Chapter 961: Exams, Bamboo, and Trading with Wolves

“Zhu Li, Shi Du, are you there?”

As Xia Qing was chopping bamboo in the Western Buffer Forest of the territory, Huo Lei’s rumbling voice came through the lord communicator.

Zhu Li was quick to reply. “I’m here, Uncle Huo. What do you need?”

Huo Lei asked, “Did you check your exam results? How did you do?”

Zhu Li was over the moon. “I did! I passed everything—just barely scraped by in math, physics, and chemistry, three points above passing.”

The middle school graduation exam had four subjects: a humanities paper covering language and history, a science paper with math, physics, and chemistry, a survival skills test on evolutionary biology and disaster prevention, and the last was legal knowledge in the aftermath of disasters.

“High score or low, passing is all that matters. Congratulations on earning your diploma.” Huo Lei congratulated Zhu Li, then asked, “Is Shi Du around?”

Shizhong answered, “He went with Zhao Ze, Huo Zhun, and the others to do some work on Hill Fifty. Bro Huo, when did the results come out?”

“Just this morning. That rascal of mine only passed one subject!” Huo Lei couldn’t help but grumble. “His brain’s duller than a wild boar’s!”

Everyone: Suddenly missing Tang Huai, who used to join the work teams at Hill Fifty. If he were here, there’d at least be some good banter.

As Xia Qing bundled up bamboo slats, she imagined Tang Huai would definitely pull everyone into a parents-free phone group tonight to livestream Huo Lei laying into his son.

Madam Shi chimed in, “Where did you check, Bro Huo? I’d like to see how my Xiao Du did.”

After Huo Lei gave her the phone number, everyone who hadn’t gone to Hill Fifty perked up their ears, waiting to hear how Shi Du measured up against the wild boar.

After Xia Qing split three more stalks of red-leaved bamboo, Madam Shi finally reported back, “Bro Huo, my Xiao Du only passed the law exam.”

Everyone: Well, looks like Shi Du’s brains are just like Huo Zhun’s—not even up to wild boar standard.

Xia Qing wasn’t the least bit surprised. The year of the disaster, Shi Du was thirteen, Zhu Li and Huo Zhun were twelve, just done with elementary and starting junior high. All the middle school knowledge they picked up had to be self-taught after coming to the territory.

Zhu Li managed to pass because Kuang Qingwei set her up with a laptop, video courses, and matching study materials. She also worked hard. As for Huo Lei and Shi Du’s resources, they were incomplete, and their motivation was lacking. Especially Huo Lei—only passed because his old man forced him. Unless they had Brain Evolution, there was no way they’d get through.

Everyone…

Xia Qing just laughed.

Old Goat, busy carting bamboo planks, thought Xia Qing was mocking him and squinted, scraping a hoof against the ground.

Xia Qing quickly made amends. “Boss, you already took those bamboo slats over? That was so fast! Seriously, you’re amazing! If it weren’t for you, I’d never haul all this bamboo before dark. Hey Boss, can you manage these two bundles, or is one enough for now?”

Old Goat dove right into the harness Xia Qing had tied and, with ease, hauled two large bundles towards the greenhouse.

“Boss, you’re incredible—top of the food chain on Blue Star, the mightiest Evolved Sheep!” Xia Qing gave another round of praise and was about to resume chopping when she noticed Crippled Wolf coming out of the village with a basket holding a laptop.

Xia Qing chopped two more pieces before Crippled Wolf finally limped over and set the basket on the ground.

“Broken Back, what brings you out here? Stuck on something in the video lessons?” Xia Qing greeted.

Crippled Wolf took the string tied to the laptop in his mouth, gently placed it on a flat stone, then opened to the video he was watching, gazing seriously at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing put down her axe and went over, crouching beside Crippled Wolf to watch. Good, the video playing showed Yi Stone—one of the materials most often traded between Xia Qing and the Wolf Pack.

You couldn’t find videos like this about rare minerals or plants anywhere. They weren’t from the exchange with Yang Jin but ones Xia Qing had gotten over the past few days from the Idol, who was in good spirits and had a good appetite lately.

