Chapter 680: Digging for Bamboo Shoots

Xia Qing formed a team to dig for bamboo shoots, but Tang Huai wasn’t invited.

Tang Huai turned to the auditory evolver Liu Jing, curled up in a corner. “See who wants to dig for bamboo shoots. Let’s form our own team and head out at six tomorrow morning.”

“If you’re not letting me join, I’ll make my own team and beat you to it! I’ll dig up every last bamboo shoot before you even get there!”

That…

Liu Jing looked troubled. “Boss, Devastation Snakes have been spotted in the Evolved Forest nearby. Even the battle squads don’t dare go in for supplies now. Our people wouldn’t be able to organize a team. Maybe… you could ask the evolvers from Territory Twelve?”

Territory Twelve belonged to Tang Huai. The workers and guards there all got their paychecks from the Tang family. As long as Tang Huai gave the order, they’d have to listen.

But if he mobilized those people, his dad would find out, and if his dad found out, he wouldn’t get to go. Tang Huai grumbled, “Bunch of gutless cowards!”

Liu Jing secretly rolled his eyes.

If you’re not scared, then say it like Xia Qing did: “As long as you listen to me out there, I promise to keep you safe!”

If you don’t have the skills and still dare to lead a team into the Evolved Forest for supplies, who would follow you? Do they all have a death wish?

The next morning, Xia Qing geared up and told her companions where she was headed. “Old Goat, I’m heading out to dig bamboo shoots. When the sun gets up to that spot, I’ll be back. Wait for me—you’ll have fresh, tasty bamboo shoots to enjoy!”

Bamboo shoots were Old Goat’s favorite food. Hearing Xia Qing was going to dig them up, it grabbed a little basket and volunteered for the bug-catching job it usually didn’t like, telling Xia Qing not to worry about things in the territory and to bring back plenty.

Whenever it came to food it liked, Old Goat became remarkably smart and considerate.

Xia Qing gave its curly little head a fond rub. She passed by the little house at the edge of the fields and greeted Chen Cheng and Chen Zheng, who were guarding the territory for her, before hurrying on to the meeting spot.

Just yesterday, Xia Qing had spent an hour and a half negotiating with Yang Jin and renewed the contract for Hu Zifeng’s squad to keep guarding her territory.

This year’s employment contract was completely different from last year’s.

Last year, Yang Jin required Hu Zifeng’s squad to guard Section Three 24/7 to ensure the territory and Xia Qing’s safety, as one of the conditions for access to their Pure Spring Water.

This year, Xia Qing was stronger, Section Three had cameras, a wall, and wolf pack protection, and Section One’s wall was nearly finished. Now, the safety of Section Three and Xia Qing no longer depended on Hu Zifeng’s squad.

What Xia Qing really needed now was someone to protect her territory and Old Goat while she was away.

She decided to keep hiring Hu Zifeng’s squad because she trusted them after a year of working together.

After some haggling, they agreed: if there’s extreme danger like Devastation Rain or Devastation Snow, it’s 50 credits per person per day; if it’s routine and they just need to cover when Xia Qing leaves, it’s 25 credits per person per day.

While employed, Xia Qing could give orders to Hu Zifeng’s squad. So from now on, watering, weeding, and bug-catching help wouldn’t cost her extra.

Azure Dragon Squad was now ranked first in Hui One. Hu Zifeng’s squad ranked ninth in combat strength among them, so these rates were a real bargain.

Yang Jin had agreed because Xia Qing’s magnetic sense ability made guarding the territory during Devastation Rain or Devastation Snow much safer, plus her territory had two key resources Azure Dragon needed: Devastationweed and Pure Spring Water.

On top of the new hire price, Xia Qing hiked the price of Pure Spring Water up from 144 credits to 180 per liter, still supplying Azure Dragon Squad with 300 liters a month.

Naturally, the water she and Yang Jin used to grow Cordyceps Fungus together also went up in price.

What’s more, Xia Qing promised that if Azure Dragon Squad needed her, she would join missions as a sniper and magnetic sense evolver, earning credits based on her contributions.

All in all, both sides were happy with how things turned out.

Xia Qing reached the north gate of Territory Fifteen on time. The bamboo shoot digging team was already assembled: six strength evolvers, plus three others—Level 6 vision evolver Yue Haiying, Level 6 auditory evolver Liangzi, and Level 4 speed evolver Tan Qi.

Xia Qing, Yue Haiying, and Liangzi would protect the team and handle danger. The six strength evolvers and Tan Qi were in charge of digging up and hauling the bamboo shoots.

As team leader, Xia Qing checked everyone’s gear and weapons, gave reminders for safety, then led the team out through the east gate of the iron mesh wall.

Zhu Li stood under the Territory Six sign, watching Xia Qing lead the team out. As they turned the corner by Territory Seven’s thorny wall, her wish to become an evolver burned brighter than ever. “Tan Qi is only ten and already gets to go digging bamboo shoots. I want to go too. Even if it means living ten years less, I’d do it if I could evolve.”

Kuang Qingwei laughed. “Evolvers actually get at least twenty more years to their lives. Trading ten years is a pretty good deal for that.”

Zhu Li was tickled by her husband and gave him a playful smack. “I’m being serious here!”

“I know. But we don’t have to trade lifespan for it. Once those x-2 spinach leaves sprout, they’re all yours. That’ll work better than shaving off your years.”

Zhu Li got anxious again. “But what if eating them doesn’t kickstart my evolution ability?”

Kuang Qingwei reassured his wife. “Then it’s fine. Most people don’t gain an evolution ability anyway. As long as we’ve got strength, brains, and land, we eat well and live just fine here.”

That’s true, Zhu Li was about to reply when she paused for a few seconds and asked, “Old Kuang, did you hear Tang Huai cursing just now?”

Kuang Qingwei listened carefully. Not a thing. “Xia Qing didn’t add him to the mission team—he’s definitely stewing. No matter what he says in the Lords’ channel later, let’s not respond.”

Zhang San, Hu Zifeng, and Xia Qing didn’t bother with Tang Huai, but Kuang Qingwei and the others worried. Tang Huai never held grudges, but his dad Tang Zhengbo and his sister Tang Ning were not people you wanted to annoy.

The territory wall outside had east, west, south, and north gates. Only the north gate, assigned to Xin Yu—really Xia Qing—was off limits; no one else was allowed through. The other three gates were all guarded by the Inspection Team.

The east gate, set in the corridor between Territory Fifteen and Territory Eighteen, was manned by Tan Junjie’s team.

After confirming the outgoing collection team’s protective suits passed inspection, Tan Junjie didn’t remind Xia Qing to look after Tan Qi. He just told his daughter, “Listen to the captain, don’t leave the team or act alone, and you just need to dig up two bamboo shoots. Any more is hard to carry back.”

Tan Qi stood at attention and answered loudly, “Yes, sir!”