"With money coming in and everyone employed, as soon as the internal and external circulation starts, the collective strength can be gathered, and the advantages of the Celestial Essence Community can truly be realized!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, and there seemed to be a beautiful vision of the community's future in his eyes.

Elder Song was completely stunned, looking at Cheng Ye's back, momentarily seeing another Zhang Can.

Six years ago, Zhang Can, who had just joined the community, was the same, passionately discussing similar ideals in front of him, claiming he wanted to build factories in the community so people wouldn't have to rely on odd jobs to barely sustain a living.

However, ideals and reality have a huge gap between them.

The newly graduated youngster simply didn't understand the difficulties of seeking development on the Wasteland.

He naively thought that with eloquent speeches, he could extract development funds from barren, parched lands.

The result is what they face now.

Before he could lead the community forward, he was first tortured by immense pressure into a disfigured state.

"Cheng... Inspector Cheng."

Elder Song got up and pursed his dry, cracked lips.

Six years ago, he didn't interrupt Zhang Can's ideals because he too had similar dreams.

At that time, he was equally filled with longing for the community's future, so he could understand that fervor.

But now, the dream should awaken, and people still need to move forward steadily on solid ground to walk stably and quickly.

Yet he forgot, when he learned last night that Inspector Cheng had come to the mall.

Out of a whimsical impulse, he gambled again, and heavily too.

Luckily, he won the bet.

"The community doesn't have so much funding, and everyone can't afford to waste time on an elusive prospect this autumn."

Elder Song's words were heavy, almost said through gritted teeth, already prepared for Cheng Ye's displeasure.

But then he hurriedly added: "The weather this year is very strange, this winter will surely be hard to endure, so autumn is the best time to store up supplies for the winter, I hope you understand."

"I understand."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, indeed practical people are more likable.

His eloquent speeches, paired with the Inspector's noble status, would make ordinary people smug.

"It's good that you understand, sir..."

Elder Song smiled wryly, and the address naturally shifted to the slightly more formal "sir".

However, the next second, he suddenly froze, his face showing an unbelievable expression.

"Elder Song, last night you lent me three hundred men and we swept through the Infected Tide in Zone B-7."

Cheng Ye extended his hand, his finger pointing to the bustling crowd on the pedestrian street.

Long was directing people to transport the Infected Bodies, and upon noticing his gesture, he scratched his head and showed a silly smile.

Er Long squatted by the wall, seemingly still not out of Zhang Can's shadow, but seeing him point over, quickly stood up, smiling and nodding in response.

Every militiaman who followed him through life and death last night trembled slightly when being pointed at.

Finally, his finger fell before the mall.

There, a row of figures covered in white cloth lay quietly.

They were the ones who sacrificed yesterday.

A total of twenty-six people.

Sixteen of them were attacked by the Fusion Body, their vital organs were burned and couldn't be saved.

Ten were accidentally hit by stones thrown by Zhang Can or strayed bullets while trying to hold him down, and died on the spot.

Fortunately, these sacrifices were all single, yet to start families.

But still, amidst the celebration at the mall, everyone's hearts were shrouded in a faint shadow.

"These people, I brought back 274 of them."

Cheng Ye took a deep breath, eyes firm: "I want all residents of the Celestial Essence Community, all people in Zone B-7, and all communities in the Buffer Zone to understand, those 26 individuals who sacrificed alongside me last night did not sacrifice in vain, their efforts brought not only a considerable amount of repair funds to Celestial Essence, but also a future!"

"Future?"

Elder Song pondered these two words repeatedly.

When he raised his head again to look at Cheng Ye, he saw not Zhang Can, but something Zhang Can didn't have.

It's a kind of confidence that cannot be described in words.

Not just hot air, nor self-indulgence, and certainly not avoiding pressure fearfully.

But truly... man conquers nature, and actions bring results!

"Maybe tomorrow or the day after, I will invest funds into Celestial Essence Community, roughly two thousand Contribution Points, to help rebuild the pedestrian street."

When it came to the main topic, Cheng Ye sat down, a lazy expression returning to his brow.

"I will supervise the use of these funds and control the overall direction forward, Elder Song, you wouldn't mind me joining Celestial Essence Community too, right?"

...

A moment later.

Elder Song was carried away on a stretcher.

Cheng Ye also didn't expect that the old warrior who emerged from the Infected Tide would have such a strong reaction, nearly getting excited to the point of a heart attack.

Fortunately, Zhu Xiang who knew a fair amount of first aid, intervened promptly, preventing a tragic scenario of excess joy turning into sorrow.

"Captain, what did you use to stimulate him?"

"What he wanted."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Zhu Xiang was somewhat perplexed.

An old warrior over sixty, used to seeing life and death, and accustomed to the harshness of the Wasteland, what else would he want?

"Don't you have any ideals?"

"Yes, I do." Zhu Xiang pondered for a bit, then beams with joy, "Thanks to you, captain, after this I'm likely to earn a small managerial spot at the medical office, and won't have to run all over doing trivial tasks with the others."

"Once you become a manager, what do you want to do?"

"Hmm..."

Zhu Xiang paused for a moment, then smiled candidly, "Promote private medicine, perhaps. We can't control the medical office in the Inner City, but the medical office in the Outer City, currently without competition, is already stagnating. Where there used to be regular experiments with new infection-control medicines, there hasn't been anything for years."

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