Chapter 1006: A Proposal of Convenience

Yang Jin took a sip of tea, letting it soothe his dry lips and tight throat. With a gentle smile, he said, “So even sensitive details about special enzyme research—Third Brother trusts you that much? No wonder you were willing to risk your life for him this morning.”

Looks like this deal Yang Jin wants to talk about has something to do with either Third Brother or Fire Phoenix. Xia Qing kept calm and picked up the thread. “Risking my life is stretching it. Third Brother and I figured out last year that the soybean seeds Fire Phoenix gave us as compensation were suspect…”

Yang Jin knew she was a Type B Magnetic Sense Evolver, so Xia Qing didn’t bother to hide anything. She gave a quick rundown of the poisoned soybeans. Of course, she skipped the part about Wang Wu since that was Idol’s speculation.

Yang Jin glanced at the black wrist guard on Xia Qing’s left wrist. “Are you sure your injury’s fine?”

“Just a minor wound. I’ll be better in a few days.” Xia Qing stayed as composed as ever, waiting for Yang Jin to get to the real topic.

If it was just a scratch, she wouldn’t be hiding her arm under a wrist guard, and she certainly wouldn’t have avoided using her left hand for so long. Yang Jin looked away and got straight to business. “Hu Zifeng told me you want to end your relationship. What are your plans next?”

Xia Qing replied evenly, “Haven’t really thought about it.”

Across from her, Yang Jin leaned forward with a smile that hinted he might be about to put on the charm.

At a moment like this, there was no way Xia Qing was going to back down. She sat perfectly still, face expressionless, eyes fixed on the three scars beside Yang Jin’s left eye that hadn’t totally faded. No way was she letting this Brain Evolution Iron Rooster read anything from her face.

Yang Jin did his best to keep his pounding heart in check. Trying to sound casual, he said, “You figured out the soybeans were tainted after the second round of Devastation Rain. There’s no way you’d eat them. That means when you told everyone on the Lords’ channel that you’d eaten the bad beans twice, you were actually setting the stage for your next move.”

No surprise there—the Brain Evolution Iron Rooster caught on quickly. Still, Xia Qing didn’t want to go into it. “That’s my personal business. Didn’t you say there was a deal you wanted to discuss, Captain Yang?”

Yang Jin didn’t try to push her private matters any further. He leaned back in his chair. “The deal, or more accurately, the partnership I want to propose, is actually tied to all this. Your plan has a major flaw.”

“Let’s say Third Brother gets you a pesticide to make it look like you’ve been poisoned, so those people eyeing you to breed the next generation give up. You still risk catching the attention of even more dangerous groups. They’ll want to know what’s up with your body—how are you still so powerful after being poisoned?”

The toxin used in those gene weapons leaves permanent damage. The victim’s strength keeps fading and it can even affect their kids, so people hoping to use Xia Qing for breeding should lose interest. But if she keeps fighting at full strength after being poisoned, everyone’s bound to suspect she’s got some kind of unique evolution ability.

Not that this was news to Xia Qing—it was exactly what she planned to discuss with Idol.

Before she could say anything, Yang Jin went on. “I know you’re the type to solve your own problems and hate asking for help. But right now, you’re at a crucial stage in boosting your evolution ability. If you screw up your body by taking medicine just for a cover story, it’s not worth it. I’ve got a win-win partnership in mind. Want to hear it?”

Xia Qing already had a feeling where this was headed. She waited calmly for him to explain.

The more nervous Yang Jin felt inside, the brighter his smile became. “Let me fake being your boyfriend—that’ll solve all your problems.”

Xia Qing answered evenly, “If I pretend to be Luo’s girlfriend, it not only solves what’s in front of me but doesn’t invite any new problems.”

If she played the role of Yang Jin’s girlfriend, it would keep plenty of guys from bothering her. But she’d also have to shield Yang Jin from women who had their eye on him.

She wasn’t as good-looking as Yang Jin, didn’t have his strength, and certainly not his status, so there were fewer men after her than women chasing him.

Yang Jin’s smile burned even brighter. “Come on, you’re like a model student when you’re around Luo. Are you sure you can pretend to be his girlfriend as convincingly as you did with Hu Zifeng?”

Xia Qing was silent. Deep down, she’d always seen Luo Pei as a mentor. Faking a romantic relationship with him really would be tough.

“Xie Yu’s out, too. He’s already got someone he likes.”

Yang Jin’s heart pounded faster. “So, I’m your best choice for this partnership. I’ll make it public that I’m pursuing you—it’ll look like I’ve had a thing for you all along. That way, people will think Hu Zifeng’s squad was sent by me to protect you, and it’ll be clear Hu Zifeng isn’t your boyfriend. Plus, everyone will know the bullets you use for practice come from me, free of charge—nobody will question how you afford so much ammo anymore.”

Xia Qing was unimpressed. “They’ll also realize Night Heron, the senior sniper from Azure Dragon, is actually me.”

The Azure Dragon Squad had just added another elite sniper to its ranks, boosting their strength big time. That was the real reason Yang Jin wanted to team up and fake a romance with her.

A month ago, in order to save Little Shiyi, Xia Qing took part in a Tang Family rescue mission, exposing her as a top-tier sniper. After that, fourteen out of the top fifteen squads at Hui Three Base came courting her, each more eager than the last.

The only exception? The Azure Dragon squad commander right in front of her, their longtime collaborator.

If she agreed to this, it meant carrying two labels linked to Azure Dragon: Luo Pei’s apprentice and Yang Jin’s girlfriend.

With those dual ties, every squad trying to strike a deal to boost their strength—especially Azure Dragon’s main rivals, Aurora Squad in second place and End of the Line Squad in third—could pretty much forget about using Xia Qing to gain the upper hand anymore.

Trust Yang Jin, the Iron Rooster—always plotting six steps ahead.

“Everyone’s already guessed you’re Night Heron from Azure Dragon. They just haven’t said it out loud. Besides exposing that, a lot of things about you will stop looking suspicious since people will think Azure Dragon’s funding everything you do in Section Three. The spotlight on your territory is bound to fade.” Yang Jin leaned closer, smile dazzling. “And if you pretend to date me, you can buy weapons—including sniper rounds—from Azure Dragon at half price. Think it over, Sister Qing.”

Xia Qing locked eyes with Yang Jin and finally voiced her long-standing doubt. “Ever since I let you in on the Pure Spring, you’ve always cut me deals. What’s your real motive? When did you find out I was a Three-Element Evolver?”

The first time Xia Qing made a deal with Yang Jin was when she used spring water to save Luo Pei.

She hadn’t realized it then, but now she understood: the weapons, protective gear, Green Lantern plants, territory benefits, and even having Luo Pei coach her in marksmanship from that deal—those were all worth more than the Pure Spring Water she provided to Azure Dragon.

Yang Jin had gone out of his way to give her more than she offered back, which went against his usual approach of “business is business, friendship is friendship.”