Pushing open the security door, five boxes of nutritional paste were already piled on the floor.

Compared to the room at the medical facility, Cheng Ye found that his little home truly counted as having bare walls, with nothing but necessary furniture and no extra decorations.

However, once he closed the door, a strong sense of security washed over him, something no other place could provide.

Pulling over the only stool to sit down, Cheng Ye began removing his clothes piece by piece.

Having equipped skills several times now, he had become quite experienced at it.

The panel automatically popped open.

[Collector: Cheng Ye]

[Current Rank: lv.2 Rising Star (1.3/100)]

[Life Level: 0]

[Skills: Mobile Shooting, Beast Instinct, Empty]

[Not yet unlocked]

"Equip Wild Grass Physique!"

As his words fell.

The skill slot flickered slightly, and a purple glow replaced the empty position, appearing within it.

Unlike when he equipped Iron Body, where the countless phantoms only appeared after a while.

This time, almost the instant Wild Grass Physique appeared in the skill slot, an overwhelming, unstoppable force surged into his body like a burst dam, rampaging through his insides.

Boom!

As if a miniature bomb had detonated deep in his abdominal cavity, tingling electric currents instantly spread throughout his limbs and body.

The blood vessels under his skin suddenly bulged, one by one, like plant root systems crawling and climbing across his body's surface, eventually converging toward his heart like hundreds of rivers flowing to the sea.

Cheng Ye instinctively looked down and saw a verdant wild grass totem slowly emerging at the center of his chest. It didn't look like a tattoo, but rather like a birthmark, slightly raised on the skin's surface.

Thump.

Thump.

The sound of his heartbeat, driven by the totem, became increasingly obvious, like beating drums.

Each time the totem flickered, all the blood in his body would surge in turbulent waves.

Each time the totem rose and fell, all his blood vessels would twist along with it.

"Hmm?"

A stream of black blood rushed out from his nasal cavity. Cheng Ye raised his hand to wipe it, but it felt like wiping away old grease.

Sticky and viscous, nothing like the feel of normal blood.

At the same time, his skin surface began seeping fine droplets of blood, especially the four black areas marked on the examination report, which were like being pierced by countless fine needles, with large amounts of black blood gushing out.

Even his scalp began bleeding. Looking at his reflection in the window, he had already transformed into a terrifying bloody figure.

But strangely, this wild bleeding didn't bring the slightest weakness. Instead, it was an extreme comfort that made one's scalp tingle.

The painful points that had been pressed this morning now transmitted waves of tingling sensations, as if small hands were gently teasing, with each touch dissolving a bit of the pain.

This continued repeatedly. After about three minutes, a pool of black blood had accumulated at Cheng Ye's feet.

As all the mysterious sensations slowly disappeared.

He stood up, and his first feeling wasn't that his body pain had lessened, but rather an indescribable sense of power flooding his entire body.

Thump.

Thump.

The force of his heart pumping blood seemed to become unprecedentedly strong. Pressing his hand to his chest, it felt like a turbo pump was roaring and vibrating in his chest cavity.

Cheng Ye tried clenching his fist, his knuckles making crisp sounds like frying beans. He bent slightly and hooked his fingers under the bed frame, lifting upward.

Whoosh.

This solid wood bed weighing at least a hundred kilograms was easily lifted at one corner by him.

"Huh?"

Cheng Ye was stunned.

When he had chosen this room, it was precisely because of this unusually sturdy bed.

He had tried lifting and moving the bed before. When he hadn't been transformed by Dragon Force Embryonic Form, the bed barely budged.

Later, after obtaining Iron Body and trying again, he had to grit his teeth and exert himself to barely lift and move it.

But now.

"Isn't it supposed to increase body recovery? My strength..."

Cheng Ye put down the bed, walked to the wall, and instinctively threw a punch.

Thump.

He only used thirty percent of his strength, but when his fist landed, no pain came. It was as if his fist was wrapped in a layer of cowhide, completely isolating all force and pain.

Walking to the window, he looked up and suddenly found his vision had become incredibly clear. It felt like being nearsighted for years and suddenly having perfect vision restored. He could actually see the signs hanging on distant small buildings clearly, with legible text.

Previously, he could only vaguely make out the characters but couldn't identify what they said.

Opening the window, Cheng Ye took a deep breath. The air flowing into his lungs carried the freshness of new grass shoots, and his limbs felt infused with endless vitality.

He imitated Feng Yaozu's method, pressing those painful points from this morning.

Hmm, still sharp pain.

But strangely, he had a vague premonition that once these areas recovered, they would become even more resilient than before.

Just like wild grass enduring winter's dormancy, growing even more vigorously when spring comes!

As for the wild grass totem at his heart, with a thought from Cheng Ye, the totem would faintly appear. When he shifted his attention away, only an barely detectable mark remained on his skin's surface. Unless someone got close with a magnifying glass for careful examination, they couldn't tell what it was.

