure round the corner, they quickly tapped the identity verifier.
The electromagnetic lock clicked open, and the alloy gate slid apart.
“Sir, you’re here!”
“Hm.”
Cheng Ye mumbled a response, his mind still on Arthur, casually asking as he walked, “No big incidents yesterday, right?”
“None. Only three vehicles cleared Inspection Area A yesterday. The ...
2025-07-21 10:42:51 +0000 UTC
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Cheng Ye grabbed his backpack and pushed the door open to leave.
He thought his outfit, exposing only his eyes, was odd enough to stand out, but on the street, he was shocked to see a third of the passersby dressed similarly.
Did everyone know about the Stand-In Starfish?
Of course not.
According to Liu Bi last night, even frontline military police wouldn’t know the infection had spread until just before the outbreak. Information would be released in stages, only mad...
2025-07-21 10:42:11 +0000 UTC
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Ding.
The call ended, and Cheng Ye sat stunned, reeling from the flood of information.
A military armored vehicle?
How could Cheng Long, after his “accidental” death, leave behind such a thing?
No.
Fragmented clues swirled in Cheng Ye’s mind, coalescing into a realization.
Cheng Long’s death likely wasn’t the simple “accident” Liu Bi had described.
Otherwise, why wait until after his first field mission to reveal part of the tru...
2025-07-21 10:41:34 +0000 UTC
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The defense communicator was a special communication tool developed by Happiness City.
Shaped like an old-school mobile phone, it was sturdy, exceptionally durable, and combined some functions of modern smartphones. In critical moments, it could serve as protective gear, capable of withstanding three impacts of about 400 joules.
Best of all, the defense communicator was free!
Any resident of Happiness City for over 60 days could register to receive one.
Of course, this...
2025-07-21 10:41:04 +0000 UTC
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Close-quarters sparring inevitably led to injuries.
Especially when one side defended and the other attacked, the defender faced a higher risk of getting hurt.
But since Miao Yang had said as much, Cheng Ye didn’t hold back, immediately adopting his starting stance.
As the saying goes, amateurs watch the spectacle, while experts see the technique.
Compared to his force exertion, Cheng Ye’s crude, amateurish stance made Miao Yang shake his head.
“Come on, us...
2025-07-21 10:40:33 +0000 UTC
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The treatment at the training ground was quite generous.
For someone like Head Trainer Miao Yang, aside from free food and lodging, the monthly income was typically over 300 Happiness Coins.
But many people, like Uncle Dong, were unwilling to work here.
Serving at the training ground wasn't considered full retirement, only a temporary leave from the legion. If an infected tide struck, head trainers had to step up immediately, either leading a team or joining the assault.
...
2025-07-21 10:38:50 +0000 UTC
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A chess piece has its limitations, but it also hides unique advantages.
For instance, right now, Cheng Ye could simply dust off his hands and walk away, leaving the tough problem to Ding Yishan and Harlin.
"Who could have guessed that in less than a week, my strength would undergo such earth-shattering changes?"
The thought of Ding Yishan's stunned reaction upon hearing the news made Cheng Ye feel incredibly exhilarated.
The thrill of facing challenges head-on and brea...
2025-07-21 10:37:51 +0000 UTC
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A farce!
This was absolutely a ridiculous farce!
The applause from the audience grew competitive, with the Eastern and Western factions refusing to yield, neither willing to stop first.
On stage, Uncle Dong stood frozen, dumbfounded. Backstage, the Winter Squad members and all the retired veteran lecturers were equally stunned, faces blank.
What… what just happened?
No one knew what had happened.
Even Cheng Ye, the instigator, was slightly taken aback, th...
2025-07-21 10:36:42 +0000 UTC
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The four-story abandoned theater in the suburbs had been requisitioned as a temporary venue for the study session. The vagrants who once lived here had all been driven out to other places.
When the station announcer called out “Theater Station,” Uncle Dong let out a long breath, stepped off the bus, and stood by the platform, momentarily lost in thought.
Since receiving the lecturer invitation for the study session yesterday, he hadn’t slept for 18 hours straight.
He c...
2025-07-21 10:36:14 +0000 UTC
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For once, Lee Matteo didn’t act like a slacker. As he spoke his final words, he seemed to glow.
It perfectly illustrated that true loyalty stems only from shared interests and deep bonds.
“By your logic…” Cheng Ye frowned, pondering. “But the Central Station’s external mission board only lists delivery, reconnaissance, patrols, and supporting inner city operations?”
“What do you think faction alignment is for?” Lee Matteo snorted. “Easterners’ missions ...
