Chapter 1000: Rain of Catastrophe Approaches: Tensions and Safeguards

The third Catastrophe Rain of the year is forecast to start on August 29 and will last for no less than 50 hours.

The Safe Zone Planting Center, along with the Ninth Center and the Planting Division’s Magnetic Sense evolved staff, have already begun a pre-disaster inspection in their respective areas, removing any plants that show the aggressive Magnetic Sense Catastrophe Evolution field.

The four Magnetic Sense Evolved fighters of the Ninth Center are tasked with inspecting for dangerous Catastrophe Evolution plants across the Ninth Center, Section One of the North, and Section Three of the North. According to the plan, the team will split into two groups today to inspect the fields in Section One and Section Three of the North.

At such a critical time, Zhao Baolin managed to lose one of the Magnetic Sense Evolved fighters assigned to his department, and now he dares to show his face here to snatch one from me?

Where the hell did you get your nerve?

Xia Qing answered calmly, “Lü Ziqiang is a Class A employee of the Ninth Center. I need to notify…”

“Director Xia, you’re not that old, but your memory’s not great. The Ninth Planting Center falls under the Planting Division.” And I, Zhao Baolin, am the head of the Territory Management Department!

You might be older, but your memory’s even worse.

Xia Qing’s tone cooled. “The Ninth Planting Center is indeed managed by the Planting Division, but the Leader of Territory Seven holds all decision-making power here. I’m only authorized for daily operations—major matters have to be reported to the Leader.”

Zhao Baolin, flustered and in a rush, hadn’t expected Xia Qing to be so stubborn. He had to soften his approach. “It’s not even 7:30 yet. The Leader of Territory Seven probably isn’t up. No need to trouble him with something this minor. I just want to borrow Lü Ziqiang for a few days. The third Catastrophe Rain is coming, and the Safe Zone Planting Center has nearly five thousand acres of fields to inspect. The Ninth Center only has a little over 300. For food security, we need to prioritize and distribute our scarce talent where it counts. Am I right, Xia?”

It’s true—Safe Zone Planting Center’s fields dwarf the Ninth Center’s by more than tenfold, but they also have over ten times the staff, security, and equipment!

Xia Qing remained composed. “I understand your point. For the greater good, I’ll contact the Leader of Territory Seven right away. Please wait a moment.”

Zhao Baolin slammed the phone down in anger. “Damn it!”

After hanging up, Xia Qing immediately called Yan Yue, the Ninth Center’s office director, issuing three orders: “The Magnetic Sense Evolved fighter Ma Xiaoyin from the Safe Zone Planting Center went missing last night. Cancel today’s inspection in Section Three of the North for the Magnetic Sense team. All four members are to work within Section One of the North only.”

“Tell Security to step up patrols and gate checks. Double the guards assigned to the Magnetic Sense team. No one is to take any team member outside Section One of the North for any reason.”

“Contact the Inspection Team, ask them to coordinate with each territory to support our work. Any territory that refuses will be blacklisted. We won’t send Magnetic Sense Evolved fighters to inspect their fields for aggressive Catastrophe Evolution plants in the future.”

When the four at the Ninth Center heard Ma Xiaoyin had disappeared, they felt a chill, but managed to stay calm. After two months of training with the Security Department, their physical stamina and combat skills had improved a lot.

Their fighting ability, plus four armed bodyguards at their side, and the protection of the iron mesh wall in Section One of the North—it wasn’t a dangerous mission at all.

Right now, not to mention Zhao Baolin—even if Zhao Baolin’s own father showed up—nobody was getting them to leave Section One of the North!

At eight in the morning, Xia Qing received a call from the Base Director’s office. The Base Director personally ordered all departments to send more staff to protect the Magnetic Sense Evolved fighters.

After the call, Xia Qing took the small pouch Goofball handed over, showing it how to pull out the cotton and stuff it into the big bag.

In late August, the cotton bolls on the lower branches of the cotton plants burst open—time to pick. With its nimble paws and small frame, Goofball was perfect for the job.

Once she’d taught the little monkey to pick cotton, Xia Qing was about to weed the mung bean greenhouse when Kuang Qingwei’s voice came through the Lords’ channel. “Sis Qing, you there?”

She pressed the button. “Here.”

“Uncle Huo and I are about to install the automatic drop rain cover for you—okay?”

Another major breakthrough from the Northern Alliance Lab was finally coming into use!

Xia Qing was overjoyed. “That’s wonderful, thank you Uncle Huo, Qing.”

“Sis Qing, want me to come help?” Wen Nengjie chimed in immediately. He was curious about the new device—if the price was right, he’d want one too.

Xia Qing declined. “No need. I’ve only got a few greenhouses here. Everyone should wait in their own territory for the Magnetic Sense Evolved fighters to inspect for dangerous crops.”

Zhang San joined in. “Xia Qing, once it’s set up, send me a video—I want to see!”

Xia Qing agreed at once, then called her Idol to report about Zhao Baolin trying to reassign Lü Ziqiang to the Safe Zone Planting Center, only for her to send him packing.

Zhang San yawned. “Got it. When you see Ji Li later, don’t lose your temper, and definitely don’t try to fight—you’ll lose.”

Xia Qing replied, “Got it, just focus on your breakfast. Once things calm down in a couple days, I’ll pick some fresh chestnuts and bring them by.”

Zhang San sounded instantly kinder. “Just bring a few for a taste. Check if there are any Torreya nuts left while you’re at it. Stay safe—don’t slip and hurt yourself.”

After the call, Xia Qing sent Goofball, Old Goat, and Number Four home. She set out some delicious food for them to rest, then went to open the south gate of Section Three, letting in Kuang Qingwei and Huo Zhun, who pulled up in an electric three-wheeler.

Tang Huai, who’d been waiting at the north gate of Territory Two, tagged along to join the fun.

Seeing the materials in the cart bed, Xia Qing pretty much figured out how the rapid-release greenhouse rain cover device worked. “Uncle Huo, how big do the rocks need to be?”

Kuang Qingwei gave her a thumbs up. “Sister, you’re sharp—you figured it out at a glance.”

Huo Lei grinned. “A one-ton solid rock will do, one for each corner of the greenhouse.”

During the Calamity Years, weather could change in an instant. In sparsely populated territories, the challenge was how to keep people safe and quickly drop the rain cover to protect crops during sudden storms or when flocks of birds or swarms of insects attacked. It was a problem every territory faced.

The simplest solution was an automatic roll-up machine powered by a motor, but those were too expensive. Plus, motors and fuel cost a fortune, and electricity was hard to come by and unreliable. Most leaders just couldn’t afford them.

That’s why the Alliance’s Research Institute spent so much time and effort coming up with a low-cost, locally sourced fix.

Taking inspiration from ancient Huaguo tomb trap mechanisms, the team dug a pit over three meters deep at each corner of the greenhouse, dropped in a heavy rock, and attached the rain cover to it.

When you needed to drop the cover fast, you’d just loosen the steel cable holding the rock. The rock would drop, yanking the string that was tied to the rain cover and pulling it down quickly. Even if the pit flooded, it still worked.

If there was an emergency, as long as there were two people at the ends of the greenhouse, you could drop the rain cover in three seconds flat!

Xia Qing usually worked alone, but it took her just ten seconds to run from one end of the greenhouse to the other, so she could lower a rain cover in under twenty seconds.

What made Xia Qing happiest was that the handle on the rock-dropping device was just like the one on her security door at home. That meant she, Old Goat, and Number Four could all do the job.

Employee 001, Little Fei Mao, and Employee 002, Monkey?

No chance—they’re too small for heavy lifting.