"So the changes brought by physique aren't just enhanced recovery."

He muttered to himself, "Just like Dragon Force Embryonic Form brought me muscle mass, this Wild Grass Physique almost completely reconstructed my body's foundation, which is why it can provide such powerful recovery!"

Realizing this, Cheng Ye felt enlightened, secretly thinking he had truly made the right choice.

Choosing the Limit Breaking State could unleash more explosive neural power, but it definitely couldn't bring such tremendous changes to his body's foundation.

Similarly, Limit Breaking Muscles and Bones was only technique and localized enhancement, nothing like the qualitative change in physique he experienced now, directly elevating his originally weak foundation to monster level.

Gurgle, gurgle.

The familiar hunger pangs came, making him dizzy almost instantly.

This feeling was ten times stronger than when he activated Iron Body last time!

After just a second or two of delay, Cheng Ye felt his legs go weak and uncontrollable, unable to help collapsing to the floor.

But he gasped and smiled.

"Perfect! If every skill activation had this intensity, that would be satisfying!"

Tearing open five packs of nutritional paste simultaneously, he opened his mouth wide and stuffed all the bags directly in.

His fingers roughly squeezed, and the milky white liquid completely exploded in his mouth.

He didn't need to actively swallow. As soon as the liquid flowed into his throat, it was carried downward by some mysterious force.

At the same time, the wild grass pattern at his heart lit up again, flickering continuously with his swallowing motions.

Thump.

Five packs.

Thump.

Another five packs drained!

The greedy wild grass was like receiving fertilizer, rapidly filling in its missing foundation.

It felt like countless root systems were extending into deeper "soil," frantically absorbing nutrients.

In just half a minute, Cheng Ye had roughly consumed the first box of 40 packs of nutritional paste.

But the hunger pangs not only didn't lessen, they became even more obvious.

Fortunately, this time his preparation was adequate. The second box, the third box...

A full 120 packs of nutritional paste went down his stomach without any sense of satiation.

It wasn't until the fifth box was nearly empty that Cheng Ye's swallowing speed slowed slightly.

When only the last few packs remained in the box, the indescribable hunger finally receded, but based on previous experience, he was still thirty to fifty packs away from being truly full.

"A Lv3 talent skill, and 200 packs still isn't enough?"

Cheng Ye stood up in amazement, but his heart surged with irrepressible joy.

Using the quantity of nutritional paste to quantify talent effects was simple and crude, but it was the most intuitive method.

The more he ate, the greater the talent's potential.

After his energy was replenished, the painful areas throughout his body gradually transmitted fine itching sensations, obviously indicating that damaged parts were rapidly healing.

Walking to the adjacent washroom, Cheng Ye simply drew some water to rinse the dirty blood from his body.

Fortunately, this foundational bodily change didn't instantly restore him to full health. The surface bruising only faded somewhat without completely disappearing, saving him considerable explanation trouble.

After drawing another bucket of water and using a mop to clean up the heavy oil-like dirty blood from the floor, Cheng Ye closed the door.

He didn't contact Big Dragon again, but walked directly to the supply distribution point not far from the residential complex, collected thirty packs of nutritional paste, and drank while walking.

By the time he reached the bus stop, his stomach finally felt a weak sense of satiation.

"Phew, comfortable!"

Cheng Ye exhaled deeply. He had originally thought Wild Grass Physique only caused qualitative changes to his body's recovery, but unexpectedly, it was a comprehensive enhancement of all attributes.

This massive leap in fundamentals had completely overshadowed the beneficial effects of his skills.

He had a vague premonition that even facing opponents who had cultivated the four forces, he could easily defeat them now.

No other reason.

We stat monsters are just like that.

With great difficulty squeezing onto the bus, by the time he got off, exactly two and a half hours had passed.

As soon as he walked into the medical facility's main entrance, the security guard on duty showed a friendly smile and stepped forward to remind him, "Inspector Cheng, after you left, friends came to visit you continuously. We've already directed them to wait in your ward."

"Friends?"

"Yes." The guard briefly described the visitors' appearances.

A woman with a little girl, and a middle-aged man accompanying a young man.

"Sister Luo? Yiyi?"

Cheng Ye couldn't help but break into a smile, patting the guard's shoulder and walking quickly inside under his respectful gaze.

Taking the elevator to the fifth floor, before the doors fully opened, excited shouts from Yiyi could be heard in the corridor.

"Come chase me! Hahaha!"

"I'm about to catch you!"

Hmm?

Little Kang?

The familiar voice matched up in his memory, and Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow as he stepped out of the elevator.

Indeed, in the corridor, a handsome young man was chasing Yiyi, both of them laughing and playing as they weaved through the hallway.

