Chapter 303: Securing the Territory: Cameras, Wolves, and Trust

After Da Ya helped Xia Qing set up the new phone app and connected it to the cameras, he picked out a tall tree on the high slope for Xia Qing to mount the first camera. By sheer coincidence, it was the Green Lantern Toon Tree up on the ridge.

Out of all the trees on the ridge, Xia Qing liked that one best. Its toxin element was the lowest, making it the safest. Installing a camera there meant the whole ridge, the lower slope’s terraced greenhouses, and even the orchards up top would all be under surveillance.

Once they finished with the high slope camera, the two of them headed to the southern side of the reservoir and installed two more cameras on either end of the greenhouses.

Honestly, the new cameras each had a 300-meter range. They really only needed one to cover the greenhouses by the reservoir, but Da Ya insisted on two for added safety. Xia Qing definitely didn’t mind — the more cameras, the more secure the territory.

Next up: the cameras back at home. Xia Qing gave a heads up, “Brother Ya, one of the wolves in my territory has come back. You’ll see it when we’re home. Just don’t go near it or pull out any weapons, and it won’t attack.”

Da Ya had seen Xia Qing’s wolves before and was unfazed. “Third Brother mentioned it. So, which one is it—the one with the bad leg, bad back, or that poor infected one?”

It was one thing when she called them that herself, but hearing Da Ya rattle off the wolves’ tragic nicknames made Xia Qing realize just how rough her wolves had it. Leading the way, she explained, “It’s the infected one. Still recovering, but it can already run and jump—honestly not as weak as before.”

So, turns out Er isn’t doing that badly after all.

After Xia Qing recounted her adventure in the Evolved Forest with the sick wolf, Da Ya nodded. “So what’s this wolf’s evolutionary trait?”

Xia Qing paused a couple seconds. “…Haven’t figured that out yet.”

Da Ya grinned, quick to cover. “Maybe it’s balanced evolution—good at everything!”

By then, the wolf and Old Goat had just finished their bath and were lounging in the hay under the eaves to dry off. With full bellies and freshly washed fur, Sick Wolf sprawled comfortably, fighting off sleep.

When the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, Sick Wolf opened his eyes, stood up, and fixed a wary stare at the courtyard gate.

“Baa.” Old Goat bleated, chewing lazily on the hay, showing with his actions there was nothing to worry about—Xia Qing was here.

But the second Sick Wolf spotted Da Ya trailing behind Xia Qing, his eyes sharpened. He got ready to pounce, looking like he’d tear any trespasser apart.

Thanks to Xia Qing’s care, Sick Wolf had filled out a bit. His fur, fluffed up from the bath, made his threatening pose extra convincing.

Da Ya, who hadn’t been nervous before, suddenly paled. He stopped in his tracks at the gate, whispering to Xia Qing, “He looks way fiercer than last time!”

“He got scared by the wolf howls we played through the loudspeaker last time. Now that he’s back, he’s even more cautious. Just wait here, Brother Ya. I’ll help him settle down and go inside.” With that, Xia Qing slipped into the courtyard to soothe Sick Wolf.

Da Ya watched as that intimidating evolved wolf, despite glaring daggers at him, obediently followed Xia Qing and the goat indoors. That look made Da Ya respect Xia Qing even more.

After all, anyone who could tame an adult, evolved wild wolf had to be impressive.

Once the wolf and goat were inside, Da Ya picked a spot for the next camera. “Cut down those trees behind the house, the ones between the house and the greenhouse. That way, the camera on the greenhouse will cover behind the house too. Or you could dig in a three-meter wooden pole here, hang up a camera, and the whole yard plus all those ruins south of here will be under surveillance.”

“Sounds good—I’ll dig after.” Trees near the house could go haywire in toxin rain, so Xia Qing had already cleared most of them out. To get full use out of the cameras, she’d need to mount them on posts, not the walls.

