Chapter 747: A Favor for the Handsome Wolf

Xia Qing had all the patience in the world for this striking huge wolf who’d once brought her a hefty gift. Speaking gently, she asked, “What is it that you want, Big Wolf?”

He didn’t leave—he knew she had something he wanted.

With those icy blue eyes, the handsome huge wolf stared at Xia Qing for a few seconds. Once he realized she was just standing there, a bit clueless, he slowly stepped closer.

Of all the wolves Xia Qing knew, this one was by far the largest. His shoulders stood about a meter and sixty centimeters off the ground. Standing up, he must be nearly two and a half meters tall—easily the size of an ordinary horse before things changed on Blue Star.

But this wasn’t some harmless, flat-toothed herbivore. This was a top predator, all sharp teeth and claws—born to run and leap. Even though she got along well with this wolf and even though he looked a little silly with that hammock chair on his back, Xia Qing couldn’t help holding her breath as he came her way.

She glanced at Crippled Wolf, who stayed beside her, and Old Goat behind, who was still chewing calmly. Xia Qing told herself not to back away and not to draw her gun. This wasn’t just any huge wolf. He was the Fortune Wolf—the one who’d given her a Yi Stone worth tens of millions of credits.

Now that the two-meter-four giant stood before her, Xia Qing, at just one-seventy-seven, had to look up to meet his gaze. Again she asked softly, “What do you want, Big Wolf?”

Slowly, the handsome huge wolf lowered his head, sniffed her waist, then looked at her hands.

Those two actions spelled out his meaning clear as day. Xia Qing caught on. “You want the special nutrient shake? The kind that restores your strength quick?”

On New Year’s Eve, after she’d killed Tang Zhengsu, Xia Qing had been given a giant New Year’s gift by this wolf and ridden him back to the territory. Along the way, she’d let him drink some of the special shake—made with the water from her military canteen, poured straight into a nutrient bag for him to drink.

After his strength came back fast, he’d kept eyeing her hand, wanting more. Xia Qing told him he couldn’t have too much at once, but later if he stopped by Section Three, he could drink just as much for free—no trade needed.

Those two gestures now showed her he was even smarter than she realized. His memory was sharp; he’d also figured out the water she just gave him hadn’t restored his energy, so he was asking for the good stuff again.

“Hang on, Big Wolf. I’ll get it ready for you.”

Xia Qing ran to the terraces, picked some spinach leaves, squeezed them into juice, added a drop of nutrient source and some pure spring water, then brought the blend to the huge wolf.

He lapped up every bit of the nutrient shake, even licking the bowl when he finished. Xia Qing smiled. “Whenever you want another shake, come find me.”

Handsome Huge Wolf’s expression stayed perfectly calm—he gave no reaction.

Crippled Wolf, who’d been watching, came over and sniffed the bowl, then looked up at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing got the message. “You want some too?”

Crippled Wolf bared the tips of his little fangs at her.

Well, how about that.

You want a free nutrient shake on top of demanding a dog protective suit just for helping Big Wolf deliver medicine to the Western Wolf Pack?

Xia Qing thought about charging him for it, but this Brain-Evolved Wolf had a lot of pride. Earlier, she’d praised how high Big Wolf could jump, and immediately this one had to leap even higher outside the fence. If she charged him right after giving Big Wolf a free drink, he wouldn’t take it well.

She couldn’t quite guess what went on in the Brain-Evolved Wolf’s head, so better not risk making him mad over something small. She made another shake for Crippled Wolf and carried it out. “Here you go. Drink up—just make sure to take White Weasel with you and go with Big Wolf to…”

She pointed right to where the Western Wolf Pack lived. “Go give them their medicine, keep them healthy, help fend off the Monkey Troop.”

Crippled Wolf finished his shake, licking the bowl too, before heading off with Big Wolf.

With that done, Xia Qing went back inside, put the Yi Stone away, and crawled into bed.

