Chapter 1008: A Night of Sweet Potatoes and Alliances

“That number was recorded when you entered Hui Three Base, so it wasn’t hard to track you down.” After explaining, Yang Jin grinned. “Sister Qing messaged me—twice—about giving me some premium food. Does that still count? Can I dig up a few Green Light Sweet Potatoes from your greenhouse? I haven’t eaten yet, and I’m craving some roasted sweet potatoes tonight.”

The mystery that had always puzzled Xia Qing was finally resolved, and the urgent issues before her were settled too. Feeling much lighter, she stood up. “I’ve grown two kinds of Green Light Sweet Potatoes. Do you like them more on the dry side or soft and tender?”

It was only after Yang Jin told her that the Tang Family wanted a territory that Xia Qing rushed to the Mission Hall to get the top spot. She knew how pushy and domineering the Tang Family could be. Of course, they’d race to claim their chosen land first.

Only by lining up after the Tang Family and publicly calling them out for breaking the rules could Xia Qing have a chance to claim her desired Section Three.

After managing to secure Section Three, she truly felt grateful to the person who had messaged her. With the quality food she gained, she genuinely wanted to return the favor.

Now that Yang Jin turned out to be the one who helped her, Xia Qing naturally didn’t mind sharing her sweet potatoes.

Yang Jin knocked back another cup of tea, eyes shining. “Anything sweet is fine with me.”

After planting the yellow-fleshed sweet potato vines she’d traded for, Xia Qing had only eaten the leaves and had no idea how sweet the harvest would be.

So she led Yang Jin toward the terraced fields by Greenhouse Two. Those fields grew spring Red-fleshed Sweet Potatoes and always produced the largest ones. Even the Monkey knew that—for the last sweet potato it swiped was from there.

Yang Jin also knew Section Three’s terraced soil yielded the best crops. He followed behind Xia Qing, practically skipping. “You’re saving most of these sweet potatoes for seed, right? Just digging up one is enough for me.”

Dig up a whole plant? What’s going through his head?

Xia Qing calmly explained, “They’re still growing. I’ll pick out the biggest bulges and dig a few for you. Once the ones in the greenhouse ripen, I’ll get you a whole basket.”

Yang Jin volunteered right away. “Your hand’s hurt. Let me dig them up instead.”

“No need, it’s just a minor injury.”

All those medicinal baths weren’t taken in vain. Ji Li’s grip had been tough, but she hadn’t broken any bones. Xia Qing only wore wrist guards to cover up the discolored marks where she’d been grabbed. She didn’t want Yang Jin to accidentally harm the vines—the digging had to be her job.

Xia Qing switched on the light, pulled back the thorny fence, and stepped in. She found the sweet potato roots with the biggest lumps, carefully loosened the soil, cut off the largest tubers, dabbed fungicide on the cuts, then filled the earth back in.

After digging up four sweet potatoes, Xia Qing stopped. These were valuable seed stock—she hadn’t even tasted a single one herself. Pulling four out for Yang Jin was already more than generous.

To her surprise, he didn’t seem to see it that way.

Passing beneath the grape trellis, Yang Jin pointed up at the bunches and asked, “The grapes are ripe. Can I have a few?”

Those two grapevines were ones Yang Jin had traded to her last spring. Xia Qing nodded. “Go ahead.”

This year, there were twelve clusters in total. Other than those she’d given to her Idol, Xin Yu, and Hu Zifeng’s Squad, Xia Qing picked every ripe one herself and shared them with Old Goat and Goofball. She’d been too busy today to pick any, so Yang Jin lucked out.

Yang Jin picked a small bunch of the deep purple grapes and suddenly asked, “Starting tomorrow, I’m going to pursue you.”

Xia Qing shook her head. “There’s no need before the Devastation Rain. Afterward, Yu Wenchuang from Chonglian Group will be coming over. Let’s talk then.”

