Chapter 395: Successful Completion of the Territory Alliance’s First Away Mission

Chapter 395: Chapter 395: Successful Completion of the Territory Alliance’s First Away Mission

Kuang Qingwei looked troubled. "Dead Renjie wanted to cooperate with us, like Territory No. 15. I turned him down flat. We brought Brother Yue and his people along because we were short on hands, but we have enough now. Besides..."

Kuang Qingwei lowered his voice. "Zhao Ze told me what happened this morning with Dead Renjie’s crew. If you hadn’t been there to hold down the fort, they definitely would’ve made off with the micro-tiller."

Xiaqing nodded. "You did the right thing, Brother Qing. We have no need to cooperate with them right now. But if Wen Nengjie comes looking for us again, don’t burn that bridge completely. We might have a chance to work together in the future."

"Understood." Kuang Qingwei checked his Protective Mask. "You should rest for a bit. I’m going to get to work."

The thorn wood was extremely hard; even a chainsaw struggled with it, let alone manual labor. But when tools were scarce, they had to rely on brute force.

But for Mother Shi, Yuan Yan, Kuang Qingwei, and the others, it was their first time on a mission in the Evolution Forest. Forget working—just standing in the Thorny Wood Forest, where the trees blotted out the sun, made them feel as if something lethal was hiding behind every patch of overgrown grass, ready to take their lives at any moment. It was even hard to breathe.

In fact, they were right.

Xiaqing, who had been resting on a rock, suddenly raised her gun and with a single shot killed a red-eyed lizard over half a meter long as it darted out from the tall grass. The lizard had been lunging toward a man from Territory No. 4, who was bent over chopping a tree with his back turned.

If the lizard had latched on, he would have certainly been injured. But before the man could even notice the danger, Xiaqing eliminated its source with a single shot.

After Xiaqing and the Guardians covering three different directions eliminated a few threats, the people chopping trees began to work faster.

Xiaqing understood their mentality perfectly. When she had been an external logistics member on missions outside the Safe Zone, she had been just like them.

The difference was that she was now proactively protecting them, whereas back then, when she encountered danger in the Evolution Forest, she had to run and seek protection from others.

Now, she had gone from the protected to the protector. She didn’t need to say a word. As long as she eliminated each threat, one shot and one steel ball at a time, the people under her protection would find their confidence. They would then give their all to their task, hoping to make it out of the Evolution Forest alive.

On the morning of the first day, the yellow clay needed by Xiaqing and Territory No. 4 to build their greenhouse earthen walls was fully transported.

On the afternoon of the first day, the yellow clay for Territory No.5 and No. 6 Territory was fully transported.

On the morning of the second day, the soil needed by Territory No.15 and the Tenth Territory was fully transported.

On the afternoon of the second day, five transport vehicles and four excavators gathered in the Thorny Wood Forest and began hauling out thorn wood.

On the morning of the third day, the vehicles rented from No. 8 Territory were due back, leaving only two transport vehicles and one excavator. Qi Fu and over twenty others stayed behind in the territory to start building the greenhouses, while Xiaqing and Yue Haiying led the team to continue felling trees.

On the morning of the fifth day, the two transport vehicles, having hauled enough thorn wood for the perimeter walls, started delivering yellow clay to the various territories again. Zhao Ze assigned more people to help Xiaqing build her greenhouse’s earthen walls.

At 6 p.m. on the afternoon of the fifth day, the rental period for the three construction vehicles ended, and they headed for Territory No. 17.

The Territory Alliance’s first joint mission was successfully completed.

As the transport vehicles dropped them off at the East Isolation Zone, the people felt not exhaustion, but excitement. They had gone to work in the Evolution Forest, and not only had they earned points and broadened their horizons, but they had also made it back alive.

Zhu Li, who had entered the Evolution Forest for the first time today, excitedly told Xiaqing, "I’m going to trade for a set of outdoor Level 2 protective clothing as soon as I get back. Xiaqing, can you bring me along next time you form a team? I think I’ve gotten a lot stronger these past six months."

