Returning to the surface, they got into the pickup truck.
Cheng Ye wasn't in a hurry to immediately head to the riverside. Instead, he had Jiang Chuan drive around the town's perimeter once more.
From the direction of the muddy country roads to the entire town's cross-shaped layout, and then to the usable building ruins, everything constructed a complete memory model in his mind like a 3D map.
The answers on the first round of test papers also emerged with more ideas after this model was finalized, making the answers to the second round of questions almost effortless to conceive.
He opened the map, focusing on the water system sections.
Why was Dapo Town chosen for the port construction back then, instead of the tributary next to the industrial zone near the Linjiang River?
The most crucial reason was that although the Huangshui River and Baishui River, which branched off from the Linjiang water system, meandered through twists and turns, they would eventually converge back into the main Linjiang artery.
However, the tributary next to the industrial zone would flow into another major river called the "An River."
The An River on the map meandered extremely dramatically, and along its route it had to pass through several sections with enormous elevation differences, making it naturally unsuitable for shipping and cargo transport.
In contrast, the Linjiang River ran straight through four provinces without rapids or dangerous shoals, showing extraordinary potential.Using Dapo Town as a fulcrum and establishing a water diversion port on the Baishui River, smaller tonnage vessels could dock and load at Dapo Town, while larger tonnage ships could complete their operations on the Huangshui River.
In this way, Dapo Town became a typical "cross-strait economic potential terrain."
These three types were all variants completely absent in modern times.
There were also the familiar four major domestic fish: black carp, grass carp, silver carp, and bighead carp but in terms of size, they were at least double those of modern times, each one plump and robust, clearly having feasted well in these waters.
The shrimp types were common marsh shrimp and a wasteland-unique red shrimp. Their bodies glowed bright red, swimming through the water like moving rubies, particularly eye-catching.
"Has no one ever fished here?" Cheng Ye watched for quite a while, somewhat stunned.
He had never seen such exaggerated fish reserves. The underwater scene was almost "fish packed against fish." Even this shallow tributary could form fish schools. He couldn't imagine what the main Baishui River would look like.
In this place, even the unluckiest angler couldn't possibly come up empty-handed.
"In the early days of the New Era, this was indeed a popular spot," Jiang Chuan crouched down and stirred the pebbles at the water's edge with a branch. "Because Shi Province couldn't farm, people were stationed here daily to catch fish. But as they kept catching, production naturally plummeted. Fighting over fishing spots and catch points often led to conflicts, with dozens killed at a time being common."
"Later, as our Happiness City developed and organized many large-scale fishing operations, fish reserves dropped even more severely, no longer able to meet the needs of surrounding settlements. Some people who didn't want to join Happiness City migrated to provinces where farming was possible. Meanwhile, Happiness City also opened up stable food sources and no longer relied on aquatic products for sustenance."
"After the scavengers who originally depended on this river left one after another, fish production has gradually recovered over the years. Happiness City hasn't launched large-scale fishing again. As for outsiders, now that so many super sanctuary cities and large sanctuary cities have developed, who would still come to our Happiness City's periphery to make a living off these aquatic products?"
"Moreover, Happiness City doesn't accept fish catches submitted by scattered people. Even if occasionally someone comes to catch a few, it's just for a good meal, and they still have to risk their lives."
Actually, Jiang Chuan had only a vague understanding of these matters last night, far from being as clear as he was now but following Ding Yishan's instructions, after applying to access materials from the Blood Dragon Corps, he finally got a good grasp of the Baishui River's aquatic product situation.
"Additionally, Happiness City's decision not to actively organize fishing operations has deeper considerations," Jiang Chuan's tone became more serious, taking on a grave quality. "Now that sanctuary cities' food supplies are stable, even if these aquatic products were harvested, they would at most add variety to residents' dinner tables and couldn't shake the existing supply system. Since that's the case, there's really no need to follow the old path for this bit of culinary pleasure."
"In case of emergency situations, like Inspector Cheng's current plan to build Dapo Town, these ready-made aquatic products could help get through the most critical startup phase."
