Chapter 349: Investigation Team

Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Investigation Team

Perhaps it had truly understood what Xiaqing said, because the intelligent, brain domain evolution Broken Waist Wolf didn’t bring any more food to the territory for the next two days. The three wolves ate nothing but defrosted Python Meat.

The hardness-evolved Python Meat was tough and not a food wolves typically enjoyed. The "waitress," Strength Evolver Xiaqing, would slice the snake meat thinly and add some freshly squeezed spinach juice, allowing her two SVIP wolf clients to eat heartily and focus on their recovery.

The Sick Wolf continued to eat meat congee, while Xiaqing’s most frequent meal these days was grilled snake slices. After grilling the slices in a pan, she would brush them with the secret barbecue rub she’d gotten from Eryong’s dad in a trade, roll them up with shredded cucumber and radish, and it was absolutely divine.

After finishing the chewy snake and vegetable rolls and drinking a bowl of rice and yam congee, Xiaqing felt like she was about to ascend right then and there.

She had traded Green Light Chestnuts with Tan Junjie for the rice a while ago, and only got about eleven pounds of it. It wouldn’t last many meals if she just steamed it, but by being frugal and making congee with it, along with mung beans, corn, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes, it could stretch for a very long time. Xiaqing was already very content with that.

After eating and drinking her fill, everything looked pleasant to Xiaqing.

"Queen, you’re looking well today. Is your leg much better?" Xiaqing said as she stepped outside, greeting the primary SVIP resident in the sheep pen. After two doses of the antidote for the Qiang Synthesized Poison, the Head Wolf was completely cured of the Injuring Snake’s venom. Only the external wound on her leg remained, and it would heal soon.

Having also eaten her fill, the Head Wolf was in a good mood as well, lazing on the soft, dry hay to sunbathe. She turned to look at Xiaqing with her brilliant gold eyes, her gaze calm and gentle.

Xiaqing immediately got excited. She rushed into the chicken coop, pulled the rabbit out of its cage, and said, "Queen, once your leg has healed, can you catch a few rabbits like this for me? I need them alive."

The Head Wolf glanced at the eagerly babbling Xiaqing, then at the trembling rabbit in her hands. Uninterested, she turned her head away and went back to sunbathing.

Xiaqing wasn’t looking for an immediate reaction from the Head Wolf. Her goal was to continuously emphasize to the Wolf Group that she liked live rabbits, reinforcing the idea in their minds.

With the reinforcement complete, Xiaqing stuffed the rabbit back into its cage and tossed it a few vegetable leaves. She noticed the rabbit wasn’t very bright; as soon as it was back in the chicken coop, it seemed to think it was safe and, still trembling, started to chow down.

After Xiaqing collected the day’s four eggs and left, the Black Feathered Rooster immediately hopped over to the rabbit cage. It stuck its sharp beak and claws through the bars but found it couldn’t reach the vegetable leaves, so it let out a few dissatisfied crows.

After her meal and her "bonding session" with the Head Wolf, Xiaqing called out to her companions, "Sheep Leader! Second! Let’s go, time to work in the fields."

After using the Special Medicine from Territory Land No. 7, the swelling on the Sick Wolf’s leg went down in three days. It could now walk normally and began to follow Xiaqing, busily helping her harvest the crops.

’And what about the Broken Leg Sister?’

That one ate the shredded snake meat Xiaqing provided, drank Pollution-free Spring Water, and took Anti-inflammatory medicine every day, but it remained as fierce as ever. Whenever Xiaqing approached the sheep pen, it would bare its fangs and let out a low growl.

’Now, this is how a normal Evolutionary Wolf raised in the Evolution Forest should act.’ Xiaqing had no intention of trying to change the Broken Leg Sister’s attitude.

She had brought this wolf back to her territory to treat its injuries only because she had accepted the Yi Stone from the Broken Waist Wolf. Once its wounds healed, it would naturally leave on its own.

In the tenth year of the Natural Disaster, humanity and the large, intelligent Yi Evolved Fierce Beasts of Blue Star coexisted under a principle of mutual non-interference. As long as one did not encroach upon the other’s territory, there would be no conflict.

