Chapter 1016: The Giant Bee's Inspection Report

After finding twelve bamboo shoot tips, Xia Qing pressed the intercom button. "Green-light bamboo shoots located, preparing to harvest. Everyone, get your protective gear on. I, Third Brother, Jingkuan, and Eryong will be the ones breaking the shoots. I'll count to three, and we break them together."

"Copy that." Zhang San replied along with the others, his voice buzzing with excitement.

Huo Zhun and Hu Zifeng, who were protecting Zhang San at close range, immediately raised their shields, and combined with the iron umbrella Zhang San was carrying on his back, they shielded him completely.

Xia Qing began counting. "One, two, three!"

Crouching under the iron umbrella, Zhang San heard the order. Three seconds after breaking off the bamboo shoot, he was knocked down by the clattering bamboo-leaf darts raining onto the iron umbrella and landed sitting on Hu Zifeng's foot. Huo Zhun reached out to steady the tilting umbrella, keeping the bamboo-leaf darts from hitting Zhang San.

Although Zhang San's protective suit was high-grade and the bamboo-leaf darts couldn't possibly pierce it, getting hit by one would still cause serious injury to this important figure.

Zhang San, who had overestimated his stamina and underestimated the bamboo leaves' impact, steadied himself. "Sorry, lost my footing."

Hearing Zhang San apologize, Hu Zifeng was even more terrified. "It's fine, it's fine, as long as you're not hurt."

Having witnessed Zhang Song's ground-roll falls, Xia Qing felt her idol had performed remarkably well today.

Once the green-light bamboo stopped firing darts, Xia Qing consulted her idol's opinion: "The Violent Rain period is coming soon. Digging up too many green-light shoots will weaken the bamboo's resistance. Third Brother, shall we dig a few yellow-light ones instead?"

Coming here to dig shoots was meant to cover the true purpose of this trip. Having already experienced the joy of digging shoots, Zhang San quit while he was ahead. "No need, these few are enough for a stir-fry. Let's head to Mountain Fifty."

After Xia Qing carried Zhang San out of Mountain Fifty-Two, the wolf pack's mission was over.

The lead wolf didn't even say goodbye before leading the pack away. The plucked-fur yellow weasel also ran off with its pups. Only the broken-back wolf stayed, staring at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing knew exactly what this wolf was thinking and made a promise to it. "I'll come by first thing tomorrow morning."

Only then did the broken-back wolf flash a glimpse of its little fang tips, take one more look at Zhang San, and turn to disappear into the Evolution Forest.

This individualistic brain-evolved wolf's smile looked a lot like Xia Qing's. Zhang San asked, "Did you teach this wolf to show approval with a smile?"

Xia Qing shook her head. "No, it figured that out on its own."

"It's very smart. It's imitating you—its smile looks a lot like yours."

If anyone else had said that, Xia Qing would have thrown them to the ground and counted their bones on the spot! But when her idol said it…

"I'll take that as a compliment that my smile looks clever."

Mountain Fifty was guarded by the Azure Dragon Squad and Territory Seven's sentries, making it much safer than the Evolution Forest.

After escorting him safely on a patrol lap, the task squad delivered him back to Territory Seven, handed him over to Zheng Chen and Zhang Jingwu, and called it a day.

Huo Zhun, Hu Zifeng, and Peng Jian all collapsed into the seats of Xia Qing's off-road vehicle.

Peng Jian was still shaken. "Even though this trip had no enemy attacks and no aggressive plants, I feel more exhausted than an S-rank mission."

Huo Zhun corrected him. "Our trip was a 3S-rank mission."

"Huo-ge is right." Hu Zifeng nodded.

Protecting a top national scientist to dig bamboo shoots in the Evolution Forest—that's solidly a 3S-rank mission. If the Safe Zone had posted this mission, a task squad of their caliber wouldn't even qualify to take it.

Peng Jian sighed with emotion. "This trip was totally worth it."

Mission pay matches mission risk. Xia Qing had already paid the mission fee, and after Third Brother came down from Mountain Fifty, he said he'd give each of them three vials of special-effect hemostatic agent.

Who would believe it if they told anyone—they actually escorted Professor Fu Tianfeng to dig bamboo shoots in the Evolution Forest!

Xia Qing, who was driving, added to the pay. "I cleaned out the fish pond yesterday. Each of you take a yellow-light fish later."

"I'll skip mine. I haven't finished the fish Qing-jie sent over yesterday." Huo Zhun grinned. "The fish Qing-jie raises are amazing steamed."

"They're even better in boiled fish. Huo-ge should try it." Peng Jian began discussing fish recipes with Huo Zhun.

After dropping Hu Zifeng and Peng Jian off at the north gate of Territory One, Xia Qing drove Huo Zhun back to Territory Eleven.

Once there were no Azure Dragon Squad members in the car, Huo Zhun got serious and proposed, "Qing-jie, the reason we got back safely this time is that no one expected Third Brother to suddenly leave the territory. After the Violent Rain, the combat-capable evolvers in our territory need to start joint training to improve team combat ability. Also, we need more hands. If Qing-jie trusts me, I'll get in touch with Yanlong and pull two veterans from the Flood Dragon Special Ops Team. They're all orphans, and we've been through life-and-death together."

Now that Third Brother has taken the first step, there will be a second and a third. Once word gets out that Zhang San went out, someone is bound to target him.

They wouldn't dare kill Zhang San, nor could they bear to—but they'd "invite" him back to their base or research center to keep working for them.

"You and Yan-jie's pick—I trust them completely." Xia Qing asked how the two should be arranged. "Should I reserve positions for them at the Ninth Center?"

"No need. Territory Eleven is big enough. I'll carve out a plot of land for each of them and have them farm." Once his good brothers moved into the territory, Huo Zhun wouldn't have to endure his old man's scolding every day, and he'd have people to work alongside him—killing several birds with one stone.

If the brothers in the squad knew they'd be teaming up with the evolved wolf pack to protect Third Brother, they'd fight each other for the chance!

"Xia Qing, you there?"

Xia Qing had returned to the territory and worked until evening. Hearing her idol call her on the Territory channel, she immediately pressed the intercom button. "Here, Third Brother. Go ahead."

Zhang San's voice was kind. "Do you still have that fresh green-light kelp and dried shrimp you got a while back? I'd like to trade for some."

"Yes, I'll bring it over right now." After agreeing, Xia Qing proposed her trade condition. "Third Brother, may I borrow the underwater robots in your territory? The Violent Rain period is almost here, and I want to check whether the underwater defense net at Territory Three is intact."

"Sure." Zhang San agreed readily.

Xia Qing quickly brought the specialty goods from Lan Five she'd traded with Yang Jin last month, hurried to Territory Seven, and handed the food to Daya.

Daya was in a great mood too. "Qing-jie, chat with Third Brother a bit longer. Once Ping-jie finishes the bamboo shoot, kelp, and pork rib soup, take a portion home for dinner."

"Okay." Ge Ping, Territory Seven's cook, was an excellent chef, so Xia Qing agreed very readily.

Following Zheng Chen, whose attitude toward her was growing warmer and warmer, toward her idol's lab, Xia Qing's mood bounced back and forth between beating him up and calling Yang Jin.

Fortunately, the walk wasn't long. Once Xia Qing entered her idol's lab and closed the door, she finally had some peace.

Zhang San handed her a report. "The giant bee sample test results are out. Take a look."

"Third Brother is amazing—back less than two hours and already produced so many results." After offering her sincere praise, Xia Qing glanced at the report and froze. "Yi element content, 9.1?!!!"