Inside the monitoring room on Hill Forty-Nine, Hu Zifeng watched a silver-grey huge wolf, burdened with a massive bag, saunter past the surveillance camera. He muttered, “Wonder what kind of trade Xia Qing just did with the wolves? That thing’s so huge—I get why they’d need one of the big guys to do the hauling…”

Once they reached the foot of the Third Peak on Hill Fifty, Crippled Wolf lifted his head and gave a deep, low howl.

Moments later, a white flash zipped down from the hillside—White Weasel hurried over. The two Evolved Wolves and the weasel sniffed each other in greeting, then White Weasel scrambled up onto Big Wolf’s back.

The trio carried the hammock chair back to Hill Sixty, dropping it just outside the cave where the wolf cubs stayed.

Alpha and Er came out to inspect, sniffed it a few times, then dragged the hammock inside the cave. Lame Wolf caught Xia Qing’s scent on it and bared her fangs, grumbling in protest. The other three she-wolves just glanced up and went back to sleep.

Thirteen cubs, big and small, crowded around the strange new arrival. Before long, the hammock lined with straw was packed with wolf cubs.

After resting a minute by the cave mouth, Crippled Wolf, Big Wolf, and White Weasel set off again—this time to reach the Western Wolf Pack’s camp.

Next morning, Xia Qing woke bright and early, fed everything in the territory— even Red Squirrel’s family got clean spring water. Then she handed the territory to Er Yong and met up with Yan Long and Tan Qi by the north gate of Section One.

Xia Qing asked, “So, Sister Yan, where are we headed today?”

Yan Long replied, “Hill Fifty-Two.”

Hill Fifty-Two… Xia Qing’s eyes sparkled. “Sister Yan, I just got a car yesterday—what if we drive there and park by the Third Peak of Hill Fifty or up north on Forty-Nine, then walk the rest? The first half’s pretty smooth for driving.”

Driving would make the trip too easy, not enough training on the way. Yan Long almost said no, but when she saw Tan Qi’s eyes shining, she agreed.

Ever since the disaster, there wasn’t a flat road left outside the Safe Zone. Any car ride left adults feeling queasy, but the kids absolutely loved it.

The moment Yan Long nodded, Tan Qi couldn’t help but jump up, pumping her fist. “Yes!”

Xia Qing grinned too. “I’ll go get the car, be back in a flash!”

Old Goat saw Xia Qing come back, open up the garage, and drive her favorite car out. He immediately insisted on coming along.

One girl and one goat rolled out of the southern gate and turned west toward the Western Barrier. All that commotion carried to Territory Two, where Tang Huai rolled over in his sleep, grumbling and smothering his head with a pillow.

When they reached the north gate of Section Three, Tan Qi spotted Evolved Sheep sitting in the car and her eyes went wide. So Sister Qing’s grumpy evolved sheep was joining the group, too?

Old Goat narrowed his eyes at Yan Long, gaze turning dangerous.

Xia Qing hopped out, opened the door and lifted Old Goat out, scanning open the north gate to let him back into Section Three.

On the way over, the girl and the goat had sorted things out already. So Old Goat didn’t kick up a fuss, just trotted back to his territory and camped under the Toon Tree to guard his most precious food.

Er Yong? He’d already climbed a tree, begging for mercy.

The passenger seat had been modded, and wasn’t fit for people anymore, so Yan Long and Tan Qi buckled up in the back. Xia Qing drove out of Section One, heading east along the iron mesh wall outside the Safe Zone’s barrier.

The Northern Barrier sprawled up and down the hillside with sharp changes in elevation. Xia Qing kept her speed low driving downhill, her heart pounding the whole way; at the bottom, she crossed the creek carefully, inching through the shallow water, only to face another climb over the hills north of Territory Four. She stalled twice—still not used to the controls.

Even so, Tan Qi’s eyes still sparkled.

Once the SUV crested the north slope of Territory Four, Yan Long turned to Xia Qing, “How about I drive the rest of the way, and you take over on the way back?”

“With your speed, you’d get there faster on foot than by car,” Yan Long added.