Talent?
Seated on the bus heading home, Cheng Ye massaged his aching ribs, abdomen, arms, and thighs...
Alright then, there's truly no place that doesn't hurt.
"This isn't talent, it's all my sweat, my effort!"
Cheng Ye pulled a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.
Though bitter, he enjoyed it.
Compared to spinning his wheels day after day, if a bit of pain could lead to such growth, then why not endure a bit more!
However, he secretly decided that he must quickly find a skill that could rapidly restore his physical state.
Otherwise, even if his combat power increased, he'd only be a five-second real man, needing half a day to recover after a fight.
"And... getting involved in the direct conflict between the Eastern and Western Factions so early is too disadvantageous for me."
Thinking of this, Cheng Ye felt a twinge of resentment.
This Garcia is truly an incorrigible fool, being used as a pawn without realizing it, and insists on dragging him along to gain attention.
Now, having been beaten by Liu Bi to the point of emergency care, who at the checkpoint would stick up for him? Who would dare?
Behind Liu Bi stands the entire Eastern Faction, led by Ding Yishan!
Deputy Station Chief Harlem? Would he dare send someone to beat Liu Bi into the infirmary too?
Or send someone to do to him what was done to Garcia?
Impossible, as that would only give Ding Yishan more leverage to seize more initiative.
After all, the Western Faction is strong now, but not strong enough to ride on the neck of the Eastern Faction.
As long as Ding Yishan is the station chief, the Western Faction can only gradually encroach, paving the way for Harlem without public conflict.
Only if one day their roles reverse, with Harlem becoming the station chief and Ding Yishan the deputy, would the situation noticeably change.
"Forget it, why think about this?"
"Brother B was right, no conspiracy is as important as raw power. If I had the ability to hang Garcia and beat him, today's incident wouldn't have happened."
To him right now, the external task in half a month is more important. As long as he survives, there'll be time to study how to profit in the factional conflict.
Cheng Ye took a deep breath, casting aside these factional struggles, and gazed out the bus window.
As expected, the rain at night had intensified, with visible puddles roadside.
While the Buffer Zone of Happiness City is larger compared to other Shelter Cities, the overwhelming number of recent survivors has exceeded its maximum capacity.
Along the road, beneath the eaves shielding from wind and rain, were canvas tents packed densely with heads showing expressionless faces and vacant eyes, showing no expectation for the future, let alone a hint of "happiness."
"Happiness... fake..."
Cheng Ye suddenly recalled Edmond's murmuring as he fell yesterday.
Perhaps happiness exists in this Shelter City, but it definitely doesn't belong to these lower-tier residents.
Only by struggling to squeeze into the Inner City could one feel a sliver of peace amidst the chaos.
Buzz.
In a short time, the bus began to decelerate, stopping five stations away from the Electronic Factory Residence Station.
The middle-aged driver turned and announced to the passengers on the bus:
"I'm sorry, the flood prevention works of the main city area have blocked the bus route. Everyone needs to get off at this station and walk over."
The bus doors opened, and Cheng Ye disembarked with the others.
Less than a hundred meters from the bus stop, sandbags blocked the road, leaving only an entry and exit gap.
Four armed guards stood on either side of the gap, along with two Buffer Zone staff.
"Sir, due to the flood blockade, we need to strictly control the flow of people. After 8 p.m., entering the main city requires proof of residence in the main city."
So strict?
Cheng Ye was surprised but soon understood the reason.
The main city is formed by the intersection of three old central pedestrian streets, crowded with residences, communities, malls, and shops; its drainage system is already aged and fragile. If refugees were allowed to flood in, severe flooding would make it impossible to drain.
Now by pre-controlling the flow, even if it floods, order can be quickly restored.
When it was Cheng Ye's turn, he didn't take out his room key for verification but directly pulled out his checkpoint ID from his pocket.
A round badge with the giant wall emblem of Happiness City printed on the front, and a large 'Inspection' character on the back, with a built-in chip for authenticity verification.
"Ah, an officer from the checkpoint!"
The staff received it, scanned it on the Defense Communication sensor, and upon seeing the alert, became extremely respectful.
"The rain in the coming days may intensify. If you have any needs, please feel free to call the Public Works Bureau via Defense Communication. We will provide 24-hour emergency service."
"Thank you, you've worked hard."
Cheng Ye nodded lightly, took back the badge, and walked on.
The dark raincoat covered most of his face, yet the tender skin on his forehead still drew envy from the refugees packed in roadside tents.
There are status distinctions within the Inner City walls, just as there are in the Buffer Zone.
Although the length is only over ten kilometers, it's divided into outer suburbs, inner suburbs, city area, and main city.
Being so young and living in the main city, Cheng Ye is certainly considered a winner in life.
He passed through the gap and continued onward.
In the main city, buildings were dilapidated and pipelines decayed, but no substantial standing water was seen along the streets.
The storefronts were barricaded with sandbags, almost waist-high, with shredded vines stuffed into the gaps.