Chapter 46: Spoils and Survival: A Safe Return with Bamboo Shoots

Hu Zifeng’s Squad made quick work of over fifty evolved bamboo rats, wrapping up the fight in less than ten minutes.

Throughout it all Xia Qing stood right at the center of the formation, entrusted with the ‘protection’ of the bagged bamboo shoots. In reality, the squad was really protecting both her and the shoots—very different from her riskier missions in the past.

Among squads heading out from the Safe Zone, members generally fall into three groups: main combat forces, internal logistics members, and temporary external support personnel.

Xia Qing never joined a squad herself, always going out as one of those outside support members.

Whenever things got dangerous, both logistics members and outside support would rush to the main fighters seeking protection.

Main combatants are supposed to protect the rest, but during uncontrollable crises, many squads treat external support as expendable bait—leaving them behind to cover the retreat.

So Xia Qing always chose her teams carefully, picking squads like Luo Pei’s and Xu Juan’s because they treated external support as people, not cannon fodder.

There were good reasons for not joining a squad: while squads offer protection they also mean giving up freedom; strength Evolvers like her rarely get real recognition or a fair share of points; and as a triple-element Evolver, sticking with one group too long would risk exposing her secret.

What she feared most was being dragged off to become a research specimen.

Xia Qing didn’t crave greatness or power. She just wanted a stable and peaceful life.

Now with the fight done it was her time to shine. Xia Qing stepped up and said, “Captain Hu, let me handle the cleanup?”

Hu Zifeng knew Xia Qing often worked with Luo Ge’s squad and nodded. “Miss Xia, you and Guan Tong handle the battleground cleanup. The rest of you, stand guard.”

Guan Tong quickly pulled out a stack of vacuum bags and disposable gloves from his vest pocket and handed them to Xia Qing. “Let’s bag and seal up all the bamboo rats fast, Miss Xia. Keep an eye out for venomous snakes.”

Xia Qing was more than familiar with this work. She swiftly gathered the evolved bamboo rats, handing each filled bag to Guan Tong, who would vacuum-seal them for storage.

A bamboo pit viper, drawn by the scent of blood, slithered down a stalk toward the rats at her feet. Xia Qing knocked it out with one blow of her machete, stuffed it solo in a vacuum bag, and right then caught a sound three meters above—but she stayed calm, with Hu Zifeng standing protectively by her side.

Hu Zifeng raised his hand and caught another snake as it lunged down, passing it to Xia Qing. She knocked it out in one hit, sealed it, and handed it off to Guan Tong.

Live creatures fetch a higher price than dead ones. Even a two-meter-long, arm-thick evolved snake can’t survive once the air is gone.

Cleanup finished in under five minutes. Guan Tong, another strength Evolver, hefted the heavy bags stuffed with bamboo rats and snakes, then swung the largest bag of shoots over his shoulders.

Xia Qing, also a strength Evolver, hoisted another sack of shoots—this one half as tall as a person—onto her back, added two more bags to her hands, and took her place beside Guan Tong.

Hu Zifeng’s four squadmates took the smaller backpacks, surrounding Xia Qing and Guan Tong on their way out of the Evolver Forest.

The whole trip took seven hours. No one ever removed their protective masks. When hunger struck, they’d bite down on a straw set inside their masks and suck up some nutrient solution. It tasted absolutely terrible but worked fast—an essential supply for Forest missions.

Once outside the Evolver Forest, Hu Zifeng took off his mask and discussed with Xia Qing. “Shoots you dug up yourself are yours. The rest—shoots, snakes, and bamboo rats—we split according to Safe Zone rules?”

Xia Qing pulled off her mask and nodded in agreement. “Of course. No need to be so formal, Captain Hu—just call me Xia Qing.”

Hu Zifeng was nothing if not straightforward. “Alright then. We’ll bring everything back, get it checked and cleaned, and I’ll deliver your share myself. How many cans do you want to trade for?”

“Is one alright?” Canned meat was highly prized, and Xia Qing didn’t know how many the squad had brought out. She didn’t want to be greedy, especially since her supply of evolved perilla only produced about two catties.

After watching Hu Zifeng’s squad head off into Buffer Forest One, Xia Qing dragged her sack of shoots back to her territory. Once the team guarding the four corners withdrew to Plot One, Boss Sheep rushed over, bleating with those big, teary eyes and greeted her in a squeaky little voice. “Baa!”

Feeling triumphant, Xia Qing pulled off her sweat-soaked head wrap, shook out her damp short hair, and smiled at Boss Sheep. “I made it back safe with fresh bamboo shoots!”

What a shame—not a single evolved giant panda to be found.

Boss Sheep, hoping for a treat, squinted and spun his spiral horns, scraping his hooves in a playful demand.

Xia Qing wasn’t in the mood for squabbling. She tossed the bag off her back. “Let’s go, you’ll get your food once we’re home.”

With Xia Qing and her sheep gone, Zhou Xun quietly slipped away, hurrying back to the village in Territory Two. “Boss, Xia Qing and Hu Zifeng’s group are all back—they even brought edible bamboo shoots!”

Tang Huai, who’d been digging for bugs all day, stayed silent. Tang Heng analyzed, “If it took them seven hours round trip, the bamboo forest must be fifteen li from here at least.”

A trek that far into the bamboo forest would take a well-equipped Evolver squad. In Territory Two, there were only Tang Huai and Zhou Xun—and neither was combat-trained. Not giving up, Zhou Xun edged closer and pleaded, “Boss, let’s trade something with Plot One or Plot Three for some bamboo shoots?”

Back at home, Xia Qing dug out a three or four-jin bamboo shoot, sliced off a thin piece, and dropped it in Boss Sheep’s feed bowl. After a much-needed combat shower, she stepped out to find Boss Sheep blocking the door, big cartoon eyes staring her down.

“Baa—”

That greedy sheep even found a new voice just for food. Fresh from the shower, Xia Qing felt a chill down her neck and stepped around him. “No way, bamboo shoots are hard to come by. We need to ration them.”

“Baa!” Boss Sheep, denied his snack, started digging at the floor—clearly ready to fight for it.

Not wanting to wrestle the sheep, Xia Qing scooped up the rest and locked the bamboo shoots in the kitchen’s metal cupboard for safekeeping.

Boss Sheep calmed down right away—he knew food locked up in that cupboard always ended up in his bowl sooner or later.

Xia Qing headed to the fields on the highland, scythed a bundle of evolved perilla, then came back to wash rice and start a pot. Once Hu Zifeng dropped off her share and canned meat, she’d have fragrant bamboo shoots and pork for dinner tonight.

Half an hour later, Xia Qing received her haul: one yellowlight bamboo rat, four redlight bamboo rats, twenty jin of greenlight bamboo shoots, and one can of meat in trade.

Hu Zifeng explained, “Out of fifty rats there were eight yellowlights, and one hundred thirty-six jin of greenlight bamboo shoots. The redlight snakes weighed fifty-three jin. I kept the snakes and made up your share with four extra jin of green bamboo shoots.”

Xia Qing thanked him, took her goods home. For this trip all she did was guide the way, clean up, and carry supplies—yet Hu Zifeng gave her a bigger share than the Base usually allows. She knew those four extra jin of shoots were his way of saying thanks.

His real reason? Gratitude that she let Luo Pei receive medical care in Territory Three.

Even with vacuum bags, the meat would barely last more than three days.

Xia Qing checked the time. She walked straight to the barrier to wait for the Inspection Team’s patrol to come by.