Chapter 413: Was It You Who Blew It Up?

Chapter 413: Chapter 413: Was It You Who Blew It Up?

"BOOM!"

Following another tremendous boom, thick smoke and fire billowed into the sky from within Second Territory. Standing in her attic, Xiaqing clearly saw the shattered pieces of a helicopter’s propeller flying through the air.

The helicopter from Second Territory was completely destroyed.

’Who could have done such a wonderful thing? Yang Jin? Zhang San? Tang Zhengpo? Or... Xin Yu?’

’It could have been any of them.’

After the sound of the explosion from Second Territory faded, the roaring of the bears on Mountain No. 50 also ceased. The Lord channel fell silent. Everyone wanted to know what had happened, but no one dared to speak.

Because the people from Second Territory were also on the Lord channel.

The one who broke the silence was a patrol team member, Hu Zi. He asked again, "Second Territory, please report your situation. Do you require assistance?"

Tang Zhengsu came online, his fury boiling over, and began to curse up a storm. "Report what? Report that our helicopter was blown up by intruders? Are you fucking deaf or blind? Do I really need to fucking report this?! Rescue what? It’s all blown to fucking smithereens! Are you coming over to pick up arms and legs or to collect spare parts? Cut the fucking phony act and pay for my goddamn helicopter first..."

...

Tang Zhengsu raged for a full five minutes, his tirade punctuated by the sounds of things being thrown and smashed. Xiaqing wasn’t interested in the content of his speech; she was carefully listening to the background noise as he spoke.

Tang Zhengsu was standing in his courtyard. Over the whistling wind, the agonizing cries of the injured, and Xu Pin’s commands to search for evidence, extinguish the fire, and rescue people, Xiaqing could only make out the general situation.

If she went to the southern wall of her territory now, she could surely hear more. But listening in on these sounds wasn’t just of little value to her; it also carried a potential risk.

Her territory was separated from Second Territory by only a single passage. If Xiaqing went to the southern edge of her territory to spectate, she could very well be dragged into the incident and become part of the spectacle herself.

Only after Tang Zhengsu finished his rant did Hu Zi speak up again, mimicking his captain Tan Junjie’s serious tone. "Second Territory, you claim the helicopter inside your territory was destroyed by intruders. Do you have any evidence?"

Tang Zhengsu roared, "Are you the one in charge of security patrols for this area, or am I?"

Unfazed by Tang Zhengsu’s fury, Hu Zi continued to follow procedure. "Second Territory, please answer whether you have evidence proving the helicopter was destroyed by intruders. If you have no evidence, yet you suspect it was destroyed by someone from outside the territory, please do not disturb the scene. The patrol team requests permission to enter Second Territory to conduct an on-site investigation. We ask the temporary proxy of Second Territory for approval."

’Permission from the temporary proxy? Temporary proxy?’

Hiding in a dark corner, Zhou Xun wished he could dig a hole, crawl inside, and cover himself with dirt so everyone would think he was dead.

’Proxy my ass! If I walked up to the captain to grab the walkie-talkie right now, I’d be fucking asking for death.’

After asking three times, Hu Zi made an announcement. "It is confirmed that Second Territory has refused the patrol team entry to investigate the scene. The Evolution Bears on Mountain No. 50 and in the depths of the Northern Evolution Forest have stopped roaring. The patrol team will monitor the Evolution Bears’ movements 24/7 and will report any new developments promptly. All Lords, please keep the Lord channel on your walkie-talkies open."

"Roger that. Thanks for your hard work," Hu Zifeng was the first to respond, sounding as happy as if he’d just caught a Green Light prey weighing several hundred pounds.

Second Territory, of course, remained silent.

Xiaqing also pressed the button and replied, "Roger that, thanks for your hard work."

She was followed by Territories No. 4, 5, 6, and Territory No. 7. Zhang San’s reply came with a yawn, as if he was about to sleep. Zhou Zhaoping from No. 8 Territory responded as usual, followed by Li Si from No. 9 Territory and Shi Du from the Tenth Territory.

