Chapter 577: Crisis in the Western Forest: Tensions and Schemes

“They said no eradication orders will be issued until the root cause of the savage beast attacks in the Evolved Forest is determined.” Tang Huai snorted. “It’s obvious this was Su Feng and Fire Phoenix’s doing. Now it’s just a matter of how the different factions play their games.”

Xia Qing nodded. “Does the base know where the wolf and leopard packs went?”

“Supposedly they were being tracked, but the trail’s gone cold. There are reports that the wolves didn’t return to their territory; they’re nursing wounds in the southern part of the Evolved Forest, ready to strike again at any moment.” Tang Huai finally dug out a frozen watermelon beetle, looked at it in disgust, then tossed it aside. “All the southern territory lords have fled back to the Safe Zone. Until the wolf pack is wiped out, there’s no way they’ll dare return.”

When Xia Qing didn’t reply, Tang Huai leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “I’ve got some great news for you.”

Standing on the high stool, Xia Qing paused her work and looked down at Tang Huai, who was acting all mysterious.

“By March at the latest, Qinglong will go from this to this.” Tang Huai held up two fingers, then tucked one back down.

Qinglong moving up from second to first—so Su Feng’s strength will take a massive hit this time! Xia Qing’s eyes lit up instantly.

Catching the change in her expression, Tang Huai smirked triumphantly, ready to boast more, but then Xia Qing’s phone rang.

Hu Zifeng asked, “Xia Qing, our captain’s here and wants to ask you something. Is it convenient for us to come over now?”

With the Safe Zone still in chaos and Yang Jin coming by at a time like this, it had to be serious. Xia Qing stayed calm. “That’s fine.”

Tang Huai, with his sharp hearing, caught Hu Zifeng’s words loud and clear. “If Yang Jin is coming to see you this early, it has to be about the western wolf pack. You know them better than anyone in Hui Three. I’m outta here.”

Seeing Xia Qing had business, Tang Huai didn’t linger shamelessly in Section Three. He headed back to the farm’s little house, handed over the purple sweet potatoes to Xia Qing, then slung his backpack and took off.

The Green Lantern yellow mealworms he brought had been meant for lunch, but he stuffed them back into his bag. “No way I’m letting Hu Fengzi get my hard-raised bugs for free.”

As Xia Qing walked Tang Huai to the northern gate, Yang Jin and Hu Zifeng arrived just in time. The four stood outside Section Three’s northern gate, caught in a rather awkward silence.

The awkwardness came from Tang Huai and Hu Zifeng glaring daggers at each other, both announcing their goodbyes—while Tang Huai kept winking exaggeratedly at Xia Qing: See? Way better than that Hu Fengzi guy!

Xia Qing shot him a glare, almost wanting to kick him all the way back to Territory Twelve.

What a blockhead! Tang Huai rolled his eyes, gave Yang Jin a brief farewell, then finally left.

“Captain Yang, after you.” Xia Qing scanned open the northern gate and let Yang Jin inside.

Hu Zifeng stayed behind on the high slope to repair the greenhouse. Yang Jin followed Xia Qing silently into the lounge, but couldn’t help asking, “Were you just trading supplies with Tang Huai?”

“Purple sweet potatoes for Green Lanterns. I’d planned to plant them in the valley, but it turns out the ones from Territory Twelve aren’t the improved strain.” Xia Qing still sounded a bit disappointed.

Something brightened in Yang Jin’s eyes, and he smiled. With a face that handsome, his smile clearly marked him as Broken Back Wolf’s long-lost brother!

“So you traded sweet potato sprouts with me because you thought they were an improved breed?”

“Yeah.” Xia Qing steadied herself and asked, “Did you already know those purple sweet potatoes from Territory Twelve weren’t improved?”

Yang Jin’s smile deepened. “Tang Zhengbo’s a shrewd businessman. The fact that he only talked up the purple sweet potato’s lower devastation evolution rate shows that’s its biggest selling point.”

Xia Qing was speechless.

…

…

Alright. Looks like she still had a lot to learn before she could call herself a true merchant.

