Chapter 904: Status and Strategy in the Shadow of Calamity

Standing at the entrance of the Agriculture Department, Wen Nengjie watched Xia Qing leave, his admiration and resolve to follow her hitting an all-time high.

Just moments ago, Xia Qing had spent nearly ninety thousand credits to purchase three hundred sniper rounds.

What did that mean?

It meant Xia Qing wasn’t afraid to separate what mattered most—she threw almost all the credits she earned, whether from farming, hunting, gathering, or working part-time for Zhang San, straight into weapons.

It also meant she now had enough ammunition to blow apart three hundred heads from eighteen hundred meters away.

And for Wen Nengjie, following her meant he could finally sleep soundly in his own territory.

“Ding.”

A notification chimed on Yang Jin’s phone as he drove. With a quick glance, he pulled the car over and replied, “Sure. Bring your ID card, it’ll save a lot of unnecessary trouble.”

Inside the Safe Zone you’re required to wear your ID. Xia Qing must’ve been preoccupied over the credits she’d just dropped on ammo—that’s probably why she forgot.

Yang Jin put away his phone and started mentally running through his inventory.

Xia Qing used the same pink phone as his, wore the summer outfit and shoes he’d picked for her—looking sharp, confident and beautiful. The old briefcase she carried, though, clashed with her look. Yang Jin thought about picking up a decent but affordable new one to give her as a bonus at their ammo trade later.

Xia Qing tucked away her phone and pulled the gold ID badge reserved for Advanced Evolutionaries from the briefcase Yan Yue had prepared for her. The moment she put it on, the gate guard’s suspicious gaze flipped to pure respect.

When she flashed her work badge, she was immediately invited into the meeting room.

Xia Qing had expected a meeting to be a pointless gathering of bored people wasting time. But once inside, pen racing across the page, she ignored all the curious glances thrown her way.

There was good reason for her focus—plenty of what was discussed was completely new to her.

Huai Seven Territory had been invaded by highly toxic Evolution Bacteria spores, leaving over eighty casualties and destroying more than two hundred acres of crops that were about to be harvested.

After watching humans farm, a troop of black apes in Gui Six Evolved Forest cleared land in their own territory, burying handfuls of wild, ripe kiwifruit.

In Gui Two Evolved Forest, evolved crows trying to peck at the fruit humans grew started dropping stones from up high to smash through the insect nets.

A plane from Bai Seven Base got hijacked and sixteen tons of Green Lantern food vanished.

……

Alongside internal news from the various Huaguo bases concerning agriculture and food security, Xia Qing also learned about new national policies and how officials at the Agriculture Department interpreted and enacted them.

She realized these meetings broadened her perspective and deepened her understanding. Even if she couldn’t come herself next time, she’d have to send someone!

The third topic of the meeting: work progress and problem reports from the Safe Zone’s Planting Center, Breeding Center, Territory Management Department, and, outside the Safe Zone, the Ninth Planting Center.

This part… was padded with way too much small talk.

When it was Xia Qing’s turn, she took out the speech she’d written back at the office, and, just like the other department heads, read it steadily and clearly.

“Since the founding of the Ninth Planting Center in May, with support from all departments at every level, we’ve reclaimed 438 acres of fields and completed construction on two hundred greenhouses. To date, we’ve planted two hundred acres of rice, eighty of corn…”

Xia Qing was the youngest in the meeting room, and her department had the smallest planting area, but not a single person—including even the Agriculture Department chief—dared underestimate her.

Because her department was valued by the Base Director, because she was the top disciple of ace sniper Luo Pei, and because she wore the gold badge unique to Advanced Evolutionaries.

When the meeting wrapped up, Xia Qing refused the approaches from over a dozen male colleagues, turning them down without expression, then left the Agriculture Department and headed on foot to a well-known restaurant in the Inner City.

Xu Juan stood outside waiting with a crutch, and hardly recognized Xia Qing at first. When Xia Qing came closer, Xu Juan bowed theatrically. “Sister Qing!”

Wearing her gold medal and the brand-new summer uniform just out of Red One Base’s R&D labs, Xia Qing was impossible for anyone to look down upon.

Xia Qing smiled. “Sister Juan, how did you make it over here?”

Even the so-called Safe Zone wasn’t truly safe—it took Xia Qing just over twenty minutes to walk here, and in that short time, she counted dozens of prying eyes.

“I paid credits to get an escort, and after lunch you’re taking me back,” Xu Juan said, hobbling forward and ushering Xia Qing inside.

A gold badge and a green badge: two striking young female evolutionaries entering together instantly drew every diner’s attention.

Someone whispered, “Who’s that Advanced Evolutionary?”

“Never seen her before. That aura—bet she’s got more than a few kills under her belt.”

“Look, she’s got no scars on her face. Doesn’t seem like combat type.” As he spoke, he tried to snap a photo of Xia Qing, only for a polite server to block his attempt.

By the time the server finished pouring tea and left, Xia Qing and Xu Juan were already settled in their private room.

With the AC blasting, Xu Juan handed Xia Qing a bottle of distilled mineral water. “When did you switch badges?”

Only after the door was closed did Xia Qing relax a little and answer calmly, “Last month. The folks from the testing center went out to the territory to evaluate my Strength Evolution level.”

Xu Juan grinned. “The number of Advanced Evolutionaries is a key marker of a base’s overall strength. The testing center was more anxious than you were.”

After chatting for around ten minutes, the restaurant manager personally came to deliver their meal.

Once Xu Juan’s dishes were on the table, the manager also brought over a claypot. “Miss Xia, this Green Lantern coconut chicken soup was specially prepared for you and Miss Xu, a treat from our Director Tang. Please enjoy.”

These days, the only one in the Tang Family addressed as “Director Tang” was Tang Ning.

Xia Qing nodded. “Thank you.”

“It’s our honor to have you dine with us,” the manager said with a slight bow before withdrawing.

Xu Juan lit up, grabbing her chopsticks. “Lucky us! This is the house specialty—go on, try it.”

The food in Xia Qing’s own territory was always top-tier Green Lantern grade, but taste and presentation couldn’t hold a candle to the restaurant chef’s skills. After a sip of soup, Xia Qing wanted to march straight into the kitchen and drag the chef back to her base.

Tang Ning clearly knew boundaries: one portion of soup, a VIP discount, but not a free meal.

Xu Juan paid her bill without hesitation, seeming generous, but even if Tang Ning had just comped her, she wouldn’t have lost face—she would’ve been thrilled.

After surviving eleven years of the Calamity Years, credits meant way more than pride.

The two women strolled back to the Inner City Hospital, enjoying the shade and the smooth paved road.

As Xia Qing paused at the visitor register, watched by the armed guard at the hospital entrance, her pen suddenly hesitated—she had just sensed the gentle magnetic field released by an Evolutionary Synthetic Element.