Chapter 395: Progress in the Evolved Forest

Kuang Qingwei looked a bit conflicted. “Renjie wanted to work with us just like he did with Territory Fifteen. I turned him down. The only reason we brought Brother Yue and the others on board was because we were shorthanded. Now our team’s full. Besides…”

Lowering his voice, Kuang Qingwei added, “Zhao Ze told me about what happened this morning with Renjie’s crew. If Sis hadn’t been there to keep things under control, they would’ve swiped the tiller for sure.”

Xia Qing nodded. “You made the right call, Qing. We’ve got no reason to partner up with them right now. Still if Wen Nengjie comes asking again, don’t shut the door all the way—never know when we might need to team up in the future.”

“Got it.” Kuang Qingwei checked his protective mask. “Take a break, Sis. I’m heading back to work.”

Thornwood was so tough that even a chainsaw struggled to cut through it, let alone manpower. But with too few tools, you had no choice but to fight it out by hand.

For Shi’s mother, Yuan Yan, Kuang Qingwei, and the rest, it was their first time working a mission in the Evolved Forest. Never mind chopping wood—even standing there in the shadowy, overgrown Thornwood left them on edge, convinced deadly things lurked in the weeds. They found it hard to even breathe.

And to be honest, they were right.

Resting on a rock, Xia Qing suddenly raised her gun and shot a red-eyed lizard over half a meter long as it lunged out of the undergrowth. Its target was an unsuspecting worker from Section Four, bent over with his back turned while chopping at a tree.

If that lizard had bitten him, he would’ve been badly hurt. But before he even noticed the threat, Xia Qing put an end to it with a single shot.

After Xia Qing and the three other sentries took out several more threats, everyone working the axes picked up the pace.

Xia Qing understood exactly how these people felt. She’d once been a non-combat logistics member venturing out from the Safe Zone on missions, feeling just as nervous as they were.

Only this time, Xia Qing was actively protecting others, while back then, she’d had to run to find someone to shield her whenever danger struck in the forest.

Now, she’d gone from the one being protected to the one who protected.

Words weren’t needed. Every shot, every steel pellet that wiped out a threat gave the others confidence. When they knew someone had their back, they could throw themselves into the job—hoping they’d make it out of the Evolved Forest alive.

By the end of the first morning, Xia Qing and the team from Section Four finished hauling all the yellow clay needed for the greenhouse walls.

That afternoon, Section Five and Territory Six’s clay deliveries wrapped up too.

Second morning, soil deliveries for Territory Fifteen and Territory Ten were completed.

By the second afternoon, five transport trucks and four excavators were gathered in Thornwood, ready to haul out the timber.

On the third morning, the vehicles rented from Territory Eight had to be returned, leaving just two trucks and one excavator. Qi Fu led twenty-odd people back to start building the greenhouse inside the territory while Xia Qing and Yue Haiying kept leading the tree-felling crew.

By the fifth morning, after they’d hauled enough Thornwood for the wall, the two trucks started delivering yellow clay to each territory again, while Zhao Ze reassigned more hands for Xia Qing’s greenhouse project.

At six o’clock that afternoon, three construction vehicles reached the end of their rental and drove over to Territory Fifteen.

The Alliance’s first collective mission in the territories finished smoothly.

The people who’d been dropped off at the Eastern Quarantine Strip by the trucks weren’t tired—they were elated. They’d braved the Evolved Forest, racked up credits, seen things they’d never seen before, and most importantly, made it out alive.

For her first trip into the forest, Zhu Li was so excited she ran over to Xia Qing. “I’m trading for a set of Level 2 field protective gear as soon as I get home! Xia Qing, can I join your team next time? I feel like I’ve gotten way stronger after half a year of training out here.”

“Yeah, if there’s another job like this, just call on us,” Madam Shi chimed in, brimming with confidence after three busy days.

Yuan Yan, who’d also worked three days, stayed calm. “Xia Qing, what kind of danger rating would you give this round of woodcutting and digging?”

“Low risk,” Xia Qing replied. “Same level as the cleanup mission the combat team did last fall and winter.”

From now until the end of January—except during the Snowfall period—the Evolved Forest was at its safest, perfect for non-hibernating humans venturing out to expand their territories.

Hearing that it was low risk didn’t disappoint anyone. They chattered and laughed all the way back.

Passing by Territory Fifteen, Yue Haiying and his crew waved goodbye before heading back through the North Gate. Then it was Territory Ten, Territory Six, Territory Five, Section Four, and before long, Xia Qing was the last one walking home.

“Busy lately, Xia Qing?” Tang Huai, who Xia Qing hadn’t seen in ages, leaned against the Section Two sign with his arms folded, huffing. “Today’s the fifteenth!”

The fifteenth was the day Xia Qing had agreed to hand over thirty Green Lantern Eggs—payment for three sets of Protective Dog Suits to Tang Huai.

Xia Qing nodded, holding up seven fingers and signaling with her eyes for Tang Huai to meet her at Section Three’s North Gate later. She fished out her key and unlocked the big padlock on the South Gate, locking it again after stepping back into her own territory.

There was still daylight left. Qi Fu and over twenty people were building the greenhouse walls inside Section Three. At this rate they’d finish in another two days—faster than Xia Qing had planned.

Back at home, Xia Qing was warmly greeted by Old Goat and Er Gou. She’d been leaving early and coming home late, checking the territory, wolfing down dinner, and collapsing into bed—hardly speaking to her two companions these last few days.

She pressed down on Old Goat’s curly horns with her left hand, scratched Er Gou’s chin with her right, and went to fetch the eggs for Tang Huai.

As night fell, Qi Fu called out to Xia Qing and led his team out the South Gate. With them gone, Jing Kuan and Chen Zheng, in charge of security, also left through the North Gate. Soon, only Xia Qing, one sheep, and one wolf were left in Section Three.

Eggs in hand, Xia Qing headed for the North Gate to wait for Tang Huai. Old Goat and Er Gou had no idea where she was going but tagged along out of habit.

Tang Huai had already delivered the dog suits up front, and Xia Qing had given them to Alpha and Crippled Wolf. She’d even patched up their suits, which had gotten messed up fighting the snake and the bear, and stashed them away in the warehouse as spares.

After patching them up, Xia Qing wanted the wolves to keep wearing the repaired gear and save the new ones for later, but those two weren’t having it—they just wanted something new.

Today was egg-handover day. She’d just traded eggs with Territory Seven last night. If she didn’t have something to ask Tang Huai, she would’ve had Chen Zheng deliver the eggs to him during the day.

Tang Huai strolled along the new wall of Section Three and stopped at the North Gate, staring at the automated turnstile with face recognition. He couldn’t help but tease, “The South Gate is the main entrance, so you use an old padlock; the North Gate barely gets any traffic, and you…”

Halfway through, Tang Huai paused, realization dawning on his face as he pointed at Xia Qing like she’d broken his heart. “Wait—you didn’t set up this North Gate for people! It’s just for your sheep, isn’t it? That’s just…”

At Xia Qing’s glare, Tang Huai’s bravado crumbled and he changed his tune. “That’s actually… pretty reasonable!”