Yang Jin asked, “You didn’t get cheated out of your supplies this time, did you?”

If I did, I’ll get you ten times what you lost.

Xia Qing shook her head. “Nope. Captain Hu said you had something to ask me?”

Yang Jin took out his laptop and played a video for Xia Qing. “The surveillance bird caught this footage from deep in the eastern Evolved Forest near Hui Six Base.”

As Xia Qing focused on the laptop screen, Yang Jin’s gaze flickered over her thick lashes and ears before he finally picked up his teacup.

She looked healthy and alert and Yang Jin finally let go of the lingering worry in his heart.

When Xia Qing finished the video, her expression grew grave. “So those macaques from Hui Six Base plan to enter our base, take over the part of the western Evolved Forest that the wolf pack used to control?”

Yang Jin nodded, briefing her on the current crisis. “According to intel from Hui Six, the monkeys’ current territory spawned a highly-evolved pathogenic fungus that can parasitize animals and is now spreading rapidly. So the monkeys are searching for a new home. Our own surveillance bird spotted monkeys on the border of the western wolf pack’s land just yesterday, so it’s likely they’ll migrate east.”

“And this morning, they’ve started moving. There are only a dozen or so wolves left in that area—they can’t fight off two hundred monkeys. We need to figure out how to get the rest of the wolf pack, the ones hiding outside the Safe Zone, back to defend their land right away.”

Yang Jin pressed the point, “If the monkeys take over the western Evolved Forest, not only is the western territory in trouble, our whole area is looking at endless problems. On top of that, they might be carrying that advanced fungus—if it spreads, it’ll completely throw off the ecological balance in the west.”

Wolf packs and bear packs were intimidating enough, but in the Evolved Forest, even scarier were the monkeys—primates, just like humans, and just as omnivorous.

Monkeys on Blue Star were clever before the evolution, but now they’re downright insane. Sure, they can’t make weapons yet, but they’ll sure as hell steal them. Last year, the fruit orchards inside the Safe Zone at Hui Six Base got raided by a group of monkeys wearing protective masks and wielding guns.

If the macaque horde seizes the wolves’ territory and grows stronger, Hui Three will end up locked in a drawn-out war with the monkeys, just like Hui Six.

Looks like the main reason the base agreed to withdraw the anti-wolf mission is that they want the wolf pack to stay put and defend their turf, keeping the monkeys carrying the advanced fungus from moving in.

Right now, our entire ecosystem is hanging by a thread—one shake and new disasters will pop up in no time.

Xia Qing asked, “How soon will the monkeys reach the wolves’ territory in the west? Can’t our base send the military or a combat team to stop them?”

Yang Jin explained, “At their current pace, they’ll be there by three this afternoon at the latest. We’re ready to respond, but if humans drive them back, there’ll be no predators left to keep them in check. The monkeys will just attack again when we’re gone.”

Xia Qing stood up at once. “I’ll have Er Gou bring Broken Back Wolf and Handsome Huge Wolf to Hill Fifty-Two. Could I borrow your laptop for a while? Also, I’ll need you and Captain Tan to hold off the Red One Investigation Team so they don’t catch me moving around.”

The Red One Investigation Team was still operating in the territory, and they had plenty of advanced evolutionaries and surveillance birds. There was no way she could have Sick Wolf bring Broken Back Wolf straight to Section Three. With Hill Fifty-Two just north of Hill Forty-Nine, it was the perfect spot for a human-wolf meeting.

Yang Jin smiled. “Captain Tan is already on it. The remaining investigation team members are all running around with work.”

Xia Qing nodded, opened the window at the back of the little house, and called out, “Old Goat! Er Gou!”

Moments later, Old Goat and Sick Wolf came running from the greenhouses toward the little house by the fields.

When he spotted Yang Jin standing behind Xia Qing, Old Goat immediately flashed his spiral horns, while Sick Wolf bared his fangs at Yang Jin. Both seemed sure the newcomer was a threat to Xia Qing.

“Baa!” Old Goat signaled to his still-dazed little brother, urging her to hurry over and stand by his side.