The rain had completely stopped.

The infection tide was also gradually contained within a controllable range as residents swept through wave after wave of cleanup operations.

The smell of blood mixed with damp earth permeated the air.

When the wind blew, it carried a rich smell of gunpowder, giving one the feeling of being on a battlefield, making people cough from the choking smoke.

As for the uncontrollable areas, the flames of war still burned without any sign of stopping.

Boom, boom.

From time to time, rocket-propelled grenades with trailing flames would fly over the airspace of B-7 district, falling into these areas.

Streaks of brilliant white light illuminated the sky like dawn, buildings were directly blasted apart, and debris kicked up by the blast waves fell like raindrops, followed by long periods of empty, deathly silence.

For the power holders of the inner city.

If something was uncontrollable, then there was no need to control it.

People who couldn't even clean up their own residential areas were just wasting resources by staying alive in the buffer zone.

And those who decided to huddle here from the beginning of the infection tide also had no value in continuing to live.

"This kid fights as fiercely as Cheng Long, but his personality is much more lively, not as stubborn as Cheng Long, and much better than his grandfather Cheng Wu."

"I think so too. Those moves of his were quite impressive. Let's copy a complete version for me to take back and watch slowly. Maybe he's the good seedling we're looking for."

"Don't be so hasty. The debt his father left behind hasn't been repaid yet. Are you planning to help pay it off?"

Three elders leaned back in folding chairs, chatting and laughing while watching Cheng Ye, who was surrounded by drones in front of the hotel. He was gripping his defense communicator, pacing back and forth, his fingertips rapidly tapping and sliding on the screen, muttering under his breath like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Turn on the surveillance and let me hear what he's muttering about. It's been several minutes and he's still not done?"

"Elder, this... isn't quite appropriate, is it?"

The young staff member's forehead was covered in sweat. It was one thing for him alone to listen to the endless chatter through his headphones, but if the three elders heard it, wouldn't that cause an uproar?

"What's there to be afraid of? Even if he curses us out harshly, would we really get angry with a kid his age? Don't tell me... you think we three old men don't have the authority?"

"Ah, this is fine, fine."

The staff member wiped the sweat from his head, gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and pressed the unmute button.

The next second, Cheng Ye's voice began to echo throughout the vast command hall.

"Since you won't let me go out, you should at least give me some compensation. There are still so many infected entities in B-7 district, each one worth contribution points. If I don't take this chance to kill a few, what am I supposed to use to pay back the money?"

"Right? You forcibly loaned me 3000 contribution points. I couldn't pay this back even if I worked, no, even if I went to work for eight lifetimes. I need to support my family, I need to make a living. How am I supposed to live if all the money goes to paying debts?"

"And there's Tianyuan Mall. I already promised Elder Song I'd help them repair the mall. That's another huge gap. You won't let me go out, but helping repair the mall should be fine, right?"

"And there's Zhang Can. Right, Ah Can was a high-level fusion body. There aren't many high-level ones in the buffer zone, right? You just confiscate him as you please. My contribution points should be multiplied several times... no, several dozen times, right? I wouldn't mind getting some Happiness Special Merit either."

"..."

Visibly, all the staff members who heard this had expressions that turned into sweating soybeans.

But the three elders were delighted, crossing their legs and grinning so widely that the wrinkles on their faces bloomed like flowers, looking like old mischievous children who had found treasure.

"This kid is really short on money?"

Elder No. 1 asked, stroking his chin.

"According to bank records, he borrowed 100 contribution points from Song Yongfeng at the Works Department and hasn't repaid it yet. He probably used it to forge weapons at the transcendent materials store."

The staff member rapidly typed on the keyboard, pulling up dense account records. "Additionally, he still owes 57 points at Great Wall Rapids Equipment Store, also for buying weapons on credit."

Privacy?

That didn't exist. In all of Happiness City, only the elders had any privacy. Everyone else's assets were like fish in a glass tank, visible at a glance.

"All of his debts..."

Elder No. 1's fingertip lightly tapped the armrest of his chair, making rhythmic tapping sounds.

"Write them all off!"

"Yes!"

The staff member immediately started operating with a flurry of keystrokes, just waiting for the bank to open to process the accounts.

"Let him know. How can you do good deeds without sending a message?"

Elder No. 2 glared at the staff member, who immediately smiled bitterly and typed on the keyboard to transmit the message.

Ding.

[Inspector Cheng, in recognition of your excellent performance during the infection tide outbreak, the following rewards are hereby issued:

1. Loan - Song Yongfeng (Erased)

2. Loan - Great Wall Rapids Equipment Store (Erased)]

"Ah, this?"

Cheng Ye on the screen immediately jumped up, but his next words made the three elders shake their heads helplessly.

"Big brother, I haven't cleared my account at the transcendent materials store yet. If you're reimbursing, do it all together!"

"How did a trainee inspector borrow so much?"

Elder No. 3 stroked his beard in amazement. A trainee inspector could only get 100 points every six months at most, right?