If both sides happened to meet in the public hunting grounds of the Evolution Forest and set their sights on the same prey, then it simply came down to who was stronger.

Taking advantage of the rare good weather, Xiaqing pulled up all the mung bean plants. She picked off every single pod—whether green, yellow, or black—and spread them on a plastic sheet to dry in the sun. Sheep Leader and the Sick Wolf were in charge of moving the stalks.

For her second crop, Xiaqing had planted one mu of Yellow Light Mung Beans and half a mu of Green Light Mung Beans. Judging by the number of pods, the yield should be similar to the spring planting. This meant she could expect to harvest about 147 pounds of Yellow Light Mung Beans and 83 pounds of Green Light Mung Beans.

’There are so many ways to cook mung beans.’ Xiaqing’s heart filled with delight as she picked the pods.

"Grrr—"

Hearing the Sick Wolf’s low growl, Xiaqing looked up to see the Red Squirrel had returned. The beautiful little creature was perched on a rock outside the shed, wagging its magnificent fluffy tail, its eyes fixed eagerly on the pile of mung bean pods on the plastic sheet.

Every time Xiaqing harvested anything, it would show up to test its luck, hoping for a free meal.

It failed every time, but it never gave up. Xiaqing had to admire its shamelessness. "Second, just ignore it," she said. "It doesn’t dare come in and snatch anything."

In truth, Xiaqing was secretly hoping the Red Squirrel would try to steal her crops. That would give her the perfect excuse to march into Zone 3 with her knife and raid its nest.

The Red Squirrel, which was carrying a locator, was constantly busy. It had already filled four tree hollows, one rock crevice, and a burrow with food.

It had no family or companions and had collected far more food than it could possibly eat in one winter. As a result, the black peanuts it buried in a hole last winter had been left there long enough to sprout in the spring.

The Red Squirrel hadn’t gone to harvest the peanuts this year, and Xiaqing couldn’t tell if the time just wasn’t right or if they hadn’t grown at all. All she could do was wait.

"Xiaqing, you there?" Tang Huai asked over the Lord channel.

"I’m here," Xiaqing replied.

"Your late-planted corn should be ready for harvest, right?" Tang Huai asked hopefully. "How about I come over and help you? I’ll do it for free. Just let me fish by the reservoir for a while after we’re finished."

’The oil press must have arrived,’ Xiaqing mused. She replied calmly, "You can help with the corn, but no fishing. If you agree, be here at eight tomorrow morning."

’So stingy!’ Tang Huai grumbled to himself but agreed.

Little Liu, the assistant from No. 9 Territory, also came online. "Miss Xia, the Green Light Soybeans have been sent over. Are you ready on your end?"

"I’m ready. We can make the exchange anytime." Xiaqing had gotten fifteen eggs from her trade with Territory Land No. 7 yesterday and was just waiting for No. 9 Territory to come online.

Because these were precarious times, the two territories opted to have an inspection team handle the transfer of goods.

Beneath the road sign for the Third Territory, Cao Xianyun took the bag containing ten eggs and handed the bag of soybeans to Xiaqing.

Only after Xiaqing crushed a soybean in her hand to confirm it wasn’t a hardness-evolved variety and checked its Harmful Element content did Tan Junjie introduce the female soldier in camouflage standing beside him with her two deputies. "This is Group Leader Lu Ying," he said. "She’s in charge of the investigation into the Third Territory intrusion."

Lu Ying removed her Protective Mask, gave Xiaqing a salute, and presented her credentials: Lu Ying, Hui San Base, Criminal Investigation Division 1, Investigation Group 2.

’Following the post-Natural Disaster conventions for administrative and organizational structures, "Division 1" designated the main headquarters. To be a group leader in an investigation team from Criminal Investigation Division 1 meant this woman, who looked to be in her forties, was undoubtedly highly capable.’

’Given Tan Junjie’s meticulous nature, he would have notified me in advance and gotten my consent before bringing an investigation team over. The fact that these three just followed him here means this matter is out of his hands.’

Xiaqing removed her own Protective Mask, greeted Lu Ying calmly, and gestured for the investigation team to enter her territory.