At the end of the corridor, Luo Xiaoxue and Jiang Chuan stood side by side, speaking quietly about something, both wearing relaxed smiles.

"Oh, Brother Cheng Ye is back!"

Yiyi, who was still running, suddenly stopped, then accelerated toward him like a little cannonball.

Cheng Ye bent down smoothly, scooped her up, and even lifted her into the air with a laugh, spinning in a circle.

Liu Yi giggled continuously. For her, just being able to leave the chemical factory complex was exciting enough.

Riding the bus all the way to the medical facility was like entering a completely new world, everything looking fresh and curious.

"Brother Cheng." Wang Kang scratched his head as he walked over, his eyes showing obvious surprise, "How did you become so strong?"

"Oh? Did I?"

Cheng Ye smiled, steadily carrying Yiyi on his shoulders.

Without comparison, there's no harm.

He glanced at Wang Kang's slight build, then looked down at his own bulging, full chest muscles and increasingly defined arm muscle lines, feeling momentarily dazed.

When he had just transmigrated, he had been even thinner and weaker than Wang Kang was now.

But standing together today, it highlighted just how tremendous the changes in his body had been during this time.

"Once we're out of the inner city, we have to rely on ourselves to survive. More exercise isn't a bad thing."

"Brother Cheng is right. I'm also working hard to exercise, it's just..."

Wang Kang sighed enviously, "The results are terrible. No matter how much I eat, I don't gain muscle."

"That's fine. In a couple of days, I'll take you to eat big meat at the shop near my complex. The owner knows me well. I'll have him pick some large, fat cuts to add nutrition for you."

As the two chatted and laughed, Jiang Chuan and Luo Xiaoxue also walked over.

Jiang Chuan was carrying an exquisite fruit basket containing six different colored fruits that looked particularly fresh.

"Inspector Cheng, Station Chief Ding asked me to deliver this as condolences to you."

"He also asked me to pass along a message: Being able to successfully kill a advance fusion body makes you outstanding among the younger generation, but you must not become arrogant because of this. Always maintain sufficient reverence toward infected entities. Only this way can you continue to shine in your position and achieve more merits for our inspection station."

"Additionally, the station is currently under renovation and he really can't get away. Once everything is settled, he'll personally come to visit you and other meritorious injured personnel."

These words sounded proper enough, but Jiang Chuan recited them so emotionlessly that it reminded Cheng Ye of content creators reading teleprompter ads in short videos before his transmigration.

"Please thank Station Chief Ding for me!"

Taking out his card to swipe open the ward door, everyone filed inside.

From the moment she entered, Yiyi's eyes remained fixed on the fruit basket. Cheng Ye smiled, "Little Kang, go wash some fruit and share it with everyone."

"Great! Yiyi wants to help too!"

One big and one small left with the fruit basket, leaving the three adults sitting in the living room.

Seeing Cheng Ye's gaze turn toward him, Jiang Chuan paused before speaking, "It's like this. Inspector Wang has also passed his probationary assessment and is qualified for independent duty."

"Is that so?"

Cheng Ye nodded slightly.

During the probationary assessment period, everything was conducted in a closed manner. From assessment content to scoring standards, everything was extremely strict, almost eliminating any possibility of cheating.

However, he had only taken less than two weeks to complete all cultural assessments with full S-level ratings. His contemporaries like Wang Kang hadn't even finished reading the designated textbooks completely.

It was just that later, failing the martial assessment repeatedly delayed things, otherwise breaking Harlin's record would have been no problem.

"So Station Chief Ding means he wants Little Kang to learn from me for a while?"

As his words fell, Jiang Chuan was obviously stunned for a moment, forcing a smile, "Yes. Since Inspector Cheng has already guessed, there's no need for me to say more."

"That's fine. Thanks for the trouble. Little Kang and I were good brothers in the inner city. Now that we're out, looking out for each other is natural."

Cheng Ye nodded, smoothly steering the conversation away, though his mind was clear as a mirror.

Ding Yishan hadn't come but sent Jiang Chuan with people, obviously planning to test him on more things.

Taking on a newcomer?

Normally it wouldn't be difficult, but with large numbers of infected entities about to enter the territory, adding a newcomer who needed protection at this critical moment was somewhat tricky.

But thinking it over, Cheng Ye felt it wasn't a big problem.

Since transmigrating, he'd been busy with assessments and hadn't had much contact with Wang Kang. But in his memory, apart from being very timid, Wang Kang was actually quite clever, also being a pre-wasteland human who hadn't been "wasteland-ized."

As long as they could communicate well and Wang Kang would listen, he was fairly confident about keeping Wang Kang alive during upcoming duties.

"Then I'll take my leave?"

"Take care."

Cheng Ye stood up and accompanied Luo Xiaoxue to see him off at the elevator, watching the elevator doors slowly close before returning to the room.

