Chapter 876: Barter at the South Gate

Tang Huai and Wen Nengjie had just finished their chat when Section Six’s leader, Kuang Qingwei, popped online. “Is everyone here? The Yellow Lantern pea seeds we ordered are in. Fourth-generation, stable variety, Devastation Element content between 6 and 7 per mille, germination rate at 45 percent. They’re packed and ready—I’m starting deliveries from Section Three. Xia Qing, you there, Sis?”

Xia Qing pressed her walkie-talkie button. “I’m here. Thanks, Qing. I’ll meet you at the South Gate in fifteen minutes.”

Kuang Qingwei answered with a hearty laugh. “You got it. Zhao Ze, I’ll bring Xia Qing’s batch first, then yours, then Qi’s.”

Xia Qing closed off the water channel, called out to her teammates, then hurried home to fetch the mung beans she’d already prepared. She headed for the South Gate to wait.

Not long after, Kuang Qingwei arrived, drenched in sweat and riding a battered old bicycle that rattled with every bump. The moment he saw Xia Qing step out, his grin stretched so wide his eyes nearly disappeared.

Kuang Qingwei always had good connections. He’d managed to get his hands on a tube of Scar Cleanse. After just two uses, the rain-acid scars marring his face looked much less severe than before. His smile had lost that old hint of ferocity, replaced by a brighter, more confident air.

Seeing just how effective the ointment was, plenty of folks in the Territory with scars on their faces, necks, or hands were tempted, too. Even if the stuff hurt enough to make them roll on the ground, they still wanted to try it.

Xia Qing handed over two pounds of mung beans. “These are all Green Lantern mung beans with Devastation Element content between 3.5 and 4.5 per mille, Qing. Go ahead and test them.”

The Green Lantern mung beans from Hui Three were famous for their quality and high yield. They were exactly the type Hui Nine Base wanted to introduce. This time, the middleman Kuang Qingwei found wouldn’t take credits—he only accepted high-quality Green Lantern mung bean seeds.

“Great!” Business was business, even among friends. Kuang Qingwei didn’t skip the seed inspection just because he had a good relationship with Xia Qing. Testing on the spot put both sides at ease.

He sampled three of the seeds and, after confirming the quality, pulled out a small bag of pea seeds from the basket strapped to his bike’s back seat. Taking one out for inspection, he showed her. “Look, Sis, this one has a Devastation Element content of 6.7 per mille.”

“Perfect. Thanks, Qing.”

Xia Qing took the seeds, and only after watching Kuang Qingwei pedal away did she head back to her territory. Sitting in the shade beside her wagon, she counted seeds in the breeze. Half an acre of land was already flooded, but Old Goat wasn’t done having fun yet—he kept pedaling the bicycle so fast the wind howled.

Counting once, Xia Qing found 1,099 pea seeds in the bag. Adding the one Kuang Qingwei took for testing, that made 1,100 in total.

Kuang Qingwei’s original offer was to trade two pounds of high-quality Green Lantern mung bean seeds for 1,000 Yellow Lantern pea seeds. But with Xia Qing, he stuck by last year’s promise and swapped at his own cost price.

“Little Fei Mao, let’s get to work.” Xia Qing set Little Fei Mao down on the spread-out seeds. In no time, Employee No. 001 tucked eighteen pea seeds into Xia Qing’s protective suit pocket.

Xia Qing pulled one out for testing. As expected, it was an optimized cultivable seed with a Devastation Element content of 4.7 per mille. This batch had low Devastation Element content, so the chance of getting premium seeds was high. These thirteen were probably all Green Lantern peas. If she cultivated a round of them in the terraces this year, next spring she and Old Goat could eat all the Green Lantern pea sprouts they wanted.

Grinning, Xia Qing patted Little Fei Mao’s head and handed it a common Yellow Lantern pea. “Go on, this one’s your reward.”

Little Fei Mao barely glanced at the pea, rubbing its little paws together and wagging its tail while gazing at Xia Qing with hopeful eyes.

