"It wasn’t like this a few years ago. Back then, foreign caravans were the favorites; not only did they not have to pay any taxes, but Happiness City would also offer an extra 5% premium to buy their goods, to encourage more caravans to co."
"The problem arose because so people were too cunning. Zone B charged a 5% tax on scavengers, but so didn’t want to pay. So they colluded with nearby small settlents, sold the goods to them, and then had the settlents bring them in under the guise of a caravan through Zone C, exploiting the tax exemption loophole."
"After only half a year, the tax revenue in Zone B halved, yet the number of people coming and going tripled."
"As this happened more frequently, and with fewer foreign caravans over the years—most were our own Happiness City caravans running trade routes—the inspection station took the opportunity to change the rules so that high-value items from both caravans and individuals are taxed at 20%, plugging the loophole in Zone B."
"If smuggling is discovered, the excess 10% belongs to you, and additionally, the station will provide an extra 5% as a duty reward."
Hmm?
This is where the benefit lies?
Cheng Ye listened, his eyes lighting up, suddenly realizing Zone C wasn’t as bad as he thought—it was also a good place to earn contribution points!
Currently, of all the inspection stations, probably no other Low-level Inspector needs contribution points as much as he does.
Setting aside gear, vehicles, batteries, and other things everyone wants.
The Idealist Faction route, while enjoyable, commands a community of over a thousand at his disposal, yet the expenses are alarming, and keep increasing.
As for the current Celestial Essence Community construction that he’s been modifying repeatedly, the budget has skyrocketed to 26,000 points.
Not to ntion the subsequent factory building, dical equipnt procurent, and upfront input for production materials.
Although, once the pedestrian street is completed, these upfront investnts can be gradually recouped, turning it into a continuous treasure trove, providing long-term revenue.
But these upfront costs have to be covered by him as the investor.
And these needs precisely cannot be t by the Contribution System.
Last night, after returning, he carefully recalculated, still not understanding why weapons and dical items are so expensive. He specifically sought Huang Sheng to inquire into the Public Works Bureau’s system for verification.
Upon calculation, he finally grasped the relationship between the internal contribution system and external contribution points.
Simply put, the internal contribution system is a special regulation created specifically for the developnt of Shelter Cities, with two core objectives:
1. Preventing resource outflow.
2. Reducing the threshold for resource use.
Take the rental vehicle price for example, it’s set so cheaply to facilitate caravans, inspectors, and public officials going out to conduct business.
But to use this system to purchase goods, that’s not possible.
Because Contribution Points have anchored items, tangible things supporting them, like Extraordinary Ore, Mutated Crystal, and various strictly controlled strategic materials can be exchanged for resources both in Happiness City and out to other Shelter Cities.
But the internal contribution system does not have this; each departnt determines what is issued and how it’s issued, and the expenses naturally fall on the departnt.
Here’s a simple example.
When the inspection station was rich, it bought one hundred Big Golden Cup vehicles from Happiness City at market price."
When these hundred vehicles were first bought, renting them for a day might have cost 50 points, and damages required a compensation of 500.
But as ti passed, the cost was long recovered, so it beca the 15 points per day rate he saw, even if the vehicle broke down, the station could bear it.
However, for things like weapons and dical supplies, the station won’t store them; if soone redeems them, they must be purchased at the current market price using Contribution Points.
Thus, when the inspection station was prosperous, the points everyone held were valuable—that a Wild Bull Fighting Handgun might sell for 1 point was possible.
But if the station is in financial difficulty, points imdiately decrease in value.
For instance, now the price of Wild Bull Handguns has doubled, and Thunder 1 has increased several tis."
And when the High-level Inspectors return in the autumn, when the station has money, points will appreciate."
This is why Towns reminded him not to waste any Contribution Points before his promotion.
Because only after seeing all the rules upon promotion can one understand the operational mode of this system."
But even if points appreciate, it can’t grant him the things needed for constructing the pedestrian street."
