Chapter 999: Night Secrets Beneath the Wild Grass Wall

“Thunk!”

Crouched behind the Wild Grass Wall inside Section Three, Xia Qing heard the sound of someone landing from a high place. Judging from the noise and direction, it had to be someone jumping down from the signpost more than three meters high at the border with Territory Two.

“Brother Huai, look! It’s this thing. What do you think it is?”

That was Liu Jing, the Auditory Evolutionary from Territory Two. Last winter, when Tang Huai went back to Territory Twelve to recuperate, Liu Jing took over as acting agent for Territory Two and became quite vocal in the Lords’ channel. These days he was something of a mid-level manager, running errands and passing on Tang Huai’s words.

Tang Huai kept his explanation simple since Liu Jing hadn’t had much schooling. “This thing can scan the area for active phone signals, then mimic any phone number it finds and send messages to a specific device in range. That’s how it works.”

A voice Xia Qing hadn’t heard before chimed in, “I know what that is! It’s called a fake base station. Our company used to send bulk spam messages with those before the Calamity years—total cash grab!”

Tang Huai snapped, his voice barely lower than the other man’s, “Could you yell any louder? Damn it!”

Liu Jing dropped his volume right down. “Don’t worry, Brother Huai. It’s just us for fifty meters around. No one would bother bugging or spying on us here anymore—Qinglong isn’t gonna waste an advanced Auditory Evolutionary keeping tabs on what we do.”

The scammer immediately piped up, guilt in his voice. “Sorry, Brother Huai. Didn’t mean to. Xia Qing’s the only one in Section Three, and she’s always swamped with serious stuff. She’s probably fast asleep by now.”

Truth was, Section Three only had one resident, but it wasn’t just her. Xia Qing crouched silently among the thick grass with Number Four, a clever wolf. No doubt that fake base station on the sign would have picked up her phone signal.

Luckily, her phone—just like the private one belonging to her Idol—had been upgraded by Da Ya. It was seriously secure, eavesdropping-proof and immune to most scams!

“You two just earned yourselves some credit for tonight. I’ll take this with me. Get back to your patrol.” Tang Huai’s tone was cold and full of menace. “Liu Jing, remind everyone in the territory again: if I catch anyone doing shady business or messing with my brothers’ livelihoods, I’ll make sure they never show their face again. I’ll feed whoever I catch to the bugs. These days, killing a man’s easier than bagging a rabbit in the Evolved Forest.”

Once Tang Huai left, Xia Qing heard the scratch of a matchstick—someone was lighting a cigarette. She wasn’t a Scent Evolutionary, so she couldn’t smell smoke at that distance, but Elder Wolf next to her probably could. Problem was, he couldn’t speak human, so their communication was limited.

A couple of minutes passed before Liu Jing spoke up, “Hey, Run-ge, do you think Tang Lu’s a little thick?”

The name “Run-ge” gave away the scammer’s identity to Xia Qing: Shi Run, former Sufeng Squad base cafeteria supply clerk, just an ordinary guy.

Shi Run answered, “What makes you say that?”

Liu Jing grumbled, “She snuck out here in the dark last night just to hide that thing on top of the sign. Isn’t that just dumb? It’s not like we’re blind.”

Shi Run leaned against the signpost, exhaled a smoke ring into the starry sky and said, “Why do you think she did it last night and not earlier?”

“Why?”

Shi Run’s voice drifted in with the rustle of the grass, clear in Xia Qing’s ears. “Because she planted it last night. By the time we caught the fake base station today, she’d already flown to White One and checked into the university’s super-secure dorms. Even if the person who forced her to do this found out, there’s no way they could get her back to set up another one anytime soon.”

Xia Qing nodded in the darkness.

Shi Run was sharp; no wonder he’d hung on to that cushy job managing the cafeteria’s supplies for so long. But who told Tang Lu to place that fake base station?

Xia Qing decided to stick around and listen a bit more.

After a while, Liu Jing let out a sigh. “Tang Lu’s got it rough, honestly. But if Kong Lingqiang was really forcing her, why didn’t she go to Director Tang?”

Xia Qing kept her expression blank. Kong Lingqiang was just a low-level official in the Territory Management Department. Who’d bribed him? Fire Phoenix, maybe?

Shi Run snorted, “Of course she told him. But doing that would only get Kong Lingqiang thrown under the bus—she wouldn’t gain a thing. She tried being sneaky but we still caught her. If Kong’s crowd comes after her, at least she has an excuse and can push back.”

Liu Jing batted away a bug buzzing by his head. “You’re too sharp, Run-ge. That never even crossed my mind. Tang Zhengrong’s fallen—who’s Kong Lingqiang working for now?”

“Doesn’t matter, but it’s definitely not anyone above board.” Shi Run shrugged, then gave Liu Jing a word of advice. “There’s food, drink and work here in Territory Two. During the Calamity, finding a place like this ain’t easy. Just lay low and don’t make trouble.”

Liu Jing joked, “Come on, Run-ge. I’m just a grunt. What kind of trouble could I possibly stir up?”

“Who do you think Brother Huai was really talking to before he left? In Territory Two, you and Tang Lu are thick as thieves. You treat her nice—hoping that if Tang Zhengrong and Tang Rui ever get out and make a comeback, you’ll hitch a ride to the top with her?”

Liu Jing muttered something, but the wind carried it away and Xia Qing didn’t catch it.

“You say Tang Lu’s got it tough, but is anyone really living easy these days?” Shi Run’s cigarette was finished; he walked away from the signpost, heading back into the territory. “Tang Lu’s no pushover, though. She’s even better at scheming than most. Back when Tang Zhengsu was in power, nobody in the Tang Family was climbing the ranks faster than her. Half the evidence against Tang Rui and Tang Zheng came from her. Getting close to her won’t get you anywhere.”

Once those two disappeared into the distance, Elder Wolf got up and started heading back.

Xia Qing followed and, once they were in the clear, she expressed her thanks from the heart. “Number Four, thank you. If you hadn’t brought me here, I’d never have discovered this hidden danger.”

Dew drops hung on the edges of grass blades, reflecting moonlight through the night. Number Four ignored her, padding ahead under the stars.

Trailing behind, Xia Qing gave him a gentle reminder. “Number Four, there are good people and bad people among humans. The bad ones can be cruel—they’ve got powerful weapons and poisons. You did the right thing today. Next time you find a bad guy, don’t let them spot you. Come find me like you did tonight, and I’ll handle it.”

Elder Wolf paused and looked back at her.

Xia Qing wasn’t sure how much Number Four understood, but she stopped too, taking off her night vision goggles and making him a promise. “I’m not a good person either. But if you never hurt or steal from me, I’ll never do you any harm.”

The old wolf turned away and trotted off again beneath the starlight.

Xia Qing grinned and followed. “Number Four, want me to set up a wooden bed for you on the ruins? Promise it’ll be comfy. You see that platform up on Hill Fifty-Five where the Queen sunbathes? I built that too…”

The next morning, while Xia Qing was out killing insects as part of her patrol, she received a message from Yang Jin: Type B Magnetic Sense Evolver Ma Xiaoyin had gone missing overnight.

Before she could reply, Xu Juan sent the exact same message.

A few minutes later, Xia Qing got a call from Zhao Baolin, the head of the Planting Division and director of the Safe Zone Planting Center. His tone was all business—he ordered Xia Qing to bring Lü Ziqiang, the new Type B Magnetic Sense Evolver from the ninth center, back to the Safe Zone within three hours.