2025-07-21 10:35:36 +0000 UTC
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Though no one knew each other’s exact status, living in a tenement in the buffer zone meant wealth or influence.
Seeing Cheng Ye haul back so many materials, other fifth-floor residents poked their heads out, visibly alarmed.
“Kid, where’d you get all this?”
Someone asked, and Cheng Ye pointed toward the pedestrian street visible through the window. “Flea market. Hurry and grab some, or there won’t be a scrap left.”
“Grab?”
“What else? Infecte...
2025-07-21 10:34:56 +0000 UTC
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The enhancement from Iron Body far exceeded expectations.
Cheng Ye’s eyes flashed with awe as he carefully sensed the changes in his body.
Without experiencing it firsthand, it was impossible to grasp this earth-shattering difference.
No wonder the S-3 virus, as recorded in books, could topple civilizations. A mere talent from genetic reversion had already left ordinary humans in the dust.
What about transcendent abilities?
They were likely so terrifying they...
2025-07-21 10:34:26 +0000 UTC
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With experience in acquiring skills, Cheng Ye was extra cautious with a Lv.2 talent.
Before entering the main district, he called Uncle Dong to ask about nutrient paste supplies.
Perhaps due to the morning’s near-riot over goods, the Public Works Bureau unusually restocked shops that afternoon, mandating a sale price of 2 coins per unit. Violators faced fines ten times the excess or loss of selling permits.
“I got six crates. Don’t worry, plenty to go around.”
...
2025-07-21 10:33:55 +0000 UTC
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Throughout the day, the accumulated water on the main district’s primary roads was finally drained.
The Jinbei van cruised unimpeded, and as it approached Happiness Gate, two teams of sixteen guards greeted it from a distance.
“Thank you, Inspector Cheng, for your support of the Cross Legion. Please hand over the wounded to us for arrangements.”
The lead captain stepped forward, offering a standard modern military salute, then pounded his right fist against his chest t...
2025-07-21 10:33:24 +0000 UTC
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Perfect!
The prompt for searchable targets chimed in his ear.
Cheng Ye had never found those two words so pleasing, so delightful.
It was as if a slippery screw had suddenly caught its thread, slowly turning in a rusty nut, each rotation accompanied by the crisp sound of metal friction, sending a thrilling tingle through his scalp!
"Hold on, I need to calibrate the equipment."
After calming Dai Zun, Cheng Ye glanced at the detector but mentally activated the sear...
2025-07-21 10:32:53 +0000 UTC
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Happiness City has three major legions.
Each fulfills a unique role, forming three interlocking lines of defense for survival.
The first line, the Blood Dragon Legion, focuses on sweeping and deterrence, patrolling the surrounding areas year-round to weave a dynamic defense network. Through frequent operations, they reduce the threat of infected entities, excelling in mobile warfare and surprise attacks.
The second line, the Cross Legion, is primarily stationed near the hydr...
2025-07-21 10:32:07 +0000 UTC
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The drainage work in the main district was still ongoing, leaving the streets in disarray.
The study session had to be relocated to an abandoned grand theater in the suburbs.
While the staff cleared the venue, Harlin pulled out a stack of lists from a file folder.
The lists were densely packed with names of instructors retired from the Security Bureau, as well as warriors who had retired due to injury, illness, or other reasons.
"Go invite the people on the list, aim f...
2025-07-21 10:31:34 +0000 UTC
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With the yellow flag raised, the checkpoint’s lockdown lifted after five minutes, control returning to the inspectors.
Cheng Ye first opened the isolation gate, letting the four brothers, eager for treatment, pass through, then picked up his communicator to make a call.
“Sister Luo, don’t worry, work’s going smoothly here. Nothing’s happened.”
“Yeah, something happened to Station Chief He. I’m stuck on duty till tonight.”
Hearing about He Fei’s inci...
2025-07-21 10:29:13 +0000 UTC
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What was the status of a duty station chief at the checkpoint?
According to Liu Bi, they were the inner city’s designated successors to the head station chief.
To become a duty station chief, one either made significant contributions to Happiness City or possessed exceptional personal ability.
If Ding Yishan were to die unexpectedly, the head station chief position would be chosen from among the duty station chiefs.
Yes, Deputy Station Chief Harlin couldn’t directl...
2025-07-21 10:28:42 +0000 UTC
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The carrot-and-stick approach never fails.
Cole and Hal didn’t dare make a move, scurrying to squat beside Ram.
Being locked in isolation at least offered a chance to survive, but if Cheng Ye shot them as infected entities now, they’d have no one to turn to.
“Sir…”
“Shut up!”
