Chapter 495: Secrets, Trust, and the Plan for a Bountiful Valley

With such an ideal breeding ground, Kuang Qingwei couldn’t help but imagine the future. “For the next two years, we’ll raise seedlings here in the valley. We’ll plant four crops of rice and earn enough credits to build a climate-controlled greenhouse.”

“Once that’s ready, we can use both the greenhouse and valley to grow seedlings. Each territory will plant several hundred acres of rice. When it’s harvest season, we’ll only eat Green Lantern rice. As long as everyone in our territory under 35 isn’t completely hopeless, they’ll all be able to awaken their evolutionary powers for sure.”

Zhao Ze grew excited too. “Absolutely. As long as we stick with Xia Qing and Third Brother, my kid is bound to become an evolutionist. Could even end up an advanced one, healthy and kicking until they’re a hundred and fifty.”

The Safe Zone’s announcements had mentioned that advanced evolutionaries saw a dramatic boost in fitness and could live at least fifty years longer, with many likely reaching a hundred and fifty.

Kuang Qingwei joked, “First, you need a wife.”

Shizhong chuckled. “Who knows, my little Xiao Du might make it to advanced evolutionary.”

After letting everyone chat for a bit, Xia Qing pulled them back on track. “If everyone agrees, once we do the controlled burn on the mountain, we’ll start clearing out the valley and laying down soil to grow crops. We’ll set up the insect netting and grow lamps as planned. By February next year, we’ll be raising rice seedlings right here in the valley.”

After everyone had shared their views, Xia Qing asked, “As for how exactly we’ll split up the work, once we finish the burn, I’ll take everyone to see the valley in person and we’ll decide then. But there’s one thing I need you all to know ahead of time.”

Facing the five allies, Xia Qing’s expression turned serious and her voice stern. “You all know by now how important the hot spring valley on Hill Fifty is. The moment valuable resources are made public, every power out there will fight for them. Right now, our Alliance has nowhere near enough strength to compete. That’s why the hot spring valley on Hill Fifty is our Alliance’s very first top-level secret.”

“So far, only the six of us, Third Brother, and Captain Yang know about this secret valley. You can choose to tell immediate family you trust to keep quiet, but it absolutely cannot be leaked to any hired workers or anyone outside our territories.”

“Doesn’t matter which territory or what reason there is—if your territory spills this secret, you’re out. Immediate expulsion from the Alliance. Your name goes on the blacklist and you can never trade with us again. Third Brother already agreed to this rule. Captain Yang also promised to keep it under wraps. If anyone disagrees, now’s the time to speak up.”

“No objections.”

“I’m all for it.”

People rushed to show their support. Getting blacklisted by the Lords’ Alliance wasn’t fun, but getting on Zhang San’s blacklist was downright terrifying.

Zhao Ze added, “Don’t worry, Sis. Anyone who survived this long after the calamity knows how to keep a secret and guard their food. The ones who couldn’t are long dead by now.”

Kuang Qingwei felt Xia Qing’s punishment was way too light, barely a slap on the wrist. “If someone leaks the secret, they should do more than just get kicked and blacklisted. Make them pay double our losses and give back every benefit they got from the Alliance before.”

“Yeah—pay in credits and food.” Even the honest Shizhong approved of this. “This’ll keep everyone alert, so that even at home in their own territory they’ll remember to watch out for those auditory evolutionaries listening in. At Territory Ten, when we discussed anything serious, we hid indoors and scratched messages onto the floor, just in case those in Territory Nine, Thirteen, or Fourteen overheard.”

The neighbors around Territory Ten were nothing to mess with.

Qi Fu assured everyone, “No need to worry about eavesdropping right now—Xia Qing brought anti-surveillance gear, and there’s not a soul within two hundred meters of us. Still, just to be safe, let’s hold our next meeting down in the basement.”

Xia Qing turned to Yue Haiying, but Yue Haiying spoke up first. “The lord of Territory Fifteen, Tan Qi, is only nine and still studying in the Safe Zone. I won’t tell her about this. As for Captain Tan, I’ll keep it from him for now too. It’s not about trust, just… he stands with the official base, so his position’s different.”

Tan Junjie worked for the official Base Inspection Team and had his responsibilities to consider. Telling him would only put him in a tough spot. It was the same reason Zhang San secretly made healing medicine for Xia Qing but kept it hidden from Ji Li and the others.

Once the meeting broke up, Xia Qing and Zhao Ze drove the rotary tiller back to their territory. Xia Qing quietly reminded him, “Zhao, the scouting team from Territory Two is right inside the wild grass wall.”

“Got it.” Zhao Ze instantly shoved down all his excitement, doing his best to think of something sad.

Inside the wild grass wall of Territory Two, Zhou Xun watched Xia Qing’s ever-stoic face and learned nothing, but when he saw how Zhao Ze was all smiles going out and looked like he’d lost his own father coming back, he figured out what had happened: “Negotiations broke down.”

That afternoon, Qi Fu reported the number of people each of the five territories was sending for the firebreak mission: Territory Four, 7; Territory Five, 9; Territory Six, 12; Territory Ten, 2; Territory Fifteen, 20. That was just enough for the mission—no need to recruit outsiders.

Perfect. Since Hill Fifty was now an experimental zone, the fewer outsiders on the mountain, the better.

Xia Qing gave the numbers to Yang Jin and asked, “If you’re not busy, I’d like to meet and discuss the specifics for the firebreak project on Hill Fifty and work with you on the latest progress for the Second Disaster Elimination Team.”

Right now, Xia Qing was manager of Hill Fifty. Yang Jin replied with a light laugh, “I’m free. Let’s talk in two hours.”

Xia Qing ended the call and went down to the basement to grab ingredients for lunch. She picked three hickory nuts—just the right size—from the bag.

They were left over from the last time Xia Qing was called up to join the Third Disaster Elimination Team, when Yang Jin wrapped her in an emergency blanket up on Mountain 51 and demanded payment for his trouble.

As for the 250 jin of advanced Green Lantern python meat he wanted? Hah, not happening!

After lunch and some weeding in the greenhouse, Xia Qing left the greenhouse right on time and hurried toward the northern gate of the territory.

There were still five minutes to go before the meeting with Yang Jin. Xia Qing opened the Red Squirrel tracker app for a quick check, then looked through the iron mesh wall up at Hill Forty-Nine, Section Three, at the tree hollow where Red Squirrel was hiding.

Ever since the Devastation Snow, Red Squirrel hadn’t even moved around, much less visited Xia Qing’s house for spring water. Had the little guy gone into hibernation or just gotten too weak to even move?

Yang Jin walked down from Hill Forty-Nine, stepping through the lingering Devastation Snow. As soon as he saw Xia Qing waiting inside the gate, he hurried his pace.

When Xia Qing spotted the massive backpack on Yang Jin’s back, her eyes lit up. No need to ask—she knew it had to be the personal flight equipment she and Huo Zhun confiscated when they went after the fugitives.