Chapter 689: Hushed Whispers and Evolving Powers

The old lady was worried that Captain Tan or Tan Qi might overhear her call, so she slipped outside to make it. I was weeding on the south side of the territory and heard a few snippets.

After talking about the Tan family, Zhu Li started chatting with Xia Qing about how popular Section One of the North has become. “Someone who came to dig bamboo shoots today said plenty of folks in the Safe Zone want to work over here. Sister Qing, you don’t think Territory Nine is going to fill up, do you?”

Of course Xia Qing didn’t want Territory Nine getting chaotic. “Not now. The place won’t be decided until the poison gas case is resolved.”

“Who knows when that’ll be settled? It’s been over three months already. The grass in Territory Nine is taller than a person, it’s crawling with rats and snakes. The pesticide exchange with the Shi family and Third Brother has doubled.” With no territory chief, Territory Nine is almost turning back into the Evolved Forest.

After chatting for a bit, Zhu Li went to deliver the bamboo shoot sales Points Card to Territory Five. Xia Qing was just about to close the main gate when her phone buzzed. It was a message from Tang Huai, the Territory Two agent across the passage:

Zhu Li has Evolved Hearing now.

Xia Qing looked up, and sure enough, she saw Tang Huai squatting in the wild grass wall, showing off his two ridiculously agile eyebrows.

Xia Qing couldn’t help clenching her fists at the sight. She replied: Not necessarily. Maybe she just heard it because she was close by.

Tang Huai, who had two little caterpillars perched on his protective mask, replied immediately: Yesterday when the old lady was on the phone, I heard it too. Considering where Zhu Li was at the time, she definitely heard the old lady talking. Her hearing evolution is for sure above level two.

Beyond level two means she’s become an Evolved fighter, though Zhu Li hasn’t realized her hearing has improved yet. She’s only twenty-three, with twelve years left to enhance her evolution ability. If she keeps up her nutrition and training, reaching level five is just a matter of time.

For most, level five is the limit for evolved abilities. To break past and hit level six, becoming an advanced evolutionary, you need more than nutrition—one key factor: genetics.

Genetics determines the type of evolution one gains and the heights they can reach. This is the currently agreed-upon view, and many researchers trying to awaken powers in normal people are struggling against this built-in bottleneck.

It’s as difficult as you’d imagine.

Still, even if genetics keeps Zhu Li from advanced hearing evolution, level five’s already more than enough for a farmer. Tang Huai himself is a level five hearing evolutionary—his bug-catching skills are top-notch.

The Inspection Team dorm is on the south side of Territory Seven. If Tang Huai stayed in Territory Two and wanted to hear what Mrs. Tan said, he’d have to use bugging devices. But Tang Huai hates those, so where did he eavesdrop from?

How does Xia Qing know Tang Huai dislikes bugging devices? Because she’s a level seven hearing evolutionary. When Tang Huai squatted in the wild grass wall of Territory Two to spy on her in Section Three, Xia Qing of course picked up his little movements within her own eavesdropping range.

Buzz.

Xia Qing’s phone buzzed with another message: Let’s go catch rats and snakes in Territory Nine and feed your yellow weasel—sound good?

That explained Xia Qing’s earlier confusion: Tang Huai had gone into Territory Nine to catch rats and overheard Mrs. Tan’s call.

She shook her head at Tang Huai to show she wasn’t interested, went back inside, locked up the main gate, and double-checked the wild grass wall within the territory.

Tang Huai’s twin caterpillars weren’t unique; Xia Qing spotted a few clinging to the wild grass wall in Section Three too, though not that many. She listened closely, making sure there weren’t masses of bugs wriggling or gnawing under the roots, and decided this small number of pests could be handled by the swallows, magpies, and other birds. No need to rush extra pesticide.

Ever since the super insect-catching swallows moved in, she had to clean up their droppings regularly, but she barely needed to spray pesticide in her yard anymore.

All told, that was a win.

After checking the wild grass wall, Xia Qing looped through the fields, made sure the crops looked good and the soil was pest-free, and that the insect netting was intact. Then she asked Hu Zifeng to send someone to watch the territory for her—she had to run some errands.

First stop today: Territory Seven.

After snacking on fresh bamboo shoots, Zhang San was still sporting panda eyes and sounded exhausted. “I’ve already discussed the pharmaceutical factory with the base chief. He’s interested and doesn’t mind the profit split.”

Xia Qing resisted the urge to shower her Idol with praise and continued, “Yang Jin and Xin Yu are interested as well, but Yang Jin has some issues with the profit split. I’ll handle things from here.”

Xia Qing had a clear role for herself. She had no interest in developing, manufacturing, or learning to run a pharmaceutical factory—she just wanted to farm well. So if this was going to happen, she’d need to cooperate with others.

The three partners she picked? Hui Three Base’s officials, Yang Jin and Xin Yu.

Hui Three Base had the high-evolution element spinach seeds and national backing. They’d heavily invest in a high-evolution spinach industry next, with pharmaceuticals as one piece. Yang Jin was captain of the Azure Dragon Squad—smart and principled. Xin Yu owned a big chunk of Chonglian. Even if she’d been squeezed out of their board, she could buy precision equipment and had a top-tier manager: Zhou Zhaoping.

Zhou Zhaoping was a core member of Xin Yu’s parents’ startup team and one of the real powers behind Chonglian’s rise. Having someone like that just running a tiny compost factory with a hundred people in Territory Eight was a waste of talent—she needed to put him to use.

People from the base, from the Azure Dragon Squad, and Zhou Zhaoping himself—three sides keeping one another in check. That’d make sure the factory lasted and Xia Qing or Zhang San wouldn’t have to micromanage things.

Zhang San could focus on researching new medicines. Xia Qing would represent him to negotiate, oversee the planting of medicinal herbs, and set the wolf pack searching for rare ingredients.

That’s what you call letting the experts do what they do best!

With Zhang San handling the hardest part—the official approval—it was time for Xia Qing to step in, negotiate the investments, methods, roles, and profit split with each partner, and get the factory built.

Zhang San was happy not to sweat the small stuff. “The new fungicide for advanced evolved aspergillus is in late-stage development. If you’re quick, this can be our factory’s first product.”

The antibiotic in this new medicine was extracted from three sick wolves. The Idol promised her a 20% share of the profits if the medicine succeeded—that’s what made Xia Qing consider starting a pharmaceutical factory to begin with.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it happens.” After sorting out the factory, Xia Qing brought up the Devastation Snake, and Zhang San pointed her to Zhang Song.

Xia Qing first asked Zhang Song to get her a 20-liter drum of distilled water, then said, “Brother Song, any progress on the Devastation Snake research? Third Brother said I should just ask you.”

Since Third Brother gave permission, Zhang Song answered honestly. “We’ve now confirmed the green and red Devastation Snakes are the same species at different ages. Their color shifts once the green ones mate—we’re still figuring out the rest.”

They change color after mating? Xia Qing marveled again at just how wild this evolved Blue Star had become.

“You don’t have to walk me out, Huo. I’ll go on my own.” Carrying the distilled water, Xia Qing headed for her next stop: Hill Fifty.

Huo Zhun still hadn’t figured out how to warm up to Xia Qing. All he could do was watch her leave, nervously raking his hair.

Yan Long gave the dope a quick look, then strode off.