Chapter 347: Barriers and Bargains

After Zhao Ze’s mother returned to Territory Four, her tears mixing with a forced smile, Xia Qing kept moving forward.

The fifty-meter-wide Northern Barrier rose and fell with the mountains. Where Section Three met Section Four, there was a north–south valley, giving this stretch of the barrier a sunken shape.

Xia Qing and Zhao Ze’s mother used four thorny evolved kalopanax trees to block the southern valley entrance, sealing it tight.

Once the autumn harvest and planting were done, Xia Qing planned to gather a crew and some machinery to dig thorny trees from Hill Fifty, fencing her territory in. After that, anyone wanting in would have to use the main gate—or break through her wall of thorns. That made the place much more secure.

Back in her territory, Xia Qing made a beeline for the terraces to check her sunflowers. Territory Five’s sunflowers had already been served up as roasted seeds, so hers must be ready for harvest too.

Sunflowers had the highest sprouting rate of anything she’d planted. Out of 150 seeds she’d traded for at the Territory Management Department, 120 sprouted—an impressive 80% germination rate.

After surviving devastation rain and daily wear, 71 sunflowers managed to bloom and set seeds: 1 green lantern, 62 yellow lantern, and 8 red lantern varieties.

The red lantern sunflowers didn’t mutate from devastation rain. Instead, they transformed from yellow lanterns as their devastation element levels slowly climbed, now sitting between 15–18 per mille.

These sunflowers couldn’t be eaten as they were. The Safe Zone’s food factories would need to run them through a complex process to remove the devastation element before they could be pressed for cooking oil or processed for food.

Once the element was removed, most of the nutritional value was destroyed. People who ate them wouldn’t get much nutrition, but at least it was safe.

Xia Qing cut down the oversized sunflower heads, loaded with seeds. She kept green lanterns for future planting, pressed or roasted the yellow lanterns, and planned to trade the red lanterns to Zhong Tao and Zheng Kui.

By her calculations, Zhong Tao and Zheng Kui should be driving over with trade goods tomorrow.

Xia Qing pulled out her phone to call Zhong Tao. “Tao, what time are you coming tomorrow? Could you bring along some farming tools? I have some things to trade.”

The call was all static, but Zhong Tao’s voice shouted through, “We can’t come till this job wraps up. It’s at least five days. Just message me the list, Sis. I’ll bring whatever you need when we head over.”

Before Xia Qing could answer, Zhong Tao had already hung up.

Even in that short call, Xia Qing’s enhanced hearing picked up on wailing and angry shouting in the background—people begging, threatening suicide, doing whatever they could to force the checkpoint guards to let them into the Safe Zone.

From the sound of it, at least a hundred people were crying and shouting. Based on recent news and rumors, Xia Qing guessed these were refugees from Hui Three Base, driven out by evolved sea creatures.

Hui Three Base was hundreds of kilometers from Hui Three Base—how had these people crossed the deadly evolved forest to get this far?

Why hadn’t they tried going to Hui One or Hui Five Base, both closer to Hui Three? Or was it that there were even more refugees outside those bases?

Could the raiders who attacked Territories 158 and 159 yesterday have been combat teams from Hui Three Base?

Nearly two million people lived at Hui Three. If they couldn’t be resettled, that would set off a refugee wave as dangerous—maybe even worse—than a beast horde.

When people were starving, they’d even eat other people. Xia Qing had seen it herself—someone butchering corpses like pigs, chopping up the flesh and even smashing the bones to suck out the marrow.

There was no doubt; they were boosting defenses because of the refugees. Everyone knew territories had food inside.

Taking a deep breath, Xia Qing quickly called Huo Lei, the owner of Huo family forge.

“Xia Qing, what do you want? I’m busy!”

Hearing Huo Lei’s voice along with the roar of the forge fire, Xia Qing could almost smell the sharp reek of burning coal. “Uncle Huo, my rice is ready to harvest. Since the Territory Management Department canceled the Crop Trade Fair, I’ll have Captain Zhong Tao bring it to you in a few days.”

Just the mention of real rice took the edge off Huo Lei’s temper. “You only got two hundred rice seedlings. How much can you possibly harvest? Not enough for a real meal!”

“It’ll be around ten jin. I’ll send six jin over for you,” Xia Qing replied.

Huo Lei gave another grunt. “I’m done smelting here. If you’ve got something to say, say it now; otherwise, I’m hanging up.”

Xia Qing cut right to it, “Uncle Huo, I got two evolved snakes with hardness. Could you help me make protective gear for strength-evolved fighters? High-end stuff.”

Huo Lei told his apprentice to step back from the forge, then asked, “How long are these snakes? If they’re too short, it won’t be enough.”

Not enough? Seriously.

Xia Qing kept her cool. “Skin is six meters from one, seven from the other. Each is as thick as a person—all but the tip of the tail.”

There was a beat of silence before Huo Lei roared, “You went and stirred up a snake nest? When did this happen? Hurry up and get those skins over here. Don’t just leave them lying around for the bugs!”

That was Xia Qing’s problem exactly. “I wanted to bring them over tomorrow, but Captain Zhong’s busy for a few days. Could you tell me how to prep the skins so they won’t go bad in the meantime?”

“How are you storing them now?”

“Cold storage. Sealed up,” Xia Qing answered.

Huo Lei sounded relieved. “They’ll keep for a couple days like that. But things outside Safe Zone won’t quiet down any time soon. Here’s what you do—you’re not far from Territory Seven, are you? Take the snake skins there and give them to my son, Huo Zhun. He’ll know what to do.”

Uh-huh. Wait, what?

Xia Qing was stunned. She’d heard Uncle Huo complain about his useless son plenty while working at the forge. But come on—if he could work with Third Brother, he couldn’t really be useless.

Huo Lei made her an offer. “With fifteen meters of python skin, I can make at least five sets of gear. I’ll use nothing but the best materials, no charge for the work or supplies. You just give me two sets of armor.”

“Deal,” Xia Qing agreed at once. That was exactly what she’d been planning.

She trusted Huo Lei’s skill completely. If he promised the best, that’s what she’d get.

Creatures with hard skins weren’t easy to come by, but that wasn’t really a problem for Xia Qing. With Lame Wolf’s smarts, it would probably bring more giant pythons to trade as well.

Zhang San was the lord of Territory Seven, and Huo Zhun worked in his territory. Xia Qing would need his blessing before meeting up with Huo Zhun.

Knowing how picky her idol was, Xia Qing started the call by offering some gourmet green lantern pecans. “Third Brother, I picked up some green lantern pecans—want to try some? I could send over twenty jin.”

Zhang San perked right up. “Sounds good. What are you looking to trade for this time?”

Right away, Xia Qing listed the pesticides and other supplies she needed.

Her trade list was worth nearly ten thousand credits, which made Zhang San even happier—clearly, the pecans’ quality was top-notch.

“No problem. I’ll have Ji Li drop things off and bring back the pecans for me.”

Xia Qing quickly added, “Could you ask Huo Zhun to deliver them? I’ve got two pieces of python skin that can’t be brought back to the forge in the Safe Zone right now, so I need Huo Zhun to help prep them in advance.”