"Captain Zhong, don’t shoot! It’s me, Zhao Ze from Territory No. 4."
The tall Zhao Ze shouted as he ran over, leaning on the vehicle to catch his breath. "Captain Zhong, one of our people was bitten by a poisonous snake. Did you bring any antivenom?"
"I did. Where are they?" Zhong Tao greeted Xiaqing, then immediately took Zheng Kui and Zhao Ze to rescue the person.
Territory No. 4 was east of Territory No. 3 and also had a large Buffer Forest area. With all of nature reawakening in the spring, it wasn’t strange for snakes to emerge. But if a poisonous one bit someone, it would be trouble.
Around three in the afternoon, Xiaqing received a text from Zhong Tao:
An Evolved Poison Snake killed someone in Territory No. 4. The base has decided to sweep the Buffer Forests again. Captain Tan Junjie is in charge of Territories 1-10. Don’t worry, he’s one of us.
In the years since the Natural Disasters began, people were attacked and killed by Evolved Creatures every day. What concerned Xiaqing more was the upcoming sweep of the Buffer Forest tomorrow.
She had to find a way to keep anyone from discovering the spring, and she also had to catch that goat before the investigation team arrived. Once the goat ran outside her territory and was caught, it would have nothing to do with her.
Arriving on the mountain, Xiaqing saw that the rock blocking the cave entrance hadn’t been moved, and there were no new hoofprints on the ground. After placing a bucket inside to collect water, Xiaqing didn’t wait by the cave for the goat. Instead, she followed the hoofprints to track it.
Xiaqing discovered the goat had left her Buffer Forest, crossed the quarantine belt, and entered the Evolution Forest.
The danger level in an uncleared Evolution Forest was exponentially higher. She definitely wouldn’t be able to catch the goat today; she could only try again tomorrow morning.
「The next morning」
Early the next day, before she could corner the goat on the mountain, Xiaqing received a call from Tan Junjie.
The Danger Investigation Team had already begun its operation and was expected to arrive at Territory No. 3 at ten o’clock. He asked if she had found any Evolved Poison Snakes or other dangerous creatures in her territory.
Xiaqing replied, "There were three Evolved Poison Snakes, but I’ve already killed them. I haven’t found any other dangers at the moment."
After hanging up, Xiaqing killed two more snakes but still couldn’t find the goat. She had no choice but to block the cave entrance again, then take her machete and slingshot to the quarantine belt outside the western Buffer Forest to wait for the investigation team.
Before the investigation team arrived, Xiaqing heard arguing from the direction of Territory No. 2. She listened closely. It turned out the people from Territory No. 2 had heard about the death by snakebite and were demanding the team sweep their land. However, the team explained that their mission for the day was to inspect the quarantine belts and Buffer Forests, which didn’t include the Planting Areas.
The people from Territory No. 2 were dissatisfied and raising a ruckus.
This stretch of mountain forest was shaped like a reclining ’S’. Territory No. 1 was south of a U-shaped bend in the rolling hills, and like Territory No. 3, its land included both a Planting Area and a Buffer Forest. Territory No. 2 was east of Territory No. 1, and its land was entirely farmland.
Territories No. 3, 4, and 5 were on the south side of an n-shaped bend, and their lands contained both Buffer Forests and farmland.
Therefore, Territory No. 2 was relatively safer than Territories 1, 3, 4, and 5, which was why the person who sent Xiaqing those two text messages had recommended it.
The Lord of Territory No. 2 was Tang Lu. Of course, she wouldn’t be doing the farming herself; the ones arguing with the investigation team were people sent by the Tang Family. The Tang Family was used to being arrogant in Hui San Base and naturally wouldn’t give a small investigation team the time of day.
Xiaqing listened quietly, curious to see how this Captain Tan would handle the situation.
"I’m on a mission! If you don’t get out of the way, I’ll deal with you for obstruction!" Hearing Tan Junjie’s tough roar and the sound of a Bullet being chambered, the corners of Xiaqing’s mouth turned up.
Tan Junjie was a man of principle who strictly followed orders. For her, this was a good thing.
When she saw seven soldiers in camouflage Protective Suits appear in the distance, their chests adorned with green plates, Xiaqing’s mood improved even more.
An investigation team of seven Evolvers. ’That’s a strong team!’