Judging by their tones alone, Xiaqing couldn’t figure out who had blown up the helicopter. She led Sheep Leader downstairs, humming a little tune, and went to make dinner.

Even though she had already drunk a vial of Special Level Nutrient Liquid this afternoon and was full of energy, Xiaqing still wanted to celebrate such a joyous occasion.

In the Disaster Years, the best way to celebrate was to eat delicious food!

Xiaqing washed a handful of scallions, chopped them finely, and mixed them with two Green Light Eggs, a spoonful of flour, and a pinch of salt. She then stirred in some Pollution-free Spring Water to form a batter. After heating a flat-bottomed pan and coating it with a layer of her homemade sunflower seed oil, she poured in the batter and cooked it through. A delicious scallion and egg pancake was ready.

She then boiled water for a pot of Chrysanthemum Tea. For Sheep Leader, she chopped up some sweet potato roots and vines, mixed in a small handful of the solid residue left over from pressing sunflower seed oil, and then added a small pinch of crushed corn. "You worked hard watching the house this afternoon, Leader. This corn and oil residue are your reward."

Standing beside Xiaqing, Sheep Leader lifted its nose, sniffed, and expressed its satisfaction.

Sheep Leader loved eating the oil residue. Xiaqing had specifically consulted her idol and confirmed that Sheep Leader could eat a moderate amount of it. So, she stored the residue along with compressed rations, wheat bran, and other items in the underground cellar as part of Sheep Leader’s food reserves.

Just as Xiaqing was about to bring her dinner to the table, her phone chimed with a notification: Sick Wolf had entered the Third Territory through the North Gate.

It seemed that after the bears’ roaring stopped, Sick Wolf had confirmed its injured companion was safe and was now coming home.

Xiaqing took a small pot from the cupboard, placed it on the stove, and added some Pollution-free Spring Water.

Once Sick Wolf entered the house and rinsed its paws clean in the basin by the door, Xiaqing, who was in the kitchen, called it over. "Second, bring me the jerky from your Protective Suit. I’ll boil it for you before you eat it. The salt content is too high to eat directly; your body can’t handle it."

Sick Wolf pitter-pattered to the kitchen doorway and looked obediently at Xiaqing.

Hmm? Xiaqing glanced at the flat pockets of its Protective Suit and asked, "Where’s the jerky? Did you share it with your companion in the Wolf Cave?"

Whether it was Sick Wolf or Sheep Leader, neither could get the food Xiaqing packed in their Protective Suits or saddlebags by themselves. To eat, they needed to help each other or have Xiaqing get it for them.

She had just packed the beef jerky for Sick Wolf today when they went searching for the Red Squirrel’s tracks. Now it was gone. The only one who could have taken it out was the broken leg wolf’s sister.

Sick Wolf tilted its head slightly and grinned happily.

Xiaqing smiled too. "Alright then. I’ll boil you another piece of our homemade roasted jerky and add an egg, as a reward for helping me find the Green Light Peanuts today."

After putting Sick Wolf’s food on to cook, Xiaqing pulled out her phone and glanced at it. She saw that the dot representing the Red Squirrel’s location was still inside the sheep pen. It seemed the little creature had decided the haystack in the pen was safer than its tree hollow and wasn’t going back tonight.

After Sick Wolf’s porridge was cooked, Xiaqing had just picked up her egg pancake to start eating when her idol called. "Xiaqing, the helicopter in Second Territory... was that you who blew it up?"

’Ah, huh? Idol, you really overestimate me.’

Xiaqing replied sincerely, "Brother San, I only thought about it but didn’t dare to act. I was just wondering if it was you who stepped in to deliver justice."

"My Evolutionary Rats hadn’t even made it to Second Territory before their helicopter blew up." After saying this, Zhang San yawned. "Going to bed."