"Inspector Cheng, do you remember me? I'm Zhao Jia... We're only six years apart in age and attended the same school in the Inner City!"

"Oh my, Inspector Cheng, you're amazing! We, the First-Phase Inspectors, have to retreat as soon as we see an Advanced Fusion Body, but you dare to face them head-on. We truly admire your courage!"

"Inspector Cheng, to put it simply, if you ever need help in the future, just give me a shout. I'll be at your service. The younger generation of inspectors is really in need of a leading figure like you!"

"..."

Inspectors whom Cheng Ye had never even met or could not name entered one after another.

While making small talk to get acquainted, each person carried a stack of books.

Some had a dozen books, others twenty or thirty.

The number was clearly controlled so as not to exceed the stack Zhou Changhai brought, but the selection of books clearly involved a lot of thought.

Most were practical books on combating Infected Bodies, with only a few old magazines thrown in as extras.

What surprised Cheng Ye more was that among all these books, none were duplicates.

"Is there such a benefit?!"

A genuine hint of a smile appeared on Cheng Ye's face.

Now he didn't even need to actively collect; these inspectors were giving them to him as goodwill gestures, like manna from heaven.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he could open a Survival Library.

"Thank you, thank you!"

After sending off the last of the First-Phase Inspectors, Cheng Ye had just caught his breath when a little over ten minutes later, the Second-Phase Inspectors started to arrive.

Currently, 54 inspectors were out on duty and had not returned, while 96 were stationed within.

Excluding the 47 Westerners, there were 49 Eastern People in the camp.

Yet, according to the list Matthew Lee provided, the Westerner camp now numbered 55, while the Easterners only 41—eight having "defected."

In the current faction struggle, the Western inspectors naturally wouldn't come to see him, but those who secretly joined the Western camp didn't miss the opportunity.

With a slight interaction with this group, Cheng Ye finally understood why the Eastern camp had been weakening.

In terms of strength, they were similar, being mostly First- and Second-Phase, so there was little difference in their skill levels.

They were competent enough when stationed at the checkpoint, but once they ventured into the Wilderness, death was a constant risk.

In terms of spirit and demeanor, however, the Eastern camp inspectors were undoubtedly weaker than those who had defected to the Westerners.

The former resembled the Academy Faction, mostly having emerged from the Inner City to succeed their fathers.

They hadn't undergone any significant disasters and hadn't cultivated the courage to face adversity head-on.

They simply assumed the role of inspector, passed their evaluations, and barely possessed any on-duty survival skills.

The latter were like the Practical Faction, such as Raul, who never stayed in the Inner City but grew up in the checkpoint, knowing the rules inside out and understanding how to advance, striving for Third-Phase or Fourth-Phase qualifications.

If the environment were stable, the Academy Faction could gradually grow, supplementing the experience that the Practical Faction had honed over years and possibly going further on the inspector path due to their complete Inner City education and systematically constructed thinking patterns.

But in this chaotic situation, with no one in charge, there wasn't any time for the Academy Faction to slowly develop.

"Indeed, if a unifying leader were to emerge among the Easterners, the situation could turn around."

Cheng Ye assessed internally.

The "old folks" above were still there; as long as the new generation could develop steadily, that would suffice.

If someone could step up, either stopping the faction fights from escalating or drawing them onto themselves, the rest could grow peacefully and overcome this crisis.

Otherwise, the new generation would gradually lose their ambition amid the faction alignments, consumed by power struggles and career climbing.

After the First and Second Phases had come and gone, the few Third-Phase Inspectors made their entrance.

Their gifts were no longer common commodities but included many books concerning the Extraordinary Realm.

Cheng Ye, being particularly interested, recognized these as rare materials not available in the market.

Meanwhile, the favors left by Cheng Long before his death began to take effect.

Anyone bearing both the tags of Third-Phase and being an Easterner owed Cheng Long some obligation to varying degrees.

If Cheng Ye could solidify his position this time and successfully rise, he would immediately gain the support of these individuals.

As for the Fourth-Phase Inspectors from the Eastern camp, and the remaining three Fifth-Phase Inspectors,

by sunset, none had shown up.

Cheng Ye vaguely speculated that these people would likely appear in batches over the next few days, instead of rushing over like the ordinary inspectors.

After all, Fourth-Phase Inspectors were already the pillars of the checkpoint; every move needed consideration.

"Wow, Brother Cheng, how come you have so many more books here..."

Wang Kang woke up groggily and was startled when he saw the open door of Cheng Ye's room.

A corner of the large living room was already filled with various books, no less than three hundred by a quick glance.

The air carried a faint scent of ink, mingled with the aged aura unique to old books.

"Someone knew I enjoy reading, so they brought them over to keep me entertained."

Cheng Ye got up and stretched his muscles twice.

With only a day equipped with the Wild Grass Physique, he felt that most of his injuries had healed.

He estimated that in three to five days, he would be fully recovered.

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