As they left Section Three, Yang Jin grinned again. “Sister Qing, it’s about time my photo got added to your access system, right? I’ll send you my picture and info.”

Xia Qing’s good mood had long since been worn away by Yang Jin’s persistence. She swiped open the door without a flicker of emotion. “We’ll record your info once we’re official. Captain Yang, you can go now.”

Once Yang Jin was out of range of her hearing and sight, he instantly took off at full speed.

Little Flathead, prowling around for prey nearby, jumped at the sudden whoosh of a passing shadow. After a few sniffs confirmed the scent, he cursed and rushed off in pursuit.

After returning home, Xia Qing reached out to Yue Haiying. “Brother Yue, are you free to talk?”

“Give me a second.” Outdoors, Yue Haiying headed into the office and shut the door. “Go ahead.”

Xia Qing got straight to the point. “The latest batch of Devastation Element Antidote is ready. How many do you need? The price is the same as before.”

This batch yielded 520 vials of antidote again. Red Eleven and Hui Three Base took the same amount as last time. Yang Jin’s share was still ten vials. Zhang San also set aside twenty from Hui One’s quota for Xia Qing.

Xia Qing knew exactly why her Idol had given her so much of the antidote.

Her body was fully recovered now. She didn’t need any Devastation Element Antidote. She kept four for emergencies and sold the rest to raise the overall strength of the Alliance.

Yue Haiying’s heart raced at the offer. He responded carefully, “Could I get five? The four badly wounded people living in the cave and Ye Yang, who was just brought back along with Zhang Hongda, all need the antidote. If that’s too many, three or four also work.”

Xia Qing could have given him six, but since he only asked for five, she’d stick with that. “That’s fine. Brother Yue, be at my territory’s north gate by six thirty tomorrow morning to pick up the medicine. During the upcoming Devastation Rain, I’ll also need you to send people to keep watch over the Valley.”

“No problem. Thanks, Xia Qing.” Yue Haiying offered sincere thanks before adding, “This afternoon the hospital let us know that my and Yan Yue’s prosthetics are ready. In two days we’ll have to head to the Safe Zone to get them and pick up some regular medicines while we’re there.”

Medicine was in short supply now. Treatments for wounded veterans had to be bought in person at the Safe Zone. Only the rare medicines that were impossible to get elsewhere would force Yue Haiying to swallow his pride and ask Zhang San for help.

“Don’t worry, Brother Yue. Stay safe.”

After hanging up, Xia Qing called She Xing and asked her to pick up four vials at the Section Three north gate at six thirty the next morning.

Lu Fangchun and Wang Bo were both injured and poisoned, their evolution element levels had dropped sharply, and they desperately needed the antidote to recover. She Xing had called a few days back hoping to buy some from Xia Qing.

Anyone sharp enough could guess the antidote came from Zhang San’s lab in Section Seven. Since Xia Qing was close with Zhang San, plenty of people tried to get the inside scoop or buy antidote through her.

After She Xing’s call, Xia Qing also contacted Section Six and Ten. Kuang Qingwei had been badly wounded in the spring’s invasion, and Shizhong suffered from chronic illness. Both were important Alliance members, so she would sell them one vial each.

Yan Yue, a vital staffer at the Ninth Center, had been in poor health for a while. There was also He Hui, a Ninth Center staffer wounded during the second Devastation Rain, who needed the antidote too.

Besides them, there was Xu Juan, who often passed Xia Qing news from the Safe Zone. She’d been injured in the second Devastation Rain. Based on her injuries and credit contributions, she’d never qualify for Hui Three’s allotted antidote—so Xia Qing put aside a vial for her.

Once she made sure Xin Yu didn’t need any, Xia Qing decided the last two vials would go to Alliance Business Minister Kuang Qingwei and PR Minister Yue Haiying to help strengthen their network.

As for Xu Juan’s vial, Xia Qing gave it to Yue Haiying to hand over at the hospital when they went for their prosthetics.