Because this system at the inspection station facilitates official purposes for inspectors, rather than personal ambitions."
"Every spring and autumn are the busiest tis in Zone C."
"Well, co winter, there are usually no caravans, sotis Zone C is shut for over ten days, which is common."
She keeps introducing, witnessing Cheng Ye suddenly pause, staring brightly at the garage."
"This is the garage, where so caravans use electric vehicles, so they co here for charging."
"I know, this charging station is for to use, right?"
"Yes..."
Before she could finish.
Cheng Ye had already skillfully removed the charging connector, swiping his badge for access, before hanging the connector back.
"Alright, don’t let anyone use this station."
"Understood."
Unexpectedly, even after leaving Zone A, he can still charge at Zone C, truly a pleasant surprise!
Should have asked Wang Kang to report to Zone C.
The thought erged and was swiftly dismissed by Cheng Ye—benefits often co with risks.
For caravans coming from afar, the probability of encountering fierce Infected Bodies is not small."
Maybe it won’t happen once in ten tis, but if t once with a super strong Infected Body like Rotting Vine."
Never mind Wang Kang as an intern, even he would face significant risk."
Moving forward, Zone C also has three large warehouses and a quarantine warehouse."
"Is anyone in the quarantine warehouse now?"
"No, generally speaking, people at risk won’t be allowed to pass through the inspection station; we will discourage them, and the trade of goods occurs outside the inspection station."
"Outside the inspection station..."
Cheng Ye raised his eyes to survey the area outside the inspection station; just like the yellow line at North Station, South Station here had one as well.
To his surprise, despite the rain, four nine-ter-six trucks were already waiting at Zone C’s entrance.
Each truck had a large red Mountain logo painted on its side."
In the intern inspector’s culture exam, there’s a course that requires rembering various faction logos.
Cheng Ye frowned, pondered a mont, and soon recalled the faction corresponding to this logo from mory.
From the neighboring Sea Province, Red Mountain Shelter City, approximately 1,700 kiloters in a straight line from Happiness City."
Although its scale doesn’t match Happiness City, it’s a bona fide Large Shelter City, with a resident population of about 300,000."
As for specialties...at such a distance, what’s loaded on the trucks is unlikely to be local specialties."
Most likely a second-hand dealer, and the goods have changed hands multiple tis along the way."
That’s the regular operation of wasteland caravans, selling and buying along the way, profiting from price differences."
Rather than modern-style, taking on a consignor’s commission, loading goods to a specific destination."
Pulling out the Defense Communication, Cheng Ye glanced at the ti."
The inspection starting at nine is only fifteen minutes away, just enough ti to prepare."
"She, let’s start preparing."
"Alright, sir!"
She’s nodded in agreent, and before Cheng Ye opened the isolation door, she had already drawn out a black dog from the dormitory."
This dog’s fur was shiny, standing at half a man’s height, looking particularly spirited."
Upon seeing Cheng Ye, the black dog barked twice, promptly receiving a slap from She: "Why are you barking? This is Inspector Cheng!"
The black dog whimpered, imdiately lowering its head, as if it understood, its gaze suddenly becoming fawning."
"Hey, our inspection station raises animals?"
Cheng Ye couldn’t help but be surprised.
Due to the impact of the Extraordinary Curse, plant growth requires special care and the nutrient cycle is fleeting, making the breeding of herbivorous animals extrely cost-ineffective."
Carnivorous animals are even less conceivable, with no at for humans, let alone animals."
Dogs, being omnivores, can subsist on Nutrient Paste."
But awkwardly, ordinary hunting dogs are no match for mutated creatures, and their barking might even attract Infected Bodies, so scavengers do not favor them."
Considering all factors, the black dog before him is the first animal he’s seen since traveling here."
"Sir, it’s Hei, a veteran at our inspection station, specializing in those low-skilled smugglers with wishful thinking!"
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