It had to be said, Happiness City's leadership was very far-sighted.
After Jiang Chuan's explanation, Cheng Ye immediately understood that these aquatic products were indeed Happiness City's reserved backup resources.
During peaceful times, they sealed away the aquatic products as "emergency food reserves," not using them lightly. When real crisis moments arrived, they would be life-saving reserves.
Moreover, fishing carried considerable risks. Some infection sources would attach to fish or lurk underwater. A moment's carelessness could lead to trouble.
Careful screening was necessary to ensure safety.
"Let's go see the hydroelectric station!" Cheng Ye originally wanted to catch a couple fish to check their quality, but glancing at the overcast sky, he decided to prioritize the main business.
After getting in the car, they continued following the river channel downstream. Along the way, signs of human maintenance were visible. Happiness City should have treated these key areas, such as regularly spraying herbicides.
Though the water grass on both sides of the channel grew luxuriantly, a passable dirt road was always maintained. Mud was inevitable, but because it was rarely traveled, it hadn't rotted into foot-trapping mire.
As the vehicle penetrated deeper, the riverside channel gradually widened from the initial two meters to three, then four meters. The current speed became increasingly gentle, and even the ripples on the water surface became softer.
Finally, the abandoned small hydroelectric station appeared at the horizon's end.
It was indeed a typical post-dam hydroelectric station.
A low dam was built across the river channel, creating a small reservoir to raise water levels. Water turbines were installed directly behind the dam body, using the drop between the dam and downstream to drive power generation. The structure was simple yet practical.
Jiang Chuan parked the car near the hydroelectric station's edge. The two didn't immediately get out.
He pressed the horn, and the sharp sound echoed through the empty river valley before being swallowed back by the water mist.
After several minutes, with nothing but the sound of flowing water around them, they finally opened the car doors.
The buildings above the dam were crooked and filled with a sense of age weathered by years, but the overall framework remained relatively intact. Compared to those buildings in Dapo Town that had collapsed into ruins, this was significantly better.
"Happiness City performs basic maintenance on these facilities, and scavengers won't destroy places like this either," Jiang Chuan continued his explanation. "After all, everyone knows these might be needed someday."
However, despite these words, as soon as Cheng Ye stepped out of the vehicle, his gaze was captured by a bright crack on the water dam.
The crack extended diagonally upward from the dam's midsection. At its widest point, it could accommodate two fingers. The concrete edges showed deep brown powder that would crumble down with a light touch.
Following the crack downward, he could see the dam surface was pitted and scarred. In some places, the cement layer had already peeled off, exposing rusted and blackened steel reinforcement bars inside, protruding like withered bones.
"This carbonation corrosion is too severe," Cheng Ye was shocked. The professional knowledge he had learned from books was finally presenting itself in such concrete form.
In modern times, such facilities would likely be classified as dangerous structures and demolished for reconstruction before carbonation reached this degree.
He reached out to touch the dam surface. Where his fingertips touched was cold and rough. He could clearly feel that the concrete surface layer had long lost its original hardness. A light scrape would leave a shallow mark.
Turning his gaze toward the spillway, the hoist's outer shell had rusted to a reddish-brown color, with a pitted surface as if gnawed by countless insects.
The water tunnel entrance was hidden in shadows on the dam's side. Though he couldn't see the cracks inside, the concrete around the entrance showed obvious water seepage marks, forming streaks of dark water stains.
"Repair this?" Cheng Ye looked at the scene before him, his heart couldn't help but feel daunted but circling to the dam's downstream face, he found the situation here was much better.
It seemed that as long as they sealed those cracks, did some surface reinforcement, repaired the hoist gears, and reconnected the water turbine generator set, it should be able to supply power again.
As for exactly how long it could be used, that was hard to say, but lasting several years should be no problem.
"Let's go inside and take a look," Cheng Ye steadied himself and took the lead.
