Chapter 707: Shifting Alliances and Untold Schemes

Tang Heng handed his brother a fluffy white mantou and started breaking down Territory Fourteen’s true intentions. “You and Hu Zifeng keep bickering in the Lords’ channel, and, on top of that, Sufeng and Qinglong’s old grudge means things between you and Xia Qing were never great. There’s no need for anyone to fan the flames. He claims you’ve been leaking information about Xia Qing in other Lords’ groups, but really, he’s just trying to show Xia Qing where his loyalties lie—Territory Fourteen stands with Xia Qing no matter what, just like Territories Four, Five and Six.”

Tang Huai gave his brother a glare. “So he’s just stepping on me to get ahead!”

Tang Heng didn’t argue. Instead, he played along, “You could say that. He’s trying to win over Xia Qing and Hu Zifeng by throwing you under the bus, hoping for better survival odds in this territory. By the way, Dad called today. He’s coming over the day after tomorrow. Can you guess why?”

Tang Huai took a sip of sweet mung bean soup. “Better survival odds. All about the benefits.”

Tang Heng grinned. “They’re building a pharmaceutical factory in the Safe Zone, run by people sent from the main base. Our sister suspects our base and Third Brother have struck a deal—they’ll produce medicine developed by both Third Brother and the base’s Research Institute. It’s basically a sure-win business. She wants a share, but can’t find a way in from the Safe Zone, which is why Dad’s coming to try his luck here in the territory.”

Tang Heng finished, still smiling, his eyes shining as his voice dropped low. “Bro, who do you think holds the key to breaking in?”

Tang Huai, noticing just how much his little brother now resembled their dad, rolled his eyes. “If the factory’s already a sure thing, breaking ground means all the profits are already split up. We missed the best window. It’s out of our hands. Dad must have more than one reason for coming.”

After speaking, Tang Huai flexed his fists and asked fiercely, “If Dad asks what I’ve been busy with lately, you know what to say, right?”

Tang Heng snickered. “So you don’t want me mentioning your hunting trips to the Evolved Forest, your daily arguments with Hu Zifeng, or that you go bug-hunting in Section Nine looking for rats?”

“Are you looking for a beating?” Tang Huai downed the rest of his mung bean soup, stood up and stalked off.

Tang Heng chased after him. “Bro, it’s late. Where are you headed?”

“Calling Xia Qing.”

“…”

Calling Xia Qing at this hour and sneaking around? Tang Heng grew even more suspicious about what was up with his brother.

“Xia Qing!”

Xia Qing had just sat down to eat when she picked up the phone, immediately hearing Tang Huai’s angry voice. She set the phone on the table and switched to speaker, her tone flat. “Go ahead.”

Tang Huai sounded aggrieved. “Are you badmouthing me to Old Goat every day? Is that why it gets so fired up every time it sees me?”

Xia Qing glanced at Old Goat, who was still looking quite displeased, and answered simply, “It’s territorial.”

Honestly, she had better things to do than complain about Tang Huai behind his back. Old Goat and Er Gou didn’t like Tang Huai, not just because they were territorial—there was another important reason. Tang Huai was always picking fights with her in the Lords’ channel.

Of course Xia Qing wasn’t about to tell Tang Huai that. That would mean revealing that Old Goat had above-average intelligence, could understand some human language and even recognize different people by their voices.

All of which meant Old Goat was smarter than most sheep—its brain had evolved. That would spark interest from researchers, and interest meant danger. Xia Qing was determined to keep Old Goat’s ‘strength-evolved maniac’ image intact.

Tang Huai wasn’t convinced and pressed on, still grumbling, “So it hates Hu Zifeng too?”

He’d heard about Old Goat chasing Hu Zifeng’s whole squad all over Section Three, but never about it actually coming after Hu Zifeng himself.

Xia Qing didn’t answer directly. She just repeated, “It doesn’t like anyone other than me.”

So it does hate them! Thinking about Hu Zifeng getting chased around by that crazy sheep instantly killed Tang Huai’s bad mood. “See? Even Old Goat thinks you and Hu Zifeng don’t work. You should break up with him while you still can.”

Xia Qing was speechless.

“Let me ask you something.” Tang Huai leaned back in his office chair, crossed one leg over the other and asked, “Can my family still get in on the pharmaceutical factory being built in the Safe Zone? Don’t tell me you don’t know!”

Back when the factory was still in planning, Xia Qing did compare Tang Zhengbo and Zhou Zhaoping, and after weighing her options, picked Zhou Zhaoping. She answered calmly, “It’s way too late to get involved now.”

Tang Huai pressed, “If the factory ever expands, do we have a shot?”

To Xia Qing, Tang Huai’s bug-digging brain actually wasn’t bad. “That’s for the future.”

“Got it.” With the factory stuff sorted, Tang Huai switched topics. “So what’s your plan with Territory Fourteen?”

Sufeng Squad had investigated Xia Qing before, so she wasn’t surprised Tang Huai knew there was bad blood between him and Yan Meng. “That depends on Yan Meng. Do you know how he recovered so fast?”

Tang Huai shook his head. “No idea. Like Xin Yu, he barely talks in the Lords’ channel or contacts anyone from other territories. I’ll see what I can dig up and let you know if I hear anything.”

“Thanks.” That was exactly what Xia Qing needed.

She suspected Yan Meng got the medicine that healed him from Wantong Company—the same place his spinach seeds went, sold to Hui One’s people. Tang Zhengbo had years of business savvy; if anyone could dig up intel on Wantong Company, it would be him.

What Xia Qing wanted to know most was this: was it Fire Phoenix or Chonglian who used Wantong Company as the middleman to sell the medicine to Yan Meng?

If it was Fire Phoenix, their target was her and Zhang San. If it was Chonglian, they were coming for Xin Yu.

Hearing Xia Qing thank him made Tang Huai feel awkward, so he seized the moment to make a request. “Xia Qing, in the past we butted heads—it was always Sufeng’s people stirring up trouble. But now, we’re neighboring territories without any conflict. So how about letting me join the alliance you all set up?”

“We’ve all been hanging out in the same Lords’ group for over a year now. You let everyone else join but left me out in the cold. That’s just not right!”

“I’ll talk it over with the other Lords and get back to you.” Xia Qing had been waiting for Tang Zhengbo to bring up working together, but he’d been tied up, so things dragged on.

The very next day after Xia Qing’s call with Tang Huai, Tang Zhengbo phoned her.

After a pleasant chat lasting over twenty minutes, Tang Zhengbo said he’d be bringing his “kids” for a visit.

He wasn’t just coming to see Xia Qing, either—it was to meet with the entire alliance she’d founded.

So Xia Qing gathered the alliance members for a special meeting, making sure that Zhou Zhaoping, the Territory Eight representative, would be there.

Three days later, when Tang Zhengbo turned up at Section Three with Tang Ning, Tang Huai and Tang Heng in tow, they didn’t just meet Xia Qing—they were also introduced to two important alliance members: Section Six Lord Kuang Qingwei and Territory Eight’s Zhou Zhaoping.