Chapter 94: A Land Up for Grabs

After Qi Fu traded yellowlight scallion seeds for an Evolved Pumpkin Vine, Zhao Ze also exchanged for one with some green-glow alfalfa seeds that wouldn’t be ready for harvest for another two months.

Since Xia Qing had already swapped with her idol for some highly effective deodorizer that masked the fragrance of her crops during meetings—keeping the bugs away—she didn’t have any use for sticky bug boards and skipped the trade.

Just as she was wondering why Kuang Qingwei, usually glued online 24/7, had gone silent, his excited shout blasted over the channel. “Guys! Big news, big news! The folks at the Wild Boar Breeding Center are moving stuff out—they look like they’re packing up for good!”

Turns out, he’d gone to check out the commotion. While digging another trench, Xia Qing mused over who’d lay claim to the land once the breeding center moved out.

Odds were it’d be hers—and she wouldn’t even have to lift a finger. With Yang Jin’s stingy nature, he definitely had it all figured out.

Qi Fu had something more specific in mind. “Wei, did they haul off the pig manure?”

Kuang Qingwei replied, “That I didn’t catch. Why don’t you climb up the reading tree and take a look? You’ve got a better vantage point than me.”

The Wild Boar Breeding Center’s valley sits just outside the North Barrier between Plot Four and Plot Five. Qi Fu could easily spot everything if he climbed one of the big trees in the Buffer Forest—but he wasn’t risking a run-in with a wolf. “My arm’s still in a sling. Better stay put.”

Zhao Ze kept quiet too, apparently sharing Qi Fu’s concerns.

Kuang Qingwei clicked his tongue a little but kept muttering. “The staff are leaving, but no way they’d haul off the metal fences and houses inside. Once they’re gone, who gets that land, anyway? If nobody claims it, we could go in and scavenge. There’s a ton of good stuff in there.”

Qi Fu replied, “That place attracts wolves. Doubt anyone wants it. But let’s wait until it’s official. No point tearing things down just to haul it all back later.”

“Captain Tan, are you there? Any inside scoop about this?” Kuang Qingwei called out to Tan Junjie on the lord chat, but got no answer.

Right then, Tan Junjie was on the phone replying to Tang Huai’s questions. “That land’s outside the official territory. It can’t be claimed… Plot Eight’s got people… I don’t know about the other territories.”

After hanging up, Tan Junjie picked up the tea poured by Luo Pei and took a sip. “What’s the plan for the breeding center land?”

Luo Pei didn’t hide it from his old comrade. “Plan is to grab it and keep running livestock.”

Tan Junjie lowered his voice. “Is the Azure Dragon Unit planning to leave the Safe Zone and start a new one here?”

Luo Pei grinned, half-joking, half-serious. “If I say we are, would you come join me?”

Tan Junjie took another sip, steering the conversation away. “Come on, Lao Luo, Shuyun’s been gone five years now. You need to look forward. Xia Qing’s a good one.”

Luo Pei reminded him, “Your wife’s been gone seven.”

“I’m not like you. I’ve got Qi Qi.” Mentioning his daughter, Tan Junjie’s voice softened. “You need someone you can’t let go of. That’s what makes us treasure life. When times get hard, just thinking of family is enough to help you pull through. Otherwise, living through a disaster like this gets unbearable.”

Tan Junjie’s words sparked a sudden thought in Luo Pei: Yang Jin had really mellowed out after moving from Hui One Base to Hui San Base. Maybe meeting Xia Qing here made him value his life more.

Seeing Luo Pei lost in thought, Tan Junjie fanned the flames. “If you really like her, don’t be shy.”

Luo Pei laughed. “You’ve got it all wrong, don’t play matchmaker for me. By the way, was Tang Huai hoping to claim Territory Twelve just now?”

Tan Junjie nodded. “He was. But it’s just wishful thinking. Ever since you guys took Mountain 49, every nearby plot’s become prime real estate. Lots of people eyeing Territory Twelve.”

There are fifty territories north of Hui San Base’s Safe Zone, divided into two big blocks. Plots One to Twenty-Eight are surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and north, with huge urban ruins to the south. It’s way more dangerous than the zone closer to the Safe Zone. Before Mountain 49 fell to the Azure Dragon Unit, this region wasn’t even in demand.

Now, it was Luo Pei’s turn to nudge Tan Junjie. “The disaster’s still going, but I doubt there’ll be any world-ending calamities near us. You should claim one plot up here, maybe for Qi Qi—let her have a place to run wild during school breaks, and when she’s grown, she’ll have more choices.”

Tan Junjie nodded. “I’m aiming for Plot Fifteen. Actually, I came today to ask if I could borrow some points.”

Luo Pei jumped right on it. “The one south of Zhang San’s place? Great spot. Even more people have their eye on that land. So, what’s getting in your way? Maybe we can figure something out together.”

Meanwhile, in the neighboring Territory Two, Tang Heng kept his voice low. “Bro, you’re actually serious about this?”

Tang Huai, unusually grave, replied, “Luo Pei’s poison is already cured. So why’s the Azure Dragon Unit still holding onto Mountain 49? Is Yang Jin an idiot, or is Xie Yu?”

If penny-pinching Yang Jin and the brain-evolved Xie Yu are fools, there’s basically no smart people left on Blue Star. Tang Heng caught on quickly. “So, you think they bought Mountain 49 to turn it into a stronghold? Like the Blazing Fire Unit did? But there’s no unpolluted spring up there.”

“Luo Pei’s poison needed at least fifteen hundred tons of spring water to cure. He’s fine now, running around with a sniper rifle. You really think the Azure Dragon Unit’s hurting for spring water?” Tang Huai drummed his fingers on the map, looking deadly serious. “Just because Xu Pin and Tang Zheng couldn’t find a spring up there doesn’t mean Plot Forty-Nine isn’t valuable in other ways.”

Tang Heng’s heart pounded. “Could Mountain 49 have a Yi mine?”

Would the Azure Dragon Unit really let him in on a secret like that? Tang Huai shot his brother a look. “Doesn’t matter—we have to assume Mountain 49’s got something good. We have to get Territory Twelve before anyone else does! If we can get this area developed, we’ll stop having to kiss up to anyone.”

Tang Heng froze, choking up a bit. “Bro…”

Tang Huai gave his shoulder a pat. “Xia Qing is a strength evolver, just one woman, and yet she’s out there farming, living her best life. So why can’t the two of us? Disaster or not, we don’t have to turn into people we can’t even stand. Watching you suck up to Xu Pin—can’t do it anymore.”

“Bro…”

“Alright enough. Forget about Plot Fifteen. Even if we wanted it, we aren’t getting it. Let’s just focus on snagging Territory Twelve for now.”

Tang Huai sniffled. “First we need to convince Dad and Sis to talk to Tang Zhengrong…”

While everyone else was racking their brains over territory, Xia Qing had finished digging the fertilizer trenches for her two cotton fields. She started “cleaning the ears” of her cotton plants.

“Cleaning the ears” is a nickname for pruning cotton plants during their flowering phase. After the main branches are trimmed, tiny shoots tend to sprout back on those spots and beneath the buds on the fruiting branches. These little shoots need to be pinched off quickly; otherwise, they’ll steal nutrients away from the buds and cotton bolls.