Following the moss-covered passage on the dam, the brick and stone underfoot were slippery and difficult to navigate. Each step had to be planted firmly before daring to move.
Indeed, as Jiang Chuan had said, Happiness City's maintenance wasn't empty talk. The doors and windows of the main rooms were still intact.
Pushing open the door and walking in, a damp, musty smell hit them head-on.
A transparent moisture-proof box hung prominently on the wall, with materials neatly stacked inside.
The original water turbine installation location was completely empty, leaving only a dark cavity. Obviously, it had been removed.
Looking down through the gap, the reservoir hoist was indeed completely damaged, with the entire structure in an open state, having completely lost water storage capability.
However, it was precisely because of this that the dam had survived repeated flood seasons until now.
If it still maintained water storage function, it would probably have been washed away by surging river water long ago.
"I brought the key!" Jiang Chuan pulled out a key from his pocket, walked to the moisture-proof box, opened the lock, and took out the materials inside.
The papers were densely packed with data that he couldn't quite understand, so he handed them directly to Cheng Ye.
Cheng Ye took the materials and flipped through them. There were many technical terms, especially detailed parameters regarding the hydroelectric station's turbine units, which he couldn't fully comprehend at the moment, but he could understand the basic data.
The materials showed that Baishui Dam had an installed capacity of around 300kw.
Based on this data, he could deduce that the river channel's flow rate back then should have been around 12 cubic meters.
That meant a river channel 4 meters wide and 4 meters deep, with about a 5-meter drop and a flow speed of about 0.5 meters, quite a gentle small river but times had changed. The current river channel's flow speed was obviously above 1 meter. Based on this calculation, the generator set's power could be raised to at least around 500kw.
This was already very considerable data. Through energy storage facilities, this hydroelectric station could provide over ten thousand kilowatt-hours per day, completely meeting Dapo Town's needs and even supplying power to surrounding areas like Wenlu County and nearby Changshui Town and Yunshui Town.
"Even after repairs, once Happiness City's infrastructure connects, this hydroelectric station could completely serve my personal use," Cheng Ye couldn't help but be moved.
If he could own a hydroelectric station of his own, he would never have to worry about charging his pendant again.
When the time came, how much electricity to use and where it went would be entirely up to him.
Of course, practical problems were also evident. The funds for repairing the hydroelectric station and purchasing turbine units were significant expenses.
Baishui Dam's head height was only 5 meters, only compatible with axial flow turbine units. They'd also have to see if Happiness City's warehouses had any in stock.
Turning to the back of the materials, there were various survey data from over the years:
Starting from New Era Year 5, initial surveys were conducted every two years for 8 rounds.
In New Era Year 21, this changed to every three years. The most recent record stopped at the 12th round in New Era Year 33.
Based on the latest data, Cheng Ye walked out of the machine room again and conducted a more detailed assessment of the dam overall.
The professional level of the entire process left Jiang Chuan clicking his tongue in admiration.
He really couldn't understand how Cheng Ye, who had supposedly never left Happiness City in his lifetime, could immediately handle infrastructure facility investigations in the outside world.
The more data he mastered, the better Cheng Ye could understand why this facility had been abandoned.
Resource input was completely disproportionate to output!
Rather than expending energy to repair these scattered micro hydroelectric stations, it was better to concentrate efforts on maintaining the large hydroelectric station in the industrial zone.
In Happiness City's early construction period, resources naturally had to be concentrated like a fist for focused force.
During the Great Development Era, they focused on external resource plundering with no time to attend to the periphery.
Only today, with large populations influenced by the Walker to come, did they have the leisure to pay attention to surrounding areas.
Otherwise, this Baishui Dam would probably continue slumbering until someday being completely swallowed by Linjiang floods and disappearing into the river of history.
"Jiang Chuan, help me get paper and pen, and drive the car closer," he said.
"Right away."
When Jiang Chuan brought the items, Cheng Ye sat in the pickup's back seat, using his knee as a desk, and began drawing diagrams with his head down.
This wasn't an ordinary floor plan, but engineering drawings deconstructed from his mind.