With the wolf still in the house, Da Ya didn’t go inside. He briefed Xia Qing out in the yard. “These are top-security cameras. The footage is encrypted, so if anyone tries to hack in, you’ll get a real-time alert on your phone. Still…”

Da Ya lowered his voice, “Don’t rely only on the alerts, though. Use it yourself for a few days. Once we have some basic footage, I’ll cut some highlight reels and help set up anti-hacker protection…”

At first, Xia Qing could keep up—then Da Ya got too technical. Still, looking at this guy—shorter than her yet spouting all this tech—she couldn’t help admiring him. “Brother Ya, I never knew you had such skills!”

“This was how I made a living before the Cataclysm.” Da Ya explained simply, then got to pricing. “One camera’s twenty thousand, so four brings it to eighty thousand. How many pounds of Green Lantern torreya nuts did you harvest today?”

The cameras Da Ya brought were worth a hundred times what was typical in the Safe Zone. But you get what you pay for—those Safe Zone models were too flimsy, no match for evolved creatures. They were useless in the wild. Da Ya’s cameras were made of advanced and maybe even military-grade materials. Frankly, Xia Qing would’ve paid thirty thousand each if she had to.

Only then did Xia Qing pull her harvested Green Lantern torreya nuts from her backpack. “Forty pounds.”

Da Ya did some quick math. “Takes five pounds of raw nuts for one pound dried—Third Brother wants two pounds. All told, with the nutmeats, brings you up to 1,760 credits. Let’s round it off for convenience, just pay me for the cameras in credits.”

After transferring the credits to Da Ya, Xia Qing tallyed what was left from her fish sales—over thirty-one thousand. That was more than enough for the next fencing project, and she was pretty satisfied.

Da Ya pointed with his chin at the cardboard box on the ground—camera parts inside. Xia Qing got the message, nodded hard, and even gave a little respectful salute.

There were only two people in the territory, but you never knew if someone with top-tier hearing was eavesdropping in nearby lands. No way could she risk rumors getting out about her healing potions. Discretion was a must.

“I’m heading out. If there’s any problem with the cameras, just call me.” Da Ya had barely finished speaking when the hens in the chicken house started clucking loudly.

Xia Qing asked him to wait a bit. “That chicken I swapped with Third Brother a few months back just started laying eggs yesterday. Hold on, Brother Ya, I’ll grab two fresh ones for you to bring to Third Brother for a treat.”

Green Lantern food was Third Brother’s absolute favorite. Eggs weren’t scarce in Territory Seven, but Da Ya still accepted the gift with a grin. “Remember, feed the Green Lantern chickens plenty of edible grass and filtered water. Too much toxin over time will affect their quality.”

“Got it—thanks, Brother Ya.” Xia Qing thanked him sincerely.

Her Green Lantern chickens were half free-range, pecking at all kinds of bugs and wild weeds. But Xia Qing also made sure they had wheat bran mixed with veggie leaves and pure spring water every day. If the toxin rain fell, she’d shelter them with her Yi Stone, so she didn’t worry about their quality at all.

That Yi Stone, along with her pure spring water, was her real secret to thriving as a farmer and raising chickens.

After seeing Da Ya off, Xia Qing hefted a four-meter pine log home, dug a hole in the southeast corner of her yard, and mounted the last camera on top.

With the monitoring app open, Xia Qing registered her own, Old Goat’s, and Sick Wolf’s faces and builds in the system. She reminded both companions how crucial the cameras were, warning them not to mess with the equipment. Then she suggested, “Old Goat, Er Gou, how about you two go catch some bugs for the fish while I chop down the trees behind our house?”

When her companions left the house, Xia Qing immediately checked the app. And sure enough, there they were onscreen, each carrying a little basket with no alarm triggered. Tapping the automatic ID function, she watched as “Old Goat” and “Er Gou the Wolf” appeared over their heads in the footage, just like she set.

Twenty thousand per camera, but these ones were on a whole different level than the cheap two-hundred credit models from the Safe Zone. With four cameras set up, Xia Qing could finally rest easy whenever she left her territory for the Evolved Forest.