"Captain, look! There’s a chick up ahead with a green plate. She must be Xiaqing from Territory No. 3. Level 4 Strength Evolution, twenty-five years old, single!"
"Shut up!" Tan Junjie growled. "All of you, act professional!"
"Yes, sir," the six team members replied in unison.
At this distance, someone who wasn’t an Auditory Evolver wouldn’t be able to hear them speaking softly, so Xiaqing stood quietly, pretending she hadn’t heard a thing.
Tan Junjie led his team over to Xiaqing, took off his Protective Mask, and gave her a salute. "Tan Junjie, Captain of Danger Investigation Team Six."
After checking his credentials, Xiaqing volunteered, "Captain Tan, I’m Xiaqing from Territory No. 3, a Level 4 Strength Evolver. Before leaving the Safe Zone, I participated in six missions to clear the Evolution Forests. I request permission to join you in patrolling the Buffer Forest and quarantine belt of Territory No. 3."
The missions to clear the Evolution Forests had been posted for a total of three months, with each mission lasting ten days. The fact that Xiaqing had completed sixty days of missions and was still alive and well showed that even though she had only been a Basic Strength Evolver responsible for transport and sanitation, she was quite capable of handling danger. What’s more, she was asking to patrol her own territory, so Tan Junjie had no reason to refuse. "Stay behind me."
"Yes, sir." As she walked, Xiaqing explained the situation in her territory’s Buffer Forest. "I’ve already checked the North Hillside twice, killed five snakes, and found no other dangers. I haven’t had a chance to check this western slope yet."
Xiaqing was the most capable of the fifty Lords in the North District, which also made her the one most likely to encounter danger. This was because the more capable a person was, the more confident they became, and the more they would proactively explore their environment, maximizing their chances of running into dangerous situations.
Tan Junjie reminded her to be careful. "The temperature has started to rise recently, and hibernating animals are waking up and becoming active. You should try to stay within your Planting Area. If you get bitten by a snake, call me or Zhong Tao immediately. We’ll arrange for someone to bring antivenom right away."
"I’ll remember that. Thank you, Captain Tan." Xiaqing obediently agreed and took her own Protective Mask out of her back basket to put it on. Although she didn’t think it was necessary, the rest of the investigation team was wearing them, and she didn’t want to be the odd one out.
After entering the Buffer Forest, a team member behind Tan Junjie exclaimed in surprise, pointing down the slope and asking Xiaqing, "Miss Xia, did you till that huge piece of land by the reservoir all by yourself?"
Xiaqing could tell this was the same guy who had called her a "chick" earlier. "Just call me Xiaqing. I’m a Strength Evolver. Besides being strong, I don’t have any other skills, so this kind of manual labor is all I’m good at."
This team member also introduced himself. "Sister Xiaqing, my name is Su Ming. I have Level 3 Visual Evolution. You tilled your land so well, did you farm before the Natural Disasters?"
Xiaqing shook her head. "My family lived in the suburbs. We only had a small vegetable garden, so I wouldn’t say I’ve farmed before. But over the years, I often worked in the Planting Area of the Safe Zone, so I picked it up."
"Movement at nine o’clock, forty-five meters out. Probably a snake or a lizard," the team’s Auditory Evolver spoke up, alerting the group.
Tan Junjie immediately gave an order. "All units, on alert. Xiaqing, stay behind me. Numbers three, four, and five, go check it out."
Xiaqing took another step back behind Tan Junjie and watched as Su Ming and two others searched in the nine o’clock direction. After a brief commotion, the three of them quickly returned, carrying a patterned snake over a meter long.
Su Ming grinned and offered the snake to Xiaqing. "Sister Xiaqing, it’s a garter snake."
Just as Xiaqing started to shake her head, she heard Tan Junjie state the regulation, "All resources within a territory belong to its Lord."
Xiaqing didn’t refuse again and stuffed the snake into her back basket.
The investigation team finished searching the western Buffer Forest, having caught a total of six snakes and two arm-length evolved poisonous centipedes. Looking at the evolved centipedes made Xiaqing’s scalp tingle.
After entering the North Buffer Forest, which Xiaqing had already checked twice, the investigation team found no dangerous creatures. They bid farewell to Xiaqing and prepared to enter Territory No. 4.
Holding her back basket, Xiaqing asked Tan Junjie, "Captain Tan, can I trade this meat for some seeds with you guys?"