"Most likely connections left by Cheng Long. Over the years, the people he's helped, just counting those with status and reputation, could form a reinforced battalion."

Elder No. 1 sighed. "This kid caught a good time. He's living much more comfortably than Cheng Long did when he was an inspector."

The three elders were chatting when they suddenly noticed the staff member standing there motionless.

"What are you standing around for? Clear the transcendent materials store account too!"

"Elder, the transcendent materials store doesn't have any recorded debts. How do we..."

"If there's no record, treat it as community subsidy."

Elder No. 1 waved his hand impatiently. "Send a message to the transcendent materials store saying the account is cleared, and send another notification to Cheng Ye!"

"Oh, alright."

The staff member typed on the keyboard, sent a message, and didn't forget to send one to Cheng Ye as well.

"The debts are paid off, but what about my battle armor? Those 2800 points you charged me aren't enough!"

"The sticky bombs, right, I haven't detonated those things yet. You can recover them, can't you?"

With three debts paid off, Cheng Ye on the screen became even more energetic.

Elder No. 1 finally couldn't stand it anymore. He shot up and pushed the staff member aside, "Connect the communication to me!"

"Elder, regulations don't allow you to directly communicate with inspectors..."

"I'm not an elder, I'm you."

The old man grabbed the terminal and heavily pressed the communication button. His hoarse voice exploded through the microphone:

"Hm?"

"Cheng Ye, I can authorize waiving the contribution points for the battle armor and sticky bombs. Consider them gifts."

"Thank you so much. I knew you were a good person. Thank you for supporting the inspector's work. The people of the buffer zone will remember you."

"But I have one requirement. You can only get this after you complete it."

The elder's voice paused. "This requirement isn't simple. Do you want to hear it first?"

Several seconds passed.

Only the sound of electrical static remained on the other end of the microphone, with no voice coming through for a long time.

The elder frowned, and the staff member carefully approached. "Elder, he... seems to have hung up..."

"What?"

All three were simultaneously shocked and angry. This was the first time in Happiness City that someone dared to actively hang up on them.

Did he not want to live?

"Force the connection back through, put it on speaker, and make him listen properly!"

"Yes!"

Ding.

"Hm? Is there something else?"

"Cheng Ye, listen carefully. If you want debt forgiveness, do work for me!"

Elder No. 1 pounded the table heavily. "I'll allocate a repair fund to Tianyuan Community. You'll be responsible for supervising the work, and you'll also manage the accounts and everything. I'll have people prioritize coordinating whatever materials you want at market prices. But there's one condition... if after completion, half the communities envy Tianyuan, the battle armor money is completely waived. Otherwise, it'll be deducted from your salary installment by installment!"

"Boss, that depends on how much you allocate. If you only allocate a few hundred points, how am I supposed to repair anything?"

"Boss?"

The elder couldn't help but chuckle. "Kid, in all these years, even your father never dared call me that. Ding Yishan has to be respectful when he comes to see me, yet you dare to call me that?"

He paused, but didn't comment further on this form of address. Instead, his tone rose, "Listen carefully, I'll allocate twenty thousand contribution points. Is that enough?"

"Will you allow me to embezzle a little?"

"Get lost!"

The phone was hung up again, and cold sweat streamed down the staff member's temples.

Fortunately, this time it was the elder who hung up personally. He stood up and flicked his sleeves, saying lightly, "Let's go. Today's events stay buried in your stomachs."

As soon as he finished speaking, the command room suddenly grew cold. The thermometer hanging on the wall instantly broke through zero degrees and plummeted directly to minus 20 degrees.

Everyone simultaneously felt a chill on their necks, as if ice blades were pressed against their throats, and they hurriedly nodded like pecking chickens.

Seeing that everyone was thoroughly frightened, the elder smiled again, and the room temperature instantly warmed back up.

"This kid seems quite interesting. It looks like that broken mess of an inspection station might finally have some hope."

"With his background, what if the Transcendent faction causes trouble?"

"This old man hasn't made a move in over ten years, but I'm not dead yet. They have even fewer people than us. Make a move?"

Elder No. 1 stretched his neck. "Give him some time. Within three to five years, if he really has the ability, let him take the station chief position. I can't stand looking at this mess in the buffer zone for even one more day."

"True. Ding Yishan and Harlin have been fighting internally for so many years. If it weren't for the City Lord keeping them in check, this old man would really want to punch both those animals to death."

"Don't be so hot-tempered. If Liu Kun hears this, he'll definitely go tattle to the Deputy City Lord again."

"Heh, when Cheng Long led people to ambush the City Lord, why didn't he go tattle then?"

The three elders stood up, speaking jokes without any concealment, making the people around them feel chills down their spines.

Fortunately, although these people's professional abilities might not be considered top-tier in Happiness City, their skill at keeping secrets was something they had mastered before entering this place.

After the elders' figures disappeared around the corridor corner, the person in charge, who had been as docile as a chicken the previous second, suddenly stood straight with a "huff," his gaze sweeping across the entire scene like an eagle, "I don't want to hear anyone mention today's events. Understood?"

"Understood!"

B-7 District.