Since she had time today, Xia Qing had introduced these videos to Crippled Wolf that morning, telling him to learn on his own at home.

Why’d Xia Qing get the idea? Because Crippled Wolf had become interested in Huo Zhun—a wolf that could fly helicopters. It would certainly get curious about more humans down the line, and the more people it interacted with, the more it needed to know how to protect itself.

Xia Qing wanted Crippled Wolf to understand that the Pure Spring Water, Yi Stone, and Devastationweed on Hill Fifty-Five were precious resources for humans too. That wolf needed to keep these things hidden from people.

Because the second humans discovered them, not even the Northern Wolf Pack would be able to keep their territory, or their lives.

Those resources were what guaranteed Xia Qing’s quality of life, too.

So even if teaching Crippled Wolf the value made it stingier, Xia Qing had to do it.

“Most researchers believe Yi Stone formed during the great evolution at the dawn of Blue Star. Large amounts of Evolution Element suddenly appeared in the atmosphere and crust, where, under intense air pressure, magnetic fields, temperature, and other complex conditions, it reacted with minerals like crystalline limestone, tourmaline, and orthorhombic amphibole…”

Xia Qing’s scalp tingled as she dreaded Crippled Wolf hitting pause to ask her what tourmaline or orthorhombic amphibole meant…

Thankfully, Crippled Wolf didn’t.

“…Yi Stone is a valuable resource sought by combat teams and the military in Evolved Forest…”

At this, Crippled Wolf paused the video, staring at Xia Qing with deadly seriousness.

“That’s right. Humans have been searching for Yi Stone everywhere. It’s useful, like this…” Xia Qing pulled out a tiny piece of Yi Stone from the necklace she wore, showing it to Crippled Wolf. “Wearing exposed Yi Stone means you don’t have to breathe in Devastation Element in the air—good for your health.”

Then she pointed to her greenhouse. “If you put Yi Stone in the greenhouse, all your crops and vegetables turn out better quality. Don’t let humans find where you hide your Yi Stone, Broken Back, or…”

Xia Qing dropped her voice. “Humans will take that place over. If the Wolf Pack won’t leave, there’ll be a fight.”

“Awooo—” Crippled Wolf bared his fangs, furious.

From a wolf’s side, of course, this was maddening. But from a human view, finding valuable resources meant claiming them.

Supplies go to the strongest—it’s the law of survival.

Once Crippled Wolf calmed down, Xia Qing went on. “You can trade Yi Stone for any human goods you need, but only with humans you trust. I’m one of them—I’ll keep the Wolf Pack’s secrets.”

“If others are trustworthy, you have to check carefully. Be cautious—a lot of humans are devious.”

Crippled Wolf stared at Xia Qing for a few seconds and then kept watching until the video showed the Yi Stone Protector, where he paused again, looking expectant.

Xia Qing caught on. “You want a Yi Stone Protector?”

Crippled Wolf grinned, showing off his adorable little fangs.

“You can have one.”

Xia Qing reached into her backpack, took out her handmade Yi Stone Protector, showed Crippled Wolf how it worked along with the video, and finally offered the deal. “You can trade me some Green Lantern Pecans for my Yi Stone Protector.”

Crippled Wolf eyed Xia Qing’s not-so-pretty protector, then eyed the sparkly one in the video—he wasn’t convinced.

“The Yi Stone Evolution Protector I made is actually super tough—way better than the fancy ones!” Xia Qing explained.

Crippled Wolf still remained stubborn.

Xia Qing pulled up a photo of Crippled Wolf and Big Wolf standing side by side and showed it off. “See how Big Wolf is tall, handsome, and his fur’s thicker and shinier than yours? That’s why he’s a higher-ranked Evolved Wolf, right?”

“Awooo!!!” No way!

“So what you mean, Broken Back, is you’re even smarter and tougher than Handsome Wolf?”

“Howl!!!” Absolutely!

That settled it. Xia Qing compared her own Yi Stone Protector and the fancy one from the video again. “Mine’s just the same—maybe not pretty, but stronger and way more useful.”

Crippled Wolf was still skeptical, clearly eyeing the sparkly one over hers.

Gritting her teeth, Xia Qing insisted, “Fine! I can make it shiny too!”