"That’s right! If there’s more physical labor like this, just give us a shout, Qing." Mother Shi, who had worked on the first, third, and fifth days, was also full of confidence.

Yuan Yan, who had also worked for three days, was more level-headed. "Xiaqing, what was the risk level for this tree-cutting and digging mission?"

Xiaqing replied, "Low risk. The same level as the mission last fall and winter when the combat teams cleared the Evolution Forest."

From now until the end of January next year, excluding the period of Harmful Snow, is when the Evolution Forest is at its lowest danger level. It’s the best time for humans, who don’t hibernate, to reclaim the wilderness and expand their territory.

Hearing it was low-risk didn’t disappoint the group. They continued to chatter and laugh as they walked back.

When they passed Territory No.15, Yue Haiying and his crew said their goodbyes and returned to their territory through its North Gate. Then went the people from the Tenth Territory, No. 6 Territory, Territory No.5, and Territory No. 4. In the end, only Xiaqing was left, walking toward her own territory.

"Xiaqing, you’ve been pretty busy lately." Tang Huai, whom she hadn’t seen in a while, was leaning against the sign for the Second Territory with his arms crossed, looking peeved. "It’s the fifteenth today!"

The fifteenth was the day Xiaqing had set to give Tang Huai the thirty Green Light Eggs in exchange for three sets of Dog Protective Clothing.

Xiaqing nodded, held up seven fingers, and used a look to signal for Tang Huai to meet her at the North Gate of the Third Territory later. Then she took out her key, unlocked the large padlock on the South Gate, entered her territory, and locked the gate behind her.

It wasn’t dark yet. Qi Fu was still inside the Third Territory with over twenty people, building the greenhouse’s earthen walls. At this rate, the walls would be finished in another two days, much faster than Xiaqing had expected.

When she got home, Xiaqing received a warm welcome from Sheep Leader and Sick Wolf. For the past few days, she had been leaving early and returning late. After patrolling the territory and eating her fill, she would collapse into bed, barely interacting with her two companions.

Xiaqing pressed down firmly on Sheep Leader’s spiral horns with her left hand and scratched Sick Wolf’s chin with her right, then went to get the eggs for the trade with Tang Huai.

As dusk fell, Qi Fu said goodbye to Xiaqing and led his team out of the Third Territory through the South Gate. After they left, Jing Kuan and Chen Zheng, who had been in charge of security, also departed from the North Gate. Only one person, one sheep, and one wolf remained in the Third Territory.

Xiaqing carried the Green Light Eggs to the North Gate to wait for Tang Huai. Sheep Leader and Sick Wolf, not knowing where she was going, habitually followed behind her.

Tang Huai had already delivered the Dog Protective Clothing that Xiaqing traded the eggs for. Xiaqing had given them to Head Wolf and Broken Waist Wolf, and had also mended the suits they had damaged in the fights with the Python and the bear, storing the repaired ones in the warehouse for emergencies.

After repairing them, Xiaqing had wanted the two wolves to keep wearing the mended suits and save the new ones as spares, but the two wolves refused. Those two were always after the newest thing.

Today was the day to deliver the Green Light Eggs. She had already exchanged eggs with Territory Land No. 7 last night. If she didn’t have something to ask Tang Huai, she would have had Chen Zheng give him the eggs during the day.

Tang Huai walked along the newly built perimeter wall of the Third Territory to the North Gate. When he saw that the North Gate was actually an automatic turnstile with facial recognition, he couldn’t help but roast her. "The South Gate is the main entrance, and you stick a shabby old lock on it. The North Gate, which hardly anyone ever sees? You..."

Midway through his rant, Tang Huai had a sudden realization. His eyes went wide as he pointed at Xiaqing as if she were some heartless Casanova. "This North Gate isn’t for people, it’s for your sheep, isn’t it? You’re just too..."

Seeing Xiaqing raise an eyebrow, Tang Huai immediately chickened out and changed his tune. "You’re just too reasonable!"