Chapter 858: Racing the Storm

“Captain Hu, is there any chance of extreme weather hitting soon?” Er’s concern was clear. As Xia Qing sprinted toward the terraces in the Northern Buffer Forest, she called Hu Zifeng to double-check the situation.

There’s weather monitoring equipment up on the peak of Hill Forty-Nine.

“No warnings here yet. Let me check with the team.” After asking the person monitoring the weather, Hu Zifeng replied to Xia Qing, “Based on the current wind speed, direction and the moisture in the southern clouds, there’ll definitely be rain, but it shouldn’t turn into anything extreme.”

“Got it. If the weather changes, please let me know right away, Captain Hu.” Xia Qing didn’t slow down as she raced north, her feet pounding toward the Northern Buffer Forest.

She quickly shut the doors on Greenhouse One and Two up on the hillside, then rushed down to Greenhouse Three. The wind had picked up sharply.

Hu Zifeng sent out a weather alert through the Lords’ channel. “Attention! The monitoring equipment in Territory One shows the cloud system from the south is speeding up and heading north. A severe downpour is likely. Get ready for heavy rain. Xia Qing, we’re heading to Section Three right now!”

The winter wheat in the fields is almost ripe. Even the spring wheat and rice have all formed their heads. If a storm knocks them down, yields will definitely drop.

Xia Qing, still shutting the greenhouse doors, replied instantly, “Received.”

“Copy, thanks Captain Hu! We’ll get the rain covers up right now!” Qi Fu abandoned his meal, shouted for the hired workers and raced toward the greenhouses.

The sudden threat reminded every Lord of last July’s devastating hailstorm. No one wanted a repeat, and they scattered for their fields in a hurry.

Kuang Qingwei from Territory Six jumped online with a hasty question. “Xia Qing, is it okay if I hire the guys from Territory Nine who are living in my territory to help out?”

The wind had already grown fierce. Territory Six has over a dozen acres of crops but only ten workers, which is why Kuang Qingwei reached out for help.

Still working at shutting Greenhouse Three, Xia Qing issued orders through the Lords’ channel. “Brother Yue, keep twenty employees from the Ninth Planting Center each in Territories Six and Two to help out. Everyone else, get to Territory Nine immediately and prepare for severe weather.”

“Understood,” Yue Haiying replied.

“Copy. Thanks, Sister Qing,” Zhu Li responded.

“Thanks, Sister Qing!” Tang Huai chimed in, surprised to find that providing temporary housing for the Ninth Planting Center’s employees was paying off in this crisis. Setting down his walkie-talkie, he limped toward the greenhouse where they raise insects in Territory Two, cursing as he went. “What, you all think you’re snails? Can’t you see the weather’s turning? Get those rain covers down—big wind and hail’s coming!”

Even without an official warning from the Territory Management Department, Tan Junjie grabbed the megaphone to broadcast a disaster alert across the land. “All Lords, please pay attention! It’s predicted that Section One of the North is about to face severe weather. Ensure everyone’s safety and prepare accordingly. If anything happens, call the Inspection Team right away. All Lords, please—”

Lords from Territories Thirteen through Twenty-Six, including Yan Meng and Feng Wen of Territory Fourteen, dropped everything and raced to their own fields, trying to beat the coming storm.

In just a few minutes, the wind was blowing much harder than before.

Though Section Three only had fifteen greenhouses and two regular ones, there were fewer people than you’d think. Thankfully, Er Yong and Jing Kuan—Hu Zifeng’s Speed Evolvers—arrived in just three minutes.

With four greenhouses already shut, Xia Qing called out, “Er Yong! You get to Fifteen! Jing Kuan, you head to Nine!”

Fifteen is Old Goat’s pasture shed. Nine is the winter Green Lantern wheat. Both need special protection.

“Roger.”

“Got it.”

Both of them darted for their assigned greenhouses.

Xia Qing ran for Greenhouse Five, where the Green Lantern spring wheat grows. She wished she could grow another pair of hands, because the temperature was dropping fast!

“Sister Qing, need a hand? All the greenhouses in Territory Eleven are already shut.” Huo Zhun from Territory Eleven radioed in.

Fighting the gale, Xia Qing pressed her walkie-talkie. “Yes, Huo, come straight over from Territory Two. Tang Huai, let Huo through your territory.”

“All good.”

“One minute to Section Three!”

Almost at the same time, as Tang Huai let go of the walkie-talkie, he spotted a dark figure launch like a rocket over the wild grass wall. He couldn’t help but curse. “Damn, that’s an Elasticity Evolver! How did Hui One ever let him retire?!”

“Sister Qing.” Huo Zhun landed next to Xia Qing, ignoring the bonafide snarling of the Evolved Wolf.

Xia Qing barked out orders. “Huo, those two greenhouses up front are yours!”

“Got it.” The greenhouses in Territory Eleven used the same setup as Section Three, so Huo Zhun knew what needed doing.

“Baa—!” Night had fallen completely. Old Goat, without night vision goggles, stumbled out from home, braving the wild wind to search for Xia Qing and Wolfdog Number Two.

“Don’t be scared, Old Goat! Er, take Old Goat home and shut our windows tight!”

Wolfdog Number Two, who’d been growling at Huo Zhun, immediately dashed toward Old Goat.

“Baa—!”

Even now, Old Goat couldn’t rest easy about its little one. It reunited with Number Two but kept calling out for Xia Qing through the gale.

Neither Number Two nor Old Goat had their protective suits on! Xia Qing grew anxious. “Captain Hu, Huo, I’ll leave the greenhouses to you! I’m heading home!”

It wasn’t just about calming Old Goat. The wind was getting worse. Both her front and back windows were wide open, and if she didn’t close them now, the draft would blow everything in her house sky high.

“Go on, hurry!” Hu Zifeng had just arrived and quickly grabbed the greenhouse rain cover lever from Xia Qing to keep lowering the protective sheet.

Wearing her night vision goggles, Xia Qing rushed over, scooped up Old Goat and bolted for home, yelling, “Number Two, back to the house!”

Number Two disappeared with a leap. As Xia Qing ran home with Old Goat over her shoulder, she heard Yin Jie broadcasting on the Lords’ channel – wind speeds in Territory One had shot up to force nine and were still climbing.

Nobody had time to bellyache—they all fought the storm with everything they had.

Xia Qing set Old Goat down just under the eaves, grabbed Monkey, who was about to get blown away from the clothesline, and dashed inside. She plopped Monkey onto the floor, then started teaming up with Number Two to lock every window shut.

Once every window on both floors and the attic was secure, Xia Qing didn’t even glance at the messy house. She raced up to the roof to protect the solar panels, then jumped down and rushed to the west side of the yard to secure the fig, orange and jujube tree seedling greenhouses.

Thank goodness the south wall and the ruins on the south side provided cover—otherwise, this greenhouse would have blown straight over.

“Huo Zhun, Guan Tong, Greenhouse Twelve’s about to blow away! Bring the climbing rope! Hold that greenhouse down, now!” Hu Zifeng’s urgent voice came through the walkie-talkie.

“On it!”

“Copy!”

After covering the seedling greenhouse at home, Xia Qing hopped into her off-roader and sped toward the fields. The headlights lit up Greenhouse Twelve’s rain cover, flapping wildly in the storm—there was no saving this one.

Even two top-tier Strength Evolvers meant little in the face of a disaster like this.