Chapter 415: Predators and Prey

When the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole waits behind.

Su Feng and Fire Phoenix sent their ragtag refugee team to attack the Evolved Bear, hoping to lure the whole bear pack out from Hill Sixty-One so they could sneak into the giant python’s territory and do their dirty work.

But their blatant disregard for territory safety infuriated the locals. Their helicopter was blown up, stripping them of fast transport into the depths of the Evolved Forest. Meanwhile, the Wolf Pack on Hill Sixty took advantage of the bears’ absence and made their move.

If the wolves’ ambush worked, they’d be the biggest winners of this whole fight. The cleverness of these evolved animals was simply mind-blowing.

What level would the wolves reach if they kept evolving for a few more years? And how should humans coexist with such advanced beasts? As Xia Qing patrolled the territory, these questions weighed on her mind.

At one in the morning, a cold front swept in. Temperatures plummeted to -13°C. Vapor in the air frosted over the ground as Xia Qing took off her mask, feeling the stinging chill and watching white clouds form with every breath.

The frost of Disaster Year Ten had arrived.

Two bears thundered across the icy landscape toward Hill Fifty, finding their injured companion and catching the scent of humans in the air, baring their fangs in warning.

Deep in the Evolved Forest, the Wolf Pack was locked in a fierce battle against a massive python. The two Brain-Evolved Bears on Hill Sixty-One stirred from their slumber and opened their eyes.

In Territory Two bright lights filled the night. In the north, machines hummed at the compost starter plant in Territory Eight. Inside a white building in the south, Xin Yu adjusted equipment under a warm lamp while five different birds and beasts perched quietly nearby. One of the Evolved Hawks drooped its right wing.

Within Territory Nine, several researchers in white coats gathered in the lab, faces tense as they stared at a hydroponic tank filled with Green Light Spinach.

In the tin shack of Territory Fourteen, a man curled up in a ragged quilt shivered violently from the cold.

In the cozy, air-conditioned room of Section Seven, Zhang San, pale and exhausted, had sunk into a giant C-shaped pillow and was fast asleep.

Across the territories, everyone scrambled to protect their crops from frostbite, trying every possible measure to safeguard their fields.

Inside the livestock greenhouse of Section Three, Xia Qing checked on the Green Lantern Chickens, Yellow Lantern Rabbits, Green Lantern Yellow Lantern Mealworms, and the Pure Spring Fish swimming in their tanks. Satisfied that all was well, she glanced at the temperature and humidity meter.

15°C. Down two more degrees, but still within the animals’ comfort zone. Humidity at 75%. Up three percent, now a little too high. If it rose any more, the animals would start getting uncomfortable.

Xia Qing couldn’t just rely on the ground cover’s drainage to lower the humidity anymore. Acting fast, she dragged several large bundles of dry straw into the cabin and spread them out over the greenhouse’s ground cover. The straw would help absorb moisture from the air, bringing the humidity down.

Er Gou the sick wolf leapt and scrambled to help her spread the straw. The wolf looked busy, but honestly just made more work. Xia Qing didn’t bother to stop him though.

Once the straw was in place, Xia Qing called for the others to leave the greenhouse with her. She hadn’t even set foot outside when a faint flutter caught her ear—the quiet beating of bird wings.

Only someone with evolved hearing could have picked up that soft sound over the wind. So Xia Qing pretended not to hear. She waited until Er Gou lifted his head, bared his teeth and growled. Then Xia Qing raised her gun.

“Bang!”

“Boom!”

From behind the surveillance screens in Territory Two, a member of the Su Feng reconnaissance squad watched Xia Qing lift her homemade pistol. But before he could warn the surveillance bird to evade, the screen flickered with sudden movement. He instantly hit the detonator and reported, “The surveillance bird that entered Section Three has been shot and detonated.”

Xu Pin, who’d been lounging on the sofa playing on his phone, came over and said, “Pull up the footage.”

“Yes sir.” The team member enlarged the last images sent from the surveillance bird before it was shot down.

Xu Pin frowned at the armored wolf dog on screen. “Isn’t that the Evolved Wolf that was about to die of sickness three months ago?”

The surveillance tech quickly pulled up video of Zhang Yong and Xu Juan entering Section Three and compared it to photos of the scrawny, balding Evolved Wolf in the sheep shed. “Different build and denser fur, but by the facial markings, yes—same wolf.”

“Xu, sir! A raptor just snatched our surveillance bird over Territory Eight!”

Xu Pin spun toward the monitor just in time to see the screen blur into static. He snapped, “Don’t just stand there! Trigger the explosion!”

“Yes sir.” The scout hit the detonation button, but the camera still shook wildly as the surveillance bird gave a pained cry. “Xu, sir, detonation failed.”

“Look, it’s an Evolved Eagle Owl!” On the high-altitude feed above Territory Two, a raptor with a wingspan over a meter carried their surveillance bird into the treetops above Territory Eight. The raptor wasn’t moving fast, so they could tell exactly what it was.

Evolved Eagle Owl—the Night King, bane of small surveillance birds.

“We can’t detonate the explosives because we’re out of range. Must be signal jamming.” The reconnaissance squad’s captain guessed, “That owl probably has a jamming device on it.”

In other words, that might be a trained bird.

Xu Pin immediately ordered, “Pull back all surveillance birds outside Territory Two. Keep your eyes glued to Section Three.”

What?

The squad captain spoke up, “Xu, sir, Territory Eight is way more suspicious than Section Three.”

Xu Pin stared at the two dead screens, a sly grin twisting his lips. “Territory Eight’s got Chonglian Group backing them. Let the captain vent his anger on that Section Three woman first.”

“Understood.” The squad captain snickered, then whispered, “Xu, sir, it’s freezing out there… The brothers are suffering on patrol.”

Xu Pin shot him a cold look. The captain shut up and let out an awkward laugh.

“We don’t need many people, just watch the north and south gates of Section Three. If Xia Qing leaves, report immediately.”

“Yes sir!”

In Section Three, after the inspection team collected the surveillance bird’s remains, Xia Qing headed to check on potted strawberries and mint in the greenhouse. Suddenly, a message from Hu Zifeng popped up:

“There’s someone hiding inside the Wild Grass Wall north of Territory Two and another in the Northern Barrier of Section Three. Both are staking out your north and south gates.”

First the surveillance bird, now they’re sending people to spy in person… Could Tang Zhengsu and Xu Pin really believe she blew up their helicopter?

Normally she’d just let them watch—there was nothing to hide. But tonight was different. The wolves might haul their freshly caught python into Section Three.

Xia Qing quickly contacted the inspection team who’d just left and reported the situation.

Cao Xianyun replied right away, “We’ve got it, we’ll head over soon and claim we discovered them. Don’t show yourself, Sister Qing—Territory Two’s people are losing their minds out here.”

“Thanks for the help.” After hanging up, Xia Qing waited quietly for over ten minutes before hearing the inspection team enter Section Three’s Northern Barrier and easily nab the spy hiding in the grass nest.

Not long after, Xia Qing heard the patrol car roll by, returning through the Northern Barrier.

With the inspection team patrolling the outside, Xia Qing finally relaxed. She crunched through the frosty grass all the way home and drifted off to sleep.