Chapter 799: Storms and Silver Shadows

“Hello?”

Yan Yue dialed the Base Office. When the line finally connected to the Base Director’s office and she heard his familiar voice, she felt a little dazed.

Seven years—it had been seven years since she last reported work directly to her commanding officer.

She took a deep breath to steady herself then gave a crisp, professional report. “Director, this is Yan Yue from the Ninth Planting Center Office, Section One of the North. We need your approval for building employee dormitories, a canteen, and supporting facilities at the Ninth Center…”

Qi Zhongye listened to her entire report and replied without hesitation, “Go ahead and build. Send your application to Xiao Li—the materials you need will be delivered within three days.”

Xiao Li was, of course, the clerk in the Base Director’s office. The weathered look on Yan Yue’s face melted into a genuine smile. “Thank you, Director.”

Qi Zhongye chuckled. “Never thought Yue Haiying managed to poach you. Conditions over there are pretty rough, and the hygiene’s not great either. Is your health holding up?”

Seated in her wheelchair, Yan Yue answered immediately, “It’s great here. Thank you for your concern, sir.”

Qi Zhongye gave a small grunt, then reminded his long-retired subordinate, “There are over two thousand mu of arable land in the Ninth Center. If you fully utilize it, you could produce at least a million jin of grain and vegetables every year. That’s enough to ensure more of our people eat real, natural food. I’ll do everything I can to support your needs—just make sure to produce plenty of quality crops.”

Sitting upright in her wheelchair, Yan Yue’s weathered face couldn’t hide a soldier’s steel. “Please rest assured, Director. We guarantee we’ll get the job done. We know the base has its difficulties. If we can solve a problem ourselves, we will. We won’t trouble you with anything we can handle.”

Qi Zhongye trusted his old subordinates completely. “Good. Raise good crops but don’t forget to look after your health too.”

“Got it. You worked hard today—head home and rest early.” Xia Qing, after listening to the update, radioed Yan Yue to let her know she could clock out and head back to Section Six to rest before nightfall.

After putting down the walkie-talkie, Xia Qing went back to washing vegetables, chatting with her friend as she worked. “Now that the Ninth Planting Center is underway, I finally understand why the base reserved five hundred thousand mu of farmland outside the Safe Zone and never started clearing it.”

Xin Yu, lounging by the stove and closing the book on chicken-raising that Qing had collected, asked, “Too little manpower, money, and materials?”

“Exactly.”

Xia Qing nodded. “To get the Ninth Center up and running, just building two hundred greenhouses and fifty brick-walled solar greenhouses will eat up over a million credits for steel, farming equipment, protective gear, even basic office supplies. And that doesn’t include day-to-day overhead—maintenance, repairs, sanitation chemicals, insecticides, seeds, fertilizers…”

When Xia Qing finished rattling it all off, Xin Yu replied, “That’s why the government is pushing the territory system—to encourage capable, driven people to step outside the Safe Zone and become lords of their own land.”

Farmland is the last thing the country lacks. Granting territory lords use rights to over two thousand mu—rent-free and tax-free for the first few years—puts the responsibility and risk of managing it all on their shoulders.

Leaders who run their territories well get more and better resources. The crops grown in their land can feed more people. The territory system truly benefits both country and people.

Both Xia Qing and Xin Yu are beneficiaries of this policy.

After discussing the policy, the two enjoyed a hearty dinner. Then Xin Yu asked about the situation at Hill Fifty. “Still haven’t caught that missing person?”

Because they hadn’t caught the fugitive, patrols were ramped up on the Third Peak of Hill Fifty, and lords couldn’t go fetch water from the Hidden Valley anymore. The birds in Xin Yu’s territory had gotten used to the spring water from Hill Fifty, and switching them back to distilled water left them sulky.

Xia Qing shook her head. “Nope. Ji Li said he’ll personally lead a team into the depths of the Evolved Forest to search in a few days.”

The fugitive was a member of Ji Li’s squad. Huo Zhun had said the guy was a survival expert and definitely still alive.

Xin Yu frowned but let the matter drop, turning instead to business. “Jasmine found hundreds of aggressive Devastation-Evolved Wild Tung Trees on Mountain 51. Most of them are in their second evolutionary stage, and plenty have already fruited. Take a look.”

Watching the video of the tung trees, Xia Qing wasn’t surprised. “A few hundred showed up in our territory, so I’m sure Mountain 51 has even more. We’ll report this to Captain Tan so he can inform the base. But honestly, the base is focused on rebuilding inside the Safe Zone. Clearing these tung trees will probably fall to people in our territory.”

“You talk to Captain Tan,” Xin Yu said, curled up in Xia Qing’s hanging chair as they discussed. “I’ll send people tomorrow to chop that bamboo and transplant some roots. Once we harvest the bamboo, we can build a few more greenhouses.”

“Sounds good. Just don’t dig them up completely.” Any leftover roots would sprout fast after the next wave of Devastation Rain, covering the hillside in no time. Xia Qing added, “Oh, and in a couple of days I’m planning a trip to the bamboo grove on Hill Fifty-Two to hunt for Green Lantern shoots for dried bamboo slices. Want to come?”

Xin Yu asked, “Just the two of us?”

Xin Yu didn’t like teaming up with others. Since Xia Qing invited her, she wouldn’t invite anyone else. “Yep, just us. It’s not a dangerous mission; we’ll drive out, leave the car at the Third Peak of Hill Fifty, then hike the rest of the way to Hill Fifty-Two.”

Xin Yu’s eyes lit up. She was just about to plan when Xia Qing’s phone rang.

It was Yang Jin, captain of the Azure Dragon Squad, coming over to discuss something with Xia Qing.

After Xin Yu left, Xia Qing stopped by the breeding greenhouse to greet Old Goat, then headed up to the high slope to unlock the northern gate. “Come on in, Captain Yang.”

“Thank you.”

Xia Qing heard fatigue in Yang Jin’s voice. “How are things on the Safe Zone side?”

“We’ve lost over fifty-six thousand, with more than twenty thousand injured.” Seeing Xia Qing stop in shock, Yang Jin tried to lighten her mood, half-joking, “Word in the Safe Zone is your territory is protected by the Wolf God. Loads of folks want to come work here, as long as they get food and a place to sleep.”

Xia Qing was about to respond when her phone rang again, this time it was Hu Zifeng.

“Xia Qing, a silver-gray Huge Wolf just entered Section Six of Hill Forty-Nine. Looks like it’s heading straight for Section Three. Do we intercept?”

Silver-gray, Huge Wolf? The Handsome Huge Wolf!

“No need, Captain Hu. Let it through.”

Yang Jin could see Xia Qing’s eyes light up, even her voice sounded upbeat. Again, he was struck by how people just didn’t measure up to wolves sometimes.

Xia Qing hung up and picked up the pace, leading Yang Jin toward the meeting room. “Captain Yang, want to take a break in the meeting room first? That wolf’s probably looking for me. I’ll be back once I’ve sorted things out.”

Yang Jin nodded. “No rush. I’ll be staying overnight in Territory One anyway. Go ahead—I’ll find my way there.”

“The wolf should be here in a few minutes. Watch your step, the hillside’s still slick with mud.” If Old Goat wasn’t in the breeding greenhouse, Xia Qing would have let Yang Jin go alone.

It wasn’t that she was worried Old Goat would bowl over a top-tier Speed Evolver like Yang Jin. She was just afraid Old Goat might get spooked if such a powerful fighter came too close.

“No problem.” Yang Jin followed Xia Qing, a smile tugging at his lips. Maybe, in Xia Qing’s eyes, he wasn’t so much worse than a wolf after all.