Chapter 316: A Meeting at Dusk and a Secret Exchange

Half an hour later.

Xia Qing spotted Yang Jin emerging from Section Three on Hill Forty-Nine in the Northern Barrier. Her usually calm face couldn’t hide the shock.

Back when Chen Zheng told her Xie Yu had ‘finally’ gotten in touch with Yang Jin, Xia Qing figured things must’ve gone sideways for him out gathering herbs. But she never thought he’d come back looking this rough.

Damn, such a good-looking guy—yet now his face was all banged up!

When Yang Jin saw Xia Qing, he broke into a smile. The last rays of sunset slipped through the leaves, lighting up his battered but grinning face, making that smile just as dazzling as ever.

Hmm…

Alright, maybe not ruined. Let’s call it a battle-scarred look—a little damage, but he could still pull off the heartthrob routine.

Most people braved the Evolved Forest wearing no protective mask, and yet there was Xia Qing, standing safe in her own territory, taking hers off just to wave silently at him.

She had just started treating her injuries with a healing agent that needed her body to stay clear of other medications, so safety came first. She couldn’t risk getting hurt again.

As Yang Jin drew closer, Xia Qing noticed his hands were swathed in bandages, and it was likely he had plenty more wounds under his clothes. He still made the trip over anyway—clearly, he had something urgent to discuss.

As soon as Yang Jin entered Section Three, his eyes landed on the camera affixed to the big Toon Tree on the high slope. “Is that the new kind?”

His voice was hoarse, but unlike Tang Huai’s rasp when wounded, Yang Jin’s sounded more like sheer exhaustion.

Xia Qing answered, “Yep, swapped for it with Third Brother from Territory Seven. Twenty thousand credits each.”

“Not bad at all.” Clearly pleased with the camera, Yang Jin leaned in for a closer look. Finally, he told Xia Qing, “It’s in a good spot, but stands out too much. You should add some stealth paint. The new nano-coating isn’t just for camouflage—it’ll also cut down on the chances of the camera showing up to radar, infrared, or laser scanning.”

“That new paint isn’t at Hui Three Base yet, but I managed to pick up a few barrels during this trip.”

Xia Qing silently sighed.

Wonderful. She’d barely stepped inside—and hadn’t even pulled out his tab yet—when that cheapskate was already lining up a new trade, probably thinking up ways to shrink the amount she owed him.

She raised a hand. “Captain Yang, let’s take this to the meeting room.”

Meeting room? Yang Jin’s eyes gleamed.

He followed Xia Qing across the stone bridge, through the fields, until they reached a little shack at the edge of the farmland with a wooden sign reading ‘Meeting Room’ hanging on the door. Yang Jin paused, saying nothing.

“After you, Captain.” Xia Qing pushed open the door and took off her protective mask, letting him in first.

Yang Jin nodded and stepped inside, realizing this toolshed sported more than just a new sign—she’d fixed it up, even added new furniture.

A long rectangular table sat right in the center, a sturdy bench on either side. All solid wood—what else could they use these days?—finished with a clear lacquer.

Yang Jin admired it. “The grain on this wood is beautiful.”

“That’s evolved pine. If you like it, Captain, I can build one just for you. All-inclusive.” In a good mood after landing another trade, Xia Qing poured him a cup of tea. “Here, chrysanthemum tea. Good for cooling you down.”

The clean scent of chrysanthemum filled the small space, instantly soothing. Yang Jin sipped twice, feeling his throat loosen up. “Love the table, but I don’t need one right now. I did bring back two medicinal herbs from Bai Seven Base, though. They’ll only thrive beside clean spring water, or their properties fade quickly.”

With that, Yang Jin carefully took out a 20-centimeter-square box from his backpack. “I’d like to plant them at your Pure Spring. They won’t affect the water quality. We split any profits fifty-fifty. Deal?”

Xia Qing recognized the box—it was made for rare botanical specimens. Anything that got packed inside was pretty much priceless.

Excitement hit her first, swiftly followed by regret as she pictured her freshly balanced tab toppling back into the red. “Fifty-fifty’s fair, but I can’t guarantee I’ll get them to grow.”

Better spell it out now. If they die, that’s not on me.

Yang Jin smiled. “Didn’t expect miracles. If they don’t take, it’s not your fault and you don’t owe me anything. The plant doesn’t need light and isn’t picky about temperature or humidity. Is there a hollow spot or depression near your spring that’ll hold a couple fistfuls of soil? The sooner we plant, the better.”

“No charge for failure? Then let’s get started.” Xia Qing popped out of her seat. “I do have the spot. Want to go now?”

Yang Jin added, “Just in case, turn off the cameras before we head over.”

Those cameras might be encrypted, but they weren’t foolproof.

As Xia Qing took out her phone to kill the feed, Yang Jin, standing nearby, glanced down at her messy hair, flattened by the mask.

Her hair was just like her—never neat, each strand bursting with life.

Truth be told, they could’ve waited until tomorrow to plant, but Yang Jin just wanted to see her.

Four years ago, Yang Jin first passed through the gates of Hui Three Base and caught sight of Xia Qing hauling a slab of stone, her head cocked to the side. Her clothes were just as filthy as everyone else’s, but her eyes were sharp and determined. He’d never seen so much vitality in anyone’s gaze. It struck straight through him.

For a man who’d just survived a brutal fight, that look meant everything. In that instant, Yang Jin felt hope—real hope that things could change if he kept trying. From then on, every time he returned from a mission, he found a spot to watch her from afar.

Now that she’d left the Safe Zone, it was even harder for Yang Jin to see her than before.

“Alright.” Xia Qing turned off all the cameras, then grabbed the seedling box. “Your hands are still hurt. How about I carry this?”

Yang Jin obviously had no objections. He downed the rest of his tea and followed Xia Qing toward the door—only to spot, through the window, an evolved wolf nearby, its ear notched.

Standing at the threshold, Xia Qing raised her hand in greeting. “Queen!”

The Alpha gave Yang Jin a brief look, then fixed its eyes on Xia Qing. She finally caught its meaning. “Queen, you can head home first. I’ll clean the rabbit as soon as I’m back so you can have it for dinner tonight.”

Satisfied, the Alpha turned and trotted off.

“This way, Captain Yang.” Once she’d sent the Alpha home, Xia Qing slipped easily back into her cool, competent manner. She fastened her mask and led Yang Jin onward.

They stepped into the Slope Greenhouse and made their way to the cave where the Pure Spring lay. Xia Qing explained, “For security, I built the greenhouse upward to cover the spring and the grapevines. These are the two grapevine cuttings we swapped for back in March—look how much they’ve grown. I bet next year they’ll bear fruit.”

Back when she got them, the vines were barely a meter long. Now, shoots covered the trellis Xia Qing set up. They were doing great.

Yang Jin nodded. “This evolved variety handles the cold well, but if it drops below minus fifteen, make sure to insulate the roots.”

Surprised he knew so much, Xia Qing took the chance to ask, “Do you have any tips on keeping them warm?”

He sure did—he’d studied up. “The Safe Zone’s orchard builds channels out of earth blocks. After pruning in winter, they bunch the vines in the middle, build a frame with wooden poles, pile on two layers of straw mats, then stack fifty centimeters of leaves or dry grass on top. Leave a few air holes along the base, then seal them once it hits zero. As long as the roots don’t freeze solid, they’re safe. In spring, just clear everything off—they’ll start growing again.”

With his explanation done, Yang Jin made a move to shift the stone sealing the cave entrance.

Xia Qing hurried over. “Captain, that one’s heavy. Let me handle it.”

Yang Jin didn’t try to argue—he simply stepped aside.