As soon as he closed the door, the smile on Luo Xiaoxue's face instantly faded, replaced by a grave, worried expression, "Jiang Chuan is Station Chief Ding's most trusted clerk. You should understand this relationship, right?"

"I'm not too clear on this."

"About eighteen years ago, when Ding Yishan was just emerging at the inspection station, Jiang Chuan was already following him. While he's called a clerk, he's more like a personal bodyguard and enforcer. Well, because Ding Yishan's martial arts talent is quite ordinary. Although the inspection station chief position doesn't have hard requirements for combat ability, he often has to enter dangerous situations, so he always needs someone capable by his side."

"Jiang Chuan is a martial arts fanatic. In terms of talent, he might be slightly better than your Brother B. But they're the same type of people, appearing cold and hard but actually having no malicious intent. They're both good people!"

Because of Liu Bi and also because of Cheng Long, Luo Xiaoxue was particularly familiar with internal personnel matters at the inspection station.

When discussing Jiang Chuan, she gave very positive assessments.

But the problem was.

"Jiang Chuan making a special trip here must be at Ding Yishan's instruction. Having you stay peacefully at the medical facility to weather this storm, now it seems... you probably can't avoid it."

"What do you mean?"

"While you weren't here, I chatted with him. Wang Kang will go to the South Station to learn duty work after it opens..."

"A newcomer going to an inspection station?"

Cheng Ye was stunned.

Good heavens, he had thought his own start was a catastrophic beginning.

Wang Kang was even more unlucky, not only directly assigned to an express inspection station, but at the exact time when infected entities were about to flood in.

"Ding Yishan is testing you."

From the washroom down the corridor, the sounds of Wang Kang and Yiyi playing hadn't reached them yet.

Luo Xiaoxue lowered her voice, her tone carrying some gravity, "If you refuse to take him, he'll certainly die."

"Moreover, given your previous relationship, if you watch him go to his death, it would be a black mark on your record for future advancement at the inspection station..."

"No problem. I'll take him."

Cheng Ye smiled and straightforwardly accepted.

Rather than going to the South Station to partner with unfamiliar inspectors, it would be better to partner with Wang Kang.

At worst, he'd just work a few extra hours daily.

As for avoiding the storm, even ignoring Wang Kang, Station Chief Ding Yishan had plenty of ways to force him to the inspection station.

Better to accept this responsibility straightforwardly and tell Ding Yishan to bring whatever tricks he had into the open.

Besides, Wang Kang was clever. As long as he listened, he might not be unable to carve out a path in this chaotic world.

Giving him a hand would fulfill old friendship while also cultivating his own people. Why not?

"But..."

Luo Xiaoxue wanted to say more, but footsteps approached from the corridor.

The door opened, and an entire basket of fruit had been washed, with crystal water droplets clinging to the peels, looking particularly appealing.

"Brother Cheng Ye, you eat one first!"

Liu Yi stood on tiptoe, picked a plum-like fruit from the basket, and stuffed it into his mouth without explanation.

Hiss.

Really sweet.

Sweet juice instantly exploded in his mouth, tasting like apple richness mixed with pear freshness. Chewing gently, the fruit fragrance lingered on his tongue with an endless aftertaste.

"These fruits are quite expensive. I've only eaten them once."

Luo Xiaoxue put on a smile and explained, "There's a special greenhouse in the inner city. Within thousands of kilometers around our Happiness City, only that place can grow fresh fruits and vegetables. To buy these, having contribution points is useless. You need special quotas, and in the entire buffer zone, only Station Chief Ding can receive such quotas monthly."

"Then we're really lucky today. Come, everyone try some."

The four sat around the fruit basket, with only chewing sounds remaining.

Wang Kang was obviously eating very restrainedly, only tasting two fruits before withdrawing his hands, his fingertips gently rubbing on his knees, his eyes hiding worry that was hard to conceal.

Thinking of his own feelings when first assigned to an inspection station, Cheng Ye understood.

After eating a round and chatting with Luo Xiaoxue for a while.

Seeing dusk approaching, Cheng Ye divided half the fruit basket to pack up and saw off the woman and girl.

Returning to the room, only he and Wang Kang remained.

"Brother Cheng..."

Wang Kang's lips trembled, thousands of words stuck in his throat, not knowing where to begin.

Without others present, the fear in his eyes almost overflowed.

But the next second, a pair of warm large hands suddenly covered his shoulders. He instinctively looked up.

Their eyes met.

The calm confidence in Cheng Ye's eyes was so foreign it made him feel dazed.

It was a certainty born from weathering storms, no longer connectable to the Cheng Ye in his memory who had been terrified all night before leaving the inner city, almost scared to the point of incontinence.

"Don't panic. When we go to the express inspection station in a few days, I'll take you with me!"

[NEXT CHAPTER]