The original engineering blueprints for this Baishui Dam had probably been lost long ago. This hand-drawn diagram could provide reference for subsequent construction, avoiding rework and wasted time.
From dam crack repair plans and hoist replacement part annotations to water turbine installation position marking, several engineering points requiring immediate construction were clearly marked on the blueprint.
As for power transmission line planning, Cheng Ye didn't plan to handle it personally.
Such matters were better left to subordinate engineers, who were definitely more familiar with material costs and line layouts.
After completing all this, the sky outside grew increasingly dark, and the light drizzle gradually became moderate rain.
In this hydroelectric station isolated from the world, Cheng Ye had momentarily forgotten time, completely immersed in conceiving repair plans.
When he came back to his senses, he found that after the surroundings had completely darkened, it truly carried an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.
Swaying vegetation twisted in the wind and rain like ghostly figures hiding in darkness and grinning sinisterly, making people shudder.
Moreover, waves of rain mist hazily shrouded the surroundings, making even the noon arrival route unclear.
In the wasteland wilderness, the time for safe daily activities was indeed limited, just the short hours between dawn and dusk.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"Already five-thirty in the afternoon," Jiang Chuan's tone was calm, showing no urgency.
The reason he brought camping gear was his concern that they probably couldn't return tonight and would need to camp in the wilderness.
As for the rule about returning by ten o'clock to submit answers, when encountering such unexpected situations, it naturally couldn't be rigidly followed.
The handling of these nuances was precisely one of his responsibilities as a "supervisor."
"Let's go, let's hurry back to catch fish," Cheng Ye carefully folded the blueprint and put it in his backpack. The car started again, and the hydroelectric station's silhouette was gradually left behind.
The solitary dam stood in the rain and mist like a sentry holding his post.
For a moment, it actually dispelled some of the fear lingering in his heart.
Returning to the previous diversion point, perhaps due to the intensified rain, there were far fewer fish schools in the water than at noon.
By this time, Cheng Ye no longer had the leisure to slowly fish. He untied the bag containing malaria mosquito flesh and blood and decisively scattered it in the river channel.
Like sharks smelling blood, the black stripe fish lurking at the bottom immediately went crazy, surging up to compete for the flesh and blood.
Jiang Chuan took the opportunity to cast his throw net and pulled up forcefully. Five black stripe fish thrashed wildly in the net but were helplessly hauled up without any resistance.
Getting closer, Cheng Ye discovered that these creatures' teeth were actually as sharp as piranhas, gleaming coldly.
"Four more species to go," he said.
The two busied themselves by the riverside. After using up the malaria mosquito flesh and blood for bait, they switched to ordinary artificial lures.
Through continuous net casting, they also gathered white stripe fish, black carp, grass carp, and silver carp. Additionally, they caught some conspicuously colored red shrimp that bounced in the water bucket, emitting dots of red light.
Checking the time, it was already seven in the evening.
The rain intensified, with rumbling thunder in the sky and lightning bolts splitting the night, illuminating the wilderness like daylight before plunging it back into deeper darkness.
The two dared not delay and hurriedly drove back. Only when they re-entered Dapo Town's territory did they breathe slightly easier.
"What do you say, should we make do here tonight, or drive back through the night?" Rain wipers swept continuously, and the torrential rain made it impossible to see the dirt road ahead clearly, only the two streams of water parted by the headlights.
Jiang Chuan had to roll down the window to check outside conditions. Icy rain immediately poured in, and even with bare eyes, visibility wasn't far.
With his experience, traveling back in such weather, whether by car or on foot, wasn't a problem, but Cheng Ye was making his first trip outside the city after all, so his feelings had to be considered.
Rashly traveling if they encountered accidents could potentially leave significant psychological shadows regarding the wilderness.
But staying in Dapo Town might not be appropriate either. Spending the night in the wilderness on the first trip outside could similarly intensify fear of the outdoors.
"Hmm," Cheng Ye looked out the window, his brow slightly furrowed.