“You little ingrate. Back in the Safe Zone, I worked all day for just five credits—no meals or board, either. And you’re still fussy!” Xia Qing flicked its tiny forehead, fishing a Green-Lamp Pine Nut from her pocket and handing it over. “You’re our tech, you’re great, you eat the best.”

Little Fei Mao expertly gripped the pine nut with its paws. Once it found the right spot, it cracked the tough shell with its sharp front teeth in a single bite.

Monkey heard the cracking sound and slowly turned its head to look at Little Fei Mao.

Xia Qing took out another Green-Lamp Pine Nut and cracked it open, popping the nut meat into Monkey’s mouth. “Eat up, it’s good for your brain.”

Monkey sat there, pale face blank as always, slowly chewing the nut.

Maybe she’d just gotten used to it, but Monkey didn’t seem as hard on the eyes as it used to. Xia Qing casually scooped it into her lap and started to gently massage its belly.

She’d picked up this massage technique from Chang Li—it helped with digestion and was perfect for Monkey’s current situation.

Once Old Goat finally got tired, Xia Qing packed Monkey into the basket and handed it over to Er, then headed home with her water bicycle and the blower.

It was three-thirty by the afternoon. Xia Qing told Old Goat and Er to watch the house, since she needed to pick up Zhang Tao in Section Seven and head out together to Territory Nine.

Zhang Tao was a crop research specialist from Zhang San’s team, designated as technical advisor for the Ninth Planting Center.

In the Ninth Planting Center group chat, Xia Qing saw that Zhang Tao wanted to check the farmland, so she volunteered to be his ride.

Her own fields were almost ready for rice planting, so she planned to learn advanced planting techniques from Zhang Tao along the way.

By some stroke of luck, the security detail assigned to protect Zhang Tao today in Section Seven was none other than Red Eleven Special Ops Team’s captain, Zheng Chen.

Thank goodness! When Zhang San called Red Eleven, Zheng Chen’s squad had already boarded the helicopter, so Red Eleven had no chance to send someone less attractive.

With the sweltering weather, Zhang Tao was dressed in a lightweight, breathable level-two summer protective suit for fieldwork.

For advanced evolutionaries, this kind of protective gear was no problem. But Zhang Tao—the frail researcher—wasn’t one. Xia Qing didn’t dare roll down the window the entire trip. She only stopped once they arrived at the greenhouse entrance at the Ninth Planting Center.

After Zheng Chen escorted Zhang Tao into the greenhouse, Xia Qing was about to head in too when Ninth Center’s Planting Division chief, Mao Chuntai, hurried over. He lowered his voice. “Sister Qing, Director Yan wants you in the office.”

Xia Qing nodded, let Zhang Tao and Zheng Chen know, then headed for the office.

The office was brand new and spotless, both inside and out, with documents and supplies arranged with military precision—the whole place had a distinct barracks feel.

Xia Qing entered. Office chief Yan Yue rested a hand on her wheelchair’s armrest and gave a nod. The office’s newest hire, He Hui, braced herself against the desk and stood up stiffly, greeting her with respect. “Sister Qing.”

He Hui was Zhong Tao’s wife. Her thin, sallow face still bore visible scrape marks.

Natural disaster had struck—Zhong’s father died, Zhong Tao left the army, and He Hui lost her job in the Safe Zone after a leg amputation. Their son Zhong Ping’an couldn’t go to elementary school in the Safe Zone anymore either. Even so, the three were able to stay together, with no worries about food or safety. He Hui felt content, and deeply grateful to Xia Qing.

“Sister-in-law, we’re all friends here. Next time I drop by, just sit, no need to stand on my account.” Xia Qing helped He Hui back into her seat, then turned to Yan Yue.

Despite the open windows, the office was still hot and damp. Yan Yue, a layer of sweat glistening on her nose, explained why she’d called Xia Qing in:

“Someone from the Construction Bureau called earlier. They said this year’s wall materials won’t make it to us. When you have a moment, call Director Cao at the Construction Bureau. He wants to explain things to you himself.”