4:50 AM, the night was as thick as undissolved ink.

Just when Cheng Ye was getting so drowsy that his eyelids were fighting, three riot vehicles finally drove over.

The vehicle bodies were covered with thick dark brown blood plasma, clearly showing they had fought their way here.

The vehicles stopped.

Twenty-eight people from four teams got out. Three teams quickly locked their gun muzzles on the surrounding buildings, while another team surrounded four researchers in white coats and walked directly toward the fusion body Zhang Can lying on the ground.

"Thank you for your hard work, brothers. This fusion body is quite special. The higher-ups specifically requested it."

"Don't worry, Inspector Cheng. We might be afraid of the living ones, but can something that's completely dead still scare people?"

The researchers crouched down, wearing gloves as they poked around, examining something unknown.

After a while, several people took out cutting tools and skillfully cut the infection source from the fusion body's head.

Compared to regular infected entities, the infection source of a high-level fusion body was as large as a fist.

Even though Zhang Can the host was already dead, the starfish infection source still wriggled slightly in the air, its surface covered with densely packed blood vessel-like patterns that made one's scalp tingle.

"Perfect! The activity is preserved extremely well!"

Fanatical light burst from the four people's eyes as they carefully placed the infection source into a specially made metal containment box. The moment the lid closed, a low humming sound came from inside.

"Thank you, Inspector Cheng, for guarding the sample."

The lead researcher straightened up and patted his gloves covered in mucus.

"No problem, it's part of my duty."

Cheng Ye nodded, then pointed at the fusion body remains on the ground. "What about him?"

"You can handle him like a regular infected entity, or wait until dawn. Someone will come to clean up these corpses and take them to a designated location for incineration."

"Mm."

After completing the handover procedures, the three riot vehicles returned along the same route, and the drones overhead scattered with a whoosh.

"Let's go, Big Dragon. The pedestrian street area still hasn't been cleaned up."

"Alright." Big Dragon responded, but after taking two steps, he scratched his head and turned back. "Sir, Ah Can's body... could we take it with us? So his wife can see him one last time and find some closure."

"Sure, you handle it. Without the infection source now, there's no contamination capability anyway."

Cheng Ye waved his hand, not particularly concerned about this.

The group quickly evacuated, stepping over rubble, while the drone swarm overhead buzzed in two circles before rushing toward the pedestrian street area according to orders.

Only after the sound of metal wings disappeared deep into the building complex did Cheng Ye slowly open his palm.

The bronze-colored collector pendant lay quietly in his palm, and the originally hollow glass core had silently changed.

One-fourth was filled with azure blue, and if one looked carefully, they could vaguely see a small starfish floating in the azure liquid. All five arms were covered with sharp metallic colors, spinning and tumbling with the liquid like a spinning top.

"Is this the Horned Starfish?"

Cheng Ye was extremely curious.

The Stand-In Starfish was a mutated product of the Horned Starfish that died from S-4 virus erosion. Its original transcendent abilities had undergone alienation, becoming a special type of contamination.

However, the Tears of the Horned Starfish in his hand was a genuine transcendent object from before the S-4 version.

How exactly did the collector manage to obtain this thing from Zhang Can's body?

He couldn't figure it out, and he was too lazy to think about it.

"Five minutes of transcendence, this is truly an invincible trump card..."

The panel opened, revealing attribute bonuses so tempting they were irresistible.

Not to mention strength and speed, just this defense stat alone was perversely powerful beyond description.

Additionally, he could temporarily possess two transcendent skills, one for recovery and one for crowd control.

"If I could obtain this Carnivorous Recovery, I could use Iron Body freely!"

Cheng Ye smacked his lips, then laughed at himself.

Using a Lv5 skill to complement a Lv2 skill was truly putting the cart before the horse.

However, this also helped him understand the level system of transcendent skills. The most basic transcendent skills should start at Lv5.

"Just need a little more information level to get through the trainee period and unlock Lv3 search."

"Lv5 isn't far either. Endure for a year or two, and I should be able to push the information level up."

Compared to others, this speed was already quite terrifying.

After all, Ding Yishan, the station chief, had endured for over ten years and still hadn't reached transcendence.

In the blink of an eye, two hours later.

As the morning sun slowly rose on the horizon, Cheng Ye stretched and finally heard a series of pleasant notifications in his ears.

[Congratulations, Trainee Civilization Collector Cheng Ye]

[It has been detected that you have accumulated sufficient 'trainee' information level. Do you wish to proceed with rank advancement?]

[Please note: When advancing, please ensure you are in a safe environment!]

[Please note: During advancement, this collector will reorganize its internal database and organize trainee period information. Please ensure all skills have been unloaded. If there are any losses, we will not be responsible]

[Please note: After rank advancement, you will face multiple collector personal inclination choices. This choice will determine your future collection direction, and the collector will automatically strengthen corresponding collection functions for you. Please ensure you have sufficient mental power to make judgments.]

[Please note: It has been detected that the collector's current mental state is extremely exhausted. It is recommended to postpone the upgrade!]