For some reason, every time lightning flashed, he felt like eyes in the dark wilderness were secretly observing them.
This feeling wasn't groundless but came from Fire Sprout. The little creature kept transmitting complex emotions through their mental link, unclear whether it feared the rain curtain itself or the people, mutant creatures, and infected entities within it.
In terms of combat ability, the little creature wasn't worth mentioning yet, but Cheng Ye didn't dare ignore these perceptions.
"By the way, what about that proctor?" Cheng Ye suddenly remembered there was such a person.
"Him?" Jiang Chuan glanced around casually. "He probably went back already, or maybe he's camping nearby. His task is just to confirm we reached Dapo Town. We can't control where he goes."
"Oh, then let's make do for one night!" Cheng Ye made the decision.
Wind and rain exposure would be common on future field duties, so getting used to it early wasn't a bad thing but he absolutely couldn't continue traveling in such weather. Aside from obstructed vision, rainy nights were precisely when infection sources and mutant beasts were active. Taking such risks was purely asking for trouble.
Jiang Chuan nodded and turned the car into the relatively intact office building in the town center.
They had surveyed this area in the afternoon. A room on the second floor had a fairly solid roof, sufficient for shelter.
As for the pickup, they drove it onto a higher platform. The two grabbed tents and camping equipment from the truck bed, along with the two water buckets containing fish and shrimp.
As for other miscellaneous items, no one would steal them from the car.
Neither mentioned sleeping in the vehicle.
In the wilderness, an enclosed car cabin seemed safe, but once danger was encountered, there might not even be time to open the door and escape.
On the second floor, Jiang Chuan quickly checked the surroundings and, after confirming no lurking threats, turned back and said, "I'll get the portable stove and small pot. We can actually have some meat tonight."
The black stripe fish in the water bucket were still thrashing. Cheng Ye nodded without mentioning that his backpack contained dozens of packages of nutritional paste.
After Jiang Chuan left, he stood sideways at the window, looking toward the pitch-black rainy night.
Fire Sprout also jumped into view, crouching on his shoulder.
Indeed, after choosing not to risk returning to the city in the rain, that feeling of being watched completely disappeared. The presence in the darkness seemed to have completely abandoned its intentions.
"Ding Yishan had Jiang Chuan follow me, probably knowing how much trouble I'm carrying," he thought.
In the ruins-like room, Cheng Ye sat on the ground, leaning against the cold wall.
The chill of brick and stone seeped through his rain coat, making his mind increasingly clear.
The safe buffer zone was ultimately temporary.
After taking on the contract, this crisis-ridden wilderness would be the norm he'd face in the future but he wasn't afraid of the troubles Cheng Long had left behind, and even hoped the opponent would come more decisively.
Unfortunately, the opponent wasn't that stupid.
On his first trip outside the city, he had Jiang Chuan following him, with hidden "proctoring personnel" in the shadows.
Those troubles definitely wouldn't rashly strike at this moment, perhaps waiting for a better opportunity, or perhaps believing that even allowing him to develop for a while wouldn't change anything.
Of course, the most likely possibility was still one point.
When they were confident they could crush him within the rules, no one would rashly break the rules.
Or rather, the disadvantages of breaking rules far outweighed the benefits of crushing him now.
"You're not in a hurry, and neither am I. Wait until the hydroelectric station is repaired. When the time comes to try controlling me, it won't be as simple as today," he thought.
Setting up the tent, Cheng Ye sat on the edge and let out a long breath.
Looking at the rain curtain outside the window, his entire mindset was completely different from when he'd departed that morning.
Before coming to Dapo Town, he had only considered this place as part of completing the contracting test, not even fully determined to designate it as a satellite city construction site but this day's survey had made him completely determined.
Terrifying fish reserve quantities, the possibility of restoring a 500kw hydroelectric station, and the strategic throat position of the waterway.
These three items alone already constituted exaggerated geographical advantages.
As for the troubles he might face, that would depend on the budget he could apply for and recruitment conditions going forward.