As Cheng Ye approached, Simo opened his mouth, only to be cut off ruthlessly.
“Whatever I do next, you endure it. Otherwise, it’s straight to isolation, got it?”
2025-07-21 10:28:12 +0000 UTC
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The value of a mineral depends on its utility in survival logic.
As society devolved into pure survival competition, lithium’s strategic importance in Happiness City had long surpassed traditional precious metals.
Take gold, for example.
For the scattered settlements, small tribes, and nomadic groups around sanctuary cities, a gold bar scavenged from city ruins couldn’t change their survival predicament.
But a 10kWh battery from Happiness City could free a hundred-...
2025-07-21 10:27:42 +0000 UTC
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Cheng Ye knew his sewing skills well.
Back when cheap online shopping wasn’t a thing, he’d often mend his torn jeans. But once jeans dropped to 20 bucks a pair, why bother sewing? Toss the worn ones at a recycling station for 4 bucks, grab a coupon, and buy a new pair for just 10. Over time, he’d mostly forgotten the skill, barely retaining the basics.
“So, action points must tap into my peak ability.”
Cheng Ye pondered, then sighed at himself for worrying about it...
2025-07-21 10:27:11 +0000 UTC
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“What?”
Staring at the flashing information on the panel, Cheng Ye was momentarily stunned.
He had merely thought about mending his backpack, and the action function, like a considerate assistant, fleshed out his idea into a complete action plan.
Of course, this derived mode also inherited the AI’s tendency to spout nonsense, going haywire out of nowhere!
The first two options were still within the reasonable scope of mending a backpack, but the third—“replac...
2025-07-21 10:26:39 +0000 UTC
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Inner city officials?
Cheng Ye paused to think, refraining from asking if he could pretend not to hear a distress call and skip the rescue.
In principle, that was impossible.
Inspectors held an exalted status in the buffer zone, but within Happiness City’s power structure, they were essentially like sentinels: free to strike hard externally but bound by rules internally.
To put it bluntly, Happiness City was like a gated community, and inspectors were the security gu...
2025-07-21 10:26:06 +0000 UTC
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After seeing off the containment team, Cheng Ye, lost in thought, reentered the isolation cell to inspect it thoroughly.
Cell 48 had been washed down with high-pressure water jets, and within minutes, the stench of blood had dissipated.
Only a few small holes etched into the walls by the Corrupt Vine's sap silently testified to the earlier battle.
"Transcendent..."
Stepping out of the isolation cell, Cheng Ye took a few deep breaths, yet the pounding in his chest refus...
2025-07-21 10:25:28 +0000 UTC
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The rapid inspection station wasn't luxurious enough to assign a containment team to every quarantine zone.
It took over ten minutes for the isolation gate of Quarantine Zone A to slide open on both sides.
A team of eight, all clad in off-white specialized protective suits, walked in. The suits resembled modern riot gear, with honeycomb-like cushioning layers covering the joints.
"So serious?"
Cheng Ye had assumed it would be as "simple" as the central checkpoint, wher...
2025-07-21 10:24:57 +0000 UTC
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[Searcher: Barrett]
[Current Cooperation Level: 57%]
[Current Searchable Range: Information, Items, Skills]
[Search Target Confirmed: Skills (Lv.1)]
[Searching...]
[Search Successful!]
[Barrett Stewart (Parasitic Entity)]
[Lv.1 Skills]: Corrupt Vine Life, Corrupt Vine Strength, Corrupt Vine Speed, Corrupt Vine Recovery, Corrupt Vine Digestion, Locked, Locked, Locked.
[Note]: The searcher is affected by a speci...
2025-07-21 10:24:28 +0000 UTC
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Since everyone was maximizing profits within the rules, Cheng Ye saw no reason to play coy.
His motto: bold and unrestrained!
Cower when it’s time to cower, but never hesitate when it’s time to act.
Following Raven’s guidance, Cheng Ye swiped his badge on the charger, and it instantly switched to power mode.
Taking the charging head, he pretended to inspect his gun while subtly attaching the Collector pendant to it.
To his surprise, unlike when charging via...
2025-07-21 10:23:42 +0000 UTC
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Having Raul guide him was a spur-of-the-moment idea for Cheng Ye, but it unexpectedly brought plenty of surprises.
Take now, for instance. Raven’s explanation of the quarantine zone was practically an open book.
Not only did he lay out the inspector’s official powers in detail, but he also spilled the beans on the unspoken rules, the tricks for skimming profits, and the ways to squeeze out extra benefits, holding nothing back.
Beyond the usual tactics Cheng Ye already kn...
2025-07-21 10:23:09 +0000 UTC
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